Status and outlook of CHIP-TRAP: The Central Michigan University high precision Penning trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redshaw, M.; Bryce, R. A.; Hawks, P.; Gamage, N. D.; Hunt, C.; Kandegedara, R. M. E. B.; Ratnayake, I. S.; Sharp, L.

2016-06-01

At Central Michigan University we are developing a high-precision Penning trap mass spectrometer (CHIP-TRAP) that will focus on measurements with long-lived radioactive isotopes. CHIP-TRAP will consist of a pair of hyperbolic precision-measurement Penning traps, and a cylindrical capture/filter trap in a 12 T magnetic field. Ions will be produced by external ion sources, including a laser ablation source, and transported to the capture trap at low energies enabling ions of a given m / q ratio to be selected via their time-of-flight. In the capture trap, contaminant ions will be removed with a mass-selective rf dipole excitation and the ion of interest will be transported to the measurement traps. A phase-sensitive image charge detection technique will be used for simultaneous cyclotron frequency measurements on single ions in the two precision traps, resulting in a reduction in statistical uncertainty due to magnetic field fluctuations.

Time-of-flight measurement of ionic species generated during ablation for optimization of focusing condition at free-electron laser beamline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senba, Y.; Nagasono, M.; Koyama, T.; Yumoto, H.; Ohashi, H.; Tono, K.; Togashi, T.; Inubushi, Y.; Sato, T.; Yabashi, M.; Ishikawa, T.

2013-03-01

Optimization of focusing conditions is important in free-electron laser applications. A time-of-flight mass analyzer has been designed and constructed for this purpose. The time-of-flight spectra of ionic species evolved from laser ablation of gold were measured. The yields of ionic species showed strong correlations with free-electron-laser intensity. This method conveniently allows for direct estimation of laser intensity on sample and determination of focusing position.

Charge Transfer Between Ground-State Si(3+) and He at Electron-Volt Energies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fang, Z.; Kwong, Victor H. S.

1997-01-01

The charge-transfer rate coefficient for the reaction Si(3+)(3s(sup 2)S) + He yields products is measured by means of a combined technique of laser ablation and ion storage. A cylindrical radio-frequency ion trap was used to store Si(3+) ions produced by laser ablation of solid silicon targets. The rate coefficient of the reaction was derived from the decay rate of the ion signal. The measured rate coefficient is 6.27(exp +0.68)(sub -0.52) x 10(exp -10)cu cm/s at T(sub equiv) = 3.9 x 10(exp 3)K. This value is about 30% higher than the Landau-Zener calculation of Butler and Dalgarno and is larger by about a factor of 3 than the recent full quantal calculation of Honvault et al.

New perspectives in laser analytics: Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization in a Paul ion trap combined with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisling, Peter; Heger, Hans Jörg; Michaelis, Walfried; Weitkamp, Claus; Zobel, Harald

1995-04-01

A new laser analytical device has been developed that is based on resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization in the very center of a radio-frequency quadrupole ion trap. Applications in speciation anlaysis of biological and enviromental samples and in materials science will all benefit from laser-optical selectivity in the resonance excitation process, combined with mass-spectropic sensivity which is further enhanced by the ion accumulation and storage capability.

Single-Photon Ionization Soft-X-Ray Laser Mass Spectrometry of Potential Hydrogen Storage Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, F.; Bernstein, E. R.; Rocca, J. J.

A desk-top size capillary discharge 46.9 nm lasear is applied in the gas phase study of nanoclusters. The high photon energy allows for single-photon ionization mass spectrometry with reduced cluster fragmentation. In the present studies, neutral Al m C n and Al m C n H x cluster are investigation for the first time. Single photon ionization through 46.9 nm, 118 nm, 193 nm lasers is used to detect neutral cluster distributions through time of flight mass spectrometry. Al m C n clusters are generated through laser ablation of a mixture of Al and C powders pressed into a disk. An oscillation of the vertical ionization energies (VIEs) of Al m C n clusters is observed in the experiments. The VIEs of Al m C n clusters changes as a function of the numbers of Al and C atoms in the clusters. Al m C n H x clusters are generated through an Al ablation plasma-hydrocarbon reaction, an Al-C ablation plasma reacting with H2 gas, or through cold Al m C n clusters reacting with H2 gas in a fast flow reactor. DFT and ab inito calculations are carried out to explore the structures, IEs, and electronic structures of Al m C n H x clusters. C=C bonds are favored for the lowest energy structures for Al m C n clusters. Be m C n H x are generated through a beryllium ablation plasma-hydrocarbon reaction and detected by single photon ionization of 193 nm laser. Both Al m C n H x and Be m C n H x are considered as potential hydrogen storage materials.

A B-TOF mass spectrometer for the analysis of ions with extreme high start-up energies.

PubMed

Lezius, M

2002-03-01

Weak magnetic deflection is combined with two acceleration stage time-of-flight mass spectrometry and subsequent position-sensitive ion detection. The experimental method, called B-TOF mass spectrometry, is described with respect to its theoretical background and some experimental results. It is demonstrated that the technique has distinct advantages over other approaches, with special respect to the identification and analysis of very highly energetic ions with an initially large energy broadening (up to 1 MeV) and with high charge states (up to 30+). Similar energetic targets are a common case in intense laser-matter interaction processes found during laser ablation, laser-cluster and laser-molecule interaction and fast particle and x-ray generation from laser-heated plasma. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Kinetics of ion and prompt electron emission from laser-produced plasma

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

Farid, N.; Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, School of Physics and Optical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian; Harilal, S. S.

2013-07-15

We investigated ion emission dynamics of laser-produced plasma from several elements, comprised of metals and non-metals (C, Al, Si, Cu, Mo, Ta, W), under vacuum conditions using a Faraday cup. The estimated ion flux for various targets studied showed a decreasing tendency with increasing atomic mass. For metals, the ion flux is found to be a function of sublimation energy. A comparison of temporal ion profiles of various materials showed only high-Z elements exhibited multiple structures in the ion time of flight profile indicated by the observation of higher peak kinetic energies, which were absent for low-Z element targets. Themore » slower ions were seen regardless of the atomic number of target material propagated with a kinetic energy of 1–5 keV, while the fast ions observed in high-Z materials possessed significantly higher energies. A systematic study of plasma properties employing fast photography, time, and space resolved optical emission spectroscopy, and electron analysis showed that there existed different mechanisms for generating ions in laser ablation plumes. The origin of high kinetic energy ions is related to prompt electron emission from high-Z targets.« less

Preparation and comparative testing of advanced diamond-like carbon foils for tandem accelerators and time-of-flight spectrometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liechtenstein, V. Kh.; Ivkova, T. M.; Olshanski, E. D.; Baranov, A. M.; Repnow, R.; Hellborg, R.; Weller, R. A.; Wirth, H. L.

1999-12-01

The sputter preparation technique for thin diamond-like carbon (DLC) foils, advantageously used for ion-beam stripping and timing in accelerator experiments, has been optimized to improve the quality and the performance of the foils. Irradiation lifetimes of 5 μg/cm 2 DLC foils prepared by this technique have been compared with those for foils of approximately the same thickness, prepared by laser plasma ablation and for ethylene cracked foils when bombarded by 11 MeV Cu - - and Au --ion beams of ˜1 μA beam current at the Heidelberg MP-tandem. Standard carbon arc-evaporated foils were used as references. In these experiments, DLC stripper foils appeared to have a mean lifetime approximately two times longer than ethylene-cracked foils regardless of ion species, and compared favorably with foils prepared by laser ablation method. All these foils lasted at least, 10 times longer than standard carbon foils, when irradiated in the MP terminal. Approximately, the same improvement factor was confirmed with 3 μg/cm 2 DLC stripper foils irradiated with 2.3 MeV Ni-beams at the Pelletron accelerator in Lund. Unlike standard carbon foils, most of the advanced lifetime foils exhibited thinning during long irradiation, under clean vacuum. This suggests that sputtering of the foil by the heavy-ion beam might be a dominant process, responsible for the observed failure of these long-lived strippers. Along with specifically corrugated self-supporting DLC beam strippers, we succeeded in the fabrication of very smooth and ultra thin (˜0.5 μg/cm 2) DLC foils, mounted on grids and used as start foils for the ToF spectrometers applied in ion beam analysis.

Cluster formation in laser-induced ablation and evaporation of solids observed by laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and scanning tunneling microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tench, R. J.; Balooch, M.; Bernardez, L.; Allen, Mike J.; Siekhaus, W. J.; Olander, D. R.; Wang, W.

1990-04-01

Laser ionization time-of-flight mass analysis (LIMA) used pulses (5ns) of a frequency-quadrupled Nd-YAG laser (266 nm) focused onto spots of 4 to 100 microns diameter to ablate material, and a reflectron time of flight tube to mass-analyze the plume. The observed mass spectra for Si, Pt, SiC, and UO 2 varied in the distribution of ablation products among atoms, molecules and clusters, depending on laser power density and target material. Cleaved surfaces of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) positioned at room temperature either 10 cm away from materials ablated at 10(exp -5) Torr by 1 to 3 excimer laser (308 nm) pulses of 20 ns duration or 1 m away from materials vaporized at 10(exp -8) Torr by 10 Nd-Glass laser pulses of 1 ms duration were analyzed by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) in air with angstrom resolution. Clusters up to 30 A in diameter were observed.

Estimation of Al2O3 critical temperature using a Langmuir probe in laser ablation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yahiaoui, K.; Abdelli-Messaci, S.; Messaoud Aberkane, S.; Kellou, A.

2016-11-01

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has demonstrated its capacity in thin films growing under the moderate laser intensity. But when the laser intensity increases, the presence of droplets on the thin film limits the PLD efficiency such that the process needs an optimization study. In this way, an experimental study has been conducted in order to correlate between the appearance of those droplets and the laser fluence. The comprehension of the physical mechanism during ablation and the control of the deposition parameters allowed to get a safe process. Our experiment consists in measuring the amount of ejected matter from polycrystalline alumina target as a function of the laser fluence when irradiated by a KrF laser. According to laser fluence, several kinds of ablation regimes have been identified. Below a threshold value found as 12 J/cm2, the mechanism of ablation was assigned to normal evaporation, desorption and nonthermal processes. While above this threshold value, the mechanism of ablation was assigned to phase explosion phenomenon which is responsible of droplets formation when the surface temperature approaches the critical temperature T tc. A negative charge collector was used to collect the positive ions in the plume. Their times of flight (TOF) signal were used to estimate the appropriate T tc for alumina target. Ions yield, current as well as kinetic energy were deduced from the TOF signal. Their evolutions show the occurrence of an optical breakdown in the vapor plume which is well correlated with the onset of the phase explosion phenomenon. At 10 J/cm2, the ions velocities collected by the probe have been compared to those obtained from optical emission spectroscopy diagnostic and were discussed. To prove the occurrence of phase explosion by the appearance of droplets, several thin films were elaborated on Si (100) substrate at different laser fluence into vacuum. They have been characterized by scanning electron microscope. The results were well correlated with those obtained with mass measurements as function of laser fluence.

Synthesis efficiency of heavy carbon clusters from ETFE ablated by different numbers of laser pulse in vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibagaki, K.; Takada, N.; Sasaki, K.; Kadota, K.

2002-09-01

We have carried out mass spectral analysis of positive ions produced by laser ablation of a copolymer of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE: [CH 2CH 2CF 2CF 2] n) in vacuum using time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS). The surfaces of the ETFE targets irradiated by different numbers of laser pulse were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Heavy carbon cluster ions C n+ with n≥30 were observed in the mass spectra. The fractional abundance of heavy clusters in the mass spectrum decreased with the number of laser pulse. On the other hand, carbon became rich in the atomic composition of the laser-irradiated surface, and the eroded area on the surface increased with the number of laser pulse. From these results, it is suggested that the carbon-rich material surface results in the less efficient production of heavy carbon clusters. In addition, it is also suggested that clustering reactions in eroded craters do not contribute to the synthesis of heavy clusters.

Review of the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) Experiment at the Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, J. B.; Sims, Herb; Martin, James; Chakrabarti, Suman; Lewis, Raymond; Fant, Wallace

2003-01-01

The significant energy density of matter-antimatter annihilation is attractive to the designers of future space propulsion systems, with the potential to offer a highly compact source of power. Many propulsion concepts exist that could take advantage of matter-antimatter reactions, and current antiproton production rates are sufficient to support basic proof-of-principle evaluation of technology associated with antimatter- derived propulsion. One enabling technology for such experiments is portable storage of low energy antiprotons, allowing antiprotons to be trapped, stored, and transported for use at an experimental facility. To address this need, the Marshall Space Flight Center's Propulsion Research Center is developing a storage system referred to as the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) with a design goal of containing 10(exp 12) particles for up to 18 days. The HiPAT makes use of an electromagnetic system (Penning- Malmberg design) consisting of a 4 Telsa superconductor, high voltage electrode structure, radio frequency (RF) network, and ultra high vacuum system. To evaluate the system normal matter sources (both electron guns and ion sources) are used to generate charged particles. The electron beams ionize gas within the trapping region producing ions in situ, whereas the ion sources produce the particles external to the trapping region and required dynamic capture. A wide range of experiments has been performed examining factors such as ion storage lifetimes, effect of RF energy on storage lifetime, and ability to routinely perform dynamic ion capture. Current efforts have been focused on improving the FW rotating wall system to permit longer storage times and non-destructive diagnostics of stored ions. Typical particle detection is performed by extracting trapped ions from HiPAT and destructively colliding them with a micro-channel plate detector (providing number and energy information). This improved RF system has been used to detect various plasma modes for both electron and ion plasmas in the two traps at MSFC, including axial, cyclotron, and diocotron modes. New diagnostics are also being added to HiPAT to measure the axial density distribution of the trapped cloud to match measured RF plasma modes to plasma conditions.

Background-free beta-decay half-life measurements by in-trap decay and high-resolution MR-ToF mass analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, R. N.; Atanasov, D.; Blaum, K.; Kreim, S.; Lunney, D.; Manea, V.; Rosenbusch, M.; Schweikhard, L.; Welker, A.; Wienholtz, F.; Zuber, K.

2016-06-01

In-trap decay in ISOLTRAP's radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) ion beam cooler and buncher was used to determine the lifetime of short-lived nuclides. After various storage times, the remaining mother nuclides were mass separated from accompanying isobaric contaminations by the multi-reflection time-of-flight mass separator (MR-ToF MS), allowing for a background-free ion counting. A feasibility study with several online measurements shows that the applications of the ISOLTRAP setup can be further extended by exploiting the high resolving power of the MR-ToF MS in combination with in-trap decay and single-ion counting.

Time-of-flight spectroscopy characterization of the plasma plume from a laser-ablated potassium titanyl phosphate crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ying, Minju; Wang, XiaoXiao; Cheng, Wei; Liao, Bin; Zhang, Xu

2015-06-01

Optical emission spectra of the plasma produced by 1.06-μm Nd:YAG laser irradiation of a potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) crystal were recorded and analyzed in a time- and spatially resolved manner. The composition and evolution of the plasma plume were studied in low vacuum conditions. Emission lines associated with Ti(I), Ti(II) and K(I) were identified in the plasma. The delay times of emission peaks for the ablated species were investigated as a function of the observation distance from the target surface, and the velocities of these species were derived accordingly. Two emission peaks corresponding to a fast and a slow component of ablated Ti(I) were observed by optical time-of-flight spectroscopy. The origins of the two peaks and a possible mechanism for the laser ablation are discussed.

Laser ionization time of flight mass spectrometer for isotope mass detection and elemental analysis of materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Nasar; Ahmed, Rizwan; Umar, Z. A.; Aslam Baig, M.

2017-08-01

In this paper we present the construction and modification of a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer to improve its mass resolution. This system consists of a laser ablation/ionization section based on a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 500 mJ, 5 ns pulse duration) integrated with a one meter linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer coupled with an electric sector and a magnetic lens and outfitted with a channeltron electron multiplier for ion detection. The resolution of the system has been improved by optimizing the accelerating potential and inserting a magnetic lens after the extraction region. The isotopes of lithium, lead and cadmium samples have been resolved and detected in accordance with their natural abundance. The capability of the system has been further exploited to determine the elemental composition of a brass alloy, having a certified composition of zinc and copper. Our results are in excellent agreement with its certified composition. This setup is found to be extremely efficient and convenient for fast analyses of any solid sample.

In-depth study of in-trap high-resolution mass separation by transversal ion ejection from a multi-reflection time-of-flight device.

PubMed

Fischer, Paul; Knauer, Stefan; Marx, Gerrit; Schweikhard, Lutz

2018-01-01

The recently introduced method of ion separation by transversal ejection of unwanted species in electrostatic ion-beam traps and multi-reflection time-of-flight devices has been further studied in detail. As this separation is performed during the ion storage itself, there is no need for additional external devices such as ion gates or traps for either pre- or postselection of the ions of interest. The ejection of unwanted contaminant ions is performed by appropriate pulses of the potentials of deflector electrodes. These segmented ring electrodes are located off-center in the trap, i.e., between one of the two ion mirrors and the central drift tube, which also serves as a potential lift for capturing incoming ions and axially ejecting ions of interest after their selection. The various parameters affecting the selection effectivity and resolving power are illustrated with tin-cluster measurements, where isotopologue ion species provide mass differences down to a single atomic mass unit at ion masses of several hundred. Symmetric deflection voltages of only 10 V were found sufficient for the transversal ejection of ion species with as few as three deflection pulses. The duty cycle, i.e., the pulse duration with respect to the period of ion revolution, has been varied, resulting in resolving powers of up to several tens of thousands for this selection technique.

In-depth study of in-trap high-resolution mass separation by transversal ion ejection from a multi-reflection time-of-flight device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Paul; Knauer, Stefan; Marx, Gerrit; Schweikhard, Lutz

2018-01-01

The recently introduced method of ion separation by transversal ejection of unwanted species in electrostatic ion-beam traps and multi-reflection time-of-flight devices has been further studied in detail. As this separation is performed during the ion storage itself, there is no need for additional external devices such as ion gates or traps for either pre- or postselection of the ions of interest. The ejection of unwanted contaminant ions is performed by appropriate pulses of the potentials of deflector electrodes. These segmented ring electrodes are located off-center in the trap, i.e., between one of the two ion mirrors and the central drift tube, which also serves as a potential lift for capturing incoming ions and axially ejecting ions of interest after their selection. The various parameters affecting the selection effectivity and resolving power are illustrated with tin-cluster measurements, where isotopologue ion species provide mass differences down to a single atomic mass unit at ion masses of several hundred. Symmetric deflection voltages of only 10 V were found sufficient for the transversal ejection of ion species with as few as three deflection pulses. The duty cycle, i.e., the pulse duration with respect to the period of ion revolution, has been varied, resulting in resolving powers of up to several tens of thousands for this selection technique.

Negative charge emission due to excimer laser bombardment of sodium trisilicate glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langford, S. C.; Jensen, L. C.; Dickinson, J. T.; Pederson, L. R.

1990-10-01

We describe measurements of negative charge emission accompanying irradiation of sodium trisilicate glass (Na2Oṡ3SiO2) with 248-nm excimer laser light at fluences on the order of 2 J/cm2 per pulse, i.e., at the threshold for ablative etching of the glass surface. The negative charge emission consists of a very prompt photoelectron burst coincident with the laser pulse, followed by a much slower plume of electrons and negative ions traveling with a high density cloud of positive ions, previously identified as primarily Na+. Using combinations of E and B fields in conjunction with time-of-flight methods, the negative ions were successfully separated from the plume and tentatively identified as O-, Si-, NaO-, and perhaps NaSi-. These negative species are probably formed by gas phase collisions in the near-surface region which result in electron attachment.

Loading of mass spectrometry ion trap with Th ions by laser ablation for nuclear frequency standard application.

PubMed

Borisyuk, Petr V; Derevyashkin, Sergey P; Khabarova, Ksenia Y; Kolachevsky, Nikolay N; Lebedinsky, Yury Y; Poteshin, Sergey S; Sysoev, Alexey A; Tkalya, Evgeny V; Tregubov, Dmitry O; Troyan, Viktor I; Vasiliev, Oleg S; Yakovlev, Valery P; Yudin, Valery I

2017-08-01

We describe an original multisectional quadrupole ion trap aimed to realize nuclear frequency standard based on the unique isomer transition in thorium nucleus. It is shown that the system effectively operates on Th + , Th 2+ and Th 3+ ions produced by laser ablation of metallic thorium-232 target. Laser intensity used for ablation is about 6 GW/cm 2 . Via applying a bias potential to every control voltage including the RF one, we are able not only to manipulate ions within the energy range as wide as 1-500 eV but to specially adjust trap potentials in order to work mainly with ions that belong to energy distribution maximum and therefore to effectively enhance the number of trapped ions. Measurement of energy distributions of 232 Th + , 232 Th 2+ , 232 Th 3+ ions obtained by laser ablation allows us to define optimal potential values for trapping process. Observed number of ions inside trap in dependence on trapping time is found to obey an unusually slow - logarithmic decay law that needs more careful study.

Demonstration and Analysis of Materials Processing by Ablation Plasma Ion Implantation (APII)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, B.; Gilgenbach, R. M.; Lau, Y. Y.; Jones, M. C.; Lian, J.; Wang, L. M.; Doll, G. L.; Lazarides, A.

2001-10-01

Experiments have demonstrated laser-ablated Fe ion implantation into Si substrates. Baseline laser deposited films (0 kV) showed an amorphous Fe-Si film overlying the Si substrate with a top layer of nanocrystalline Fe. APII films exhibited an additional Fe ion-induced damage layer, extending 7.6 nm below the Si surface. The overlying Fe-Si layer and Fe top layer were amorphized by fast ions. Results were confirmed by XPS vs Ar ion etching time for depth profile of the deposited films. XPS showed primarily Fe (top layer), transitioning to roughly equal Fe/Si , then mostly Si with lower Fe (implanted region). These data clearly prove Fe ion implantation into Si, verifying the feasibility of APII as an ion acceleration and implantation process [1]. SRIM simulations predict about 20 percent deeper Fe ion penetration than data, due to:(a) Subsequent ions must pass through the Fe film deposited by earlier ions, and (b) the bias voltage has a slow rise and fall time. Theoretical research has developed the scaling laws for APII [2]. Recently, a model has successfully explained the shortening of the decay time in the high voltage pulse with the laser ablation plasma. This reduces the theoretical RC time constant, which agrees with the experimental data. * Research supported by National Science Foundation Grant CTS-9907106 [1] Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 3785 (2001) [2] Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 706 (2001)),

Mass Measurements of Proton-rich Nuclides at the Cooler Storage Ring at IMP

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

Zhang, Y. H.; Xu, H. S.; Wang, M.

2011-11-30

Recent results and progress of mass measurements of proton-rich nuclei using isochronous mass spectrometry (IMS) are reported. The nuclei under investigation were produced via fragmentation of relativistic energy heavy ions of {sup 78}Kr and {sup 58}Ni. After in-flight separation by the fragment separator RIBLL-2, the nuclei were injected and stored in the experimental storage ring CSRe, and their masses were determined from measurements of the revolution times. The impact of these measurements on the stellar nucleosynthesis in the rp-process is discussed.

Laboratory Studies of Thermal Energy Charge Transfer of Silicon and Iron Ions in Astrophysical Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwong, Victor H. S.

1997-01-01

The laser ablation/ion storage facility at the UNLV Physics Department is dedicated to the study of atomic processes in low temperature plasmas. Our current program is directed to the study of charge transfer of multiply charged ions and neutrals that are of importance to astrophysics at energies less than 1 eV (about 10(exp 4) K). Specifically, we measure the charge transfer rate coefficient of ions such as N(2+), Si(3+), Si(3+), with helium and Fe(2+) with molecular and atomic hydrogen. All these ions are found in a variety of astrophysical plasmas. Their electron transfer reactions with neutral atoms can affect the ionization equilibrium of the plasma.

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

Webb, Ian K.; Garimella, Sandilya V. B.; Tolmachev, Aleksey V.

A Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) module that allows ion mobility separations and the switching of ions between alternative drift paths is described. The SLIM switch component has a “Tee” configuration and allows switching of ions between a linear path and a 90-degree bend. By controlling switching times, ions can be deflected to an alternative channel as a function of their mobilities. In the initial evaluation the switch is used in a static mode and shown compatible with high performance ion mobility separations at 4 torr. In the “dynamic mode” we show that mobility-selected ions can be switched intomore » the alternative channel, and that various ion species can be independently selected based on their mobilities for time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF MS) IMS detection and mass analysis. Ultimately, this development also provides the basis for e.g. the selection of specific mobilities for storage and accumulation, and key modules for the assembly of SLIM devices enabling much more complex sequences of ion manipulations.« less

Bunch beam cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryzgunov, M. I.; Kamerdzhiev, V.; Li, J.; Mao, L. J.; Parkhomchuk, V. V.; Reva, V. B.; Yang, X. D.; Zhao, H.

2017-07-01

Electron cooling is used for damping both transverse and longitudinal oscillations of heavy particle. The cooling of bunch ion beam (with RF voltage on) is important part of experiments with inner target, ion collision system, stacking and RF manipulation. The short length of an ion bunch increases the peak luminosity, gives a start-time point for using of the time-of-flight methods and obtains a short extraction beam pulse. This article describes the review of last experiments with electron cooling carried out on the CSRm, CSRe (China) and COSY (Germany) storage rings. The accumulated experience may be used for the project of electron cooler on 2.5 MeV (NICA) and 0.5 MeV HIAF for obtaining high luminosity, depressing beam-beam effects and RF manipulation.

Laser generated Ge ions accelerated by additional electrostatic field for implantation technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosinski, M.; Gasior, P.; Fazio, E.; Ando, L.; Giuffrida, L.; Torrisi, L.; Parys, P.; Mezzasalma, A. M.; Wolowski, J.

2013-05-01

The paper presents research on the optimization of the laser ion implantation method with electrostatic acceleration/deflection including numerical simulations by the means of the Opera 3D code and experimental tests at the IPPLM, Warsaw. To introduce the ablation process an Nd:YAG laser system with repetition rate of 10 Hz, pulse duration of 3.5 ns and pulse energy of 0.5 J has been applied. Ion time of flight diagnostics has been used in situ to characterize concentration and energy distribution in the obtained ion streams while the postmortem analysis of the implanted samples was conducted by the means of XRD, FTIR and Raman Spectroscopy. In the paper the predictions of the Opera 3D code are compared with the results of the ion diagnostics in the real experiment. To give the whole picture of the method, the postmortem results of the XRD, FTIR and Raman characterization techniques are discussed. Experimental results show that it is possible to achieve the development of a micrometer-sized crystalline Ge phase and/or an amorphous one only after a thermal annealing treatment.

Characterization Of Nuclear Materials Using Time-Of-Flight ICP-MS

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

Buerger, Stefan; Riciputi, Lee R; Bostick, Debra A

2006-01-01

The investigation of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials, nuclear safeguards analysis, and non-proliferation control requires sensitive and isotope-selective detection methods to gain crucial nuclear forensic information like isotope 'fingerprints' and multi-element signatures. The advantage of time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry - quasi-simultaneous multi-mass analysis - combined with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) ion source provides an analytical instrument with multi-element and multi-isotope capability and good detection limits. A TOF-ICP-MS system thus appears to be an advantageous choice for the investigation and characterization of nuclear materials. We present here results using a GBC OptiMass 8000 time-of-flight ICP-MS for the isotope screening ofmore » solid samples by laser ablation and the multi-element determination of impurities in uranium ore concentrates using matrix matched standards. A laser ablation system (New Wave Research, UP 213) coupled to the TOF-ICP-MS instrument has been used to optimize the system for analysis of non-radioactive metal samples of natural isotopic composition for a variety of elements including Cu, Sr, Zr, Mo, Cd, In, Ba, Ta, W, Re, Pt, and Pb in pure metals, alloys, and glasses to explore precision, accuracy, and detection limits. Similar methods were then applied to measure uranium. When the laser system is optimized, no mass bias correction is required. Precision and accuracy for the determination of the isotopic composition is typically 1 - 3% for elemental concentrations of as little as 50 ppm in the matrix, with no requirement for sample preparation. The laser ablation precision and accuracy are within ~10x of the instrumental limits for liquid analysis (0.1%). We have investigated the capabilities of the TOF-ICP-MS for the analysis of impurities in uranium matrices. Matrix matching has been used to develop calibration curves for a range of impurities (alkaline, earth-alkaline, transition metals, and rare earth elements). These calibration curves have been used to measure impurities in a number of uranium samples. The results from the TOF-ICP-MS will be compared with other mass spectrometric methods.« less

Ion acceleration enhanced by target ablation

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

Zhao, S.; State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Lab of HEDPS, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871; Institute of Radiation, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden

2015-07-15

Laser proton acceleration can be enhanced by using target ablation, due to the energetic electrons generated in the ablation preplasma. When the ablation pulse matches main pulse, the enhancement gets optimized because the electrons' energy density is highest. A scaling law between the ablation pulse and main pulse is confirmed by the simulation, showing that for given CPA pulse and target, proton energy improvement can be achieved several times by adjusting the target ablation.

Mobility-Resolved Ion Selection in Uniform Drift Field Ion Mobility Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry: Dynamic Switching in Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations

DOE PAGES

Webb, Ian K.; Garimella, Sandilya V. B.; Tolmachev, Aleksey V.; ...

2014-09-15

A Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) module that allows ion mobility separations and the switching of ions between alternative drift paths is described. The SLIM switch component has a “Tee” configuration and allows switching of ions between a linear path and a 90-degree bend. By controlling switching times, ions can be deflected to an alternative channel as a function of their mobilities. In the initial evaluation the switch is used in a static mode and shown compatible with high performance ion mobility separations at 4 torr. In the “dynamic mode” we show that mobility-selected ions can be switched intomore » the alternative channel, and that various ion species can be independently selected based on their mobilities for time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF MS) IMS detection and mass analysis. Ultimately, this development also provides the basis for e.g. the selection of specific mobilities for storage and accumulation, and key modules for the assembly of SLIM devices enabling much more complex sequences of ion manipulations.« less

RF Stabilization for Storage of Antiprotons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, J. Boise; Lewis, Raymond A.

2005-01-01

Portable storage of antimatter is an important step in the experimental exploration of antimatter in propulsion applications. The High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is a Penning-Malmberg ion trap being developed to trap and store low energy antiprotons for a period of weeks. The antiprotons can then be transported for use in experiments. HiPAT is being developed and evaluated using normal matter, before an attempt is made to store and transport antiprotons. Stortd ions have inherent instabilities that limit the storage lifetime. RF stabilization at cyclotron resonance frequencies is demonstrated over a period of 6 days for normal matter ion clouds. A variety of particles have been stored, including protons, C+ ions, and H2+ ions. Cyclotron resonance frequencies are defined and experimental evidence presented to demonstrate excitation of cyclotron waves in the plasma for all three species of ions.

Negative charge emission due to excimer laser bombardment of sodium trisilicate glass

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

Langford, S.C.; Jensen, L.C.; Dickinson, J.T.

We describe measurements of negative charge emission accompanying irradiation of sodium trisilicate glass (Na{sub 2}O{center dot}3SiO{sub 2}) with 248-nm excimer laser light at fluences on the order of 2 J/cm{sup 2} per pulse, i.e., at the threshold for ablative etching of the glass surface. The negative charge emission consists of a very prompt photoelectron burst coincident with the laser pulse, followed by a much slower plume of electrons and negative ions traveling with a high density cloud of positive ions, previously identified as primarily Na{sup +}. Using combinations of {bold E} and {bold B} fields in conjunction with time-of-flight methods,more » the negative ions were successfully separated from the plume and tentatively identified as O{sup {minus}}, Si{sup {minus}}, NaO{sup {minus}}, and perhaps NaSi{sup {minus}}. These negative species are probably formed by gas phase collisions in the near-surface region which result in electron attachment.« less

Ion Storage with the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, James; Lewis, Raymond; Chakrabarti, Suman; Pearson, Boise

2002-01-01

The matter antimatter reaction represents the densest form of energy storage/release known to modern physics: as such it offers one of the most compact sources of power for future deep space exploration. To take the first steps along this path, NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center is developing a storage system referred to as the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) with a goal of maintaining 10(exp 12) particles for up to 18 days. Experiments have been performed with this hardware using normal matter (positive hydrogen ions) to assess the device's ability to hold charged particles. These ions are currently created using an electron gun method to ionize background gas; however, this technique is limited by the quantity that can be captured. To circumvent this issue, an ion source is currently being commissioned which will greatly increase the number of ions captured and more closely simulate actual operations expected at an antiproton production facility. Ions have been produced, stored for various time intervals, and then extracted against detectors to measure species, quantity and energy. Radio frequency stabilization has been tested as a method to prolong ion lifetime: results show an increase in the baseline 1/e lifetime of trapped particles from hours to days. Impurities in the residual background gas (typically carbon-containing species CH4, CO, CO2, etc.) present a continuing problem by reducing the trapped hydrogen population through the mechanism of ion charge exchange.

Status of the Space-Rated Lithium-Ion Battery Advanced Development Project in Support of the Exploration Vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Thomas

2007-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), along with the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Johnson Space Center (JSC), Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and industry partners, is leading a space-rated lithium-ion advanced development battery effort to support the vision for Exploration. This effort addresses the lithium-ion battery portion of the Energy Storage Project under the Exploration Technology Development Program. Key discussions focus on the lithium-ion cell component development activities, a common lithium-ion battery module, test and demonstration of charge/discharge cycle life performance and safety characterization. A review of the space-rated lithium-ion battery project will be presented highlighting the technical accomplishments during the past year.

Combined distance-of-flight and time-of-flight mass spectrometer

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

Enke, Christie G; Ray, Steven J; Graham, Alexander W

2014-02-11

A combined distance-of-flight mass spectrometry (DOFMS) and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) instrument includes an ion source configured to produce ions having varying mass-to-charge ratios, a first detector configured to determine when each of the ions travels a predetermined distance, a second detector configured to determine how far each of the ions travels in a predetermined time, and a detector extraction region operable to direct portions of the ions either to the first detector or to the second detector.

Laser-ablation-based ion source characterization and manipulation for laser-driven ion acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommer, P.; Metzkes-Ng, J.; Brack, F.-E.; Cowan, T. E.; Kraft, S. D.; Obst, L.; Rehwald, M.; Schlenvoigt, H.-P.; Schramm, U.; Zeil, K.

2018-05-01

For laser-driven ion acceleration from thin foils (∼10 μm–100 nm) in the target normal sheath acceleration regime, the hydro-carbon contaminant layer at the target surface generally serves as the ion source and hence determines the accelerated ion species, i.e. mainly protons, carbon and oxygen ions. The specific characteristics of the source layer—thickness and relevant lateral extent—as well as its manipulation have both been investigated since the first experiments on laser-driven ion acceleration using a variety of techniques from direct source imaging to knife-edge or mesh imaging. In this publication, we present an experimental study in which laser ablation in two fluence regimes (low: F ∼ 0.6 J cm‑2, high: F ∼ 4 J cm‑2) was applied to characterize and manipulate the hydro-carbon source layer. The high-fluence ablation in combination with a timed laser pulse for particle acceleration allowed for an estimation of the relevant source layer thickness for proton acceleration. Moreover, from these data and independently from the low-fluence regime, the lateral extent of the ion source layer became accessible.

Plasma polymer-functionalized silica particles for heavy metals removal.

PubMed

Akhavan, Behnam; Jarvis, Karyn; Majewski, Peter

2015-02-25

Highly negatively charged particles were fabricated via an innovative plasma-assisted approach for the removal of heavy metal ions. Thiophene plasma polymerization was used to deposit sulfur-rich films onto silica particles followed by the introduction of oxidized sulfur functionalities, such as sulfonate and sulfonic acid, via water-plasma treatments. Surface chemistry analyses were conducted by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. Electrokinetic measurements quantified the zeta potentials and isoelectric points (IEPs) of modified particles and indicated significant decreases of zeta potentials and IEPs upon plasma modification of particles. Plasma polymerized thiophene-coated particles treated with water plasma for 10 min exhibited an IEP of less than 3.5. The effectiveness of developed surfaces in the adsorption of heavy metal ions was demonstrated through copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) removal experiments. The removal of metal ions was examined through changing initial pH of solution, removal time, and mass of particles. Increasing the water plasma treatment time to 20 min significantly increased the metal removal efficiency (MRE) of modified particles, whereas further increasing the plasma treatment time reduced the MRE due to the influence of an ablation mechanism. The developed particulate surfaces were capable of removing more than 96.7% of both Cu and Zn ions in 1 h. The combination of plasma polymerization and oxidative plasma treatment is an effective method for the fabrication of new adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals.

Angular distribution measurement of fragment ions from a molecule using a new beamline consisting of a Grasshopper monochromator

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

Saito, N.; Suzuki, I. H.; Onuki, H.

1989-07-01

Optical characteristics of a new beamline consisting of a premirror, a Grasshopper monochromator, and a refocusing mirror have been investigated. The intensity of the monochromatic soft x-ray was estimated to be about 10/sup 8/ photons/(s 100 mA) at 500 eV with the storage electron energy of 600 MeV and the minimum slit width. This slit width provides a resolution of about 500. Angular distributions of fragment ions from an inner-shell excited nitrogen molecule have been measured with a rotatable time-of-flight mass spectrometer by using this beamline.

Studies of Transitional Flow, Unsteady Separation Phenomena and Particle Induced Augmentation Heating on Ablated Nose Tips.

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-10-01

63 29 Variation of Profile Shape with Time for Axisyinmetric Camphor Models 63 30 The Development of Ablated Nose Shapes Over Which Flow...ablation tests using camphor models and inferred from downrange observation of full scale flight missions. Regions of gross instability on nose...been verified in wind tunnel tests of camphor models where shapes similar to those shown on Figure 29 can be developed under transitional conditions

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry of mineral volatilization: Toward direct composition analysis of shocked mineral vapor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Daniel E.; Shen, Andy H. T.; Beauchamp, J. L.; Ahrens, Thomas J.

2012-04-01

We have developed an orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer to study the volatiles produced when a mineral's shock-compressed state is isentropically released, as occurs when a shock wave, driven into the mineral by an impact, reflects upon reaching a free surface. The instrument is designed to use a gun or explosive-launched projectile as the source of the shock wave, impact onto a flange separating a poor vacuum and the high vacuum (10-7 Torr) interior of the mass spectrometer, and transmission of the shock wave through the flange to a mineral sample mounted on the high-vacuum side of the flange. The device extracts and analyzes the neutrals and ions produced from the shocked mineral prior to the possible occurrence of collateral instrument damage from the shock-inducing impact. The instrument has been tested using laser ablation of various mineral surfaces, and the resulting spectra are presented. Mass spectra are compared with theoretical distributions of molecular species, and with expected distributions from laser desorption.

In Situ Measurements of Meteoric Ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grebowsky, Joseph M.; Aiken, Arthur C.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Extraterrestrial material is the source of metal ions in the Earth's atmosphere, Each year approx. 10(exp 8) kg of material is intercepted by the Earth. The origin of this material is predominantly solar orbiting interplanetary debris from comets or asteroids that crosses the Earth's orbit. It contains a very small amount of interstellar material. On occasion the Earth passes through enhanced amounts of debris associated with the orbit of a decaying comet. This leads to enhanced meteor shower displays for up to several days. The number flux of shower material is typically several times the average sporadic background influx of material. Meteoric material is some of the earliest material formed in the solar system. By studying the relative elemental abundances of atmospheric metal ions, information can be gained on the chemical composition of cometary debris and the chemical makeup of the early solar system. Using in situ sampling with rocket-borne ion mass spectrometers; there have been approximately 50 flights that made measurements of the metal ion abundances at attitudes between 80 and 130 km. It is this altitude range where incoming meteoric particles am ablated, the larger ones giving rise to visible meteor. displays. In several rocket measurements isotopic ratios of different atomic ion mass components and metal molecular ion concentrations have been determined and used to identify unambiguously the measured species and to investigate the processes controlling the metal ion distributions The composition of the Earth's ionosphere was first sampled by an ion mass spectrometer flown an a rocket in 1956. In 1958 a rocket-borne ion spectrometer identified, fbr the first time, a layer of metal ions near 95 km. These data were interpreted as evidence of an extraterrestrial rather than a terrestrial source. Istomin predicted: "It seems probable that with some improvement in the method that analysis of the ion composition in the E-region may be used for determining the chemical composition of those meteors which do not reach the ground. Particularly, we hope to get information about the composition difference between particles of different meteor showers and also sporadic and shower meteoroids". These visions categorized the aims of many subsequent rocket-borne ion mass spectrometer experiments in the lower ionosphere, Although the use such measurements to deduce the composition of different classes of meteoroids has not been successful, the past four decades of rocket observations have provided po%erful sets of data for advancing our understanding of meteor ablation, meteoric composition, metal neutral and ion chemistry as well as ionospheric dynamics.

Optical ablation/temperature gage (COTA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassaing, J.; Balageas, D.

ONERA has ground and flight tested for heat-shield recession a novel technique, different from current radiation and acoustic measurement methods. It uses a combined ablation/temperature gage that views the radiation optically from a cavity embedded within the heat shield. Flight measurements, both of temperature and of passage of the ablation front, are compared with data generated by a predictive numerical code. The ablation and heat diffusion into the instrumented ablator can be simulated numerically to evaluate accurately the errors due to the presence of the gage. This technology was established in 1978 and finally adopted after ground tests in arc heater facilities. After four years of flight evaluations, it is possible to evaluate and criticize the sensor reliability.

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry: Introduction to the basics.

PubMed

Boesl, Ulrich

2017-01-01

The intention of this tutorial is to introduce into the basic concepts of time-of-flight mass spectrometry, beginning with the most simple single-stage ion source with linear field-free drift region and continuing with two-stage ion sources combined with field-free drift regions and ion reflectors-the so-called reflectrons. Basic formulas are presented and discussed with the focus on understanding the physical relations of geometric and electric parameters, initial distribution of ionic parameters, ion flight times, and ion flight time incertitude. This tutorial is aimed to help the applicant to identify sources of flight time broadening which limit good mass resolution and sources of ion losses which limit sensitivity; it is aimed to stimulate creativity for new experimental approaches by discussing a choice of instrumental options and to encourage those who toy with the idea to build an own time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Large parts of mathematics are shifted into a separate chapter in order not to overburden the text with too many mathematical deviations. Rather, thumb-rule formulas are supplied for first estimations of geometry and potentials when designing a home-built instrument, planning experiments, or searching for sources of flight time broadening. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 36:86-109, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Power Management for Fuel Cell and Battery Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Jared Robert

As electric powered unmanned aerial vehicles enter a new age of commercial viability, market opportunities in the small UAV sector are expanding. Extending UAV flight time through a combination of fuel cell and battery technologies enhance the scope of potential applications. A brief survey of UAV history provides context and examples of modern day UAVs powered by fuel cells are given. Conventional hybrid power system management employs DC-to-DC converters to control the power split between battery and fuel cell. In this study, a transistor replaces the DC-to-DC converter which lowers weight and cost. Simulation models of a lithium ion battery and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell are developed and integrated into a UAV power system model. Flight simulations demonstrate the operation of the transistor-based power management scheme and quantify the amount of hydrogen consumed by a 5.5 kg fixed wing UAV during a six hour flight. Battery power assists the fuel cell during high throttle periods but may also augment fuel cell power during cruise flight. Simulations demonstrate a 60 liter reduction in hydrogen consumption when battery power assists the fuel cell during cruise flight. Over the full duration of the flight, averaged efficiency of the power system exceeds 98%. For scenarios where inflight battery recharge is desirable, a constant current battery charger is integrated into the UAV power system. Simulation of inflight battery recharge is performed. Design of UAV hybrid power systems must consider power system weight against potential flight time. Data from the flight simulations are used to identify a simple formula that predicts flight time as a function of energy stored onboard the modeled UAV. A small selection of commercially available batteries, fuel cells, and compressed air storage tanks are listed to characterize the weight of possible systems. The formula is then used in conjunction with the weight data to generate a graph of power system weight versus potential flight times. Combinations of the listed batteries, fuel cells, and storage tanks are plotted on the graph to evaluate various hybrid power system configurations.

Ultra-high-mass mass spectrometry with charge discrimination using cryogenic detectors

DOEpatents

Frank, Matthias; Mears, Carl A.; Labov, Simon E.; Benner, W. Henry

1999-01-01

An ultra-high-mass time-of-flight mass spectrometer using a cryogenic particle detector as an ion detector with charge discriminating capabilities. Cryogenic detectors have the potential for significantly improving the performance and sensitivity of time-of-flight mass spectrometers, and compared to ion multipliers they exhibit superior sensitivity for high-mass, slow-moving macromolecular ions and can be used as "stop" detectors in time-of-flight applications. In addition, their energy resolving capability can be used to measure the charge state of the ions. Charge discrimination is very valuable in all time-of-flight mass spectrometers. Using a cryogenically-cooled Nb-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -Nb superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction (STJ) detector operating at 1.3 K as an ion detector in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer for large biomolecules it was found that the STJ detector has charge discrimination capabilities. Since the cryogenic STJ detector responds to ion energy and does not rely on secondary electron production, as in the conventionally used microchannel plate (MCP) detectors, the cryogenic detector therefore detects large molecular ions with a velocity-independent efficiency approaching 100%.

Characterization of ultrafast laser-ablation plasma plumes at various Ar ambient pressures

DOE PAGES

Diwakar, P. K.; Harilal, S. S.; Phillips, M. C.; ...

2015-07-30

Expansion dynamics and internal plume structures of fs laser ablated brass plasma in Ar at various pressure levels ranging from vacuum to atmospheric were studied using multitude of diagnostic tools including time resolved and time integrated 2-dimensional imaging, optical time of flight measurements and visible emission spectroscopy. Temporal evolution of excited Cu and Zn species in the plume were imaged using band pass interference filters and compared its hydrodynamic expansion features with spectrally integrated images of the plume. 2D imaging coupled with monochromatic line selection showed several interesting features at various pressure levels which include velocity differences among the plumemore » species, emission intensity distribution, plasma temperature, electron density etc. Plume confinement, enhanced signal intensity, and dual peak structures in time-of-flight profiles were observed at intermediate pressure range of ~10 Torr. Optimum signal to background ratio was also observed in this pressure range. As a result, possible mechanisms for observed changes in plume shape, optical emission intensity and dual peak structures in time-of-flight profiles were discussed.« less

Laser ablation synthesis of new gold phosphides using red phosphorus and nanogold as precursors. Laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Panyala, Nagender Reddy; Peña-Méndez, Eladia María; Havel, Josef

2012-05-15

Gold phosphides show unique optical or semiconductor properties and there are extensive high technology applications, e.g. in laser diodes, etc. In spite of the various AuP structures known, the search for new materials is wide. Laser ablation synthesis is a promising screening and synthetic method. Generation of gold phosphides via laser ablation of red phosphorus and nanogold mixtures was studied using laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI TOFMS). Gold clusters Au(m)(+) (m = 1 to ~35) were observed with a difference of one gold atom and their intensities were in decreasing order with respect to m. For P(n)(+) (n = 2 to ~111) clusters, the intensities of odd-numbered phosphorus clusters are much higher than those for even-numbered phosphorus clusters. During ablation of P-nanogold mixtures, clusters Au(m)(+) (m = 1-12), P(n)(+) (n = 2-7, 9, 11, 13-33, 35-95 (odd numbers)), AuP(n)(+) (n = 1, 2-88 (even numbers)), Au(2)P(n)(+) (n = 1-7, 14-16, 21-51 (odd numbers)), Au(3)P(n)(+) (n = 1-6, 8, 9, 14), Au(4)P(n)(+) (n = 1-9, 14-16), Au(5)P(n)(+) (n = 1-6, 14, 16), Au(6)P(n)(+) (n = 1-6), Au(7)P(n)(+) (n = 1-7), Au(8)P(n)(+) (n = 1-6, 8), Au(9)P(n)(+) (n = 1-10), Au(10)P(n)(+) (n = 1-8, 15), Au(11)P(n)(+) (n = 1-6), and Au(12)P(n)(+) (n = 1, 2, 4) were detected in positive ion mode. In negative ion mode, Au(m)(-) (m = 1-5), P(n)(-) (n = 2, 3, 5-11, 13-19, 21-35, 39, 41, 47, 49, 55 (odd numbers)), AuP(n)(-) (n = 4-6, 8-26, 30-36 (even numbers), 48), Au(2)P(n)(-) (n = 2-5, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17), A(3) P(n)(-) (n = 6-11, 32), Au(4)P(n)(-) (n = 1, 2, 4, 6, 10), Au(6)P(5)(-), and Au(7)P(8)(-) clusters were observed. In both modes, phosphorus-rich Au(m)P(n) clusters prevailed. The first experimental evidence for formation of AuP(60) and gold-covered phosphorus Au(12)P(n) (n = 1, 2, 4) clusters is given. The new gold phosphides generated might inspire synthesis of new Au-P materials with specific properties. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Plume collimation for laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

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

Vertes, Akos; Stolee, Jessica A.

2016-06-07

In various embodiments, a device may generally comprise a capillary having a first end and a second end; a laser to emit energy at a sample in the capillary to ablate the sample and generate an ablation plume in the capillary; an electrospray apparatus to generate an electrospray plume to intercept the ablation plume to produce ions; and a mass spectrometer having an ion transfer inlet to capture the ions. The ablation plume may comprise a collimated ablation plume. The device may comprise a flow cytometer. Methods of making and using the same are also described.

Plume collimation for laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

DOEpatents

Vertes, Akos; Stolee, Jessica A.

2014-09-09

In various embodiments, a device may generally comprise a capillary having a first end and a second end; a laser to emit energy at a sample in the capillary to ablate the sample and generate an ablation plume in the capillary; an electrospray apparatus to generate an electrospray plume to intercept the ablation plume to produce ions; and a mass spectrometer having an ion transfer inlet to capture the ions. The ablation plume may comprise a collimated ablation plume. The device may comprise a flow cytometer. Methods of making and using the same are also described.

Temporally and spatially resolved plasma spectroscopy in pulsed laser deposition of ultra-thin boron nitride films

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

Glavin, Nicholas R., E-mail: nicholas.glavin.1@us.af.mil, E-mail: andrey.voevodin@us.af.mil; School of Mechanical Engineering and Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907; Muratore, Christopher

2015-04-28

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) has recently been investigated as a viable, alternative growth technique for two-dimensional materials with multiple benefits over other vapor deposition synthesis methods. The high kinetic energies and chemical reactivities of the condensing species formed from PVD processes can facilitate growth over large areas and at reduced substrate temperatures. In this study, chemistry, kinetic energies, time of flight data, and spatial distributions within a PVD plasma plume ablated from a boron nitride (BN) target by a KrF laser at different pressures of nitrogen gas were investigated. Time resolved spectroscopy and wavelength specific imaging were used to identifymore » and track atomic neutral and ionized species including B{sup +}, B*, N{sup +}, N*, and molecular species including N{sub 2}*, N{sub 2}{sup +}, and BN. Formation and decay of these species formed both from ablation of the target and from interactions with the background gas were investigated and provided insights into fundamental growth mechanisms of continuous, amorphous boron nitride thin films. The correlation of the plasma diagnostic results with film chemical composition and thickness uniformity studies helped to identify that a predominant mechanism for BN film formation is condensation surface recombination of boron ions and neutral atomic nitrogen species. These species arrive nearly simultaneously to the substrate location, and BN formation occurs microseconds before arrival of majority of N{sup +} ions generated by plume collisions with background molecular nitrogen. The energetic nature and extended dwelling time of incident N{sup +} ions at the substrate location was found to negatively impact resulting BN film stoichiometry and thickness. Growth of stoichiometric films was optimized at enriched concentrations of ionized boron and neutral atomic nitrogen in plasma near the condensation surface, providing few nanometer thick films with 1:1 BN stoichiometry and good thicknesses uniformity over macroscopic areas.« less

Exploding Pusher Targets for Electron-Ion Coupling Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitley, Heather D.; Pino, Jesse; Schneider, Marilyn; Shepherd, Ronnie; Benedict, Lorin; Bauer, Joseph; Graziani, Frank; Garbett, Warren

2015-11-01

Over the past several years, we have conducted theoretical investigations of electron-ion coupling and electronic transport in plasmas. In the regime of weakly coupled plasmas, we have identified models that we believe describe the physics well, but experimental data is still needed to validate the models. We are currently designing spectroscopic experiments to study electron-ion equilibration and/or electron heat transport using exploding pusher (XP) targets for experiments at the National Ignition Facility. Two platforms are being investigated: an indirect drive XP (IDXP) with a plastic ablator and a polar-direct drive XP (PDXP) with a glass ablator. The fill gas for both designs is D2. We propose to use a higher-Z dopant, such as Ar, as a spectroscopic tracer for time-resolved electron and ion temperature measurements. We perform 1D simulations using the ARES hydrodynamic code, in order to produce the time-resolved plasma conditions, which are then post-processed with CRETIN to assess the feasibility of a spectroscopic measurement. We examine target performance with respect to variations in gas fill pressure, ablator thickness, atom fraction of the Ar dopant, and drive energy, and assess the sensitivity of the predicted spectra to variations in the models for electron-ion equilibration and thermal conductivity. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-675219.

Flight and ground tests of a very low density elastomeric ablative material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, G. C.; Chapman, A. J., III

1972-01-01

A very low density ablative material, a silicone-phenolic composite, was flight tested on a recoverable spacecraft launched by a Pacemaker vehicle system; and, in addition, it was tested in an arc heated wind tunnel at three conditions which encompassed most of the reentry heating conditions of the flight tests. The material was composed, by weight, of 71 percent phenolic spheres, 22.8 percent silicone resin, 2.2 percent catalyst, and 4 percent silica fibers. The tests were conducted to evaluate the ablator performance in both arc tunnel and flight tests and to determine the predictability of the albator performance by using computed results from an existing one-dimensional numerical analysis. The flight tested ablator experienced only moderate surface recession and retained a smooth surface except for isolated areas where the char was completely removed, probably following reentry and prior to or during recovery. Analytical results show good agreement between arc tunnel and flight test results. The thermophysical properties used in the analysis are tabulated.

Ablation, Thermal Response, and Chemistry Program for Analysis of Thermal Protection Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milos, Frank S.; Chen, Yih-Kanq

2010-01-01

In previous work, the authors documented the Multicomponent Ablation Thermochemistry (MAT) and Fully Implicit Ablation and Thermal response (FIAT) programs. In this work, key features from MAT and FIAT were combined to create the new Fully Implicit Ablation, Thermal response, and Chemistry (FIATC) program. FIATC is fully compatible with FIAT (version 2.5) but has expanded capabilities to compute the multispecies surface chemistry and ablation rate as part of the surface energy balance. This new methodology eliminates B' tables, provides blown species fractions as a function of time, and enables calculations that would otherwise be impractical (e.g. 4+ dimensional tables) such as pyrolysis and ablation with kinetic rates or unequal diffusion coefficients. Equations and solution procedures are presented, then representative calculations of equilibrium and finite-rate ablation in flight and ground-test environments are discussed.

Ablation plume structure and dynamics in ambient gas observed by laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyabe, M.; Oba, M.; Iimura, H.; Akaoka, K.; Khumaeni, A.; Kato, M.; Wakaida, I.

2015-08-01

The dynamic behavior of an ablation plume in ambient gas has been investigated by laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy. The second harmonic beam from an Nd:YAG laser (0.5-6 J/cm2) was focused on a sintered oxide pellet or a metal chip of gadolinium. The produced plume was subsequently intersected with a sheet-shaped UV beam from a dye laser so that time-resolved fluorescence images were acquired with an intensified CCD camera at various delay times. The obtained cross-sectional images of the plume indicate that the ablated ground state atoms and ions of gadolinium accumulate in a hemispherical contact layer between the plume and the ambient gas, and a cavity containing a smaller density of ablated species is formed near the center of the plume. At earlier expansion stage, another luminous component also expands in the cavity so that it coalesces into the hemispherical layer. The splitting and coalescence for atomic plume occur later than those for ionic plume. Furthermore, the hemispherical layer of neutral atoms appears later than that of ions; however, the locations of the layers are nearly identical. This coincidence of the appearance locations of the layers strongly suggests that the neutral atoms in the hemispherical layer are produced as a consequence of three-body recombination of ions through collisions with gas atoms. The obtained knowledge regarding plume expansion dynamics and detailed plume structure is useful for optimizing the experimental conditions for ablation-based spectroscopic analysis.

Ultrashort pulsed laser ablation for decollation of solid state lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hördemann, C.; Anand, H.; Gillner, A.

2017-08-01

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes are the main energy source for many electronic devices that we use in our everyday lives. However, one of the main drawbacks of this energy storage technology is the use of liquid electrolyte, which can be hazardous to the user as well as the environment. Moreover, lithium-ion batteries are limited in voltage, energy density and operating temperature range. One of the most novel and promising battery technologies available to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks is the Solid-State Lithium-Ion Battery (SSLB). This battery type can be produced without limitations to the geometry and is also bendable, which is not possible with conventional batteries1 . Additionally, SSLBs are characterized by high volumetric and gravimetric energy density and are intrinsically safe since no liquid electrolyte is used2-4. Nevertheless, the manufacturing costs of these batteries are still high. The existing production-technologies are comparable to the processes used in the semiconductor industry and single cells are produced in batches with masked-deposition at low deposition rates. In order to decrease manufacturing costs and to move towards continuous production, Roll2Roll production methods are being proposed5, 6. These methods offer the possibility of producing large quantities of substrates with deposited SSLB-layers. From this coated substrate, single cells can be cut out. For the flexible decollation of SSLB-cells from the substrate, new manufacturing technologies have to be developed since blade-cutting, punching or conventional laser-cutting processes lead to short circuiting between the layers. Here, ultra-short pulsed laser ablation and cutting allows the flexible decollation of SSLBs. Through selective ablation of individual layers, an area for the cutting kerf is prepared to ensure a shortcut-free decollation.

Thermal protection for hypervelocity flight in earth's atmosphere by use of radiation backscattering ablating materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, John T.; Yang, Lily

1991-01-01

A heat-shield-material response code predicting the transient performance of a material subject to the combined convective and radiative heating associated with the hypervelocity flight is developed. The code is dynamically interactive to the heating from a transient flow field, including the effects of material ablation on flow field behavior. It accomodates finite time variable material thickness, internal material phase change, wavelength-dependent radiative properties, and temperature-dependent thermal, physical, and radiative properties. The equations of radiative transfer are solved with the material and are coupled to the transfer energy equation containing the radiative flux divergence in addition to the usual energy terms.

Time-of-flight direct recoil ion scattering spectrometer

DOEpatents

Krauss, A.R.; Gruen, D.M.; Lamich, G.J.

1994-09-13

A time-of-flight direct recoil and ion scattering spectrometer beam line is disclosed. The beam line includes an ion source which injects ions into pulse deflection regions and separated by a drift space. A final optics stage includes an ion lens and deflection plate assembly. The ion pulse length and pulse interval are determined by computerized adjustment of the timing between the voltage pulses applied to the pulsed deflection regions. 23 figs.

Lithium-Ion rechargeable batteries on Mars Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratnakumar, B. V.; Smart, M. C.; Ewell, R. C.; Whitcanack, L. D.; Chin, K. B.; Surampudi, S.

2004-01-01

NASA's Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been roving on the surface of Mars, capturing impressive images of its terrain and analyzing the drillings from Martian rocks, to answer the ever -puzzling questions of life beyond Earth and origin of our planets. These rovers are being enabled by an advanced rechargeable battery system, lithium-ion, for the first time on a space mission of this scale, for keeping the rover electronics warm, and for supporting nighttime experimentation and communications. These rover Li-ion batteries are characterized by their unique low temperature capability, in addition to the usual advantages associated with Li-ion chemistry in terms of mass, volume and energy efficiency. To enable a rapid insertion of this advanced Li-ion chemistry into flight missions, we have performed several performance assessment studies on several prototype cells over the last few years. These tests mainly focused primarily on the long-term performance characteristics, such as cycling and storage, as described in our companion paper. In addition, various tests have been performed on MER cells and engineering and proto flight batteries; under conditions relevant to these missions. For example, we have examined the performance of the cells in: a) an inverted orientation, as during integration and launch, and b) conditions of low rate discharge, between 3.0-2.5 V to support the mission clock. Likewise, we have determined the impedance of the proto-flight Rover battery assembly unit in detail, with a view to asses whether a current-limiting resistor would be unduly stressed, in the event of a shorting induced by a failed pyro. In this paper we will describe these studies in detail, as well as the performance of Li-ion batteries in Spirit and Opportunity rovers, during cruise and on Mars.

Ion beam plume and efflux characterization flight experiment study. [space shuttle payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellen, J. M., Jr.; Zafran, S.; Cole, A.; Rosiak, G.; Komatsu, G. K.

1977-01-01

A flight experiment and flight experiment package for a shuttle-borne flight test of an 8-cm mercury ion thruster was designed to obtain charged particle and neutral particle material transport data that cannot be obtained in conventional ground based laboratory testing facilities. By the use of both ground and space testing of ion thrusters, the flight worthiness of these ion thrusters, for other spacecraft applications, may be demonstrated. The flight experiment definition for the ion thruster initially defined a broadly ranging series of flight experiments and flight test sensors. From this larger test series and sensor list, an initial flight test configuration was selected with measurements in charged particle material transport, condensible neutral material transport, thruster internal erosion, ion beam neutralization, and ion thrust beam/space plasma electrical equilibration. These measurement areas may all be examined for a seven day shuttle sortie mission and for available test time in the 50 - 100 hour period.

Replacement of Ablators with Phase-Change Material for Thermal Protection of STS Elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaul, Raj K.; Stuckey, Irvin; Munafo, Paul M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

As part of the research and development program to develop new Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials for aerospace applications at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), an experimental study was conducted on a new concept for a non-ablative TPS material. Potential loss of TPS material and ablation by-products from the External Tank (ET) or Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) during Shuttle flight with the related Orbiter tile damage necessitates development of a non-ablative thermal protection system. The new Thermal Management Coating (TMC) consists of phase-change material encapsulated in micro spheres and a two-part resin system to adhere the coating to the structure material. The TMC uses a phase-change material to dissipate the heat produced during supersonic flight rather than an ablative material. This new material absorbs energy as it goes through a phase change during the heating portion of the flight profile and then the energy is slowly released as the phase-change material cools and returns to its solid state inside the micro spheres. The coating was subjected to different test conditions simulating design flight environments at the NASA/MSFC Improved Hot Gas Facility (IHGF) to study its performance.

Time-of-flight direct recoil ion scattering spectrometer

DOEpatents

Krauss, Alan R.; Gruen, Dieter M.; Lamich, George J.

1994-01-01

A time of flight direct recoil and ion scattering spectrometer beam line (10). The beam line (10) includes an ion source (12) which injects ions into pulse deflection regions (14) and (16) separated by a drift space (18). A final optics stage includes an ion lens and deflection plate assembly (22). The ion pulse length and pulse interval are determined by computerized adjustment of the timing between the voltage pulses applied to the pulsed deflection regions (14) and (16).

Direct Observation of Ion Distributions near Electrodes in Ionic Polymer Actuators Containing Ionic Liquids

PubMed Central

Liu, Yang; Lu, Caiyan; Twigg, Stephen; Ghaffari, Mehdi; Lin, Junhong; Winograd, Nicholas; Zhang, Q. M.

2013-01-01

The recent boom of energy storage and conversion devices, exploiting ionic liquids (ILs) to enhance the performance, requires an in-depth understanding of this new class of electrolytes in device operation conditions. One central question critical to device performance is how the mobile ions accumulate near charged electrodes. Here, we present the excess ion depth profiles of ILs in ionomer membrane actuators (Aquivion/1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride (BMMI-Cl), 27 μm thick), characterized directly by Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) at liquid nitrogen temperature. Experimental results reveal that for the IL studied, cations and anions are accumulated at both electrodes. The large difference in the total volume occupied by the excess ions between the two electrodes cause the observed large bending actuation of the actuator. Hence we demonstrate that ToF-SIMS experiment provides great insights on the physics nature of ionic devices. PMID:23512124

Laser ablation aerosol particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LAAPTOF): performance, reference spectra and classification of atmospheric samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Xiaoli; Ramisetty, Ramakrishna; Mohr, Claudia; Huang, Wei; Leisner, Thomas; Saathoff, Harald

2018-04-01

The laser ablation aerosol particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LAAPTOF, AeroMegt GmbH) is able to identify the chemical composition and mixing state of individual aerosol particles, and thus is a tool for elucidating their impacts on human health, visibility, ecosystem, and climate. The overall detection efficiency (ODE) of the instrument we use was determined to range from ˜ (0.01 ± 0.01) to ˜ (4.23 ± 2.36) % for polystyrene latex (PSL) in the size range of 200 to 2000 nm, ˜ (0.44 ± 0.19) to ˜ (6.57 ± 2.38) % for ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and ˜ (0.14 ± 0.02) to ˜ (1.46 ± 0.08) % for sodium chloride (NaCl) particles in the size range of 300 to 1000 nm. Reference mass spectra of 32 different particle types relevant for atmospheric aerosol (e.g. pure compounds NH4NO3, K2SO4, NaCl, oxalic acid, pinic acid, and pinonic acid; internal mixtures of e.g. salts, secondary organic aerosol, and metallic core-organic shell particles; more complex particles such as soot and dust particles) were determined. Our results show that internally mixed aerosol particles can result in spectra with new clusters of ions, rather than simply a combination of the spectra from the single components. An exemplary 1-day ambient data set was analysed by both classical fuzzy clustering and a reference-spectra-based classification method. Resulting identified particle types were generally well correlated. We show how a combination of both methods can greatly improve the interpretation of single-particle data in field measurements.

High mass resolution isochronous time-of-flight spectrograph for three-dimensional space plasma measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moebius, E.; Bochsler, P.; Ghielmetti, A. G.; Hamilton, D. C.

1990-01-01

By combining a toroidal electrostatic analyzer with a novel cylindrically symmetric isochronous time-of-flight mass spectrometer, an instrument was developed that simultaneously determines the three-dimensional distribution function of ions and differentiates species. The ion mass is determined to high resolution (M/Delta-M greater than 50) from the time of flight within a harmonic field configuration defined by hyperboloid equipotential surfaces. A second conventional time-of-flight channel makes use of particles leaving the thin entrance foil as neutrals. An additional solid state detector in which the neutrals are stopped allows the total energy and thereby the ionic charge of the incident ions to be determined as well. Information from the neutral and the ion channels can be combined to determine the total mass of an incident molecular ion and the mass of one atomic fragment.

The design of the Spectrometer Ring at the HIAF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, B.; Yang, J. C.; Xia, J. W.; Yan, X. L.; Hu, X. J.; Mao, L. J.; Sheng, L. N.; Wu, J. X.; Yin, D. Y.; Chai, W. P.; Shen, G. D.; Ge, W. W.; Wang, G.; Zhao, H.; Ruan, S.; Ma, X. W.; Wang, M.; Litvinov, S.; Wen, W. Q.; Chen, X. C.; Chen, R. J.; Tang, M. T.; Wu, W.; Luo, C.; Zhao, T. C.; Shi, C. F.; Fu, X.; Liu, J.; Liang, L.

2018-02-01

The Spectrometer Ring (SRing) is an essential part of the High Intensity heavy-ion Accelerator Facility project (HIAF) in China. It is designed as a multi-functional experimental storage ring, which will be able to operate in three ion optical operation modes. The SRing will be used as a time-of-flight mass spectrometer for short-lived, especially neutron-rich nuclei. It will also be used to collect and cool Rare Isotope Beams (RIBs) or highly-charged stable ion beams for nuclear and atomic physics experiments. The design magnetic rigidity is in the range 1.5 to 15 Tm. The beam cooling system consists of stochastic cooling and electron cooling devices. With a help of an electron cooler, stored ions will be decelerated to a minimum energy of 30 MeV/u by RF cavities. The extraction system of the SRing will allow cooled ion beams to be extracted to an external target for further ion manipulations or reaction experiments. The general ion optics design and technical requirements of SRing subsystems are presented and discussed in this paper.

Involvement of small carbon clusters in the enhancement of high-order harmonic generation of ultrashort pulses in the plasmas produced during ablation of carbon-contained nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganeev, R. A.

2017-09-01

Various carbon-based nanoparticles ablated at the conditions suitable for efficient harmonic generation during propagation of ultrashort pulses through the laser-produced plasmas were studied. The transmission electron microscopy of ablated debris and the time-of-flight mass-spectroscopy studies of plasmas are presented. The conditions of laser ablation of the carbon-contained nanoparticles (fullerenes, graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, and diamond nanoparticles) were varied to define the impeding processes restricting the harmonic yield from such laser-produced plasmas. These studies show that the enhancement of harmonics during ablation of nanoparticle targets was related with the appearance of small carbon clusters at the moment of propagation of the ultrashort laser pulses though such plasmas.

Thermal protection system flight repair kit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

A thermal protection system (TPS) flight repair kit required for use on a flight of the Space Transportation System is defined. A means of making TPS repairs in orbit by the crew via extravehicular activity is discussed. A cure in place ablator, a precured ablator (large area application), and packaging design (containers for mixing and dispensing) for the TPS are investigated.

Ion Storage Tests with the High Performance Antimatter Trap (HiPAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, James J.; Lewis, Raymond A.; Chakrabarti, Suman; Pearson, Boise; Schafer, Charles (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The NASA/Marshall Space Flight Centers (NASA/MSFC) Propulsion Research Center (PRC) is evaluating an antiproton storage system, referred to as the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT). This interest stems from the sheer energy represented by matter/antimatter annihilation process with has an energy density approximately 10 order of magnitude above that of chemical propellants. In other terms, one gram of antiprotons contains the equivalent energy of approximately 23 space shuttle external tanks or ET's (each ET contains roughly 740,000 kgs of fuel and oxidizer). This incredible source of stored energy, if harnessed, would be an enabling technology for deep space mission where both spacecraft weight and propulsion performance are key to satisfying aggressive mission requirements. The HiPAT hardware consists of a 4 Tesla superconductor system, an ultra high vacuum test section (vacuum approaching 10(exp -12) torr), and a high voltage confinement electrode system (up to 20 kvolts operation). The current laboratory layout is illustrated. The HiPAT designed objectives included storage of up to 1 trillion antiprotons with corresponding lifetimes approaching 18 days. To date, testing has centered on the storage of positive hydrogen ions produced in situ by a stream of high-energy electrons that passes through the trapping region. However, due to space charge issues and electron beam compression as it passes through the HiPAT central field, current ion production is limited to less then 50,000 ions. Ion lifetime was determined by counting particle populations at the end of various storage time intervals. Particle detection was accomplished by destructively expelling the ions against a micro-channel plate located just outside the traps magnetic field. The effect of radio frequency (RF) stabilization on the lifetime of trapped particles was also examined. This technique, referred to as a rotating wall, made use of a segmented electrode located near the center of the trap on which various phases of a particular frequency were applied. Various experiments were performed illustrating the ability of an RF drive to both prolong and reduced the lifetimes of various ion species depending on the selected frequency. HiPAT is now being reconfigured for testing with an ion source that will provide both positive and negative hydrogen ions from an external source. This ion system shall provide higher fill capacity (order of million of ions per shot), stacking of multiple shots, and injection schemes typical of a realistic antiproton delivery system.

Speed of sound estimation for thermal monitoring using an active ultrasound element during liver ablation therapy (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Younsu; Audigier, Chloé; Dillow, Austin; Cheng, Alexis; Boctor, Emad M.

2017-03-01

Thermal monitoring for ablation therapy has high demands for preserving healthy tissues while removing malignant ones completely. Various methods have been investigated. However, exposure to radiation, cost-effectiveness, and inconvenience hinder the use of X-ray or MRI methods. Due to the non-invasiveness and real-time capabilities of ultrasound, it is widely used in intraoperative procedures. Ultrasound thermal monitoring methods have been developed for affordable monitoring in real-time. We propose a new method for thermal monitoring using an ultrasound element. By inserting a Lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) element to generate the ultrasound signal in the liver tissues, the single travel time of flight is recorded from the PZT element to the ultrasound transducer. We detect the speed of sound change caused by the increase in temperature during ablation therapy. We performed an ex vivo experiment with liver tissues to verify the feasibility of our speed of sound estimation technique. The time of flight information is used in an optimization method to recover the speed of sound maps during the ablation, which are then converted into temperature maps. The result shows that the trend of temperature changes matches with the temperature measured at a single point. The estimation error can be decreased by using a proper curve linking the speed of sound to the temperature. The average error over time was less than 3 degrees Celsius for a bovine liver. The speed of sound estimation using a single PZT element can be used for thermal monitoring.

Subcellular analysis by laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

DOEpatents

Vertes, Akos; Stolee, Jessica A; Shrestha, Bindesh

2014-12-02

In various embodiments, a method of laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LAESI-MS) may generally comprise micro-dissecting a cell comprising at least one of a cell wall and a cell membrane to expose at least one subcellular component therein, ablating the at least one subcellular component by an infrared laser pulse to form an ablation plume, intercepting the ablation plume by an electrospray plume to form ions, and detecting the ions by mass spectrometry.

A Compact Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer for Measuring Atmospheric Composition with Preliminary Results from the Dellingr Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, S.; Paschalidis, N.; Rodriguez, M.; Sittler, E. C., Jr.; Chornay, D. J.; Uribe, P.; Cameron, T.

2017-12-01

A compact Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) has been developed for GSFC's Dellingr mission, using the 6U CubeSat platform. Dellingr is expected to deploy into ISS orbit in October 2017 to measure the dynamics of the ionosphere-thermosphere-mesosphere and to determine the steady state background atmospheric conditions at this altitude. The INMS makes in situ measurements of ionized and neutral H, He, N, O, N2, O2 densities with M/dM of approximately 10-12 for thermal particles. The INMS is based on particle acceleration, electronically gated time of flight (TOF), electrostatic analyzer, and CEM detectors. The compact instrument has a dual symmetric configuration with ion and neutral sensor heads on opposite sides of the shared electronics. The neutral front-end includes thermionic ionization and ion-blocking grids. The electronics include fast preamplifiers, electric gating, and TOF measurements and processing, C&DH digital electronics for commands, data storage and back-end I/O, and HVPS for detector and sensor biases. The data package includes 400 bins of mass spectra per ion and neutral sensor and key housekeeping and calibration data, in a single time tagged data frame of 14kbits uncompressed. The nominal data sampling is 1 sec corresponding to 7.5km spatial resolution in LEO orbits. This miniaturized instrument occupies a 1.1U volume, weighs only 570g and nominally operates at 1.2W. This presentation will include preliminary flight data of ions and neutrals from the Dellingr mission and outlines improvements incorporated into the design for the Dellingr (Oct 2017), ExoCube2 (Dec 2017) and petitSat (2020) CubeSat missions.

Isobar Separation in a Multiple-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer by Mass-Selective Re-Trapping.

PubMed

Dickel, Timo; Plaß, Wolfgang R; Lippert, Wayne; Lang, Johannes; Yavor, Mikhail I; Geissel, Hans; Scheidenberger, Christoph

2017-06-01

A novel method for (ultra-)high-resolution spatial mass separation in time-of-flight mass spectrometers is presented. Ions are injected into a time-of-flight analyzer from a radio frequency (rf) trap, dispersed in time-of-flight according to their mass-to-charge ratios and then re-trapped dynamically in the same rf trap. This re-trapping technique is highly mass-selective and after sufficiently long flight times can provide even isobaric separation. A theoretical treatment of the method is presented and the conditions for optimum performance of the method are derived. The method has been implemented in a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer and mass separation powers (FWHM) in excess of 70,000, and re-trapping efficiencies of up to 35% have been obtained for the protonated molecular ion of caffeine. The isobars glutamine and lysine (relative mass difference of 1/4000) have been separated after a flight time of 0.2 ms only. Higher mass separation powers can be achieved using longer flight times. The method will have important applications, including isobar separation in nuclear physics and (ultra-)high-resolution precursor ion selection in multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Isobar Separation in a Multiple-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer by Mass-Selective Re-Trapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickel, Timo; Plaß, Wolfgang R.; Lippert, Wayne; Lang, Johannes; Yavor, Mikhail I.; Geissel, Hans; Scheidenberger, Christoph

2017-06-01

A novel method for (ultra-)high-resolution spatial mass separation in time-of-flight mass spectrometers is presented. Ions are injected into a time-of-flight analyzer from a radio frequency (rf) trap, dispersed in time-of-flight according to their mass-to-charge ratios and then re-trapped dynamically in the same rf trap. This re-trapping technique is highly mass-selective and after sufficiently long flight times can provide even isobaric separation. A theoretical treatment of the method is presented and the conditions for optimum performance of the method are derived. The method has been implemented in a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer and mass separation powers (FWHM) in excess of 70,000, and re-trapping efficiencies of up to 35% have been obtained for the protonated molecular ion of caffeine. The isobars glutamine and lysine (relative mass difference of 1/4000) have been separated after a flight time of 0.2 ms only. Higher mass separation powers can be achieved using longer flight times. The method will have important applications, including isobar separation in nuclear physics and (ultra-)high-resolution precursor ion selection in multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Meteoric Ions in Planetary Ionospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pesnell, W. D.; Grebowsky, Joseph M.; Vondrak, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Solar system debris, in the form of meteoroids, impacts every planet. The flux, relative composition and speed of the debris at each planet depends on the planet's size and location in the solar system. Ablation in the atmosphere evaporates the meteoric material and leaves behind metal atoms. During the ablation process metallic ions are formed by impact ionization. For small inner solar system planets, including Earth, this source of ionization is typically small compared to either photoionization or charge exchange with ambient molecular ions. For Earth, the atmosphere above the main deposition region absorbs the spectral lines capable of ionizing the major metallic atoms (Fe and Mg) so that charge exchange with ambient ions is the dominant source. Within the carbon dioxide atmosphere of Mars (and possibly Venus), photoionization is important in determining the ion density. For a heavy planet like Jupiter, far from the sun, impact ionization of ablated neutral atoms by impacts with molecules becomes a prominent source of ionization due to the gravitational acceleration to high incident speeds. We will describe the processes and location and extent of metal ion layers for Mars, Earth and Jupiter, concentrating on flagging the uncertainties in the models at the present time. This is an important problem, because low altitude ionosphere layers for the planets, particularly at night, probably consist predominantly of metallic ions. Comparisons with Earth will be used to illustrate the differing processes in the three planetary atmospheres.

The role of spin–rotation coupling in the non-exponential decay of hydrogen-like heavy ions

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

Lambiase, Gaetano, E-mail: lambiase@sa.infn.it; INFN, Sezione di Napoli; International Institute for Advanced Scientific Studies, 89019 Vietri sul Mare

2013-05-15

Recent experiments carried out at the storage ring of GSI in Darmstadt reveal an unexpected oscillation in the orbital electron capture and subsequent decay of hydrogen-like {sup 140}Pr{sup 58+}, {sup 142}Pm{sup 60+} and {sup 122}I{sup 52+}. The modulations have periods of 7.069(8) s, 7.10(22) s and 6.1 s respectively in the laboratory frame and are superimposed on the expected exponential decays. In this paper we propose a semiclassical model in which the observed modulations arise from the coupling of rotation to the spins of electron and nucleus. We show that the modulations are connected to quantum beats and to themore » effect of the Thomas precession on the spins of bound electron and nucleus, the magnetic moment precessions of electron and nucleus and their cyclotron frequencies. We also show that the spin–spin coupling of electron and nucleus, though dominant relative to the magnetic moment coupling of electron and nucleus with the storage ring magnetic field, does not contribute to the modulation because these terms average out during the time of flight of the ions, or cancel out. The model also predicts that the anomaly cannot be observed if the motion of the ions is rectilinear, or if the ions are stopped in a target (decay of neutral atoms in solid environments). It also supports the notion that no modulation occurs for the β{sup +}-decay branch. -- Highlights: ► Spin precession of the spin of nucleus and electron in storage ring. ► Coupling of rotation to the spin of electron and nucleus. ► Modulation in the decay probability of the heavy ions induced by quantum beats. ► Comparison with experimental data.« less

ECG-based 4D-dose reconstruction of cardiac arrhythmia ablation with carbon ion beams: application in a porcine model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, Daniel; Immo Lehmann, H.; Eichhorn, Anna; Constantinescu, Anna M.; Kaderka, Robert; Prall, Matthias; Lugenbiel, Patrick; Takami, Mitsuru; Thomas, Dierk; Bert, Christoph; Durante, Marco; Packer, Douglas L.; Graeff, Christian

2017-09-01

Noninvasive ablation of cardiac arrhythmia by scanned particle radiotherapy is highly promising, but especially challenging due to cardiac and respiratory motion. Irradiations for catheter-free ablation in intact pigs were carried out at the GSI Helmholtz Center in Darmstadt using scanned carbon ions. Here, we present real-time electrocardiogram (ECG) data to estimate time-resolved (4D) delivered dose. For 11 animals, surface ECGs and temporal structure of beam delivery were acquired during irradiation. R waves were automatically detected from surface ECGs. Pre-treatment ECG-triggered 4D-CT phases were synchronized to the R-R interval. 4D-dose calculation was performed using GSI’s in-house 4D treatment planning system. Resulting dose distributions were assessed with respect to coverage (D95 and V95), heterogeneity (HI  =  D5-D95) and normal tissue exposure. Final results shown here were performed offline, but first calculations were started shortly after irradiation The D95 for TV and PTV was above 95% for 10 and 8 out of 11 animals, respectively. HI was reduced for PTV versus TV volumes, especially for some of the animals targeted at the atrioventricular junction, indicating residual interplay effects due to cardiac motion. Risk structure exposure was comparable to static and 4D treatment planning simulations. ECG-based 4D-dose reconstruction is technically feasible in a patient treatment-like setting. Further development of the presented approach, such as real-time dose calculation, may contribute to safe, successful treatments using scanned ion beams for cardiac arrhythmia ablation.

PHOTONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY Pulsed laser ablation of binary semiconductors: mechanisms of vaporisation and cluster formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulgakov, A. V.; Evtushenko, A. B.; Shukhov, Yu G.; Ozerov, I.; Marin, W.

2010-12-01

Formation of small clusters during pulsed ablation of two binary semiconductors, zinc oxide and indium phosphide, in vacuum by UV, visible, and IR laser radiation is comparatively studied. The irradiation conditions favourable for generation of neutral and charged ZnnOm and InnPm clusters of different stoichiometry in the ablation products are found. The size and composition of the clusters, their expansion dynamics and reactivity are analysed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A particular attention is paid to the mechanisms of ZnO and InP ablation as a function of laser fluence, with the use of different ablation models. It is established that ZnO evapourates congruently in a wide range of irradiation conditions, while InP ablation leads to enrichment of the target surface with indium. It is shown that this radically different character of semiconductor ablation determines the composition of the nanostructures formed: zinc oxide clusters are mainly stoichiometric, whereas InnPm particles are significantly enriched with indium.

Study and optimization of key parameters of a laser ablation ion mobility spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Kai; Li, Jianan; Tang, Binchao; Shi, Yuan; Yu, Quan; Qian, Xiang; Wang, Xiaohao

2016-11-01

Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS), having an advantage in real-time and on-line detection, is an atmospheric pressure detecting technique. LA-IMS (Laser Ablation Ion Mobility Spectrometry) uses Nd-YAG laser as ionization source, whose energy is high enough to ionize metal. In this work, we tested the signal in different electric field intensity by a home-made ion mobility spectrometer, using silicon wafers the sample. The transportation of metal ions was match with the formula: Td = d/K • 1/E, when the electric field intensity is greater than 350v/cm. The relationship between signal intensity and collection angle (the angle between drift tube and the surface of the sample) was studied. With the increasing of the collection angle, signal intensity had a significant increase; while the variation of incident angle of the laser had no significant influence. The signal intensity had a 140% increase when the collection angle varied from 0 to 45 degree, while the angle between the drift tube and incident laser beam keeping the same as 90 degree. The position of ion gate in LA-IMS(Laser Ablation Ion Mobility Spectrometry) is different from the traditional ones for the kinetic energy of the ions is too big, if the distance between ion gate and sampling points less than 2.5cm the ion gate will not work, the ions could go through ion gate when it closed. The SNR had been improved by define the signal when the ion gate is closed as background signal, the signal noise including shock wave and electrical field perturbation produced during the interaction between laser beam and samples is eliminated when the signal that the ion gate opened minus the background signal.

3D Material Response Analysis of PICA Pyrolysis Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, Brandon A.

2017-01-01

Primarily interested in improving ablation modeling for use in inverse reconstruction of flight environments on ablative heat shields. Ablation model is essentially a component of the heat flux sensor, so model uncertainties lead to measurement uncertainties. Non-equilibrium processes have been known to be significant in low density ablators for a long time, but increased accuracy requirements of the reconstruction process necessitates incorporating this physical effect. Attempting to develop a pyrolysis model for implementation in material response based on the PICA data produced by Bessire and Minton. Pyrolysis gas species molar yields as a function of temperature and heating rate. Several problems encountered while trying to fit Arrhenius models to the data led to further investigation of the experimental setup.

Family System of Advanced Charring Ablators for Planetary Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Congdon, William M.; Curry, Donald M.

2005-01-01

Advanced Ablators Program Objectives: 1) Flight-ready(TRL-6) ablative heat shields for deep-space missions; 2) Diversity of selection from family-system approach; 3) Minimum weight systems with high reliability; 4) Optimized formulations and processing; 5) Fully characterized properties; and 6) Low-cost manufacturing. Definition and integration of candidate lightweight structures. Test and analysis database to support flight-vehicle engineering. Results from production scale-up studies and production-cost analyses.

Two-stage energy storage equalization system for lithium-ion battery pack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, W.; Yang, Z. X.; Dong, G. Q.; Li, Y. B.; He, Q. Y.

2017-11-01

How to raise the efficiency of energy storage and maximize storage capacity is a core problem in current energy storage management. For that, two-stage energy storage equalization system which contains two-stage equalization topology and control strategy based on a symmetric multi-winding transformer and DC-DC (direct current-direct current) converter is proposed with bidirectional active equalization theory, in order to realize the objectives of consistent lithium-ion battery packs voltages and cells voltages inside packs by using a method of the Range. Modeling analysis demonstrates that the voltage dispersion of lithium-ion battery packs and cells inside packs can be kept within 2 percent during charging and discharging. Equalization time was 0.5 ms, which shortened equalization time of 33.3 percent compared with DC-DC converter. Therefore, the proposed two-stage lithium-ion battery equalization system can achieve maximum storage capacity between lithium-ion battery packs and cells inside packs, meanwhile efficiency of energy storage is significantly improved.

A compact time-of-flight mass spectrometer for ion source characterization

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

Chen, L., E-mail: l.chen03@gmail.com; Wan, X.; Jin, D. Z.

2015-03-15

A compact time-of-flight mass spectrometer with overall dimension of about 413 × 250 × 414 mm based on orthogonal injection and angle reflection has been developed for ion source characterization. Configuration and principle of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer are introduced in this paper. The mass resolution is optimized to be about 1690 (FWHM), and the ion energy detection range is tested to be between about 3 and 163 eV with the help of electron impact ion source. High mass resolution and compact configuration make this spectrometer useful to provide a valuable diagnostic for ion spectra fundamental research and study themore » mass to charge composition of plasma with wide range of parameters.« less

Rocket-borne time-of-flight mass spectrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reiter, R. F.

1976-01-01

Theoretical and numerical analyses are made of planar, cylindrical and spherical-electrode two-field time-of-flight mass spectrometers in order to optimize their operating conditions. A method is introduced which can improve the resolving power of these instruments by a factor of 7.5. Potential barrier gating in time-of-flight mass spectrometers is also analyzed. Experimental studies of a miniature cylindrical-electrode and a hemispherical-electrode time-of-flight mass spectrometer are presented. Their sensitivity and ability to operate at D-region pressures with an open source make them ideal instruments for D-region ion composition measurements. A sounding rocket experiment package carrying a cylindrical electrode time-of-flight mass spectrometer was launched. The data indicate that essentially 100% of the positive electric charge on positive ions is carried by ions with mass-to-charge ratios greater than 500 below an altitude of 92 km. These heavy charge carriers were present at altitudes up to about 100 km.

Focused ion beam source method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Pellin, Michael J.; Lykke, Keith R.; Lill, Thorsten B.

2000-01-01

A focused ion beam having a cross section of submicron diameter, a high ion current, and a narrow energy range is generated from a target comprised of particle source material by laser ablation. The method involves directing a laser beam having a cross section of critical diameter onto the target, producing a cloud of laser ablated particles having unique characteristics, and extracting and focusing a charged particle beam from the laser ablated cloud. The method is especially suited for producing focused ion beams for semiconductor device analysis and modification.

In Situ Chemical Composition Measurements of Planetary Surfaces with a Laser Ablation Mass Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brigitte Neuland, Maike; Riedo, Andreas; Meyer, Stefan; Mezger, Klaus; Tulej, Marek; Wurz, Peter

2013-04-01

The knowledge of the chemical composition of moons, comets, asteroids or other planetary bodies is of particular importance for the investigation of the origin and evolution of the Solar System. For cosmochemistry, the elemental and isotopic composition of the surface material is essential information to investigate origin, differentiation and evolution processes of the body and therefore the history of our Solar System [1]. We show that the use of laser-based mass spectrometers is essential in such research because of their high sensitivity in the ppm range and their capability for quantitative elemental and isotopic analysis. A miniaturised Laser Ablation Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (LMS) was developed in our group to study the elemental composition of solid samples [2]. The instrument's small size and light weight make it suitable for an application on a space mission to determine the elemental composition of a planetary surface for example [3]. Meteorites offer the excellent possibility to study extraterrestrial material in the laboratory. To demonstrate the sensitivity and functionality of the LMS instrument, a sample of the Allende meteorite has been investigated with a high spatial resolution. The LMS measurements allowed investigations of the elemental abundances in the Allende meteorite and detailed studies of the mineralogy and volatility [4]. These approaches can be of considerable interest for in situ investigation of grains and inhomogeneous materials with high sensitivity on a planetary surface. [1] Wurz, P., Whitby, J., Managadze, G., 2009, Laser Mass Spectrometry in Planetary Science, AIP Conf. Proc. CP1144, 70-75. [2] Tulej, M., Riedo, A., Iakovleva, M., Wurz, P., 2012, Int. J. Spec., On Applicability of a Miniaturized Laser Ablation Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer for Trace Element Measurements, article ID 234949. [3] Riedo, A., Bieler, A., Neuland, M., Tulej, M., Wurz, P., 2012, Performance evaluation of a miniature laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometer designed for in-situ investigations in planetary space research, J. Mass Spectrom., in press. [4] Neuland, M.B., Meyer, S., Mezger, K., Riedo, A., Tulej, M., Wurz, P., Probing the Allende meteorite with a miniature Laser-Ablation Mass Analyser for space application, Planetary and Space Science, Special Issue: Terrestrial Planets II, submitted

Trapping, retention and laser cooling of Th3+ ions in a multisection linear quadrupole trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borisyuk, P. V.; Vasil'ev, O. S.; Derevyashkin, S. P.; Kolachevsky, N. N.; Lebedinskii, Yu. Yu.; Poteshin, S. S.; Sysoev, A. A.; Tkalya, E. V.; Tregubov, D. O.; Troyan, V. I.; Khabarova, K. Yu.; Yudin, V. I.; Yakovlev, V. P.

2017-06-01

A multisection linear quadrupole trap for Th3+ ions is described. Multiply charged ions are obtained by the laser ablation method. The possibility of trapping and retention of ˜103 ions is demonstrated in macroscopic time scales of ˜30 s. Specific features of cooling Th3+ ions on the electron transitions with wavelengths of 1088, 690 and 984 nm in Th3+ ion are discussed; a principal scheme of a setup for laser cooling is presented.

Ames Research Center Mars/Pathfinder Heat Shield Design Verification ARC-JET Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tran, Huy K.; Hui, Frank; Wercinski, Paul; Cartledge, Alan; Tauber, Mike; Tran, Duoc T.; Chen, Y. K.; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Design verification tests were performed on samples representing the aerobrake of the Mars/Pathfinder vehicle. The test specimens consisted of the SLA-561V ablator bonded to the honeycomb structure. The primary objective was to evaluate the ablation materials performance and to measure temperatures within the ablator, at the structural bondline and at the back sheet of the honeycomb structure. Other objectives were to evaluate the effect of ablative repair plug material treatment and voids in the heat shield. A total of 29 models were provided for testing in the Ames 60MW arc-jet facility. Of these, 23 models were flat-faced and six remaining models were curved edge ones, intended to simulate the conditions on the curved rim of the forebody where the maximum shear occurred. Eight sets of test conditions were used. The stagnation point heating rates varied from 47 to 240 W/cm2 and the stagnation pressures from 0.15 to 0.27 atm. (The maximum flight values are 132 W/cm2 and 0.25 atm) The majority of these runs were made at a nominal stagnation pressure of 0.25 atm. Two higher pressure runs were made to check the current (denser) ablation material for spallation, or other forms of thermal stress failure. Over 60% of the flatfaced models yielded good thermocouple data and all produced useful surface recession information. Of the five curved-edge models that were tested, only one gave good data; the remaining ones experienced model-holder failure. The test results can be summarized by noting that no failure of the ablative material was observed on any model. Also, the bondline temperature design limit of 250 C was never reached within an equivalent flight time despite a stagnation point heat load that exceeded the maximum flight value by up to 130%. At heating rates of over 200W/cm2 and stagnation pressures of 0.25 atm, or greater, the average surface recessions exceeded 0.5 cm on some models. The surface roughness increased dramatically at pressures above 0.25 atm and was four times greater at 0.27 atm than at 0.25 atm. Procured repair plug material performed much better than room-temperature cured plugs, as observed in the previous tests. Voids in the ablator did not increase local temperatures and gaps did not grow during testing.

Use of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-time of flight-mass spectrometry to identify the elemental composition of vanilla and determine the geographic origin by discriminant function analysis.

PubMed

Hondrogiannis, Ellen M; Ehrlinger, Erin; Poplaski, Alyssa; Lisle, Meredith

2013-11-27

A total of 11 elements found in 25 vanilla samples from Uganda, Madagascar, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea were measured by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOF-MS) for the purpose of collecting data that could be used to discriminate among the origins. Pellets were prepared of the samples, and elemental concentrations were obtained on the basis of external calibration curves created using five National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and one Chinese standard with (13)C internal standardization. These curves were validated using NIST 1573a (tomato leaves) as a check standard. Discriminant analysis was used to successfully classify the vanilla samples by their origin. Our method illustrates the feasibility of using LA-ICP-TOF-MS with an external calibration curve for high-throughput screening of spice screening analysis.

The 2nd order focusing sector field type TOF mass analyzer with an orthogonal ion acceleration for LC-IMS-MS.

PubMed

Poteshin, S S; Zarakovsky, A I

2017-03-15

Original orthogonal acceleration (OA) electrostatic sector time of flight (TOF) mass analyzer is proposed those allows the second order focusing of time of flight by initial ions position. Resolving power aberration limit exceeding 80,000 FW (full width mass peak) was shown to be obtainable for mass analyzer with the total length of flight L=133.2cm, the average ion energy 3700V and the ion energy spread of 2.5% on the entrance of sector field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Real time determination of the laser ablated mass by means of electric field-perturbation measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacheco, P.; Álvarez, J.; Sarmiento, R.; Bredice, F.; Sánchez-Aké, C.; Villagrán-Muniz, M.; Palleschi, V.

2018-04-01

A Nd:YAG ns-pulsed laser was used to ablate Al, Cd and Zn targets, which were placed between the plates of a planar charged capacitor. The plasma generates a transient redistribution of the electrical charges on the plates that can be measured as a voltage drop across a resistor connected to the ground plate. This signal is proportional to the capacitor applied voltage, the distance between the plates and the total number of ions produced in the ablation process which in turn is related to the laser energy and the ablated mass. After a series of pulses, the targets were weighed on a thermogravimetric balance to measure the ablated mass. Our results show that the electrical signal measured on the resistor is univocally related to the ablated mass from the target. Therefore, after a proper calibration depending on the material and the experimental geometry, the electrical signal can be used for real time quantitative measurement of the ablated mass in pulsed laser generated plasma experiments. The experiments were repeated on an aluminum target, with and without the presence of the external electric field in order to determine the possible influence of the applied electric field on the ablated mass.

Laser-based mass spectrometry for in situ chemical composition analysis of planetary surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Samira; Neuland, Maike B.; Grimaudo, Valentine; Moreno-García, Pavel; Riedo, Andreas; Tulej, Marek; Broekmann, Peter; Wurz, Peter

2016-04-01

Mass spectrometry is an important analytical technique in space research. The chemical composition of planetary surface material is a key scientific question on every space mission to a planet, moon or asteroid. Chemical composition measurements of rocky material on the surface are of great importance to understand the origin and evolution of the planetary body.[1] A miniature laser ablation/ionisation reflectron- type time-of-flight mass spectrometer (instrument name LMS) was designed and built at the University of Bern for planetary research.[2] Despite its small size and light weight, the LMS instrument still maintains the same capabilities as large laboratory systems, which makes it suitable for its application on planetary space missions.[3-5] The high dynamic range of about eight orders of magnitude, high lateral (μm-level) and vertical (sub-nm level) resolution and high detection sensitivity for almost all elements (10 ppb, atomic fraction) make LMS a versatile instrument for various applications. LMS is a suitable instrument for in situ measurements of elemental and isotope composition with high precision and accuracy. Measurements of Pb- isotope abundances can be used for dating of planetary material. Measurements of bio-relevant elements allow searching for past or present life on a planetary surface. The high spatial resolution, both in lateral and vertical direction, is of considerable interest, e.g. for analysis of inhomogeneous, extraterrestrial samples as well as weathering processes of planetary material. References [1] P. Wurz, D. Abplanalp, M. Tulej, M. Iakovleva, V.A. Fernandes, A. Chumikov, and G. Managadze, "Mass Spectrometric Analysis in Planetary Science: Investigation of the Surface and the Atmosphere", Sol. Sys. Res., 2012, 46, 408. [2] U. Rohner, J.A. Whitby, P. Wurz, "A miniature laser ablation time of flight mass spectrometer for in situ planetary exploration" Meas. Sci. Tch., 2003, 14, 2159. [3] M. Tulej, A. Riedo, M.B. Neuland, S. Meyer, P. Wurz, N. Thomas, V. Grimaudo, P. Moreno-García, P. Broekmann, A. Neubeck and M. Ivarsson, "CAMAM: A miniature laser ablation ionisation mass spectrometer and microscope-camera system for in situ investigation of the composition and morphology of extraterrestrial materials", Geostand. Geoanal. Res., 2014, 38, 441. [4] A. Riedo, M. Neuland, S. Meyer, M. Tulej and P. Wurz, "Coupling of LMS with a fs-laser ablation ion source: elemental and isotope composition measurements", J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, 28, 1256. [5] A. Riedo, S. Meyer, B. Heredia, M. Neuland, A. Bieler, M. Tulej, I. Leya, M. Iakovleva, K. Mezger and P. Wurz, "Highly accurate isotope composition measurements by a miniature laser ablation mass spectrometer designed for in situ investigations on planetary surfaces", Planet. Space Sci., 2013, 87, 1.

Langmuir probe measurements and mass spectrometry of plasma plumes generated by laser ablation of La0.4Ca0.6MnO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jikun; Lunney, James G.; Lippert, Thomas; Ojeda-G-P, Alejandro; Stender, Dieter; Schneider, Christof W.; Wokaun, Alexander

2014-08-01

The plasma formed in vacuum by UV nanosecond laser ablation of La0.4Ca0.6MnO3 in the fluence range of 0.8 to 1.9 J cm-2 using both Langmuir probe analysis and energy-resolved mass spectrometry has been studied. Mass spectrometry shows that the main positive ion species are Ca+, Mn+, La+, and LaO+. The Ca+ and Mn+ energy distributions are quite broad and lie in the 0-100 eV region, with the average energies increasing with laser fluence. In contrast, the La+ and LaO+ distributions are strongly peaked around 10 eV. The net time-of-arrival signal derived from the measured positive ion energy distributions is broadly consistent with the positive ion signal measured by the Langmuir probe. We also detected a significant number of O- ions with energies in the range of 0 to 10 eV. The Langmuir probe was also used to measure the temporal variation of the electron density and temperature at 6 cm from the ablation target. In the period when O- ions are found at this position, the plasma conditions are consistent with those required for significant negative oxygen ion formation, as revealed by studies on radio frequency excited oxygen plasma.

Use of recombinantly produced 15N3-labelled nicotianamine for fast and sensitive stable isotope dilution ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Schmidt, Holger; Böttcher, Christoph; Trampczynska, Aleksandra; Clemens, Stephan

2011-01-01

Nicotianamine (NA) is an important metal chelator, implicated in the intra- and intercellular trafficking of several transition metal ions in plants. To decipher its roles in physiological processes such as micronutrient acquisition, distribution or storage, fast and sensitive analytical techniques for quantification of this non-proteinogenic amino acid will be required. The use of a recombinant Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain expressing a nicotianamine synthase (NAS) gene allowed for the production of [(15)N(3)]-NA, which was enriched from cell extracts through cation exchange and used for stable isotope dilution analysis of NA. Such an approach should be widely applicable to important bioanalytes that are difficult to synthesize. The analytical procedure comprises mild aqueous extraction and rapid Fmoc derivatization, followed by fast separation using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and sensitive detection by positive ion electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS) with a chromatographic cycle time of only 8 min. Derivatization was optimized with respect to incubation time and species suitable for quantification. The limit of detection was 0.14 to 0.23 pmol in biological matrices with the response being linear up to 42 pmol. Recovery rates were between 83% and 104% in various biological matrices including fission yeast cells, fungal mycelium, plant leaves and roots.

The performance and the characterization of laser ablation aerosol particle time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LAAP-ToF-MS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gemayel, Rachel; Hellebust, Stig; Temime-Roussel, Brice; Hayeck, Nathalie; Van Elteren, Johannes T.; Wortham, Henri; Gligorovski, Sasho

2016-05-01

Hyphenated laser ablation-mass spectrometry instruments have been recognized as useful analytical tools for the detection and chemical characterization of aerosol particles. Here we describe the performances of a laser ablation aerosol particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LAAP-ToF-MS) which was designed for aerodynamic particle sizing using two 405 nm scattering lasers and characterization of the chemical composition of single aerosol particle via ablation/ionization by a 193 nm excimer laser and detection in a bipolar time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a mass resolving power of m/Δm > 600.

We describe a laboratory based optimization strategy for the development of an analytical methodology for characterization of atmospheric particles using the LAAP-ToF-MS instrument in combination with a particle generator, a differential mobility analyzer and an optical particle counter. We investigated the influence of particle number concentration, particle size and particle composition on the detection efficiency. The detection efficiency is a product of the scattering efficiency of the laser diodes and the ionization efficiency or hit rate of the excimer laser. The scattering efficiency was found to vary between 0.6 and 1.9 % with an average of 1.1 %; the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 17.0 %. The hit rate exhibited good repeatability with an average value of 63 % and an RSD of 18 %. In addition to laboratory tests, the LAAP-ToF-MS was used to sample ambient air during a period of 6 days at the campus of Aix-Marseille University, situated in the city center of Marseille, France. The optimized LAAP-ToF-MS methodology enables high temporal resolution measurements of the chemical composition of ambient particles, provides new insights into environmental science, and a new investigative tool for atmospheric chemistry and physics, aerosol science and health impact studies.

Electrostatic Propulsion Beam Divergence Effects on Spacecraft Surfaces. Volume 2, Addendum 1: Ion Time-of-flight Determinations of Doubly to Singly Ionized Mercury Ion Ratios from a Mercury Electron Bombardment Discharge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellen, J. M., Jr.; Kemp, R. F.; Hall, D. F.

1973-01-01

The analysis of ion exhaust beam current flow for multiply charged ion species and the application to propellant utilization for the thruster are discussed. The ion engine in use in the experiments is a twenty centimeter diameter electromagnet electron bombardment engine. The experimental technique to determine the multiply charged ion abundance ratios using ion time of flight is described. An analytical treatment of the discharge action in producing various ion species has been carried out.

Collision-induced dissociation of aminophospholipids (PE, MMPE, DMPE, PS): an apparently known fragmentation process revisited.

PubMed

Pittenauer, Ernst; Rehulka, Pavel; Winkler, Wolfgang; Allmaier, Günter

2015-07-01

A new type of low-mass substituted 4-oxazolin product ions of [M + H](+) precursor ions of aminophospholipids (glycerophosphatidylethanolamine, glycerophosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine, glycerophosphatidyl-N,N-dimethylethanolamine, glycerophosphatidylserine) resulting from high-energy collision-induced dissociation (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry) and low-energy collision-induced dissociation (e.g., electrospray ionization quadrupole reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry) with accurate mass determination is described; these were previously misidentified as CHO-containing radical cationic product ions. The mechanism for the formation of these ions is proposed to be via rapid loss of water followed by cyclization to an 11-membered-ring transition state for the sn-1 fatty acid substituent and to a ten-membered-ring transition state for the sn-2 fatty acid substituent, and via final loss of monoacylglycerol phosphate, leading to substituted 4-oxazolin product ions. The minimum structural requirement for this interesting skeletal rearrangement fragmentation is an amino group linked to at least one hydrogen atom (i.e., ethanolamine, N-methylethanolamine, serine). Therefore, N,N-dimethylethanolamine derivates do not exhibit this type of fragmentation. The analytical value of these product ions is given by the fact that by post source decay and particularly high-energy collision-induced dissociation achieved via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry, the sn-2-related substituted 4-oxazolin product ion is always significantly more abundant than the sn-1-related one, which is quite helpful for detailed structural analysis of complex lipids. All other important product ions found are described in detail (following our previously published glycerophospholipid product ion nomenclature; Pittenauer and Allmaier, Int. J. Mass. Spectrom. 301:90-1012, 2011).

Single event mass spectrometry

DOEpatents

Conzemius, Robert J.

1990-01-16

A means and method for single event time of flight mass spectrometry for analysis of specimen materials. The method of the invention includes pulsing an ion source imposing at least one pulsed ion onto the specimen to produce a corresponding emission of at least one electrically charged particle. The emitted particle is then dissociated into a charged ion component and an uncharged neutral component. The ion and neutral components are then detected. The time of flight of the components are recorded and can be used to analyze the predecessor of the components, and therefore the specimen material. When more than one ion particle is emitted from the specimen per single ion impact, the single event time of flight mass spectrometer described here furnis This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. W-7405-ENG82 awarded by the Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in the invention.

Dynamics of low- and high-Z metal ions emitted during nanosecond laser-produced plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsied, Ahmed M.; Diwakar, Prasoon K.; Polek, Mathew; Hassanein, Ahmed

2016-11-01

Dynamics of metal ions during laser-produced plasmas was studied. A 1064 nm, Nd: YAG laser pulse was used to ablate pure Al, Fe, Co, Mo, and Sn samples. Ion flux and velocity were measured using Faraday cup ion collector. Time-of-flight measurements showed decreasing ion flux and ion velocity with increasing atomic weight, and heavy metal ion flux profile exhibited multiple peaks that was not observed in lighter metals. Slow peak was found to follow shifted Maxwell Boltzmann distribution, while the fast peak was found to follow Gaussian distribution. Ion flux angular distribution that was carried out on Mo and Al using fixed laser intensity 2.5 × 1010 W/cm2 revealed that the slow ion flux peaks at small angles, that is, close to normal to the target ˜0° independent of target's atomic weight, and fast ion flux for Mo peaks at large angles ˜40° measured from the target normal, while it completely absents for Al. This difference in spatial and temporal distribution reveals that the emission mechanism of the fast and slow ions is different. From the slow ion flux angular distribution, the measured plume expansion ratio (plume forward peaking) was 1.90 and 2.10 for Al and Mo, respectively. Moreover, the effect of incident laser intensity on the ion flux emission as well as the emitted ion velocity were investigated using laser intensities varying from 2.5 × 1010 W/cm2 to 1.0 × 1011 W/cm2. Linear increase of fast ion flux and velocity, and quadratic increase of slow ion flux and velocity were observed. For further understanding of plume dynamics, laser optical emission spectroscopy was used to characterize Sn plasma by measuring the temporal and spatial evolution of plasma electron density Ne and electron temperature Te. At 3.5 mm away from the target, plasma density showed slow decrease with time, however electron temperature was observed to decrease dramatically. The maximum plasma density and temperature occurred at 0.5 mm away from target and were measured to be 8.0 × 1017 cm-3 and 1.3 eV, respectively.

Cometary particulate analyzer. [mass spectrometry of laser plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friichtenicht, J. F.; Miller, D. J.; Utterback, N. G.

1979-01-01

A concept for determining the relative abundance of elements contained in cometary particulates was evaluated. The technique utilizes a short, high intensity burst of laser radiation to vaporize and ionize collected particulate material. Ions extracted from this laser produced plasma are analyzed in a time of flight mass spectrometer to yield an atomic mass spectrum representative of the relative abundance of elements in the particulates. Critical aspects of the development of this system are determining the ionization efficiencies for various atomic species and achieving adequate mass resolution. A technique called energy-time focus, which utilizes static electric fields to alter the length of the ion flight path in proportion to the ion initial energy, was used which results in a corresponding compression to the range of ion flight times which effectively improves the inherent resolution. Sufficient data were acquired to develop preliminary specifications for a flight experiment.

Qualitative Investigation of the Decomposition of Organic Solvent Based Lithium Ion Battery Electrolytes with LC-IT-TOF-MS.

PubMed

Schultz, Carola; Vedder, Sven; Winter, Martin; Nowak, Sascha

2016-11-15

The development of a novel high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method hyphenated to an ion-trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer (IT-TOF-MS) for the separation and identification of constituents from common organic carbonate solvent-based electrolyte systems in lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is presented in this work. The method development was conducted for the qualitative structural elucidation of electrolyte main constituents with a special focus on the aging products of these components. The determination of their limits of detection was performed as well. Four different LiPF 6 -based LIB electrolytes were investigated in this study. The selected aging procedures for the electrolytes were thermal aging (storage at 60 °C for 2 weeks, storage at 60 °C in the presence of 2 vol % water contamination for 2 weeks) and electrochemical aging for 100 cycles at 2C. After thermal aging, several aging products were identified. The formation of organic phosphate aging products and several organofluorophosphates aging products was observed after thermal aging with water. Additionally, the content of carbonate aging products increased. After electrochemical aging, several carbonate aging products were detected. Electrochemical aging at 60 °C leads to the additional generation of organofluorophosphate aging products.

Comprehensive studies of ultrashort laser pulse ablation of tin target at terawatt power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsied, Ahmed M.; Diwakar, Prasoon K.; Hassanein, Ahmed

2018-01-01

The fundamental properties of ultrashort laser interactions with metals using up to terawatt power were comprehensively studied, i.e., specifically mass ablation, nanoparticle formation, and ion dynamics using multitude of diagnostic techniques. Results of this study can be useful in many fields of research including spectroscopy, micromachining, thin film fabrication, particle acceleration, physics of warm dense matter, and equation-of-state determination. A Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser system (110 mJ maximum energy, 40 fs, 800 nm, P-polarized, single pulse mode) was used, which delivered up to 3 terawatt laser power to ablate 1 mm tin film in vacuum. The experimental analysis includes the effect of the incident laser fluence on the ablated mass, size of the ablated area, and depth of ablation using white light profilometer. Atomic force microscope was used to measure the emitted particles size distribution at different laser fluence. Faraday cup (FC) detector was used to analyze the emitted ions flux by measuring the velocity, and the total charge of the emitted ions. The study shows that the size of emitted particles follows log-normal distribution with peak shifts depending on incident laser fluence. The size of the ablated particles ranges from 20 to 80 nm. The nanoparticles deposited on the wafer tend to aggregate and to be denser as the incident laser fluence increases as shown by AFM images. Laser ablation depth was found to increase logarithmically with laser fluence then leveling off at laser fluence > 400 J/cm2. The total ablated mass tends to increase logarithmically with laser fluence up to 60 J/cm2 while, increases gradually at higher fluence due to the increase in the ablated area. The measured ion emitted flux shows a linear dependence on laser fluence with two distinct regimes. Strong dependence on laser fluence was observed at fluences < 350 J/cm2. Also, a slight enhancement in ion velocity was observed with increasing laser fluence up to 350 J/cm2.

New high-resolution electrostatic ion mass analyzer using time of flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, D. C.; Gloeckler, G.; Ipavich, F. M.; Lundgren, R. A.; Sheldon, R. B.

1990-01-01

The design of a high-resolution ion-mass analyzer is described, which is based on an accurate measurement of the time of flight (TOF) of ions within a region configured to produce a harmonic potential. In this device, the TOF, which is independent of ion energy, is determined from a start pulse from secondary electrons produced when the ion passes through a thin carbon foil at the entrance of the TOF region and at a stop pulse from the ion striking a microchannel plate upon exciting the region. A laboratory prototype instrument called 'VMASS' was built and was tested at the Goddard Space Flight Center electrostatic accelerator, showing a good mass resolution of the instrument. Sensors of the VMASS type will form part of the WIND Solar Wind and Suprathermal Ion experiment, the Soho mission, and the Advanced Composition Explorer.

The On-orbit Performance and Simulation Tests of the Lithium-Ion Secondary Battery for the Interplanetary Satellite 'HAYABUSA'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sone, Yoshitsugu; Uno, Masatoshi; Hirose, Kazuyuki; Tajima, Michio; Ooto, Hiroki; Yamamoto, Masahiro; Eguro, Takashi; Sakai, Shigeru; Yoshida, Teiji

2005-05-01

The Japanese satellite 'HAYABUSA' is currently en route to an asteroid named ITOKAWA. The satellite is powered by a 13.2 Ah lithium-ion secondary battery. To realize maximum performance of the battery for long flight operation, the state-of-charge (SOC) of the battery is maintained at ca. 65% during storage in case it is required for contingency operations. To maintain this SOC condition, the battery is charged once a week. We further charge the battery up to 4.1 V/cell using bypass circuits to balance the cells every four months. The capacity of the battery was measured during the flight operation, which revealed the appropriate capacity for the HAYABUSA mission.

Doubly differential cross sections for galactic heavy-ion fragmentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.; Norbury, John W.; Khandelwal, Govind S.; Townsend, Lawrence W.

1987-01-01

An abrasion-ablation T-matrix formulation is applied to the calculation of double differential-cross sections in projectile fragmentation of 2.1 GeV/nucleon O-16 on Be-9 and 86 MeV/nucleon C-12 on C-12 and Ag-108. An exponential parameterization of the ablation T-matrix is used and the total width of the intermediate states is taken as a parameter. Fitted values of the total width to experimental results are used to predict the lifetime of the ablation stage and indicate a decay time on the order of 10 to the -19th power sec.

Sprayable Phase Change Coating Thermal Protection Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, Rod W.; Hayes, Paul W.; Kaul, Raj

2005-01-01

NASA has expressed a need for reusable, environmentally friendly, phase change coating that is capable of withstanding the heat loads that have historically required an ablative thermal insulation. The Space Shuttle Program currently relies on ablative materials for thermal protection. The problem with an ablative insulation is that, by design, the material ablates away, in fulfilling its function of cooling the underlying substrate, thus preventing the insulation from being reused from flight to flight. The present generation of environmentally friendly, sprayable, ablative thermal insulation (MCC-l); currently use on the Space Shuttle SRBs, is very close to being a reusable insulation system. In actual flight conditions, as confirmed by the post-flight inspections of the SRBs, very little of the material ablates. Multi-flight thermal insulation use has not been qualified for the Space Shuttle. The gap that would have to be overcome in order to implement a reusable Phase Change Coating (PCC) is not unmanageable. PCC could be applied robotically with a spray process utilizing phase change material as filler to yield material of even higher strength and reliability as compared to MCC-1. The PCC filled coatings have also demonstrated potential as cryogenic thermal coatings. In experimental thermal tests, a thin application of PCC has provided the same thermal protection as a much thicker and heavier application of a traditional ablative thermal insulation. In addition, tests have shown that the structural integrity of the coating has been maintained and phase change performance after several aero-thermal cycles was not affected. Experimental tests have also shown that, unlike traditional ablative thermal insulations, PCC would not require an environmental seal coat, which has historically been required to prevent moisture absorption by the thermal insulation, prevent environmental degradation, and to improve the optical and aerodynamic properties. In order to reduce the launch and processing costs of a reusable space vehicle to an affordable level, refurbishment costs must be substantially reduced. A key component of such a cost effective approach is the use of a reusable, phase change, thermal protection coating.

A data acquisition and storage system for the ion auxiliary propulsion system cyclic thruster test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamley, John A.

1989-01-01

A nine-track tape drive interfaced to a standard personal computer was used to transport data from a remote test site to the NASA Lewis mainframe computer for analysis. The Cyclic Ground Test of the Ion Auxiliary Propulsion System (IAPS), which successfully achieved its goal of 2557 cycles and 7057 hr of thrusting beam on time generated several megabytes of test data over many months of continuous testing. A flight-like controller and power supply were used to control the thruster and acquire data. Thruster data was converted to RS232 format and transmitted to a personal computer, which stored the raw digital data on the nine-track tape. The tape format was such that with minor modifications, mainframe flight data analysis software could be used to analyze the Cyclic Ground Test data. The personal computer also converted the digital data to engineering units and displayed real time thruster parameters. Hardcopy data was printed at a rate dependent on thruster operating conditions. The tape drive provided a convenient means to transport the data to the mainframe for analysis, and avoided a development effort for new data analysis software for the Cyclic test. This paper describes the data system, interfacing and software requirements.

The thermal and mechanical properties of a low-density glass-fiber-reinforced elastomeric ablation material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engelke, W. T.; Robertson, R. W.; Bush, A. L.; Pears, C. D.

1974-01-01

An evaluation of the thermal and mechanical properties was performed on a molded low-density elastomeric ablation material designated as Material B. Both the virgin and charred states were examined to provide meaningful inputs to the design of a thermal protection system. Chars representative of the flight chars formed during ablation were prepared in a laboratory furnace from 600 K to 1700 K and properties of effective thermal conductivity, heat capacity, porosity and permeability were determined on the furnace chars formed at various temperature levels within the range. This provided a boxing of the data which will enable the prediction of the transient response of the material during flight ablation.

Linear electronic field time-of-flight ion mass spectrometers

DOEpatents

Funsten, Herbert O.

2010-08-24

Time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising a first drift region and a second drift region enclosed within an evacuation chamber; a means of introducing an analyte of interest into the first drift region; a pulsed ionization source which produces molecular ions from said analyte of interest; a first foil positioned between the first drift region and the second drift region, which dissociates said molecular ions into constituent atomic ions and emits secondary electrons; an electrode which produces secondary electrons upon contact with a constituent atomic ion in second drift region; a stop detector comprising a first ion detection region and a second ion detection region; and a timing means connected to the pulsed ionization source, to the first ion detection region, and to the second ion detection region.

High-performance multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometers for research with exotic nuclei and for analytical mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaß, Wolfgang R.; Dickel, Timo; Ayet San Andres, Samuel; Ebert, Jens; Greiner, Florian; Hornung, Christine; Jesch, Christian; Lang, Johannes; Lippert, Wayne; Majoros, Tamas; Short, Devin; Geissel, Hans; Haettner, Emma; Reiter, Moritz P.; Rink, Ann-Kathrin; Scheidenberger, Christoph; Yavor, Mikhail I.

2015-11-01

A class of multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometers (MR-TOF-MSs) has been developed for research with exotic nuclei at present and future accelerator facilities such as GSI and FAIR (Darmstadt), and TRIUMF (Vancouver). They can perform highly accurate mass measurements of exotic nuclei, serve as high-resolution, high-capacity mass separators and be employed as diagnostics devices to monitor the production, separation and manipulation of beams of exotic nuclei. In addition, a mobile high-resolution MR-TOF-MS has been developed for in situ applications in analytical mass spectrometry ranging from environmental research to medicine. Recently, the MR-TOF-MS for GSI and FAIR has been further developed. A novel RF quadrupole-based ion beam switchyard has been developed that allows merging and splitting of ion beams as well as transport of ions into different directions. It efficiently connects a test and reference ion source and an auxiliary detector to the system. Due to an increase in the kinetic energy of the ions in the time-of-flight analyzer of the MR-TOF-MS, a given mass resolving power is now achieved in less than half the time-of-flight. Conversely, depending on the time-of-flight, the mass resolving power has been increased by a factor of more than two.

Comparison of Internal Energy Distributions of Ions Created by Electrospray Ionization and Laser Ablation-Liquid Vortex Capture-Electrospray Ionization

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

Cahill, John F.; Kertesz, Vilmos; Ovchinnikova, Olga S.

2015-06-27

Recently a number of techniques have combined laser ablation with liquid capture for mass spectrometry spot sampling and imaging applications. The newly developed non-contact liquid-vortex capture probe has been used to efficiently collect 355 nm UV laser ablated material in a continuous flow solvent stream in which the captured material dissolves and then undergoes electrospray ionization. This sampling and ionization approach has produced what appear to be classic electrospray ionization spectra; however, the softness of this sampling/ionization process versus simple electrospray ionization has not been definitely determined. A series of benzlypyridinium salts, known as thermometer ions, were used to comparemore » internal energy distributions between electrospray ionization and the UV laser ablation liquid-vortex capture probe electrospray combination. Measured internal energy distributions were identical between the two techniques, even with differences in laser fluence (0.7-3.1 J cm-2) and when using UV-absorbing or non-UV-absorbing sample substrates. This data indicates ions formed directly by UV laser ablation, if any, are likely an extremely small constituent of the total ion signal observed. Instead, neutral molecules, clusters or particulates ejected from the surface during laser ablation, subsequently captured and dissolved in the flowing solvent stream then electrosprayed are the predominant source of ion signal observed. The electrospray ionization process used controls the softness of the technique.« less

How Constant Momentum Acceleration Decouples Energy and Space Focusing in Distance-of-Flight and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometries

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

Dennis, Elise; Gundlach-Graham, Alexander W.; Enke, Chris

2013-05-01

Time-of-flight (TOF) and distance-of-flight (DOF) mass spectrometers require means for focusing ions at the detector(s) because of initial dispersions of position and energy at the time of their acceleration. Time-of-flight mass spectrometers ordinarily employ constant energy acceleration (CEA), which creates a space-focus plane at which the initial spatial dispersion is corrected. In contrast, constant-momentum acceleration (CMA), in conjunction with an ion mirror, provides focus of the initial energy dispersion at the energy focus time for ions of all m/z at their respective positions along the flight path. With CEA, the initial energy dispersion is not simultaneously correctable as its effectmore » on ion velocity is convoluted with that of the spatial dispersion. The initial spatial dispersion with CMA remains unchanged throughout the field-free region of the flight path, so spatial dispersion can be reduced before acceleration. Improved focus is possible when each dispersion can be addressed independently. With minor modification, a TOF mass spectrometer can be operated in CMA mode by treating the TOF detector as though it were a single element in the array of detectors that would be used in a DOF mass spectrometer. Significant improvement in mass resolution is thereby achieved, albeit over a narrow range of m/z values. In this paper, experimental and theoretical results are presented that illustrate the energy-focusing capabilities of both DOF and TOF mass spectrometry.« less

Decomposition of cyclohexane ion induced by intense femtosecond laser fields by ion-trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry

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

Yamazaki, Takao; Watanabe, Yusuke; Kanya, Reika

2016-01-14

Decomposition of cyclohexane cations induced by intense femtosecond laser fields at the wavelength of 800 nm is investigated by ion-trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry in which cyclohexane cations C{sub 6}H{sub 12}{sup +} stored in an ion trap are irradiated with intense femtosecond laser pulses and the generated fragment ions are recorded by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The various fragment ion species, C{sub 5}H{sub n}{sup +} (n = 7, 9), C{sub 4}H{sub n}{sup +} (n = 5–8), C{sub 3}H{sub n}{sup +} (n = 3–7), C{sub 2}H{sub n}{sup +} (n = 2–6), and CH{sub 3}{sup +}, identified in the mass spectra show that decompositionmore » of C{sub 6}H{sub 12}{sup +} proceeds efficiently by the photo-irradiation. From the laser intensity dependences of the yields of the fragment ion species, the numbers of photons required for producing the respective fragment ions are estimated.« less

Numerical studies of wall–plasma interactions and ionization phenomena in an ablative pulsed plasma thruster

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

Yang, Lei; School of Astronautics, Beihang University, Beijing 100191; Zeng, Guangshang

2016-07-15

Wall–plasma interactions excited by ablation controlled arcs are very critical physical processes in pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs). Their effects on the ionization processes of ablated vapor into discharge plasma directly determine PPT performances. To reveal the physics governing the ionization phenomena in PPT discharge, a modified model taking into account the pyrolysis effect of heated polytetrafluoroethylene propellant on the wall–plasma interactions was developed. The feasibility of the modified model was analyzed by creating a one-dimensional simulation of a rectangular ablative PPT. The wall–plasma interaction results based on this modified model were found to be more realistic than for the unmodifiedmore » model; this reflects the dynamic changes of the inflow parameters during discharge in our model. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial variations of the different plasma species in the discharge chamber were numerically studied. The numerical studies showed that polytetrafluoroethylene plasma was mainly composed of monovalent ions; carbon and fluorine ions were concentrated in the upstream and downstream discharge chamber, respectively. The results based on this modified model were in good agreement with the experimental formation times of the various plasma species. A large number of short-lived and highly ionized carbon and fluorine species (divalent and trivalent ions) were created during initial discharge. These highly ionized species reached their peak density earlier than the singly ionized species.« less

Imaging of Crystalline and Amorphous Surface Regions Using Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS): Application to Pharmaceutical Materials.

PubMed

Iuraş, Andreea; Scurr, David J; Boissier, Catherine; Nicholas, Mark L; Roberts, Clive J; Alexander, Morgan R

2016-04-05

The structure of a material, in particular the extremes of crystalline and amorphous forms, significantly impacts material performance in numerous sectors such as semiconductors, energy storage, and pharmaceutical products, which are investigated in this paper. To characterize the spatial distribution for crystalline-amorphous forms at the uppermost molecular surface layer, we performed time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) measurements for quench-cooled amorphous and recrystallized samples of the drugs indomethacin, felodipine, and acetaminophen. Polarized light microscopy was used to localize crystallinity induced in the samples under controlled conditions. Principal component analysis was used to identify the subtle changes in the ToF-SIMS spectra indicative of the amorphous and crystalline forms for each drug. The indicators of amorphous and crystalline surfaces were common in type across the three drugs, and could be explained in general terms of crystal packing and intermolecular bonding, leading to intramolecular bond scission in the formation of secondary ions. Less intramolecular scission occurred in the amorphous form, resulting in a greater intensity of molecular and dimer secondary ions. To test the generality of amorphous-crystalline differentiation using ToF-SIMS, a different recrystallization method was investigated where acetaminophen single crystals were recrystallized from supersaturated solutions. The findings indicated that the ability to assign the crystalline/amorphous state of the sample using ToF-SIMS was insensitive to the recrystallization method. This demonstrates that ToF-SIMS is capable of detecting and mapping ordered crystalline and disordered amorphous molecular materials forms at micron spatial resolution in the uppermost surface of a material.

Post-flight Analysis of Mars Science Laboratory Entry Aerothermal Environment and Thermal Protection System Response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Todd Richard; Mahazari, Milad; Bose, Deepak; Santos, Jose Antonio

2013-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory successfully landed on the Martian surface on August 5th, 2012. The rover was protected from the extreme heating environments of atmospheric entry by an ablative heatshield. This Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator heatshield was instrumented with a suite of embedded thermocouples, isotherm sensors, and pressure transducers. The sensors monitored the in-depth ablator response, as well as the surface pressure at discrete locations throughout the hypersonic deceleration. This paper presents a comparison of the flight data with post-entry estimates. An assessment of the aerothermal environments, as well as the in-depth response of the heatshield material is made, and conclusions regarding the overall performance of the ablator at the suite locations are presented.

Electrochemical and kinetic studies of ultrafast laser structured LiFePO4 electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mangang, M.; Gotcu-Freis, P.; Seifert, H. J.; Pfleging, W.

2015-03-01

Due to a growing demand of cost-efficient lithium-ion batteries with an increased energy and power density as well as an increased life-time, the focus is set on intercalation cathode materials like LiFePO4. It has a high practical capacity, is environmentally friendly and has low material costs. However, its low electrical conductivity and low ionic diffusivity are major drawbacks for its use in electrochemical storage devices or electric vehicles. By adding conductive agents, the electrical conductivity can be enhanced. By increasing the surface of the cathode material which is in direct contact with the liquid electrolyte the lithium-ion diffusion kinetics can be improved. A new approach to increase the surface of the active material without changing the active particle packing density or the weight proportion of carbon black is the laser-assisted generation of 3D surface structures in electrode materials. In this work, ultrafast laser radiation was used to create a defined surface structure in LiFePO4 electrodes. It was shown that by using ultrashort laser pulses instead of nanosecond laser pulses, the ablation efficiency could be significantly increased. Furthermore, melting and debris formation were reduced. To investigate the diffusion kinetics, electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique were applied. It could be shown that due to a laser generated 3D structure, the lithium-ion diffusion kinetic, the capacity retention and cell life-time can be significantly improved.

Comparison of the aerodynamic characteristics of an ablating and nonablating blunted conical body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kruse, R. L.

1973-01-01

The influence of ablation on the aerodynamic characteristics of a blunted slender cone was investigated. Plastic models were launched in free flight at ablating conditions. The results were compared with results of similar tests using metal nonablating models. Ablation was found to decrease the dynamic stability and the drag, but had little effect on static stability and lift. The plastic models appeared to experience ablation-induced roll.

Depth-Resolved Cathodoluminescence of Thorium Dioxide

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

exhibited more of an energy dependency than the cut and polished sample. However, in a companion study, ime of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry...Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF SIMS) ......................17 2.7 Atomic Force Microscope (AFM...1 TOF SIMS……….Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy……………….62 1 DEPTH

X-15A-2 with full scale ablative and external tanks installed parked in front of hangar

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-08-04

X-15A-2 with full scale ablative and external tanks installed parked in front of hangar. In June 1967, the X-15A-2 rocket-powered research aircraft received a full-scale ablative coating to protect the craft from the high temperatures associated with hypersonic flight (above Mach 5). This pink eraser-like substance, applied to the X-15A-2 aircraft (56-6671), was then covered with a white sealant coat before flight. This coating would help the #2 aircraft reach the record speed of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7).

Theory and operation of a three-gate time-of-flight velocity analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martus, K. E.; Orient, O. J.; Hodges, R. R.; Chutjian, A.

1993-01-01

Theoretical considerations and test results are presented for a new-type velocity analyzer for incident fast neutral particles, positive ions, and negative ions. Velocity analysis is carried out by means of a pulsed, three-gate time-of-flight (TOF) technique capable of eliminating alias velocities (harmonics) to sixth order. In addition the design and operation are presented of a four-element ion lens system, with small spherical and chromatic aberrations, suitable for interfacing a large-diameter ion beam from the TOF section with a subsequent mass analyzer.

Overview of a Proposed Flight Validation of Aerocapture System Technology for Planetary Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keys, Andrew S.; Hall, Jeffery L.; Oh, David; Munk, Michelle M.

2006-01-01

Aerocapture System Technology for Planetary Missions is being proposed to NASA's New Millennium Program for flight aboard the Space Technology 9 (ST9) flight opportunity. The proposed ST9 aerocapture mission is a system-level flight validation of the aerocapture maneuver as performed by an instrumented, high-fidelity flight vehicle within a true in-space and atmospheric environment. Successful validation of the aerocapture maneuver will be enabled through the flight validation of an advanced guidance, navigation, and control system as developed by Ball Aerospace and two advanced Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials, Silicon Refined Ablative Material-20 (SRAM-20) and SRAM-14, as developed by Applied Research Associates (ARA) Ablatives Laboratory. The ST9 aerocapture flight validation will be sufficient for immediate infusion of these technologies into NASA science missions being proposed for flight to a variety of Solar System destinations possessing a significant planetary atmosphere.

Post-Flight Evaluation of PICA and PICA-X - Comparisons of the Stardust SRC and Space-X Dragon 1 Forebody Heatshield Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stackpoole, M.; Kao, D.; Qu, V.; Gonzales, G.

2013-01-01

Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) was developed at NASA Ames Research Center. As a thermal protection material, PICA has the advantages of being able to withstand high heat fluxes with a relatively low density. This ablative material was used as the forebody heat shield material for the Stardust sample return capsule, which re-entered the Earths atmosphere in 2006. Based on PICA, SpaceX developed a variant, PICA-X, and used it as the heat shield material for its Dragon spacecraft, which successfully orbited the Earth and re-entered the atmosphere during the COTS Demo Flight 1 in 2010. Post-flight analysis was previously performed on the Stardust PICA heat shield material. Similarly, a near-stagnation core was obtained from the post-flight Dragon 1 heat shield, which was retrieved from the Pacific Ocean. Materials testing and analyses were performed on the core to evaluate its ablation performance and post-flight properties. Comparisons between PICA and PICA-X are made where applicable. Stardust and Dragon offer rare opportunities to evaluate materials post-flight - this data is beneficial in understanding material performance and also improves modeling capabilities.

Capabilities of laser ablation mass spectrometry in the differentiation of natural and artificial opal gemstones.

PubMed

Erel, Eric; Aubriet, Frédéric; Finqueneisel, Gisèle; Muller, Jean-François

2003-12-01

The potentialities of laser ablation coupled to ion cyclotron resonance Fourier transform mass spectrometry are evaluated to distinguish natural and artificial opals. The detection of specific species in both ion detection modes leads us to obtain relevant criteria of differentiation. In positive ions, species including hafnium and large amounts of zirconium atoms are found to be specific for artificial opal. In contrast, aluminum, titanium, iron, and rubidium are systematically detected in the study of natural opals. Moreover, some ions allow us to distinguish between natural opal from Australia and from Mexico. Australian gemstone includes specifically strontium, cesium, and barium. Moreover, it is also found that the yield of (H2O)0-1(SiO2)nX- (X- = O-, OH-, KO-, NaO-, SiO2-, AlO1-2-, FeO2-, ZrO2-, and ZrO3-) and (Al2O3)(SiO2)nAlO2- ions depends on the composition of the sample when opals are laser ablated. Ions, which include zirconium oxide species, are characteristics of artificial gem. In contrast, natural opals lead us, after laser ablation, to the production of ions including H2O, Al2O3 motifs and AlO-, KO-, NaO-, and FeO2- species.

Highly charged ion based time of flight emission microscope

DOEpatents

Barnes, Alan V.; Schenkel, Thomas; Hamza, Alex V.; Schneider, Dieter H.; Doyle, Barney

2001-01-01

A highly charged ion based time-of-flight emission microscope has been designed, which improves the surface sensitivity of static SIMS measurements because of the higher ionization probability of highly charged ions. Slow, highly charged ions are produced in an electron beam ion trap and are directed to the sample surface. The sputtered secondary ions and electrons pass through a specially designed objective lens to a microchannel plate detector. This new instrument permits high surface sensitivity (10.sup.10 atoms/cm.sup.2), high spatial resolution (100 nm), and chemical structural information due to the high molecular ion yields. The high secondary ion yield permits coincidence counting, which can be used to enhance determination of chemical and topological structure and to correlate specific molecular species.

The new ClusterTrap setup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, F.; Marx, G.; Schweikhard, L.; Vass, A.; Ziegler, F.

2011-07-01

ClusterTrap has been designed to investigate properties of atomic clusters in the gas phase with particular emphasis on the dependence on the cluster size and charge state. The combination of cluster source, Penning trap and time-of-flight mass spectrometry allows a variety of experimental schemes including collision-induced dissociation, photo-dissociation, further ionization by electron impact, and electron attachment. Due to the storage capability of the trap extended-delay reaction experiments can be performed. Several recent modifications have resulted in an improved setup. In particular, an electrostatic quadrupole deflector allows the coupling of several sources or detectors to the Penning trap. Furthermore, a linear radio-frequency quadrupole trap has been added for accumulation and ion bunching and by switching the potential of a drift tube the kinetic energy of the cluster ions can be adjusted on their way towards or from the Penning trap. Recently, experiments on multiply negatively charged clusters have been resumed.

Cassini Ion Mass Spectrometer Peak Calibrations from Statistical Analysis of Flight Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodson, A. K.; Johnson, R. E.

2017-12-01

The Cassini Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) is an actuating time-of-flight (TOF) instrument capable of resolving ion mass, energy, and trajectory over a field of view that captures nearly the entire sky. One of three instruments composing the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer, IMS sampled plasma throughout the Kronian magnetosphere from 2004 through 2012 when it was permanently disabled due to an electrical malfunction. Initial calibration of the flight instrument at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) was limited to a handful of ions and energies due to time constraints, with only about 30% of planned measurements carried out prior to launch. Further calibration measurements were subsequently carried out after launch at SwRI and Goddard Space Flight Center using the instrument prototype and engineering model, respectively. However, logistical differences among the three calibration efforts raise doubts as to how accurately the post-launch calibrations describe the behavior of the flight instrument. Indeed, derived peak parameters for some ion species differ significantly from one calibration to the next. In this study we instead perform a statistical analysis on 8 years of flight data in order to extract ion peak parameters that depend only on the response of the flight instrument itself. This is accomplished by first sorting the TOF spectra based on their apparent compositional similarities (e.g. primarily water group ions, primarily hydrocarbon ions, etc.) and normalizing each spectrum. The sorted, normalized data are then binned according to TOF, energy, and counts in order to generate energy-dependent probability density maps of each ion peak contour. Finally, by using these density maps to constrain a stochastic peak fitting algorithm we extract confidence intervals for the model parameters associated with various measured ion peaks, establishing a logistics-independent calibration of the body of IMS data gathered over the course of the Cassini mission.

The utility of ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry for multi-residue determination of pesticides in strawberry.

PubMed

Taylor, Michael J; Keenan, George A; Reid, Kirsty B; Fernández, Diana Uría

2008-09-01

The utility of ultra-performance liquid chromatography/orthogonal-acceleration time-of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/TOFMS) for the rapid qualitative and quantitative analysis of 100 pesticides targeted in strawberry was assessed by comparing results with those obtained using a validated in-house UPLC tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) multi-residue method. Crude extracts from retail strawberry samples received as part of the 2007 annual UK pesticide residues in food surveillance programme were screened for the presence of pesticide residues using UPLC/TOFMS. Accurate mass measurement of positive and negative ions allowed their extraction following 'full mass range data acquisition' with negligible interference from background or co-eluting species observed during UPLC gradient separation (in a cycle time of just 6.5 min per run). Extracted ion data was used to construct calibration curves and to detect and identify any incurred residues (i.e. pesticides incorporated in or on the test material following application during cultivation, harvest and storage). Calibration using matrix-matched standards was performed over a narrow concentration range of 0.005-0.04 mg kg(-1) with determination coefficients (r2) > or =0.99 for all analytes with the exception of malathion/fenarimol/fludioxanil (r2 = 0.98), quassia/pymetrazine (r2 = 0.97) and fenthion sulfone (r2 = 0.95). Residues found in selected samples ranged from 0.025-0.28 mg kg(-1) and were in excellent agreement with results obtained using UPLC/MS/MS. Mass measurement accuracies of < or =5 ppm were achieved consistently throughout the separation, mass range and concentration range of interest thus providing the opportunity to obtain discrete elemental compositions of target ions.

Nuclear Forensics: Measurements of Uranium Oxides Using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

Isotope Ratio Analysis of Actinides , Fission Products, and Geolocators by High- efficiency Multi-collector Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry...Information, 1999. Hou, Xiaolin, and Per Roos. “ Critical Comparison of radiometric and Mass Spectrometric Methods for the Determination of...NUCLEAR FORENSICS: MEASUREMENTS OF URANIUM OXIDES USING TIME-OF-FLIGHT SECONDARY ION MASS

A mechanical nanomembrane detector for time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Park, Jonghoo; Qin, Hua; Scalf, Mark; Hilger, Ryan T; Westphall, Michael S; Smith, Lloyd M; Blick, Robert H

2011-09-14

We describe here a new principle for ion detection in time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry in which an impinging ion packet excites mechanical vibrations in a silicon nitride (Si(3)N(4)) nanomembrane. The nanomembrane oscillations are detected by means of time-varying field emission of electrons from the mechanically oscillating nanomembrane. Ion detection is demonstrated in the MALDI-TOF analysis of proteins varying in mass from 5729 (insulin) to 150,000 (Immunoglobulin G) daltons. The detector response agrees well with the predictions of a thermomechanical model in which the impinging ion packet causes a nonuniform temperature distribution in the nanomembrane, exciting both fundamental and higher order oscillations.

Xenon ion propulsion for orbit transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rawlin, V. K.; Patterson, M. J.; Gruber, R. P.

1990-01-01

For more than 30 years, NASA has conducted an ion propulsion program which has resulted in several experimental space flight demonstrations and the development of many supporting technologies. Technologies appropriate for geosynchronous stationkeeping, earth-orbit transfer missions, and interplanetary missions are defined and evaluated. The status of critical ion propulsion system elements is reviewed. Electron bombardment ion thrusters for primary propulsion have evolved to operate on xenon in the 5 to 10 kW power range. Thruster efficiencies of 0.7 and specific impulse values of 4000 s were documented. The baseline thruster currently under development by NASA LeRC includes ring-cusp magnetic field plasma containment and dished two-grid ion optics. Based on past experience and demonstrated simplifications, power processors for these thrusters should have approximately 500 parts, a mass of 40 kg, and an efficiency near 0.94. Thrust vector control, via individual thruster gimbals, is a mature technology. High pressure, gaseous xenon propellant storage and control schemes, using flight qualified hardware, result in propellant tankage fractions between 0.1 and 0.2. In-space and ground integration testing has demonstrated that ion propulsion systems can be successfully integrated with their host spacecraft. Ion propulsion system technologies are mature and can significantly enhance and/or enable a variety of missions in the nation's space propulsion program.

Time-resolved Measurements of ICF Capsule Ablator Properties by Streaked X-Ray Radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, Damien

2008-11-01

Determining the capsule ablator thickness and peak laser or x-ray drive pressure required to optimize fuel compression is a critical part of ensuring ICF ignition on the NIF. If too little ablator is burned off, the implosion velocity will be too low for adequate final compression; if too much ablator is burned off, the fuel will be preheated or the shell will be broken up by growth of hydrodynamic instabilities, again compromising compression. Avoiding such failure modes requires having an accurate, in-flight measure of the implosion velocity, areal density, and remaining mass of the ablator near peak velocity. We present a new technique which achieves simultaneous time-resolved measurements of all these parameters in a single, area-backlit, x-ray streaked radiograph. This is accomplished by tomographic inversion of the radiograph to determine the radial density profile at each time step; scalar quantities such as the average position, areal density, and mass of the ablator can then be calculated by taking moments of this density profile. Details of the successful demonstration of this technique using backlit Cu-doped Be capsule implosions at the Omega facility will be presented. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S.Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 and in collaboration with Brian Spears, David Braun, Peter Celliers, Gilbert Collins, and Otto Landen at LLNL and Rick Olson at SNL.

Profiling the indole alkaloids in yohimbe bark with ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-ion mobility- quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-IM-QTOF-MS) method was developed for profiling the indole alkaloids in yohimbe bark. Many indole alkaloids with the yohimbine core structure, plus methylated, oxidized, and reduced speci...

Ion time-of-flight determinations of doubly to singly ionized mercury ion ratios from a mercury electron bombardment discharge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellen, J. M., Jr.; Kemp, R. F.; Hall, D. F.

1973-01-01

Doubly to singly charged mercury ion ratios in electron bombardment ion thruster exhaust beams have been determined as functions of bombardment discharge potential, thrust beam current, thrust beam radial position, acceleration-deceleration voltage ratio, and propellant utilization fraction. A mathematical model for two-step ionization processes has been derived, and calculated ion ratios are compared to observed ratios. Production of Hg(++) appears to result primarily from sequential ionization of Hg(+) in the discharge. Experimental and analytical results are presented, and design, construction, and operation features of an electrostatic deflection ion time-of-flight analyzer for the determination of the above-mentioned ratios are reviewed.

LASER DESORPTION IONIZATION OF ULTRAFINE AEROSOL PARTICLES. (R823980)

EPA Science Inventory

On-line analysis of ultrafine aerosol particle in the 12 to 150 nm size range is performed by
laser desorption/ionization. Particles are size selected with a differential mobility analyzer and then
sent into a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer where they are ablated w...

Generalized Stability Conditions for an Ultra-Low Energy Electrostatic Charged Particle Storage Ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Michael

A low energy (~50 eV) electrostatic storage ring has been constructed that can store a recirculating bunch of either electrons or ions. The charged particle bunch 'orbits' within an apparatus consisting of four lenses and two hemispherical deflector analysers, arranged in a 'race-track' configuration of length 64.1 cm. A theoretical study, using transfer matrices from charged particle optics for a 'symmetric' configuration of lens potentials, has been previously completed by Hammond et al. [New J. Phys. 11 (2009) 043033]. That approach was capable of predicting modes of storage which appeared as a resonant-like pattern. An 'asymmetric' configuration, new in this work and extending the previous study to apply to a more general case, has been completed and will be presented alongside experimental results. The level of agreement between the theoretical and experimental results is found to be excellent, and the robustness of the matrix formalism has eliminated the need to rely on computer simulation to achieve storage. This asymmetric arrangement of the lenses allows for greater flexibility in the operation of the ring, creating the potential for a more diverse range of applications and potentially aid in the design of future rings. Several spectra for both electrons and positive ions are presented to provide an indication as to how the charged particle bunch evolves as more orbits are completed. The number of counts inevitably decreases as a function of orbit number due to loss mechanisms. Enhanced measurement techniques, as well as the matrix theory, have made storage of the bunch for over a hundred orbits routine, corresponding to over 65 m travelled, and this is observed directly from the spectra. The application of the storage ring as a multi-pass time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been studied. The isotopes of krypton and xenon have been made to completely separate from one another out of a single pulse of ions. This is observed to occur after ~15 orbits of the ring, roughly 10 m of distance. Initial results have indicated that the mass resolution is approximately 5000. Limitations and potential improvements to the mass resolution are presented.

Secondary batteries with multivalent ions for energy storage

PubMed Central

Xu, Chengjun; Chen, Yanyi; Shi, Shan; Li, Jia; Kang, Feiyu; Su, Dangsheng

2015-01-01

The use of electricity generated from clean and renewable sources, such as water, wind, or sunlight, requires efficiently distributed electrical energy storage by high-power and high-energy secondary batteries using abundant, low-cost materials in sustainable processes. American Science Policy Reports state that the next-generation “beyond-lithium” battery chemistry is one feasible solution for such goals. Here we discover new “multivalent ion” battery chemistry beyond lithium battery chemistry. Through theoretic calculation and experiment confirmation, stable thermodynamics and fast kinetics are presented during the storage of multivalent ions (Ni2+, Zn2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, or La3+ ions) in alpha type manganese dioxide. Apart from zinc ion battery, we further use multivalent Ni2+ ion to invent another rechargeable battery, named as nickel ion battery for the first time. The nickel ion battery generally uses an alpha type manganese dioxide cathode, an electrolyte containing Ni2+ ions, and Ni anode. The nickel ion battery delivers a high energy density (340 Wh kg−1, close to lithium ion batteries), fast charge ability (1 minute), and long cycle life (over 2200 times). PMID:26365600

Identification of microorganisms using superconducting tunnel junctions and time-of-flight mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ullom, J. N.; Frank, M.; Horn, J. M.; Labov, S. E.; Langry, K.; Benner, W. H.

2000-04-01

We present time-of-flight measurements of biological material ejected from bacterial spores following laser irradiation. Ion impacts are registered on a microchannel plate detector and on a Superconducting Tunnel Junction (STJ) detector. We compare mass spectra obtained with the two detectors. The STJ has better sensitivity to massive ions and also measures the energy of each ion. We show evidence that spores of different bacillus species produce distinctive mass spectra and associate the observed mass peaks with coat proteins.

X-15A-2 is rolled out of the paint shop after having the full scale ablative applied

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-06-23

X-15A-2 is rolled out of the paint shop after having the full scale ablative applied. In June 1967, the X-15A-2 rocket-powered research aircraft received a full-scale ablative coating to protect the craft from the high temperatures associated with hypersonic flight (above Mach 5). This pink eraser-like substance, applied to the X-15A-2 aircraft (56-6671), was then covered with a white sealant coat before flight. This coating would help the #2 aircraft reach the record speed of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7).

Sperm-storage defects and live birth in Drosophila females lacking spermathecal secretory cells.

PubMed

Schnakenberg, Sandra L; Matias, Wilfredo R; Siegal, Mark L

2011-11-01

Male Drosophila flies secrete seminal-fluid proteins that mediate proper sperm storage and fertilization, and that induce changes in female behavior. Females also produce reproductive-tract secretions, yet their contributions to postmating physiology are poorly understood. Large secretory cells line the female's spermathecae, a pair of sperm-storage organs. We identified the regulatory regions controlling transcription of two genes exclusively expressed in these spermathecal secretory cells (SSC): Spermathecal endopeptidase 1 (Send1), which is expressed in both unmated and mated females, and Spermathecal endopeptidase 2 (Send2), which is induced by mating. We used these regulatory sequences to perform precise genetic ablations of the SSC at distinct time points relative to mating. We show that the SSC are required for recruiting sperm to the spermathecae, but not for retaining sperm there. The SSC also act at a distance in the reproductive tract, in that their ablation: (1) reduces sperm motility in the female's other sperm-storage organ, the seminal receptacle; and (2) causes ovoviviparity--the retention and internal development of fertilized eggs. These results establish the reproductive functions of the SSC, shed light on the evolution of live birth, and open new avenues for studying and manipulating female fertility in insects.

Low Temperature Life-Cycle Testing of a Lithium-Ion Battery for Low-Earth-Orbiting Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Concha

2006-01-01

A flight-qualified, lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery developed for the Mars Surveyor Program 2001 Landeris undergoing life-testing at low temperature under a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) profile to assess its capability to provide long term energy storage for aerospace missions. NASA has embarked upon an ambitious course to return humans to the moon by 2015-2020 in preparation for robotic and human exploration of Mars and robotic exploration of the moons of outer planets. Li-ion batteries are excellent candidates to provide power and energy storage for multiple aspects of these missions due to their high specific energy, high energy density, and excellent low temperature performance. Laboratory testing of Li-ion technology is necessary in order to assess lifetime, characterize multi-cell battery-level performance under aerospace conditions, and to gauge safety aspects of the technology. Life-cycle testing provides an opportunity to examine battery-level performance and the dynamics of individual cells in the stack over the entire life of the battery. Data generated through this testing will be critical to establish confidence in the technology for its widespread use in manned and unmanned missions.

A novel method to recover DD fusion proton CR-39 data corrupted by fast ablator ions at OMEGA and the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutcliffe, G. D.; Milanese, L. M.; Orozco, D.; Lahmann, B.; Gatu Johnson, M.; Séguin, F. H.; Sio, H.; Frenje, J. A.; Li, C. K.; Petrasso, R. D.; Park, H.-S.; Rygg, J. R.; Casey, D. T.; Bionta, R.; Turnbull, D. P.; Huntington, C. M.; Ross, J. S.; Zylstra, A. B.; Rosenberg, M. J.; Glebov, V. Yu.

2016-11-01

CR-39 detectors are used routinely in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments as a part of nuclear diagnostics. CR-39 is filtered to stop fast ablator ions which have been accelerated from an ICF implosion due to electric fields caused by laser-plasma interactions. In some experiments, the filtering is insufficient to block these ions and the fusion-product signal tracks are lost in the large background of accelerated ion tracks. A technique for recovering signal in these scenarios has been developed, tested, and implemented successfully. The technique involves removing material from the surface of the CR-39 to a depth beyond the endpoint of the ablator ion tracks. The technique preserves signal magnitude (yield) as well as structure in radiograph images. The technique is effective when signal particle range is at least 10 μm deeper than the necessary bulk material removal.

A novel method to recover DD fusion proton CR-39 data corrupted by fast ablator ions at OMEGA and the National Ignition Facility.

PubMed

Sutcliffe, G D; Milanese, L M; Orozco, D; Lahmann, B; Gatu Johnson, M; Séguin, F H; Sio, H; Frenje, J A; Li, C K; Petrasso, R D; Park, H-S; Rygg, J R; Casey, D T; Bionta, R; Turnbull, D P; Huntington, C M; Ross, J S; Zylstra, A B; Rosenberg, M J; Glebov, V Yu

2016-11-01

CR-39 detectors are used routinely in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments as a part of nuclear diagnostics. CR-39 is filtered to stop fast ablator ions which have been accelerated from an ICF implosion due to electric fields caused by laser-plasma interactions. In some experiments, the filtering is insufficient to block these ions and the fusion-product signal tracks are lost in the large background of accelerated ion tracks. A technique for recovering signal in these scenarios has been developed, tested, and implemented successfully. The technique involves removing material from the surface of the CR-39 to a depth beyond the endpoint of the ablator ion tracks. The technique preserves signal magnitude (yield) as well as structure in radiograph images. The technique is effective when signal particle range is at least 10 μm deeper than the necessary bulk material removal.

Analysis of composite ablators using massively parallel computation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shia, David

1995-01-01

In this work, the feasibility of using massively parallel computation to study the response of ablative materials is investigated. Explicit and implicit finite difference methods are used on a massively parallel computer, the Thinking Machines CM-5. The governing equations are a set of nonlinear partial differential equations. The governing equations are developed for three sample problems: (1) transpiration cooling, (2) ablative composite plate, and (3) restrained thermal growth testing. The transpiration cooling problem is solved using a solution scheme based solely on the explicit finite difference method. The results are compared with available analytical steady-state through-thickness temperature and pressure distributions and good agreement between the numerical and analytical solutions is found. It is also found that a solution scheme based on the explicit finite difference method has the following advantages: incorporates complex physics easily, results in a simple algorithm, and is easily parallelizable. However, a solution scheme of this kind needs very small time steps to maintain stability. A solution scheme based on the implicit finite difference method has the advantage that it does not require very small times steps to maintain stability. However, this kind of solution scheme has the disadvantages that complex physics cannot be easily incorporated into the algorithm and that the solution scheme is difficult to parallelize. A hybrid solution scheme is then developed to combine the strengths of the explicit and implicit finite difference methods and minimize their weaknesses. This is achieved by identifying the critical time scale associated with the governing equations and applying the appropriate finite difference method according to this critical time scale. The hybrid solution scheme is then applied to the ablative composite plate and restrained thermal growth problems. The gas storage term is included in the explicit pressure calculation of both problems. Results from ablative composite plate problems are compared with previous numerical results which did not include the gas storage term. It is found that the through-thickness temperature distribution is not affected much by the gas storage term. However, the through-thickness pressure and stress distributions, and the extent of chemical reactions are different from the previous numerical results. Two types of chemical reaction models are used in the restrained thermal growth testing problem: (1) pressure-independent Arrhenius type rate equations and (2) pressure-dependent Arrhenius type rate equations. The numerical results are compared to experimental results and the pressure-dependent model is able to capture the trend better than the pressure-independent one. Finally, a performance study is done on the hybrid algorithm using the ablative composite plate problem. It is found that there is a good speedup of performance on the CM-5. For 32 CPU's, the speedup of performance is 20. The efficiency of the algorithm is found to be a function of the size and execution time of a given problem and the effective parallelization of the algorithm. It also seems that there is an optimum number of CPU's to use for a given problem.

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

Barnard, J. J.; Hay, M. J.; Logan, B. G.

The simulations provided in this milestone have solidified the theoretical underpinning of direct drive targets and also the ability to design experiments on NDCX II that will enhance our understanding of ion-beam hydrodynamic coupling, and thus be relevant to IFE. For the case of the IFE targets, we have studied hydro and implosion efficiency using HYDRA in ID, a starting point towards the goal of polar direct drive in geometry compatible with liquid wall chambers. Recent analysis of direct drive fusion energy targets using heavy ion beams has found high coupling efficiency of ion beam energy into implosion energy. However,more » to obtain optimal coupling, the ion energy must increase during the pulse in order to penetrate the outflowing ablated material, and deposit the energy close enough to the fuel so that the fuel achieves sufficient implosion velocity. We have computationally explored ID (radial) time dependent models of ion driven direct drive capsule implosions using the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) code HYDRA, to help validate the theoretical analysis done so far, particularly exploring the effects of varying the ion energy and ion current over the course of the pulse. On NDCX II, experiments have been proposed to explore issues of ion penetration of the outflowing plasma over the course of the ion pulse. One possibility is to create a first pulse of ions that heats a planar target, and produces an outflow of material. A second pulse, {approx}10 ns after the first, of higher ion energy (and hence larger projected range) will interact with this outflow before reaching and further heating the target. We have investigated whether the change in range can be tailored to match the evolution of the ablation front. We have carried out simulations using the one-dimensional hydrodynamic code DISH and HYDRA to set parameters for this class of experiments. DISH was upgraded with an ion deposition algorithm, and we have carried out ID (planar) simulations. HYDRA was also used for ID (planar) and 2D (r,z) simulations of potential experiments. We have also explored whether similar physics could be studied using an energy ramp (i.e., a velocity tilt) rather than two separate pulses. We have shown that an optimum occurs in the macropulse duration (with fixed velocity tilt) that maximizes the shock strength. In the area of IFE target design we have continued to explore direct drive targets composed of deuterium-tritium fuel and ablator layers. We have extended our previous target designs at 0.44 MJ drive energy, gain 50, (50 MeV foot, 500 MeV main pulse, Rb ion, which requires a large number of beams due to a high beam space charge constraint) to a power plant scale 3.7 MJ drive energy, gain {approx}150 (220 MeV foot, 2.2 GeV main pulse, Hg ion) that eases requirements on the accelerator. We have studied the effects of two important design choices on ICF target performance. We have shown that increasing the number of foot pulses may reduce the target's in-flight adiabat and consequently improve its compressibility and fusion yield. As in the case of laser drive, the first three shocks are the most important to the target's performance, with additional shocks contributing only marginally to compression and burn. We have also demonstrated that ion range lengthening during the main pulse can further reduce the target adiabat and improve the efficiency with which beam energy is coupled into the target. (Ion range lengthening using two different kinetic energies for the foot and main pulse has previously proven effective in the design of high gain targets).« less

Design and Laboratory Validation of a Capacitive Sensor for Measuring the Recession of Thin-Layered Ablator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noffz, Gregory K.; Bowman, Michael P.

1996-01-01

Flight vehicles are typically instrumented with subsurface thermocouples to estimate heat transfer at the surface using inverse analysis procedures. If the vehicle has an ablating heat shield, however, temperature time histories from subsurface thermocouples no longer provide enough information to estimate heat flux at the surface. In this situation, the geometry changes and thermal energy leaves the surface in the form of ablation products. The ablation rate is required to estimate heat transfer to the surface. A new concept for a capacitive sensor has been developed to measure ablator depth using the ablator's dielectric effect on a capacitor's fringe region. Relying on the capacitor's fringe region enables the gage to be flush mounted in the vehicle's permanent structure and not intrude into the ablative heat shield applied over the gage. This sensor's design allows nonintrusive measurement of the thickness of dielectric materials, in particular, the recession rates of low-temperature ablators applied in thin (0.020 to 0.060 in. (0.05 to 0.15 mm)) layers. Twenty capacitive gages with 13 different sensing element geometries were designed, fabricated, and tested. A two-dimensional finite-element analysis was performed on several candidate geometries. Calibration procedures using ablator-simulating shims are described. A one-to-one correspondence between system output and dielectric material thickness was observed out to a thickness of 0.055 in. (1.4 mm) for a material with a permittivity about three times that of air or vacuum. A novel method of monitoring the change in sensor capacitance was developed. This technical memorandum suggests further improvements in gage design and fabrication techniques.

Development of thermal protection system of the MUSES-C/DASH reentry capsule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Tetsuya; Inatani, Yoshifumi; Honda, Masahisa; Hirai, Ken'ich

2002-07-01

In the final phase of the MUSES-C mission, a small capsule with asteroid sample conducts reentry flight directly from the interplanetary transfer orbit at the velocity over 12 km/s. The severe heat flux, the complicated functional requirements, and small weight budget impose several engineering challenges on the designing of the thermal protection system of the capsule. The heat shield is required to function not only as ablator but also as a structural component. The cloth-layered carbon-phenolic ablator, which has higher allowable stress, is developed in newly-devised fabric method for avoiding delamination due to the high aerodynamic heating. The ablation analysis code, which takes into account of the effect of pyrolysis gas on the surface recession rate, has been developed and verified in the arc-heating tests in the facility environment of broad range of enthalpy level. The capsule was designed to be ventilated during the reentry flight up to about atmospheric pressure by the time of parachute deployment by being sealed with porous flow-restrict material. The designing of the thermal protection system, the hardware specifications, and the ground-based test programs of both MUSES-C and DASH capsule are summarized and discussed here in this paper.

A Systematic Study on the Generation of Multimetallic Lanthanide Fullerene ions by Laser Ablation Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Wang, Yiyun; Ma, LiFu; Mu, Lei; Ren, Juan; Kong, Xianglei

2018-06-01

Laser ablation masss spectromety has been previously proved to be a powerful tool for studying endohedro metallofullerene (EMF) ions. Our previous study showed the possiblity of forming multi-metallofullerene ions containg more than six metal atoms for La, Y and Lu. Thus, it is important to conduct a systematic study on the generation of multi-metallofullerenes and their distribuitons for all lanthanide elements. Experiments were performed on a 7.0 T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT ICR) mass spectrometer. Laser ablation mass spectra were obtained by laser irradiation on mixtures of graphene and MCl 3 on a stainless steel plate, applying a 355 nm Nd: YAG laser with a typical energy of 2.5 mJ/pulse. Reaction test experiments were performed by introducing O 2 into the FT ICR cell with a pulse valve. Multi-metallofullerene ions Ce2-4C2m+, Pr2-4C2m+, Gd2-4C2m+, Nd3C2m+, Dy2-3C2m+, Tb2-7C2m+, Ho2-6C2m+ were observed in the mass spectra. For metal Sm and Eu, no multi-metallofullerene ion was observed. No reaction with O 2 was observed in the reaction experiments, verifying that these species had endohedral structures. For the observed series of multi-metallofullerene ions, tri-metallofullerene ions dominated their mass spectra. The results were further compared with previously generated EMF ions for La, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. Endohedral lanthanide metallofullerene ions were generated by laser ablation of graphene and the corresponding metal salts MCl 3 (M = Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy and Ho) and studied with a FT ICR mass spectrometer. Typically, multi-metallofullerene ions of TbnC2m+2≤n≤780≤2m≤176, Ho6C2m+2≤n≤674≤2m≤162 were observed. The results show that the formation of multi-EMF ions containing lanthanides that have +3 and +4 oxidation states is easier than those containing +2 oxidation states in the process of laser ablation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Study and evaluation of impulse mass spectrometers for ion analysis in the D and E regions of the ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kendall, B. R.

1979-01-01

Theoretical and numerical analyses were made of planar, cylindrical and spherical electrode time-of-flight mass spectrometers in order to optimize their operating conditions. A numerical analysis of potential barrier gating in time-of-flight spectrometers was also made. The results were used in the design of several small mass spectrometers. These were constructed and tested in a laboratory space simulator. Detailed experimental studies of a miniature cylindrical electrode time of flight mass spectrometer and of a miniature hemispherical electrode time of flight mass spectrometer were made. The extremely high sensitivity of these instruments and their ability to operate at D region pressures with an open source make them ideal instruments for D region ion composition measurements.

On the design of the NIF Continuum Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorn, D. B.; MacPhee, A.; Ayers, J.; Galbraith, J.; Hardy, C. M.; Izumi, N.; Bradley, D. K.; Pickworth, L. A.; Bachmann, B.; Kozioziemski, B.; Landen, O.; Clark, D.; Schneider, M. B.; Hill, K. W.; Bitter, M.; Nagel, S.; Bell, P. M.; Person, S.; Khater, H. Y.; Smith, C.; Kilkenny, J.

2017-08-01

In inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF), measurements of average ion temperature using DT neutron time of flight broadening and of DD neutrons do not show the same apparent temperature. Some of this may be due to time and space dependent temperature profiles in the imploding capsule which are not taken into account in the analysis. As such, we are attempting to measure the electron temperature by recording the free-free electron-ion scattering-spectrum from the tail of the Maxwellian temperature distribution. This will be accomplished with the new NIF Continuum Spectrometer (ConSpec) which spans the x-ray range of 20 keV to 30 keV (where any opacity corrections from the remaining mass of the ablator shell are negligible) and will be sensitive to temperatures between ˜ 3 keV and 6 keV. The optical design of the ConSpec is designed to be adaptable to an x-ray streak camera to record time resolved free-free electron continuum spectra for direct measurement of the dT/dt evolution across the burn width of a DT plasma. The spectrometer is a conically bent Bragg crystal in a focusing geometry that allows for the dispersion plane to be perpendicular to the spectrometer axis. Additionally, to address the spatial temperature dependence, both time integrated and time resolved pinhole and penumbral imaging will be provided along the same polar angle. The optical and mechanical design of the instrument is presented along with estimates for the dispersion, solid angle, photometric sensitivity, and performance.

Ion-induced particle desorption in time-of-flight medium energy ion scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohmann, S.; Primetzhofer, D.

2018-05-01

Secondary ions emitted from solids upon ion impact are studied in a time-of-flight medium energy ion scattering (ToF-MEIS) set-up. In order to investigate characteristics of the emission processes and to evaluate the potential for surface and thin film analysis, experiments employing TiN and Al samples were conducted. The ejected ions exhibit a low initial kinetic energy of a few eV, thus, requiring a sufficiently high acceleration voltage for detection. Molecular and atomic ions of different charge states originating both from surface contaminations and the sample material are found, and relative yields of several species were determined. Experimental evidence that points towards a predominantly electronic sputtering process is presented. For emitted Ti target atoms an additional nuclear sputtering component is suggested.

Laser Ablation Electrodynamic Ion Funnel for In Situ Mass Spectrometry on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Paul V.; Hodyss, Robert P.; Tang, Keqi; Smith, Richard D.

2012-01-01

A front-end instrument, the laser ablation ion funnel, was developed, which would ionize rock and soil samples in the ambient Martian atmosphere, and efficiently transport the product ions into a mass spectrometer for in situ analysis. Laser ablation creates elemental ions from a solid with a high-power pulse within ambient Mars atmospheric conditions. Ions are captured and focused with an ion funnel into a mass spectrometer for analysis. The electrodynamic ion funnel consists of a series of axially concentric ring-shaped electrodes whose inside diameters (IDs) decrease over the length of the funnel. DC potentials are applied to each electrode, producing a smooth potential slope along the axial direction. Two radio-frequency (RF) AC potentials, equal in amplitude and 180 out of phase, are applied alternately to the ring electrodes. This creates an effective potential barrier along the inner surface of the electrode stack. Ions entering the funnel drift axially under the influence of the DC potential while being restricted radially by the effective potential barrier created by the applied RF. The net result is to effectively focus the ions as they traverse the length of the funnel.

NEGATIVE ION ELECTROSPRAY OF BROMO- AND CHLORACETIC ACIDS AND AN EVALUATION OF EXACT MASS MEASUREMENTS WITH A BENCH-TOP TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER

EPA Science Inventory

The negative ion electrospray mass spectra of six bromo- and chloroacetic acids were measured using two different electrospray interfaces and single quadrupole and bench-top time-of-flight mass spectrometers. With each acid at 50 ug/mL in aqueous methanol at pH 10, the anions ob...

CVD diamond detector with interdigitated electrode pattern for time-of-flight energy-loss measurements of low-energy ion bunches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cayzac, W.; Pomorski, M.; Blažević, A.; Canaud, B.; Deslandes, D.; Fariaut, J.; Gontier, D.; Lescoute, E.; Marmouget, J. G.; Occelli, F.; Oudot, G.; Reverdin, C.; Sauvestre, J. E.; Sollier, A.; Soullié, G.; Varignon, C.; Villette, B.

2018-05-01

Ion stopping experiments in plasma for beam energies of few hundred keV per nucleon are of great interest to benchmark the stopping-power models in the context of inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics research. For this purpose, a specific ion detector on chemical-vapor-deposition diamond basis has been developed for precise time-of-flight measurements of the ion energy loss. The electrode structure is interdigitated for maximizing its sensitivity to low-energy ions, and it has a finger width of 100 μm and a spacing of 500 μm. A short single α-particle response is obtained, with signals as narrow as 700 ps at full width at half maximum. The detector has been tested with α-particle bunches at a 500 keV per nucleon energy, showing an excellent time-of-flight resolution down to 20 ps. In this way, beam energy resolutions from 0.4 keV to a few keV have been obtained in an experimental configuration using a 100 μg/cm2 thick carbon foil as an energy-loss target and a 2 m time-of-flight distance. This allows a highly precise beam energy measurement of δE/E ≈ 0.04%-0.2% and a resolution on the energy loss of 0.6%-2.5% for a fine testing of stopping-power models.

The Annual Glaciohydrology Cycle in the Ablation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Part 1. Hydrology Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colgan, William; Rajaram, Harihar; Anderson, Robert; Steffen. Konrad; Phillips, Thomas; Zwally, H. Jay; Abdalati, Waleed

2012-01-01

We apply a novel one-dimensional glacier hydrology model that calculates hydraulic head to the tidewater-terminating Sermeq Avannarleq flowline of the Greenland ice sheet. Within a plausible parameter space, the model achieves a quasi-steady-state annual cycle in which hydraulic head oscillates close to flotation throughout the ablation zone. Flotation is briefly achieved during the summer melt season along a approx.17 km stretch of the approx.50 km of flowline within the ablation zone. Beneath the majority of the flowline, subglacial conduit storage closes (i.e. obtains minimum radius) during the winter and opens (i.e. obtains maximum radius) during the summer. Along certain stretches of the flowline, the model predicts that subglacial conduit storage remains open throughout the year. A calculated mean glacier water residence time of approx.2.2 years implies that significant amounts of water are stored in the glacier throughout the year. We interpret this residence time as being indicative of the timescale over which the glacier hydrologic system is capable of adjusting to external surface meltwater forcings. Based on in situ ice velocity observations, we suggest that the summer speed-up event generally corresponds to conditions of increasing hydraulic head during inefficient subglacial drainage. Conversely, the slowdown during fall generally corresponds to conditions of decreasing hydraulic head during efficient subglacial drainage.

Distance-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: What, Why, and How?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, Elise A.; Gundlach-Graham, Alexander W.; Ray, Steven J.; Enke, Christie G.; Hieftje, Gary M.

2016-11-01

Distance-of-flight mass spectrometry (DOFMS) separates ions of different mass-to-charge ( m/ z) by the distance they travel in a given time after acceleration. Like time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), separation and mass assignment are based on ion velocity. However, DOFMS is not a variant of TOFMS; different methods of ion focusing and detection are used. In DOFMS, ions are driven orthogonally, at the detection time, onto an array of detectors parallel to the flight path. Through the independent detection of each m/ z, DOFMS can provide both wider dynamic range and increased throughput for m/ z of interest compared with conventional TOFMS. The iso-mass focusing and detection of ions is achieved by constant-momentum acceleration (CMA) and a linear-field ion mirror. Improved energy focus (including turn-around) is achieved in DOFMS, but the initial spatial dispersion of ions remains unchanged upon detection. Therefore, the point-source nature of surface ionization techniques could put them at an advantage for DOFMS. To date, three types of position-sensitive detectors have been used for DOFMS: a microchannel plate with a phosphorescent screen, a focal plane camera, and an IonCCD array; advances in detector technology will likely improve DOFMS figures-of-merit. In addition, the combination of CMA with TOF detection has provided improved resolution and duty factor over a narrow m/ z range (compared with conventional, single-pass TOFMS). The unique characteristics of DOFMS can enable the intact collection of large biomolecules, clusters, and organisms. DOFMS might also play a key role in achieving the long-sought goal of simultaneous MS/MS.

A Fast Code for Jupiter Atmospheric Entry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tauber, Michael E.; Wercinski, Paul; Yang, Lily; Chen, Yih-Kanq; Arnold, James (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

A fast code was developed to calculate the forebody heating environment and heat shielding that is required for Jupiter atmospheric entry probes. A carbon phenolic heat shield material was assumed and, since computational efficiency was a major goal, analytic expressions were used, primarily, to calculate the heating, ablation and the required insulation. The code was verified by comparison with flight measurements from the Galileo probe's entry; the calculation required 3.5 sec of CPU time on a work station. The computed surface recessions from ablation were compared with the flight values at six body stations. The average, absolute, predicted difference in the recession was 12.5% too high. The forebody's mass loss was overpredicted by 5.5% and the heat shield mass was calculated to be 15% less than the probe's actual heat shield. However, the calculated heat shield mass did not include contingencies for the various uncertainties that must be considered in the design of probes. Therefore, the agreement with the Galileo probe's values was considered satisfactory, especially in view of the code's fast running time and the methods' approximations.

Visualization and analysis of pulsed ion beam energy density profile with infrared imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isakova, Y. I.; Pushkarev, A. I.

2018-03-01

Infrared imaging technique was used as a surface temperature-mapping tool to characterize the energy density distribution of intense pulsed ion beams on a thin metal target. The technique enables the measuring of the total ion beam energy and the energy density distribution along the cross section and allows one to optimize the operation of an ion diode and control target irradiation mode. The diagnostics was tested on the TEMP-4M accelerator at TPU, Tomsk, Russia and on the TEMP-6 accelerator at DUT, Dalian, China. The diagnostics was applied in studies of the dynamics of the target cooling in vacuum after irradiation and in the experiments with target ablation. Errors caused by the target ablation and target cooling during measurements have been analyzed. For Fluke Ti10 and Fluke Ti400 infrared cameras, the technique can achieve surface energy density sensitivity of 0.05 J/cm2 and spatial resolution of 1-2 mm. The thermal imaging diagnostics does not require expensive consumed materials. The measurement time does not exceed 0.1 s; therefore, this diagnostics can be used for the prompt evaluation of the energy density distribution of a pulsed ion beam and during automation of the irradiation process.

Enhanced hot-electron production and strong-shock generation in hydrogen-rich ablators for shock ignition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theobald, W.; Bose, A.; Yan, R.; Betti, R.; Lafon, M.; Mangino, D.; Christopherson, A. R.; Stoeckl, C.; Seka, W.; Shang, W.; Michel, D. T.; Ren, C.; Nora, R. C.; Casner, A.; Peebles, J.; Beg, F. N.; Ribeyre, X.; Llor Aisa, E.; Colaïtis, A.; Tikhonchuk, V.; Wei, M. S.

2017-12-01

Experiments were performed with CH, Be, C, and SiO2 ablators interacting with high-intensity UV laser radiation (5 × 1015 W/cm2, λ = 351 nm) to determine the optimum material for hot-electron production and strong-shock generation. Significantly more hot electrons are produced in CH (up to ˜13% instantaneous conversion efficiency), while the amount is a factor of ˜2 to 3 lower in the other ablators. A larger hot-electron fraction is correlated with a higher effective ablation pressure. The higher conversion efficiency in CH is attributed to stronger damping of ion-acoustic waves because of the presence of light H ions.

Laser ablation-miniature mass spectrometer for elemental and isotopic analysis of rocks.

PubMed

Sinha, M P; Neidholdt, E L; Hurowitz, J; Sturhahn, W; Beard, B; Hecht, M H

2011-09-01

A laser ablation-miniature mass spectrometer (LA-MMS) for the chemical and isotopic measurement of rocks and minerals is described. In the LA-MMS method, neutral atoms ablated by a pulsed laser are led into an electron impact ionization source, where they are ionized by a 70 eV electron beam. This results in a secondary ion pulse typically 10-100 μs wide, compared to the original 5-10 ns laser pulse duration. Ions of different masses are then spatially dispersed along the focal plane of the magnetic sector of the miniature mass spectrometer (MMS) and measured in parallel by a modified CCD array detector capable of detecting ions directly. Compared to conventional scanning techniques, simultaneous measurement of the ion pulse along the focal plane effectively offers a 100% duty cycle over a wide mass range. LA-MMS offers a more quantitative assessment of elemental composition than techniques that detect ions directly generated by the ablation process because the latter can be strongly influenced by matrix effects that vary with the structure and geometry of the surface, the wavelength of the laser beam, and the not well characterized ionization efficiencies of the elements in the process. The above problems attendant to the direct ion analysis has been minimized in the LA-MMS by analyzing the ablated neutral species after their post-ionization by electron impaction. These neutral species are much more abundant than the directly ablated ions in the ablated vapor plume and are, therefore, expected to be characteristic of the chemical composition of the solid. Also, the electron impact ionization of elements is well studied and their ionization cross sections are known and easy to find in databases. Currently, the LA-MMS limit of detection is 0.4 wt.%. Here we describe LA-MMS elemental composition measurements of various minerals including microcline, lepidolite, anorthoclase, and USGS BCR-2G samples. The measurements of high precision isotopic ratios including (41)K/(39)K (0.077 ± 0.004) and (29)Si/(28)Si (0.052 ± 0.006) in these minerals by LA-MMS are also described. The LA-MMS has been developed as a prototype instrument system for space applications for geochemical and geochronological measurements on the surface of extraterrestrial bodies. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

LEICA - A low energy ion composition analyzer for the study of solar and magnetospheric heavy ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Glenn M.; Hamilton, Douglas C.; Walpole, Peter H.; Heuerman, Karl F.; James, Tommy L.; Lennard, Michael H.; Mazur, Joseph E.

1993-01-01

The SAMPEX LEICA instrument is designed to measure about 0.5-5 MeV/nucleon solar and magnetospheric ions over the range from He to Ni. The instrument is a time-of-flight mass spectrometer which measures particle time-of-flight over an about 0.5 m path, and the residual energy deposited in an array of Si solid state detectors. Large area microchannel plates are used, resulting in a large geometrical factor for the instrument (0.6 sq cm sr) which is essential for accurate compositional measurements in small solar flares, and in studies of precipitating magnetospheric heavy ions.

First spatial separation of a heavy ion isomeric beam with a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickel, T.; Plaß, W. R.; Ayet San Andres, S.; Ebert, J.; Geissel, H.; Haettner, E.; Hornung, C.; Miskun, I.; Pietri, S.; Purushothaman, S.; Reiter, M. P.; Rink, A.-K.; Scheidenberger, C.; Weick, H.; Dendooven, P.; Diwisch, M.; Greiner, F.; Heiße, F.; Knöbel, R.; Lippert, W.; Moore, I. D.; Pohjalainen, I.; Prochazka, A.; Ranjan, M.; Takechi, M.; Winfield, J. S.; Xu, X.

2015-05-01

211Po ions in the ground and isomeric states were produced via 238U projectile fragmentation at 1000 MeV/u. The 211Po ions were spatially separated in flight from the primary beam and other reaction products by the fragment separator FRS. The ions were energy-bunched, slowed-down and thermalized in a gas-filled cryogenic stopping cell (CSC). They were then extracted from the CSC and injected into a high-resolution multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS). The excitation energy of the isomer and, for the first time, the isomeric-to-ground state ratio were determined from the measured mass spectrum. In the subsequent experimental step, the isomers were spatially separated from the ions in the ground state by an ion deflector and finally collected with a silicon detector for decay spectroscopy. This pioneering experimental result opens up unique perspectives for isomer-resolved studies. With this versatile experimental method new isomers with half-lives longer than a few milliseconds can be discovered and their decay properties can be measured with highest sensitivity and selectivity. These experiments can be extended to studies with isomeric beams in nuclear reactions.

Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Rocket Telesope Spectrograph ** SERTS ** Detector and Electronics subsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, L.; Haas, J. P.; Linard, D.; White, L.

1997-12-01

The Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics at Goddard Space Flight Center uses a variety imaging sensors for its instrumentation programs. This paper describes the detector system for SERTS. The SERTS rocket telescope uses an open faceplate, single plate MCP tube as the primary detector for EUV spectra from the Sun. The optical output of this detector is fiber-optically coupled to a cooled, large format CCD. This CCD is operated using a software controlled Camera controller based upon a design used for the SOHO/CDS mission. This camera is a general purpose design, with a topology that supports multiple types of imaging devices. Multiport devices (up to 4 ports) and multiphase clocks are supportable as well as variable speed operation. Clock speeds from 100KHz to 1MHz have been used, and the topology is currently being extended to support 10MHz operation. The form factor for the camera system is based on the popular VME buss. Because the tube is an open faceplate design, the detector system has an assortment of vacuum doors and plumbing to allow operation in vacuum but provide for safe storage at normal atmosphere. Vac-ion pumps (3) are used to maintain working vacuum at all times. Marshall Space Flight Center provided the SERTS programs with HVPS units for both the vac-ion pumps and the MCP tube. The MCP tube HVPS is a direct derivative of the design used for the SXI mission for NOAA. Auxiliary equipment includes a frame buffer that works either as a multi-frame storage unit or as a photon counting accumulation unit. This unit also performs interface buffering so that the camera may appear as a piece of GPIB instrumentation.

Continuous time of flight measurements in a Lissajous configuration.

PubMed

Dobos, G; Hárs, G

2017-01-01

Short pulses used by traditional time-of-flight mass spectrometers limit their duty cycle, pose space-charge issues, and require high speed detectors and electronics. The motivation behind the invention of continuous time of flight mass spectrometers was to mitigate these problems, by increasing the number of ions reaching the detector and eliminating the need for fast data acquisition systems. The most crucial components of these spectrometers are their modulators: they determine both the maximal modulation frequency and the modulation depth. Through these parameters they limit the achievable mass resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. In this paper, a new kind of setup is presented which modulates the beam by deflecting it in two perpendicular directions and collects ions on a position sensitive detector. Such an Lissajous time of flight spectrometer achieves modulation without the use of slits or apertures, making it possible for all ions to reach the detector, thereby increasing the transmission and signal-to-noise ratio. In this paper, we provide the mathematical description of the system, discuss its properties, and present a practical demonstration of the principle.

Improved test of time dilation in special relativity.

PubMed

Saathoff, G; Karpuk, S; Eisenbarth, U; Huber, G; Krohn, S; Muñoz Horta, R; Reinhardt, S; Schwalm, D; Wolf, A; Gwinner, G

2003-11-07

An improved test of time dilation in special relativity has been performed using laser spectroscopy on fast ions at the heavy-ion storage-ring TSR in Heidelberg. The Doppler-shifted frequencies of a two-level transition in 7Li+ ions at v=0.064c have been measured in the forward and backward direction to an accuracy of Deltanu/nu=1 x 10(-9) using collinear saturation spectroscopy. The result confirms the relativistic Doppler formula and sets a new limit of 2.2 x 10(-7) for deviations from the time dilation factor gamma(SR)=(1-v2/c2)(-1/2).

Influence of different propellant systems on ablation of EPDM insulators in overload state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Yiwen; Li, Jiang; Liu, Yang; Xu, Tuanwei

2018-04-01

This study examines the propellants used in full-scale solid rocket motors (SRM) and investigates how insulator ablation is affected by two propellant formulations (A and B) during flight overload conditions. An experimental study, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulations were performed to discover the intrinsic causes of insulator ablation rates from the perspective of lab-scaled ground-firing tests, the decoupling of thermochemical ablation, and particle erosion. In addition, the difference in propellant composition, and the insulator charring layer microstructure were analyzed. Results reveal that the degree of insulator ablation is positively correlated with the propellant burn rate, particle velocity, and aggregate concentrations during the condensed phase. A lower ratio of energetic additive material in the AP oxidizer of the propellant is promising for the reduction in particle size and increase in the burn rate and pressure index. However, the overall higher velocity of a two-phase flow causes severe erosion of the insulation material. While the higher ratio of energetic additive to the AP oxidizer imparts a smaller ablation rate to the insulator (under lab-scale test conditions), the slag deposition problem in the combustion chamber may cause catastrophic consequences for future large full-scale SRM flight experiments.

Delayed bunching for multi-reflection time-of-flight mass separation

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

Rosenbusch, M.; Marx, G.; Schweikhard, L.

2015-06-29

Many experiments are handicapped when the ion sources do not only deliver the ions of interest but also contaminations, i.e., unwanted ions of similar mass. In the recent years, multi-reflection time-of-flight mass separation has become a promising method to isolate the ions of interest from the contaminants, in particular for measurements with low-energy short-lived nuclides. To further improve the performance of multi-reflection mass separators with respect to the limitations by space-charge effects, the simultaneously trapped ions are spatially widely distributed in the apparatus. Thus, the ions can propagate with reduced Coulomb interactions until, finally, they are bunched by a changemore » in the trapping conditions for high-resolution mass separation. Proof-of-principle measurements are presented.« less

Matrix-isolation and comparative far-IR investigation of free linear [Cl3]- and a series of alkali trichlorides.

PubMed

Redeker, F A; Beckers, H; Riedel, S

2017-11-30

Here we discuss the reaction products of laser ablated alkali chlorides and elemental chlorine. Salt ablation using this technique combined with matrix-isolation spectroscopy allows for the formation and characterization of novel anionic species. The laser ablation of solid MCl with M = Cs, Rb, and K in the presence of Cl 2 produced free [Cl 3 ] - ions which were isolated in solid noble-gas matrices. For M = Cs, Rb, K, and Na, the ion pairs M + [Cl 3 ] - are the main reaction products. Trends in the formation and bonding of these trichloride anions will be discussed. In contrast to the trifluoride analogues, the isolated ion pairs M + [Cl 3 ] - feature a systematic distortion due to metal coordination.

Morphological changes in ultrafast laser ablation plumes with varying spot size.

PubMed

Harilal, S S; Diwakar, P K; Polek, M P; Phillips, M C

2015-06-15

We investigated the role of spot size on plume morphology during ultrafast laser ablation of metal targets. Our results show that the spatial features of fs LA plumes are strongly dependent on the focal spot size. Two-dimensional self-emission images showed that the shape of the ultrafast laser ablation plumes changes from spherical to cylindrical with an increasing spot size from 100 to 600 μm. The changes in plume morphology and internal structures are related to ion emission dynamics from the plasma, where broader angular ion distribution and faster ions are noticed for the smallest spot size used. The present results clearly show that the morphological changes in the plume with spot size are independent of laser pulse width.

A novel method to recover DD fusion proton CR-39 data corrupted by fast ablator ions at OMEGA and the National Ignition Facility

DOE PAGES

Sutcliffe, G. D.; Milanese, L. M.; Orozco, D.; ...

2016-08-05

CR-39 detectors are used routinely in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments as a part of nuclear diagnostics. CR-39 is filtered to stop fast ablator ions which have been accelerated from an ICF implosion due to electric fields caused by laser-plasma interactions. In some experiments, the filtering is insufficient to block these ions and the fusion-product signal tracks are lost in the large background of accelerated ion tracks. A technique for recovering signal in these scenarios has been developed, tested, and implemented successfully. The technique involves removing material from the surface of the CR-39 to a depth beyond the endpoint ofmore » the ablator ion tracks. The technique preserves signal magnitude (yield) as well as structure in radiograph images. The technique is effective when signal particle range is at least 10 μm deeper than the necessary bulk material removal.« less

A novel method to recover DD fusion proton CR-39 data corrupted by fast ablator ions at OMEGA and the National Ignition Facility

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

Sutcliffe, G. D., E-mail: gdsut@mit.edu; Milanese, L. M.; Orozco, D.

2016-11-15

CR-39 detectors are used routinely in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments as a part of nuclear diagnostics. CR-39 is filtered to stop fast ablator ions which have been accelerated from an ICF implosion due to electric fields caused by laser-plasma interactions. In some experiments, the filtering is insufficient to block these ions and the fusion-product signal tracks are lost in the large background of accelerated ion tracks. A technique for recovering signal in these scenarios has been developed, tested, and implemented successfully. The technique involves removing material from the surface of the CR-39 to a depth beyond the endpoint ofmore » the ablator ion tracks. The technique preserves signal magnitude (yield) as well as structure in radiograph images. The technique is effective when signal particle range is at least 10 μm deeper than the necessary bulk material removal.« less

A tandem mass spectrometer for crossed-beam irradiation of mass-selected molecular systems by keV atomic ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwob, Lucas; Lalande, Mathieu; Chesnel, Jean-Yves; Domaracka, Alicja; Huber, Bernd A.; Maclot, Sylvain; Poully, Jean-Christophe; Rangama, Jimmy; Rousseau, Patrick; Vizcaino, Violaine; Adoui, Lamri; Méry, Alain

2018-04-01

In the present paper, we describe a new home-built crossed-beam apparatus devoted to ion-induced ionization and fragmentation of isolated biologically relevant molecular systems. The biomolecular ions are produced by an electrospray ionization source, mass-over-charge selected, accumulated in a 3D ion trap, and then guided to the extraction region of an orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Here, the target molecular ions interact with a keV atomic ion beam produced by an electron cyclotron resonance ion source. Cationic products from the collision are detected on a position sensitive detector and analyzed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A detailed description of the operation of the setup is given, and early results from irradiation of a protonated pentapeptide (leucine-enkephalin) by a 7 keV He+ ion beam are presented as a proof-of-principle.

Formation of high mass carbon cluster ions from laser ablation of polymers and thin carbon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creasy, William R.; Brenna, J. T.

1990-02-01

Three materials were studied by laser ablation/Fourier transform mass spectrometry, using 266 nm laser radiation: a copolymer of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and a diamond-like carbon film (DLC). In each case, positive ion mass spectra exhibit primarily even-numbered, high mass carbon clusters (``fullerenes'') of the type previously reported for graphite ablation. In the case of ETFE, a large C+60 peak (``buckminsterfullerene'') was observed. The polymer spectra showed a strong dependence on the number of laser pulses on one spot and the laser power density. For ETFE, the fullerene ion relative intensity first increases and then decreases as a function of the number of laser pulses. For the DLC film, fullerenes are observed with a single laser pulse on a fresh spot of the sample. The results are interpreted in terms of a gas phase growth model for the fullerene ion formation.

A very sensitive ion collection device for plasma-laser characterization.

PubMed

Cavallaro, S; Torrisi, L; Cutroneo, M; Amato, A; Sarta, F; Wen, L

2012-06-01

In this paper a very sensitive ion collection device, for diagnostic of laser ablated-target plasma, is described. It allows for reducing down to few microvolts the signal threshold at digital scope input. A standard ion collector is coupled to a transimpedance amplifier, specially designed, which increases data acquisition sensitivity by a gain ≈1100 and does not introduce any significant distortion of input signal. By time integration of current intensity, an amount of charge as small as 2.7 × 10(-2) pC can be detected for photopeak events.

Analysis of the neutron time-of-flight spectra from inertial confinement fusion experiments

DOE PAGES

Hatarik, R.; Sayre, D. B.; Caggiano, J. A.; ...

2015-11-12

For a long time, neutron time-of-flight diagnostics been used to characterize the neutron spectrum produced by inertial confinement fusion experiments. The primary diagnostic goals are to extract the d+t→n+α (DT) and d+d→n+³He (DD) neutron yields and peak widths, and the amount DT scattering relative to its unscattered yield, which is also known as the down-scatter ratio (DSR). These quantities are used to infer yield weighted plasma conditions, such as ion temperature (T ion) and cold fuel areal density. We explain such novel methodologies used to determine neutron yield, apparent T ion and DSR.

Fast Faraday cup for fast ion beam TOF measurements in deuterium filled plasma focus device and correlation with Lee model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damideh, Vahid; Ali, Jalil; Saw, Sor Heoh; Rawat, Rajdeep Singh; Lee, Paul; Chaudhary, Kashif Tufail; Rizvi, Zuhaib Haider; Dabagh, Shadab; Ismail, Fairuz Diyana; Sing, Lee

2017-06-01

In this work, the design and construction of a 50 Ω fast Faraday cup and its results in correlation with the Lee Model Code for fast ion beam and ion time of flight measurements for a Deuterium filled plasma focus device are presented. Fast ion beam properties such as ion flux, fluence, speed, and energy at 2-8 Torr Deuterium are studied. The minimum 34 ns full width at half maximum ion signal at 12 kV, 3 Torr Deuterium in INTI PF was captured by a Faraday cup. The maximum ion energy of 67 ± 5 keV at 4 Torr Deuterium was detected by the Faraday cup. Ion time of flight measurements by the Faraday cup show consistent correlation with Lee Code results for Deuterium especially at near to optimum pressures.

A methodology for investigation of the seasonal evolution in proglacial hydrograph form

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hannah, David M.; Gurnell, Angela M.; McGregor, Glenn R.

1999-11-01

This paper advances an objective method of diurnal hydrograph classification as an aid to exploring changes in the hydrological functioning of glacierized catchments over the ablation season. The temporal sequencing of different hydrograph classes allows identification of seasonal evolution in hydrograph form and also assists delimitation of hydrologically-meaningful time periods of similar diurnal discharge response. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated by applying it to two contrasting summer discharge records for a small cirque basin. By comparing the results with patterns of surface energy receipt and glacier ablation, the seasonally transient relative influences of: (i) surface meltwater production and (ii) meltwater routing and storage conditions within the intervening glacier drainage system in determining runoff are elucidated. The method successfully characterizes distinct seasonal-scale changes in the diurnal outflow hydrograph during the ablation-dominated 1995 melt season but is also able to reveal underlying trends and short-term fluctuations in the precipitation-dominated, poorly ablation-regulated 1996 melt season. The limitations and benefits of this hydrograph classification technique are evaluated.

Ion separation effects in mixed-species ablators for inertial-confinement-fusion implosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amendt, Peter; Bellei, Claudio; Ross, J. Steven; Salmonson, Jay

2015-02-01

Recent efforts to demonstrate significant self-heating of the fuel and eventual ignition at the National Ignition Facility make use of plastic (CH) ablators [O. A. Hurricane et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 056314 (2014), 10.1063/1.4874330]. Mainline simulation techniques for modeling CH capsule implosions treat the ablator as an average-atom fluid and neglect potential species separation phenomena. The mass-ablation process for a mixture is shown to lead to the potential for species separation, parasitic energy loss according to thermodynamic arguments, and reduced rocket efficiency. A generalized plasma barometric formula for a multispecies concentration gradient that includes collisionality and steady flows in spherical geometry is presented. A model based on plasma expansion into a vacuum is used to interpret reported experimental evidence for ablator species separation in an inertial-confinement-fusion target [J. S. Ross et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10E323 (2012)]. The possibility of "runaway" hydrogen ions in the thermoelectric field of the ablation front is conjectured.

Ion separation effects in mixed-species ablators for inertial-confinement-fusion implosions.

PubMed

Amendt, Peter; Bellei, Claudio; Ross, J Steven; Salmonson, Jay

2015-02-01

Recent efforts to demonstrate significant self-heating of the fuel and eventual ignition at the National Ignition Facility make use of plastic (CH) ablators [O. A. Hurricane et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 056314 (2014)]. Mainline simulation techniques for modeling CH capsule implosions treat the ablator as an average-atom fluid and neglect potential species separation phenomena. The mass-ablation process for a mixture is shown to lead to the potential for species separation, parasitic energy loss according to thermodynamic arguments, and reduced rocket efficiency. A generalized plasma barometric formula for a multispecies concentration gradient that includes collisionality and steady flows in spherical geometry is presented. A model based on plasma expansion into a vacuum is used to interpret reported experimental evidence for ablator species separation in an inertial-confinement-fusion target [J. S. Ross et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10E323 (2012)]. The possibility of "runaway" hydrogen ions in the thermoelectric field of the ablation front is conjectured.

Hybrid Ion-Detector/Data-Acquisition System for a TOF-MS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, William D., Jr.; Schultz, J. Albert; Vaughn, Valentine; McCully, Michael; Ulrich, Steven; Egan, Thomas F.

2006-01-01

A modified ion-detector/data-acquisition system has been devised to increase the dynamic range of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS) that, previously, included a microchannel-plate detector and a data-acquisition system based on counting pulses and time-tagging them by use of a time-to-digital converter (TDC). The dynamic range of the TOF-MS was limited by saturation of the microchannel plate detector, which can handle no more than a few million counts per second. The modified system includes (1) a combined microchannel plate/discrete ion multiplier and (2) a hybrid data-acquisition system that simultaneously performs analog current or voltage measurements and multianode single-ion-pulse-counting time-of-flight measurements to extend the dynamic range of a TDC into the regime in which a mass peak comprises multiple ions arriving simultaneously at the detector. The multianode data are used to determine, in real time, whether the detector is saturated. When saturation is detected, the data-acquisition system selectively enables circuitry that simultaneously determines the ion-peak intensity by measuring the time profile of the analog current or voltage detector-output signal.

Enhanced hot-electron production and strong-shock generation in hydrogen-rich ablators for shock ignition

DOE PAGES

Theobald, W.; Bose, A.; Yan, R.; ...

2017-12-08

Experiments were performed with CH, Be, C, and SiO 2 ablators interacting with high-intensity UV laser radiation (5 × 10 15 W/cm 2, λ = 351 nm) to determine the optimum material for hot-electron production and strong-shock generation. Significantly more hot electrons are produced in CH (up to ~13% instantaneous conversion efficiency), while the amount is a factor of ~2 to 3 lower in the other ablators. A larger hot-electron fraction is correlated with a higher effective ablation pressure. As a result, the higher conversion efficiency in CH is attributed to stronger damping of ion-acoustic waves because of the presencemore » of light H ions.« less

Enhanced hot-electron production and strong-shock generation in hydrogen-rich ablators for shock ignition

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

Theobald, W.; Bose, A.; Yan, R.

Experiments were performed with CH, Be, C, and SiO 2 ablators interacting with high-intensity UV laser radiation (5 × 10 15 W/cm 2, λ = 351 nm) to determine the optimum material for hot-electron production and strong-shock generation. Significantly more hot electrons are produced in CH (up to ~13% instantaneous conversion efficiency), while the amount is a factor of ~2 to 3 lower in the other ablators. A larger hot-electron fraction is correlated with a higher effective ablation pressure. As a result, the higher conversion efficiency in CH is attributed to stronger damping of ion-acoustic waves because of the presencemore » of light H ions.« less

Ion Dynamic Capture Experiments With The High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, James; Lewis, Raymond; Chakrabarti, Suman; Sims, William H.; Pearson, J. Boise; Fant, Wallace E.

2002-01-01

To take the first step towards using the energy produced from the matter-antimatter annihilation for propulsion applications, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Propulsion Research Center (PRC) has initiated a research activity examining the storage of low energy antiprotons. The High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) is an electromagnetic system (Penning-Malmberg design) consisting of a 4 Tesla superconductor, a high voltage electrode confinement system, and an ultra high vacuum test section. It has been designed with an ultimate goal of maintaining 10(exp 12) charged particles with a half-life of 18 days. Currently, this system is being evaluated experimentally using normal matter ions that are cheap to produce, relatively easy to handle, and provide a good indication of overall trap behavior (with the exception of assessing annihilation losses). The ions are produced via a positive hydrogen ion source and transported to HiPAT in a beam line equipped with electrostatic optics. The optics serve to both focus and gate the incoming ions, providing microsecond-timed beam pulses that are dynamically captured by cycling the HiPAT forward containment field like a "trap door". Initial dynamic capture experiments have been successfully performed with beam energy and currents set to 1.9 kV and 23 micro-amps, respectively. At these settings up to 2x10(exp 9) ions have been trapped during a single dynamic cycle.

Studies of electrochemical interfaces by TOF neutron reflectometry at the IBR-2 reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrenko, V. I.; Gapon, I. V.; Rulev, A. A.; Ushakova, E. E.; Kataev, E. Yu; Yashina, L. V.; Itkis, D. M.; Avdeev, M. V.

2018-03-01

The operation performance of electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems such as supercapacitors and batteries depends on the processes occurring at the electrochemical interfaces, where charge separation and chemical reactions occur. Here, we report about the tests of the neutron reflectometry cells specially designed for operando studies of structural changes at the electrochemical interfaces between solid electrodes and liquid electrolytes. The cells are compatible with anhydrous electrolytes with organic solvents, which are employed today in all lithium ion batteries and most supercapacitors. The sensitivity of neutron reflectometry applied at the time-of-flight (TOF) reflectometer at the pulsed reactor IBR-2 is discussed regarding the effect of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation on metal electrode surface.

Stopping power measurements with the Time-of-Flight (ToF) technique

DOE PAGES

Fontana, Cristiano L.; Chen, Chien-Hung; Crespillo, Miguel L.; ...

2015-11-10

In our review of measurements of the stopping power of ions in matter is presented along with new measurements of the stopping powers of O, Si, Ti, and Au ions in self-supporting thin foils of SiO 2, Nb 2O 5, and Ta 2O 5. Moreover, a Time-of-Flight system at the Ion Beam Materials Laboratory at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was used in transmission geometry in order to reduce experimental uncertainties. Finally, the resulting stopping powers show good precision and accuracy and corroborate previously quoted values in the literature. New stopping data are determined.

Stopping power measurements with the Time-of-Flight (ToF) technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontana, Cristiano L.; Chen, Chien-Hung; Crespillo, Miguel L.; Graham, Joseph T.; Xue, Haizhou; Zhang, Yanwen; Weber, William J.

2016-01-01

A review of measurements of the stopping power of ions in matter is presented along with new measurements of the stopping powers of O, Si, Ti, and Au ions in self-supporting thin foils of SiO2, Nb2O5, and Ta2O5. A Time-of-Flight system at the Ion Beam Materials Laboratory at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was used in transmission geometry in order to reduce experimental uncertainties. The resulting stopping powers show good precision and accuracy and corroborate previously quoted values in the literature. New stopping data are determined.

Laser ablation of ceramic Al2O3 at 193 nm and 248 nm: The importance of single-photon ionization processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peláez, R. J.; Afonso, C. N.; Bator, M.; Lippert, T.

2013-06-01

The aim of this work is to demonstrate that single-photon photoionization processes make a significant difference in the expansion and temperature of the plasma produced by laser ablation of ceramic Al2O3 in vacuum as well as to show their consequences in the kinetic energy distribution of the species that eventually will impact on the film properties produced by pulsed laser deposition. This work compares results obtained by mass spectrometry and optical spectroscopy on the composition and features of the plasma produced by laser ablation at 193 nm and 248 nm, i.e., photon energies that are, respectively, above and below the ionization potential of Al, and for fluences between threshold for visible plasma and up to ≈2 times higher. The results show that the ionic composition and excitation of the plasma as well as the ion kinetic energies are much higher at 193 nm than at 248 nm and, in the latter case, the population of excited ions is even negligible. The comparison of Maxwell-Boltzmann temperature, electron temperatures, and densities of the plasmas produced with the two laser wavelengths suggests that the expansion of the plasma produced at 248 nm is dominated by a single population. Instead, the one produced at 193 nm is consistent with the existence of two populations of cold and hot species, the latter associated to Al+ ions that travel at the forefront and produced by single photon ionization as well as Al neutrals and double ionized ions produced by electron-ion impact. The results also show that the most energetic Al neutrals in the plasma produced at the two studied wavelengths are in the ground state.

A novel double-focusing time-of-flight mass spectrometer for absolute recoil ion cross sections measurements

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

Sigaud, L., E-mail: lsigaud@if.uff.br; Jesus, V. L. B. de; Ferreira, Natalia

In this work, the inclusion of an Einzel-like lens inside the time-of-flight drift tube of a standard mass spectrometer coupled to a gas cell—to study ionization of atoms and molecules by electron impact—is described. Both this lens and a conical collimator are responsible for further focalization of the ions and charged molecular fragments inside the spectrometer, allowing a much better resolution at the time-of-flight spectra, leading to a separation of a single mass-to-charge unit up to 100 a.m.u. The procedure to obtain the overall absolute efficiency of the spectrometer and micro-channel plate detector is also discussed.

A novel double-focusing time-of-flight mass spectrometer for absolute recoil ion cross sections measurements.

PubMed

Sigaud, L; de Jesus, V L B; Ferreira, Natalia; Montenegro, E C

2016-08-01

In this work, the inclusion of an Einzel-like lens inside the time-of-flight drift tube of a standard mass spectrometer coupled to a gas cell-to study ionization of atoms and molecules by electron impact-is described. Both this lens and a conical collimator are responsible for further focalization of the ions and charged molecular fragments inside the spectrometer, allowing a much better resolution at the time-of-flight spectra, leading to a separation of a single mass-to-charge unit up to 100 a.m.u. The procedure to obtain the overall absolute efficiency of the spectrometer and micro-channel plate detector is also discussed.

Precise Lamb Shift Measurements in Hydrogen-Like Heavy Ions—Status and Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrianov, V.; Beckert, K.; Bleile, A.; Chatterjee, Ch.; Echler, A.; Egelhof, P.; Gumberidze, A.; Ilieva, S.; Kiselev, O.; Kilbourne, C.; Kluge, H.-J.; Kraft-Bermuth, S.; McCammon, D.; Meier, J. P.; Reuschl, R.; Stöhlker, T.; Trassinelli, M.

2009-12-01

The precise determination of the energy of the Lyman α1 and α2 lines in hydrogen-like heavy ions provides a sensitive test of quantum electrodynamics in very strong Coulomb fields. For the first time, a calorimetric low-temperature detector was applied in an experiment to precisely determine the transition energy of the Lyman lines of lead ions 207Pb81+ at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI. The detectors consist of silicon thermistors, provided by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and Pb or Sn absorbers to obtain high quantum efficiency in the energy range of 40-80 keV, where the Doppler-shifted Lyman lines are located. The measured energy of the Lyman α1 line, E(Ly-α1, 207Pb81+) = (77937±12stat±23syst) eV, agrees within errors with theoretical predictions. The systematic error is mainly due to uncertainties in the non-linear energy calibration of the detectors as well as the relative position of detector and gas-jet target.

Preparation And Analysis Of Specimens Of Ablative Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, William C.

1994-01-01

Procedure for chemical analysis of specimens of silicone-based ablative thermal-insulation materials SLA-561 and MA25 involves acid digestion of specimens to prepare them for analysis by inductively-coupled-plasma/atomic-emission spectroscopy (ICP/AES). In comparison with atomic-absorption spectroscopy (AAS), ICP/AES is faster and more accurate than AAS. Results of analyses stored in data base, used to trace variations in concentrations of chemical elements in materials during long-term storage, and used in timely manner in investigations of failures. Acid-digestion portion of procedure applied to other thermal-insulation materials containing room-temperature-vulcanizing silicones and enables instrumental analysis of these materials.

THOR Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retinò, Alessandro

2017-04-01

Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) is the first mission ever flown in space dedicated to plasma turbulence. The Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) onboard THOR will provide the first high-time resolution measurements of mass-resolved ions in near-Earth space, focusing on hot ions in the foreshock, shock and magnetosheath turbulent regions. These measurements are required to study how kinetic-scale turbulent fluctuations heat and accelerate different ion species. IMS will measure the full three-dimensional distribution functions of main ion species (H+, He++, O+) in the energy range 10 eV/q to 30 keV/q with energy resolution DE/E down to 10% and angular resolution down to 11.25˚ . The time resolution will be 150 ms for O+, 300 ms for He++ and ˜ 1s for O+, which correspond to ion scales in the the foreshock, shock and magnetosheath regions. Such high time resolution is achieved by mounting four identical IMS units phased by 90˚ in the spacecraft spin plane. Each IMS unit combines a top-hat electrostatic analyzer with deflectors at the entrance together with a time-of-flight section to perform mass selection. Adequate mass-per-charge resolution (M/q)/(ΔM/q) (≥ 8 for He++ and ≥ 3 for O+) is obtained through a 6 cm long Time-of-Flight (TOF) section. IMS electronics includes a fast sweeping high voltage board that is required to make measurements at high cadence. Ion detection includes Micro Channel Plates (MCPs) combined with Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) for charge amplification and discrimination and a discrete Time-to-Amplitude Converter (TAC) to determine the ion time of flight. A processor board will be used to for ion events formatting and will interface with the Particle Processing Unit (PPU), which will perform data processing for THOR particle detectors. The IMS instrument is being designed and will be built and calibrated by an international consortium of scientific institutes from France, USA, Germany and Japan and Switzerland.

High precision electric gate for time-of-flight ion mass spectrometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sittler, Edward C. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer having a chamber with electrodes to generate an electric field in the chamber and electric gating for allowing ions with a predetermined mass and velocity into the electric field. The design uses a row of very thin parallel aligned wires that are pulsed in sequence so the ion can pass through the gap of two parallel plates, which are biased to prevent passage of the ion. This design by itself can provide a high mass resolution capability and a very precise start pulse for an ion mass spectrometer. Furthermore, the ion will only pass through the chamber if it is within a wire diameter of the first wire when it is pulsed and has the right speed so it is near all other wires when they are pulsed.

Morphological changes in ultrafast laser ablation plumes with varying spot size

DOE PAGES

Harilal, S. S.; Diwakar, P. K.; Polek, M. P.; ...

2015-06-04

We investigated the role of spot size on plume morphology during ultrafast laser ablation of metal targets. Our results show that the spatial features of fs LA plumes are strongly dependent on the focal spot size. Two-dimensional self-emission images showed that the shape of the ultrafast laser ablation plumes changes from spherical to cylindrical with an increasing spot size from 100 to 600 μm. The changes in plume morphology and internal structures are related to ion emission dynamics from the plasma, where broader angular ion distribution and faster ions are noticed for the smallest spot size used. The present resultsmore » clearly show that the morphological changes in the plume with spot size are independent of laser pulse width.« less

Extension to Higher Mass Numbers of an Improved Knockout-Ablation-Coalescence Model for Secondary Neutron and Light Ion Production in Cosmic Ray Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indi Sriprisan, Sirikul; Townsend, Lawrence; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Miller, Thomas M.

Purpose: An analytical knockout-ablation-coalescence model capable of making quantitative predictions of the neutron spectra from high-energy nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions is being developed for use in space radiation protection studies. The FORTRAN computer code that implements this model is called UBERNSPEC. The knockout or abrasion stage of the model is based on Glauber multiple scattering theory. The ablation part of the model uses the classical evaporation model of Weisskopf-Ewing. In earlier work, the knockout-ablation model has been extended to incorporate important coalescence effects into the formalism. Recently, alpha coalescence has been incorporated, and the ability to predict light ion spectra with the coalescence model added. The earlier versions were limited to nuclei with mass numbers less than 69. In this work, the UBERNSPEC code has been extended to make predictions of secondary neutrons and light ion production from the interactions of heavy charged particles with higher mass numbers (as large as 238). The predictions are compared with published measurements of neutron spectra and light ion energy for a variety of collision pairs. Furthermore, the predicted spectra from this work are compared with the predictions from the recently-developed heavy ion event generator incorporated in the Monte Carlo radiation transport code HETC-HEDS.

Femtosecond laser machining for characterization of local mechanical properties of biomaterials: a case study on wood

PubMed Central

Jakob, Severin; Pfeifenberger, Manuel J.; Hohenwarter, Anton; Pippan, Reinhard

2017-01-01

Abstract The standard preparation technique for micro-sized samples is focused ion beam milling, most frequently using Ga+ ions. The main drawbacks are the required processing time and the possibility and risks of ion implantation. In contrast, ultrashort pulsed laser ablation can process any type of material with ideally negligible damage to the surrounding volume and provides 4 to 6 orders of magnitude higher ablation rates than the ion beam technique. In this work, a femtosecond laser was used to prepare wood samples from spruce for mechanical testing at the micrometre level. After optimization of the different laser parameters, tensile and compressive specimens were produced from microtomed radial-tangential and longitudinal-tangential sections. Additionally, laser-processed samples were exposed to an electron beam prior to testing to study possible beam damage. The specimens originating from these different preparation conditions were mechanically tested. Advantages and limitations of the femtosecond laser preparation technique and the deformation and fracture behaviour of the samples are discussed. The results prove that femtosecond laser processing is a fast and precise preparation technique, which enables the fabrication of pristine biological samples with dimensions at the microscale. PMID:28970867

Femtosecond laser machining for characterization of local mechanical properties of biomaterials: a case study on wood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakob, Severin; Pfeifenberger, Manuel J.; Hohenwarter, Anton; Pippan, Reinhard

2017-12-01

The standard preparation technique for micro-sized samples is focused ion beam milling, most frequently using Ga+ ions. The main drawbacks are the required processing time and the possibility and risks of ion implantation. In contrast, ultrashort pulsed laser ablation can process any type of material with ideally negligible damage to the surrounding volume and provides 4 to 6 orders of magnitude higher ablation rates than the ion beam technique. In this work, a femtosecond laser was used to prepare wood samples from spruce for mechanical testing at the micrometre level. After optimization of the different laser parameters, tensile and compressive specimens were produced from microtomed radial-tangential and longitudinal-tangential sections. Additionally, laser-processed samples were exposed to an electron beam prior to testing to study possible beam damage. The specimens originating from these different preparation conditions were mechanically tested. Advantages and limitations of the femtosecond laser preparation technique and the deformation and fracture behaviour of the samples are discussed. The results prove that femtosecond laser processing is a fast and precise preparation technique, which enables the fabrication of pristine biological samples with dimensions at the microscale.

Quantitative analysis of a brass alloy using CF-LIBS and a laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Nasar; Abdullah, M.; Ahmed, Rizwan; Piracha, N. K.; Aslam Baig, M.

2018-01-01

We present a quantitative analysis of a brass alloy using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS). The emission lines of copper (Cu I) and zinc (Zn I), and the constituent elements of the brass alloy were used to calculate the plasma parameters. The plasma temperature was calculated from the Boltzmann plot as (10 000  ±  1000) K and the electron number density was determined as (2.0  ±  0.5)  ×  1017 cm-3 from the Stark-broadened Cu I line as well as using the Saha-Boltzmann equation. The elemental composition was deduced using these techniques: the Boltzmann plot method (70% Cu and 30% Zn), internal reference self-absorption correction (63.36% Cu and 36.64% Zn), EDX (61.75% Cu and 38.25% Zn), and LA-TOF (62% Cu and 38% Zn), whereas, the certified composition is (62% Cu and 38% Zn). It was observed that the internal reference self-absorption correction method yields analytical results comparable to that of EDX and LA-TOF-MS.

Quasi-dynamic mode of nanomembranes for time-of-flight mass spectrometry of proteins.

PubMed

Park, Jonghoo; Kim, Hyunseok; Blick, Robert H

2012-04-21

Mechanical resonators realized on the nano-scale by now offer applications in mass-sensing of biomolecules with extraordinary sensitivity. The general idea is that perfect mechanical biosensors should be of extremely small size to achieve zeptogram sensitivity in weighing single molecules similar to a balance. However, the small scale and long response time of weighing biomolecules with a cantilever restrict their usefulness as a high-throughput method. Commercial mass spectrometry (MS) such as electro-spray ionization (ESI)-MS and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-time of flight (TOF)-MS are the gold standards to which nanomechanical resonators have to live up to. These two methods rely on the ionization and acceleration of biomolecules and the following ion detection after a mass selection step, such as time-of-flight (TOF). Hence, the spectrum is typically represented in m/z, i.e. the mass to ionization charge ratio. Here, we describe the feasibility and mass range of detection of a new mechanical approach for ion detection in time-of-flight mass spectrometry, the principle of which is that the impinging ion packets excite mechanical oscillations in a silicon nitride nanomembrane. These mechanical oscillations are henceforth detected via field emission of electrons from the nanomembrane. Ion detection is demonstrated in MALDI-TOF analysis over a broad range with angiotensin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and an equimolar protein mixture of insulin, BSA, and immunoglobulin G (IgG). We find an unprecedented mass range of operation of the nanomembrane detector.

A Fast Code for Jupiter Atmospheric Entry Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yauber, Michael E.; Wercinski, Paul; Yang, Lily; Chen, Yih-Kanq

1999-01-01

A fast code was developed to calculate the forebody heating environment and heat shielding that is required for Jupiter atmospheric entry probes. A carbon phenolic heat shield material was assumed and, since computational efficiency was a major goal, analytic expressions were used, primarily, to calculate the heating, ablation and the required insulation. The code was verified by comparison with flight measurements from the Galileo probe's entry. The calculation required 3.5 sec of CPU time on a work station, or three to four orders of magnitude less than for previous Jovian entry heat shields. The computed surface recessions from ablation were compared with the flight values at six body stations. The average, absolute, predicted difference in the recession was 13.7% too high. The forebody's mass loss was overpredicted by 5.3% and the heat shield mass was calculated to be 15% less than the probe's actual heat shield. However, the calculated heat shield mass did not include contingencies for the various uncertainties that must be considered in the design of probes. Therefore, the agreement with the Galileo probe's values was satisfactory in view of the code's fast running time and the methods' approximations.

Continuous time-of-flight ion mass spectrometer

DOEpatents

Funsten, Herbert O.; Feldman, William C.

2004-10-19

A continuous time-of-flight mass spectrometer having an evacuated enclosure with means for generating an electric field located in the evacuated enclosure and means for injecting a sample material into the electric field. A source of continuous ionizing radiation injects ionizing radiation into the electric field to ionize atoms or molecules of the sample material, and timing means determine the time elapsed between arrival of a secondary electron out of said ionized atoms or molecules at a first predetermined location and arrival of a sample ion out of said ionized atoms or molecules at a second predetermined location.

Differential multi-electron emission induced by swift highly charged gold ions penetrating carbon foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothard, H.; Moshammer, R.; Ullrich, J.; Kollmus, H.; Mann, R.; Hagmann, S.; Zouros, T. J. M.

2007-05-01

First results on swift heavy ion induced electron emission from solids obtained with a reaction microscope are presented. This advanced technique, which is successfully used since quite some time to study electron ejection in ion-atom collisions, combines the measurement of the time-of-flight of electrons with imaging techniques. A combination of electric and magnetic fields guides the ejected electrons onto a position sensitive detector, which is capable to accept multiple hits. From position and time-of-flight measurement the full differential emission characteristics of up to 10 electrons per single incoming ion can be extracted. As a first example, we show energy spectra, angular distributions and the multiplicity distribution of electrons from impact of Au24+ (11 MeV/u) on a thin carbon foil (28 μg/cm2).

Feasibility Study on Cardiac Arrhythmia Ablation Using High-Energy Heavy Ion Beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, H. Immo; Graeff, Christian; Simoniello, Palma; Constantinescu, Anna; Takami, Mitsuru; Lugenbiel, Patrick; Richter, Daniel; Eichhorn, Anna; Prall, Matthias; Kaderka, Robert; Fiedler, Fine; Helmbrecht, Stephan; Fournier, Claudia; Erbeldinger, Nadine; Rahm, Ann-Kathrin; Rivinius, Rasmus; Thomas, Dierk; Katus, Hugo A.; Johnson, Susan B.; Parker, Kay D.; Debus, Jürgen; Asirvatham, Samuel J.; Bert, Christoph; Durante, Marco; Packer, Douglas L.

2016-12-01

High-energy ion beams are successfully used in cancer therapy and precisely deliver high doses of ionizing radiation to small deep-seated target volumes. A similar noninvasive treatment modality for cardiac arrhythmias was tested here. This study used high-energy carbon ions for ablation of cardiac tissue in pigs. Doses of 25, 40, and 55 Gy were applied in forced-breath-hold to the atrioventricular junction, left atrial pulmonary vein junction, and freewall left ventricle of intact animals. Procedural success was tracked by (1.) in-beam positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging; (2.) intracardiac voltage mapping with visible lesion on ultrasound; (3.) lesion outcomes in pathohistolgy. High doses (40-55 Gy) caused slowing and interruption of cardiac impulse propagation. Target fibrosis was the main mediator of the ablation effect. In irradiated tissue, apoptosis was present after 3, but not 6 months. Our study shows feasibility to use high-energy ion beams for creation of cardiac lesions that chronically interrupt cardiac conduction.

Transmission geometry laserspray ionization vacuum using an atmospheric pressure inlet.

PubMed

Lutomski, Corinne A; El-Baba, Tarick J; Inutan, Ellen D; Manly, Cory D; Wager-Miller, James; Mackie, Ken; Trimpin, Sarah

2014-07-01

This represents the first report of laserspray ionization vacuum (LSIV) with operation directly from atmospheric pressure for use in mass spectrometry. Two different types of electrospray ionization source inlets were converted to LSIV sources by equipping the entrance of the atmospheric pressure inlet aperture with a customized cone that is sealed with a removable glass plate holding the matrix/analyte sample. A laser aligned in transmission geometry (at 180° relative to the inlet) ablates the matrix/analyte sample deposited on the vacuum side of the glass slide. Laser ablation from vacuum requires lower inlet temperature relative to laser ablation at atmospheric pressure. However, higher inlet temperature is required for high-mass analytes, for example, α-chymotrypsinogen (25.6 kDa). Labile compounds such as gangliosides and cardiolipins are detected in the negative ion mode directly from mouse brain tissue as intact doubly deprotonated ions. Multiple charging enhances the ion mobility spectrometry separation of ions derived from complex tissue samples.

Transmission Geometry Laserspray Ionization Vacuum Using an Atmospheric Pressure Inlet

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This represents the first report of laserspray ionization vacuum (LSIV) with operation directly from atmospheric pressure for use in mass spectrometry. Two different types of electrospray ionization source inlets were converted to LSIV sources by equipping the entrance of the atmospheric pressure inlet aperture with a customized cone that is sealed with a removable glass plate holding the matrix/analyte sample. A laser aligned in transmission geometry (at 180° relative to the inlet) ablates the matrix/analyte sample deposited on the vacuum side of the glass slide. Laser ablation from vacuum requires lower inlet temperature relative to laser ablation at atmospheric pressure. However, higher inlet temperature is required for high-mass analytes, for example, α-chymotrypsinogen (25.6 kDa). Labile compounds such as gangliosides and cardiolipins are detected in the negative ion mode directly from mouse brain tissue as intact doubly deprotonated ions. Multiple charging enhances the ion mobility spectrometry separation of ions derived from complex tissue samples. PMID:24896880

Effect of storage of pheromone lures for Amyelois transitella: field performance and compound ratios

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Experiments during the flight of the overwintering generation of navel orangeworm revealed that Suterra NOW Biolure pheromone lures held in storage at -20°C increased significantly in field effectiveness with time in storage over a period of 0-2 years. This increase in field effectiveness coincided ...

Investigation of micrometre-sized fossil by laser mass spectrometer (LMS) designed for in situ space research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tulej, Marek; Neubeck, Anna; Ivarsson, Magnus; Brigitte Neuland, Maike; Riedo, Andreas; Wurz, Peter

2015-04-01

Search for signatures of life on other planets is one of the most important goals of current planetary missions. Among various possible biomarkers, which can be investigated in situ on planetary surfaces, the detection of bio-relevant elements in planetary materials is of considerable interest and the abundance of isotopes can be important signatures of past and present bioactivities [1, 2]. We investigate the chemical composition of fossilised biological inclusions embedded in a carbonate host phase by a miniature laser ablation mass spectrometer (LMS) [3]. The LMS instrument combines a laser ablation ion source for ablation, atomisation and ionisation of surface material with a reflectron time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. LMS delivers mass spectra of almost all elements and their isotopes. In the current setup a fs-laser ablation ion source is applied with high lateral (15 um) and vertical (sub-um) resolution [4, 7] and the mass analyser supports mass resolution of 400-500 (at 56Fe mass peak) and dynamic range of eight orders of magnitude [5, 6]. From the 200 mass spectra recorded at 200 different locations on the carbonate sample surface, five mass spectra were identified which recorded the chemical composition of inclusions; from the other mass spectra the composition of the carbonate host matrix could be determined. The microscopic inspection of the sample surface and correlation with the coordinates of the laser ablation measurements made the confirmation to the location of the inclusion [8]. For the carbonate host matrix, the mass spectrometric analysis yielded the major elements H, C, O, Na, Mg, K and Ca and the trace elements Li, B and Cl. The measurements at the inclusion locations yielded in addition, the detection of F, Si, P, S, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co and Se. For most of the major elements the isotope ratios were found to be conform to the terrestrial values within a few per mills, while for minor and trace elements the determination of isotope ratios were less accurate due to low signal to noise ratios (SNR). The isotope abundances for the lightest isotope of B, S were observed to be larger than terrestrial, which is consistent with isotope fractionation by bio-relevant processes and a salty ocean. The studies demonstrates the current performance of the miniature LMS for in situ investigation of highly heterogeneous samples and its capabilities for the identification of fossilised biological matter. References: [1] Summons et al., Astrobiology, 11, 157, 2011. [2] Wurz et al., Sol. Sys. Res. 46 408, 2012. [3] Rohner et al.,Meas. Sci. Technol., 14, 2159, 2003. [4] Riedo et al., J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom. 28, 1256, 2013. [5] Riedo et al., J. Mass Spectrom.48, 1, 2013. [6] Neuland et al., Planet. Space. Sci. 101, 196, 2014. [7] Grimaudo et al., Anal. Chem. 2014, submitted. [8] Tulej et al. Geostand. Geoanal. Res., 2014; DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-908X.2014.00302.x

Sensitive screening of abused drugs in dried blood samples using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-ion booster-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Chepyala, Divyabharathi; Tsai, I-Lin; Liao, Hsiao-Wei; Chen, Guan-Yuan; Chao, Hsi-Chun; Kuo, Ching-Hua

2017-03-31

An increased rate of drug abuse is a major social problem worldwide. The dried blood spot (DBS) sampling technique offers many advantages over using urine or whole blood sampling techniques. This study developed a simple and efficient ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-ion booster-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-IB-QTOF-MS) method for the analysis of abused drugs and their metabolites using DBS. Fifty-seven compounds covering the most commonly abused drugs, including amphetamines, opioids, cocaine, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and many other new and emerging abused drugs, were selected as the target analytes of this study. An 80% acetonitrile solvent with a 5-min extraction by Geno grinder was used for sample extraction. A Poroshell column was used to provide efficient separation, and under optimal conditions, the analytical times were 15 and 5min in positive and negative ionization modes, respectively. Ionization parameters of both electrospray ionization source and ion booster (IB) source containing an extra heated zone were optimized to achieve the best ionization efficiency of the investigated abused drugs. In spite of their structural diversity, most of the abused drugs showed an enhanced mass response with the high temperature ionization from an extra heated zone of IB source. Compared to electrospray ionization, the ion booster (IB) greatly improved the detection sensitivity for 86% of the analytes by 1.5-14-fold and allowed the developed method to detect trace amounts of compounds on the DBS cards. The validation results showed that the coefficients of variation of intra-day and inter-day precision in terms of the signal intensity were lower than 19.65%. The extraction recovery of all analytes was between 67.21 and 115.14%. The limits of detection of all analytes were between 0.2 and 35.7ngmL -1 . The stability study indicated that 7% of compounds showed poor stability (below 50%) on the DBS cards after 6 months of storage at room temperature and -80°C. The reported method provides a new direction for abused drug screening using DBS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical study of double-pulse laser ablation of Al

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Förster, G. D.; Lewis, Laurent J.

2018-06-01

The effect of double laser pulses (DPs) on the ablation process in solids is studied using a hybrid two-temperature model combining a continuum description of the conduction band electrons with a classical molecular dynamics (MD) approach for the ions. The study is concerned with double pulses with delays in the range of 0-50 ps and absorbed laser fluences of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 J/m 2 [i.e., 1-3 times the ablation threshold for single-pulse ablation (SP)], taking Al as a generic example of simple metals. A detailed analysis, including the assessment of thermodynamic pathways and cavitation rates, leads to a comprehensive picture of the mechanisms active during the different stages of the ablation process initiated by DPs. This study provides an explanation for several phenomena observed in DP ablation experiments. In particular, with respect to SP ablation, crater depths are reduced, which can be explained by the compensation of the rarefaction wave from the first laser pulse with the compression wave from the second pulse, or, at higher fluences and larger delays, by the fact that the target surface is shielded with matter ablated by the first laser pulse. Also, we discuss how smoother surface structures obtained using DPs may be related to features found in the simulations—viz., reduced mechanical strain and peak lattice temperatures. Finally, vaporization appears to be enhanced in DP ablation, which may improve the resolution of emission spectra.

A composition analyzer for microparticles using a spark ion source. [using time of flight spectrometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Auer, S. O.; Berg, O. E.

1975-01-01

Iron microparticles were fired onto a capacitor-type microparticle detector which responded to an impact with a spark discharge. Ion currents were extracted from the spark and analyzed in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The mass spectra showed the element of both detector and particle materials. The total extracted ion currents was typically 10A within a period of 100ns, indicating very efficient vaporization of the particle and ionization of the vapor. Potential applications include research on cosmic dust, atmospheric aerosols and cloud droplets, particles ejected by rocket or jet engines, by machining processes, or by nuclear bomb explosions.

Picosecond resolution on relativistic heavy ions' time-of-flight measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebran, A.; Taieb, J.; Belier, G.; Chatillon, A.; Laurent, B.; Martin, J.-F.; Pellereau, E.

2013-11-01

We developed a time-of-flight measurement system for relativistic heavy ions with a requested resolution of 40 ps Full Width Half Maximum. Such a resolution is mandatory to assign the correct mass number to every fission fragment, identified using the Bρ-ToF-ΔE method with the recoil spectrometer designed for the SOFIA experiment-which hold very recently at GSI. To achieve such a performance, fast plastic scintillators read-out by dedicated photomultiplier tubes were chosen among other possible options. We have led several test-measurements from 2009 to 2011, in order to investigate: the effect of the addition of a quenching molecule in the scintillator's matrix, the influence of the detector's size and the impact of the photomultiplier tube. The contribution of the dedicated electronics is also characterized. Time-of-flight measurements were performed realized with electron pulses and relativistic heavy ions, respectively provided by the LASER driven electron-accelerator (ELSA) at CEA-DAM Ile-de-France and by the SIS18/FRS facility at GSI. The reported results exhibit a time resolution better than 20 ps Full Width Half Maximum reached with the last prototype at GSI with an Uranium beam. These results confirm that the SOFIA experiment should enable the measurement of the relativistic fission fragments' time-of-flight with the requested resolution.

Molecule-Specific Imaging Analysis of Carcinogens in Breast Cancer Cells Using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

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

Quong, J N; Knize, M G; Kulp, K S

2003-08-19

Imaging time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is used to study the localization of heterocyclic amines in MCF7 line of human breast cancer cells. The detection sensitivities of a model rodent mutagen, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) were determined. Following an established criteria for the determination of status of freeze-fracture cells, the distribution of PhIP in the MCF7 cells are reported.

Atmospheric pressure arc discharge with ablating graphite anode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemchinsky, V. A.; Raitses, Y.

2015-06-01

The anodic carbon arc discharge is used to produce carbon nanoparticles. Recent experiments with the carbon arc at atmospheric pressure helium demonstrated the enhanced ablation rate for narrow graphite anodes resulting in high deposition rates of carbonaceous products on the copper cathode (Fetterman et al 2008 Carbon 46 1322-6). The proposed model explains these results with interconnected steady-state models of the cathode and the anode processes. When considering cathode functioning, the model predicts circulation of the particles in the near-cathode region: evaporation of the cathode material, ionization of evaporated atoms and molecules in the near-cathode plasma, return of the resulting ions to the cathode, surface recombination of ions and electrons followed again by cathode evaporation etc. In the case of the low anode ablation rate, the ion acceleration in the cathode sheath provides the major cathode heating mechanism. In the case of an intensive anode ablation, an additional cathode heating is due to latent fusion heat of the atomic species evaporated from the anode and depositing at the cathode. Using the experimental arc voltage as the only input discharge parameter, the model allows us to calculate the anode ablation rate. A comparison of the results of calculations with the available experimental data shows reasonable agreement.

Static Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) | Materials

Science.gov Websites

-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) Image of high mass resolution and mass accuracy provided by TOF SIMS We used the high mass resolution and mass accuracy of TOF SIMS to study surface cleanliness acidic wash resulted in contamination by Fe and other metals. Without high mass accuracy, the CaO signal

Dynamics of Molecular Emission Features from Nanosecond, Femtosecond Laser and Filament Ablation Plasmas

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

Harilal, Sivanandan S.; Yeak, J.; Brumfield, Brian E.

2016-06-15

The evolutionary paths of molecular species and nanoparticles in laser ablation plumes are not well understood due to the complexity of numerous physical processes that occur simultaneously in a transient laser-plasma system. It is well known that the emission features of ions, atoms, molecules and nanoparticles in a laser ablation plume strongly depend on the laser irradiation conditions. In this letter we report the temporal emission features of AlO molecules in plasmas generated using a nanosecond laser, a femtosecond laser and filaments generated from a femtosecond laser. Our results show that, at a fixed laser energy, the persistence of AlOmore » is found to be highest and lowest in ns and filament laser plasmas respectively while molecular species are formed at early times for both ultrashort pulse (fs and filament) generated plasmas. Analysis of the AlO emission band features show that the vibrational temperature of AlO decays rapidly in filament assisted laser ablation plumes.« less

Development of an accurate and high-throughput methodology for structural comprehension of chlorophylls derivatives. (II) Dephytylated derivatives.

PubMed

Chen, Kewei; Ríos, José Julián; Roca, María; Pérez-Gálvez, Antonio

2015-09-18

Dephytylated chlorophylls (chlorophyllides and pheophorbides) are the starting point of the chlorophyll catabolism in green tissues, components of the chlorophyll pattern in storage/processed food vegetables, as well as the favoured structural arrangement for chlorophyll absorption. In addition, dephytylated native chlorophylls are prone to several modifications of their structure yielding pyro-, 13(2)-hydroxy- and 15(1)-hydroxy-lactone derivatives. Despite of these outstanding remarks only few of them have been analysed by MS(n). Besides new protocols for obtaining standards, we have developed a new high throughput methodology able to determine the fragmentation pathway of 16 dephytylated chlorophyll derivatives, elucidating the structures of the new product ions and new mechanisms of fragmentation. The new methodology combines, by first time, high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry and powerful post-processing software. Native chlorophyllides and pheophorbides mainly exhibit product ions that involve the fragmentation of D ring, as well as additional exclusive product ions. The introduction of an oxygenated function at E ring enhances the progress of fragmentation reactions through the β-keto ester group, developing also exclusive product ions for 13(2)-hydroxy derivatives and for 15(1)-hydroxy-lactone ones. Consequently, while MS(2)-based reactions of phytylated chlorophyll derivatives point to fragmentations at the phytyl and propionic chains, dephytylated chlorophyll derivatives behave different as the absence of phytyl makes β-keto ester group and E ring more prone to fragmentation. Proposals of the key reaction mechanisms underlying the origin of new product ions have been made. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Storage of cell samples for ToF-SIMS experiments-How to maintain sample integrity.

PubMed

Schaepe, Kaija; Kokesch-Himmelreich, Julia; Rohnke, Marcus; Wagner, Alena-Svenja; Schaaf, Thimo; Henss, Anja; Wenisch, Sabine; Janek, Jürgen

2016-06-25

In order to obtain comparable and reproducible results from time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analysis of biological cells, the influence of sample preparation and storage has to be carefully considered. It has been previously shown that the impact of the chosen preparation routine is crucial. In continuation of this work, the impact of storage needs to be addressed, as besides the fact that degradation will unavoidably take place, the effects of different storage procedures in combination with specific sample preparations remain largely unknown. Therefore, this work examines different wet (buffer, water, and alcohol) and dry (air-dried, freeze-dried, and critical-point-dried) storage procedures on human mesenchymal stem cell cultures. All cell samples were analyzed by ToF-SIMS immediately after preparation and after a storage period of 4 weeks. The obtained spectra were compared by principal component analysis with lipid- and amino acid-related signals known from the literature. In all dry storage procedures, notable degradation effects were observed, especially for lipid-, but also for amino acid-signal intensities. This leads to the conclusion that dried samples are to some extent easier to handle, yet the procedure is not the optimal storage solution. Degradation proceeds faster, which is possibly caused by oxidation reactions and cleaving enzymes that might still be active. Just as well, wet stored samples in alcohol struggle with decreased signal intensities from lipids and amino acids after storage. Compared to that, the wet stored samples in a buffered or pure aqueous environment revealed no degradation effects after 4 weeks. However, this storage bears a higher risk of fungi/bacterial contamination, as sterile conditions are typically not maintained. Thus, regular solution change is recommended for optimized storage conditions. Not directly exposing the samples to air, wet storage seems to minimize oxidation effects, and hence, buffer or water storage with regular renewal of the solution is recommended for short storage periods.

Storage of cell samples for ToF-SIMS experiments—How to maintain sample integrity

PubMed Central

Schaepe, Kaija; Kokesch-Himmelreich, Julia; Rohnke, Marcus; Wagner, Alena-Svenja; Schaaf, Thimo; Henss, Anja; Wenisch, Sabine; Janek, Jürgen

2016-01-01

In order to obtain comparable and reproducible results from time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analysis of biological cells, the influence of sample preparation and storage has to be carefully considered. It has been previously shown that the impact of the chosen preparation routine is crucial. In continuation of this work, the impact of storage needs to be addressed, as besides the fact that degradation will unavoidably take place, the effects of different storage procedures in combination with specific sample preparations remain largely unknown. Therefore, this work examines different wet (buffer, water, and alcohol) and dry (air-dried, freeze-dried, and critical-point-dried) storage procedures on human mesenchymal stem cell cultures. All cell samples were analyzed by ToF-SIMS immediately after preparation and after a storage period of 4 weeks. The obtained spectra were compared by principal component analysis with lipid- and amino acid-related signals known from the literature. In all dry storage procedures, notable degradation effects were observed, especially for lipid-, but also for amino acid-signal intensities. This leads to the conclusion that dried samples are to some extent easier to handle, yet the procedure is not the optimal storage solution. Degradation proceeds faster, which is possibly caused by oxidation reactions and cleaving enzymes that might still be active. Just as well, wet stored samples in alcohol struggle with decreased signal intensities from lipids and amino acids after storage. Compared to that, the wet stored samples in a buffered or pure aqueous environment revealed no degradation effects after 4 weeks. However, this storage bears a higher risk of fungi/bacterial contamination, as sterile conditions are typically not maintained. Thus, regular solution change is recommended for optimized storage conditions. Not directly exposing the samples to air, wet storage seems to minimize oxidation effects, and hence, buffer or water storage with regular renewal of the solution is recommended for short storage periods. PMID:26810048

Sensitivity and fragmentation calibration of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer RTOF on board ESA's Rosetta mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasc, Sébastien; Altwegg, Kathrin; Jäckel, Annette; Le Roy, Léna; Rubin, Martin; Fiethe, Björn; Mall, Urs; Rème, Henri

2014-05-01

The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission will rendez-vous comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) in September 2014. The Rosetta spacecraft with the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) onboard will follow and survey 67P for more than a year until the comet reaches its perihelion and beyond. ROSINA will provide new information on the global molecular, elemental, and isotopic composition of the coma [1]. ROSINA consists of a pressure sensor (COPS) and two mass spectrometers, the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS) and the Reflectron Time Of Flight mass spectrometer (RTOF). RTOF has a wide mass range, from 1 amu/e to >300 amu/e, and contains two ion sources, a reflectron and two detectors. The two ion sources, the orthogonal and the storage source, are capable to measure cometary ions while the latter also allows measuring cometary neutral gas. In neutral gas mode the ionization is performed through electron impact. A built-in Gas Calibration Unit (GCU) contains a known gas mixture composed of He, CO2, and Kr that can be used for in-flight calibration of the instrument. Among other ROSINA specific scientific goals, RTOF's task will be to determine molecular composition of volatiles via measuring and separating heavy hydrocarbons; it has been designed to study the development of the cometary activity as well as the coma chemistry between 3.5 AU and perihelion. From the spectroscopic studies and in-situ observations of other comets, we expect to find molecules such as H2O, CO, CO2, hydrocarbons, alcohols, formaldehyde, and other organic compounds in the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko [2]. To demonstrate and quantify the sensitivity and functionality of RTOF, calibration measurements have been realized with more than 20 species among the most abundant molecules quoted above, as well as other species such as PAHs. We will describe the applied methods used to realize this calibration and will discuss our preliminary results, i.e. RTOF capabilities in terms of sensitivity, isotopic ratios, and fragmentation patterns. We will demonstrate that RTOF is well capable to meet the requirements to address the scientific questions discussed above. [1] Balsiger, H. et al.: ROSINA-Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis, Space Science Reviews, Vol. 128, 745-801, 2007. [2] Bockelée-Morvan, D., Crovisier, J., Mumma, M. J., and Weaver, H. A.: The Composition of Cometary Volatiles, in Comets II (M. C. Festou et al., eds), Univ. Arizona Press, Tucson, 2004

In vivo Real-Time Mass Spectrometry for Guided Surgery Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatou, Benoit; Saudemont, Philippe; Leblanc, Eric; Vinatier, Denis; Mesdag, Violette; Wisztorski, Maxence; Focsa, Cristian; Salzet, Michel; Ziskind, Michael; Fournier, Isabelle

2016-05-01

Here we describe a new instrument (SpiderMass) designed for in vivo and real-time analysis. In this instrument ion production is performed remotely from the MS instrument and the generated ions are transported in real-time to the MS analyzer. Ion production is promoted by Resonant Infrared Laser Ablation (RIR-LA) based on the highly effective excitation of O-H bonds in water molecules naturally present in most biological samples. The retrieved molecular patterns are specific to the cell phenotypes and benign versus cancer regions of patient biopsies can be easily differentiated. We also demonstrate by analysis of human skin that SpiderMass can be used under in vivo conditions with minimal damage and pain. Furthermore SpiderMass can also be used for real-time drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) analysis or food safety topics. SpiderMass is thus the first MS based system designed for in vivo real-time analysis under minimally invasive conditions.

Aerodynamic Evidence Pertaining to the Entry of Tektites into the Earth's Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, Dean R.; Larson, Howard K.; Anderson, Lewis A.

1962-01-01

Evidence is presented which shows that the Australian and Java tektites entered the earth's atmosphere and experienced ablation by severe aerodynamic heating in hypervelocity flight. The laboratory experiments on hypervelocity ablation have reproduced ring-wave flow ridges and coiled circumferential flanges like those found on certain of these tektites. Systematic striae distortions exhibited in a thin layer beneath the front surface of australites also are reproduced in the laboratory ablation experiments, and are shown to correspond to the calculated distortions for aerodynamic ablation of a glass. About 98 percent of Australian tektites represent aerodynamically stable configurations during the ablative portion of an entry trajectory. Certain meteorites exhibit surface features similar to those on tektites.

Development of an ion time-of-flight spectrometer for neutron depth profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cetiner, Mustafa Sacit

Ion time-of-flight spectrometry techniques are investigated for applicability to neutron depth profiling. Time-of-flight techniques are used extensively in a wide range of scientific and technological applications including energy and mass spectroscopy. Neutron depth profiling is a near-surface analysis technique that gives concentration distribution versus depth for certain technologically important light elements. The technique uses thermal or sub-thermal neutrons to initiate (n, p) or (n, alpha) reactions. Concentration versus depth distribution is obtained by the transformation of the energy spectrum into depth distribution by using stopping force tables of the projectiles in the substrate, and by converting the number of counts into concentration using a standard sample of known dose value. Conventionally, neutron depth profiling measurements are based on charged particle spectrometry, which employs semiconductor detectors such as a surface barrier detector (SBD) and the associated electronics. Measurements with semiconductor detectors are affected by a number of broadening mechanisms, which result from the interactions between the projectile ion and the detector material as well as fluctuations in the signal generation process. These are inherent features of the detection mechanism that involve the semiconductor detectors and cannot be avoided. Ion time-of-flight spectrometry offers highly precise measurement capabilities, particularly for slow particles. For high-energy low-mass particles, measurement resolution tends to degrade with all other parameters fixed. The threshold for more precise ion energy measurements with respect to conventional techniques, such as direct energy measurement by a surface barrier detector, is directly related to the design and operating parameters of the device. Time-of-flight spectrometry involves correlated detection of two signals by a coincidence unit. In ion time-of-flight spectroscopy, the ion generates the primary input signal. Without loss of generality, the secondary signal is obtained by the passage of the ion through a thin carbon foil, which produces ion-induced secondary electron emission (IISEE). The time-of-flight spectrometer physically acts as an ion/electron separator. The electrons that enter the active volume of the spectrometer are transported onto the microchannel plate detector to generate the secondary signal. The electron optics can be designed in variety of ways depending on the nature of the measurement and physical requirements. Two ion time-of-flight spectrometer designs are introduced: the parallel electric and magnetic (PEM) field spectrometer and the cross electric and magnetic (CEM) field spectrometer. The CEM field spectrometers have been extensively used in a wide range of applications where precise mass differentiation is required. The PEM field spectrometers have lately found interest in mass spectroscopy applications. The application of the PEM field spectrometer for energy measurements is a novel approach. The PEM field spectrometer used in the measurements employs axial electric and magnetic fields along the nominal direction of the incident ion. The secondary electrons are created by a thin carbon foil on the entrance disk and transported on the microchannel plate that faces the carbon foil. The initial angular distribution of the secondary electrons has virtually no effect on the transport time of the secondary electrons from the surface of the carbon foil to the electron microchannel plate detector. Therefore, the PEM field spectrometer can offer high-resolution energy measurement for relatively lower electric fields. The measurements with the PEM field spectrometer were made with the Tandem linear particle accelerator at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center at Yorktown Heights, NY. The CEM field spectrometer developed for the thesis employs axial electric field along the nominal direction of the ion, and has perpendicular magnetic field. As the electric field accelerates and then decelerates the emitted secondary electron beam, the magnetic field steers the beam away from the source and focuses it onto the electron microchannel plate detector. The initial momentum distribution of the electron beam is observed to have profound effect on the electron transport time. Hence, the CEM field spectrometer measurements suffer more from spectral broadening at similar operating parameters. The CEM field spectrometer measurements were obtained with a 210Po alpha source at the Penn State Radiation Science and Engineering Center, University Park, PA. Although the PEM field spectrometer suffers less from electron transport time dispersion, the CEM field spectrometer is more suited for application to neutron depth profiling. The multiple small-diameter apertures used in the PEM field configuration considerably reduces the geometric efficiency of the spectrometer. Most of the neutron depth profiling measurements, where isotropic emission of charged particles is observed, have relatively low count rates; hence, high detection efficiency is essential.

Laboratory Simulations of Micrometeoroid Ablation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Evan Williamson

Each day, several tons of meteoric material enters Earth's atmosphere, the majority of which consist of small dust particles (micrometeoroids) that completely ablate at high altitudes. The dust input has been suggested to play a role in a variety of phenomena including: layers of metal atoms and ions, nucleation of noctilucent clouds, effects on stratospheric aerosols and ozone chemistry, and the fertilization of the ocean with bio-available iron. Furthermore, a correct understanding of the dust input to the Earth provides constraints on inner solar system dust models. Various methods are used to measure the dust input to the Earth including satellite detectors, radar, lidar, rocket-borne detectors, ice core and deep-sea sediment analysis. However, the best way to interpret each of these measurements is uncertain, which leads to large uncertainties in the total dust input. To better understand the ablation process, and thereby reduce uncertainties in micrometeoroid ablation measurements, a facility has been developed to simulate the ablation of micrometeoroids in laboratory conditions. An electrostatic dust accelerator is used to accelerate iron particles to relevant meteoric velocities (10-70 km/s). The particles are then introduced into a chamber pressurized with a target gas, and they partially or completely ablate over a short distance. An array of diagnostics then measure, with timing and spatial resolution, the charge and light that is generated in the ablation process. In this thesis, we present results from the newly developed ablation facility. The ionization coefficient, an important parameter for interpreting meteor radar measurements, is measured for various target gases. Furthermore, experimental ablation measurements are compared to predictions from commonly used ablation models. In light of these measurements, implications to the broader context of meteor ablation are discussed.

DETERMINATION OF ION AND NEUTRAL LOSS COMPOSITIONS AND DECONVOLUTION OF PRODUCT ION MASS SPECTRA USING AN ORTHOGONAL ACCELERATION, TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER AND AN ION CORRELATION PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

Exact masses of monoisotopic ions and the relative isotopic abundances (RIAs) of ions greater in mass by 1 and 2 Da than the monoisotopic ion are independent and complementary physical properties useful for istinguishing among ion compositions possible for a given nominal mass. U...

Effects of Non-Equilibrium Chemistry and Darcy-Forchheimer Flow of Pyrolysis Gas for a Charring Ablator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Yih-Kanq; Milos, Frank S.

2011-01-01

The Fully Implicit Ablation and Thermal Response code, FIAT, simulates pyrolysis and ablation of thermal protection materials and systems. The governing equations, which include energy conservation, a three-component decomposition model, and a surface energy balance, are solved with a moving grid. This work describes new modeling capabilities that are added to a special version of FIAT. These capabilities include a time-dependent pyrolysis gas flow momentum equation with Darcy-Forchheimer terms and pyrolysis gas species conservation equations with finite-rate homogeneous chemical reactions. The total energy conservation equation is also enhanced for consistency with these new additions. Parametric studies are performed using this enhanced version of FIAT. Two groups of analyses of Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) are presented. In the first group, an Orion flight environment for a proposed Lunar-return trajectory is considered. In the second group, various test conditions for arcjet models are examined. The central focus of these parametric studies is to understand the effect of pyrolysis gas momentum transfer on PICA material in-depth thermal responses with finite-rate, equilibrium, or frozen homogeneous gas chemistry. Results are presented, discussed, and compared with those predicted by the baseline PICA/FIAT ablation and thermal response model developed by the Orion Thermal Protection System Advanced Development Project.

Angular distribution of ions and extreme ultraviolet emission in laser-produced tin droplet plasma

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

Chen, Hong; Duan, Lian; Lan, Hui

Angular-resolved ion time-of-flight spectra as well as extreme ultraviolet radiation in laser-produced tin droplet plasma are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Tin droplets with a diameter of 150 μm are irradiated by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The ion time-of-flight spectra measured from the plasma formed by laser irradiation of the tin droplets are interpreted in terms of a theoretical elliptical Druyvesteyn distribution to deduce ion density distributions including kinetic temperatures of the plasma. The opacity of the plasma for extreme ultraviolet radiation is calculated based on the deduced ion densities and temperatures, and the angular distribution of extreme ultraviolet radiation is expressedmore » as a function of the opacity using the Beer–Lambert law. Our results show that the calculated angular distribution of extreme ultraviolet radiation is in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.« less

Angular distribution of ions and extreme ultraviolet emission in laser-produced tin droplet plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hong; Wang, Xinbing; Duan, Lian; Lan, Hui; Chen, Ziqi; Zuo, Duluo; Lu, Peixiang

2015-05-01

Angular-resolved ion time-of-flight spectra as well as extreme ultraviolet radiation in laser-produced tin droplet plasma are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Tin droplets with a diameter of 150 μm are irradiated by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The ion time-of-flight spectra measured from the plasma formed by laser irradiation of the tin droplets are interpreted in terms of a theoretical elliptical Druyvesteyn distribution to deduce ion density distributions including kinetic temperatures of the plasma. The opacity of the plasma for extreme ultraviolet radiation is calculated based on the deduced ion densities and temperatures, and the angular distribution of extreme ultraviolet radiation is expressed as a function of the opacity using the Beer-Lambert law. Our results show that the calculated angular distribution of extreme ultraviolet radiation is in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.

Flight Computer Design for the Space Technology 5 (ST-5) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Speer, David; Jackson, George; Raphael, Dave; Day, John H. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

As part of NASA's New Millennium Program, the Space Technology 5 mission will validate a variety of technologies for nano-satellite and constellation mission applications. Included are: a miniaturized and low power X-band transponder, a constellation communication and navigation transceiver, a cold gas micro-thruster, two different variable emittance (thermal) controllers, flex cables for solar array power collection, autonomous groundbased constellation management tools, and a new CMOS ultra low-power, radiation-tolerant, +0.5 volt logic technology. The ST-5 focus is on small and low-power. A single-processor, multi-function flight computer will implement direct digital and analog interfaces to all of the other spacecraft subsystems and components. There will not be a distributed data system that uses a standardized serial bus such as MIL-STD-1553 or MIL-STD-1773. The flight software running on the single processor will be responsible for all real-time processing associated with: guidance, navigation and control, command and data handling (C&DH) including uplink/downlink, power switching and battery charge management, science data analysis and storage, intra-constellation communications, and housekeeping data collection and logging. As a nanosatellite trail-blazer for future constellations of up to 100 separate space vehicles, ST-5 will demonstrate a compact (single board), low power (5.5 watts) solution to the data acquisition, control, communications, processing and storage requirements that have traditionally required an entire network of separate circuit boards and/or avionics boxes. In addition to the New Millennium technologies, other major spacecraft subsystems include the power system electronics, a lithium-ion battery, triple-junction solar cell arrays, a science-grade magnetometer, a miniature spinning sun sensor, and a propulsion system.

High-time resolution measurements of solar wind heavy ions with SOHO/CELIAS/CTOF

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

Janitzek, N. P., E-mail: janitzek@physik.uni-kiel.de; Taut, A.; Berger, L.

2016-03-25

The Charge Time-Of-Flight (CTOF) mass spectrometer as part of the Charge, ELement and Isotope Analysis System (CELIAS) onboard the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is designed to measure the kinetic properties and elemental/ionic composition of solar wind ions heavier than protons, which we refer to as heavy ions. This is achieved by the combined measurements of the energy-per-charge, the time-of-flight and the energy of incident ions. The CTOF instrument combines a remarkable time-of-flight resolution with a large effective area and a high measurement cadence. This allows to determine the Velocity Distribution Functions (VDFs) of a wide range of heavy ionsmore » with 5-minute time resolution which ensures that the complete VDF is measured under nearly identical solar wind and magnetic field conditions. For the measurement period between Day Of Year (DOY) 150 and 220 in 1996, which covers a large part of the instrument’s short life time, we analyzed VDFs of solar wind iron Fe{sup 8+}, Fe{sup 9+} and Fe{sup 10+} for differential streaming relative to the solar wind proton speed measured simultaneously with the CELIAS Proton Monitor (PM). We find an increasing differential streaming with increasing solar wind proton speed for all investigated ions up to ion-proton velocity differences of 30 - 50 km s{sup −1} at proton velocities of 500 km s{sup −1}, which is contradictory to an earlier CTOF study by [7]. We believe this difference is because in this study we used raw Pulse Height Analysis (PHA) data with a significantly increased mass and mass-per-charge resolution compared to the earlier used onboard preprocessed data.« less

Investigation of effect of solenoid magnet on emittances of ion beam from laser ablation plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Shunsuke; Romanelli, Mark; Cinquegrani, David; Sekine, Megumi; Kumaki, Masafumi; Fuwa, Yasuhiro; Kanesue, Takeshi; Okamura, Masahiro; Horioka, Kazuhiko

2014-02-01

A magnetic field can increase an ion current of a laser ablation plasma and is expected to control the change of the plasma ion current. However, the magnetic field can also make some fluctuations of the plasma and the effect on the beam emittance and the emission surface is not clear. To investigate the effect of a magnetic field, we extracted the ion beams under three conditions where without magnetic field, with magnetic field, and without magnetic field with higher laser energy to measure the beam distribution in phase space. Then we compared the relations between the plasma ion current density into the extraction gap and the Twiss parameters with each condition. We observed the effect of the magnetic field on the emission surface.

Investigation of effect of solenoid magnet on emittances of ion beam from laser ablation plasma.

PubMed

Ikeda, Shunsuke; Romanelli, Mark; Cinquegrani, David; Sekine, Megumi; Kumaki, Masafumi; Fuwa, Yasuhiro; Kanesue, Takeshi; Okamura, Masahiro; Horioka, Kazuhiko

2014-02-01

A magnetic field can increase an ion current of a laser ablation plasma and is expected to control the change of the plasma ion current. However, the magnetic field can also make some fluctuations of the plasma and the effect on the beam emittance and the emission surface is not clear. To investigate the effect of a magnetic field, we extracted the ion beams under three conditions where without magnetic field, with magnetic field, and without magnetic field with higher laser energy to measure the beam distribution in phase space. Then we compared the relations between the plasma ion current density into the extraction gap and the Twiss parameters with each condition. We observed the effect of the magnetic field on the emission surface.

Demonstration of a Nano-Enabled Space Power System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raffaelle, Ryne; Hunter, Roger C.; Baker, Christopher

2017-01-01

The Nano-Enabled Space Power System will demonstrate power systems with nanomaterial-enhanced components as are placement for CubeSat power generation, transmission, and storage. Successful flights of these nano-power systems will accelerate the use of this revolutionary technology in the aerospace industry. The use of nano materials in solar cells, wire harnesses,and lithium ion batteries can increase the device performance without significantly altering the devices physical dimensions or the devices operating range (temperature,voltage, current). In many cases, the use of nanomaterials widens the viable range of operating conditions, such as increased depth of discharge of lithium ion batteries, tunable bandgaps in solar cells, and increased flexure tolerance of wire harnesses.

Detection of aqueous phase chemical warfare agent degradation products by negative mode ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry [IM(tof)MS].

PubMed

Steiner, Wes E; Harden, Charles S; Hong, Feng; Klopsch, Steve J; Hill, Herbert H; McHugh, Vincent M

2006-02-01

The use of negative ion monitoring mode with an atmospheric pressure ion mobility orthogonal reflector time-of-flight mass spectrometer [IM(tof)MS] to detect chemical warfare agent (CWA) degradation products from aqueous phase samples has been determined. Aqueous phase sampling used a traditional electrospray ionization (ESI) source for sample introduction and ionization. Certified reference materials (CRM) of CWA degradation products for the detection of Schedule 1, 2, or 3 toxic chemicals or their precursors as defined by the chemical warfare convention (CWC) treaty verification were used in this study. A mixture of six G-series nerve related CWA degradation products (EMPA, IMPA, EHEP, IHEP, CHMPA, and PMPA) and their related collision induced dissociation (CID) fragment ions (MPA and EPA) were found in each case to be clearly resolved and detected using the IM(tof)MS instrument in negative ion monitoring mode. Corresponding ions, masses, drift times, K(o) values, and signal intensities for each of the CWA degradation products are reported.

NASA Glenn Research Center Electrochemistry Branch Battery Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manzo, Michelle A.

2010-01-01

This presentation covers an overview of NASA Glenn s history and heritage in the development of electrochemical systems for aerospace applications. Specific areas of focus are Li-ion batteries and their development for future Exploration missions. Current component development efforts for high energy and ultra high energy Li-ion batteries are addressed. Electrochemical systems are critical to the success of Exploration, Science and Space Operations missions. NASA Glenn has a long, successful heritage with batteries and fuel cells for aerospace applications. GRC Battery capabilities and expertise span basic research through flight hardware development and implementation. There is a great deal of synergy between energy storage system needs for aerospace and terrestrial applications.

Towards rewritable multilevel optical data storage in single nanocrystals.

PubMed

Riesen, Nicolas; Pan, Xuanzhao; Badek, Kate; Ruan, Yinlan; Monro, Tanya M; Zhao, Jiangbo; Ebendorff-Heidepriem, Heike; Riesen, Hans

2018-04-30

Novel approaches for digital data storage are imperative, as storage capacities are drastically being outpaced by the exponential growth in data generation. Optical data storage represents the most promising alternative to traditional magnetic and solid-state data storage. In this paper, a novel and energy efficient approach to optical data storage using rare-earth ion doped inorganic insulators is demonstrated. In particular, the nanocrystalline alkaline earth halide BaFCl:Sm is shown to provide great potential for multilevel optical data storage. Proof-of-concept demonstrations reveal for the first time that these phosphors could be used for rewritable, multilevel optical data storage on the physical dimensions of a single nanocrystal. Multilevel information storage is based on the very efficient and reversible conversion of Sm 3+ to Sm 2+ ions upon exposure to UV-C light. The stored information is then read-out using confocal optics by employing the photoluminescence of the Sm 2+ ions in the nanocrystals, with the signal strength depending on the UV-C fluence used during the write step. The latter serves as the mechanism for multilevel data storage in the individual nanocrystals, as demonstrated in this paper. This data storage platform has the potential to be extended to 2D and 3D memory for storage densities that could potentially approach petabyte/cm 3 levels.

First Observation of Cross-Beam Energy Transfer Mitigation for Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions Using Wavelength Detuning at the National Ignition Facility.

PubMed

Marozas, J A; Hohenberger, M; Rosenberg, M J; Turnbull, D; Collins, T J B; Radha, P B; McKenty, P W; Zuegel, J D; Marshall, F J; Regan, S P; Sangster, T C; Seka, W; Campbell, E M; Goncharov, V N; Bowers, M W; Di Nicola, J-M G; Erbert, G; MacGowan, B J; Pelz, L J; Yang, S T

2018-02-23

Cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) results from two-beam energy exchange via seeded stimulated Brillouin scattering, which detrimentally reduces ablation pressure and implosion velocity in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. Mitigating CBET is demonstrated for the first time in inertial-confinement implosions at the National Ignition Facility by detuning the laser-source wavelengths (±2.3  Å UV) of the interacting beams. We show that, in polar direct-drive, wavelength detuning increases the equatorial region velocity experimentally by 16% and alters the in-flight shell morphology. These experimental observations are consistent with design predictions of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations that indicate a 10% increase in the average ablation pressure.

First Observation of Cross-Beam Energy Transfer Mitigation for Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions Using Wavelength Detuning at the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marozas, J. A.; Hohenberger, M.; Rosenberg, M. J.; Turnbull, D.; Collins, T. J. B.; Radha, P. B.; McKenty, P. W.; Zuegel, J. D.; Marshall, F. J.; Regan, S. P.; Sangster, T. C.; Seka, W.; Campbell, E. M.; Goncharov, V. N.; Bowers, M. W.; Di Nicola, J.-M. G.; Erbert, G.; MacGowan, B. J.; Pelz, L. J.; Yang, S. T.

2018-02-01

Cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) results from two-beam energy exchange via seeded stimulated Brillouin scattering, which detrimentally reduces ablation pressure and implosion velocity in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. Mitigating CBET is demonstrated for the first time in inertial-confinement implosions at the National Ignition Facility by detuning the laser-source wavelengths (±2.3 Å UV) of the interacting beams. We show that, in polar direct-drive, wavelength detuning increases the equatorial region velocity experimentally by 16% and alters the in-flight shell morphology. These experimental observations are consistent with design predictions of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations that indicate a 10% increase in the average ablation pressure.

Rechargeable dual-metal-ion batteries for advanced energy storage.

PubMed

Yao, Hu-Rong; You, Ya; Yin, Ya-Xia; Wan, Li-Jun; Guo, Yu-Guo

2016-04-14

Energy storage devices are more important today than any time before in human history due to the increasing demand for clean and sustainable energy. Rechargeable batteries are emerging as the most efficient energy storage technology for a wide range of portable devices, grids and electronic vehicles. Future generations of batteries are required to have high gravimetric and volumetric energy, high power density, low price, long cycle life, high safety and low self-discharge properties. However, it is quite challenging to achieve the above properties simultaneously in state-of-the-art single metal ion batteries (e.g. Li-ion batteries, Na-ion batteries and Mg-ion batteries). In this contribution, hybrid-ion batteries in which various metal ions simultaneously engage to store energy are shown to provide a new perspective towards advanced energy storage: by connecting the respective advantages of different metal ion batteries they have recently attracted widespread attention due to their novel performances. The properties of hybrid-ion batteries are not simply the superposition of the performances of single ion batteries. To enable a distinct description, we only focus on dual-metal-ion batteries in this article, for which the design and the benefits are briefly discussed. We enumerate some new results about dual-metal-ion batteries and demonstrate the mechanism for improving performance based on knowledge from the literature and experiments. Although the search for hybrid-ion batteries is still at an early age, we believe that this strategy would be an excellent choice for breaking the inherent disadvantages of single ion batteries in the near future.

In Situ Geochemical Analysis and Age Dating of Rocks Using Laser Ablation-Miniature Mass Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinha, Mahadeva P.; Hecht, Michael H.; Hurowitz, Joel A.

2012-01-01

A miniaturized instrument for performing chemical and isotopic analysis of rocks has been developed. The rock sample is ablated by a laser and the neutral species produced are analyzed using the JPL-invented miniature mass spectrometer. The direct sampling of neutral ablated material and the simultaneous measurement of all the elemental and isotopic species are the novelties of this method. In this laser ablation-miniature mass spectrometer (LA-MMS) method, the ablated neutral atoms are led into the electron impact ionization source of the MMS, where they are ionized by a 70-eV electron beam. This results in a secondary ion pulse typically 10-100 microsecond wide, compared to the original 5-10-nanosecond laser pulse duration. Ions of different masses are then spatially dispersed along the focal plane of the magnetic sector of the miniature mass spectrometer and measured in parallel by a modified CCD (charge-coupled device) array detector capable of detecting ions directly. Compared to conventional scanning techniques, simultaneous measurement of the ion pulse along the focal plane effectively offers a 100% duty cycle over a wide mass range. LAMMS offers a more quantitative assessment of elemental composition than techniques that detect laser-ionized species produced directly in the ablation process because the latter can be strongly influenced by matrix effects that vary with the structure and geometry of the surface, the laser beam, and the ionization energies of the elements. The measurement of high-precision isotopic ratios and elemental composition of different rock minerals by LAMMS method has been demonstrated. The LA-MMS can be applied for the absolute age determination of rocks. There is no such instrument available presently in a miniaturized version that can be used for NASA space missions. Work is in progress in the laboratory for geochronology of rocks using LA-MMS that is based on K-Ar radiogenic dating technique.

Spinel lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) as novel anode material for room-temperature sodium-ion battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Liang; Pan, Hui-Lin; Hu, Yong-Sheng; Li, Hong; Chen, Li-Quan

2012-02-01

This is the first time that a novel anode material, spinel Li4Ti5O12 which is well known as a “zero-strain" anode material for lithium storage, has been introduced for sodium-ion battery. The Li4Ti5O12 shows an average Na storage voltage of about 1.0 V and a reversible capacity of about 145 mAh/g, thereby making it a promising anode for sodium-ion battery. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) is used to investigate the structure change in the Na insertion/deinsertion process. Based on this, a possible Na storage mechanism is proposed.

Investigation into accurate mass capability of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, with respect to radical ion species.

PubMed

Wyatt, Mark F; Stein, Bridget K; Brenton, A Gareth

2006-05-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) has been shown to be an effective technique for the characterization of organometallic, coordination, and highly conjugated compounds. The preferred matrix is 2-[(2E)-3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methylprop-2-enylidene]malononitrile (DCTB), with radical ions observed. However, MALDI-TOFMS is generally not favored for accurate mass measurement. A specific method had to be developed for such compounds to assure the quality of our accurate mass results. Therefore, in this preliminary study, two methods of data acquisition, and both even-electron (EE+) ion and odd-electron (OE+.) radical ion mass calibration standards, have been investigated to establish the basic measurement technique. The benefit of this technique is demonstrated for a copper compound for which ions were observed by MALDI, but not by electrospray (ESI) or liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS); a mean mass accuracy error of -1.2 ppm was obtained.

Low pressure laser ablation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fliegel, Daniel; Günther, Detlef

2006-07-01

The particle size distribution in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is known to be a critical parameter for complete vaporization of particles. Any strategy to reduce the particle size distribution of laser generated aerosols has the potential to increase the ion signal intensity and to reduce fractionation effects. Due to the fact that vapor generation, nucleation, condensation, and agglomeration take place within an extremely short period of time, ablation under atmospheric pressure might not allow influencing these processes while under reduced pressure condition the cooling of the aerosol and therefore the condensation is expected to be slower. In this study, a low pressure laser ablation cell for the generation of laser aerosols was coupled to an ICP-MS. In contrast to the previously developed trapped ablation mode, the newly designed cell allows the adjustment of the pressure in the ablation cell between 20 and 1400 mbar prior to the ablation. Ablation experiments carried out using this configuration showed a dependence of the aerosol properties (size distribution and particle structure) on the ablation cell pressure. The intensity ratio U/Th measured as a figure of merit for complete vaporization within the ICP indicated a change in the aerosol structure at approximately 500 mbar toward smaller particle size. A significant difference between low pressure and at ambient pressure ablated aerosol was observed. The intensity ratios (U/Th) of the ablated sample moves closer to the bulk composition at lower pressures at the expense of sensitivity. Therefore the decrease in the ICP-MS signal intensity in the low pressure cell can be attributed to vapor deposition within the ablation cell walls. Moreover, scanning electron microscope images of aerosols collected on filters after the low pressure ablation cell suggest the possibility of a slower cooling velocity of the aerosol, which was observed in the condensed material on the surface of ejected spherical particles. The expansion of the laser aerosol was also investigated using polished brass substrates in the expansion path-way for particle collection.

CFDP for Interplanetary Overlay Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burleigh, Scott C.

2011-01-01

The CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) File Delivery Protocol for Interplanetary Overlay Network (CFDP-ION) is an implementation of CFDP that uses IO' s DTN (delay tolerant networking) implementation as its UT (unit-data transfer) layer. Because the DTN protocols effect automatic, reliable transmission via multiple relays, CFDP-ION need only satisfy the requirements for Class 1 ("unacknowledged") CFDP. This keeps the implementation small, but without loss of capability. This innovation minimizes processing resources by using zero-copy objects for file data transmission. It runs without modification in VxWorks, Linux, Solaris, and OS/X. As such, this innovation can be used without modification in both flight and ground systems. Integration with DTN enables the CFDP implementation itself to be very simple; therefore, very small. Use of ION infrastructure minimizes consumption of storage and processing resources while maximizing safety.

Mars Surveyor Program '01 Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment wet chemistry lab: a sensor array for chemical analysis of the Martian soil.

PubMed

Kounaves, Samuel P; Lukow, Stefan R; Comeau, Brian P; Hecht, Michael H; Grannan-Feldman, Sabrina M; Manatt, Ken; West, Steven J; Wen, Xiaowen; Frant, Martin; Gillette, Tim

2003-07-25

The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) instrument was designed, built, and flight qualified for the now canceled MSP (Mars Surveyor Program) '01 Lander. The MECA package consisted of a microscope, electrometer, material patch plates, and a wet chemistry laboratory (WCL). The primary goal of MECA was to analyze the Martian soil (regolith) for possible hazards to future astronauts and to provide a better understanding of Martian regolith geochemistry. The purpose of the WCL was to analyze for a range of soluble ionic chemical species and electrochemical parameters. The heart of the WCL was a sensor array of electrochemically based ion-selective electrodes (ISE). After 20 months storage at -23 degrees C and subsequent extended freeze/thawing cycles, WCL sensors were evaluated to determine both their physical durability and analytical responses. A fractional factorial calibration of the sensors was used to obtain slope, intercept, and all necessary selectivity coefficients simultaneously for selected ISEs. This calibration was used to model five cation and three anion sensors. These data were subsequently used to determine concentrations of several ions in two soil leachate simulants (based on terrestrial seawater and hypothesized Mars brine) and four actual soil samples. The WCL results were compared to simulant and soil samples using ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The results showed that flight qualification and prolonged low-temperature storage conditions had minimal effects on the sensors. In addition, the analytical optimization method provided quantitative and qualitative data that could be used to accurately identify the chemical composition of the simulants and soils. The WCL has the ability to provide data that can be used to "read" the chemical, geological, and climatic history of Mars, as well as the potential habitability of its regolith.

Mars Surveyor Program '01 Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment wet chemistry lab: a sensor array for chemical analysis of the Martian soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kounaves, Samuel P.; Lukow, Stefan R.; Comeau, Brian P.; Hecht, Michael H.; Grannan-Feldman, Sabrina M.; Manatt, Ken; West, Steven J.; Wen, Xiaowen; Frant, Martin; Gillette, Tim

2003-01-01

The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) instrument was designed, built, and flight qualified for the now canceled MSP (Mars Surveyor Program) '01 Lander. The MECA package consisted of a microscope, electrometer, material patch plates, and a wet chemistry laboratory (WCL). The primary goal of MECA was to analyze the Martian soil (regolith) for possible hazards to future astronauts and to provide a better understanding of Martian regolith geochemistry. The purpose of the WCL was to analyze for a range of soluble ionic chemical species and electrochemical parameters. The heart of the WCL was a sensor array of electrochemically based ion-selective electrodes (ISE). After 20 months storage at -23 degrees C and subsequent extended freeze/thawing cycles, WCL sensors were evaluated to determine both their physical durability and analytical responses. A fractional factorial calibration of the sensors was used to obtain slope, intercept, and all necessary selectivity coefficients simultaneously for selected ISEs. This calibration was used to model five cation and three anion sensors. These data were subsequently used to determine concentrations of several ions in two soil leachate simulants (based on terrestrial seawater and hypothesized Mars brine) and four actual soil samples. The WCL results were compared to simulant and soil samples using ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The results showed that flight qualification and prolonged low-temperature storage conditions had minimal effects on the sensors. In addition, the analytical optimization method provided quantitative and qualitative data that could be used to accurately identify the chemical composition of the simulants and soils. The WCL has the ability to provide data that can be used to "read" the chemical, geological, and climatic history of Mars, as well as the potential habitability of its regolith.

Tandem ion mobility spectrometry coupled to laser excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Anne-Laure; Chirot, Fabien; Choi, Chang Min; Clavier, Christian; Barbaire, Marc; Maurelli, Jacques; Dagany, Xavier; MacAleese, Luke; Dugourd, Philippe

2015-09-01

This manuscript describes a new experimental setup that allows to perform tandem ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) measurements and which is coupled to a high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer. It consists of two 79 cm long drift tubes connected by a dual ion funnel assembly. The setup was built to permit laser irradiation of the ions in the transfer region between the two drift tubes. This geometry allows selecting ions according to their ion mobility in the first drift tube, to irradiate selected ions, and examine the ion mobility of the product ions in the second drift tube. Activation by collision is possible in the same region (between the two tubes) and between the second tube and the time-of-flight. IMS-IMS experiments on Ubiquitin are reported. We selected a given isomer of charge state +7 and explored its structural rearrangement following collisional activation between the two drift tubes. An example of IMS-laser-IMS experiment is reported on eosin Y, where laser irradiation was used to produce radical ions by electron photodetachment starting from doubly deprotonated species. This allowed measuring the collision cross section of the radical photo-product, which cannot be directly produced with an electrospray source.

Advanced capabilities for in situ planetary mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arevalo, R. D., Jr.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Getty, S.; Benna, M.; van Amerom, F. H. W.; Danell, R.; Pinnick, V. T.; Li, X.; Grubisic, A.; Cornish, T.; Hovmand, L.

2015-12-01

NASA GSFC has delivered highly capable quadrupole mass spectrometers (QMS) for missions to Venus (Pioneer Venus), Jupiter (Galileo), Saturn/Titan (Cassini-Huygens), Mars (MSL and MAVEN), and the Moon (LADEE). Our understanding of the Solar System has been expanded significantly by these exceedingly versatile yet low risk and cost efficient instruments. GSFC has developed more recently a suite of advanced instrument technologies promising enhanced science return while selectively leveraging heritage designs. Relying on a traditional precision QMS, the Analysis of Gas Evolved from Samples (AGES) instrument measures organic inventory, determines exposure age and establishes the absolute timing of deposition/petrogenesis of interrogated samples. The Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) aboard the ExoMars 2018 rover employs a two-dimensional ion trap, built analogously to heritage QMS rod assemblies, which can support dual ionization sources, selective ion enrichment and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The same miniaturized analyzer serves as the core of the Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (LITMS) instrument, which offers negative ion detection (switchable polarity) and an extended mass range (>2000 Da). Time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOF-MS) have been interfaced to a range of laser sources to progress high-sensitivity laser ablation and desorption methods for analysis of inorganic and non-volatile organic compounds, respectively. The L2MS (two-step laser mass spectrometer) enables the desorption of neutrals and/or prompt ionization at IR (1.0 up to 3.1 µm, with an option for tunability) or UV wavelengths (commonly 266 or 355 nm). For the selective ionization of specific classes of organics, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, a second UV laser may be employed to decouple the desorption and ionization steps and limit molecular fragmentation. Mass analyzers with substantially higher resolving powers (up to m/Δm > 100,000), such as the Advanced Resolution Organic Molecule Analyzer (AROMA) and multipass QMS instruments now under development, offer the potential to disambiguate key chemical signatures in complex mass spectra. Other innovative technologies being pursued include: ion inlet systems; tunable lasers; high-temp pyrolysis ovens; and, sample capture/enrichment techniques.

Mixed clusters from the coexpansion of C2F6 and n2 in a pulsed, supersonic expansion cluster ion source and beam deflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer: A first application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Steven D.

The following topics are discussed: (1) cluster ion genesis; (2) cluster ion detection; (3) Ion source; (4) pulse valve; (5) e-gun; (6) Ion optics; (7) a first order model; and (8) a modified Bakker's model.

Automated Interpretation and Extraction of Topographic Information from Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Data

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

Ievlev, Anton V.; Belianinov, Alexei; Jesse, Stephen

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF SIMS) is one of the most powerful characterization tools allowing imaging of the chemical properties of various systems and materials. It allows precise studies of the chemical composition with sub-100-nm lateral and nanometer depth spatial resolution. However, comprehensive interpretation of ToF SIMS results is challengeable, because of the data volume and its multidimensionality. Furthermore, investigation of the samples with pronounced topographical features are complicated by the spectral shift. In this work we developed approach for the comprehensive ToF SIMS data interpretation based on the data analytics and automated extraction of the samplemore » topography based on time of flight shift. We further applied this approach to investigate correlation between biological function and chemical composition in Arabidopsis roots.« less

Automated Interpretation and Extraction of Topographic Information from Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Data

DOE PAGES

Ievlev, Anton V.; Belianinov, Alexei; Jesse, Stephen; ...

2017-12-06

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF SIMS) is one of the most powerful characterization tools allowing imaging of the chemical properties of various systems and materials. It allows precise studies of the chemical composition with sub-100-nm lateral and nanometer depth spatial resolution. However, comprehensive interpretation of ToF SIMS results is challengeable, because of the data volume and its multidimensionality. Furthermore, investigation of the samples with pronounced topographical features are complicated by the spectral shift. In this work we developed approach for the comprehensive ToF SIMS data interpretation based on the data analytics and automated extraction of the samplemore » topography based on time of flight shift. We further applied this approach to investigate correlation between biological function and chemical composition in Arabidopsis roots.« less

Invited article: Characterization of background sources in space-based time-of-flight mass spectrometers.

PubMed

Gilbert, J A; Gershman, D J; Gloeckler, G; Lundgren, R A; Zurbuchen, T H; Orlando, T M; McLain, J; von Steiger, R

2014-09-01

For instruments that use time-of-flight techniques to measure space plasma, there are common sources of background signals that evidence themselves in the data. The background from these sources may increase the complexity of data analysis and reduce the signal-to-noise response of the instrument, thereby diminishing the science value or usefulness of the data. This paper reviews several sources of background commonly found in time-of-flight mass spectrometers and illustrates their effect in actual data using examples from ACE-SWICS and MESSENGER-FIPS. Sources include penetrating particles and radiation, UV photons, energy straggling and angular scattering, electron stimulated desorption of ions, ion-induced electron emission, accidental coincidence events, and noise signatures from instrument electronics. Data signatures of these sources are shown, as well as mitigation strategies and design considerations for future instruments.

NASA Capabilities That Could Impact Terrestrial Smart Grids of the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beach, Raymond F.

2015-01-01

Incremental steps to steadily build, test, refine, and qualify capabilities that lead to affordable flight elements and a deep space capability. Potential Deep Space Vehicle Power system characteristics: power 10 kilowatts average; two independent power channels with multi-level cross-strapping; solar array power 24 plus kilowatts; multi-junction arrays; lithium Ion battery storage 200 plus ampere-hours; sized for deep space or low lunar orbit operation; distribution120 volts secondary (SAE AS 5698); 2 kilowatt power transfer between vehicles.

Effects of Nonequilibrium Chemistry and Darcy-Forchheimer Pyrolysis Flow for Charring Ablator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Yih-Kanq; Milos, Frank S.

2013-01-01

The fully implicit ablation and thermal response code simulates pyrolysis and ablation of thermal protection materials and systems. The governing equations, which include energy conservation, a three-component decomposition model, and a surface energy balance, are solved with a moving grid.This work describes new modeling capabilities that are added to a special version of code. These capabilities include a time-dependent pyrolysis gas flow momentum equation with Darcy-Forchheimer terms and pyrolysis gas species conservation equations with finite rate homogeneous chemical reactions. The total energy conservation equation is also enhanced for consistency with these new additions. Two groups of parametric studies of the phenolic impregnated carbon ablator are performed. In the first group, an Orion flight environment for a proposed lunar-return trajectory is considered. In the second group, various test conditions for arcjet models are examined. The central focus of these parametric studies is to understand the effect of pyrolysis gas momentum transfer on material in-depth thermal responses with finite-rate, equilibrium, or frozen homogeneous gas chemistry. Results indicate that the presence of chemical nonequilibrium pyrolysis gas flow does not significantly alter the in-depth thermal response performance predicted using the chemical equilibrium gas model.

A meteor ablation-cluster ion atmospheric sodium theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richter, E. S.; Sechrist, C. F., Jr.

1979-01-01

Neutral and ionic forms of sodium form narrow, well-defined layers which peak in the 90-95 km altitude region at midlatitudes. A new theory for the sodium layer is presented, which is found to be in good agreement with existing atmospheric observations as well as available laboratory measurements of rate constants. The layer is believed to result naturally from a meteor ablation source over a chemical sink with vertical transport of Na(+) playing an important role in the layer shape and variation. While the neutral chemistry is believed to consist of chemical equilibrium between Na and NaO, the ion chemistry departs from earlier studies and considers a cluster ion scheme. It is possible that higher-order cluster ions of sodium play a role in the formation of aerosols, through attachment or ion-induced nucleation processes.

3D organic Na4C6O6/graphene architecture for fast sodium storage with ultralong cycle life.

PubMed

Gu, Jianan; Gu, Yue; Yang, Shubin

2017-11-23

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have aroused increasing interest as one of the most promising replacements for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, a novel organic-inorganic 3D Na 4 C 6 O 6 -graphene architecture was successfully fabricated from commercial Na 2 C 6 O 6 and for the first time applied for sodium storage. Hence, the 3D Na 4 C 6 O 6 -graphene architecture exhibits a high reversible capacity, good cyclic performance and high-rate capability for sodium storage.

Electrostatic-probe measurements of plasma parameters for two reentry flight experiments at 25000 feet per second

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. L., Jr.; Cross, A. E.

1972-01-01

Unique plasma diagnostic measurements at high altitudes from two geometrically similar blunt body reentry spacecraft using electrostatic probe rakes are presented. The probes measured the positive ion density profiles (shape and magnitude) during the two flights. The probe measurements were made at eight discrete points (1 cm to 7 cm) from the vehicle surface in the aft flow field of the spacecraft over the altitude range of 85.3 to 53.3 km (280,000 to 175,000 ft) with measured densities of 10 to the 8th power to 10 to the 12th power electrons/cu cm, respectively. Maximum reentry velocity for each spacecraft was approximately 7620 meters/second (25,000 ft/sec). In the first flight experiment, water was periodically injected into a flow field which was contaminated by ablation products from the spacecraft nose region. The nonablative nose of the second spacecraft thereby minimized flow field contamination. Comparisons of the probe measured density profiles with theoretical calculations are presented with discussion as to the probable cause of significant disagreement. Also discussed are the correlation of probe measurements with vehicle angle of attack motions and the good high altitude agreement between electron densities inferred from the probe measurements, VHF antenna measurements, and microwave reflectometer diagnostic measurements.

Prolonged cold storage of red blood cells by oxygen removal and additive usage

DOEpatents

Bitensky, M.W.; Yoshida, Tatsuro

1998-08-04

Prolonged cold storage of red blood cells by oxygen removal and additive usage. A cost-effective, 4 C storage procedure that preserves red cell quality and prolongs post-transfusion in vivo survival is described. The improved in vivo survival and the preservation of adenosine triphosphate levels, along with reduction in hemolysis and membrane vesicle production of red blood cells stored at 4 C for prolonged periods of time, is achieved by reducing the oxygen level therein at the time of storage; in particular, by flushing the cells with an inert gas, and storing them in an aqueous solution which includes adenine, dextrose, mannitol, citrate ion, and dihydrogen phosphate ion, but no sodium chloride, in an oxygen-permeable container which is located in an oxygen-free environment containing oxygen-scavenging materials. 8 figs.

Prolonged cold storage of red blood cells by oxygen removal and additive usage

DOEpatents

Bitensky, Mark W.; Yoshida, Tatsuro

1998-01-01

Prolonged cold storage of red blood cells by oxygen removal and additive usage. A cost-effective, 4.degree. C. storage procedure that preserves red cell quality and prolongs post-transfusion in vivo survival is described. The improved in vivo survival and the preservation of adenosine triphosphate levels, along with reduction in hemolysis and membrane vesicle production of red blood cells stored at 4.degree. C. for prolonged periods of time, is achieved by reducing the oxygen level therein at the time of storage; in particular, by flushing the cells with an inert gas, and storing them in an aqueous solution which includes adenine, dextrose, mannitol, citrate ion, and dihydrogen phosphate ion, but no sodium chloride, in an oxygen-permeable container which is located in an oxygen-free environment containing oxygen-scavenging materials.

Abrasion-ablation model for neutron production in heavy ion reactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.; Wilson, John W.; Townsend, Lawrence W.

1995-01-01

In heavy ion reactions, neutron production at forward angles is observed to occur with a Gaussian shape that is centered near the beam energy and extends to energies well above that of the beam. This paper presents an abrasion-ablation model for making quantitative predictions of the neutron spectrum. To describe neutrons produced from the abrasion step of the reaction where the projectile and target overlap, the authors use the Glauber model and include effects of final-state interactions. They then use the prefragment mass distribution from abrasion with a statistical evaporation model to estimate the neutron spectrum resulting from ablation. Measurements of neutron production from Ne and Nb beams are compared with calculations, and good agreement is found.

Pulsed laser ablation synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their use in fluorescence enhancement of Tb3+-doped aluminosilicate glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, R. K.; Kumar, K.; Rai, S. B.

2010-10-01

Spherical silver nanoparticles have been synthesized using laser ablation in distilled water. These nanoparticles are embedded in Tb 3+-doped aluminosilicate glass through the sol-gel technique. The presence of these nanoparticles is seen to increase the emission intensity of the Tb 3+ ions by more than 100%. Energy transfer from the excited silver nanoparticles to Tb 3+ ions is the probable cause for this increase in emission intensity.

Ablation from High Velocity Clouds: A Source for Low Velocity Ionized Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelton, Robin L.; Henley, D. B.; Kwak, K.

2012-05-01

High velocity clouds shed material as they move through the Galaxy. This material mixes with the Galactic interstellar medium, resulting in plasma whose temperature and ionization levels are intermediate between those of the cloud and those of the Galaxy. As time passes, the mixed material slows to the velocity of the ambient gas. This raises the possibility that initially warm (T 10^3 K), poorly ionized clouds moving through hot (T 10^6 K), very highly ionized ambient gas could lead to mixed gas that harbors significant numbers of high ions (O+5, N+4, and C+3) and thus helps to explain the large numbers of low-velocity high ions seen on high latitude lines of sight through the Galactic halo. We have used a series of detailed FLASH simulations in order to track the hydrodynamics of warm clouds embedded in hot Galactic halo gas. These simulations tracked the ablated material as it mixed and slowed to low velocities. By following the ionization levels of the gas in a time-dependent fashion, we determined that the mixed material is rich in O+5, N+4, and C+3 ions and continues to contain these ions for some time after slowing to low velocities. Combining our simulational results with estimates of the high velocity cloud infall rate leads to the finding that the mixed gas can account for 1/3 of the normal-velocity O+5 column density found on high latitude lines of sight. It accounts for lesser fractions of the N+4 and C+3 column densities. We will discuss our high velocity cloud results as part of a composite halo model that also includes cooling Galactic fountain gas, isolated supernova remnants, and ionizing photons.

Comparison of acoustic shock waves generated by micro and nanosecond lasers for a smart laser surgery system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguendon Kenhagho, Hervé K.; Rauter, Georg; Guzman, Raphael; C. Cattin, Philippe; Zam, Azhar

2018-02-01

Characterization of acoustic shock wave will guarantee efficient tissue differentiation as feedback to reduce the probability of undesirable damaging (i.e. cutting) of tissues in laser surgery applications. We ablated hard (bone) and soft (muscle) tissues using a nanosecond pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm and a microsecond pulsed Er:YAG laser at 2.94 μm. When the intense short ns-pulsed laser is applied to material, the energy gain causes locally a plasma at the ablated spot that expands and propagates as an acoustic shock wave with a rarefaction wave behind the shock front. However, when using a μs-pulsed Er:YAG laser for material ablation, the acoustic shock wave is generated during the explosion of the ablated material. We measured and compared the emitted acoustic shock wave generated by a ns-pulsed Nd:YAG laser and a μs-pulsed Er:YAG laser measured by a calibrated microphone. As the acoustic shock wave attenuates as it propagates through air, the distance between ablation spots and a calibrated microphone was at 5 cm. We present the measurements on the propagation characteristics of the laser generated acoustic shock wave by measuring the arrival time-of-flight with a calibrated microphone and the energy-dependent evolution of acoustic parameters such as peak-topeak pressure, the ratio of the peak-to-peak pressures for the laser induced breakdown in air, the ablated muscle and the bone, and the spectral energy.

Characterization of Material Response During Arc-Jet Testing with Optical Methods Status and Perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winter, Michael

2012-01-01

The characterization of ablation and recession of heat shield materials during arc jet testing is an important step towards understanding the governing processes during these tests and therefore for a successful extrapolation of ground test data to flight. The behavior of ablative heat shield materials in a ground-based arc jet facility is usually monitored through measurement of temperature distributions (across the surface and in-depth), and through measurement of the final surface recession. These measurements are then used to calibrate/validate materials thermal response codes, which have mathematical models with reasonably good fidelity to the physics and chemistry of ablation, and codes thus calibrated are used for predicting material behavior in flight environments. However, these thermal measurements only indirectly characterize the pyrolysis processes within an ablative material pyrolysis is the main effect during ablation. Quantification of pyrolysis chemistry would therefore provide more definitive and useful data for validation of the material response codes. Information of the chemical products of ablation, to various levels of detail, can be obtained using optical methods. Suitable optical methods to measure the shape and composition of these layers (with emphasis on the blowing layer) during arc jet testing are: 1) optical emission spectroscopy (OES) 2) filtered imaging 3) laser induced fluorescence (LIF) and 4) absorption spectroscopy. Several attempts have been made to optically measure the material response of ablative materials during arc-jet testing. Most recently, NH and OH have been identified in the boundary layer of a PICA ablator. These species are suitable candidates for a detection through PLIF which would enable a spatially-resolved characterization of the blowing layer in terms of both its shape and composition. The recent emission spectroscopy data will be presented and future experiments for a qualitative and quantitative characterization of the material response of ablative materials during arc-jet testing will be discussed.

Submicron mass spectrometry imaging of single cells by combined use of mega electron volt time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and scanning transmission ion microscopy

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

Siketić, Zdravko; Bogdanović Radović, Ivančica; Jakšić, Milko

In order to better understand biochemical processes inside an individual cell, it is important to measure the molecular composition at the submicron level. One of the promising mass spectrometry imaging techniques that may be used to accomplish this is Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), using MeV energy heavy ions for excitation. MeV ions have the ability to desorb large intact molecules with a yield that is several orders of magnitude higher than conventional SIMS using keV ions. In order to increase the spatial resolution of the MeV TOF-SIMS system, we propose an independent TOF trigger using a STIM (scanningmore » transmission ion microscopy) detector that is placed just behind the thin transmission target. This arrangement is suitable for biological samples in which the STIM detector simultaneously measures the mass distribution in scanned samples. The capability of the MeV TOF-SIMS setup was demonstrated by imaging the chemical composition of CaCo-2 cells.« less

Atom Probe Tomography of Geomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parman, S. W.; Diercks, D.; Gorman, B.; Cooper, R. F.

2013-12-01

From the electron microprobe to the secondary ion microprobe to laser-ablation ICP-MS, steady improvements in the spatial resolution and detection limits of geochemical micro-analysis have been central to generating new discoveries. Atom probe tomography (APT) is a relatively new technology that promises nm-scale spatial resolution (in three dimensions) with ppm level detection limits. The method is substantially different from traditional beam-based (electron, ion, laser) methods. In APT, the sample is shaped (usually with a dual-beam FIB) into a needle with typical dimensions of 1-2 μm height and 100-200 nm diameter. Within the atom probe, the needle is evaporated one atom (ideally) at a time by a high electric field (ten's of V per square nm at the needle tip). A femtosecond laser (12 ps pulse width) is used to assist in evaporating non-conducting samples. The two-dimensional detector locates where the atom was released from the needle's surface and so can reconstruct the positions of all detected atoms in three dimensions. It also records the time of flight of the ion, which is used to calculate the mass/charge ratio of the ion. We will discuss our results analyzing a range of geologic materials. In one case, naturally occurring platinum group alloys (PGA) from the Josephine Ophiolite have been imaged. Such alloys are of interest as recorders of the Os heterogeneity of the mantle [1,2]. Optimal ablation was achieved with a laser power of 120-240 pJ and laser pulse rates 500 kHz. Runs were stopped after 10 million atoms were imaged. An example analysis is: Pt 61(1), Fe 26.1(9), Rh 1.20(4), Ir 7.0(7), Ni 2.65(8), Ru 0.20(9), Cu 1.22(8), Co 0.00029(5). Values are in atomic %; values in parentheses are one-sigma standard deviations on five separate needles from the same FIB lift-out, which was 30 μm long. Assuming the sample is homogenous over the 30 μm from which the needle was extracted, the analyses suggest relative errors for major elements below 5% and for trace elements (100ppm level) below 20%. The images of the PGA grains have sub-nm spatial resolution, remarkably showing clear atomic planes of the hexoctahedral structure. Conducting materials such as the PGA grains are ideal materials for APT analysis. Silicates present a much more challenging target due to their electrical resistance and strong metal-oxygen bonds. The oxide bonds are difficult to break, resulting in ablation of oxide molecules with various charge states. These cause multiple interferences for many major elements of interest such as Si, Fe, Mg and Ca. We have imaged a range of olivine compositions (Fo0 to Fo90). Due to its higher electrical conductivity, fayalite evaporates at lower field voltages than more Mg-rich olivines. The spatial resolution is ~nm scale, so atomic planes are not resolvable. Chemical analyses are improved by low laser energies (<0.1pJ) at laser pulse rates of 500 kHz, as well as by large tip radii, which improves heat diffusion out of the needle. [1] Pearson et al 2007 Nature 449: 202-205 [2] Luguet et al 2008 Science 319: 453-456

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

Simon, Anne-Laure; Choi, Chang Min; Clavier, Christian

This manuscript describes a new experimental setup that allows to perform tandem ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) measurements and which is coupled to a high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer. It consists of two 79 cm long drift tubes connected by a dual ion funnel assembly. The setup was built to permit laser irradiation of the ions in the transfer region between the two drift tubes. This geometry allows selecting ions according to their ion mobility in the first drift tube, to irradiate selected ions, and examine the ion mobility of the product ions in the second drift tube. Activation by collisionmore » is possible in the same region (between the two tubes) and between the second tube and the time-of-flight. IMS-IMS experiments on Ubiquitin are reported. We selected a given isomer of charge state +7 and explored its structural rearrangement following collisional activation between the two drift tubes. An example of IMS-laser-IMS experiment is reported on eosin Y, where laser irradiation was used to produce radical ions by electron photodetachment starting from doubly deprotonated species. This allowed measuring the collision cross section of the radical photo-product, which cannot be directly produced with an electrospray source.« less

Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from Animal Husbandry: Chemical Compositions, Separation of Sources and Animal Types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, B.; Coggon, M.; Koss, A.; Warneke, C.; Eilerman, S. J.; Neuman, J. A.; Peischl, J.; Aikin, K. C.; Ryerson, T. B.; De Gouw, J. A.

2016-12-01

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are important sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. We used a hydronium ion time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (H3O+ ToF-CIMS) to measure VOC emissions from CAFOs in the Northern Front Range of Colorado during an aircraft campaign (SONGNEX) for regional contributions and from a mobile laboratory sampling for chemical characterizations of individual animal feedlots. The main VOCs emitted from CAFOs include carboxylic acids, alcohols, carbonyls, phenolic species, sulfur- and nitrogen-containing species. Alcohols and carboxylic acids dominate VOC concentrations. Sulfur-containing and phenolic species become more important in terms of odor activity values and NO3 reactivity, respectively. The high time-resolution mobile measurements allow the separation of the sources of VOCs from different parts of the operations occurring within the facilities. We show that the increase of ethanol concentrations were primarily associated with feed storage and handling. We apply a multivariate regression analysis using NH3 and ethanol as tracers to attribute the relative importance of animal-related emissions (animal exhalation and waste) and feed-related emissions (feed storage and handling) for different VOC species. Feed storage and handling contribute significantly to emissions of alcohols, carbonyls and carboxylic acids. Phenolic species and nitrogen-containing species are predominantly associated with animals and their waste. VOC ratios can be potentially used as indicators for the separation of emissions from dairy and beef cattle from the regional aircraft measurements.

Time of flight mass spectrometer

DOEpatents

Ulbricht, Jr., William H.

1984-01-01

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer is described in which ions are desorbed from a sample by nuclear fission fragments, such that desorption occurs at the surface of the sample impinged upon by the fission fragments. This configuration allows for the sample to be of any thickness, and eliminates the need for complicated sample preparation.

Time-of-flight measurements of heavy ions using Si PIN diodes

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

Strekalovsky, A. O., E-mail: alex.strek@bk.ru; Kamanin, D. V.; Pyatkov, Yu. V.

2016-12-15

A new off-line timing method for PIN diode signals is presented which allows the plasma delay effect to be suppressed. Velocities of heavy ions measured by the new method are in good agreement within a wide range of masses and energies with velocities measured by time stamp detectors based on microchannel plates.

Meltwater storage in low-density near-surface bare ice in the Greenland ice sheet ablation zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Matthew G.; Smith, Laurence C.; Rennermalm, Asa K.; Miège, Clément; Pitcher, Lincoln H.; Ryan, Jonathan C.; Yang, Kang; Cooley, Sarah W.

2018-03-01

We document the density and hydrologic properties of bare, ablating ice in a mid-elevation (1215 m a.s.l.) supraglacial internally drained catchment in the Kangerlussuaq sector of the western Greenland ice sheet. We find low-density (0.43-0.91 g cm-3, μ = 0.69 g cm-3) ice to at least 1.1 m depth below the ice sheet surface. This near-surface, low-density ice consists of alternating layers of water-saturated, porous ice and clear solid ice lenses, overlain by a thin (< 0.5 m), even lower density (0.33-0.56 g cm-3, μ = 0.45 g cm-3) unsaturated weathering crust. Ice density data from 10 shallow (0.9-1.1 m) ice cores along an 800 m transect suggest an average 14-18 cm of specific meltwater storage within this low-density ice. Water saturation of this ice is confirmed through measurable water levels (1-29 cm above hole bottoms, μ = 10 cm) in 84 % of cryoconite holes and rapid refilling of 83 % of 1 m drilled holes sampled along the transect. These findings are consistent with descriptions of shallow, depth-limited aquifers on the weathered surface of glaciers worldwide and confirm the potential for substantial transient meltwater storage within porous low-density ice on the Greenland ice sheet ablation zone surface. A conservative estimate for the ˜ 63 km2 supraglacial catchment yields 0.009-0.012 km3 of liquid meltwater storage in near-surface, porous ice. Further work is required to determine if these findings are representative of broader areas of the Greenland ice sheet ablation zone, and to assess the implications for sub-seasonal mass balance processes, surface lowering observations from airborne and satellite altimetry, and supraglacial runoff processes.

Laser processing of thick Li(NiMnCo)O2 electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakebrandt, J.-H.; Smyrek, P.; Zheng, Y.; Seifert, H. J.; Pfleging, W.

2017-02-01

Lithium-ion batteries became the most promising types of mobile energy storage devices due to their high gravimetric and volumetric capacity, high cycle life-time, and low self-discharge. Nowadays, the cathode material lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) is one of the most widely used cathode material in commercial lithium-ion batteries due to many advantages such as high energy density (>150 Wh kg-1) on cell level, high power density (650 W kg-1 @ 25 °C and 50 % Depth of Discharge) [1], high specific capacity (163 mAh g-1) [2], high rate capability and good thermal stability in the fully charged state. However, in order to meet the requirements for the increasing demand for rechargeable high energy batteries, nickel-rich NMC electrodes with specific capacities up to 210 mAh g-1 seem to be the next generation cathodes which can reach on cell level desired energy densities higher than 250 Wh kg-1 [3]. Laser-structuring now enables to combine both concepts, high power and high energy lithium-ion batteries. For this purpose, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathodes were produced via tape casting containing 85-90 wt% of active material with a film thickness of 50-260 μm. The specific capacities were measured using galvanostatic measurements for different types of NMC with varying nickel, manganese and cobalt content at different charging/discharging currents ("C-rates"). An improved lithium-ion diffusion kinetics due to an increased active surface area could be achieved by laser-assisted generating of three dimensional architectures. Cells with unstructured and structured cathodes were compared. Ultrafast laser ablation was used in order to avoid a thermal impact to the material. It was shown that laser structuring of electrode materials leads to a significant improvement in electrochemical performance, especially at high charging and discharging C-rates.

Particle radiation near the orbit of the Vacuum Wake Shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bering, Edgar A., III; Ignatiev, Alex

1990-01-01

The particle populations that are expected to inflict the most damage on thin film materials grown on the vacuum Wake Shield Facility (WSF) are ions and energetic neutral atoms with energies in the range of 100 eV to 20 keV. The production of films that have an order of magnitude fewer defects than are now available requires that the 1-keV particle flux be kept lower than 1000 particles/(sq cm s sr keV) (assuming a reasonable spectral shape). WSF will be flown on orbits with an inclination of 28 deg at altitudes of 300-700 km. Because of the background counting rate produced by the about 100 MeV trapped protons in the inner belt, obtaining accurate measurements of the particles of interest is very difficult. The quiet-time background fluxes of the relevant particles are not presently known. At times of magnetic activity, fluxes of 0.1-17 keV O(+) ions as great as 10 million ions/(sq cm s sr keV) have been observed flowing out of the ionosphere at these latitudes. It appears that instrumentation for detailed assessment is essential for the proof-of-concept flight(s) and that real-time monitoring of low-energy ion and energetic neutral radiation will be required for the production flights.

Static time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis of microelectronics related substrates using a polyatomic ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravanel, X.; Trouiller, C.; Juhel, M.; Wyon, C.; Kwakman, L. F. Tz.; Léonard, D.

2008-12-01

Recent time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry studies using primary ion cluster sources such as Au n+, SF 5+, Bi n+ or C 60+ have shown the great advantages in terms of secondary ion yield enhancement and ion formation efficiency of polyatomic ion sources as compared to monoatomic ion sources like the commonly used Ga +. In this work, the effective gains provided by such a source in the static ToF-SIMS analysis of microelectronics devices were investigated. Firstly, the influence of the number of atoms in the primary cluster ion on secondary ion formation was studied for physically adsorbed di-isononyl phthalate (DNP) (plasticizer) and perfluoropolyether (PFPE). A drastic increase in secondary ion formation efficiency and a much lower detection limit were observed when using a polyatomic primary ion. Moreover, the yield of the higher mass species was much enhanced indicating a lower degree of fragmentation that can be explained by the fact that the primary ion energy is spread out more widely, or that there is a lower energy per incoming ion. Secondly, the influence of the number of Bi atoms in the Bi n primary ion on the information depth was studied using reference thermally grown silicon oxide samples. The information depth provided by a Bi n cluster was shown to be lowered when the number of atoms in the aggregate was increased.

The cryogenic storage ring CSR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Hahn, R.; Becker, A.; Berg, F.; Blaum, K.; Breitenfeldt, C.; Fadil, H.; Fellenberger, F.; Froese, M.; George, S.; Göck, J.; Grieser, M.; Grussie, F.; Guerin, E. A.; Heber, O.; Herwig, P.; Karthein, J.; Krantz, C.; Kreckel, H.; Lange, M.; Laux, F.; Lohmann, S.; Menk, S.; Meyer, C.; Mishra, P. M.; Novotný, O.; O'Connor, A. P.; Orlov, D. A.; Rappaport, M. L.; Repnow, R.; Saurabh, S.; Schippers, S.; Schröter, C. D.; Schwalm, D.; Schweikhard, L.; Sieber, T.; Shornikov, A.; Spruck, K.; Sunil Kumar, S.; Ullrich, J.; Urbain, X.; Vogel, S.; Wilhelm, P.; Wolf, A.; Zajfman, D.

2016-06-01

An electrostatic cryogenic storage ring, CSR, for beams of anions and cations with up to 300 keV kinetic energy per unit charge has been designed, constructed, and put into operation. With a circumference of 35 m, the ion-beam vacuum chambers and all beam optics are in a cryostat and cooled by a closed-cycle liquid helium system. At temperatures as low as (5.5 ± 1) K inside the ring, storage time constants of several minutes up to almost an hour were observed for atomic and molecular, anion and cation beams at an energy of 60 keV. The ion-beam intensity, energy-dependent closed-orbit shifts (dispersion), and the focusing properties of the machine were studied by a system of capacitive pickups. The Schottky-noise spectrum of the stored ions revealed a broadening of the momentum distribution on a time scale of 1000 s. Photodetachment of stored anions was used in the beam lifetime measurements. The detachment rate by anion collisions with residual-gas molecules was found to be extremely low. A residual-gas density below 140 cm-3 is derived, equivalent to a room-temperature pressure below 10-14 mbar. Fast atomic, molecular, and cluster ion beams stored for long periods of time in a cryogenic environment will allow experiments on collision- and radiation-induced fragmentation processes of ions in known internal quantum states with merged and crossed photon and particle beams.

The cryogenic storage ring CSR.

PubMed

von Hahn, R; Becker, A; Berg, F; Blaum, K; Breitenfeldt, C; Fadil, H; Fellenberger, F; Froese, M; George, S; Göck, J; Grieser, M; Grussie, F; Guerin, E A; Heber, O; Herwig, P; Karthein, J; Krantz, C; Kreckel, H; Lange, M; Laux, F; Lohmann, S; Menk, S; Meyer, C; Mishra, P M; Novotný, O; O'Connor, A P; Orlov, D A; Rappaport, M L; Repnow, R; Saurabh, S; Schippers, S; Schröter, C D; Schwalm, D; Schweikhard, L; Sieber, T; Shornikov, A; Spruck, K; Sunil Kumar, S; Ullrich, J; Urbain, X; Vogel, S; Wilhelm, P; Wolf, A; Zajfman, D

2016-06-01

An electrostatic cryogenic storage ring, CSR, for beams of anions and cations with up to 300 keV kinetic energy per unit charge has been designed, constructed, and put into operation. With a circumference of 35 m, the ion-beam vacuum chambers and all beam optics are in a cryostat and cooled by a closed-cycle liquid helium system. At temperatures as low as (5.5 ± 1) K inside the ring, storage time constants of several minutes up to almost an hour were observed for atomic and molecular, anion and cation beams at an energy of 60 keV. The ion-beam intensity, energy-dependent closed-orbit shifts (dispersion), and the focusing properties of the machine were studied by a system of capacitive pickups. The Schottky-noise spectrum of the stored ions revealed a broadening of the momentum distribution on a time scale of 1000 s. Photodetachment of stored anions was used in the beam lifetime measurements. The detachment rate by anion collisions with residual-gas molecules was found to be extremely low. A residual-gas density below 140 cm(-3) is derived, equivalent to a room-temperature pressure below 10(-14) mbar. Fast atomic, molecular, and cluster ion beams stored for long periods of time in a cryogenic environment will allow experiments on collision- and radiation-induced fragmentation processes of ions in known internal quantum states with merged and crossed photon and particle beams.

Investigation of the heavy-ion mode in the FAIR High Energy Storage Ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalenko, O.; Dolinskii, O.; Litvinov, Yu A.; Maier, R.; Prasuhn, D.; Stöhlker, T.

2015-11-01

High energy storage ring (HESR) as a part of the future accelerator facility FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) will serve for a variety of internal target experiments with high-energy stored heavy ions (SPARC collaboration). Bare uranium is planned to be used as a primary beam. Since a storage time in some cases may be significant—up to half an hour—it is important to examine the high-order effects in the long-term beam dynamics. A new ion optics specifically for the heavy ion mode of the HESR is developed and is discussed in this paper. The subjects of an optics design, tune working point and a dynamic aperture are addressed. For that purpose nonlinear beam dynamics simulations are carried out. Also a flexibility of the HESR ion optical lattice is verified with regard to various experimental setups. Specifically, due to charge exchange reactions in the internal target, secondary beams, such as hydrogen-like and helium-like uranium ions, will be produced. Thus the possibility of separation of these secondary ions and the primary {{{U}}}92+ beam is presented with different internal target locations.

Measuring masses of large biomolecules and bioparticles using mass spectrometric techniques.

PubMed

Peng, Wen-Ping; Chou, Szu-Wei; Patil, Avinash A

2014-07-21

Large biomolecules and bioparticles play a vital role in biology, chemistry, biomedical science and physics. Mass is a critical parameter for the characterization of large biomolecules and bioparticles. To achieve mass analysis, choosing a suitable ion source is the first step and the instruments for detecting ions, mass analyzers and detectors should also be considered. Abundant mass spectrometric techniques have been proposed to determine the masses of large biomolecules and bioparticles and these techniques can be divided into two categories. The first category measures the mass (or size) of intact particles, including single particle quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry, cell mass spectrometry, charge detection mass spectrometry and differential mobility mass analysis; the second category aims to measure the mass and tandem mass of biomolecular ions, including quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, quadrupole orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometry and orbitrap mass spectrometry. Moreover, algorithms for the mass and stoichiometry assignment of electrospray mass spectra are developed to obtain accurate structure information and subunit combinations.

Accurate mass measurement by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. II. Measurement of negative radical ions using porphyrin and fullerene standard reference materials.

PubMed

Shao, Zhecheng; Wyatt, Mark F; Stein, Bridget K; Brenton, A Gareth

2010-10-30

A method for the accurate mass measurement of negative radical ions by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) is described. This is an extension to our previously described method for the accurate mass measurement of positive radical ions (Griffiths NW, Wyatt MF, Kean SD, Graham AE, Stein BK, Brenton AG. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2010; 24: 1629). The porphyrin standard reference materials (SRMs) developed for positive mode measurements cannot be observed in negative ion mode, so fullerene and fluorinated porphyrin compounds were identified as effective SRMs. The method is of immediate practical use for the accurate mass measurement of functionalised fullerenes, for which negative ion MALDI-TOFMS is the principal mass spectrometry characterisation technique. This was demonstrated by the accurate mass measurement of six functionalised C(60) compounds. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tip-enhanced ablation and ionization mass spectrometry for nanoscale chemical analysis

PubMed Central

Liang, Zhisen; Zhang, Shudi; Li, Xiaoping; Wang, Tongtong; Huang, Yaping; Hang, Wei; Yang, Zhilin; Li, Jianfeng; Tian, Zhongqun

2017-01-01

Spectroscopic methods with nanoscale lateral resolution are becoming essential in the fields of physics, chemistry, geology, biology, and materials science. However, the lateral resolution of laser-based mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) techniques has so far been limited to the microscale. This report presents the development of tip-enhanced ablation and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TEAI-TOFMS), using a shell-isolated apertureless silver tip. The TEAI-TOFMS results indicate the capability and reproducibility of the system for generating nanosized craters and for acquiring the corresponding mass spectral signals. Multi-elemental analysis of nine inorganic salt residues and MSI of a potassium salt residue pattern at a 50-nm lateral resolution were achieved. These results demonstrate the opportunity for the distribution of chemical compositions at the nanoscale to be visualized. PMID:29226250

Fabrication of Composite Combustion Chamber/Nozzle for Fastrac Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawerence, T.; Beshears, R.; Burlingame, S.; Peters, W.; Prince, M.; Suits, M.; Tillery, S.; Burns, L.; Kovach, M.; Roberts, K.;

Fabrication of Composite Combustion Chamber/Nozzle for Fastrac Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, T.; Beshears, R.; Burlingame, S.; Peters, W.; Prince, M.; Suits, M.; Tillery, S.; Burns, L.; Kovach, M.; Roberts, K.

2001-01-01

The Fastrac Engine developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center for the X-34 vehicle began as a low cost engine development program for a small booster system. One of the key components to reducing the engine cost was the development of an inexpensive combustion chamber/nozzle. Fabrication of a regeneratively cooled thrust chamber and nozzle was considered too expensive and time consuming. In looking for an alternate design concept, the Space Shuttle's Reusable Solid Rocket Motor Project provided an extensive background with ablative composite materials in a combustion environment. An integral combustion chamber/nozzle was designed and fabricated with a silica/phenolic ablative liner and a carbon/epoxy structural overwrap. This paper describes the fabrication process and developmental hurdles overcome for the Fastrac engine one-piece composite combustion chamber/nozzle.

First Observation of Cross-Beam Energy Transfer Mitigation for Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions Using Wavelength Detuning at the National Ignition Facility

DOE PAGES

Marozas, J. A.; Hohenberger, M.; Rosenberg, M. J.; ...

2018-02-22

Cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) results from two-beam energy exchange via seeded stimulated Brillouin scattering, which detrimentally reduces ablation pressure and implosion velocity in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. Direct-drive implosions at the National Ignition Facility were conducted to reduce CBET by detuning the laser-source wavelengths (±2.3 Å UV) of the interacting beams over the equatorial region of the target. For the first time, wavelength detuning was shown to increase the equatorial region velocity experimentally by 16% and to alter the in-flight shell morphology. These experimental observations are consistent with design predictions of radiation–hydrodynamic simulations that indicate a 10% increase in themore » average ablation pressure.« less

First Observation of Cross-Beam Energy Transfer Mitigation for Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions Using Wavelength Detuning at the National Ignition Facility

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

Marozas, J. A.; Hohenberger, M.; Rosenberg, M. J.

Cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) results from two-beam energy exchange via seeded stimulated Brillouin scattering, which detrimentally reduces ablation pressure and implosion velocity in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. Direct-drive implosions at the National Ignition Facility were conducted to reduce CBET by detuning the laser-source wavelengths (±2.3 Å UV) of the interacting beams over the equatorial region of the target. For the first time, wavelength detuning was shown to increase the equatorial region velocity experimentally by 16% and to alter the in-flight shell morphology. These experimental observations are consistent with design predictions of radiation–hydrodynamic simulations that indicate a 10% increase in themore » average ablation pressure.« less

Rapid fibrin plug formation within cutaneous ablative fractional CO2 laser lesions.

PubMed

Kositratna, Garuna; Evers, Michael; Sajjadi, Amir; Manstein, Dieter

2016-02-01

Ablative fractional laser procedures have been shown to facilitate topical drug delivery into the skin. Past studies have mainly used ex vivo models to demonstrate enhanced drug delivery and in vivo studies have investigated laser created channels over a time course of days and weeks rather than within the first few minutes and hours after exposures. We have noticed rapid in vivo fibrin plug formation within ablative fractional laser lesions impairing passage through the laser created channels. In vivo laser exposures were performed in a porcine model. A fractional CO2 laser (AcuPulse™ system, AcuScan 120™ handpiece, Lumenis, Inc., Yokneam, Israel) was programmed in quasi-continuous wave (QCW) mode, at 40W, 50 mJ per pulse, 5% coverage, nominal 120 µm spot size, 8 × 8 mm square pattern, 169 MTZs per scan. Six millimeters punch biopsies were procured at 0, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 90 minutes after completion of each scan, then fixed in 10% formalin. 12 repeats were performed of each time point. Skin samples were processed for serial vertically cut paraffin sections (5 μm collected every 25 μm) then H&E and special immunohistochemistry staining for fibrin and platelet. Dimensions of Microscopic Treatment Zones (MTZs) and extent of fibrin plug were assessed and quantified histologically. Ex vivo laser exposures of the identical laser parameter were performed on porcine and human skin at different storage conditions. Histology procured at various predetermined time intervals after in vivo fractional CO2 laser exposures revealed a rapidly forming fibrin plug initiating at the bottom of the MTZ lesions. At longer time intervals, the fibrin plug was extending towards the superficial sections. Within the first 5 minutes, more than 25% length of the entire laser-ablated channel was filled with a fibrin plug. With increased time intervals, the cavity was progressively filled with a fibrin plug. At 90 minutes, more than 90% length of the entire laser-ablated channel was occluded. Ex vivo exposures failed to produce any significant fibrin plug formation. The current study has demonstrated rapid fibrin plug formation after ablative fractional laser procedures. It was shown that the passage through laser created pathways is critically time dependent for in vivo exposures. In contrast, ex vivo exposures do not exhibit such time dependent passage capacity. In particular, drug, substance, and cell delivery studies for ablative fractional laser treatments should take early fibrin plug formation into consideration and further investigate the impact on transdermal delivery. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Orbit Modification of Earth-Crossing Asteroids/Comets Using Rendezvous Spacecraft and Laser Ablation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Sang-Young; Mazanek, Daniel D.

2005-01-01

This report describes the approach and results of an end-to-end simulation to deflect a long-period comet (LPC) by using a rapid rendezvous spacecraft and laser ablation system. The laser energy required for providing sufficient deflection DELTA V and an analysis of possible intercept/rendezvous spacecraft trajectories are studied in this analysis. These problems minimize a weighted sum of the flight time and required propellant by using an advanced propulsion system. The optimal thrust-vector history and propellant mass to use are found in order to transfer a spacecraft from the Earth to a targeted celestial object. One goal of this analysis is to formulate an optimization problem for intercept/rendezvous spacecraft trajectories. One approach to alter the trajectory of the object in a highly controlled manner is to use pulsed laser ablative propulsion. A sufficiently intense laser pulse ablates the surface of a near-Earth object (NEO) by causing plasma blowoff. The momentum change from a single laser pulse is very small. However, the cumulative effect is very effective because the laser can interact with the object over long periods of time. The laser ablation technique can overcome the mass penalties associated with other nondisruptive approaches because no propellant is required to generate the DELTA V (the material of the celestial object is the propellant source). Additionally, laser ablation is effective against a wide range of surface materials and does not require any landing or physical attachment to the object. For diverting distant asteroids and comets, the power and optical requirements of a laser ablation system on or near the Earth may be too extreme to contemplate in the next few decades. A hybrid solution would be for a spacecraft to carry a laser as a payload to a particular celestial body. The spacecraft would require an advanced propulsion system capable of rapid rendezvous with the object and an extremely powerful electrical generator, which is likely needed for the propulsion system as well. The spacecraft would station-keep with the object at a small standoff distance while the laser ablation is performed.

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

Harilal, S. S.; Diwakar, P. K.; Polek, M. P.

We investigated the role of spot size on plume morphology during ultrafast laser ablation of metal targets. Our results show that the spatial features of fs LA plumes are strongly dependent on the focal spot size. Two-dimensional self-emission images showed that the shape of the ultrafast laser ablation plumes changes from spherical to cylindrical with an increasing spot size from 100 to 600 μm. The changes in plume morphology and internal structures are related to ion emission dynamics from the plasma, where broader angular ion distribution and faster ions are noticed for the smallest spot size used. The present resultsmore » clearly show that the morphological changes in the plume with spot size are independent of laser pulse width.« less

Performance Characterization of a Lithium-ion Gel Polymer Battery Power Supply System for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Concha M.; Manzo, Michelle A.; Logan, Michael J.

2004-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are currently under development for NASA missions, earth sciences, aeronautics, the military, and commercial applications. The design of an all electric power and propulsion system for small UAVs was the focus of a detailed study. Currently, many of these small vehicles are powered by primary (nonrechargeable) lithium-based batteries. While this type of battery is capable of satisfying some of the mission needs, a secondary (rechargeable) battery power supply system that can provide the same functionality as the current system at the same or lower system mass and volume is desired. A study of commercially available secondary battery cell technologies that could provide the desired performance characteristics was performed. Due to the strict mass limitations and wide operating temperature requirements of small UAVs, the only viable cell chemistries were determined to be lithium-ion liquid electrolyte systems and lithium-ion gel polymer electrolyte systems. Two lithium-ion gel polymer cell designs were selected as candidates and were tested using potential load profiles for UAV applications. Because lithium primary batteries have a higher specific energy and energy density, for the same mass and volume allocation, the secondary batteries resulted in shorter flight times than the primary batteries typically provide. When the batteries were operated at lower ambient temperatures (0 to -20 C), flight times were even further reduced. Despite the reduced flight times demonstrated, for certain UAV applications, the secondary batteries operated within the acceptable range of flight times at room temperature and above. The results of this testing indicate that a secondary battery power supply system can provide some benefits over the primary battery power supply system. A UAV can be operated for hundreds of flights using a secondary battery power supply system that provides the combined benefits of rechargeability and an inherently safer chemistry.

An integrated time-of-flight versus residual energy subsystem for a compact dual ion composition experiment for space plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, M. I.; Ogasawara, K.; Ebert, R. W.; McComas, D. J.; Allegrini, F.; Weidner, S. E.; Alexander, N.; Livi, S. A.

2015-05-01

We have developed a novel concept for a Compact Dual Ion Composition Experiment (CoDICE) that simultaneously provides high quality plasma and energetic ion composition measurements over 6 decades in ion energy in a wide variety of space plasma environments. CoDICE measures the two critical ion populations in space plasmas: (1) mass and ionic charge state composition and 3D velocity and angular distributions of ˜10 eV/q-40 keV/q plasma ions—CoDICE-Lo and (2) mass composition, energy spectra, and angular distributions of ˜30 keV-10 MeV energetic ions—CoDICE-Hi. CoDICE uses a common, integrated Time-of-Flight (TOF) versus residual energy (E) subsystem for measuring the two distinct ion populations. This paper describes the CoDICE design concept, and presents results of the laboratory tests of the TOF portion of the TOF vs. E subsystem, focusing specifically on (1) investigation of spill-over and contamination rates on the start and stop microchannel plate (MCP) anodes vs. secondary electron steering and focusing voltages, scanned around their corresponding model-optimized values, (2) TOF measurements and resolution and angular resolution, and (3) cross-contamination of the start and stop MCPs' singles rates from CoDICE-Lo and -Hi, and (4) energy resolution of avalanche photodiodes near the lower end of the CoDICE-Lo energy range. We also discuss physical effects that could impact the performance of the TOF vs. E subsystem in a flight instrument. Finally, we discuss advantages of the CoDICE design concept by comparing with capabilities and resources of existing flight instruments.

An integrated time-of-flight versus residual energy subsystem for a compact dual ion composition experiment for space plasmas.

PubMed

Desai, M I; Ogasawara, K; Ebert, R W; McComas, D J; Allegrini, F; Weidner, S E; Alexander, N; Livi, S A

2015-05-01

We have developed a novel concept for a Compact Dual Ion Composition Experiment (CoDICE) that simultaneously provides high quality plasma and energetic ion composition measurements over 6 decades in ion energy in a wide variety of space plasma environments. CoDICE measures the two critical ion populations in space plasmas: (1) mass and ionic charge state composition and 3D velocity and angular distributions of ∼10 eV/q-40 keV/q plasma ions—CoDICE-Lo and (2) mass composition, energy spectra, and angular distributions of ∼30 keV-10 MeV energetic ions—CoDICE-Hi. CoDICE uses a common, integrated Time-of-Flight (TOF) versus residual energy (E) subsystem for measuring the two distinct ion populations. This paper describes the CoDICE design concept, and presents results of the laboratory tests of the TOF portion of the TOF vs. E subsystem, focusing specifically on (1) investigation of spill-over and contamination rates on the start and stop microchannel plate (MCP) anodes vs. secondary electron steering and focusing voltages, scanned around their corresponding model-optimized values, (2) TOF measurements and resolution and angular resolution, and (3) cross-contamination of the start and stop MCPs' singles rates from CoDICE-Lo and -Hi, and (4) energy resolution of avalanche photodiodes near the lower end of the CoDICE-Lo energy range. We also discuss physical effects that could impact the performance of the TOF vs. E subsystem in a flight instrument. Finally, we discuss advantages of the CoDICE design concept by comparing with capabilities and resources of existing flight instruments.

Phase 1 Development Testing of the Advanced Manufacturing Demonstrator Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Nicholas L.; Eddleman, David E.; Calvert, Marty R.; Bullard, David B.; Martin, Michael A.; Wall, Thomas R.

2016-01-01

The Additive Manufacturing Development Breadboard Engine (BBE) is a pressure-fed liquid oxygen/pump-fed liquid hydrogen (LOX/LH2) expander cycle engine that was built and operated by NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center's East Test Area. The breadboard engine was conceived as a technology demonstrator for the additive manufacturing technologies for an advanced upper stage prototype engine. The components tested on the breadboard engine included an ablative chamber, injector, main fuel valve, turbine bypass valve, a main oxidizer valve, a mixer and the fuel turbopump. All parts minus the ablative chamber were additively manufactured. The BBE was successfully hot fire tested seven times. Data collected from the test series will be used for follow on demonstration tests with a liquid oxygen turbopump and a regeneratively cooled chamber and nozzle.

Top-down proteomic identification of bacterial protein biomarkers and toxins using MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS/MS and post-source decay

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS)has provided new capabilities for the rapid identification of digested and non-digested proteins. The tandem (MS/MS) capability of TOF-TOF instruments allows precursor ion selection/isolation...

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Biological Specimen Repository

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McMonigal, Kathleen A.; Pietrzyk, Robert a.; Johnson, Mary Anne

2008-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Biological Specimen Repository (Repository) is a storage bank that is used to maintain biological specimens over extended periods of time and under well-controlled conditions. Samples from the International Space Station (ISS), including blood and urine, will be collected, processed and archived during the preflight, inflight and postflight phases of ISS missions. This investigation has been developed to archive biosamples for use as a resource for future space flight related research. The International Space Station (ISS) provides a platform to investigate the effects of microgravity on human physiology prior to lunar and exploration class missions. The storage of crewmember samples from many different ISS flights in a single repository will be a valuable resource with which researchers can study space flight related changes and investigate physiological markers. The development of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Biological Specimen Repository will allow for the collection, processing, storage, maintenance, and ethical distribution of biosamples to meet goals of scientific and programmatic relevance to the space program. Archiving of the biosamples will provide future research opportunities including investigating patterns of physiological changes, analysis of components unknown at this time or analyses performed by new methodologies.

A new calibrant for MALDI-TOF-TOF-PSD-MS/MS of non-digested proteins for top-down proteomic analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

RATIONALE: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight-time-of-flight (TOF-TOF) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has seen increasing use for post-source decay (PSD)-MS/MS analysis of non-digested protein ions for top-down proteomic identification. However, there is no commonl...

Time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometer (TOF-SARS) for surface analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grizzi, O.; Shi, M.; Bu, H.; Rabalais, J. W.

1990-02-01

A UHV spectrometer system has been designed and constructed for time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometry (TOF-SARS). The technique uses a pulsed primary ion beam and TOF methods for analysis of both scattered and recoiled neutrals (N) and ions (I) simultaneously with continuous scattering angle variation over a flight path of ≊1 m. The pulsed ion beam line uses an electron impact ionization source with acceleration up to 5 keV; pulse widths down to 20 ns with average current densities of 0.05-5.0 nA/mm2 have been obtained. Typical current densities used herein are ≊0.1 nA/mm2 and TOF spectra can be collected with a total ion dose of <10-3 ions/surface atom. A channel electron multiplier detector, which is sensitive to both ions and fast neutrals, is mounted on a long tube connected to a precision rotary motion feedthru, allowing continuous rotation over a scattering angular range 0°<θ<165°. The sample is mounted on a precision manipulator, allowing azimuthal δ and incident α angle rotation, as well as translation along three orthogonal axes. The system also accommodates standard surface analysis instrumentation for LEED, AES, XPS, and UPS. The capabilities of the system are demonstrated by the following examples: (A) TOF spectra versus scattering angle θ; (B) comparison to LEED and AES; (C) surface and adsorbate structure determinations; (D) monitoring surface roughness; (E) surface semichanneling measurements; (F) measurements of scattered ion fractions; and (G) ion induced Auger electron emission.

Accurate mass analysis of ethanesulfonic acid degradates of acetochlor and alachlor using high-performance liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thurman, E.M.; Ferrer, I.; Parry, R.

2002-01-01

Degradates of acetochlor and alachlor (ethanesulfonic acids, ESAs) were analyzed in both standards and in a groundwater sample using high-performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. The negative pseudomolecular ion of the secondary amide of acetochlor ESA and alachlor ESA gave average masses of 256.0750??0.0049 amu and 270.0786??0.0064 amu respectively. Acetochlor and alachlor ESA gave similar masses of 314.1098??0.0061 amu and 314.1153??0.0048 amu; however, they could not be distinguished by accurate mass because they have the same empirical formula. On the other hand, they may be distinguished using positive-ion electrospray because of different fragmentation spectra, which did not occur using negative-ion electrospray.

Accurate mass analysis of ethanesulfonic acid degradates of acetochlor and alachlor using high-performance liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thurman, E.M.; Ferrer, Imma; Parry, R.

2002-01-01

Degradates of acetochlor and alachlor (ethanesulfonic acids, ESAs) were analyzed in both standards and in a groundwater sample using high-performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. The negative pseudomolecular ion of the secondary amide of acetochlor ESA and alachlor ESA gave average masses of 256.0750+/-0.0049 amu and 270.0786+/-0.0064 amu respectively. Acetochlor and alachlor ESA gave similar masses of 314.1098+/-0.0061 amu and 314.1153+/-0.0048 amu; however, they could not be distinguished by accurate mass because they have the same empirical formula. On the other hand, they may be distinguished using positive-ion electrospray because of different fragmentation spectra, which did not occur using negative-ion electrospray.

Laser-desorption tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry with continuous liquid introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Evan R.; Jones, Glenn C., Jr.; Fang, LiLing; Nagata, Takeshi; Zare, Richard N.

1992-05-01

A new method to combine aqueous sample introduction with matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry (MS) for interfacing liquid-chromatographic techniques, such as capillary electrophoresis, to MS is described. Aqueous sample solution is introduced directly into the ion source of a time-of-. flight (TOF) mass spectrometer through a fused silica capillary; evaporative cooling results in ice formation at the end of the capillary. The ice can be made to extrude continuously by using localized resistive heating. With direct laser desorption, molecular ions from proteins as large as bovine insulin (5734 Da) can be produced. Two-step desorption/photoionization with a variety of wavelengths is demonstrated, and has the advantages of improved resolution and shot-to-shot reproducibility. Ion structural information is obtained using surface-induced dissociation with an in-line collision device in the reflectron mirror of the TOF instrument. Product ion resolution of ~70 is obtained at m/z77. Extensive fragmentation can be produced with dissociation efficiencies between 7-15% obtained for molecular ions of small organic molecules. Efficiencies approaching 30% are obtained for larger peptide ions.

Multidimensional Separation of Natural Products Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Hadamard Transform Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenjie; Zhang, Xing; Knochenmuss, Richard; Siems, William F.; Hill, Herbert H.

2016-05-01

A high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC)was interfaced to an atmospheric drift tube ion mobility time of flight mass spectrometry. The power of multidimensional separation was demonstrated using chili pepper extracts. The ambient pressure drift tube ion mobility provided high resolving powers up to 166 for the HPLC eluent. With implementation of Hadamard transform (HT), the duty cycle for the ion mobility drift tube was increased from less than 1% to 50%, and the ion transmission efficiency was improved by over 200 times compared with pulsed mode, improving signal to noise ratio 10 times. HT ion mobility and TOF mass spectrometry provide an additional dimension of separation for complex samples without increasing the analysis time compared with conventional HPLC.

Laser ablation of sub-10 nm silver nanoparticles

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

Zinovev, Alexander; Moore, Jerome F.; Baryshev, Sergey V.

Laser ablation of silver nanoparticles (NPs) was studied with laser post-ionization (LPI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS). Silver NPs containing ~15 000 Ag atoms (4 nm radius) were deposited by soft landing (energy 3 eV/atom) onto indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass substrates. Laser ablation was performed using frequency-doubled Ti:sapphire nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation at three different wavelengths (371, 401, and 421 nm), whereas for post-ionization, pulses from an F 2 laser were used. Laser fluences and time delay dependencies of Ag and In signals were obtained. Using these data, the temperature of the desorption source as well as its time durationmore » were calculated. It was found that the peak temperature of NPs was above their melting point and they cooled down slowly, with temperature decay time of several hundreds of nanoseconds. This anomalous behavior was explained based on a model where the semiconducting ITO substrate is initially transparent to the desorption laser radiation but starts to adsorb it due to the temperature increase arising from heat exchange with NPs. Poor heat conduction in the ITO film creates conditions for long-lived hot spots on the surface and initiates further optical damage of the substrate. No difference in the ablation process due to plasmon resonance was detected, likely due to thermal expansion and melting of NPs during laser irradiation, which then broadens the plasmon absorption band enough to cover all wavelengths used. Here, these results clearly demonstrate that the process of NP interaction with laser radiation is governed not only by initial optical and thermophysical parameters of NPs and the surrounding media, but also by their alteration due to temperature increases during the irradiation process.« less

Laser ablation of sub-10 nm silver nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Zinovev, Alexander; Moore, Jerome F.; Baryshev, Sergey V.; ...

2017-04-13

Laser ablation of silver nanoparticles (NPs) was studied with laser post-ionization (LPI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS). Silver NPs containing ~15 000 Ag atoms (4 nm radius) were deposited by soft landing (energy 3 eV/atom) onto indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass substrates. Laser ablation was performed using frequency-doubled Ti:sapphire nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation at three different wavelengths (371, 401, and 421 nm), whereas for post-ionization, pulses from an F 2 laser were used. Laser fluences and time delay dependencies of Ag and In signals were obtained. Using these data, the temperature of the desorption source as well as its time durationmore » were calculated. It was found that the peak temperature of NPs was above their melting point and they cooled down slowly, with temperature decay time of several hundreds of nanoseconds. This anomalous behavior was explained based on a model where the semiconducting ITO substrate is initially transparent to the desorption laser radiation but starts to adsorb it due to the temperature increase arising from heat exchange with NPs. Poor heat conduction in the ITO film creates conditions for long-lived hot spots on the surface and initiates further optical damage of the substrate. No difference in the ablation process due to plasmon resonance was detected, likely due to thermal expansion and melting of NPs during laser irradiation, which then broadens the plasmon absorption band enough to cover all wavelengths used. Here, these results clearly demonstrate that the process of NP interaction with laser radiation is governed not only by initial optical and thermophysical parameters of NPs and the surrounding media, but also by their alteration due to temperature increases during the irradiation process.« less

Development of double-pulse lasers ablation system for generating gold ion source under applying an electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalil, A. A. I.

2015-12-01

Double-pulse lasers ablation (DPLA) technique was developed to generate gold (Au) ion source and produce high current under applying an electric potential in an argon ambient gas environment. Two Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers operating at 1064 and 266 nm wavelengths are combined in an unconventional orthogonal (crossed-beam) double-pulse configuration with 45° angle to focus on a gold target along with a spectrometer for spectral analysis of gold plasma. The properties of gold plasma produced under double-pulse lasers excitation were studied. The velocity distribution function (VDF) of the emitted plasma was studied using a dedicated Faraday-cup ion probe (FCIP) under argon gas discharge. The experimental parameters were optimized to attain the best signal to noise (S/N) ratio. The results depicted that the VDF and current signals depend on the discharge applied voltage, laser intensity, laser wavelength and ambient argon gas pressure. A seven-fold increases in the current signal by increasing the discharge applied voltage and ion velocity under applying double-pulse lasers field. The plasma parameters (electron temperature and density) were also studied and their dependence on the delay (times between the excitation laser pulse and the opening of camera shutter) was investigated as well. This study could provide significant reference data for the optimization and design of DPLA systems engaged in laser induced plasma deposition thin films and facing components diagnostics.

Laboratory Studies of Thermal Energy Charge Transfer of Multiply Charged Ions in Astrophysical Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwong, Victor H. S.

2003-01-01

The laser ablation/ion storage facility at the UNLV Physics Department has been dedicated to the study of atomic and molecular processes in low temperature plasmas. Our program focuses on the charge transfer (electron capture) of multiply charged ions and neutrals important in astrophysics. The electron transfer reactions with atoms and molecules is crucial to the ionization condition of neutral rich photoionized plasmas. With the successful deployment of the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory by NASA high resolution VUV and X-ray emission spectra fiom various astrophysical objects have been collected. These spectra will be analyzed to determine the source of the emission and the chemical and physical environment of the source. The proper interpretation of these spectra will require complete knowledge of all the atomic processes in these plasmas. In a neutral rich environment, charge transfer can be the dominant process. The rate coefficients need to be known accurately. We have also extended our charge transfer measurements to KeV region with a pulsed ion beam. The inclusion of this facility into our current program provides flexibility in extending the measurement to higher energies (KeV) if needed. This flexibility enables us to address issues of immediate interest to the astrophysical community as new observations are made by high resolution space based observatories.

Velocity-space sensitivity of the time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at JET

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

Jacobsen, A. S., E-mail: Ajsen@fysik.dtu.dk; Salewski, M.; Korsholm, S. B.

2014-11-15

The velocity-space sensitivities of fast-ion diagnostics are often described by so-called weight functions. Recently, we formulated weight functions showing the velocity-space sensitivity of the often dominant beam-target part of neutron energy spectra. These weight functions for neutron emission spectrometry (NES) are independent of the particular NES diagnostic. Here we apply these NES weight functions to the time-of-flight spectrometer TOFOR at JET. By taking the instrumental response function of TOFOR into account, we calculate time-of-flight NES weight functions that enable us to directly determine the velocity-space sensitivity of a given part of a measured time-of-flight spectrum from TOFOR.

Alkali-Metal-Ion-Functionalized Graphene Oxide as a Superior Anode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Wan, Fang; Li, Yu-Han; Liu, Dai-Huo; Guo, Jin-Zhi; Sun, Hai-Zhu; Zhang, Jing-Ping; Wu, Xing-Long

2016-06-06

Although graphene oxide (GO) has large interlayer spacing, it is still inappropriate to use it as an anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of the existence of H-bonding between the layers and ultralow electrical conductivity which impedes the Na(+) and e(-) transformation. To solve these issues, chemical, thermal, and electrochemical procedures are traditionally employed to reduce GO nanosheets. However, these strategies are still unscalable, consume high amounts of energy, and are expensive for practical application. Here, for the first time, we describe the superior Na storage of unreduced GO by a simple and scalable alkali-metal-ion (Li(+) , Na(+) , K(+) )-functionalized process. The various alkali metals ions, connecting with the oxygen on GO, have played different effects on morphology, porosity, degree of disorder, and electrical conductivity, which are crucial for Na-storage capabilities. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that sodium-ion-functionalized GO (GNa) has shown outstanding Na-storage performance in terms of excellent rate capability and long-term cycle life (110 mAh g(-1) after 600 cycles at 1 A g(-1) ) owing to its high BET area, appropriate mesopore, high degree of disorder, and improved electrical conductivity. Theoretical calculations were performed using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to further study the Na-storage capabilities of functionalized GO. These calculations have indicated that the Na-O bond has the lowest binding energy, which is beneficial to insertion/extraction of the sodium ion, hence the GNa has shown the best Na-storage properties among all comparatives functionalized by other alkali metal ions. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Lifetimes of relativistic heavy-ion beams in the High Energy Storage Ring of FAIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shevelko, V. P.; Litvinov, Yu. A.; Stöhlker, Th.; Tolstikhina, I. Yu.

2018-04-01

The High Energy Storage Ring, HESR, will be constructed at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, FAIR, Darmstadt. For the first time, it will be possible to perform experiments with cooled high-intensity stable and radioactive heavy ions at highly relativistic energies. To design experiments at the HESR, realistic estimations of beam lifetimes are indispensable. Here we report calculated cross sections and lifetimes for typical U88+ , U90+ , U92+ , Sn49+ and Sn50+ ions in the energy range E = 400 MeV/u-5 GeV/u, relevant for the HESR. Interactions with the residual gas and with internal gas-jet targets are also considered.

A Low-cost, Lightweight, and Miniaturized Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometer (TOFMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, S. K.

1993-01-01

Time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOFMS) are commonly used for mass analysis and for the measurement of energy distributions of charged particles. For achieving high mass and energy resolution these instruments generally comprise long flight tubes, often as long as a few meters. This necessitates high voltages and a very clean environment. These requirements make them bulky and heavy. We have developed an instrument and calibration techniques that are based on the design principles of TOFMS. However, instead of one long flight tube it consists of a series of cylindrical electrostatic lenses that confine ions under study along the axis of the flight tube.

Kinetic Properties of Solar Wind Silicon and Iron Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janitzek, N. P.; Berger, L.; Drews, C.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2017-12-01

Heavy ions with atomic numbers Z>2 account for less than one percent of the solar wind ions. However, serving as test particles with differing mass and charge, they provide a unique experimental approach to major questions of solar and fundamental plasma physics such as coronal heating, the origin and acceleration of the solar wind and wave-particle interaction in magnetized plasma. Yet the low relative abundances of the heavy ions pose substantial challenges to the instrumentation measuring these species with reliable statistics and sufficient time resolution. As a consequence the numbers of independent measurements and studies are small. The Charge Time-Of-Flight (CTOF) mass spectrometer as part of the Charge, ELement and Isotope Analysis System (CELIAS) onboard the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer which was operated at Lagrangian point L1 in 1996 for a few months only, before it suffered an instrument failure. Despite its short operation time, the CTOF sensor measured solar wind heavy ions with excellent charge state separation, an unprecedented cadence of 5 minutes and very high counting statistics, exceeding similar state-of-the-art instruments by a factor of ten. In contrast to earlier CTOF studies which were based on reduced onboard post-processed data, in our current studies we use raw Pulse Height Analysis (PHA) data providing a significantly increased mass, mass-per-charge and velocity resolution. Focussing on silicon and iron ion measurements, we present an overview of our findings on (1) short time behavior of heavy ion 1D radial velocity distribution functions, (2) differential streaming between heavy ions and solar wind bulk protons, (3) kinetic temperatures of heavy ions. Finally, we compare the CTOF results with measurements of the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) instrument onboard the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE).

Numerical modeling of the SNS H{sup −} ion source

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

Veitzer, Seth A.; Beckwith, Kristian R. C.; Kundrapu, Madhusudhan

Ion source rf antennas that produce H- ions can fail when plasma heating causes ablation of the insulating coating due to small structural defects such as cracks. Reducing antenna failures that reduce the operating capabilities of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accelerator is one of the top priorities of the SNS H- Source Program at ORNL. Numerical modeling of ion sources can provide techniques for optimizing design in order to reduce antenna failures. There are a number of difficulties in developing accurate models of rf inductive plasmas. First, a large range of spatial and temporal scales must be resolved inmore » order to accurately capture the physics of plasma motion, including the Debye length, rf frequencies on the order of tens of MHz, simulation time scales of many hundreds of rf periods, large device sizes on tens of cm, and ion motions that are thousands of times slower than electrons. This results in large simulation domains with many computational cells for solving plasma and electromagnetic equations, short time steps, and long-duration simulations. In order to reduce the computational requirements, one can develop implicit models for both fields and particle motions (e.g. divergence-preserving ADI methods), various electrostatic models, or magnetohydrodynamic models. We have performed simulations using all three of these methods and have found that fluid models have the greatest potential for giving accurate solutions while still being fast enough to perform long timescale simulations in a reasonable amount of time. We have implemented a number of fluid models with electromagnetics using the simulation tool USim and applied them to modeling the SNS H- ion source. We found that a reduced, single-fluid MHD model with an imposed magnetic field due to the rf antenna current and the confining multi-cusp field generated increased bulk plasma velocities of > 200 m/s in the region of the antenna where ablation is often observed in the SNS source. We report here on comparisons of simulated plasma parameters and code performance using more accurate physical models, such as two-temperature extended MHD models, for both a related benchmark system describing a inductively coupled plasma reactor, and for the SNS ion source. We also present results from scaling studies for mesh generation and solvers in the USim simulation code.« less

The 2004 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

Topics covered include: Super NiCd(TradeMark) Energy Storage for Gravity Probe-B Relativity Mission; Hubble Space Telescope 2004 Battery Update; The Development of Hermetically Sealed Aerospace Nickel-Metal Hydride Cell; Serial Charging Test on High Capacity Li-Ion Cells for the Orbiter Advanced Hydraulic Power System; Cell Equalization of Lithium-Ion Cells; The Long-Term Performance of Small-Cell Batteries Without Cell-Balancing Electronics; Identification and Treatment of Lithium Battery Cell Imbalance under Flight Conditions; Battery Control Boards for Li-Ion Batteries on Mars Exploration Rovers; Cell Over Voltage Protection and Balancing Circuit of the Lithium-Ion Battery; Lithium-Ion Battery Electronics for Aerospace Applications; Lithium-Ion Cell Charge Control Unit; Lithium Ion Battery Cell Bypass Circuit Test Results at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory; High Capacity Battery Cell By-Pass Switches: High Current Pulse Testing of Lithium-Ion; Battery By-Pass Switches to Verify Their Ability to Withstand Short-Circuits; Incorporation of Physics-Based, Spatially-Resolved Battery Models into System Simulations; A Monte Carlo Model for Li-Ion Battery Life Projections; Thermal Behavior of Large Lithium-Ion Cells; Thermal Imaging of Aerospace Battery Cells; High Rate Designed 50 Ah Li-Ion Cell for LEO Applications; Evaluation of Corrosion Behavior in Aerospace Lithium-Ion Cells; Performance of AEA 80 Ah Battery Under GEO Profile; LEO Li-Ion Battery Testing; A Review of the Feasibility Investigation of Commercial Laminated Lithium-Ion Polymer Cells for Space Applications; Lithium-Ion Verification Test Program; Panasonic Small Cell Testing for AHPS; Lithium-Ion Small Cell Battery Shorting Study; Low-Earth-Orbit and Geosynchronous-Earth-Orbit Testing of 80 Ah Batteries under Real-Time Profiles; Update on Development of Lithium-Ion Cells for Space Applications at JAXA; Foreign Comparative Technology: Launch Vehicle Battery Cell Testing; 20V, 40 Ah Lithium Ion Polymer Battery for the Spacesuit; Low Temperature Life-Cycle Testing of a Lithium-Ion Battery for Low-Earth-Orbiting Spacecraft; and Evaluation of the Effects of DoD and Charge Rate on a LEO Optimized 50 Ah Li-Ion Aerospace Cell.

In Situ Measurements of Meteoric Ions. Chapter 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grebowsky, Joseph M.; Aikin, Arthur C.; Vondrak, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Metal ions found in the atmosphere above 60 km are the result of incoming meteoroid atmospheric ablation. Layers of metal ions are detected by sounding rocket in situ mass spectrometric sampling in the 80 to 130 km region, which coincides with the altitude region where meteors are observed. Enhancements of metal ion concentrations occur during meteor showers. Even outside of shower periods, the metal ion altitude profiles vary from measurement to measurement. Double layers are frequent at middle latitudes. More than 40 different meteoric atomic and molecular ions, including isotopes, have been detected. Atmospheric metal ions on average have an abundance that matches chrondritic material, the same composition as the early solar system. However there are frequently local departures from this composition due to differential ablation, species dependent chemistry and mass dependent ion transport. Metal ions react with atmospheric O2, O, O3, H2O and H2O2 to form oxygenated and hydrogenated ionic compounds. Metal atomic ions at high altitudes have long lifetimes. As a result, these ions, in the presence of Earth's magnetic field, are transported over long distances by upper atmospheric winds and ionospheric electric fields. Satellite measurements have detected metal ions as high as, approximately 1000 km and have revealed circulation of the ions on a global scale.

Optical emission spectroscopy of carbon laser plasma ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balki, Oguzhan; Rahman, Md. Mahmudur; Elsayed-Ali, Hani E.

2018-04-01

Carbon laser plasma generated by an Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm, pulse width 7 ns, fluence 4-52 J cm-2) is studied by optical emission spectroscopy and ion time-of-flight. Up to C4+ ions are detected with the ion flux strongly dependent on the laser fluence. The increase in ion charge with the laser fluence is accompanied by observation of multicharged ion lines in the optical spectra. The time-integrated electron temperature Te is calculated from the Boltzmann plot using the C II lines at 392.0, 426.7, and 588.9 nm. Te is found to increase from ∼0.83 eV for a laser fluence of 22 J cm-2 to ∼0.90 eV for 40 J cm-2. The electron density ne is obtained from the Stark broadened profiles of the C II line at 392 nm and is found to increase from ∼ 2 . 1 × 1017cm-3 for 4 J cm-2 to ∼ 3 . 5 × 1017cm-3 for 40 J cm-2. Applying an external electric field parallel to the expanding plume shows no effect on the line emission intensities. Deconvolution of ion time-of-flight signal with a shifted Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution for each charge state results in an ion temperature Ti ∼4.7 and ∼6.0 eV for 20 and 36 J cm-2, respectively.

Patterning the dorsal longitudinal flight muscles (DLM) of Drosophila: insights from the ablation of larval scaffolds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fernandes, J. J.; Keshishian, H.

1996-01-01

The six Dorsal Longitudinal flight Muscles (DLMs) of Drosophila develop from three larval muscles that persist into metamorphosis and serve as scaffolds for the formation of the adult fibers. We have examined the effect of muscle scaffold ablation on the development of DLMs during metamorphosis. Using markers that are specific to muscle and myoblasts we show that in response to the ablation, myoblasts which would normally fuse with the larval muscle, fuse with each other instead, to generate the adult fibers in the appropriate regions of the thorax. The development of these de novo DLMs is delayed and is reflected in the delayed expression of erect wing, a transcription factor thought to control differentiation events associated with myoblast fusion. The newly arising muscles express the appropriate adult-specific Actin isoform (88F), indicating that they have the correct muscle identity. However, there are frequent errors in the number of muscle fibers generated. Ablation of the larval scaffolds for the DLMs has revealed an underlying potential of the DLM myoblasts to initiate de novo myogenesis in a manner that resembles the mode of formation of the Dorso-Ventral Muscles, DVMs, which are the other group of indirect flight muscles. Therefore, it appears that the use of larval scaffolds is a superimposition on a commonly used mechanism of myogenesis in Drosophila. Our results show that the role of the persistent larval muscles in muscle patterning involves the partitioning of DLM myoblasts, and in doing so, they regulate formation of the correct number of DLM fibers.

Synopsis of a computer program designed to interface a personal computer with the fast data acquisition system of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bechtel, R. D.; Mateos, M. A.; Lincoln, K. A.

1988-01-01

Briefly described are the essential features of a computer program designed to interface a personal computer with the fast, digital data acquisition system of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The instrumentation was developed to provide a time-resolved analysis of individual vapor pulses produced by the incidence of a pulsed laser beam on an ablative material. The high repetition rate spectrometer coupled to a fast transient recorder captures complete mass spectra every 20 to 35 microsecs, thereby providing the time resolution needed for the study of this sort of transient event. The program enables the computer to record the large amount of data generated by the system in short time intervals, and it provides the operator the immediate option of presenting the spectral data in several different formats. Furthermore, the system does this with a high degree of automation, including the tasks of mass labeling the spectra and logging pertinent instrumental parameters.

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

Sutcliffe, G. D.; Milanese, L. M.; Orozco, D.

CR-39 detectors are used routinely in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments as a part of nuclear diagnostics. CR-39 is filtered to stop fast ablator ions which have been accelerated from an ICF implosion due to electric fields caused by laser-plasma interactions. In some experiments, the filtering is insufficient to block these ions and the fusion-product signal tracks are lost in the large background of accelerated ion tracks. A technique for recovering signal in these scenarios has been developed, tested, and implemented successfully. The technique involves removing material from the surface of the CR-39 to a depth beyond the endpoint ofmore » the ablator ion tracks. The technique preserves signal magnitude (yield) as well as structure in radiograph images. The technique is effective when signal particle range is at least 10 μm deeper than the necessary bulk material removal.« less

Application of characteristic ion filtering with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry for rapid detection and identification of chemical profiling in Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.

PubMed

He, Mingzhen; Jia, Jia; Li, Junmao; Wu, Bei; Huang, Wenping; Liu, Mi; Li, Yan; Yang, Shilin; Ouyang, Hui; Feng, Yulin

2018-06-15

Efficient targeted identification of chemical constituents from traditional Chinese medicine is still a major challenge. In this study, we used a characteristic ion filtering strategy to characterize compounds of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS). By using the ion filtering approach, target constituents of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. were easily tentatively identified from the enormous LC/MS data set. The strategy consisted of the following three steps: 1) To establishing a characteristic ion database by diagnostic product ions or neutral loss fragments; 2) To evaluate the structural information of the compounds by high-resolution diagnostic characteristic ion filtering; 3) To confirm the different classes by chemical profiling according to their MS/MS spectra. In this study, characteristic ions are summarized as five major groups of compounds in Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. In total, 113 compounds were tentatively identified, including 23 potentially novel compounds. The results form a foundation for the quality control and chemical basis of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ca2+ and calpain mediate capsaicin-induced ablation of axonal terminals expressing transient receptor potential vanilloid 1.

PubMed

Wang, Sheng; Wang, Sen; Asgar, Jamila; Joseph, John; Ro, Jin Y; Wei, Feng; Campbell, James N; Chung, Man-Kyo

2017-05-19

Capsaicin is an ingredient in spicy peppers that produces burning pain by activating transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), a Ca 2+ -permeable ion channel in nociceptors. Capsaicin has also been used as an analgesic, and its topical administration is approved for the treatment of certain pain conditions. The mechanisms underlying capsaicin-induced analgesia likely involve reversible ablation of nociceptor terminals. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood. To visualize TRPV1-lineage axons, a genetically engineered mouse model was used in which a fluorophore is expressed under the TRPV1 promoter. Using a combination of these TRPV1-lineage reporter mice and primary afferent cultures, we monitored capsaicin-induced effects on afferent terminals in real time. We found that Ca 2+ influx through TRPV1 is necessary for capsaicin-induced ablation of nociceptive terminals. Although capsaicin-induced mitochondrial Ca 2+ uptake was TRPV1-dependent, dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, inhibition of the mitochondrial transition permeability pore, and scavengers of reactive oxygen species did not attenuate capsaicin-induced ablation. In contrast, MDL28170, an inhibitor of the Ca 2+ -dependent protease calpain, diminished ablation. Furthermore, overexpression of calpastatin, an endogenous inhibitor of calpain, or knockdown of calpain 2 also decreased ablation. Quantitative assessment of TRPV1-lineage afferents in the epidermis of the hind paws of the reporter mice showed that EGTA and MDL28170 diminished capsaicin-induced ablation. Moreover, MDL28170 prevented capsaicin-induced thermal hypoalgesia. These results suggest that TRPV1/Ca 2+ /calpain-dependent signaling plays a dominant role in capsaicin-induced ablation of nociceptive terminals and further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of capsaicin on nociceptors. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Development of a Sodium Resonance Lidar for Spaceborne Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janches, D.; Krainak, M. A.; Yu, A. W.; Oleg, K. A.; Jones, S.; Huang, R.

2016-12-01

Layers of neutral metal atoms (i.e. Fe, Mg, Ca, K, Na), which peak between 85 and 95 km and are 20 km in width, are produced by the daily ablation of billions of Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs). As these metallic species are ionized during ablation, by sunlights ultraviolet photons, or by charge exchange with existing atmospheric ions, meteoroids affect the structure, chemistry, dynamics, and energetics of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT). In particular, the strong optical signals produced by the Na layer, makes it an optimal tracer of atmospheric dynamics and circulation and enabling the measurement of quantities, such as composition, temperature and winds, that are critical to address several compelling scientific questions related to the Earth's Upper Atmosphere and the Geospace Environment. In particular, there is a pressing need in the Ionosphere-Thermosphere-Mesosphere (ITM) community to be able to perform high resolution measurements that can be used to characterize the small-scale variability in the MLT on a global basis. Such measurements must include highly resolved, in space and time, global temperatures profiles, which will add to the understanding of key indicators of radiative cooling in the mesosphere. We present in this paper a status update of the efforts carried out at NASA/GSFC to develop and demonstrate an integrated ground-based operational sodium lidar science instrument. The instrument, which uses key space-flight-precursor components, has currently a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4. Efforts to raise its TRL to 6 will be presented to demonstrate the spaceflight instrument viability in a cost-efficient approach and serve as the core for the future planning of a Heliophysics space mission.

The influence of surface contamination on the ion emission from nanosecond-pulsed laser ablation of Al and Cu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ullah, S.; Dogar, A. H.; Qayyum, H.; Rehman, Z. U.; Qayyum, A.

2018-04-01

Ions emitted from planar Al and Cu targets irradiated with a 1064 nm pulsed laser were investigated with the help of a time-resolving Langmuir probe. It was found that the intensity of the ions emitted from a target area rapidly decreases with the increasing number of laser shots, and seems to reach saturation after about 10 laser shots. The saturated intensity of Al and Cu ions was approximately 0.1 and 0.3 times the intensity of the respective ions measured at the first laser shot, respectively. The higher target ion intensity for the first few shots is thought to be due to the enhanced ionization of target atoms by vacuum-ultraviolet radiations emitted from the thermally excited/ionized surface contaminants. The reduction of target ion intensity with an increasing number of laser shots thus indicates the removal of contaminants from the irradiated surface area. Laser-cleaned Al and Cu surfaces were then allowed to be recontaminated with residual vacuum gases and the ion intensity was measured at various time delays. The prolonged exposure of the cleaned target to vacuum residual gases completely restores the ion intensity. Regarding surface contaminants removal, laser shots of higher intensities were found to be more effective than a higher number of laser shots having lower intensities.

A portable time of flight system for thermal and cold neutron applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benenson, R. E.; Chen-Mayer, H. H.; Sharov, V.

1996-08-01

A very small Fermi-type neutron chopper fashioned by cutting slots in a boron nitride cylinder was developed for use with a source of thermal and cold (subthermal velocity) neutrons. The original goal was to characterize spectra emerging from glass capillary fibers of less than 1 mm diameter, but other applications became apparent. For approximately 1 m flight paths, conventional nuclear electronics had to be adapted to the millisecond flight times. Both time-to-amplitude converter and multiscaling time-data storage methods were used. Data corrections for the particular geometry are reviewed and applied to the present geometry. Among examples of its potential use, the spectrum of a newly installed cold source was measured.

[Chemical composition and daily variation of melt water during ablation season in monsoonal temperate Glacier region: a case study of Baishui Glacier No. 1].

PubMed

Zhu, Guo-Feng; Pu, Tao; He, Yuan-Qing; Wang, Pei-Zhen; Kong, Jian-Long; Zhang, Ning-Ning; Xin, Hui-Juan

2012-12-01

Melt water samples collected continuously from 29 August to 3 September 2009 in the Baishui Glacier No. 1 at elevation of 4750 m were analyzed for pH, conductivity, delta18O and inorganic ions. The results showed that the pH had obvious diurnal variations and was increased slightly by the influence of precipitation. The dissolution of alkaline soluble salts in the dust was the main reason for the increase of melt water conductivity; the value of delta18O was relatively low in strong ablation period and high in slight ablation period. Different from other research areas, the concentrations of Na+, K+, which were influenced by lithological and marine water vapor, were higher than that of Mg2+ in the study area; HCO3- and Ca2+ accounted for more than 80% of total ions in snow and ice melt water, indicating that the ions mainly came from limestone and the melt water was a typical carbonate solution; The content of melt water had an obvious daily change with temperature change, but the response amplitudes were different; Monsoon transport, local rock lithology, human industrial and agricultural activities were the main sources of inorganic ions and the deciding factors of the ion composition in the Baishui Glacier No. 1.

An Inexpensive Autosampler to Maximize Throughput for an Ion Source that Samples Surfaces in Open Air

EPA Science Inventory

An autosampler was built to pull cotton swab heads mounted into a 3-foot long, square Al rod in ambient air through the He ionizing beam of a Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) ion source interfaced to an orthogonal acceleration, time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The cost of th...

Threshold response using modulated continuous wave illumination for multilayer 3D optical data storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, A.; Christenson, C. W.; Khattab, T. A.; Wang, R.; Twieg, R. J.; Singer, K. D.

2017-01-01

In order to achieve a high capacity 3D optical data storage medium, a nonlinear or threshold writing process is necessary to localize data in the axial dimension. To this end, commercial multilayer discs use thermal ablation of metal films or phase change materials to realize such a threshold process. This paper addresses a threshold writing mechanism relevant to recently reported fluorescence-based data storage in dye-doped co-extruded multilayer films. To gain understanding of the essential physics, single layer spun coat films were used so that the data is easily accessible by analytical techniques. Data were written by attenuating the fluorescence using nanosecond-range exposure times from a 488 nm continuous wave laser overlapping with the single photon absorption spectrum. The threshold writing process was studied over a range of exposure times and intensities, and with different fluorescent dyes. It was found that all of the dyes have a common temperature threshold where fluorescence begins to attenuate, and the physical nature of the thermal process was investigated.

Orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometry of an ion beam with a broad kinetic energy profile.

PubMed

Miller, S W; Prince, B D; Bemish, R J

2017-10-01

A combined experimental and modeling effort is undertaken to assess a detection system composed of an orthogonal extraction time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer coupled to a continuous ion source emitting an ion beam with kinetic energy of several hundred eV. The continuous ion source comprises an electrospray capillary system employing an undiluted ionic liquid emitting directly into vacuum. The resulting ion beam consists of ions with kinetic energy distributions of width greater than a hundred of eV and mass-to-charge (m/q) ratios ranging from 111 to 500 000 amu/q. In particular, the investigation aims to demonstrate the kinetic energy resolution along the ion beam axis (axial) of orthogonally extracted ions in measurements of the axial kinetic energy-specific mass spectrum, mass flow rate, and total ion current. The described instrument is capable of simultaneous measurement of a broad m/q range in a single acquisition cycle with approximately 25 eV/q axial kinetic energy resolution. Mass resolutions of ∼340 (M/ΔM, FWHM) were obtained for ions at m/q = 1974. Comparison of the orthogonally extracted TOF mass spectrum to mass flow and ion current measurements obtained with a quartz-crystal microbalance and Faraday cup, respectively, shows reasonable numeric agreement and qualitative agreement in the trend as a function of energy defect.

Liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry method for the determination of caulophine in rat bio-samples and its pharmacokinetic study after intragastric and intraperitoneal administration.

PubMed

Lu, Dan; Xu, Xiao; Li, Chunlei; Wang, Sicen

2018-01-01

A rapid and precise liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry method to detect and quantify caulophine and its possible active metabolites in rat plasma and urine was developed. Samples were prepared by plasma protein precipitation combined with a liquid-liquid extraction method. The separation was carried out on an InertSustain® C18 column with a mobile phase comprising methanol and 0.1% aqueous formic acid solution. The analysis was complete in 20 min with a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Taspine was used as the internal standard. Mass spectrometric detection was conducted with hybrid ion trap/time-of-flight equipped with electrospray ionization in the positive ion mode. The calibration curves of caulophine were linear over the concentration ranges of 0.002-0.20 μg/mL for plasma and 0.005-0.50 μg/mL for urine with the correlation coefficients greater than 0.998 in both cases. The method was successfully used to investigate the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability in rat plasma and urine samples after intragastric and intraperitoneal administration of caulophine sodium salt. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural characterization of product ions of regulated veterinary drugs by electrospray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (part 3) Anthelmintics, thyreostats, and flukicides

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

RATIONALE: Previously we have reported a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the identification and quantification of regulated veterinary drugs. The methods used three selected transition ions but most of these ions lacked structural characterization. The work presented here ...

Enabling Exploration of Deep Space: High Density Storage of Antimatter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Gerald A.; Kramer, Kevin J.

1999-01-01

Portable electromagnetic antiproton traps are now in a state of realization. This allows facilities like NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to conduct antimatter research remote to production sites. MSFC is currently developing a trap to store 10(exp 12) antiprotons for a twenty-day half-life period to be used in future experiments including antimatter plasma guns, antimatter-initiated microfusion, and the synthesis of antihydrogen for space propulsion applications. In 1998, issues including design, safety and transportation were considered for the MSFC High Performance Antimatter Trap (HiPAT). Radial diffusion and annihilation losses of antiprotons prompted the use of a 4 Tesla superconducting magnet and a 20 KV electrostatic potential at 10(exp -12) Torr pressure. Cryogenic fluids used to maintain a trap temperature of 4K were sized accordingly to provide twenty days of stand-alone storage time (half-life). Procurement of the superconducting magnet with associated cryostat has been completed. The inner, ultra-high vacuum system with electrode structures has been fabricated, tested and delivered to MSFC along with the magnet and cryostat. Assembly of these systems is currently in progress. Testing under high vacuum conditions, using electrons and hydrogen ions will follow in the months ahead.

[Electrochemical methods of control of iodine contents in drinks].

PubMed

Zakharova, E A; Slepchenko, G B; Kolpakova, E Iu

2001-01-01

The simple and express methods of determination of iodide ions (0.01-0.20 mg/decimeter3) in iodine-enriched drinks by potentiometry and inversion voltamperometry were developed. The studies on influencing a storage time hermetically packaged carbonated beverages, a storage time of the depressurized drinks, stuff of ware on the contents of iodine in drinks are held.

Profiling the indole alkaloids in yohimbe bark with ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Sun, Jianghao; Baker, Andrew; Chen, Pei

2011-09-30

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/IM-QTOF-MS) method was developed for profiling the indole alkaloids in yohimbe bark. Many indole alkaloids with the yohimbine or ajmalicine core structure, plus methylated, oxidized and reduced species, were characterized. Common fragments and mass differences are described. It was shown that the use of IMS could provide another molecular descriptor, i.e. molecular shape by rotationally averaged collision cross-section; this is of great value for identification of constituents when reference materials are usually not available. Using the combination of high resolution (~40000) accurate mass measurement with time-aligned parallel (TAP) fragmentation, MS(E) (where E represents collision energy), ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMS) and UPLC chromatography, a total 55 indole alkaloids were characterized and a few new indole alkaloids are reported for the first time. Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An improved pseudotargeted metabolomics approach using multiple ion monitoring with time-staggered ion lists based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Liu, Fang; Li, Peng; He, Chengwei; Wang, Ruibing; Su, Huanxing; Wan, Jian-Bo

2016-07-13

Pseudotargeted metabolomics is a novel strategy integrating the advantages of both untargeted and targeted methods. The conventional pseudotargeted metabolomics required two MS instruments, i.e., ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time- of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q-TOF MS) and UHPLC/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC/QQQ-MS), which makes method transformation inevitable. Furthermore, the picking of ion pairs from thousands of candidates and the swapping of the data between two instruments are the most labor-intensive steps, which greatly limit its application in metabolomic analysis. In the present study, we proposed an improved pseudotargeted metabolomics method that could be achieved on an UHPLC/Q-TOF/MS instrument operated in the multiple ion monitoring (MIM) mode with time-staggered ion lists (tsMIM). Full scan-based untargeted analysis was applied to extract the target ions. After peak alignment and ion fusion, a stepwise ion picking procedure was used to generate the ion lists for subsequent single MIM and tsMIM. The UHPLC/Q-TOF tsMIM MS-based pseudotargeted approach exhibited better repeatability and a wider linear range than the UHPLC/Q-TOF MS-based untargeted metabolomics method. Compared to the single MIM mode, the tsMIM significantly increased the coverage of the metabolites detected. The newly developed method was successfully applied to discover plasma biomarkers for alcohol-induced liver injury in mice, which indicated its practicability and great potential in future metabolomics studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the plasma desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry technique for pesticide adsorption and degradation on 'as-received' treated soil samples.

PubMed

Thomas, J P; Nsouli, B; Darwish, T; Fallavier, M; Khoury, R; Wehbé, N

2005-01-01

The assessment of the plasma desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PD-TOFMS) technique as a tool for direct characterization of pesticides adsorbed on agricultural soil is made for the first time in this study. Pellets of soils impregnated by solutions of three pesticides, namely norflurazon, malathion and oxyfluorfen, as well as deposits of these solutions onto aluminum surfaces, were investigated to this end. The yield values of the most characteristic peaks of the negative ion mass spectra were used to determine both the lowest concentrations detected on soils and limits of detection from thin films. The lowest values on soils are for malathion (1000 ppm range), and the largest for norflurazon (20,000 ppm), which is close to the limit of detection (LOD) found for the pesticide on the aluminum substrate (approximately 0.2 microg . cm(-2)). Different behaviors were observed as a function of time of storage in the ambient atmosphere or under vacuum; norflurazon adsorbed on soil exhibited high stability for a long period of time, and a rapid degradation of malathion with the elapsed time was clearly observed. The behavior of oxyfluorfen was also investigated but segregation processes seem to occur after several days. Although by far less sensitive than conventional methods based on extraction processes and used for real-world analytical applications, this technique is well suited to the study of the transformations occurring at the sample surface. A discussion is presented of the future prospects of such experiments in degradation studies. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of surface modifications by white light interferometry: applications in ion sputtering, laser ablation, and tribology experiments.

PubMed

Baryshev, Sergey V; Erck, Robert A; Moore, Jerry F; Zinovev, Alexander V; Tripa, C Emil; Veryovkin, Igor V

2013-02-27

In materials science and engineering it is often necessary to obtain quantitative measurements of surface topography with micrometer lateral resolution. From the measured surface, 3D topographic maps can be subsequently analyzed using a variety of software packages to extract the information that is needed. In this article we describe how white light interferometry, and optical profilometry (OP) in general, combined with generic surface analysis software, can be used for materials science and engineering tasks. In this article, a number of applications of white light interferometry for investigation of surface modifications in mass spectrometry, and wear phenomena in tribology and lubrication are demonstrated. We characterize the products of the interaction of semiconductors and metals with energetic ions (sputtering), and laser irradiation (ablation), as well as ex situ measurements of wear of tribological test specimens. Specifically, we will discuss: i. Aspects of traditional ion sputtering-based mass spectrometry such as sputtering rates/yields measurements on Si and Cu and subsequent time-to-depth conversion. ii. Results of quantitative characterization of the interaction of femtosecond laser irradiation with a semiconductor surface. These results are important for applications such as ablation mass spectrometry, where the quantities of evaporated material can be studied and controlled via pulse duration and energy per pulse. Thus, by determining the crater geometry one can define depth and lateral resolution versus experimental setup conditions. iii. Measurements of surface roughness parameters in two dimensions, and quantitative measurements of the surface wear that occur as a result of friction and wear tests. Some inherent drawbacks, possible artifacts, and uncertainty assessments of the white light interferometry approach will be discussed and explained.

Characterization of Surface Modifications by White Light Interferometry: Applications in Ion Sputtering, Laser Ablation, and Tribology Experiments

PubMed Central

Baryshev, Sergey V.; Erck, Robert A.; Moore, Jerry F.; Zinovev, Alexander V.; Tripa, C. Emil; Veryovkin, Igor V.

2013-01-01

In materials science and engineering it is often necessary to obtain quantitative measurements of surface topography with micrometer lateral resolution. From the measured surface, 3D topographic maps can be subsequently analyzed using a variety of software packages to extract the information that is needed. In this article we describe how white light interferometry, and optical profilometry (OP) in general, combined with generic surface analysis software, can be used for materials science and engineering tasks. In this article, a number of applications of white light interferometry for investigation of surface modifications in mass spectrometry, and wear phenomena in tribology and lubrication are demonstrated. We characterize the products of the interaction of semiconductors and metals with energetic ions (sputtering), and laser irradiation (ablation), as well as ex situ measurements of wear of tribological test specimens. Specifically, we will discuss: Aspects of traditional ion sputtering-based mass spectrometry such as sputtering rates/yields measurements on Si and Cu and subsequent time-to-depth conversion. Results of quantitative characterization of the interaction of femtosecond laser irradiation with a semiconductor surface. These results are important for applications such as ablation mass spectrometry, where the quantities of evaporated material can be studied and controlled via pulse duration and energy per pulse. Thus, by determining the crater geometry one can define depth and lateral resolution versus experimental setup conditions. Measurements of surface roughness parameters in two dimensions, and quantitative measurements of the surface wear that occur as a result of friction and wear tests. Some inherent drawbacks, possible artifacts, and uncertainty assessments of the white light interferometry approach will be discussed and explained. PMID:23486006

Influence of the Laser Spot Size, Focal Beam Profile, and Tissue Type on the Lipid Signals Obtained by MALDI-MS Imaging in Oversampling Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiegelmann, Marcel; Dreisewerd, Klaus; Soltwisch, Jens

2016-12-01

To improve the lateral resolution in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) beyond the dimensions of the focal laser spot oversampling techniques are employed. However, few data are available on the effect of the laser spot size and its focal beam profile on the ion signals recorded in oversampling mode. To investigate these dependencies, we produced 2 times six spots with dimensions between 30 and 200 μm. By optional use of a fundamental beam shaper, square flat-top and Gaussian beam profiles were compared. MALDI-MSI data were collected using a fixed pixel size of 20 μm and both pixel-by-pixel and continuous raster oversampling modes on a QSTAR mass spectrometer. Coronal mouse brain sections coated with 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid matrix were used as primary test systems. Sizably higher phospholipid ion signals were produced with laser spots exceeding a dimension of 100 μm, although the same amount of material was essentially ablated from the 20 μm-wide oversampling pixel at all spot size settings. Only on white matter areas of the brain these effects were less apparent to absent. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that these findings can presumably be attributed to different matrix morphologies depending on tissue type. We propose that a transition in the material ejection mechanisms from a molecular desorption at large to ablation at smaller spot sizes and a concomitant reduction in ion yields may be responsible for the observed spot size effects. The combined results indicate a complex interplay between tissue type, matrix crystallization, and laser-derived desorption/ablation and finally analyte ionization.

Influence of the Laser Spot Size, Focal Beam Profile, and Tissue Type on the Lipid Signals Obtained by MALDI-MS Imaging in Oversampling Mode.

PubMed

Wiegelmann, Marcel; Dreisewerd, Klaus; Soltwisch, Jens

2016-12-01

To improve the lateral resolution in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) beyond the dimensions of the focal laser spot oversampling techniques are employed. However, few data are available on the effect of the laser spot size and its focal beam profile on the ion signals recorded in oversampling mode. To investigate these dependencies, we produced 2 times six spots with dimensions between ~30 and 200 μm. By optional use of a fundamental beam shaper, square flat-top and Gaussian beam profiles were compared. MALDI-MSI data were collected using a fixed pixel size of 20 μm and both pixel-by-pixel and continuous raster oversampling modes on a QSTAR mass spectrometer. Coronal mouse brain sections coated with 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid matrix were used as primary test systems. Sizably higher phospholipid ion signals were produced with laser spots exceeding a dimension of ~100 μm, although the same amount of material was essentially ablated from the 20 μm-wide oversampling pixel at all spot size settings. Only on white matter areas of the brain these effects were less apparent to absent. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that these findings can presumably be attributed to different matrix morphologies depending on tissue type. We propose that a transition in the material ejection mechanisms from a molecular desorption at large to ablation at smaller spot sizes and a concomitant reduction in ion yields may be responsible for the observed spot size effects. The combined results indicate a complex interplay between tissue type, matrix crystallization, and laser-derived desorption/ablation and finally analyte ionization. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

A Synopsis of Ion Propulsion Development Projects in the United States: SERT 1 to Deep Space I

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sovey, James S.; Rawlin, Vincent K.; Patterson, Michael J.

1999-01-01

The historical background and characteristics of the experimental flights of ion propulsion systems and the major ground-based technology demonstrations were reviewed. The results of the first successful ion engine flight in 1964, SERT I which demonstrated ion beam neutralization, are discussed along with the extended operation of SERT II starting in 1970. These results together with the technology employed on the early cesium engine flights. the Applications Technology Satellite (ATS) series, and the ground-test demonstrations, have provided the evolutionary path for the development of xenon ion thruster component technologies, control systems, and power circuit implementations. In the 1997-1999 period, the communication satellite flights using ion engine systems and the Deep Space I flight confirmed that these auxiliary and primary propulsion systems have advanced to a high-level of flight-readiness.

Ion Propulsion Development Projects in US: Space Electric Rocket Test I to Deep Space 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sovey, James S.; Rawlin, Vincent K.; Patterson, Michael J.

2001-01-01

The historical background and characteristics of the experimental flights of ion propulsion systems and the major ground-based technology demonstrations are reviewed. The results of the first successful ion engine flight in 1964, Space Electric Rocket Test (SERT) I, which demonstrated ion beam neutralization, are discussed along with the extended operation of SERT II starting in 1970. These results together with the technologies employed on the early cesium engine flights, the applications technology satellite series, and the ground-test demonstrations, have provided the evolutionary path for the development of xenon ion thruster component technologies, control systems, and power circuit implementations. In the 1997-1999 period, the communication satellite flights using ion engine systems and the Deep Space 1 flight confirmed that these auxiliary and primary propulsion systems have advanced to a high level of flight readiness.

A Remote Laser Mass Spectrometer for Lunar Resource Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deyoung, R. J.; Williams, M. D.

1992-01-01

The use of lasers as a source of excitation for surface mass spectroscopy has been investigated for some time. Since the laser can be focused to a small spot with intensity, it can vaporize and accelerate atoms of material. Using this phenomenon with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer allows a surface elemental mass analysis of a small region with each laser pulse. While the technique has been well developed for Earth applications, space applications are less developed. NASA Langley recently began a research program to investigate the use of a laser to create ions from the lunar surface and to analyze the ions at an orbiting spacecraft. A multijoule, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser would be focused to a small spot on the lunar surface, creating a dense plasma. This plasma would eject high-energy ions, as well as neutrals, electrons, and photons. An experiment is being set up to determine the characteristics of such a laser mass spectrometer at long flight distances. This experiment will determine the character of a future flight instrument for lunar resource assessment.

Implosion dynamics measurements at the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, D. G.; Meezan, N. B.; Dewald, E. L.; Mackinnon, A. J.; Olson, R. E.; Callahan, D. A.; Döppner, T.; Benedetti, L. R.; Bradley, D. K.; Celliers, P. M.; Clark, D. S.; Di Nicola, P.; Dixit, S. N.; Dzenitis, E. G.; Eggert, J. E.; Farley, D. R.; Frenje, J. A.; Glenn, S. M.; Glenzer, S. H.; Hamza, A. V.; Heeter, R. F.; Holder, J. P.; Izumi, N.; Kalantar, D. H.; Khan, S. F.; Kline, J. L.; Kroll, J. J.; Kyrala, G. A.; Ma, T.; MacPhee, A. G.; McNaney, J. M.; Moody, J. D.; Moran, M. J.; Nathan, B. R.; Nikroo, A.; Opachich, Y. P.; Petrasso, R. D.; Prasad, R. R.; Ralph, J. E.; Robey, H. F.; Rinderknecht, H. G.; Rygg, J. R.; Salmonson, J. D.; Schneider, M. B.; Simanovskaia, N.; Spears, B. K.; Tommasini, R.; Widmann, K.; Zylstra, A. B.; Collins, G. W.; Landen, O. L.; Kilkenny, J. D.; Hsing, W. W.; MacGowan, B. J.; Atherton, L. J.; Edwards, M. J.

2012-12-01

Measurements have been made of the in-flight dynamics of imploding capsules indirectly driven by laser energies of 1-1.7 MJ at the National Ignition Facility [Miller et al., Nucl. Fusion 44, 228 (2004)]. These experiments were part of the National Ignition Campaign [Landen et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 051002 (2011)] to iteratively optimize the inputs required to achieve thermonuclear ignition in the laboratory. Using gated or streaked hard x-ray radiography, a suite of ablator performance parameters, including the time-resolved radius, velocity, mass, and thickness, have been determined throughout the acceleration history of surrogate gas-filled implosions. These measurements have been used to establish a dynamically consistent model of the ablative drive history and shell compressibility throughout the implosion trajectory. First results showed that the peak velocity of the original 1.3-MJ Ge-doped polymer (CH) point design using Au hohlraums reached only 75% of the required ignition velocity. Several capsule, hohlraum, and laser pulse changes were then implemented to improve this and other aspects of implosion performance and a dedicated effort was undertaken to test the sensitivity of the ablative drive to the rise time and length of the main laser pulse. Changing to Si rather than Ge-doped inner ablator layers and increasing the pulse length together raised peak velocity to 93% ± 5% of the ignition goal using a 1.5 MJ, 420 TW pulse. Further lengthening the pulse so that the laser remained on until the capsule reached 30% (rather than 60%-70%) of its initial radius, reduced the shell thickness and improved the final fuel ρR on companion shots with a cryogenic hydrogen fuel layer. Improved drive efficiency was observed using U rather than Au hohlraums, which was expected, and by slowing the rise time of laser pulse, which was not. The effect of changing the Si-dopant concentration and distribution, as well as the effect of using a larger initial shell thickness were also examined, both of which indicated that instabilities seeded at the ablation front are a significant source of hydrodynamic mix into the central hot spot. Additionally, a direct test of the surrogacy of cryogenic fuel layered versus gas-filled targets was performed. Together all these measurements have established the fundamental ablative-rocket relationship describing the dependence of implosion velocity on fractional ablator mass remaining. This curve shows a lower-than-expected ablator mass at a given velocity, making the capsule more susceptible to feedthrough of instabilities from the ablation front into the fuel and hot spot. This combination of low velocity and low ablator mass indicates that reaching ignition on the NIF will require >20 μm (˜10%) thicker targets and laser powers at or beyond facility limits.

Implosion dynamics measurements at the National Ignition Facility

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

Hicks, D. G.; Meezan, N. B.; Dewald, E. L.

2012-12-15

Measurements have been made of the in-flight dynamics of imploding capsules indirectly driven by laser energies of 1-1.7 MJ at the National Ignition Facility [Miller et al., Nucl. Fusion 44, 228 (2004)]. These experiments were part of the National Ignition Campaign [Landen et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 051002 (2011)] to iteratively optimize the inputs required to achieve thermonuclear ignition in the laboratory. Using gated or streaked hard x-ray radiography, a suite of ablator performance parameters, including the time-resolved radius, velocity, mass, and thickness, have been determined throughout the acceleration history of surrogate gas-filled implosions. These measurements have been used tomore » establish a dynamically consistent model of the ablative drive history and shell compressibility throughout the implosion trajectory. First results showed that the peak velocity of the original 1.3-MJ Ge-doped polymer (CH) point design using Au hohlraums reached only 75% of the required ignition velocity. Several capsule, hohlraum, and laser pulse changes were then implemented to improve this and other aspects of implosion performance and a dedicated effort was undertaken to test the sensitivity of the ablative drive to the rise time and length of the main laser pulse. Changing to Si rather than Ge-doped inner ablator layers and increasing the pulse length together raised peak velocity to 93% {+-} 5% of the ignition goal using a 1.5 MJ, 420 TW pulse. Further lengthening the pulse so that the laser remained on until the capsule reached 30% (rather than 60%-70%) of its initial radius, reduced the shell thickness and improved the final fuel {rho}R on companion shots with a cryogenic hydrogen fuel layer. Improved drive efficiency was observed using U rather than Au hohlraums, which was expected, and by slowing the rise time of laser pulse, which was not. The effect of changing the Si-dopant concentration and distribution, as well as the effect of using a larger initial shell thickness were also examined, both of which indicated that instabilities seeded at the ablation front are a significant source of hydrodynamic mix into the central hot spot. Additionally, a direct test of the surrogacy of cryogenic fuel layered versus gas-filled targets was performed. Together all these measurements have established the fundamental ablative-rocket relationship describing the dependence of implosion velocity on fractional ablator mass remaining. This curve shows a lower-than-expected ablator mass at a given velocity, making the capsule more susceptible to feedthrough of instabilities from the ablation front into the fuel and hot spot. This combination of low velocity and low ablator mass indicates that reaching ignition on the NIF will require >20 {mu}m ({approx}10%) thicker targets and laser powers at or beyond facility limits.« less

Lessons learned from the recovered heatshield of the USERS REV capsule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Tetsuya; Matsuda, Seiji; Okuyama, Keiichi; Ishii, Nobuaki

2008-01-01

The USERS Reentry Vehicle (REV) capsule carried out reentry flight from the low earth orbit and was successfully recovered on the sea in May, 2003. This paper presents the post-flight analysis of the recovered heatshield of REV capsule and summarizes the lessons learned. REV capsule, totally about 670 kg, has the combined shape of the nose hemisphere and the rear cone part, and its size is about 1.5 m in diameter and 1.9 m in length. REV is thermally protected against the aerodynamic heating by the carbon phenolic ablator heatshield. The recovered REV heatshield was scrutinized based on the outside aspect and the cross-sections. In general, the temperature profiles of the heatshield have been compared between the flight data and the prediction. The origin of the surface shallow cracks and slight delamination observed in the heatshield have been investigated based on the flight data and taking account of the ablator internal pyrolysis gas pressure, the thermal stress, and the allowable stress. The heatshield has proven to satisfy thermal protection requirements, and the validity of the designing has been confirmed.

Picosecond laser micromachining prior to FIB milling for electronic microscopy sample preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikora, Aurélien; Fares, Lahouari; Adrian, Jérôme; Goubier, Vincent; Delobbe, Anne; Corbin, Antoine; Sentis, Marc; Sarnet, Thierry

2017-10-01

In order to check the manufacturing quality of electronic components using electron microscopy, the area of interest must be exposed. This requires the removal of a large quantity of matter without damaging the surrounding area. This step can be accomplished using ion milling but the processing can last a few hours. In order to accelerate the preparation of the samples, picosecond laser micromachining prior to Focused Ion Beam polishing is envisioned. Laser ablation allows the fast removal of matter but induces damages around the ablated area. Therefore the process has to be optimized in order to limit the size of both the heat affected zone and induced dislocation zone. For this purpose, cavities have been engraved in silicon and in electronic components, using a linearly polarized picosecond laser (∼50 ps) at three different wavelengths (343, 515 and 1030 nm). Results showed that the cross sectional shapes and the surface topologies can be tuned by the laser fluence and the number of pulses. Clear cross sections of bumps and cavity openings, exposing multilayer interfaces, are demonstrated. The silicon removal rates, tuned by the applied energy density, have been measured. Removal rates achieved at 200 kHz were typically hundred times higher than those achieved by ion milling and the best efficiency was obtained at 343 nm.

Development of Electrothermal Pulsed Plasma Thrusters for Osaka-Institute-of-Technology Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship

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

Ishii, Yushuke; Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi; Yamada, Minetsugu

2008-12-31

The Project of Osaka-Institute-of-Technology Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship (PROITERES) was started at Osaka Institute of Technology. In PROITERES, a 10-kg small satellite with electrothermal pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs), named JOSHO, will be launched in 2010. The main mission is powered flight of small satellite by electric thruster itself. Electrothermal PPTs were studied with both experiments and numerical simulations. An electrothermal PPT with a side-fed propellant feeding mechanism achieved a total impulse of 3.6 Ns with a repetitive 10000-shot operation. An unsteady numerical simulation showed the existence of considerable amount of ablation delaying to the discharge. However, it was alsomore » shown that this phenomenon should not be regarded as the 'late time ablation' for electrothermal PPTs.« less

Low Temperature Life-cycle Testing of a Lithium-ion Battery for Low-earth-orbiting Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Concha

2004-01-01

A flight-qualified, lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery developed for the Mars Surveyor Program 2001 lander is undergoing life-testing at low temperature under a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) profile to assess its capability to provide long term energy storage for aerospace missions. NASA has embarked upon an ambitious course to return humans to the moon by 2015-2020 in preparation for robotic and human exploration of Mars and robotic exploration of the moons of outer planets. Li-ion batteries are excellent candidates to provide power and energy storage for multiple aspects of these missions due to their low specific energy, low energy density, and excellent low temperature performance. Laboratory testing of Li-ion technology is necessary in order to assess lifetime, characterize multi-cell battery-level performance under aerospace conditions, and to gauge safety aspects of the technology. Life-cycle testing provides an opportunity to examine battery-level performance and the dynamics of individual cells in the stack over the entire life of the battery. Data generated through this testing will be critical to establish confidence in the technology for its widespread use in manned and unmanned mission. This paper discusses the performance of the 28 volt, 25 ampere-hour battery through 6000 LEO cycles, which corresponds to one year on LEO orbit. Testing is being performed at 0 C and 40% depth-of-discharge. Individual cell behaviors and their effect on the performance of the battery are described. Capacity, impedance, energy efficiency and end-of-discharge voltage at 1000 cycle intervals are reported. Results from this life-testing will help contribute to the database on battery-level performance of aerospace Li-ion batteries and low temperature cycling under LEO conditions.

A new setup for the investigation of swift heavy ion induced particle emission and surface modifications

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

Meinerzhagen, F.; Breuer, L.; Bukowska, H.

2016-01-15

The irradiation with fast ions with kinetic energies of >10 MeV leads to the deposition of a high amount of energy along their trajectory (up to several ten keV/nm). The energy is mainly transferred to the electronic subsystem and induces different secondary processes of excitations, which result in significant material modifications. A new setup to study these ion induced effects on surfaces will be described in this paper. The setup combines a variable irradiation chamber with different techniques of surface characterizations like scanning probe microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion, and neutral mass spectrometry, as well as low energy electron diffraction undermore » ultra high vacuum conditions, and is mounted at a beamline of the universal linear accelerator (UNILAC) of the GSI facility in Darmstadt, Germany. Here, samples can be irradiated with high-energy ions with a total kinetic energy up to several GeVs under different angles of incidence. Our setup enables the preparation and in situ analysis of different types of sample systems ranging from metals to insulators. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry enables us to study the chemical composition of the surface, while scanning probe microscopy allows a detailed view into the local electrical and morphological conditions of the sample surface down to atomic scales. With the new setup, particle emission during irradiation as well as persistent modifications of the surface after irradiation can thus be studied. We present first data obtained with the new setup, including a novel measuring protocol for time-of-flight mass spectrometry with the GSI UNILAC accelerator.« less

Laser Ablation Mass Spectrometer (LAMS) as a Standoff Analyzer in Space Missions for Airless Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, X.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Managadze, G. G.; Pugel, D. E.; Corrigan, C. M.; Doty, J. H.

2012-01-01

A laser ablation mass spectrometer (LAMS) based on a time-of-flight (TOF) analyzer with adjustable drift length is proposed as a standoff elemental composition sensor for space missions to airless bodies. It is found that the use of a retarding potential analyzer in combination with a two-stage reflectron enables LAMS to be operated at variable drift length. For field-free drift lengths between 33 cm to 100 cm, at least unit mass resolution can be maintained solely by adjustment of internal voltages, and without resorting to drastic reductions in sensitivity. Therefore, LAMS should be able to be mounted on a robotic arm and analyze samples at standoff distances of up to several tens of cm, permitting high operational flexibility and wide area coverage of heterogeneous regolith on airless bodies.

Astrochemistry in TSR and CSR Ion Storage Rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novotny, Oldrich

2017-04-01

Dissociative recombination (DR) of molecular ions plays a key role in controlling the charge density and composition of the cold interstellar medium (ISM). Experimental data on DR are required in order to understand the chemical network in the ISM and related processes such as star formation from molecular clouds. Needed data include not only total reaction cross sections, but also the chemical composition and excitation states of the neutral products. Utilizing the TSR storage ring in Heidelberg, Germany, we have carried out DR measurements for astrophysically important molecular ions. We use a merged electron-ion beams technique combined with event-by-event fragment counting and fragment imaging. The count rate of detected neutral DR products yields the absolute DR rate coefficient. Imaging the distribution of fragment distances provides information on the kinetic energy released including the states of both the initial molecule and the final products. Additional kinetic energy sensitivity of the employed detector allows for identification of fragmentation channels by fragment-mass combination within each dissociation event. Such combined information is essential for studies on DR of polyatomic ions with multi-channel breakup. The recently commissioned Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR) in Heidelberg, Germany, extends the experimental capabilities of TSR by operation at cryogenic temperatures down to 6 K. At these conditions residual gas densities down to 100 cm-3 can be reached resulting in beam storage times of several hours. Long storage in the cold environment allows the ions to relax down to their rotational ground state, thus mimicking well the conditions in the cold ISM. A variety of astrophysically relevant reactions will be investigated at these conditions, such as DR, electron impact excitation, ion-neutral collisions, etc. We report our TSR results on DR of HCl+ and D2Cl+. We also present first results from the CSR commissioning experiments.

An Update on the Performance of Li-Ion Rechargeable Batteries on Mars Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratnakumara, Bugga V.; Smart, M. C.; Whitcanack, L. D.; Chin, K. B.; Ewell, R. C.; Surampudi, S.; Puglia, F.; Gitzendanner, R.

2006-01-01

NASA's Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity have been exploring the surface of Mars for the last thirty months, far exceeding the primary mission life of three months, performing astounding geological studies to examine the habitability of Mars. Such an extended mission life may be attributed to impressive performances of several subsystems, including power subsystem components, i.e., solar array and batteries. The novelty and challenge for this mission in terms of energy storage is the use of lithium-ion batteries, for the first time in a major NASA mission, for keeping the rover electronics warm, and supporting nighttime experimentation and communications. The use of Li-ion batteries has considerably enhanced or even enabled these rovers, by providing greater mass and volume allocations for the payload and wider range of operating temperatures for the power subsystem and thus reduced thermal management. After about 800 days of exploration, there is only marginal change in the end-of discharge (EOD) voltages of the batteries or in their capacities, as estimated from in-flight voltage data and corroborated by ground testing of prototype batteries. Enabled by such impressive durability from the Li-ion batteries, both from a cycling and calendar life stand point, these rovers are poised to extend their exploration well beyond 1000 sols, though other components have started showing signs of decay. In this paper, we will update the performance characteristics of these batteries on both Spirit and Opportunity.

Storing keV negative ions for an hour: the lifetime of the metastable ^(2)P((1/2)^(o)) level in ^(32)S^(-).

PubMed

Bäckström, E; Hanstorp, D; Hole, O M; Kaminska, M; Nascimento, R F; Blom, M; Björkhage, M; Källberg, A; Löfgren, P; Reinhed, P; Rosén, S; Simonsson, A; Thomas, R D; Mannervik, S; Schmidt, H T; Cederquist, H

2015-04-10

We use a novel electrostatic ion storage ring to measure the radiative lifetime of the upper level in the 3p^{5} ^{2}P_{1/2}^{o}→3p^{5} ^{2}P_{3/2}^{o} spontaneous radiative decay in ^{32}S^{-} to be 503±54  sec. This is by orders of magnitude the longest lifetime ever measured in a negatively charged ion. Cryogenic cooling of the storage ring gives a residual-gas pressure of a few times 10^{-14} mbar at 13 K and storage of 10 keV sulfur anions for more than an hour. Our experimental results differ by 1.3σ from the only available theoretical prediction [P. Andersson et al., Phys. Rev. A 73, 032705 (2006)].

Pseudo-Random Sequence Modifications for Ion Mobility Orthogonal Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Clowers, Brian H.; Belov, Mikhail E.; Prior, David C.; Danielson, William F.; Ibrahim, Yehia; Smith, Richard D.

2008-01-01

Due to the inherently low duty cycle of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) experiments that sample from continuous ion sources, a range of experimental advances have been developed to maximize ion utilization efficiency. The use of ion trapping mechanisms prior to the ion mobility drift tube has demonstrated significant gains over discrete sampling from continuous sources; however, these technologies have traditionally relied upon a signal averaging to attain analytically relevant signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Multiplexed (MP) techniques based upon the Hadamard transform offer an alternative experimental approach by which ion utilization efficiency can be elevated to ∼ 50 %. Recently, our research group demonstrated a unique multiplexed ion mobility time-of-flight (MP-IMS-TOF) approach that incorporates ion trapping and can extend ion utilization efficiency beyond 50 %. However, the spectral reconstruction of the multiplexed signal using this experiment approach requires the use of sample-specific weighing designs. Though general weighing designs have been shown to significantly enhance ion utilization efficiency using this MP technique, such weighing designs cannot be applied to all samples. By modifying both the ion funnel trap and the pseudo random sequence (PRS) used for the MP experiment we have eliminated the need for complex weighing matrices. For both simple and complex mixtures SNR enhancements of up to 13 were routinely observed as compared to the SA-IMS-TOF experiment. In addition, this new class of PRS provides a two fold enhancement in ion throughput compared to the traditional HT-IMS experiment. PMID:18311942

Ion Beam Measurements of a Dense Plasma Focus Device Using CR 39 Nuclear Track Detectors

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

Ngoi, S. K.; Yap, S. L.; Wong, C. S.

The project is carried out using a small Mather type plasma focus device powered by a 15 kV, 30 {mu}F capacitor. The filling gas used is argon. The ion beam generated is investigated by both time resolved and time integrated methods. Investigation on the dynamic of the current sheath is also carried out in order to obtain an optimum condition for ion beam production. The angular distribution of the ion emission is measured at positions of 0 deg. (end-on), 45 deg. and 90 deg. (side-on) by using CR-39 nuclear track detectors. The divergence of the ion beam is also determinedmore » using these detectors. A biased ion collector is used for time resolved measurement of the ion beam. Time of flight technique is employed for the determination of the ion beam energy. Average ion beam energy obtained is about 180 keV. The ion beam produced can be used for applications such as material surface modification and ion implantation.« less

IR-MALDESI MASS SPECTROMETRY IMAGING OF BIOLOGICAL TISSUE SECTIONS USING ICE AS A MATRIX

PubMed Central

Robichaud, Guillaume; Barry, Jeremy A.; Muddiman, David C.

2014-01-01

Infrared Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Electrospray Ionization (IR-MALDESI) Mass Spectrometry imaging of biological tissue sections using a layer of deposited ice as an energy absorbing matrix was investigated. Dynamics of plume ablation were first explored using a nanosecond exposure shadowgraphy system designed to simultaneously collect pictures of the plume with a camera and collect the FT-ICR mass spectrum corresponding to that same ablation event. Ablation of fresh tissue analyzed with and without using ice as a matrix were both compared using this technique. Effect of spot-to-spot distance, number of laser shots per pixel and tissue condition (matrix) on ion abundance was also investigated for 50 µm thick tissue sections. Finally, the statistical method called design of experiments was used to compare source parameters and determine the optimal conditions for IR-MALDESI of tissue sections using deposited ice as a matrix. With a better understanding of the fundamentals of ablation dynamics and a systematic approach to explore the experimental space, it was possible to improve ion abundance by nearly one order of magnitude. PMID:24385399

Ion trace detection algorithm to extract pure ion chromatograms to improve untargeted peak detection quality for liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based metabolomics data.

PubMed

Wang, San-Yuan; Kuo, Ching-Hua; Tseng, Yufeng J

2015-03-03

Able to detect known and unknown metabolites, untargeted metabolomics has shown great potential in identifying novel biomarkers. However, elucidating all possible liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS) ion signals in a complex biological sample remains challenging since many ions are not the products of metabolites. Methods of reducing ions not related to metabolites or simply directly detecting metabolite related (pure) ions are important. In this work, we describe PITracer, a novel algorithm that accurately detects the pure ions of a LC/TOF-MS profile to extract pure ion chromatograms and detect chromatographic peaks. PITracer estimates the relative mass difference tolerance of ions and calibrates the mass over charge (m/z) values for peak detection algorithms with an additional option to further mass correction with respect to a user-specified metabolite. PITracer was evaluated using two data sets containing 373 human metabolite standards, including 5 saturated standards considered to be split peaks resultant from huge m/z fluctuation, and 12 urine samples spiked with 50 forensic drugs of varying concentrations. Analysis of these data sets show that PITracer correctly outperformed existing state-of-art algorithm and extracted the pure ion chromatograms of the 5 saturated standards without generating split peaks and detected the forensic drugs with high recall, precision, and F-score and small mass error.

a Study of Ion Acceleration at Rocket Altitudes and Development and Calibration of Pitch Angle Imaging Charged Particle Detectors.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garbe, Gregory Paul

1990-01-01

Data obtained from the January 1988 flight of the Topaz 2 sounding rocket will be presented. It has been found that four types of ion populations were observed during this flight. During the early portions of the upleg and late portions of the downleg numerical fits of the plasma will be compared with in-situ data to show the Maxwellian behavior and derived plasma parameters. Throughout the middle portion of the flight superthermal tails (ion conics) were observed and are modeled using a bi-Maxwellian distribution function from which T_{rm perp } and T_{rm par} can be derived. Two other ion populations were observed in the most intense auroral arcs. Transverse accelerated ions (TAI) were observed continuously in these arcs. The individual TAI events were found to have spatial/temporal scales on the order of the analyzer resolution ( ~1 sec). The characteristic perpendicular energy of the TAI reached as high as 7 eV compared to 1 eV during non-TAI times. High-energy tails have also been observed during TAI events and have perpendicular temperatures in the hundreds of eV. The second ion population found in the arcs of high energy electron precipitation is a cold downflowing population. The typical streaming velocity for this population is 2 km/s. A correlation between the high energy auroral electron precipitation, observed electrostatic oxygen cyclotron waves, cold down flowing ions and the TAI will be presented. Preparation and calibration of the instruments for NASA flight 35.020 will also be presented. As part of NASA flight 35.020, an upgrade of the calibration facility was performed. The calibration facility project included the designing and implementation of a photoelectric electron gun and an electron impact ion gun. The characteristics of these two particle sources will be discussed. A procedure for the coating of electrostatic charged particle analyzers with metal blacks were devised and will be presented. Finally, the results of the calibration tests of the instruments flown on flight 35.020 will be shown.

Dual-Wavelength Interferometry and Light Emission Study for Experimental Support of Dual-Wire Ablation Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Andrew; Caplinger, James; Sotnikov, Vladimir; Sarkisov, Gennady; Leland, John

2017-10-01

In the Plasma Physics and Sensors Laboratory, located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, we utilize a pulsed power source to create plasma through a wire ablation process of metallic wires. With a parallel arrangement of wires the azimuthal magnetic fields generated around each wire, along with the Ohmic current dissipation and heating occurring upon wire evaporation, launch strong radial outflows of magnetized plasmas towards the centralized stagnation region. It is in this region that we investigate two phases of the wire ablation process. Observations in the first phase are collsionless and mostly comprised of light ions ejected from the initial corona. The second phase is observed when the wire core is ablated and heavy ions dominate collisions in the stagnation region. In this presentation we will show how dual-wavelength interferometric techniques can provide information about electron and atomic densities from experiments. Additionally, we expect white-light emission to provide a qualitative confirmation of the instabilities observed from our experiments. The material is based upon work supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Award Number 16RYCOR289.

Time-Resolved Tandem Faraday Cup Development for High Energy TNSA Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padalino, S.; Simone, A.; Turner, E.; Ginnane, M. K.; Glisic, M.; Kousar, B.; Smith, A.; Sangster, C.; Regan, S.

2015-11-01

MTW and OMEGA EP Lasers at LLE utilize ultra-intense laser light to produce high-energy ion pulses through Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA). A Time Resolved Tandem Faraday Cup (TRTF) was designed and built to collect and differentiate protons from heavy ions (HI) produced during TNSA. The TRTF includes a replaceable thickness absorber capable of stopping a range of user-selectable HI emitted from TNSA plasma. HI stop within the primary cup, while less massive particles continue through and deposit their remaining charge in the secondary cup, releasing secondary electrons in the process. The time-resolved beam current generated in each cup will be measured on a fast storage scope in multiple channels. A charge-exchange foil at the TRTF entrance modifies the charge state distribution of HI to a known distribution. Using this distribution and the time of flight of the HI, the total HI current can be determined. Initial tests of the TRTF have been made using a proton beam produced by SUNY Geneseo's 1.7 MV Pelletron accelerator. A substantial reduction in secondary electron production, from 70% of the proton beam current at 2MeV down to 0.7%, was achieved by installing a pair of dipole magnet deflectors which successfully returned the electrons to the cups in the TRTF. Ultimately the TRTF will be used to normalize a variety of nuclear physics cross sections and stopping power measurements. Based in part upon work supported by a DOE NNSA Award#DE-NA0001944.

Hybrid-drive implosion system for ICF targets

DOEpatents

Mark, James W.

1988-08-02

Hybrid-drive implosion systems (20,40) for ICF targets (10,22,42) are described which permit a significant increase in target gain at fixed total driver energy. The ICF target is compressed in two phases, an initial compression phase and a final peak power phase, with each phase driven by a separate, optimized driver. The targets comprise a hollow spherical ablator (12) surroundingly disposed around fusion fuel (14). The ablator is first compressed to higher density by a laser system (24), or by an ion beam system (44), that in each case is optimized for this initial phase of compression of the target. Then, following compression of the ablator, energy is directly delivered into the compressed ablator by an ion beam driver system (30,48) that is optimized for this second phase of operation of the target. The fusion fuel (14) is driven, at high gain, to conditions wherein fusion reactions occur. This phase separation allows hydrodynamic efficiency and energy deposition uniformity to be individually optimized, thereby securing significant advantages in energy gain. In additional embodiments, the same or separate drivers supply energy for ICF target implosion.

Hybrid-drive implosion system for ICF targets

DOEpatents

Mark, James W.

1988-01-01

Hybrid-drive implosion systems (20,40) for ICF targets (10,22,42) are described which permit a significant increase in target gain at fixed total driver energy. The ICF target is compressed in two phases, an initial compression phase and a final peak power phase, with each phase driven by a separate, optimized driver. The targets comprise a hollow spherical ablator (12) surroundingly disposed around fusion fuel (14). The ablator is first compressed to higher density by a laser system (24), or by an ion beam system (44), that in each case is optimized for this initial phase of compression of the target. Then, following compression of the ablator, energy is directly delivered into the compressed ablator by an ion beam driver system (30,48) that is optimized for this second phase of operation of the target. The fusion fuel (14) is driven, at high gain, to conditions wherein fusion reactions occur. This phase separation allows hydrodynamic efficiency and energy deposition uniformity to be individually optimized, thereby securing significant advantages in energy gain. In additional embodiments, the same or separate drivers supply energy for ICF target implosion.

Hybrid-drive implosion system for ICF targets

DOEpatents

Mark, J.W.K.

1987-10-14

Hybrid-drive implosion systems for ICF targets are described which permit a significant increase in target gain at fixed total driver energy. The ICF target is compressed in two phases, an initial compression phase and a final peak power phase, with each phase driven by a separate, optimized driver. The targets comprise a hollow spherical ablator surroundingly disposed around fusion fuel. The ablator is first compressed to higher density by a laser system, or by an ion beam system, that in each case is optimized for this initial phase of compression of the target. Then, following compression of the ablator, energy is directly delivered into the compressed ablator by an ion beam driver system that is optimized for this second phase of operation of the target. The fusion fuel is driven, at high gain, to conditions wherein fusion reactions occur. This phase separation allows hydrodynamic efficiency and energy deposition uniformity to be individually optimized, thereby securing significant advantages in energy gain. In additional embodiments, the same or separate drivers supply energy for ICF target implosion. 3 figs.

Structure and properties of nanoparticles fabricated by laser ablation of Zn metal targets in water and ethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svetlichnyi, V. A.; Lapin, I. N.

2013-10-01

Size characteristics, structure, and spectral and luminescent properties of nanoparticles fabricated by laser ablation of zinc metal targets in water and ethanol are experimentally investigated upon excitation by Nd:YAG-laser radiation (1064 nm, 7 ns, and 15 Hz). It is demonstrated that zinc oxide nanoparticles with average sizes of 10 nm (in water) and 16 nm (in ethanol) are formed in the initial stage as a result of ablation. The kinetics of the absorption and luminescence spectra, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray structural analysis demonstrate that during long storage of water dispersions and their drying, nanoparticles efficiently interact with carbon dioxide gas of air that leads to the formation of water-soluble Zn(CO3)2(OH)6. In ethanol, Zn oxidation leads to the formation of stable dispersions of ZnO nanoparticles with 99% of the wurtzite phase; in this case, the fluorescence spectra of ZnO nanoparticles change with time, shifting toward longer wavelength region from 550 to 620 nm, which is caused by the changed nature of defects.

Plasmon mode excitation and photoluminescence enhancement on silver nanoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchmizhak, Aleksandr A.; Gurbatov, Stanislav O.; Kulchin, Yuri N.; Vitrik, Oleg B.

2015-12-01

We demonstrate a simple and high-performance laser-assisted technique for silver nanoring fabrication, which includes the ablation of the Ag film by focused nanosecond pulses and subsequent reactive ion polishing. The nanoring diameter and thickness can be controlled by optimizing both the pulse energy and the metal film thickness at laser ablation step, while the subsequent reactive ion polishing provides the ability to fabricate the nanoring with desirable height. Scattering patterns of s-polarized collimated laser beam obliquely illuminating the nanoring demonstrate the focal spot inside the nanoring shifted from its center at a distance of ~0.57Rring. Five-fold enhancement of the photoluminescence signal from the Rhodamine 6G organic dye near the Ag nanoring was demonstrated. This enhancement was attributed to the increase of the electromagnetic field amplitude near the nanoring surface arising from excitation of the multipole plasmon modes traveling along the nanoring. This assumption was confirmed by dark-field back-scattering spectrum of the nanoring measured under white-light illumination, as well as by supporting finite-difference time-domain simulations.

Linear electric field time-of-flight ion mass spectrometer

DOEpatents

Funsten, Herbert O [Los Alamos, NM; Feldman, William C [Los Alamos, NM

2008-06-10

A linear electric field ion mass spectrometer having an evacuated enclosure with means for generating a linear electric field located in the evacuated enclosure and means for injecting a sample material into the linear electric field. A source of pulsed ionizing radiation injects ionizing radiation into the linear electric field to ionize atoms or molecules of the sample material, and timing means determine the time elapsed between ionization of atoms or molecules and arrival of an ion out of the ionized atoms or molecules at a predetermined position.

Effect of Coulomb interaction on time of flight of cold antiprotons launched from an ion trap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Camp, J. B.; Witteborn, F. C.

1993-01-01

Time-of-flight spectra for Maxwell-Boltzman (MB) distributions of antiprotons initially held in an ion trap and detected after being launched through a 50-cm-long shielding drift tube have been calculated. The distributions used are of temperature 0.4-40 K, cubic length 0.003-3.0 cm, and number 10-100 particles. The mutual Coulomb repulsion of the particles causes a reduction in the number of late arrival particles expected from the MB velocity distribution. The Coulomb energy is not equally divided among the particles during the expansion. The energy is transferred preferentially to the outer particles so that the reduction in the number of slow particles is not necessarily large. The reduction factor is found to be greater than unity when the potential energy of the trapped ions is greater than about 5 percent of the ions' kinetic energy and is about 2 for the launch parameters of the Los Alamos antiproton gravity experiment.

Improved Sprayable Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, W. F.; Sharpe, M. H.; Lester, C. N.; Echols, Sherman; Simpson, W. G.; Lambert, J. D.; Norton, W. F.; Mclemore, J. P.; Patel, A. K.; Patel, S. V.;

Ion temperature measurements of indirect-drive implosions with the neutron time-of-flight detector on SG-III laser facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhongjing; Zhang, Xing; Pu, Yudong; Yan, Ji; Huang, Tianxuan; Jiang, Wei; Yu, Bo; Chen, Bolun; Tang, Qi; Song, Zifeng; Chen, Jiabin; Zhan, Xiayu; Liu, Zhongjie; Xie, Xufei; Jiang, Shaoen; Liu, Shenye

2018-02-01

The accuracy of the determination of the burn-averaged ion temperature of inertial confinement fusion implosions depends on the unfold process, including deconvolution and convolution methods, and the function, i.e., the detector response, used to fit the signals measured by neutron time-of-flight (nToF) detectors. The function given by Murphy et al. [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 68(1), 610-613 (1997)] has been widely used in Nova, Omega, and NIF. There are two components, i.e., fast and slow, and the contribution of scattered neutrons has not been dedicatedly considered. In this work, a new function, based on Murphy's function has been employed to unfold nToF signals. The contribution of scattered neutrons is easily included by the convolution of a Gaussian response function and an exponential decay. The ion temperature is measured by nToF with the new function. Good agreement with the ion temperature determined by the deconvolution method has been achieved.

Implementation of Dipolar Resonant Excitation for Collision Induced Dissociation with Ion Mobility/Time-of-Flight MS

PubMed Central

Webb, Ian K.; Chen, Tsung-Chi; Danielson, William F.; Ibrahim, Yehia M.; Tang, Keqi; Anderson, Gordon A.; Smith, Richard D.

2014-01-01

An ion mobility/time-of-flight mass spectrometer (IMS/TOF MS) platform that allows for resonant excitation collision induced dissociation (CID) is presented. Highly efficient, mass-resolved fragmentation without additional excitation of product ions was accomplished and over-fragmentation common in beam-type CID experiments was alleviated. A quadrupole ion guide was modified to apply a dipolar AC signal across a pair of rods for resonant excitation. The method was characterized with singly protonated methionine enkephalin and triply protonated peptide angiotensin I, yielding maximum CID efficiencies of 44% and 84%, respectively. The Mathieu qx,y parameter was set at 0.707 for these experiments to maximize pseudopotential well depths and CID efficiencies. Resonant excitation CID was compared to beam-type CID for the peptide mixture. The ability to apply resonant waveforms in mobility-resolved windows is demonstrated with a peptide mixture yielding fragmentation over a range of mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios within a single IMS-MS analysis. PMID:24470195

Novel two-step laser ablation and ionization mass spectrometry (2S-LAIMS) of actor-spectator ice layers: Probing chemical composition of D{sub 2}O ice beneath a H{sub 2}O ice layer

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

Yang, Rui, E-mail: ryang73@ustc.edu; Gudipati, Murthy S., E-mail: gudipati@jpl.nasa.gov

2014-03-14

In this work, we report for the first time successful analysis of organic aromatic analytes imbedded in D{sub 2}O ices by novel infrared (IR) laser ablation of a layered non-absorbing D{sub 2}O ice (spectator) containing the analytes and an ablation-active IR-absorbing H{sub 2}O ice layer (actor) without the analyte. With these studies we have opened up a new method for the in situ analysis of solids containing analytes when covered with an IR laser-absorbing layer that can be resonantly ablated. This soft ejection method takes advantage of the tenability of two-step infrared laser ablation and ultraviolet laser ionization mass spectrometry,more » previously demonstrated in this lab to study chemical reactions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cryogenic ices. The IR laser pulse tuned to resonantly excite only the upper H{sub 2}O ice layer (actor) generates a shockwave upon impact. This shockwave penetrates the lower analyte-containing D{sub 2}O ice layer (spectator, a non-absorbing ice that cannot be ablated directly with the wavelength of the IR laser employed) and is reflected back, ejecting the contents of the D{sub 2}O layer into the vacuum where they are intersected by a UV laser for ionization and detection by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Thus, energy is transmitted from the laser-absorbing actor layer into the non-absorbing spectator layer resulting its ablation. We found that isotope cross-contamination between layers was negligible. We also did not see any evidence for thermal or collisional chemistry of PAH molecules with H{sub 2}O molecules in the shockwave. We call this “shockwave mediated surface resonance enhanced subsurface ablation” technique as “two-step laser ablation and ionization mass spectrometry of actor-spectator ice layers.” This method has its roots in the well-established MALDI (matrix assisted laser desorption and ionization) method. Our method offers more flexibility to optimize both the processes—ablation and ionization. This new technique can thus be potentially employed to undertake in situ analysis of materials imbedded in diverse media, such as cryogenic ices, biological samples, tissues, minerals, etc., by covered with an IR-absorbing laser ablation medium and study the chemical composition and reaction pathways of the analyte in its natural surroundings.« less

Breaking through the false coincidence barrier in electron–ion coincidence experiments

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

Osborn, David L.; Hayden, Carl C.; Hemberger, Patrick

Photoelectron Photoion Coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy holds the promise of a universal, isomer-selective, and sensitive analytical technique for time-resolved quantitative analysis of bimolecular chemical reactions. Unfortunately, its low dynamic range of ~10 3 has largely precluded its use for this purpose, where a dynamic range of at least 10 5 is generally required. This limitation is due to the false coincidence background common to all coincidence experiments, especially at high count rates. Electron/ion pairs emanating from separate ionization events but arriving within the ion time of flight (TOF) range of interest constitute the false coincidence background. Although this background has uniformmore » intensity at every m/z value, the Poisson scatter in the false coincidence background obscures small signals. In this paper, temporal ion deflection coupled with a position-sensitive ion detector enables suppression of the false coincidence background, increasing the dynamic range in the PEPICO TOF mass spectrum by 2–3 orders of magnitude. The ions experience a time-dependent electric deflection field at a well-defined fraction of their time of flight. This deflection defines an m/z- and ionization-time dependent ion impact position for true coincidences, whereas false coincidences appear randomly outside this region and can be efficiently suppressed. When cold argon clusters are ionized, false coincidence suppression allows us to observe species up to Ar 9 +, whereas Ar 4 + is the largest observable cluster under traditional operation. As a result, this advance provides mass-selected photoelectron spectra for fast, high sensitivity quantitative analysis of reacting systems.« less

Breaking through the false coincidence barrier in electron–ion coincidence experiments

DOE PAGES

Osborn, David L.; Hayden, Carl C.; Hemberger, Patrick; ...

2016-10-31

Photoelectron Photoion Coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy holds the promise of a universal, isomer-selective, and sensitive analytical technique for time-resolved quantitative analysis of bimolecular chemical reactions. Unfortunately, its low dynamic range of ~10 3 has largely precluded its use for this purpose, where a dynamic range of at least 10 5 is generally required. This limitation is due to the false coincidence background common to all coincidence experiments, especially at high count rates. Electron/ion pairs emanating from separate ionization events but arriving within the ion time of flight (TOF) range of interest constitute the false coincidence background. Although this background has uniformmore » intensity at every m/z value, the Poisson scatter in the false coincidence background obscures small signals. In this paper, temporal ion deflection coupled with a position-sensitive ion detector enables suppression of the false coincidence background, increasing the dynamic range in the PEPICO TOF mass spectrum by 2–3 orders of magnitude. The ions experience a time-dependent electric deflection field at a well-defined fraction of their time of flight. This deflection defines an m/z- and ionization-time dependent ion impact position for true coincidences, whereas false coincidences appear randomly outside this region and can be efficiently suppressed. When cold argon clusters are ionized, false coincidence suppression allows us to observe species up to Ar 9 +, whereas Ar 4 + is the largest observable cluster under traditional operation. As a result, this advance provides mass-selected photoelectron spectra for fast, high sensitivity quantitative analysis of reacting systems.« less

Impact of uneven sample morphology on mass resolving power in linear MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry: A comprehensive theoretical investigation.

PubMed

Cai, Yi-Hong; Wang, Yi-Sheng

2018-04-01

This work discusses the correlation between the mass resolving power of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass analyzers and extraction condition with an uneven sample morphology. Previous theoretical calculations show that the optimum extraction condition for flat samples involves an ideal ion source design and extraction delay. A general expression of spectral feature takes into account ion initial velocity, and extraction delay is derived in the current study. The new expression extends the comprehensive calculation to uneven sample surfaces and above 90% Maxell-Boltzmann initial velocity distribution of ions to account for imperfect ionization condition. Calculation shows that the impact of uneven sample surface or initial spatial spread of ions is negligible when the extraction delay is away from the ideal value. When the extraction delay approaches the optimum value, the flight-time topology shows a characteristic curve shape, and the time-domain mass spectral feature broadens with an increase in initial spatial spread of ions. For protonated 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, the mass resolving power obtained from a sample of 3-μm surface roughness is approximately 3.3 times lower than that of flat samples. For ions of m/z 3000 coexpanded with 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, the mass resolving power in the 3-μm surface roughness case only reduces roughly 7%. Comprehensive calculations also show that the mass resolving power of lighter ions is more sensitive to the accuracy of the extraction delay than heavier ions. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A high-resolution integrated model of the National Ignition Campaign cryogenic layered experiments

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

Jones, O. S.; Cerjan, C. J.; Marinak, M. M.

A detailed simulation-based model of the June 2011 National Ignition Campaign cryogenic DT experiments is presented. The model is based on integrated hohlraum-capsule simulations that utilize the best available models for the hohlraum wall, ablator, and DT equations of state and opacities. The calculated radiation drive was adjusted by changing the input laser power to match the experimentally measured shock speeds, shock merger times, peak implosion velocity, and bangtime. The crossbeam energy transfer model was tuned to match the measured time-dependent symmetry. Mid-mode mix was included by directly modeling the ablator and ice surface perturbations up to mode 60. Simulatedmore » experimental values were extracted from the simulation and compared against the experiment. Although by design the model is able to reproduce the 1D in-flight implosion parameters and low-mode asymmetries, it is not able to accurately predict the measured and inferred stagnation properties and levels of mix. In particular, the measured yields were 15%-40% of the calculated yields, and the inferred stagnation pressure is about 3 times lower than simulated.« less

AN ION CORRELATION PROGRAM FOR DECONVOLUTING COMPOSITE MASS SPECTRA ACQUIRED USING A DIRECT SURFACE IONIZATION SOURCE INTERFACED TO A TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER

EPA Science Inventory

The rapid sampling provided by the DART in ambient air will allow rapid delineation of areas of dispersed chemicals after natural or man-made disasters. Exact masses and RIAs of dimer, precursor, and product ions measured by the oa-TOFMS entered dinto the Ion Correlation Program...

Effective Interlayer Engineering of Two-Dimensional VOPO4 Nanosheets via Controlled Organic Intercalation for Improving Alkali Ion Storage.

PubMed

Peng, Lele; Zhu, Yue; Peng, Xu; Fang, Zhiwei; Chu, Wangsheng; Wang, Yu; Xie, Yujun; Li, Yafei; Cha, Judy J; Yu, Guihua

2017-10-11

Two-dimensional (2D) energy materials have shown the promising electrochemical characteristics for lithium ion storage. However, the decreased active surfaces and the sluggish charge/mass transport for beyond-lithium ion storage that has potential for large-scale energy storage systems, such as sodium or potassium ion storage, caused by the irreversible restacking of 2D materials during electrode processing remain a major challenge. Here we develop a general interlayer engineering strategy to address the above-mentioned challenges by using 2D ultrathin vanadyl phosphate (VOPO 4 ) nanosheets as a model material for challenging sodium ion storage. Via controlled intercalation of organic molecules, such as triethylene glycol and tetrahydrofuran, the sodium ion transport in VOPO 4 nanosheets has been significantly improved. In addition to advanced characterization including X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption fine structure to characterize the interlayer and the chemical bonding/configuration between the organic intercalants and the VOPO 4 host layers, density functional theory calculations are also performed to understand the diffusion behavior of sodium ions in the pure and TEG intercalated VOPO 4 nanosheets. Because of the expanded interlayer spacing in combination with the decreased energy barriers for sodium ion diffusion, intercalated VOPO 4 nanosheets show much improved sodium ion transport kinetics and greatly enhanced rate capability and cycling stability for sodium ion storage. Our results afford deeper understanding of the interlayer-engineering strategy to improve the sodium ion storage performance of the VOPO 4 nanosheets. Our results may also shed light on possible multivalent-ion based energy storage such as Mg 2+ and Al 3+ .

Motion sickness susceptibility in parabolic flight and velocity storage activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dizio, Paul; Lackner, James R.

1991-01-01

In parabolic flight experiments, postrotary nystagmus is as found to be differentially suppressed in free fall (G) and in a high gravitoinertial force (1.8 G) background relative to 1 G. In addition, the influence of postrotary head movements on nystagmus suppression was found to be contingent on G-dependency of the velocity storage and dumping mechanisms. Here, susceptibility to motion sickness during head movements in 0 G and 1.8 G was rank-correlated with the following: (1) the decay time constant of the slow phase velocity of postrotary nystagmus under 1 G, no head movement, baseline conditions, (2) the extent of time constant reduction elicited in 0 G and 1.8 G; (3) the extent of time constant reduction elicited by head tilts in 1 G; and (4) changes in the extent of time constants reduction in 0 G and 1.8 G over repeated tests. Susceptibility was significantly correlated with the extent to which a head movement reduced the time constant in 1 G, was weakly correlated with the baseline time constant, but was not correlated with the extent of reduction in 0 G or 1.8 G. This pattern suggests a link between mechanisms evoking symptoms of space motion sickness and the mechanisms of velocity storage and dumping. Experimental means of evaluating this link are described.

How good is the neosquamous epithelium?

PubMed

Orlando, Roy C

2014-01-01

Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation of dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (BE) combined with proton pump inhibitor therapy is commonly utilized for preventing progression of dysplastic BE to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Fundamental to the success of this and all ablative approaches is the healing of the ablated areas of BE with a stratified squamous epithelium referred to as 'neosquamous epithelium' (NSE). Although NSE appears 'normal' endoscopically, the reemergence of BE over time in the previously ablated segments raises the question of the health and integrity of NSE. The health of NSE was recently investigated in endoscopic biopsies in vitro in a group of patients after ablation while on proton pump inhibitors. Biopsies of NSE were compared to upper squamous epithelium (USE) from the same patients morphologically (light microscopy) and with respect to barrier function by measuring electrical resistance and fluorescein flux in mini-Ussing chambers. Compared to USE, NSE exhibited dilated intercellular spaces and inflammation and defective barrier function by low electrical resistance and high fluorescein flux. Moreover, NSE exhibited downregulation of claudin-4, a highly expressed protein in squamous tight junctions. NSE has defective barrier function in part due to downregulation of claudin-4. Since downregulation of claudin-4 increases paracellular permeability to cations, e.g. hydrogen ions, NSE is more vulnerable to attack and damage by acidic and weakly acidic refluxates--a phenomenon that may contribute in part to the reemergence of BE. 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Meteoric Magnesium Ions in the Martian Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pesnell, William Dean; Grebowsky, Joseph

1999-01-01

From a thorough modeling of the altitude profile of meteoritic ionization in the Martian atmosphere we deduce that a persistent layer of magnesium ions should exist around an altitude of 70 km. Based on current estimates of the meteoroid mass flux density, a peak ion density of about 10(exp 4) ions/cm is predicted. Allowing for the uncertainties in all of the model parameters, this value is probably within an order of magnitude of the correct density. Of these parameters, the peak density is most sensitive to the meteoroid mass flux density which directly determines the ablated line density into a source function for Mg. Unlike the terrestrial case, where the metallic ion production is dominated by charge-exchange of the deposited neutral Mg with the ambient ions, Mg+ in the Martian atmosphere is produced predominantly by photoionization. The low ultraviolet absorption of the Martian atmosphere makes Mars an excellent laboratory in which to study meteoric ablation. Resonance lines not seen in the spectra of terrestrial meteors may be visible to a surface observatory in the Martian highlands.

Pyrite (FeS2) nanocrystals as inexpensive high-performance lithium-ion cathode and sodium-ion anode materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Marc; Zünd, Tanja; Kovalenko, Maksym V.

2015-05-01

In light of the impeding depletion of fossil fuels and necessity to lower carbon dioxide emissions, economically viable high-performance batteries are urgently needed for numerous applications ranging from electric cars to stationary large-scale electricity storage. Due to its low raw material cost, non-toxicity and potentially high charge-storage capacity pyrite (FeS2) is a highly promising material for such next-generation batteries. In this work we present the electrochemical performance of FeS2 nanocrystals (NCs) as lithium-ion and sodium-ion storage materials. First, we show that nanoscopic FeS2 is a promising lithium-ion cathode material, delivering a capacity of 715 mA h g-1 and average energy density of 1237 Wh kg-1 for 100 cycles, twice higher than for commonly used LiCoO2 cathodes. Then we demonstrate, for the first time, that FeS2 NCs can serve as highly reversible sodium-ion anode material with long cycling life. As sodium-ion anode material, FeS2 NCs provide capacities above 500 mA h g-1 for 400 cycles at a current rate of 1000 mA g-1. In all our tests and control experiments, the performance of chemically synthesized nanoscale FeS2 clearly surpasses bulk FeS2 as well as large number of other nanostructured metal sulfides.In light of the impeding depletion of fossil fuels and necessity to lower carbon dioxide emissions, economically viable high-performance batteries are urgently needed for numerous applications ranging from electric cars to stationary large-scale electricity storage. Due to its low raw material cost, non-toxicity and potentially high charge-storage capacity pyrite (FeS2) is a highly promising material for such next-generation batteries. In this work we present the electrochemical performance of FeS2 nanocrystals (NCs) as lithium-ion and sodium-ion storage materials. First, we show that nanoscopic FeS2 is a promising lithium-ion cathode material, delivering a capacity of 715 mA h g-1 and average energy density of 1237 Wh kg-1 for 100 cycles, twice higher than for commonly used LiCoO2 cathodes. Then we demonstrate, for the first time, that FeS2 NCs can serve as highly reversible sodium-ion anode material with long cycling life. As sodium-ion anode material, FeS2 NCs provide capacities above 500 mA h g-1 for 400 cycles at a current rate of 1000 mA g-1. In all our tests and control experiments, the performance of chemically synthesized nanoscale FeS2 clearly surpasses bulk FeS2 as well as large number of other nanostructured metal sulfides. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Materials and methods, additional structural and electrochemical characterization. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr00398a

A Statistics-Based Material Property Analysis to Support TPS Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Copeland, Sean R.; Cozmuta, Ioana; Alonso, Juan J.

2012-01-01

Accurate characterization of entry capsule heat shield material properties is a critical component in modeling and simulating Thermal Protection System (TPS) response in a prescribed aerothermal environment. The thermal decomposition of the TPS material during the pyrolysis and charring processes is poorly characterized and typically results in large uncertainties in material properties as inputs for ablation models. These material property uncertainties contribute to large design margins on flight systems and cloud re- construction efforts for data collected during flight and ground testing, making revision to existing models for entry systems more challenging. The analysis presented in this work quantifies how material property uncertainties propagate through an ablation model and guides an experimental test regimen aimed at reducing these uncertainties and characterizing the dependencies between properties in the virgin and charred states for a Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) based TPS. A sensitivity analysis identifies how the high-fidelity model behaves in the expected flight environment, while a Monte Carlo based uncertainty propagation strategy is used to quantify the expected spread in the in-depth temperature response of the TPS. An examination of how perturbations to the input probability density functions affect output temperature statistics is accomplished using a Kriging response surface of the high-fidelity model. Simulations are based on capsule configuration and aerothermal environments expected during the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) entry sequence. We identify and rank primary sources of uncertainty from material properties in a flight-relevant environment, show the dependence on spatial orientation and in-depth location on those uncertainty contributors, and quantify how sensitive the expected results are.

Scattering of hydrogen, nitrogen and water ions from micro pore optic plates for application in spaceborne plasma instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stude, Joan; Wieser, Martin; Barabash, Stas

2016-10-01

Time-of-flight mass spectrometers for upcoming space missions into enhanced radiation environments need to be small, light weight and energy efficient. Time-of-flight systems using surface interactions as start-event generation can be smaller than foil-type instruments. Start surfaces for such applications need to provide narrow angular scattering, high ionization yields and high secondary electron emissions to be effective. We measured the angular scattering, energy distribution and positive ionization yield of micro pore optics for incident hydrogen, nitrogen and water ions at 2 keV. Positive ionization yields of 2% for H+ , 0.5% for N+ and 0.2% for H2O+ were detected.

Two-dimensional and three-dimensional dynamic imaging of live biofilms in a microchannel by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

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

Hua, Xin; Marshall, Matthew J.; Xiong, Yijia

2015-05-01

A vacuum compatible microfluidic reactor, SALVI (System for Analysis at the Liquid Vacuum Interface) was employed for in situ chemical imaging of live biofilms using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Depth profiling by sputtering materials in sequential layers resulted in live biofilm spatial chemical mapping. 2D images were reconstructed to report the first 3D images of hydrated biofilm elucidating spatial and chemical heterogeneity. 2D image principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted among biofilms at different locations in the microchannel. Our approach directly visualized spatial and chemical heterogeneity within the living biofilm by dynamic liquid ToF-SIMS.

Ablation study of tungsten-based nuclear thermal rocket fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Tabitha Elizabeth Rose

The research described in this thesis has been performed in order to support the materials research and development efforts of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), of Tungsten-based Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) fuel. The NTR was developed to a point of flight readiness nearly six decades ago and has been undergoing gradual modification and upgrading since then. Due to the simplicity in design of the NTR, and also in the modernization of the materials fabrication processes of nuclear fuel since the 1960's, the fuel of the NTR has been upgraded continuously. Tungsten-based fuel is of great interest to the NTR community, seeking to determine its advantages over the Carbide-based fuel of the previous NTR programs. The materials development and fabrication process contains failure testing, which is currently being conducted at MSFC in the form of heating the material externally and internally to replicate operation within the nuclear reactor of the NTR, such as with hot gas and RF coils. In order to expand on these efforts, experiments and computational studies of Tungsten and a Tungsten Zirconium Oxide sample provided by NASA have been conducted for this dissertation within a plasma arc-jet, meant to induce ablation on the material. Mathematical analysis was also conducted, for purposes of verifying experiments and making predictions. The computational method utilizes Anisimov's kinetic method of plasma ablation, including a thermal conduction parameter from the Chapman Enskog expansion of the Maxwell Boltzmann equations, and has been modified to include a tangential velocity component. Experimental data matches that of the computational data, in which plasma ablation at an angle shows nearly half the ablation of plasma ablation at no angle. Fuel failure analysis of two NASA samples post-testing was conducted, and suggestions have been made for future materials fabrication processes. These studies, including the computational kinetic model at an angle and the ablation of the NASA sample, could be applied to an atmospheric reentry body, reentering at a ballistic trajectory at hypersonic velocities.

Beam current controller for laser ion source

DOEpatents

Okamura, Masahiro

2014-10-28

The present invention relates to the design and use of an ion source with a rapid beam current controller for experimental and medicinal purposes. More particularly, the present invention relates to the design and use of a laser ion source with a magnetic field applied to confine a plasma flux caused by laser ablation.

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for direct isotope ratio measurements on solid samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickhardt, Carola; Dietze, Hans-Joachim; Becker, J. Sabine

2005-04-01

Isotope ratio measurements have been increasingly used in quite different application fields, e.g., for the investigation of isotope variation in nature, in geoscience (geochemistry and geochronology), in cosmochemistry and planetary science, in environmental science, e.g., in environmental monitoring, or by the application of the isotope dilution technique for quantification purposes using stable or radioactive high-enriched isotope tracers. Due to its high sensitivity, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is today a challenging mass spectrometric technique for the direct determination of precise and accurate isotope ratios in solid samples. In comparison to laser ablation quadrupole ICP-MS (LA-ICP-QMS), laser ablation coupled to a double-focusing sector field ICP-MS (LA-ICP-SFMS) with single ion detection offers a significant improvement of sensitivity at low mass resolution, whereby isotope ratios can be measured with a precision to 0.1% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.). In LA-ICP-SFMS, many disturbing isobaric interferences of analyte and molecular ions can be separated at the required mass resolution (e.g., 40Ar16O+ and 56Fe+ for iron isotope ratio measurements). The precision on isotope ratio measurements was improved by one order of magnitude via the simultaneous detection of mass-separated ion currents of isotopes using multiple ion collectors in LA-ICP-MS (LA-MC-ICP-MS). The paper discusses the state of the art, the challenges and limits in isotope ratio measurements by LA-ICP-MS using different instrumentations at the trace and ultratrace level in different fields of application as in environmental and biological research, geochemistry and geochronology with respect to their precision and accuracy.

Corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry with orthogonal acceleration time of flight mass spectrometry for monitoring of volatile organic compounds.

PubMed

Sabo, Martin; Matejčík, Štefan

2012-06-19

We demonstrate the application of corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry with orthogonal acceleration time of flight mass spectrometry (CD IMS-oaTOF) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) monitoring. Two-dimensional (2D) IMS-oaTOF spectra of VOCs were recorded in nearly real time. The corona discharge atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source was operated in positive mode in nitrogen and air. The CD ion source generates in air H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(n) and NO(+). The NO(+) offers additional possibility for selective ionization and for an increase of the sensitivity of monoaromatic compounds. In addition to H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(n) and NO(+), we have carried out ionization of VOCs using acetone as dopant gas ((CH(3))(2)COH(+)). Sixteen model VOCs (tetrahydrofuran, butanol, n-propanol, iso-propano, acetone, methanol, ethanol, toluene, benzene, amomnia, dioxan, triethylamine, acetonitrile, formaldehyde, m-xylene, 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine) were tested using these ionization techniques.

Mechanical Modulation of Phonon-Assisted Field Emission in a Silicon Nanomembrane Detector for Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Park, Jonghoo; Blick, Robert H.

2016-01-01

We demonstrate mechanical modulation of phonon-assisted field emission in a free-standing silicon nanomembrane detector for time-of-flight mass spectrometry of proteins. The impacts of ion bombardment on the silicon nanomembrane have been explored in both mechanical and electrical points of view. Locally elevated lattice temperature in the silicon nanomembrane, resulting from the transduction of ion kinetic energy into thermal energy through the ion bombardment, induces not only phonon-assisted field emission but also a mechanical vibration in the silicon nanomembrane. The coupling of these mechanical and electrical phenomenon leads to mechanical modulation of phonon-assisted field emission. The thermal energy relaxation through mechanical vibration in addition to the lateral heat conduction and field emission in the silicon nanomembrane offers effective cooling of the nanomembrane, thereby allowing high resolution mass analysis. PMID:26861329

Detection of Large Ions in Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: Effects of Ion Mass and Acceleration Voltage on Microchannel Plate Detector Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ranran; Li, Qiyao; Smith, Lloyd M.

2014-08-01

In time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS), ion detection is typically accomplished by the generation and amplification of secondary electrons produced by ions colliding with a microchannel plate (MCP) detector. Here, the response of an MCP detector as a function of ion mass and acceleration voltage is characterized, for singly charged peptide/protein ions ranging from 1 to 290 kDa in mass, and for acceleration voltages from 5 to 25 kV. A nondestructive inductive charge detector (ICD) employed in parallel with MCP detection provides a reliable reference signal to allow accurate calibration of the MCP response. MCP detection efficiencies were very close to unity for smaller ions at high acceleration voltages (e.g., angiotensin, 1046.5 Da, at 25 kV acceleration voltage), but decreased to ~11% for the largest ions examined (immunoglobulin G (IgG) dimer, 290 kDa) even at the highest acceleration voltage employed (25 kV). The secondary electron yield γ (average number of electrons produced per ion collision) is found to be proportional to mv3.1 (m: ion mass, v: ion velocity) over the entire mass range examined, and inversely proportional to the square root of m in TOF-MS analysis. The results indicate that although MCP detectors indeed offer superlative performance in the detection of smaller peptide/protein species, their performance does fall off substantially for larger proteins, particularly under conditions of low acceleration voltage.

Cardiac memory in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: noninvasive imaging of activation and repolarization before and after catheter ablation.

PubMed

Ghosh, Subham; Rhee, Edward K; Avari, Jennifer N; Woodard, Pamela K; Rudy, Yoram

2008-08-26

Cardiac memory refers to a change in ventricular repolarization induced by and persisting for minutes to months after cessation of a period of altered ventricular activation (eg, resulting from pacing or preexcitation in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome). ECG imaging (ECGI) is a novel imaging modality for noninvasive electroanatomic mapping of epicardial activation and repolarization. Fourteen pediatric patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and no other congenital disease, were imaged with ECGI a day before and 45 minutes, 1 week, and 1 month after successful catheter ablation. ECGI determined that preexcitation sites were consistent with sites of successful ablation in all cases to within a 1-hour arc of each atrioventricular annulus. In the preexcited rhythm, activation-recovery interval (ARI) was the longest (349+/-6 ms) in the area of preexcitation leading to high average base-to-apex ARI dispersion of 95+/-9 ms (normal is approximately 40 ms). The ARI dispersion remained the same 45 minutes after ablation, although the activation sequence was restored to normal. ARI dispersion was still high (79+/-9 ms) 1 week later and returned to normal (45+/-6 ms) 1 month after ablation. The study demonstrates that ECGI can noninvasively localize ventricular insertion sites of accessory pathways to guide ablation and evaluate its outcome in pediatric patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Wolff-Parkinson-White is associated with high ARI dispersion in the preexcited rhythm that persists after ablation and gradually returns to normal over a period of 1 month, demonstrating the presence of cardiac memory. The 1-month time course is consistent with transcriptional reprogramming and remodeling of ion channels.

Protein quantification on dendrimer-activated surfaces by using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and principal component regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Pil; Hong, Mi-Young; Shon, Hyun Kyong; Chegal, Won; Cho, Hyun Mo; Moon, Dae Won; Kim, Hak-Sung; Lee, Tae Geol

2008-12-01

Interaction between streptavidin and biotin on poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer-activated surfaces and on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) was quantitatively studied by using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The surface protein density was systematically varied as a function of protein concentration and independently quantified using the ellipsometry technique. Principal component analysis (PCA) and principal component regression (PCR) were used to identify a correlation between the intensities of the secondary ion peaks and the surface protein densities. From the ToF-SIMS and ellipsometry results, a good linear correlation of protein density was found. Our study shows that surface protein densities are higher on dendrimer-activated surfaces than on SAMs surfaces due to the spherical property of the dendrimer, and that these surface protein densities can be easily quantified with high sensitivity in a label-free manner by ToF-SIMS.

Understanding the Changes to Biomass Surface Characteristics after Ammonia and Organosolv Pretreatments by Using Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS)

DOE PAGES

Tolbert, Allison K.; Yoo, Chang Geun; Ragauskas, Arthur J.

2017-03-20

Surface characteristic changes to poplar after ammonia and organosolv pretreatments were investigated by means of time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) analysis. Whereas normalized total polysaccharides and lignin contents on the surface differed from bulk chemical compositions, the surface cellulose ions detected by TOF-SIMS showed the same value trend as the cellulose content in the biomass. In addition, the lignin syringyl/guaiacyl ratio according to TOF-SIMS results showed the same trend as the ratio measured by means of NMR spectroscopic analysis, even though the ratio scales for each method were different. A similar correlation was determined between the surface cellulose and glucosemore » release after enzymatic hydrolysis. Lastly, these results demonstrate that surface characterization using TOF-SIMS can provide important information about the effects of pretreatment on biomass properties and its hydrolysis.« less

Understanding the Changes to Biomass Surface Characteristics after Ammonia and Organosolv Pretreatments by Using Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS)

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

Tolbert, Allison K.; Yoo, Chang Geun; Ragauskas, Arthur J.

Surface characteristic changes to poplar after ammonia and organosolv pretreatments were investigated by means of time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) analysis. Whereas normalized total polysaccharides and lignin contents on the surface differed from bulk chemical compositions, the surface cellulose ions detected by TOF-SIMS showed the same value trend as the cellulose content in the biomass. In addition, the lignin syringyl/guaiacyl ratio according to TOF-SIMS results showed the same trend as the ratio measured by means of NMR spectroscopic analysis, even though the ratio scales for each method were different. A similar correlation was determined between the surface cellulose and glucosemore » release after enzymatic hydrolysis. Lastly, these results demonstrate that surface characterization using TOF-SIMS can provide important information about the effects of pretreatment on biomass properties and its hydrolysis.« less

A distributed, dynamic, parallel computational model: the role of noise in velocity storage

PubMed Central

Merfeld, Daniel M.

2012-01-01

Networks of neurons perform complex calculations using distributed, parallel computation, including dynamic “real-time” calculations required for motion control. The brain must combine sensory signals to estimate the motion of body parts using imperfect information from noisy neurons. Models and experiments suggest that the brain sometimes optimally minimizes the influence of noise, although it remains unclear when and precisely how neurons perform such optimal computations. To investigate, we created a model of velocity storage based on a relatively new technique–“particle filtering”–that is both distributed and parallel. It extends existing observer and Kalman filter models of vestibular processing by simulating the observer model many times in parallel with noise added. During simulation, the variance of the particles defining the estimator state is used to compute the particle filter gain. We applied our model to estimate one-dimensional angular velocity during yaw rotation, which yielded estimates for the velocity storage time constant, afferent noise, and perceptual noise that matched experimental data. We also found that the velocity storage time constant was Bayesian optimal by comparing the estimate of our particle filter with the estimate of the Kalman filter, which is optimal. The particle filter demonstrated a reduced velocity storage time constant when afferent noise increased, which mimics what is known about aminoglycoside ablation of semicircular canal hair cells. This model helps bridge the gap between parallel distributed neural computation and systems-level behavioral responses like the vestibuloocular response and perception. PMID:22514288

Experimental scaling law for mass ablation rate from a Sn plasma generated by a 1064 nm laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdt, Russell A.; Yuspeh, Sam; Sequoia, Kevin L.; Tao, Yezheng; Tillack, Mark S.; Najmabadi, Farrokh

2009-08-01

The ablation depth in planar Sn targets irradiated with a pulsed 1064 nm laser was investigated over laser intensities from 3×1011 to 2×1012 W/cm2. The ablation depth was measured by irradiating a thin layer of Sn evaporated onto a Si wafer, and looking for signatures of Si ions in the expanding plasma with spectroscopic and particle diagnostics. It was found that ablation depth scales with laser intensity to the (5/9)th power, which is consistent with analytical models of steady-state laser ablation, as well as empirical formulae from previous studies of mass ablation rate in overlapping parameter space. In addition, the scaling of mass ablation rate with atomic number of the target as given by empirical formulae in previous studies using targets such as C and Al, are shown to remain valid for the higher atomic number of the target (Z =50) used in these experiments.

Status of the Frankfurt low energy electrostatic storage ring (FLSR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, F.; Kruppi, T.; Müller, J.; Dörner, R.; Schmidt, L. Ph H.; Schmidt-Böcking, H.; Stiebing, K. E.

2015-11-01

Frankfurt low-energy storage ring (FLSR) is an electrostatic storage ring for low-energy ions up to q · 80 keV (q being the ion charge state) at Institut für Kernphysik der Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It has especially been designed to provide a basis for experiments on the dynamics of ionic and molecular collisions in complete kinematics, as well as for high precision and time resolved laser spectroscopy. The ring has ‘racetrack’ geometry with a circumference of 14.23 m. It comprises four experimental/diagnostic sections with regions of enhanced ion density (interaction regions). First beam has successfully been stored in FLSR in summer 2013. Since then the performance of the ring has continuously been improved and an electron target for experiments on dissociative recombination has been installed in one of the experimental sections.

Thermal Analysis of the Fastrac Chamber/Nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Darrell

2001-01-01

This paper will describe the thermal analysis techniques used to predict temperatures in the film-cooled ablative rocket nozzle used on the Fastrac 60K rocket engine. A model was developed that predicts char and pyrolysis depths, liner thermal gradients, and temperatures of the bondline between the overwrap and liner. Correlation of the model was accomplished by thermal analog tests performed at Southern Research, and specially instrumented hot fire tests at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Infrared thermography was instrumental in defining nozzle hot wall surface temperatures. In-depth and outboard thermocouple data was used to correlate the kinetic decomposition routine used to predict char and pyrolysis depths. These depths were anchored with measured char and pyrolysis depths from cross-sectioned hot-fire nozzles. For the X-34 flight analysis, the model includes the ablative Thermal Protection System (TPS) material that protects the overwrap from the recirculating plume. Results from model correlation, hot-fire testing, and flight predictions will be discussed.

Thermal Analysis of the MC-1 Chamber/Nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Darrell W.; Phelps, Lisa H. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper will describe the thermal analysis techniques used to predict temperatures in the film-cooled ablative rocket nozzle used on the MC-1 60K rocket engine. A model was developed that predicts char and pyrolysis depths, liner thermal gradients, and temperatures of the bondline between the overwrap and liner. Correlation of the model was accomplished by thermal analog tests performed at Southern Research, and specially instrumented hot fire tests at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Infrared thermography was instrumental in defining nozzle hot wall surface temperatures. In-depth and outboard thermocouple data was used to correlate the kinetic decomposition routine used to predict char and pyrolysis depths. These depths were anchored with measured char and pyrolysis depths from cross-sectioned hot-fire nozzles. For the X-34 flight analysis, the model includes the ablative Thermal Protection System (TPS) material that protects the overwrap from the recirculating plume. Results from model correlation, hot-fire testing, and flight predictions will be discussed.

Fast Orthogonal Separation by Superposition of Time of Flight and Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

PubMed

Bohnhorst, Alexander; Kirk, Ansgar T; Berger, Marc; Zimmermann, Stefan

2018-01-16

Ion mobility spectrometry is a powerful and low-cost technique for the identification of chemical warfare agents, toxic chemicals, or explosives in air. Drift tube ion mobility spectrometers (DT-IMS) separate ions by the absolute value of their low field ion mobility, while field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometers (FAIMS) separate them by the change of their ion mobility at high fields. However, using one of these devices alone, some common and harmless substances show the same response as the hazardous target substances. In order to increase the selectivity, orthogonal data are required. Thus, in this work, we present for the first time an ambient pressure ion mobility spectrometer which is able to separate ions both by their differential and low field mobility, providing additional information for selectivity enhancement. This novel field asymmetric time of flight ion mobility spectrometer (FAT-IMS) allows high repetition rates and reaches limits of detection in the low ppb range common for DT-IMS. The device consists of a compact 44 mm drift tube with a tritium ionization source and a resolving power of 70. An increased separation of four substances with similar low field ion mobility is shown: phosgene (K 0 = 2.33 cm 2 /(V s)), 1,1,2-trichlorethane (K 0 = 2.31 cm 2 /(V s)), chlorine (K 0 = 2.24 cm 2 /(V s)), and nitrogen dioxide (K 0 = 2.25 cm 2 /(V s)). Furthermore, the behavior and limits of detection for acetonitrile, dimethyl methylphosphonate, diisopropyl methyl phosphonate in positive polarity and carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, cyanogen chloride, and hydrogen cyanide in negative polarity are investigated.

Solar Probe ANalyzer for Ions - Laboratory Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livi, R.; Larson, D. E.; Kasper, J. C.; Korreck, K. E.; Whittlesey, P. L.

2017-12-01

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission is a heliospheric satellite that will orbit the Sun closer than any prior mission to date with a perihelion of 35 solar radii (RS) and an aphelion of 10 RS. PSP includes the Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) instrument suite, which in turn consists of four instruments: the Solar Probe Cup (SPC) and three Solar Probe ANalyzers (SPAN) for ions and electrons. Together, this suite will take local measurements of particles and electromagnetic fields within the Sun's corona. SPAN-Ai has completed flight calibration and spacecraft integration and is set to be launched in July of 2018. The main mode of operation consists of an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) at its aperture followed by a Time-of-Flight section to measure the energy and mass per charge (m/q) of the ambient ions. SPAN-Ai's main objective is to measure solar wind ions within an energy range of 5 eV - 20 keV, a mass/q between 1-60 [amu/q] and a field of view of 2400x1200. Here we will show flight calibration results and performance.

High-energy accelerator for beams of heavy ions

DOEpatents

Martin, Ronald L.; Arnold, Richard C.

1978-01-01

An apparatus for accelerating heavy ions to high energies and directing the accelerated ions at a target comprises a source of singly ionized heavy ions of an element or compound of greater than 100 atomic mass units, means for accelerating the heavy ions, a storage ring for accumulating the accelerated heavy ions and switching means for switching the heavy ions from the storage ring to strike a target substantially simultaneously from a plurality of directions. In a particular embodiment the heavy ion that is accelerated is singly ionized hydrogen iodide. After acceleration, if the beam is of molecular ions, the ions are dissociated to leave an accelerated singly ionized atomic ion in a beam. Extraction of the beam may be accomplished by stripping all the electrons from the atomic ion to switch the beam from the storage ring by bending it in magnetic field of the storage ring.

Real-Time Radiographic In-Situ Characterization Of Ply Lift In Composite Aerospace Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beshears, Ronald D.; Doering, Edward R.

2006-01-01

The problem of ply lifting in composite materials is a significant issue for various aerospace and military applications. A fundamental element in the prevention or mitigation of ply lift is determination of the timing of the ply lifting event during exposure of the composite material to flight conditions. The Marshall Space Flight Center s Nondestructive Evaluation Team developed a real-time radiographic technique for the detection of ply lift in carbon phenolic ablative materials in situ during live firings of subscale test motors in support of NASA s Reusable Solid Rocket Motor program, using amorphous silicon detector panels. The radiographic method has successfully detected ply lifting in seven consecutive carbon phenolic converging cones attached to solid fuel torches, providing the time of ply lift initiation in each test. Post-processing of the radiographic images improved the accuracy of timing measurements and allowed measurement of the ply lifting height as a function of time. Radiographic data correlated well with independent pressure and temperature measurements that indicate the onset of ply lift in the nozzle material.

Thermal Energy Storage Flight Experiment in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Namkoong, David

1992-01-01

The Thermal Energy Storage Flight Experiment was designed to characterize void shape and location in LiF-based phase change materials in different energy storage configurations representative of advanced solar dynamic systems. Experiment goals and payload design are described in outline and graphic form.

Strategies to avoid false negative findings in residue analysis using liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Kaufmann, Anton; Butcher, Patrick

2006-01-01

Liquid chromatography coupled to orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF) provides an attractive alternative to liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) in the field of multiresidue analysis. The sensitivity and selectivity of LC/TOF approach those of LC/MS/MS. TOF provides accurate mass information and a significantly higher mass resolution than quadrupole analyzers. The available mass resolution of commercial TOF instruments ranging from 10 000 to 18 000 full width at half maximum (FWHM) is not, however, sufficient to completely exclude the problem of isobaric interferences (co-elution of analyte ions with matrix compounds of very similar mass). Due to the required data storage capacity, TOF raw data is commonly centroided before being electronically stored. However, centroiding can lead to a loss of data quality. The co-elution of a low intensity analyte peak with an isobaric, high intensity matrix compound can cause problems. Some centroiding algorithms might not be capable of deconvoluting such partially merged signals, leading to incorrect centroids.Co-elution of isobaric compounds has been deliberately simulated by injecting diluted binary mixtures of isobaric model substances at various relative intensities. Depending on the mass differences between the two isobaric compounds and the resolution provided by the TOF instrument, significant deviations in exact mass measurements and signal intensities were observed. The extraction of a reconstructed ion chromatogram based on very narrow mass windows can even result in the complete loss of the analyte signal. Guidelines have been proposed to avoid such problems. The use of sub-2 microm HPLC packing materials is recommended to improve chromatographic resolution and to reduce the risk of co-elution. The width of the extraction mass windows for reconstructed ion chromatograms should be defined according to the resolution of the TOF instrument. Alternative approaches include the spiking of the sample with appropriate analyte concentrations. Furthermore, enhanced software, capable of deconvoluting partially merged mass peaks, may become available. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Persistence of uranium emission in laser-produced plasmas

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

LaHaye, N. L.; Harilal, S. S., E-mail: hari@purdue.edu; Diwakar, P. K.

2014-04-28

Detection of uranium and other nuclear materials is of the utmost importance for nuclear safeguards and security. Optical emission spectroscopy of laser-ablated U plasmas has been presented as a stand-off, portable analytical method that can yield accurate qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis of a variety of samples. In this study, optimal laser ablation and ambient conditions are explored, as well as the spatio-temporal evolution of the plasma for spectral analysis of excited U species in a glass matrix. Various Ar pressures were explored to investigate the role that plasma collisional effects and confinement have on spectral line emission enhancement andmore » persistence. The plasma-ambient gas interaction was also investigated using spatially resolved spectra and optical time-of-flight measurements. The results indicate that ambient conditions play a very important role in spectral emission intensity as well as the persistence of excited neutral U emission lines, influencing the appropriate spectral acquisition conditions.« less

Spatially resolved in vivo plant metabolomics by laser ablation-based mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) techniques: LDI-MSI and LAESI

PubMed Central

Bartels, Benjamin; Svatoš, Aleš

2015-01-01

This short review aims to summarize the current developments and applications of mass spectrometry-based methods for in situ profiling and imaging of plants with minimal or no sample pre-treatment or manipulation. Infrared-laser ablation electrospray ionization and UV-laser desorption/ionization methods are reviewed. The underlying mechanisms of the ionization techniques–namely, laser ablation of biological samples and electrospray ionization–as well as variations of the LAESI ion source for specific targets of interest are described. PMID:26217345

Avalanche photodiode based time-of-flight mass spectrometry

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

Ogasawara, Keiichi, E-mail: kogasawara@swri.edu; Livi, Stefano A.; Desai, Mihir I.

2015-08-15

This study reports on the performance of Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs) as a timing detector for ion Time-of-Flight (TOF) mass spectroscopy. We found that the fast signal carrier speed in a reach-through type APD enables an extremely short timescale response with a mass or energy independent <2 ns rise time for <200 keV ions (1−40 AMU) under proper bias voltage operations. When combined with a microchannel plate to detect start electron signals from an ultra-thin carbon foil, the APD comprises a novel TOF system that successfully operates with a <0.8 ns intrinsic timing resolution even using commercial off-the-shelf constant-fraction discriminators. Bymore » replacing conventional total-energy detectors in the TOF-Energy system, APDs offer significant power and mass savings or an anti-coincidence background rejection capability in future space instrumentation.« less

Storage-ring Electron Cooler for Relativistic Ion Beams

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

Lin, Fanglei; Derbenev, Yaroslav; Douglas, David R.

Application of electron cooling at ion energies above a few GeV has been limited due to reduction of electron cooling efficiency with energy and difficulty in producing and accelerating a high-current high-quality electron beam. A high-current storage-ring electron cooler offers a solution to both of these problems by maintaining high cooling beam quality through naturally-occurring synchrotron radiation damping of the electron beam. However, the range of ion energies where storage-ring electron cooling can be used has been limited by low electron beam damping rates at low ion energies and high equilibrium electron energy spread at high ion energies. This papermore » reports a development of a storage ring based cooler consisting of two sections with significantly different energies: the cooling and damping sections. The electron energy and other parameters in the cooling section are adjusted for optimum cooling of a stored ion beam. The beam parameters in the damping section are adjusted for optimum damping of the electron beam. The necessary energy difference is provided by an energy recovering SRF structure. A prototype linear optics of such storage-ring cooler is presented.« less

Development and first experimental tests of Faraday cup array.

PubMed

Prokůpek, J; Kaufman, J; Margarone, D; Krůs, M; Velyhan, A; Krása, J; Burris-Mog, T; Busold, S; Deppert, O; Cowan, T E; Korn, G

2014-01-01

A new type of Faraday cup, capable of detecting high energy charged particles produced in a high intensity laser-matter interaction environment, has recently been developed and demonstrated as a real-time detector based on the time-of-flight technique. An array of these Faraday cups was designed and constructed to cover different observation angles with respect to the target normal direction. Thus, it allows reconstruction of the spatial distribution of ion current density in the subcritical plasma region and the ability to visualise its time evolution through time-of-flight measurements, which cannot be achieved with standard laser optical interferometry. This is a unique method for two-dimensional visualisation of ion currents from laser-generated plasmas. A technical description of the new type of Faraday cup is introduced along with an ad hoc data analysis procedure. Experimental results obtained during campaigns at the Petawatt High-Energy Laser for Heavy Ion Experiments (GSI, Darmstadt) and at the Prague Asterix Laser System (AS CR) are presented. Advantages and limitations of the used diagnostic system are discussed.

Phenolic profiling of the skin, pulp and seeds of Albariño grapes using hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight and triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Di Lecce, Giuseppe; Arranz, Sara; Jáuregui, Olga; Tresserra-Rimbau, Anna; Quifer-Rada, Paola; Lamuela-Raventós, Rosa M

2014-02-15

This paper describes for the first time a complete characterisation of the phenolic compounds in different anatomical parts of the Albariño grape. The application of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with two complementary techniques, hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight and triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry, allowed the phenolic composition of the Albariño grape to be unambiguously identified and quantified. A more complete phenolic profile was obtained by product ion and precursor ion scans, while a neutral loss scan at 152 u enabled a fast screening of procyanidin dimers, trimers and their galloylated derivatives. The compounds were confirmed by accurate mass measurements in QqToF-MS and QqToF-MS/MS modes at high resolution, and good fits were obtained for all investigated ions, with errors ranging from 0.2 to 4.5 mDa. To the best of our knowledge, two flavanol monomer hexosides were detected in the grape berry for the first time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polyphenolic profile of butterhead lettuce cultivar by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled online to UV-visible spectrophotometry and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Viacava, Gabriela E; Roura, Sara I; López-Márquez, Diana M; Berrueta, Luis A; Gallo, Blanca; Alonso-Salces, Rosa M

2018-09-15

In the present study, the butterhead lettuce cultivar was analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled online to diode array detection (DAD), electrospray ionization (ESI) and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QToF/MS) in the positive and negative ion mode in order to characterize its polyphenolic profile for the first time. The instrument acquisition mode MS E was used to collect automatic and simultaneous information of exact mass at high and low collision energies of precursor ions as well as other ions produced as a result of their fragmentation. One hundred eleven phenolic compounds were identified in the acidified hydromethanolic extract of freeze-dried leaves of butterhead lettuce cultivar: 40 hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, 21 hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, 2 hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives, 18 flavonols, 9 flavones, one flavanone, 7 coumarins, one hydrolysable tannin and 12 lignans. Forty-seven of these compounds have been tentatively identified for the first time in lettuce. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal ion attachment to the matrix meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin, related matrices and analytes: an experimental and theoretical study.

PubMed

van Kampen, Jeroen J A; Luider, Theo M; Ruttink, Paul J A; Burgers, Peter C

2009-11-01

In a previous study [van Kampen et al. Analytical Chemistry 2006; 78: 5403], we found that meso-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (F20TPP), in combination with lithium salts, provides an efficient matrix to cationize small molecules by Li+ attachment and that this combination can be successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of drugs, such as antiretroviral compounds using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization in conjunction with a time-of-flight analyzer (MALDI-TOF). In the present study, we further explore the mechanism of metal ion attachment to F20TPP and analytes by MALDI-FTMS(/MS). To this end, we have studied the interaction of F20TPP and analytes with various mono-, di- and trivalent metal ions (Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Co2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Ga3+). For the alkali cations, we find that F20TPP forms complexes only with Li+ and Na+; in addition, model analyte molecules such as poly(ethyleneglycol)s, mixed with F20TPP and the alkali cations, also only form Li+ and Na+ adducts. This contrasts sharply with the commonly used matrix 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, where analytes are most efficiently cationized by Na+ or K+. Reasons for this difference are delineated. Ab initio calculations on porphyrin itself reveal that even the smallest alkali cation, Li+, does not fit in the porphyrin cavity, but lies on top of it, pushing the 21H and 23 H hydrogen atoms out of and below the plane with concomitant bending of the porphyrin skeleton in the opposite direction, i.e. toward the cation. Thus, the Li+ ion is not effectively sequestered and is in fact exposed and thus accessible for donation to analyte molecules. Interaction of F20TPP with di- and trivalent metal ions leads to protoporphyrin-metal ions, where the metal ion is captured within the protoporphyrin dianion cavity. The most intense signal is obtained when F20TPP is reacted with CuCl2 and then subjected to laser ablation. This method presents an easy general route to study the metal containing protoporphyrin molecules, which could all act as potential MALDI matrices. Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A high repetition deterministic single ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahin, C.; Geppert, P.; Müllers, A.; Ott, H.

2017-12-01

We report on a deterministic single ion source with high repetition rate and high fidelity. The source employs a magneto-optical trap, where ultracold rubidium atoms are photoionized. The electrons herald the creation of a corresponding ion, whose timing information is used to manipulate its trajectory in flight. We demonstrate an ion rate of up to 4× {10}4 {{{s}}}-1 and achieve a fidelity for single ion operation of 98%. The technique can be used for all atomic species, which can be laser-cooled, and opens up new applications in ion microscopy, ion implantation and surface spectroscopy.

Soft Ionization of Saturated Hydrocarbons, Alcohols and Nonpolar Compounds by Negative-Ion Direct Analysis in Real-Time Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cody, Robert B.; Dane, A. John

2013-03-01

Large polarizable n-alkanes (approximately C18 and larger), alcohols, and other nonpolar compounds can be detected as negative ions when sample solutions are injected directly into the sampling orifice of the atmospheric pressure interface of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer with the direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source operating in negative-ion mode. The mass spectra are dominated by peaks corresponding to [M + O2]‾•. No fragmentation is observed, making this a very soft ionization technique for samples that are otherwise difficult to analyze by DART. Detection limits for cholesterol were determined to be in the low nanogram range.

Soft ionization of saturated hydrocarbons, alcohols and nonpolar compounds by negative-ion direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Cody, Robert B; Dane, A John

2013-03-01

Large polarizable n-alkanes (approximately C18 and larger), alcohols, and other nonpolar compounds can be detected as negative ions when sample solutions are injected directly into the sampling orifice of the atmospheric pressure interface of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer with the direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source operating in negative-ion mode. The mass spectra are dominated by peaks corresponding to [M + O2]‾(•). No fragmentation is observed, making this a very soft ionization technique for samples that are otherwise difficult to analyze by DART. Detection limits for cholesterol were determined to be in the low nanogram range.

A new technique for high performance tandem time-of- flight mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Daniel Louis

2001-08-01

The main result of this written dissertation is a mathematical solution to the problem of multiplex recording for high performance tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The prescription is to use a time-lag accelerator in the second stage to match the ion optical properties of the decay fragments to the requirements of the electrostatic ion mirror. With this technique the ion mirror is able to focus the full mass range of fragment ions at a single voltage setting, permitting acquisition of the entire mass spectrum from a single ionization event. This work was performed in support of a joint project carried out by researchers at Oregon State University and The University of Uppsala, Sweden, to design, build and test a tandem instrument featuring precision selection of the precursor species in the first stage of the spectrometer, a means of fragmenting the precursor species, and multiplex recording of the resulting fragment spectrum in the second stage. A patent application has been filed on the complete instrument with the United States Patent Office, a copy of which has been included as an appendix, and a prototype of that instrument has been constructed and awaits testing at Oregon State University.

First storage of ion beams in the Double Electrostatic Ion-Ring Experiment: DESIREE.

PubMed

Schmidt, H T; Thomas, R D; Gatchell, M; Rosén, S; Reinhed, P; Löfgren, P; Brännholm, L; Blom, M; Björkhage, M; Bäckström, E; Alexander, J D; Leontein, S; Hanstorp, D; Zettergren, H; Liljeby, L; Källberg, A; Simonsson, A; Hellberg, F; Mannervik, S; Larsson, M; Geppert, W D; Rensfelt, K G; Danared, H; Paál, A; Masuda, M; Halldén, P; Andler, G; Stockett, M H; Chen, T; Källersjö, G; Weimer, J; Hansen, K; Hartman, H; Cederquist, H

2013-05-01

We report on the first storage of ion beams in the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring ExpEriment, DESIREE, at Stockholm University. We have produced beams of atomic carbon anions and small carbon anion molecules (C(n)(-), n = 1, 2, 3, 4) in a sputter ion source. The ion beams were accelerated to 10 keV kinetic energy and stored in an electrostatic ion storage ring enclosed in a vacuum chamber at 13 K. For 10 keV C2 (-) molecular anions we measure the residual-gas limited beam storage lifetime to be 448 s ± 18 s with two independent detector systems. Using the measured storage lifetimes we estimate that the residual gas pressure is in the 10(-14) mbar range. When high current ion beams are injected, the number of stored particles does not follow a single exponential decay law as would be expected for stored particles lost solely due to electron detachment in collision with the residual-gas. Instead, we observe a faster initial decay rate, which we ascribe to the effect of the space charge of the ion beam on the storage capacity.

Investigation of ion kinetic effects in direct-drive exploding-pusher implosions at the NIF

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

Rosenberg, M. J., E-mail: mrosenbe@mit.edu; Zylstra, A. B.; Séguin, F. H.

Measurements of yield, ion temperature, areal density (ρR), shell convergence, and bang time have been obtained in shock-driven, D{sub 2} and D{sup 3}He gas-filled “exploding-pusher” inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions at the National Ignition Facility to assess the impact of ion kinetic effects. These measurements probed the shock convergence phase of ICF implosions, a critical stage in hot-spot ignition experiments. The data complement previous studies of kinetic effects in shock-driven implosions. Ion temperature and fuel ρR inferred from fusion-product spectroscopy are used to estimate the ion-ion mean free path in the gas. A trend of decreasing yields relative to themore » predictions of 2D DRACO hydrodynamics simulations with increasing Knudsen number (the ratio of ion-ion mean free path to minimum shell radius) suggests that ion kinetic effects are increasingly impacting the hot fuel region, in general agreement with previous results. The long mean free path conditions giving rise to ion kinetic effects in the gas are often prevalent during the shock phase of both exploding pushers and ablatively driven implosions, including ignition-relevant implosions.« less

Correlated ion and neutral time of flight technique combined with velocity map imaging: Quantitative measurements for dissociation processes in excited molecular nano-systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berthias, F.; Feketeová, L.; Della Negra, R.; Dupasquier, T.; Fillol, R.; Abdoul-Carime, H.; Farizon, B.; Farizon, M.; Märk, T. D.

2018-01-01

The combination of the Dispositif d'Irradiation d'Agrégats Moléculaire with the correlated ion and neutral time of flight-velocity map imaging technique provides a new way to explore processes occurring subsequent to the excitation of charged nano-systems. The present contribution describes in detail the methods developed for the quantitative measurement of branching ratios and cross sections for collision-induced dissociation processes of water cluster nano-systems. These methods are based on measurements of the detection efficiency of neutral fragments produced in these dissociation reactions. Moreover, measured detection efficiencies are used here to extract the number of neutral fragments produced for a given charged fragment.

Critical factors determining the quantification capability of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization– time-of-flight mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Wang, Chia-Chen; Lai, Yin-Hung; Ou, Yu-Meng; Chang, Huan-Tsung; Wang, Yi-Sheng

2016-01-01

Quantitative analysis with mass spectrometry (MS) is important but challenging. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) coupled with time-of-flight (TOF) MS offers superior sensitivity, resolution and speed, but such techniques have numerous disadvantages that hinder quantitative analyses. This review summarizes essential obstacles to analyte quantification with MALDI-TOF MS, including the complex ionization mechanism of MALDI, sensitive characteristics of the applied electric fields and the mass-dependent detection efficiency of ion detectors. General quantitative ionization and desorption interpretations of ion production are described. Important instrument parameters and available methods of MALDI-TOF MS used for quantitative analysis are also reviewed. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Quantitative mass spectrometry’. PMID:27644968

Advances in Telemetry Capability as Demonstrated on an Affordable Precision Mortar

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

of high rate data and then broadcasting it over the rest of the flight test. Lastly an on-board data storage implementation using a MicroSD card is...broadcasting it over the rest of the flight test. Lastly an on- board data storage implementation using a MicroSD card is presented. KEY WORDS...the flight test. Lastly an on-board data storage implementation using a MicroSD card is presented. 2 GPS INTEGRATION Although ARL has

Surface and adsorbate structural analysis from time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometry (TOF-SARS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabalais, J. W.; Bu, H.; Roux, C.

1992-02-01

The methods of obtaining surface structural information from low energy ion scattering spectrometry are described. These methods include measurements of backscattering, forwardscattering, and recoiling intensities vs beam incident α, beam exit β, crystal azimuthal δ, and scattering Θ angles. References are provided which give examples of each different kind of measurement. The technique of time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometry (TOF-SARS), which collects both scattered.and recoiled neutrals and ions simultaneously, is described. TOF-SARS data for the three surface phases, clean Ni{110}-(1 × 1), Ni{110}-(1 × 2)-H missing row, and Ni{110}-(2 × 1)-O missing row, are used to illustrate some of the structural measurements.

The implementation of a lossless data compression module in an advanced orbiting system: Analysis and development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, Pen-Shu; Miller, Warner H.; Venbrux, Jack; Liu, Norley; Rice, Robert F.

1993-01-01

Data compression has been proposed for several flight missions as a means of either reducing on board mass data storage, increasing science data return through a bandwidth constrained channel, reducing TDRSS access time, or easing ground archival mass storage requirement. Several issues arise with the implementation of this technology. These include the requirement of a clean channel, onboard smoothing buffer, onboard processing hardware and on the algorithm itself, the adaptability to scene changes and maybe even versatility to the various mission types. This paper gives an overview of an ongoing effort being performed at Goddard Space Flight Center for implementing a lossless data compression scheme for space flight. We will provide analysis results on several data systems issues, the performance of the selected lossless compression scheme, the status of the hardware processor and current development plan.

Optimized Ion Energy Profiles for Heavy Ion Direct Drive Targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hay, Michael J.; Barnard, John J.; Perkins, L. John; Logan, B. Grant

2009-11-01

Recent 1-D implosion calculations [1] have characterized pure-DT targets delivering gains of 50-90 with less than 0.5 MJ of heavy ion direct drive. With a payload fraction of 1/3, these low-aspect ratio targets operate near the peak of rocket efficiency and achieve ˜10% overall coupling efficiencies (vs. the 15-20% efficiencies analytically predicted for less stable, higher-aspect ratio targets). In Ref. 1, the ion energy is ramped directly from a 50 MeV foot pulse to a 500 MeV main pulse. In this paper, we instead tune the ion energy throughout the drive to closely match the beam deposition with the inward progress of the ablation front. We will present the ion energy and intensity time histories that maximize drive efficiency and gain for a single target at constant integrated drive energy. [1] L. J. Perkins, B. G. Logan, J. J. Barnard, and M. J. Hay. ``High Efficiency High Gain Heavy Ion Direct Drive Targets,'' Bulletin of the American Physical Society, vol. 54: DPP, Nov. 2009.

A homemade high-resolution orthogonal-injection time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a heated capillary inlet

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

Guo Changjuan; Huang Zhengxu; Gao Wei

2008-01-15

We describe a homemade high-resolution orthogonal-injection time-of-flight (O-TOF) mass spectrometer combing a heated capillary inlet. The O-TOF uses a heated capillary tube combined with a radio-frequency only quadrupole (rf-only quadrupole) as an interface to help the ion transmission from the atmospheric pressure to the low-pressure regions. The principle, configuration of the O-TOF, and the performance of the instrument are introduced in this paper. With electrospray ion source, the performances of the mass resolution, the sensitivity, the mass range, and the mass accuracy are described. We also include our results obtained by coupling atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser deporption ionization with thismore » instrument.« less

Concept Design of Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Free, James M.; Motil, Susan M.; Kortes, Trudy F.; Meyer, Michael L.; taylor, William J.

2012-01-01

NASA is in the planning and investigation process of developing innovative paths for human space exploration that strengthen the capability to extend human and robotic presence beyond low Earth orbit and throughout the solar system. NASA is establishing the foundations to enable humans to safely reach multiple potential destinations, including the Moon, asteroids, Lagrange points, and Mars and its environs through technology and capability development. To achieve access to these destinations within a reasonable flight time will require the use of high performance cryogenic propulsion systems. Therefore NASA is examining mission concepts for a Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer (CPST) Flight Demonstration which will test and validate key capabilities and technologies required for future exploration elements such as large cryogenic propulsion stages and propellant depots. The CPST project will perform key ground testing in fiscal year 2012 and execute project formulation and implementation leading to a flight demonstration in 2017.

Determinations of rare earth element abundance and U-Pb age of zircons using multispot laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Takaomi D; Suzuki, Toshihiro; Kon, Yoshiaki; Hirata, Takafumi

2011-12-01

We have developed a new calibration technique for multielement determination and U-Pb dating of zircon samples using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) coupled with galvanometric optics. With the galvanometric optics, laser ablation of two or more sample materials could be achieved in very short time intervals (~10 ms). The resulting sample aerosols released from different ablation pits or different solid samples were mixed and homogenized within the sample cell and then transported into the ICP ion source. Multiple spot laser ablation enables spiking of analytes or internal standard elements directly into the solid samples, and therefore the standard addition calibration method can be applied for the determination of trace elements in solid samples. In this study, we have measured the rare earth element (REE) abundances of two zircon samples (Nancy 91500 and Prešovice) based on the standard addition technique, using a direct spiking of analytes through a multispot laser ablation of the glass standard material (NIST SRM612). The resulting REE abundance data show good agreement with previously reported values within analytical uncertainties achieved in this study (10% for most elements). Our experiments demonstrated that nonspectroscopic interferences on 14 REEs could be significantly reduced by the standard addition technique employed here. Another advantage of galvanometric devices is the accumulation of sample aerosol released from multiple spots. In this study we have measured the U-Pb age of a zircon sample (LMR) using an accumulation of sample aerosols released from 10 separate ablation pits of low diameters (~8 μm). The resulting (238)U-(206)Pb age data for the LMR zircons was 369 ± 64 Ma, which is in good agreement with previously reported age data (367.6 ± 1.5 Ma). (1) The data obtained here clearly demonstrate that the multiple spot laser ablation-ICPMS technique can become a powerful approach for elemental and isotopic ratio measurements in solid materials.

Analysis of photon emission induced by light and heavy ions in time-of-flight medium energy ion scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohmann, S.; Sortica, M. A.; Paneta, V.; Primetzhofer, D.

2018-02-01

We present a systematic analysis of the photon emission observed due to impact of pulsed keV ion beams in time-of-flight medium energy ion scattering (ToF-MEIS) experiments. Hereby, hydrogen, helium and neon ions served as projectiles and thin gold and titanium nitride films on different substrates were employed as target materials. The present experimental evidence indicates that a significant fraction of the photons has energies of around 10 eV, i.e. on the order of typical valence and conduction band transitions in solids. Furthermore, the scaling properties of the photon emission with respect to several experimental parameters were studied. A dependence of the photon yield on the projectile velocity was observed in all experiments. The photon yield exhibits a dependence on the film thickness and the scattering angle, which can be explained by photon production along the path of the incident ion through the material. Additionally, a strong dependence on the projectile type was found with the photon emission being higher for heavier projectiles. This difference is larger than the respective difference in electronic stopping cross section. The photon yield shows a strong material dependence, and according to a comparison of SiO2 and Si seems to be subject to matrix effects.

Ion-neutral potential models in atmospheric pressure ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry IM(tof)MS.

PubMed

Steiner, Wes E; English, William A; Hill, Herbert H

2006-02-09

The ion mobilities and their respective masses of several classes of amines (primary, secondary, and tertiary) were measured by electrospray ionization atmospheric pressure ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry IM(tof)MS. The experimental data obtained were comparatively analyzed by the one-temperature kinetic theory of Chapman-Enskog. Several theoretical models were used to estimate the collision cross-sections; they include the rigid-sphere, polarization-limit, 12-6-4, and 12-4 potential models. These models were investigated to represent the interaction potentials contained within the collision integral that occurs between the polyatomic ions and the neutral drift gas molecules. The effectiveness of these collision cross-section models on predicting the mobility of these amine ions was explored. Moreover, the effects of drift gas selectivity on the reduced-mass term and in the collision cross-section term was examined. Use of a series of drift gases, namely, helium, neon, argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, made it possible to distinguish between mass effects and polarizability effects. It was found that the modified 12-4 potential that compensates for the center of charge not being at the same location as the centers of mass showed improved agreement over the other collision cross-section models with respect to experimental data.

Ion-to-Neutral Ratios and Thermal Proton Transfer in Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, I.-Chung; Chu, Kuan Yu; Lin, Chih-Yuan; Wu, Shang-Yun; Dyakov, Yuri A.; Chen, Jien-Lian; Gray-Weale, Angus; Lee, Yuan-Tseh; Ni, Chi-Kung

2015-07-01

The ion-to-neutral ratios of four commonly used solid matrices, α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA), 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHB), sinapinic acid (SA), and ferulic acid (FA) in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) at 355 nm are reported. Ions are measured using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer combined with a time-sliced ion imaging detector. Neutrals are measured using a rotatable quadrupole mass spectrometer. The ion-to-neutral ratios of CHCA are three orders of magnitude larger than those of the other matrices at the same laser fluence. The ion-to-neutral ratios predicted using the thermal proton transfer model are similar to the experimental measurements, indicating that thermal proton transfer reactions play a major role in generating ions in ultraviolet-MALDI.

Evidence of plasmon resonances of nickel particles deposited by pulsed laser ablation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picciotto, A.; Pucker, G.; Torrisi, L.; Bellutti, P.; Caridi, F.; Bagolini, A.

The optical spectra of some metals show pronounced resonance lines caused by collective excitations of conduction electrons. These excitations are known as particle plasmons, Mie plasmons, or surface plasmons. Their spectral properties have attracted a lot of interest, both for fundamental reasons and in a view of applications. Scope of the work is the growth of nanometric metal particles (Ni) and the study of its optical properties by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Ni particles are obtained by implanting SiO2 with pulsed laser ablation followed by heat treatment in inert atmosphere (N2). An analysis of the ellipsometric spectra for samples with different implantation times and energy is presented. Generally, the synthesis of such structures is performed using ion implantation techniques or chemical reaction methods, while here we propose pulsed laser ablation for the generation of these particles and annealing procedures for their activation. The experimental measurements were performed at IRST (Istituto per la Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica) of Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Trento and at the Physics Department of University of Messina.

Imaging and spectroscopy of copper dopant migration of indirectly driven Beryllium capsule implosion on the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyrala, George; Zylstra, A.; Yi, S. A.; Klline, J. L.; Shah, R. C.; Lopez, F. E.; Batha, S. A.; Doppner, T.; Thorn, D. B.; MacLaren, S.; Masters, N.; Callahan, D.; Hurricane, O.; Rice, N.; Huang, H.; Krauland, C. M.; MacDonald, M.

2017-10-01

Using beryllium, as an ablator material for indirectly driven inertial fusion, requires the use of a Copper dopant to block preheat from the hohlraum M-band radiation. However, due to the microstructure and imperfections of the capsule, some of the copper may be injected into the core of the implosion, affecting the yield and performance. Alternatively, the copper dopant may blow into the ablated plasma affecting the hohlraum performance as well. We will present some of data on time integrated imaging of the copper dopant into the core of the capsule using either the 2-dimensional multiple monochromatic imaging of the implosion, as well as the 1D spectrally resolved imaging of the copper dopant emission. In either case we found that the copper did migrate to the hot core, while fewer copper ions ablated into the hohlraum. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. DOE by LANL under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396, and by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

TimepixCam: a fast optical imager with time-stamping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher-Levine, M.; Nomerotski, A.

2016-03-01

We describe a novel fast optical imager, TimepixCam, based on an optimized silicon pixel sensor with a thin entrance window, read out by a Timepix ASIC. TimepixCam is able to record and time-stamp light flashes in excess of 1,000 photons with high quantum efficiency in the 400-1000nm wavelength range with 20ns timing resolution, corresponding to an effective rate of 50 Megaframes per second. The camera was used for imaging ions impinging on a microchannel plate followed by a phosphor screen. Possible applications include spatial and velocity map imaging of ions in time-of-flight mass spectroscopy; coincidence imaging of ions and electrons, and other time-resolved types of imaging spectroscopy.

Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs): chemical compositions and separation of sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Bin; Coggon, Matthew M.; Koss, Abigail R.; Warneke, Carsten; Eilerman, Scott; Peischl, Jeff; Aikin, Kenneth C.; Ryerson, Thomas B.; de Gouw, Joost A.

2017-04-01

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) emit a large number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the atmosphere. In this study, we conducted mobile laboratory measurements of VOCs, methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3) downwind of dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep and chicken CAFO facilities in northeastern Colorado using a hydronium ion time-of-flight chemical-ionization mass spectrometer (H3O+ ToF-CIMS), which can detect numerous VOCs. Regional measurements of CAFO emissions in northeastern Colorado were also performed using the NOAA WP-3D aircraft during the Shale Oil and Natural Gas Nexus (SONGNEX) campaign. Alcohols and carboxylic acids dominate VOC concentrations and the reactivity of the VOCs with hydroxyl (OH) radicals. Sulfur-containing and phenolic species provide the largest contributions to the odor activity values and the nitrate radical (NO3) reactivity of VOC emissions, respectively. VOC compositions determined from mobile laboratory and aircraft measurements generally agree well with each other. The high time-resolution mobile measurements allow for the separation of the sources of VOCs from different parts of the operations occurring within the facilities. We show that the emissions of ethanol are primarily associated with feed storage and handling. Based on mobile laboratory measurements, we apply a multivariate regression analysis using NH3 and ethanol as tracers to determine the relative importance of animal-related emissions (animal exhalation and waste) and feed-related emissions (feed storage and handling) for different VOC species. Feed storage and handling contribute significantly to emissions of alcohols, carbonyls, carboxylic acids and sulfur-containing species. Emissions of phenolic species and nitrogen-containing species are predominantly associated with animals and their waste.

Laser-ablation ICP-MS as a tool for whole rock trace element analyses on fused powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girard, G.; Rooney, T. O.

2013-12-01

Here we present an accurate and precise technique for routine trace element analysis of geologic materials by laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). We focus on rock powders previously prepared for X-ray fluorescence by fusion in a Li2B4O7 flux, and subsequently quenched in a Pt mold to form a glass disk. Our method allows for the analysis up to 30 trace elements by LA-ICP-MS using a Photon-Machines Analyte G2 193 nm excimer laser coupled to a Thermo-Fisher Scientific ICAP Q quadrupole ICP-MS. Analyses are run as scans on the surface of the disks. Laser ablation conditions for which trace element fractionation effects are minimal have been empirically determined to be ~ 4 J m-2 fluence, at 10 Hz , and 10 μm s-1 scan speed, using a 110 μm laser beam size. Ablated material is carried into the ICP-MS by a He carrier at a rate of 0.75 L min-1. Following pre-ablation to remove surface particles, samples are ablated for 200 s, of which 140 s are used for data acquisition. At the end of each scan, a gas blank is collected for 30 s. Dwell times for each element vary between 15 and 60 μs, depending on abundance and instrument sensitivity, allowing 120 readings of each element during the data acquisition time window. To correct for variations in the total volume of material extracted by the laser, three internal standards are used, Ca, Fe and Zr. These elements are routinely analyzed by X-ray fluorescence by the Geoanalytical laboratory at Michigan State University with precision and accuracy of <5%. The availability of several internal standards allows for better correction of possible persisting laser ablation fractionation effects; for a particular trace element, we correct using the internal standard that best reproduces its ablation behavior. Our calibration is based on a combination of fused powders of US Geological Survey and Geological Survey of Japan rock standards, NIST SRM 612 glass, and US Geological Survey natural and synthetic basalt glasses. Instrumental drift is monitored during each run using two fused standards analyzed multiple times as unknowns. We routinely achieve an external precision of <5% on multiple replicates of standards run as unknowns, which are also within <5% of certified values. Elements analyzed include most first row transition metals, large ion lithophile elements, high field strength elements, lanthanide and actinide rare earth elements.

Thermal energy storage flight experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Namkoong, D.

1989-01-01

Consideration is given to the development of an experimental program to study heat transfer, energy storage, fluid movement, and void location under microgravity. Plans for experimental flight packages containing Thermal Energy Storage (TES) material applicable for advanced solar heat receivers are discussed. Candidate materials for TES include fluoride salts, salt eutectics, silicides, and metals. The development of a three-dimensional computer program to describe TES material behavior undergoing melting and freezing under microgravity is also discussed. The TES experiment concept and plans for ground and flight tests are outlined.

Experimental studies of thorium ion implantation from pulse laser plasma into thin silicon oxide layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borisyuk, P. V.; Chubunova, E. V.; Lebedinskii, Yu Yu; Tkalya, E. V.; Vasilyev, O. S.; Yakovlev, V. P.; Strugovshchikov, E.; Mamedov, D.; Pishtshev, A.; Karazhanov, S. Zh

2018-05-01

We report the results of experimental studies related to implantation of thorium ions into thin silicon dioxide by pulsed plasma flux expansion. Thorium ions were generated by laser ablation from a metal target, and the ionic component of the laser plasma was accelerated in an electric field created by the potential difference (5, 10 and 15 kV) between the ablated target and a SiO2/Si (0 0 1) sample. The laser ablation system installed inside the vacuum chamber of the electron spectrometer was equipped with a YAG:Nd3  +  laser having a pulse energy of 100 mJ and time duration of 15 ns in the Q-switched regime. The depth profile of thorium atoms implanted into the 10 nm thick subsurface areas together with their chemical state as well as the band gap of the modified silicon oxide at different conditions of implantation processes were studied by means of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy methods. Analysis of the chemical composition showed that the modified silicon oxide film contains complex thorium silicates. Depending on the local concentration of thorium atoms, the experimentally established band gaps were located in the range 6.0–9.0 eV. Theoretical studies of the optical properties of the SiO2 and ThO2 crystalline systems were performed by ab initio calculations within hybrid functional. The optical properties of the SiO2/ThO2 composite were interpreted on the basis of the Bruggeman effective medium approximation. A quantitative assessment of the yield of isomeric nuclei in ‘hot’ laser plasma at the early stages of expansion was performed. The estimates made with experimental results demonstrated that the laser implantation of thorium ions into the SiO2 matrix can be useful for further research of low-lying isomeric transitions in a 229Th isotope with energy of 7.8 +/- 0.5 eV.

DE-STARLITE: A directed energy planetary defense mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosmo, Kelly; Pryor, Mark; Lubin, Philip; Hughes, Gary B.; O'Neill, Hugh; Meinhold, Peter; Suen, Jonathan; Riley, Jordan; Griswold, Janelle; Cook, Brianna V.; Johansson, Isabella E.; Zhang, Qicheng; Walsh, Kevin; Melis, Carl; Kangas, Miikka; Bible, Johanna; Motta, Caio; Brashears, Travis; Mathew, Shana; Bollag, Justin

2014-09-01

This paper presents the motivation behind and design of a directed energy planetary defense system that utilizes laser ablation of an asteroid to impart a deflecting force on the target. The proposed system is called DE-STARLITE for Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and ExploRation - LITE as it is a small, stand-on unit of a larger standoff DE-STAR system. Pursuant to the stand-on design, ion engines will propel the spacecraft from low-Earth orbit (LEO) to the near-Earth asteroid (NEA). During laser ablation, the asteroid itself becomes the "propellant"; thus a very modest spacecraft can deflect an asteroid much larger than would be possible with a system of similar mission mass using ion beam deflection (IBD) or a gravity tractor. DE-STARLITE is capable of deflecting an Apophis-class (325 m diameter) asteroid with a 15-year targeting time. The mission fits within the rough mission parameters of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) program in terms of mass and size and has much greater capability for planetary defense than current proposals and is readily scalable to the threat. It can deflect all known threats with sufficient warning.

ExoCube INMS with Neutral Hydrogen Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, S.; Paschalidis, N.; Rodriguez, M.; Sittler, E. C., Jr.; Chornay, D. J.; Cameron, T.; Uribe, P.; Nanan, G.; Noto, J.; Waldrop, L.; Mierkiewicz, E. J.; Gardner, D.; Nossal, S. M.; Puig-Suari, J.; Bellardo, J.

2015-12-01

The ExoCube mission launched on Jan 31 2015 into a polar orbit to acquire global knowledge of in situ densities of neutral and ionized H, He, and O in the upper ionosphere and lower exosphere. The CubeSat platform is used in combination with incoherent scatter radar and optical ground stations distributed throughout the Americas. ExoCube seeks to obtain the first in situ measurement of neutral exospheric hydrogen and will measure in situ atomic oxygen for the first time in decades. The compact Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) developed by GSFC uses the gated Time of Flight technique for in situ measurements of ions and neutrals (H, He, N, O, N2, O2) with M/dM of approximately 10. The compact sensor has a dual symmetric configuration with ion and neutral sensor heads. Neutral particles are ionized by electron impact using a thermionic emitter. In situ measurements of neutral hydrogen are notoriously difficult as historically the signal has been contaminated by hydrogen outgassing which persists even years after commissioning. In order to obtain neutral atmospheric hydrogen fluxes, either the atmospheric peak and outgassing peak must be well resolved, or the outgassing component subtracted off. The ExoCube INMS employs a separate mode, specifically for measuring neutral Hydrogen. The details of this mode and lessons learned will be presented as well as in flight instrument validation data for the neutral channel and preliminary flight ion spectra. At the time of abstract submission, the ExoCube spacecraft is currently undergoing attitude control maneuvers to orient INMS in the ram direction for science operations.

First beryllium capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility

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

Kline, J. L.; Yi, S. A.; Simakov, A. N.

2016-05-15

The first indirect drive implosion experiments using Beryllium (Be) capsules at the National Ignition Facility confirm the superior ablation properties and elucidate possible Be-ablator issues such as hohlraum filling by ablator material. Since the 1990s, Be has been the preferred Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) ablator because of its higher mass ablation rate compared to that of carbon-based ablators. This enables ICF target designs with higher implosion velocities at lower radiation temperatures and improved hydrodynamic stability through greater ablative stabilization. Recent experiments to demonstrate the viability of Be ablator target designs measured the backscattered laser energy, capsule implosion velocity, core implosionmore » shape from self-emission, and in-flight capsule shape from backlit imaging. The laser backscatter is similar to that from comparable plastic (CH) targets under the same hohlraum conditions. Implosion velocity measurements from backlit streaked radiography show that laser energy coupling to the hohlraum wall is comparable to plastic ablators. The measured implosion shape indicates no significant reduction of laser energy from the inner laser cone beams reaching the hohlraum wall as compared with plastic and high-density carbon ablators. These results indicate that the high mass ablation rate for beryllium capsules does not significantly alter hohlraum energetics. In addition, these data, together with data for low fill-density hohlraum performance, indicate that laser power multipliers, required to reconcile simulations with experimental observations, are likely due to our limited understanding of the hohlraum rather than the capsule physics since similar multipliers are needed for both Be and CH capsules as seen in experiments.« less

First beryllium capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility

DOE PAGES

Kline, J. L.; Yi, S. A.; Simakov, A. N.; ...

2016-05-01

The first indirect drive implosion experiments using Beryllium (Be) capsules at the National Ignition Facility confirm the superior ablation properties and elucidate possible Be-ablator issues such as hohlraum filling by ablator material. Since the 1990s, Be has been the preferred Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) ablator because of its higher mass ablation rate compared to that of carbon-based ablators. This enables ICF target designs with higher implosion velocities at lower radiation temperatures and improved hydrodynamic stability through greater ablative stabilization. Recent experiments to demonstrate the viability of Be ablator target designs measured the backscattered laser energy, capsule implosion velocity, core implosionmore » shape from self-emission, and in-flight capsule shape from backlit imaging. The laser backscatter is similar to that from comparable plastic (CH) targets under the same hohlraum conditions. Implosion velocity measurements from backlit streaked radiography show that laser energy coupling to the hohlraum wall is comparable to plastic ablators. The measured implosion shape indicates no significant reduction of laser energy from the inner laser cone beams reaching the hohlraum wall as compared with plastic and high-density carbon ablators. These results indicate that the high mass ablation rate for beryllium capsules does not significantly alter hohlraum energetics. In addition, these data, together with data for low fill-density hohlraum performance, indicate that laser power multipliers, required to reconcile simulations with experimental observations, are likely due to our limited understanding of the hohlraum rather than the capsule physics since similar multipliers are needed for both Be and CH capsules as seen in experiments.« less

Topical Meeting on Microphysics of Surfaces, Beams, and Adsorbates Held at Santa Fe, New Mexico on 4-6 February 1985.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-18

during excimer laser ablation. Results are %%% Study on the Mechanism of Ion-Assisted Etching, F. H. M. correlated with interferometric measurements of...report on real time interferometric measurements of free electron density and laser induced .,- fluorescence studies of atoms and molecules in the...compared with morphology exam- Ined with Nomarski micrographs and SEM. In addition, the struc- ture and composition of the deposited lines were analysed

Facile and Chemically Pure Preparation of YVO4:Eu3+ Colloid with Novel Nanostructure via Laser Ablation in Water

PubMed Central

Wang, Haohao; Odawara, Osamu; Wada, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

A YVO4:Eu3+ colloid with an interesting nanostructure was formed by pulsed laser ablation in deionized water without any additives or surfactants. Analyses of particle morphology, composition and optical properties were accomplished by SEM, TEM, EDS PL and UV-vis. Ovoid-like particles formed by the agglomeration of numerous nanocrystals were observed by SEM and TEM, while EDS with area-mode analysis revealed that the content of dopant ion was well retained within the nanoparticles. In addition, the formation mechanism is deduced and discussed for the first time in this research. The findings of this study could provide new insights into the understanding of laser-induced oxide materials and offer an opportunity for other research groups to pursue red emitting nanophosphors with outstandingly purity. PMID:26842419

Titan's Topside Ionospheric Composition: Cassini Plasma Spectrometer Ion Mass Spectrometer Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sittler, Edward; Hartle, Richard; Ali, Ashraf; Cooper, John; Lipatov, Alexander; Simpson, David; Sarantos, Menelaos; Chornay, Dennis; Smith, Todd

2017-01-01

We present ion composition measurements of Titan's topside ionosphere using both T9 and T15 Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) measurements. The IMS is able to make measurements of Titan's ionosphere due to ionospheric outflows as originally reported for the T9 flyby. This allows one to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the CAPS IMS which measures both the mass-per-charge (M/Q) of the ions and the fragments of the ions produced inside the sensor such as carbon, nitrogen and oxygen fragments. Specific attention will be given to such ions as NH4 +, N +, O +, CH4 +, CxHy +, and HCNH + ions as examples. The CAPS IMS uses a time-of-flight (TOF) technique which accelerates ions up to 14.6 kV, so they can pass through ultra-thin carbon foils. Neutral fragments are used to measure the ion M/Q and positive fragments to measure the atomic components. We preliminarily find, by using IMS measurements of T9 and T15 ionospheric outflows, evidence for methane group ions, nitrogen ions, ammonium ions, water group ions and CnHm + ions with n = 2, 3, and 4 within Titan's topside ionosphere. E.C. Sittler acknowledges support at Goddard Space Flight Center by the CAPS Cassini Project from JPL funds under contract # NAS703001TONMO711123/1405851.

Derivatization of Dextran for Multiply Charged Ion Formation and Electrospray Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometric Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapia, Jesus B.; Hibbard, Hailey A. J.; Reynolds, Melissa M.

2017-10-01

We present the use of a simple, one-pot derivatization to allow the polysaccharide dextran to carry multiple positive charges, shifting its molecular weight distribution to a lower m/ z range. We performed this derivatization because molecular weight measurements of polysaccharides by mass spectrometry are challenging because of their lack of readily ionizable groups. The absence of ionizable groups limits proton abstraction and suppresses proton adduction during the ionization process, producing mass spectra with predominantly singly charged metal adduct ions, thereby limiting the detection of large polysaccharides. To address this challenge, we derivatized dextran T1 (approximately 1 kDa) by attaching ethylenediamine, giving dextran readily ionizable, terminal amine functional groups. The attached ethylenediamine groups facilitated proton adduction during the ionization process in positive ion mode. Using the low molecular weight dextran T1, we tracked the number of ethylenediamine attachments by measuring the mass shift from underivatized to derivatized dextran T1. Using electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, we observed derivatized dextran chains ranging from two to nine glucose residues with between one and four attachments/charges. Our success in shifting derivatized dextran T1 toward the low m/ z range suggests potential for this derivatization as a viable route for analysis of high molecular weight polysaccharides using electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Conformal Ablative Thermal Protection System for Small and Large Scale Missions: Approaching TRL 6 for Planetary and Human Exploration Missions and TRL 9 for Small Probe Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, R. A. S.; Gasch, M. J.; Milos, F. S.; Stackpoole, M. M.; Smith, B. P.; Switzer, M. R.; Venkatapathy, E.; Wilder, M. C.; Boghhozian, T.; Chavez-Garcia, J. F.

2015-01-01

In 2011, NASAs Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) funded an effort to develop an ablative thermal protection system (TPS) material that would have improved properties when compared to Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) and AVCOAT. Their goal was a conformal material, processed with a flexible reinforcement that would result in similar or better thermal characteristics and higher strain-to-failure characteristics that would allow for easier integration on flight aeroshells than then-current rigid ablative TPS materials. In 2012, NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) began funding the maturation of the best formulation of the game changing conformal ablator, C-PICA. Progress has been reported at IPPW over the past three years, describing C-PICA with a density and recession rates similar to PICA, but with a higher strain-to-failure which allows for direct bonding and no gap fillers, and even more important, with thermal characteristics resulting in half the temperature rise of PICA. Overall, C-PICA should be able to replace PICA with a thinner, lighter weight, less complicated design. These characteristics should be particularly attractive for use as backshell TPS on high energy planetary entry vehicles. At the end of this year, the material should be ready for missions to consider including in their design, in fact, NASAs Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is considering incentivizing the use of C-PICA in the next Discovery Proposal call. This year both scale up of the material to large (1-m) sized pieces and the design and build of small probe heatshields for flight tests will be completed. NASA, with an industry partner, will build a 1-m long manufacturing demonstration unit (MDU) with a shape based on a mid LD lifting body. In addition, in an effort to fly as you test and test as you fly, NASA, with a second industry partner, will build a small probe to test in the Interactive Heating Facility (IHF) arc jet and, using nearly the same design, build the aeroshell and TPS, with instrumentation, for a small probe flight test article, due to fly in 2017. At the end of the year, the C-PICA will be at TRL 5+, and with the flight data in 2017, it will be at TRL 9 for missions needs with C-PICA at a small scale (12 diameter). The scale-up and small probe efforts will be de-scribed in this presentation.

Optical ridge waveguides in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped phosphate glass produced by ion irradiation combined with femtosecond laser ablation for guided-wave green and red upconversion emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chen; He, Ruiyun; Tan, Yang; Wang, Biao; Akhmadaliev, Shavkat; Zhou, Shengqiang; de Aldana, Javier R. Vázquez; Hu, Lili; Chen, Feng

2016-01-01

This work reports on the fabrication of ridge waveguides in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped phosphate glass by the combination of femtosecond laser ablation and following swift carbon ion irradiation. The guiding properties of waveguides have been investigated at 633 and 1064 nm through end face coupling arrangement. The refractive index profile on the cross section of the waveguide has been constructed. The propagation losses can be reduced considerably after annealing treatment. Under the optical pump laser at 980 nm, the upconversion emission of both green and red fluorescence has been realized through the ridge waveguide structures.

Synergetic effects of K + and Mg 2+ ion intercalation on the electrochemical and actuation properties of the two-dimensional Ti 3 C 2 MXene

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

Gao, Qiang; Come, Jeremy; Naguib, Michael

2017-01-01

Two-dimensional materials, such as MXenes, are attractive candidates for energy storage and electrochemical actuators due to their high volume changes upon ion intercalation. Of special interest for boosting energy storage is the intercalation of multivalent ions such as Mg 2+, which suffers from sluggish intercalation and transport kinetics due to its ion size. By combining traditional electrochemical characterization techniques with electrochemical dilatometry and contact resonance atomic force microscopy, the synergetic effects of the pre-intercalation of K +ions are demonstrated to improve the charge storage of multivalent ions, as well as tune the mechanical and actuation properties of the Ti 3Cmore » 2MXene. Our results have important implications for quantitatively understanding the charge storage processes in intercalation compounds and provide a new path for studying the mechanical evolution of energy storage materials.« less

Basic poly(propylene glycols) as reference compounds for internal mass calibration in positive-ion matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Gross, Jürgen H

2017-12-01

Basic poly(propylene glycols), commercially available under the trade name Jeffamine, are evaluated for their potential use as internal mass calibrants in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry. Due to their basic amino endgroups Jeffamines are expected to deliver [M+H] + ions in higher yields than neutral poly(propylene glycols) or poly(ethylene glycols). Aiming at accurate mass measurements and molecular formula determinations by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry, four Jeffamines (M-600, M-2005, D-400, D-230) were thus compared. As a result, Jeffamine M-2005 is introduced as a new mass calibrant for positive-ion matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry in the range of m/z 200-1200 and the reference mass list is provided. While Jeffamine M-2005 is compatible with α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and 2-[(2 E)-3-(4- tert-butylphenyl)-2-methylprop-2-enylidene]malonitrile matrix, its use in combination with 2-[(2 E)-3-(4- tert-butylphenyl)-2-methylprop-2-enylidene]malonitrile provides best results due to low laser fluence requirements. Applications to PEG 300, PEG 600, the ionic liquid trihexyl(tetradecyl)-phosphonium tris(pentafluoroethyl)-trifluorophosphate, and [60]fullerene demonstrate mass accuracies of 2-5 ppm.

Note: A well-confined pulsed low-energy ion beam: Test experiments of Ar+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jie; Wu, Chun-Xiao; Tian, Shan Xi

2018-06-01

Here we report a pulsed low-energy ion beam source for ion-molecule reaction study, in which the ions produced by the pulsed electron impact are confined well in the spatial size of each bunch. In contrast to the ion focusing method to reduce the transverse section of the beam, the longitudinal section in the translational direction is compressed by introducing a second pulse in the ion time-of-flight system. The test experiments for the low-energy argon ions are performed. The present beam source is ready for applications in the ion-molecule reaction dynamics experiments, in particular, in combination with the ion velocity map imaging technique.

Trajectory and System Analysis For Outer-Planet Solar-Electric Propulsion Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cupples, Michael; Woo, Byoungsam; Coverstone, Victoria L.; Hartmann, John W.

2004-01-01

Outer-planet mission and systems analyses are performed using three next generation solar-electric ion thruster models. The impact of variations in thruster model, flight time, launch vehicle, propulsion and power systems characteristics is investigated. All presented trajectories have a single Venus gravity assist and maximize the delivered mass to Saturn or Neptune. The effect of revolution ratio - the ratio of Venusian orbital period to the flight time between launch and flyby dates - is also discussed.

High-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection coupled to electrospray time-of-flight and ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry to identify phenolic compounds from a lemon verbena extract.

PubMed

Quirantes-Piné, R; Funes, L; Micol, V; Segura-Carretero, A; Fernández-Gutiérrez, A

2009-07-10

High-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection was used to carry out the comprehensive characterization of a lemon verbena extract with demonstrated antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity. Two different MS techniques have been coupled to HPLC: on one hand, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and on the other hand, tandem mass spectrometry on an ion-trap. The use of a small particle size C18 column (1.8 microm) provided a great resolution and made possible the separation of several isomers. The UV-visible spectrophotometry was used to delimit the class of phenolic compound and the accurate mass measurements on time-of-flight spectrometer enabled to identify the compounds present in the extract. Finally, the fragmentation pattern obtained in MS-MS experiments confirmed the proposed structures. This procedure was able to determine many well-known phenolic compounds present in lemon verbena such as verbascoside and its derivatives, diglucuronide derivatives of apigenin and luteolin, and eukovoside. Also gardoside, verbasoside, cistanoside F, theveside, campneoside I, chrysoeriol-7-diglucuronide, forsythoside A and acacetin-7-diglucuronide were found for the first time in lemon verbena.

Ablation Modeling of Ares-I Upper State Thermal Protection System Using Thermal Desktop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharp, John R.; Page, Arthur T.

2007-01-01

The thermal protection system (TPS) for the Ares-I Upper Stage will be based on Space Transportation System External Tank (ET) and Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) heritage materials. These TPS materials were qualified via hot gas testing that simulated ascent and re-entry aerothermodynamic convective heating environments. From this data, the recession rates due to ablation were characterized and used in thermal modeling for sizing the thickness required to maintain structural substrate temperatures. At Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the in-house code ABL is currently used to predict TPS ablation and substrate temperatures as a FORTRAN application integrated within SINDA/G. This paper describes a comparison of the new ablation utility in Thermal Desktop and SINDA/FLUINT with the heritage ABL code and empirical test data which serves as the validation of the Thermal Desktop software for use on the design of the Ares-I Upper Stage project.

Process for ion-assisted laser deposition of biaxially textured layer on substrate

DOEpatents

Russo, R.E.; Reade, R.P.; Garrison, S.M.; Berdahl, P.

1995-07-11

A process for depositing a biaxially aligned intermediate layer over a non-single crystal substrate is disclosed which permits the subsequent deposition thereon of a biaxially oriented superconducting film. The process comprises depositing on a substrate by laser ablation a material capable of being biaxially oriented and also capable of inhibiting the migration of substrate materials through the intermediate layer into such a superconducting film, while simultaneously bombarding the substrate with an ion beam. In a preferred embodiment, the deposition is carried out in the same chamber used to subsequently deposit a superconducting film over the intermediate layer. In a further aspect of the invention, the deposition of the superconducting layer over the biaxially oriented intermediate layer is also carried out by laser ablation with optional additional bombardment of the coated substrate with an ion beam during the deposition of the superconducting film. 8 figs.

Process for ion-assisted laser deposition of biaxially textured layer on substrate

DOEpatents

Russo, Richard E.; Reade, Ronald P.; Garrison, Stephen M.; Berdahl, Paul

1995-01-01

A process for depositing a biaxially aligned intermediate layer over a non-single crystal substrate is disclosed which permits the subsequent deposition thereon of a biaxially oriented superconducting film. The process comprises depositing on a substrate by laser ablation a material capable of being biaxially oriented and also capable of inhibiting the migration of substrate materials through the intermediate layer into such a superconducting film, while simultaneously bombarding the substrate with an ion beam. In a preferred embodiment, the deposition is carried out in the same chamber used to subsequently deposit a superconducting film over the intermediate layer. In a further aspect of the invention, the deposition of the superconducting layer over the biaxially oriented intermediate layer is also carried out by laser ablation with optional additional bombardment of the coated substrate with an ion beam during the deposition of the superconducting film.

[The application of Atricure bipolar radiofrequency system in ablation of different parts and different times of pig heart atrium and the analysis of transmural lesions].

PubMed

Liu, Pei-sheng; Chen, Xin; Liu, Ming

2010-12-15

To analyze the transmural lesions of different parts of the pig heart atrium received different times of ablation applied with Atricure bipolar radiofrequency system. Six fresh (ex vivo time<20 min) pig hearts with atrium preserved intact were used as the experimental objects and experimental groups were divided according to the ablation position. The Atricure bipolar radiofrequency system was applied in the ablation of the parts of the atrium, such as posterior wall of left atrium, anterior wall of left atrium, anterior wall of right atrium and posterior wall of left atrium close to mitral posterior ring. Ablate the position of the atrium lengthened about 2.0 cm with the same thickness with an interval of 0.5 cm for 4 times respectively, also recording the time of every ablation. For each part and each time of ablation, the ablated atrial tissue was preserved with 4% formaldehyde and 5% glutaraldehyde, and was sent for observation under light microscope and transmission electron microscope. The ablation time and lesion were analyzed statistically. In the same position of the atrium, ablation time decreased with the times of the ablation, in different position of the atrium with same time of ablation, time showed a positive proportion with the thickness of the atrium. Atricure bipolar radiofrequency system is very safe and efficient, also convenient for manipulation. With regard to the relatively thinner part of the atrium, such as posterior wall and anterior wall of left atrium, at least two times of ablation can ensure transmural lesion of the atrial tissue, but to the position of the atrium such as anterior wall of right atrium and posterior wall of left atrium close to mitral posterior ring, 3 to 4 times of ablation can ensure transmural lesion of the atrial tissue.

Production of Prebiotic Molecule Precursors from Hypervelocity Impact Simulation Experiments on Carbonate Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farcy, B. J.; Grubisic, A.; Li, X.; Pinnick, V. T.; Sutton, M.; Pavlov, A.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.

2017-12-01

Organic molecules, including amino acids and other biotic precursors, have been shown to form in the cooling and expanding plasma plume generated from hypervelocity impacts through the processes of atomization, ionization, and molecular recombination of impactor and impact surface. Various sources of carbon, such as atmospheric methane and carbonaceous material from meteorites, are known to yield cyano-bearing molecules and simple amino acids from impact plasmas. However, the role of mineralogical carbon has not yet been investigated in this process. We have performed experiments using laser ablation mass spectrometry (LA-MS) to study the negative ion yield of plasma-produced prebiotic molecules. A mixture of 10% NH4Cl and 90% CaCO3 was pressed into a pellet and ablated with a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser, and the resultant negative ions were measured by a plasma analyzer quadrupole MS. Mass spectra show characteristic peaks at m/z = 26 and m/z = 42, indicating the presence of CN- and CNO- ions. When isotopically labeled 15NH4Cl and Ca13CO3 were used in the sample ablation pellet, the purported CN- and CNO- peaks shifted according to their added isotopic mass. Indeed, comparison of resulting ion formation from momentum-based techniques, such as massive cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry, show comparable fragmentation and recombination of CN- and CNO- ions. These findings show that CN- ions, as well as CN radicals and thus HCN, can be formed during meteoritic bombardment of carbonate minerals. During the late heavy bombardment of the earth from 4.1-3.8 Ga, impact-driven chemistry could have played a dominant role in shaping the earth's early prebiotic inventory and sources of chemical energy. As carbonate sediments are common in the Archean, carbonate deposits are most likely an important contributor of carbon for this process, along with atmospheric and meteoritic carbon sources.

Hybrid quadrupole mass filter/quadrupole ion trap/time-of-flight-mass spectrometer for infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy of mass-selected ions

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

Gulyuz, Kerim; Stedwell, Corey N.; Wang Da

2011-05-15

We present a laboratory-constructed mass spectrometer optimized for recording infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectra of mass-selected ions using a benchtop tunable infrared optical parametric oscillator/amplifier (OPO/A). The instrument is equipped with two ionization sources, an electrospray ionization source, as well as an electron ionization source for troubleshooting. This hybrid mass spectrometer is composed of a quadrupole mass filter for mass selection, a reduced pressure ({approx}10{sup -5} Torr) quadrupole ion trap (QIT) for OPO irradiation, and a reflectron time-of-flight drift tube for detecting the remaining precursor and photofragment ions. A helium gas pulse is introduced into the QIT to temporarilymore » increase the pressure and hence enhance the trapping efficiency of axially injected ions. After a brief pump-down delay, the compact ion cloud is subjected to the focused output from the continuous wave OPO. In a recent study, we implemented this setup in the study of protonated tryptophan, TrpH{sup +}, as well as collision-induced dissociation products of this protonated amino acid [W. K. Mino, Jr., K. Gulyuz, D. Wang, C. N. Stedwell, and N. C. Polfer, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2, 299 (2011)]. Here, we give a more detailed account on the figures of merit of such IRMPD experiments. The appreciable photodissociation yields in these measurements demonstrate that IRMPD spectroscopy of covalently bound ions can be routinely carried out using benchtop OPO setups.« less

Characterization of carbonyl by-products during Uniblu-A ozonation by liquid chromatography/hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight/mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Amorisco, A; Locaputo, V; Mascolo, G

2011-07-15

The structural elucidation of carbonyl-containing by-products arising from Uniblu-OH ozonation has been investigated by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) employing a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The by-products were derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, allowing the formation of [M-H](-) ions of the derivatives in the electrospray source. Exact mass measurements of both the [M-H](-) ions and their product ions allowed the elemental formulae and related structures of ten by-products to be determined confidently. The main degradation pathway were decarboxylation followed by further oxidation. It is noteworthy that the experimental procedure employed allowed the identification of both nitrogen- and sulphur-containing carbonyl by-products during Uniblu-OH ozonation. This result is of environmental relevance for monitoring the balance of organic nitrogen and sulphur during the ozonation of organic pollutants. These atoms, in fact, do not undergo complete mineralization. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Data acquisition techniques for exploiting the uniqueness of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer: Application to sampling pulsed gas systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lincoln, K. A.

1980-01-01

Mass spectra are produced in most mass spectrometers by sweeping some parameter within the instrument as the sampled gases flow into the ion source. It is evident that any fluctuation in the gas during the sweep (mass scan) of the instrument causes the output spectrum to be skewed in its mass peak intensities. The time of flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) with its fast, repetitive mode of operation produces spectra without skewing or varying instrument parameters and because all ion species are ejected from the ion source simultaneously, the spectra are inherently not skewed despite rapidly changing gas pressure or composition in the source. Methods of exploiting this feature by utilizing fast digital data acquisition systems, such as transient recorders and signal averagers which are commercially available are described. Applications of this technique are presented including TOFMS sampling of vapors produced by both pulsed and continuous laser heating of materials.

Ion Trap Array-Based Systems And Methods For Chemical Analysis

DOEpatents

Whitten, William B [Oak Ridge, TN; Ramsey, J Michael [Knoxville, TN

2005-08-23

An ion trap-based system for chemical analysis includes an ion trap array. The ion trap array includes a plurality of ion traps arranged in a 2-dimensional array for initially confining ions. Each of the ion traps comprise a central electrode having an aperture, a first and second insulator each having an aperture sandwiching the central electrode, and first and second end cap electrodes each having an aperture sandwiching the first and second insulator. A structure for simultaneously directing a plurality of different species of ions out from the ion traps is provided. A spectrometer including a detector receives and identifies the ions. The trap array can be used with spectrometers including time-of-flight mass spectrometers and ion mobility spectrometers.

Investigation on the Characteristics of Pellet Ablation in a Toroidal Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, K. N.; Sakakita, H.; Fujita, H.

2003-06-01

Characteristics of a cloud ablated from an ice pellet has been investigated in detail in the JIPP T-IIU tokamak plasma by utilizing a new scheme of pellet injection system, "the injection-angle controllable system". A long "helical tail" of ablation light has been observed using CCD cameras and a high speed framing photograph in the case of on-axis and off-axis injection with the injection angle smaller than a certain value. The direction of the helical tail is found to be independent to that of the total magnetic field lines of the torus. From the experiments with the combination of two toroildal filed directions and two plasma current directions, it is considered that the tail seems to rotate, in most cases, to the electron diamagnetic direction poloidally, and to the opposite to the plasma current direction toroidally. Consideration on various cross sections including charge exchange, ionization and elastic collisions leads us to the conclusion that the tail-shaped phenomena may come from the situation of charge exchange equilibrium of hydrogen ions and neutrals at extremely high density regime in the cloud. The relation of ablation behavior with plasma potential and rotation has also been studied. Potential measurements of pellet-injected plasmas using heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) method were carried out for the first time. In the case of an injection angle to be anti-parallel to the electron diamagnetic direction in the poloidal plane, the result shows that the direction of potential change is negative, and consequently the potential after the injection should be negative because it has been measured to be negative in usual ohmic plasmas without pellet injection. Thus, the direction of the "tail" structure seems to be consistent to that of the plasma potential measured, if it is considered that tail structure may be caused by the effect of the plasma potential and the rotation.

Near-threshold photoionization of hydrogenlike uranium studied in ion-atom collisions via the time-reversed process.

PubMed

Stöhlker, T; Ma, X; Ludziejewski, T; Beyer, H F; Bosch, F; Brinzanescu, O; Dunford, R W; Eichler, J; Hagmann, S; Ichihara, A; Kozhuharov, C; Krämer, A; Liesen, D; Mokler, P H; Stachura, Z; Swiat, P; Warczak, A

2001-02-05

Radiative electron capture, the time-reversed photoionization process occurring in ion-atom collisions, provides presently the only access to photoionization studies for very highly charged ions. By applying the deceleration mode of the ESR storage ring, we studied this process in low-energy collisions of bare uranium ions with low- Z target atoms. This technique allows us to extend the current information about photoionization to much lower energies than those accessible for neutral heavy elements in the direct reaction channel. The results prove that for high- Z systems, higher-order multipole contributions and magnetic corrections persist even at energies close to the threshold.

[Separation and identification of bovine lactoferricin by high performance liquid chromatography-matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight/ time of flight mass spectrometry].

PubMed

An, Meichen; Liu, Ning

2010-02-01

A high performance liquid chromatography-matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) method was developed for the separation and identification of bovine lactoferricin (LfcinB). Bovine lactoferrin was hydrolyzed by pepsin and then separated by ion exchange chromatography and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC). The antibacterial activities of the fractions from RP-LC separation were determined and the protein concentration of the fraction with the highest activity was measured, whose sequence was indentified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. The relative molecular mass of LfcinB was 3 124.89 and the protein concentration was 18.20 microg/mL. The method of producing LfcinB proposed in this study has fast speed, high accuracy and high resolution.

Ascorbic Acid-Assisted Eco-friendly Synthesis of NiCo2O4 Nanoparticles as an Anode Material for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karunakaran, Gopalu; Maduraiveeran, Govindhan; Kolesnikov, Evgeny; Balasingam, Suresh Kannan; Viktorovich, Lysov Dmitry; Ilinyh, Igor; Gorshenkov, Mikhail V.; Sasidharan, Manickam; Kuznetsov, Denis; Kundu, Manab

2018-05-01

We have synthesized NiCo2O4 nanoparticles (NCO NPs) using an ascorbic acid-assisted co-precipitation method for the first time. When NCO NPs are used as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the cell exhibits superior lithium storage properties, such as high capacity (700 mA h g-1 after 300 cycles at 200 mA g-1), excellent rate capabilities (applied current density range 100-1200 mA g-1), and impressive cycling stability (at 1200 mA g-1 up to 650 cycles). The enhanced electrochemical properties of NCO NPs are due to the nanometer dimensions which not only offers a smooth charge-transport pathway and short diffusion paths of the lithium ions but also adequate spaces for volume expansion during Li storage. Hence, this eco-friendly synthesis approach will provide a new strategy for the synthesis of various nanostructured metal oxide compounds, for energy conversion and storage systems applications.

Tribological characterization of TiCN coatings deposited by two crossed laser ablation plasma beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camps, Enrique; Escobar-Alarcón, L.; Camps, Iván; Muhl, Stephen; Flores, Martín

2013-03-01

The simultaneous laser ablation of two targets (graphite and titanium) in an Ar-N2 gas mixture was carried out to deposit thin films of the ternary compound TiCN at room temperature. The base conditions used to produce the TiN without carbon were taken from our previous studies. The experimental conditions for the ablation of the carbon target were varied so that the carbon content in the films could be changed depending on the carbon ion energy. The control of the experimental conditions was carried out using a Langmuir planar probe which permitted the determination of the mean kinetic ion energy. The maximum hardness value of 35 GPa, was obtained with a carbon ion energy of about 250 eV, which corresponds to a film with 5 at% carbon content. In order to perform tribological and scratch tests, two types of substrate were used: nitrided AISI 316 stainless steel and AISI 316 stainless steel previously coated with a thin titanium layer (˜50 nm). Values of the wear rate in the range of 1.39×10-6 to 7.45×10-5 mm3 N-1 m-1, friction coefficient from 0.21 to 0.28 and adhesion from scratch test measurements up to 80 N for final critical load, were obtained.

Resolving Structural Isomers of Monosaccharide Methyl Glycosides Using Drift Tube and Traveling Wave Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Li, Hongli; Giles, Kevin; Bendiak, Brad; Kaplan, Kimberly; Siems, William F.; Hill, Herbert H.

2013-01-01

Monosaccharide structural isomers including sixteen methyl-D-glycopyranosides and four methyl-N-acetylhexosamines were subjected to ion mobility measurements by electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry. Two ion mobility-MS systems were employed: atmospheric pressure drift tube ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry and a Synapt G2 HDMS system which incorporates a low pressure traveling wave ion mobility separator. All the compounds were investigated as [M+Na]+ ions in the positive mode. A majority of the monosaccharide structural isomers exhibited different mobility drift times in either system, depending on differences in their anomeric and stereochemical configurations. In general, drift time patterns (relative drift times of isomers) matched between the two instruments. Higher resolving power was observed using the atmospheric pressure drift tube. Collision cross section values of monosaccharide structural isomers were directly calculated from the atmospheric pressure ion mobility experiments and a collision cross section calibration curve was made for the traveling wave ion mobility instrument. Overall, it was demonstrated that ion mobility-mass spectrometry using either drift tube or traveling wave ion mobility is a valuable technique for resolving subtle variations in stereochemistry among the sodium adducts of monosaccharide methyl glycosides. PMID:22339760

Flower-like Na2O nanotip synthesis via femtosecond laser ablation of glass

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The current state-of-the-art in nanotip synthesis relies on techniques that utilize elaborate precursor chemicals, catalysts, or vacuum conditions, and any combination thereof. To realize their ultimate potential, synthesized nanotips require simpler fabrication techniques that allow for control over their final nano-morphology. We present a unique, dry, catalyst-free, and ambient condition method for creating densely clustered, flower-like, sodium oxide (Na2O) nanotips with controllable tip widths. Femtosecond laser ablation of a soda-lime glass substrate at a megahertz repetition rate, with nitrogen flow, was employed to generate nanotips with base and head widths as small as 100 and 20 nm respectively, and lengths as long as 10 μm. Control of the nanotip widths was demonstrated via laser dwell time with longer dwell times producing denser clusters of thinner nanotips. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis reveals that nanotip composition is Na2O. A new formation mechanism is proposed, involving an electrostatic effect between ionized nitrogen and polar Na2O. The synthesized nanotips may potentially be used in antibacterial and hydrogen storage applications. PMID:22809176

Monitoring of tissue ablation using time series of ultrasound RF data.

PubMed

Imani, Farhad; Wu, Mark Z; Lasso, Andras; Burdette, Everett C; Daoud, Mohammad; Fitchinger, Gabor; Abolmaesumi, Purang; Mousavi, Parvin

2011-01-01

This paper is the first report on the monitoring of tissue ablation using ultrasound RF echo time series. We calcuate frequency and time domain features of time series of RF echoes from stationary tissue and transducer, and correlate them with ablated and non-ablated tissue properties. We combine these features in a nonlinear classification framework and demonstrate up to 99% classification accuracy in distinguishing ablated and non-ablated regions of tissue, in areas as small as 12mm2 in size. We also demonstrate significant improvement of ablated tissue classification using RF time series compared to the conventional approach of using single RF scan lines. The results of this study suggest RF echo time series as a promising approach for monitoring ablation, and capturing the changes in the tissue microstructure as a result of heat-induced necrosis.

Power Reactant Storage Assembly (PRSA) (Space Shuttle). PRSA hydrogen and oxygen DVT tank refurbishment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Power Reactant Storage Assembly (PRSA) liquid hydrogen Development Verification Test (H2 DVT) tank assembly (Beech Aircraft Corporation P/N 15548-0116-1, S/N 07399000SHT0001) and liquid oxygen (O2) DVT tank assembly (Beech Aircraft Corporation P/N 15548-0115-1, S/N 07399000SXT0001) were refurbished by Ball Electro-Optics and Cryogenics Division to provide NASA JSC, Propulsion and Power Division, the capability of performing engineering tests. The refurbishments incorporated the latest flight configuration hardware and avionics changes necessary to make the tanks function like flight articles. This final report summarizes these refurbishment activities. Also included are up-to-date records of the pressure time and cycle histories.

Composition of inner-source heavy pickup ions at 1 AU: SOHO/CELIAS/CTOF observations. Implications for the production mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taut, A.; Berger, L.; Drews, C.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2015-04-01

Context. Pickup ions in the inner heliosphere mainly originate in two sources, one interstellar and one in the inner solar system. In contrast to the interstellar source that is comparatively well understood, the nature of the inner source has not been clearly identified. Former results obtained with the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer on-board the Ulysses spacecraft revealed that the composition of inner-source pickup ions is similar, but not equal, to the elemental solar-wind composition. These observations suffered from very low counting statistics of roughly one C+ count per day. Aims: Because the composition of inner-source pickup ions could lead to identifying their origin, we used data from the Charge-Time-Of-Flight sensor on-board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. It offers a large geometry factor that results in about 100 C+ counts per day combined with an excellent mass-per-charge resolution. These features enable a precise determination of the inner-source heavy pickup ion composition at 1 AU. To address the production mechanisms of inner-source pickup ions, we set up a toy model based on the production scenario involving the passage of solar-wind ions through thin dust grains to explain the observed deviations of the inner-source PUI and the elemental solar-wind composition. Methods: An in-flight calibration of the sensor allows identification of heavy pickup ions from pulse height analysis data by their mass-per-charge. A statistical analysis was performed to derive the inner-source heavy pickup ion relative abundances of N+, O+, Ne+, Mg+, Mg2+, and Si+ compared to C+. Results: Our results for the inner-source pickup ion composition are in good agreement with previous studies and confirm the deviations from the solar-wind composition. The large geometry factor of the Charge-Time-of-Flight sensor even allowed the abundance ratios of the two most prominent pickup ions, C+ and O+, to be investigated at varying solar-wind speeds. We found that the O+/C+ ratio increases systematically with higher solar-wind speeds. This observation is an unprecedented feature characterising the production of inner-source pickup ions. Comparing our observations to the toy model results, we find that both the deviation from the solar-wind composition and the solar-wind-speed dependent O+/C+ ratio can be explained.

Secondary ion mass spectra of gold super clusters up to 140000 Dalton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feld, H.; Leute, A.; Rading, D.; Benninghoven, A.; Schmid, G.

1990-03-01

The bombardment of a two-shell gold complex (Au55(PPh3)12Cl6) with 10 keV Xe+-ions results in the formation of secondary ion masses up to 140000 u. These are by far the largest secondary ions observed under primary particle bombardment. The detection and identification of these ions with a Time-Of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (TOF-SIMS) gives important information about the behavior of naked full-shell clusters. Au13 particles, generated from the Au55 cluster, serve as building blocks for a series of super-clusters up to (Au13)55. The results for keV-ion bombardment are compared to those for MeV-ion bombardment.

Campaign 1.7 Pu Aging. Development of Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy

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

Venhaus, Thomas J.

2015-09-09

The first application of Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) to an aged plutonium surface has resulted in a rich set of surface chemistry data, as well as some unexpected results. FY15 was highlighted by not only the first mapping of hydrogen-containing features within the metal, but also a prove-in series of experiments using the system’s Sieverts Reaction Cell. These experiments involved successfully heating the sample to ~450 oC for nearly 24 hours while the sample was dosed several times with hydrogen, followed by an in situ ToF-SIMS analysis. During this year, the data allowed for better and more consistentmore » identification of the myriad peaks that result from the SIMS sputter process. In collaboration with the AWE (U.K), the system was also fully aligned for sputter depth profiling for future experiments.« less

Method for the elucidation of the elemental composition of low molecular mass chemicals using exact masses of product ions and neutral losses: application to environmental chemicals measured by liquid chromatography with hybrid quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Suzuki, Shigeru; Ishii, Tetsuko; Yasuhara, Akio; Sakai, Shinichi

2005-01-01

A method for elucidating the elemental compositions of low molecular weight chemicals, based primarily on mass measurements made using liquid chromatography (LC) with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) and quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/QTOFMS), was developed and tested for 113 chemicals of environmental interest with molecular masses up to approximately 400 Da. As the algorithm incorporating the method is not affected by differences in the instrument used, or by the ionization method and other ionization conditions, the method is useful not only for LC/TOFMS, but also for all kinds of mass spectra measured with higher accuracy and precision (uncertainties of a few mDa) employing all ionization methods and on-line separation techniques. The method involves calculating candidate compositions for intact ionized molecules (ionized forms of the sample molecule that have lost or gained no more than a proton, i.e., [M+H](+) or [M-H](-)) as well as for fragment ions and corresponding neutral losses, and eliminating those atomic compositions for the molecules that are inconsistent with the corresponding candidate compositions of fragment ions and neutral losses. Candidate compositions were calculated for the measured masses of the intact ionized molecules and of the fragment ions and corresponding neutral losses, using mass uncertainties of 2 and 5 mDa, respectively. Compositions proposed for the ionized molecule that did not correspond to the sum of the compositions of a candidate fragment ion and its corresponding neutral loss were discarded. One, 2-5, 6-10, 11-20, and >20 candidate compositions were found for 65%, 39%, 1%, 1%, and 0%, respectively, for the 124 ionized molecules formed from the 113 chemicals tested (both positive and negative ions were obtained from 11 of the chemicals). However, no candidate composition was found for 2% of the test cases (i.e., 3 chemicals), for each of which the measured mass of one of the product ions was in error by 5-6.7 mDa.

Coincidence ion imaging with a fast frame camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Suk Kyoung; Cudry, Fadia; Lin, Yun Fei; Lingenfelter, Steven; Winney, Alexander H.; Fan, Lin; Li, Wen

2014-12-01

A new time- and position-sensitive particle detection system based on a fast frame CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductors) camera is developed for coincidence ion imaging. The system is composed of four major components: a conventional microchannel plate/phosphor screen ion imager, a fast frame CMOS camera, a single anode photomultiplier tube (PMT), and a high-speed digitizer. The system collects the positional information of ions from a fast frame camera through real-time centroiding while the arrival times are obtained from the timing signal of a PMT processed by a high-speed digitizer. Multi-hit capability is achieved by correlating the intensity of ion spots on each camera frame with the peak heights on the corresponding time-of-flight spectrum of a PMT. Efficient computer algorithms are developed to process camera frames and digitizer traces in real-time at 1 kHz laser repetition rate. We demonstrate the capability of this system by detecting a momentum-matched co-fragments pair (methyl and iodine cations) produced from strong field dissociative double ionization of methyl iodide.

Analysis of hopanes and steranes in single oil-bearing fluid inclusions using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS).

PubMed

Siljeström, S; Lausmaa, J; Sjövall, P; Broman, C; Thiel, V; Hode, T

2010-01-01

Steranes and hopanes are organic biomarkers used as indicators for the first appearance of eukaryotes and cyanobacteria on Earth. Oil-bearing fluid inclusions may provide a contamination-free source of Precambrian biomarkers, as the oil has been secluded from the environment since the formation of the inclusion. However, analysis of biomarkers in single oil-bearing fluid inclusions, which is often necessary due to the presence of different generations of inclusions, has not been possible due to the small size of most inclusions. Here, we have used time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to monitor in real time the opening of individual inclusions trapped in hydrothermal veins of fluorite and calcite and containing oil from Ordovician source rocks. Opening of the inclusions was performed by using a focused C(60)(+) ion beam and the in situ content was precisely analysed for C(27)-C(29) steranes and C(29)-C(32) hopanes using Bi(3)(+) as primary ions. The capacity to unambiguously detect these biomarkers in the picoliter amount of crude oil from a single, normal-sized (15-30 mum in diameter) inclusion makes the approach promising in the search of organic biomarkers for life's early evolution on Earth.

Simulated Reentry Heating by Torching

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, Gale A.

2008-01-01

The two first order reentry heating parameters are peak heating flux (W/cm2) and peak heat load (kJ/cm2). Peak heating flux (and deceleration, gs) is higher for a ballistic reentry and peak heat load is higher for a lifting reentry. Manned vehicle reentries are generally lifting reentries at nominal 1-5 gs so that personnel will not be crushed by high deceleration force. A few off-nominal manned reentries have experienced 8 or more gs with corresponding high heating flux (but below nominal heat load). The Shuttle Orbiter reentries provide about an order of magnitude difference in peak heating flux at mid-bottom (TPS tiles, approximately 6 W/cm2 or 5 BTU/ft2- sec) and leading edge (RCC, approximately 60 W/cm2 or 50 BTU/ft2- sec). Orion lunar return and Mars sample lander are of the same order of magnitude as orbiter leading edge peak heat loads. Flight temperature measurements are available for some orbiter TPS tile and RCC locations. Return-to-Flight on-orbit tile-repair-candidate-material-heating performance was evaluated by matching propane torch heating of candidate-materials temperatures at several depths to orbiter TPS tile flight-temperatures. Char and ash characteristics, heat expansion, and temperature histories at several depths of the cure-in-place ablator were some of the TPS repair material performance characteristics measured. The final char surface was above the initial surface for the primary candidate (silicone based) material, in contrast to a receded surface for the Apollo-type ablative heat shield material. Candidate TPS materials for Orion CEV (LEO and lunar return), and for Mars sample lander are now being evaluated. Torching of a candidate ablator material, PICA, was performed to match the ablation experienced by the STARDUST PICA heat shield. Torching showed that the carbon fiberform skeleton in a sample of PICA was inhomogeneous in that sample, and allowed measurements (of the clumps and voids) of the inhomogeneity. Additional reentry heating-performance characterizations of high temperature insulation materials were performed.

Measurement of the lifetime and the proportion of 12C3+ ions in stored relativistic ion beams as a preparation for laser cooling experiments at the CSRe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H. B.; Wen, W. Q.; Huang, Z. K.; Zhang, D. C.; Hai, B.; Zhu, X. L.; Zhao, D. M.; Yang, J.; Li, J.; Li, X. N.; Mao, L. J.; Mao, R. S.; Wu, J. X.; Yang, J. C.; Yuan, Y. J.; Eidam, L.; Winters, D.; Beck, T.; Kiefer, D.; Rein, B.; Walther, Th.; Loeser, M.; Schramm, U.; Siebold, M.; Bussmann, M.; Ma, X.

2017-10-01

We report on an experiment that was conducted in preparation of laser cooling experiments at the heavy-ion storage ring CSRe. The lifetimes of ion beams made up of 12C3+ and 16O4+ ions stored at an energy of 122 MeV/u in the CSRe were determined by two independent methods, firstly via a DC current transformer (DCCT) and secondly via a Schottky resonator. Using electron-cooling, the signals of the 12C3+ and 16O4+ ions could be separated and clearly observed in the Schottky spectrum. The obtained individual lifetimes of the 12C3+ and 16O4+ components were 23.6 s and 17.8 s, respectively. The proportion of 12C3+ ions in the stored ion beam was measured to be more than 70% at the beginning of the injection and increasing as a function of time. In addition to these measurements, the operation and remote control of a pulsed laser system placed directly next to the storage ring was tested in a setup similar to the one envisaged for future laser experiments.

Transport of carbon ion test particles and hydrogen recycling in the plasma of the Columbia tokamak HBT'' (High Beta Tokamak)

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

Wang, Jian-Hua.

Carbon impurity ion transport is studied in the Columbia High Beta Tokamak (HBT), using a carbon tipped probe which is inserted into the plasma (n{sub e} {approx} 1 {minus} 5 {times} 10{sup 14} (cm{sup {minus}3}), T{sub e} {approx} 4 {minus} 10 (eV), B{sub t} {approx} 0.2 {minus} 0.4(T)). Carbon impurity light, mainly the strong lines of C{sub II}(4267A, emitted by the C{sup +} ions) and C{sub III} (4647A, emitted by the C{sup ++} ions), is formed by the ablation or sputtering of plasma ions and by the discharge of the carbon probe itself. The diffusion transport of the carbon ionsmore » is modeled by measuring the space-and-time dependent spectral light emission of the carbon ions with a collimated optical beam and photomultiplier. The point of emission can be observed in such a way as to sample regions along and transverse to the toroidal magnetic field. The carbon ion diffusion coefficients are obtained by fitting the data to a diffusion transport model. It is found that the diffusion of the carbon ions is classical'' and is controlled by the high collisionality of the HBT plasma; the diffusion is a two-dimensional problem and the expected dependence on the charge of the impurity ion is observed. The measurement of the spatial distribution of the H{sub {alpha}} emissivity was obtained by inverting the light signals from a 4-channel polychromator, the data were used to calculate the minor-radial influx, the density, and the recycling time of neutral hydrogen atoms or molecules. The calculation shows that the particle recycling time {tau}{sub p} is comparable with the plasma energy confinement time {tau}{sub E}; therefore, the recycling of the hot plasma ions with the cold neutrals from the walls is one of the main mechanisms for loss of plasma energy.« less

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Interface for Detection of Extraterrestrial Organics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Southard, Adrian E.; Getty, Stephanie A.; Balvin, Manuel; Cook, Jamie E.; Espiritu, Ana Mellina; Kotecki, Carl; Towner, Deborah W.; Dworkin, J. P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Mahaffy, Paul R.;

Remote Recession Sensing of Ablative Heat Shield Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winter, Michael W.; Stackpoole, Margaret; Nawaz, Anuscheh; Gonzales, Gregory Lewis; Ho, Thanh

2014-01-01

Material recession and charring are two major processes determining the performance of ablative heat shield materials. Even in ground testing, the characterization of these two mechanisms relies on measurements of material thickness before and after testing, thus providing only information integrated over the test time. For recession measurements, optical methods such as imaging the sample surface during testing are under investigation but require high alignment and instrument effort, therefore being not established as a standard measurement method. For char depth measurements, the most common method so far consists in investigation of sectioned samples after testing or in the case of Stardust where core extractions were performed to determine char information. In flight, no reliable recession measurements are available, except total recession after recovering the heat shield on ground. Developments of mechanical recession sensors have been started but require substantial on board instrumentation adding mass and complexity. In this work, preliminary experiments to evaluate the feasibility of remote sensing of material recession and possibly char depth through optically observing the emission signatures of seeding materials in the post shock plasma is investigated. It is shown that this method can provide time resolved recession measurements without the necessity of accurate alignment procedures of the optical set-up and without any instrumentation on board of a spacecraft. Furthermore, recession data can be obtained without recovering flight hardware which would be a huge benefit for inexpensive heat shield material testing on board of small re-entry probes, e.g. on new micro-satellite re-entry probes as a possible future application of Cubesats or RBR

Application of ToF-SIMS to the study of surfactant removal from AuNbMCM-41 and AuMCM-41 materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grams, Jacek; Sobczak, Izabela

2010-01-01

This work is focused on the application of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) in investigation of the surfactant removal process from AuNbMCM-41 and AuMCM-41 catalysts (MCM-41 "Mobil Composition of Matter", ordered mesoporous materials discovered by Mobil R&D Corporation). The samples investigated were prepared by co-precipitation in the presence of a cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium chloride--CH3(CH2)15N(Cl)(CH3)3) and the incipient wetness impregnation methods. The results obtained showed that the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry appears to be a very useful tool for the investigation of the residual organic template on the surface of ordered mesoporous materials of MCM-41 type. It was demonstrated that the calcination of AuNbMCM-41 and AuMCM-41 catalysts at 550 °C caused a complete removal of the surfactant from the surface of the material investigated. Moreover, it was shown that the use of bismuth liquid metal ion gun in ToF-SIMS experiments permitted obtaining higher emission intensity (more than one order of magnitude when compared to the Ga+ primary ion source) of secondary ions originating from the surfactant molecules and may facilitate an interpretation of the results obtained.

Measurements of hydrogen gas stopping efficiency for tin ions from laser-produced plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abramenko, D. B.; Spiridonov, M. V.; Krainov, P. V.; Krivtsun, V. M.; Astakhov, D. I.; Medvedev, V. V.; van Kampen, M.; Smeets, D.; Koshelev, K. N.

2018-04-01

Experimental studies of stopping of ion fluxes from laser-produced plasma by a low-pressure gas atmosphere are presented. A modification of the time-of-flight spectroscopy technique is proposed for the stopping cross-sectional measurements in the ion energy range of 0.1-10 keV. The application of the proposed technique is demonstrated for Sn ion stopping by H2 gas. This combination of elements is of particular importance for the development of plasma-based sources of extreme ultraviolet radiation for lithographic applications.

Characterization of compounds by time-of-flight measurement utilizing random fast ions

DOEpatents

Conzemius, R.J.

1989-04-04

An apparatus is described for characterizing the mass of sample and daughter particles, comprising a source for providing sample ions; a fragmentation region wherein a fraction of the sample ions may fragment to produce daughter ion particles; an electrostatic field region held at a voltage level sufficient to effect ion-neutral separation and ion-ion separation of fragments from the same sample ion and to separate ions of different kinetic energy; a detector system for measuring the relative arrival times of particles; and processing means operatively connected to the detector system to receive and store the relative arrival times and operable to compare the arrival times with times detected at the detector when the electrostatic field region is held at a different voltage level and to thereafter characterize the particles. Sample and daughter particles are characterized with respect to mass and other characteristics by detecting at a particle detector the relative time of arrival for fragments of a sample ion at two different electrostatic voltage levels. The two sets of particle arrival times are used in conjunction with the known altered voltage levels to mathematically characterize the sample and daughter fragments. In an alternative embodiment the present invention may be used as a detector for a conventional mass spectrometer. In this embodiment, conventional mass spectrometry analysis is enhanced due to further mass resolving of the detected ions. 8 figs.

Characterization of compounds by time-of-flight measurement utilizing random fast ions

DOEpatents

Conzemius, Robert J.

1989-01-01

An apparatus for characterizing the mass of sample and daughter particles, comprising a source for providing sample ions; a fragmentation region wherein a fraction of the sample ions may fragment to produce daughter ion particles; an electrostatic field region held at a voltage level sufficient to effect ion-neutral separation and ion-ion separation of fragments from the same sample ion and to separate ions of different kinetic energy; a detector system for measuring the relative arrival times of particles; and processing means operatively connected to the detector system to receive and store the relative arrival times and operable to compare the arrival times with times detected at the detector when the electrostatic field region is held at a different voltage level and to thereafter characterize the particles. Sample and daughter particles are characterized with respect to mass and other characteristics by detecting at a particle detector the relative time of arrival for fragments of a sample ion at two different electrostatic voltage levels. The two sets of particle arrival times are used in conjunction with the known altered voltage levels to mathematically characterize the sample and daughter fragments. In an alternative embodiment the present invention may be used as a detector for a conventional mass spectrometer. In this embodiment, conventional mass spectrometry analysis is enhanced due to further mass resolving of the detected ions.

Dense Plasma Focus - From Alternative Fusion Source to Versatile High Energy Density Plasma Source for Plasma Nanotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawat, R. S.

2015-03-01

The dense plasma focus (DPF), a coaxial plasma gun, utilizes pulsed high current electrical discharge to heat and compress the plasma to very high density and temperature with energy densities in the range of 1-10 × 1010 J/m3. The DPF device has always been in the company of several alternative magnetic fusion devices as it produces intense fusion neutrons. Several experiments conducted on many different DPF devices ranging over several order of storage energy have demonstrated that at higher storage energy the neutron production does not follow I4 scaling laws and deteriorate significantly raising concern about the device's capability and relevance for fusion energy. On the other hand, the high energy density pinch plasma in DPF device makes it a multiple radiation source of ions, electron, soft and hard x-rays, and neutrons, making it useful for several applications in many different fields such as lithography, radiography, imaging, activation analysis, radioisotopes production etc. Being a source of hot dense plasma, strong shockwave, intense energetic beams and radiation, etc, the DPF device, additionally, shows tremendous potential for applications in plasma nanoscience and plasma nanotechnology. In the present paper, the key features of plasma focus device are critically discussed to understand the novelties and opportunities that this device offers in processing and synthesis of nanophase materials using, both, the top-down and bottom-up approach. The results of recent key experimental investigations performed on (i) the processing and modification of bulk target substrates for phase change, surface reconstruction and nanostructurization, (ii) the nanostructurization of PLD grown magnetic thin films, and (iii) direct synthesis of nanostructured (nanowire, nanosheets and nanoflowers) materials using anode target material ablation, ablated plasma and background reactive gas based synthesis and purely gas phase synthesis of various different types of nanostructured materials using DPF device will discussed to establish this device as versatile tool for plasma nanotechnology.

Analysis of the neutron time-of-flight spectra from inertial confinement fusion experiments

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

Hatarik, R., E-mail: hatarik1@llnl.gov; Sayre, D. B.; Caggiano, J. A.

2015-11-14

Neutron time-of-flight diagnostics have long been used to characterize the neutron spectrum produced by inertial confinement fusion experiments. The primary diagnostic goals are to extract the d + t → n + α (DT) and d + d → n + {sup 3}He (DD) neutron yields and peak widths, and the amount DT scattering relative to its unscattered yield, also known as the down-scatter ratio (DSR). These quantities are used to infer yield weighted plasma conditions, such as ion temperature (T{sub ion}) and cold fuel areal density. We report on novel methodologies used to determine neutron yield, apparent T{sub ion}, and DSR. These methods invoke a single temperature,more » static fluid model to describe the neutron peaks from DD and DT reactions and a spline description of the DT spectrum to determine the DSR. Both measurements are performed using a forward modeling technique that includes corrections for line-of-sight attenuation and impulse response of the detection system. These methods produce typical uncertainties for DT T{sub ion} of 250 eV, 7% for DSR, and 9% for the DT neutron yield. For the DD values, the uncertainties are 290 eV for T{sub ion} and 10% for the neutron yield.« less