Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions treatment of an Ar/O2 magnetron discharge used for the reactive sputter deposition of TiOx films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bultinck, E.; Bogaerts, A.

2009-10-01

The physical processes in an Ar/O2 magnetron discharge used for the reactive sputter deposition of TiOx thin films were simulated with a 2d3v particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions (PIC/MCC) model. The plasma species taken into account are electrons, Ar+ ions, fast Arf atoms, metastable Arm* atoms, Ti+ ions, Ti atoms, O+ ions, O2+ ions, O- ions and O atoms. This model accounts for plasma-target interactions, such as secondary electron emission and target sputtering, and the effects of target poisoning. Furthermore, the deposition process is described by an analytical surface model. The influence of the O2/Ar gas ratio on the plasma potential and on the species densities and fluxes is investigated. Among others, it is shown that a higher O2 pressure causes the region of positive plasma potential and the O- density to be more spread, and the latter to decrease. On the other hand, the deposition rates of Ti and O are not much affected by the O2/Ar proportion. Indeed, the predicted stoichiometry of the deposited TiOx film approaches x=2 for nearly all the investigated O2/Ar proportions.

Study electron transport coefficients for Ar, O2 and their mixtures by using EEDF program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majeed, D. S. Abdul; Hussein, B. J.; Jassim, M. K.

2018-05-01

We calculated the electron transport coefficient in Ar, O2 and their mixtures for ratio of E/N where E denotes the electric field and N the density of gas atoms from 5 – 600 Td 1Td = 10-17 V.cm2. The result and parameters mean energy mobility drift velocity and others are calculated by solving Boltzmann equation. We study these gases because of its importance in thermal plasma such as shielding gas for arc welding of metals and alloys. These results are useful to find best gas mixtures to reach appropriate transport parameter and to derive the same relevant cross section data.

A comparative study on the frequency effects of the electrical characteristics of the pulsed dielectric barrier discharge in He/O{sub 2} and in Ar/O{sub 2} at atmospheric pressure

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

Pan, Guangsheng; Tan, Zhenyu, E-mail: tzy@sdu.edu.cn; Pan, Jie

In this work, a comparative study on the frequency effects of the electrical characteristics of the pulsed dielectric barrier discharges in He/O{sub 2} and in Ar/O{sub 2} at atmospheric pressure has been performed by means of the numerical simulation based on a 1-D fluid model at frequencies below 100 kHz. The frequency dependences of the characteristic quantities of the discharges in the two gases have been systematically calculated and analyzed under the oxygen concentrations below 2%. The characteristic quantities include the discharge current density, the averaged electron density, the electric field, and the averaged electron temperature. Especially, the frequency effects onmore » the averaged particle densities of the reactive species have also been calculated. This work gives the following significant results. For the two gases, there are two bipolar discharges in one period of applied voltage pulse under the considered frequency range and oxygen concentrations, as occurred in the pure noble gases. The frequency affects the two discharges in He/O{sub 2}, but in Ar/O{sub 2}, it induces a strong effect only on the first discharge. For the first discharge in each gas, there is a characteristic frequency at which the characteristic quantities reach their respective minimum, and this frequency appears earlier for Ar/O{sub 2}. For the second discharge in Ar/O{sub 2}, the averaged electron density presents a slight variation with the frequency. In addition, the discharge in Ar/O{sub 2} is strong and the averaged electron temperature is low, compared to those in He/O{sub 2.} The total averaged particle density of the reactive species in Ar/O{sub 2} is larger than those in He/O{sub 2} by about one order of magnitude.« less

Improved mechanical performance of PBO fiber-reinforced bismaleimide composite using mixed O2/Ar plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dong; Chen, Ping; Yu, Qi; Ma, Keming; Ding, Zhenfeng

2014-06-01

The mixed O2/Ar plasma was employed to enhance mechanical properties of the PBO/bismaleimide composite. The interlaminar shear strength was improved to 61.6 MPa or by 38.1%, but the composite brittleness increased. The plasma gas compositions exhibited notable effects on the interfacial adhesion strength. XPS results suggested that the mixed plasma presented higher activation effects on the surface chemical compositions than pure gas plasmas and a larger number of oxygen atoms and hydrophilic groups were introduced on the fiber surface due to the synergy effect, but the synergy effect was considerably performed only within the O2 percentage range of 40-60%. The fibers surface was increasingly etched with growing the O2 contents in the plasma, deteriorating the fibers tensile strength. SEM micrographs demonstrated that the composite shear fracture changed from debonding to cohesive failure in the matrices, and the improving mechanisms were discussed.

Interface properties of SiO2/GaN structures formed by chemical vapor deposition with remote oxygen plasma mixed with Ar or He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truyen, Nguyen Xuan; Taoka, Noriyuki; Ohta, Akio; Makihara, Katsunori; Yamada, Hisashi; Takahashi, Tokio; Ikeda, Mitsuhisa; Shimizu, Mitsuaki; Miyazaki, Seiichi

2018-06-01

The impacts of noble gas species (Ar and He) on the formation of a SiO2/GaN structure formed by a remote oxygen plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (ROPE-CVD) method were systematically investigated. Atomic force microscopy revealed that ROPE-CVD with He leads to a smooth SiO2 surface compared with the case of Ar. We found that no obvious oxidations of the GaN surfaces after the SiO2 depositions with the both Ar and He cases were observed. The capacitance–voltage (C–V) curves of the GaN MOS capacitors formed by ROPE-CVD with the Ar and He dilutions show good interface properties with no hysteresis and good agreement with the ideal C–V curves even after post deposition annealing at 800 °C. Besides, we found that the current density–oxide electric field characteristics shows a gate leakage current for the Ar case lower than the He case.

Preoptimised VB: a fast method for the ground and excited states of ionic clusters II. Delocalised preoptimisation for He 2+, Ar 2+, He 3+ and Ar 3+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archirel, Pierre

1997-09-01

We generalise the preoptimisation of orbitals within VB (Part I of this series) through letting the orbitals delocalise on the neighbouring fragments. The method is more accurate than the local preoptimisation. The method is tested on the rare gas clusters He 2+, Ar 2+, He 3+ and Ar 3+. The results are in good agreement with previously published data on these systems. We complete these data with higher excited states. The binding energies of (ArCO) +, (ArN 2) + and N 4+ are revisited. The simulation of the SCF method is extended to Cu +H 2O.

Parametric computational study of sheaths in multicomponent Ar/O2 plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hromadka, J.; Ibehej, T.; Hrach, R.

2018-02-01

Our study is devoted to sheath structures emerging in Ar/O2 plasma. By means of two dimensional PIC/MCC computer model two configurations were investigated - sheath structure in the vicinity of a cylindrical Langmuir probe for two different biases and changes of the sheath structure when a cylindrical probe passes into a semi-planar probe. It was shown that O+ ions play important role in shielding out negative bias of a solid immersed in Ar/O2 plasma and edge effects of a semi-planar probe on its sheath structure were evaluated.

Method for measuring changes in the atmospheric O2/N2 ratio by a gas chromatograph equipped with a thermal conductivity detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tohjima, Yasunori

2000-06-01

We present a method for measuring changes in the atmospheric O2/N2 ratio based on data from a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). In this method, O2 and N2 in an air sample are separated on a column filled with molecular sieve 5A with H2 carrier gas. Since the separated O2 includes Ar, which has a retention time similar to that of O2, the (O2+Ar)/N2 ratio is actually measured. The change in the measured (O2+Ar)/N2 ratio can be easily converted to that in the O2/N2 ratio with a very small error based on the fact that the atmospheric Ar/N2 ratio is almost constant. The improvements to achieve the high-precision measurement include stabilization of the pressure at the GC column head and at the outlets of the TCD and the sample loop. Additionally, the precision is improved statistically by repeating alternate analyses of sample and a reference gas. The standard deviation of the replicate cycles of reference and sample analyses is about 18 per meg (corresponding to 3.8 parts per million (ppm) O2 in air). This means that the standard error is about 7 per meg (1.5 ppm O2 in air) for seven cycles of alternate analyses, which takes about 70 min. The response of this method is likely to have a 2% nonlinearity. Ambient air samples are collected under pressure in glass flasks equipped with two stopcocks sealed by Viton O-rings at both ends. Pressure depletion in the flask during the O2/N2 measurement does not cause any detectable change in the O2/N2 ratio, but the O2/N2 ratio in the flask was found to gradually decrease during the storage period. We also present preliminary results from air samples collected at Hateruma Island (latitude 24°03'N, longitude 123°49') from July 1997 through March 1999. The observed O2/N2 ratios clearly show a seasonal variation, increasing in spring and summer and decreasing in autumn and winter.

Study of the physical discharge properties of a Ar/O2 DC plasma jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkhordari, A.; Ganjovi, A.; Mirzaei, I.; Falahat, A.

2018-03-01

In this paper, the physical properties of plasma discharge in a manufactured DC plasma jet operating with the Ar/O2 gaseous mixture are studied. Moreover, the optical emission spectroscopy technique is used to perform the experimental measurements. The obtained emission spectra are analyzed and, the plasma density, rotational, vibrational and electronic temperature are calculated. The NO emission lines from {NO }γ( A2 Σ^{+} \\to {X}2 Πr ) electronic transition are observed. It is seen that, at the higher argon contributions in Ar/O2 gaseous mixture, the emission intensities from argon ions will increase. Moreover, while the vibrational and excitation temperatures are increased at the higher input DC currents, they will decrease at the higher Ar percentages in the Ar/O2 gaseous mixture. Furthermore, at the higher DC currents and Ar contributions, both the plasma electron density and dissociation fraction of oxygen atoms are increased.

O2(a1Δ) quenching in O/O2/O3/CO2/He/Ar mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azyazov, V. N.; Mikheyev, P. A.; Postell, D.; Heaven, M. C.

2010-02-01

The development of discharge singlet oxygen generators (DSOG's) that can operate at high pressures is required for the power scaling of the discharge oxygen iodine laser. In order to achieve efficient high-pressure DSOG operation it is important to understand the mechanisms by which singlet oxygen (O2(a1Δ)) is quenched in these devices. It has been proposed that three-body deactivation processes of the type O2(a1Δ))+O+M-->2O2+M provide significant energy loss channels. To further explore these reactions the physical and reactive quenching of O2(a1Δ)) in O(3P)/O2/O3/CO2/He/Ar mixtures has been investigated. Oxygen atoms and singlet oxygen molecules were produced by the 248 nm laser photolysis of ozone. The kinetics of O2(a1Δ)) quenching were followed by observing the 1268 nm fluorescence of the O2 a1Δ-X3Ε transition. Fast quenching of O2(a1Δ)) in the presence of oxygen atoms and molecules was observed. The mechanism of the process has been examined using kinetic models, which indicate that quenching by vibrationally excited ozone is the dominant reaction.

Ar + CO2 and He + CO2 Plasmas in ASTRAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boivin, R. F.; Gardner, A.; Munoz, J.; Kamar, O.; Loch, S.

2007-11-01

Spectroscopy study of the ASTRAL helicon plasma source running Ar + CO2 and He + CO2 gas mixes is presented. ASTRAL produces plasmas with the following parameters: ne = 10^10 - 10^13 cm-3, Te = 2 - 10 eV and Ti = 0.03 - 0.5 eV, B-field <= 1.3 kGauss, rf power <= 2 kWatt. A 0.33 m scanning monochromator is used for this study. Using Ar + CO2 gas mixes, very different plasmas are observed as the concentration of CO2 is changed. At low CO2 concentration, the bluish plasma is essentially atomic and argon transitions dominate the spectra. Weak C I and O I lines are present in the 750 - 1000 nm range. At higher CO2 concentration, the plasma becomes essentially molecular and is characterized by intense, white plasma columns. Here, spectra are filled with molecular bands (CO2, CO2^+, CO and CO^+). Limited molecular dissociative excitation processes associated with the production of C I and O I emission are also observed. On the other hand, He + CO2 plasmas are different. Here, rf matches are only possible at low CO2 concentration. Under these conditions, the spectra are characterized by strong C I and O I transitions with little or no molecular bands. Strong dissociative processes observed in these plasmas can be link to the high Te associated with He plasmas. An analysis of the spectra with possible scientific and industrial applications will be presented.

Infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of H(+)(H2O)6·M(m) (M = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H2, N2, and CH4): messenger-dependent balance between H3O(+) and H5O2(+) core isomers.

PubMed

Mizuse, Kenta; Fujii, Asuka

2011-04-21

Although messenger mediated spectroscopy is a widely-used technique to study gas phase ionic species, effects of messengers themselves are not necessarily clear. In this study, we report infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of H(+)(H(2)O)(6)·M(m) (M = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H(2), N(2), and CH(4)) in the OH stretch region to investigate messenger(M)-dependent cluster structures of the H(+)(H(2)O)(6) moiety. The H(+)(H(2)O)(6), the protonated water hexamer, is the smallest system in which both the H(3)O(+) (Eigen) and H(5)O(2)(+) (Zundel) hydrated proton motifs coexist. All the spectra show narrower band widths reflecting reduced internal energy (lower vibrational temperature) in comparison with bare H(+)(H(2)O)(6). The Xe-, CH(4)-, and N(2)-mediated spectra show additional band features due to the relatively strong perturbation of the messenger. The observed band patterns in the Ar-, Kr-, Xe-, N(2)-, and CH(4)-mediated spectra are attributed mainly to the "Zundel" type isomer, which is more stable. On the other hand, the Ne- and H(2)-mediated spectra are accounted for by a mixture of the "Eigen" and "Zundel" types, like that of bare H(+)(H(2)O)(6). These results suggest that a messenger sometimes imposes unexpected isomer-selectivity even though it has been thought to be inert. Plausible origins of the isomer-selectivity are also discussed.

Selective Encaging of N2O in N2O-N2 Binary Gas Hydrates via Hydrate-Based Gas Separation.

PubMed

Yang, Youjeong; Shin, Donghoon; Choi, Seunghyun; Woo, Yesol; Lee, Jong-Won; Kim, Dongseon; Shin, Hee-Young; Cha, Minjun; Yoon, Ji-Ho

2017-03-21

The crystal structure and guest inclusion behaviors of nitrous oxide-nitrogen (N 2 O-N 2 ) binary gas hydrates formed from N 2 O/N 2 gas mixtures are determined through spectroscopic analysis. Powder X-ray diffraction results indicate that the crystal structure of all the N 2 O-N 2 binary gas hydrates is identified as the structure I (sI) hydrate. Raman spectra for the N 2 O-N 2 binary gas hydrate formed from N 2 O/N 2 (80/20, 60/40, 40/60 mol %) gas mixtures reveal that N 2 O molecules occupy both large and small cages of the sI hydrate. In contrast, there is a single Raman band of N 2 O molecules for the N 2 O-N 2 binary gas hydrate formed from the N 2 O/N 2 (20/80 mol %) gas mixture, indicating that N 2 O molecules are trapped in only large cages of the sI hydrate. From temperature-dependent Raman spectra and the Predictive Soave-Redlich-Kwong (PSRK) model calculation, we confirm the self-preservation of N 2 O-N 2 binary gas hydrates in the temperature range of 210-270 K. Both the experimental measurements and the PSRK model calculations demonstrate the preferential occupation of N 2 O molecules rather than N 2 molecules in the hydrate cages, leading to a possible process for separating N 2 O from gas mixtures via hydrate formation. The phase equilibrium conditions, pseudo-pressure-composition (P-x) diagram, and gas storage capacity of N 2 O-N 2 binary gas hydrates are discussed in detail.

Photo-detachment of negative ions in Ar-CO2 dc discharge employing Langmuir probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez, Jannet; Yousif, Farook Bashir; Fuentes, Beatriz E.; Vázquez, Federico; Rivera, Marco; López-Patiño, J.; Figueroa, Aldo; Martínez, Horacio

2018-05-01

The electronegativity of the A r - C O 2 gas mixture was investigated, and the total relative negative oxygen ion density O2- + O- in the bulk of a dc discharge has been determined employing Langmuir probe assisted laser photo-detachment. The relative electron density and absolute temperature were obtained for the mixture at discharge powers between 200 and 3000 mW and pressures between 0.2 and 0.6 mbar, employing the collisional radiative model for several Ar gas mixtures. The absolute metastable number density for 1s3 and 1s5 levels was measured, and both showed an increasing trend as a function of pressure and power. The absolute number density of the 1s5 level was found to be higher than that of the 1s3 level. Electronegativity was found to decrease as a function of power and as a function of the increasing Ar percentage in the gas mixture.

Comparison of surface vacuum ultraviolet emissions with resonance level number densities. II. Rare-gas plasmas and Ar-molecular gas mixtures

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

Boffard, John B., E-mail: jboffard@wisc.edu; Lin, Chun C.; Wang, Shicong

2015-03-15

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) emissions from excited plasma species can play a variety of roles in processing plasmas, including damaging the surface properties of materials used in semiconductor processing. Depending on their wavelength, VUV photons can easily transmit thin upper dielectric layers and affect the electrical characteristics of the devices. Despite their importance, measuring VUV fluxes is complicated by the fact that few materials transmit at VUV wavelengths, and both detectors and windows are easily damaged by plasma exposure. The authors have previously reported on measuring VUV fluxes in pure argon plasmas by monitoring the concentrations of Ar(3p{sup 5}4s) resonance atomsmore » that produce the VUV emissions using noninvasive optical emission spectroscopy in the visible/near-infrared wavelength range [Boffard et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 32, 021304 (2014)]. Here, the authors extend this technique to other rare-gases (Ne, Kr, and Xe) and argon-molecular gas plasmas (Ar/H{sub 2}, Ar/O{sub 2}, and Ar/N{sub 2}). Results of a model for VUV emissions that couples radiation trapping and the measured rare-gas resonance level densities are compared to measurements made with both a calibrated VUV photodiode and a sodium salicylate fluorescence detection scheme. In these more complicated gas mixtures, VUV emissions from a variety of sources beyond the principal resonance levels of the rare gases are found to contribute to the total VUV flux.« less

Inerting of magnesium dust cloud with Ar, N2 and CO2.

PubMed

Li, G; Yuan, C M; Fu, Y; Zhong, Y P; Chen, B Z

2009-10-15

Experiments were conducted on the inerting of magnesium dust with N(2), CO(2), and Ar. Comparing the maximum explosion pressure, maximum rate of pressure rise, and limiting oxygen concentration with different inertants, it was determined that Ar is not the best inert gas under all conditions as commonly believed. N(2) was more effective than Ar as an inertant. CO(2) provided more inerting effect than either Ar and N(2) in low magnesium dust concentrations, although explosibility was increased at higher dust concentrations. Both N(2) and CO(2) as inerting agents showed higher LOC values than Ar. These results indicated that N(2) is a more economical inerting gas than Ar for the tested coarse magnesium dust.

Effective potentials for H2O-He and H2O-Ar systems. Isotropic induction-dispersion potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starikov, Vitali I.; Petrova, Tatiana M.; Solodov, Alexander M.; Solodov, Alexander A.; Deichuli, Vladimir M.

2017-05-01

The vibrational and rotational dependence of the effective isotropic interaction potential of H2O-He and H2O-Ar systems, taken in the form of Lennard-Jones 6-12 potential has been analyzed. The analysis is based on the experimental line broadening (γ) and line shift (δ) coefficients obtained for different vibrational bands of H2O molecule perturbed by He and Ar. The first and second derivatives of the function C(1)(q) for the long-range part of the induction-dispersion potential with respect to the dimensionless normal coordinates q were calculated using literature information for the dipole moment and mean polarizability functions μ(q) and α(q), respectively. These derivatives have been used in the calculations of the quantities which determine the vibrational and rotational dependence of the long-range part of the effective isotropic potential. The optimal set of the derivatives for the function C(1)(q) is proposed. The comparison with the experimental data has been performed.

Vibrational and rotational energy transfers involving the CH B 2Σ- v=1 vibrational level in collisions with Ar, CO, and N2O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hong-Yi; Tsai, Ming-Tsang; Lin, King-Chuen

2006-04-01

With photolysis-probe technique, we have studied vibrational and rotational energy transfers of CH involving the B Σ-2 (v =1, 0⩽N⩽6, F) state by collisions with Ar, CO, and N2O. For the vibrational energy transfer (VET) measurements, the time-resolved fluorescence of the B-X(0,0) band is monitored following the (1,0) band excitation. For the rotational energy transfer (RET) measurements, the laser-induced fluorescence of the initially populated state is dispersed using a step-scan Fourier transform spectrometer. The time-resolved spectra obtained in the nanosecond regime may yield the RET information under a single pressure of the collider. The rate constants of intramolecular energy transfers are evaluated with simulation of kinetic models. The VET lies in the range of 4×10-12to4×10-11cm3molecule-1s-1, with efficiency following the order of Ar 2O, reflecting the average over Boltzmann rotational distribution. The RET rates are more rapid by one to two orders of magnitude, comparable to the gas kinetic, with the trend of Ar 2O. The transfer rates decrease with increasing N and ΔN, proceeding via the ΔN =-1 transitions slightly larger than ΔN =+1. With the fine-structure labels resolved up to N =6, the fine-structure-conserving collisions prevail increasingly with increasing N in ΔN ≠0. The rate constants for the F2→F1 transitions are larger than the reverse F1→F2 transitions in ΔN =0 for the Ar and CO collisions. The trend of fine-structure conservation is along the order of N2O. For the CH-Ar collisions, the fine-structure conservation is less pronounced as compared with the v =0 level reported previously. In general, the propensity rules obeyed in the v =0 collision with Ar are valid in v =1, but the latter case shows a weaker tendency. It might be caused by the anisotropy difference of interaction potential when vibrational excitation is considered. For the polyatomic collider, the strong long-range dipole-dipole interaction

Spectroscopy Study of Ar + CO2 Plasmas in ASTRAL.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munoz, Jorge; Boivin, Robert; Kamar, Ola; Loch, Stuart; Ballance, Connor

2006-10-01

A spectroscopy study of the ASTRAL (Auburn Steady sTate Research fAciLity) helicon plasma source running Ar + CO2 gas mix is presented. ASTRAL produces Ar plasmas: ne = 10^10 to 10^13 cm-3, Te = 2 to 10 eV and Ti = 0.03 to 0.5 eV. A series of 7 large coils produce an axial magnetic field up to 1.3 kGauss. A fractional helix antenna is used to introduce rf power up to 2 kWatt. A spectrometer which features a 0.33 m Criss-Cross monochromator and a CCD camera is used for this study. Very different plasmas are produced following the relative importance of CO2 in the gas mixture. At low CO2 concentration, the plasmas are similar to those obtained with pure Ar with weak CO2, CO2^+, CO and CO^+ bands. The usual blue plasma core associated with intense Ar II transitions is observed with however a significant white glow coming from the outer plasma regions. At higher CO2 concentration, the plasma becomes essentially molecular and can be described as an intense white plasma column. Molecular dissociative processes associated with the production of strong C and O atomic lines are observed under specific plasma conditions. The atomic spectral lines are compared with ADAS modeling results. This study indicates the possible advantages of using a helicon source to control the CO2 plasma chemistry for industrial applications.

Atmospheric-pressure diffuse dielectric barrier discharges in Ar/O2 gas mixture using 200 kHz/13.56 MHz dual frequency excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Starostin, S. A.; Peeters, F. J. J.; van de Sanden, M. C. M.; de Vries, H. W.

2018-03-01

Atmospheric-pressure diffuse dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) were obtained in Ar/O2 gas mixture using dual-frequency (DF) excitation at 200 kHz low frequency (LF) and 13.56 MHz radio frequency (RF). The excitation dynamics and the plasma generation mechanism were studied by means of electrical characterization and phase resolved optical emission spectroscopy (PROES). The DF excitation results in a time-varying electric field which is determined by the total LF and RF gas voltage and the spatial ion distribution which only responds to the LF component. By tuning the amplitude ratio of the superimposed LF and RF signals, the effect of each frequency component on the DF discharge mechanism was analysed. The LF excitation results in a transient plasma with the formation of an electrode sheath and therefore a pronounced excitation near the substrate. The RF oscillation allows the electron trapping in the gas gap and helps to improve the plasma uniformity by contributing to the pre-ionization and by controlling the discharge development. The possibility of temporally modifying the electric field and thus the plasma generation mechanism in the DF discharge exhibits potential applications in plasma-assisted surface processing and plasma-assisted gas phase chemical conversion.

Measurements of Enthalpy of Sublimation of Ne, N2, O2, Ar, CO2, Kr, Xe, and H2O using a Double Paddle Oscillator.

PubMed

Shakeel, Hamza; Wei, Haoyan; Pomeroy, Joshua M

2018-03-01

We report precise experimental values of the enthalpy of sublimation (Δ H s ) of quenched condensed films of neon (Ne), nitrogen (N 2 ), oxygen (O 2 ), argon (Ar), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and water (H 2 O) vapor using a single consistent measurement platform. The experiments are performed well below the triple point temperature of each gas and fall in the temperature range where existing experimental data is very limited. A 6 cm 2 and 400 µm thick double paddle oscillator (DPO) with high quality factor (Q ≈ 4 × 10 5 at 298K) and high frequency stability (33 parts per billion) is utilized for the measurements. The enthalpies of sublimation are derived by measuring the rate of mass loss during temperature programmed desorption. The mass change is detected due to change in the resonance frequency of the self-tracking oscillator. Our measurements typically remain within 10% of the available literature, theory, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Web Thermo Tables ( WTT ) values, but are performed using an internally consistent method across different gases.

SiO(x) nanoparticles synthesized by an evaporation and condensation process using induction melting of silicon and gas injection.

PubMed

Jang, Bo Yun; Lee, Jin Seok; Kim, Joon Soo

2013-05-01

SiO(x) nanoparticles were synthesized using a specially designed induction melting system equipped with a segmented graphite crucible. The graphite crucible with the segmented wall was the key to enhancing the evaporation rate due to the increase of the evaporation area and convection of the silicon melt. Injection of the gas mixture of oxygen (O2) and argon (Ar) on silicon (Si) melt caused the formation of SiO(x) nanoparticles. The evaporated SiO(x) nanoparticles were then cooled and condensed in a process chamber. The effects of the O2/Ar ratio in the injection gas on the microstructures of the SiO(x) nanoparticles were then investigated. Synthesized SiO(x) nanoparticles were proven to be of a homogeneous amorphous phase with average diameters of 30-35 nm. The microstructures were independent from the O2/Ar ratio of the injected gas. However, x increased from 1.36 to 1.84 as the O2/Ar ratio increased. The purity of the synthesized nanoparticles was about 99.9%. SiO(x) nanoparticles could be applied as the active anode material in a lithium (Li) ion secondary battery.

Annual mean mixing ratios of N2, Ar, O2, and CO in the martian atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnopolsky, Vladimir A.

2017-09-01

The precise mixing ratios of N2, Ar, O2, and CO measured by the MSL Curiosity quadrupole mass spectrometer must be corrected for the seasonal variations of the atmospheric pressure to reproduce annual mean mixing ratios on Mars. The corrections are made using measurements for the first year of the Viking Landers 1 and 2 and the Mars Climate Database data. The mean correction factor is 0.899 ± 0.006 resulting in annual mean mixing ratios of (1.83 ± 0.03)% for N2, (1.86 ± 0.02)% for Ar, (1.56 ± 0.06) × 10-3 for O2, and 673 ± 2.6 ppm for CO. The O2 mixing ratio agrees with the Herschel value within its uncertainty, the ground-based observations corrected for the dust extinction, and photochemical models by Nair et al. (1994) and Krasnopolsky (2010). The CO mixing ratio is in excellent agreement with the MRO/CRISM value of 700 ppm and with 667, 693, and 684 ppm recently observed at LS = 60, 89, and 110° and corrected to the annual mean conditions. Lifetimes of N2 and Ar are very long in the martian atmosphere, and differences between the MSL and Viking data on these species cannot be attributed to their variations.

Annual mean mixing ratios of N2, Ar, O2, and CO in the martian atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnopolsky, V.

2017-09-01

The precise mixing ratios of N2, Ar, O2, and CO measured by the MSL Curiosity quadrupole mass spectrometer must be corrected for the seasonal variations of the atmospheric pressure to reproduce annual mean mixing ratios on Mars. The corrections are made using measurements the Viking Landers and the Mars Climate Database data. The mean correction factor is 0.899 ± 0.006 resulting in annual mean mixing ratios of (1.83 ± 0.03)% for N2, (1.86 ± 0.02)% for Ar, (1.56 ± 0.06)×10-3 for O2, and 673 ± 2.6 ppm for CO. The O2 mixing ratio agrees with the Herschel value within its uncertainty, the ground-based observations corrected for the dust extinction, and photochemical models by Nair et al. (1994) and Krasnopolsky (2010). The CO mixing ratio is in excellent agreement with the MRO/CRISM value of 700 ppm and with 667, 693, and 684 ppm recently observed at LS = 60, 89, and 110° and corrected to the annual mean conditions. Lifetimes of N2 and Ar are very long in the martian atmosphere, and differences between the MSL and Viking data on these species cannot be attributed to their variations.

An ionization region model of the reactive Ar/O2 high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudmundsson, J. T.; Lundin, D.; Brenning, N.; Raadu, M. A.; Huo, Chunqing; Minea, T. M.

2016-12-01

A new reactive ionization region model (R-IRM) is developed to describe the reactive Ar/O2 high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge with a titanium target. It is then applied to study the temporal behavior of the discharge plasma parameters such as electron density, the neutral and ion composition, the ionization fraction of the sputtered vapor, the oxygen dissociation fraction, and the composition of the discharge current. We study and compare the discharge properties when the discharge is operated in the two well established operating modes, the metal mode and the poisoned mode. Experimentally, it is found that in the metal mode the discharge current waveform displays a typical non-reactive evolution, while in the poisoned mode the discharge current waveform becomes distinctly triangular and the current increases significantly. Using the R-IRM we explore the current increase and find that when the discharge is operated in the metal mode Ar+ and Ti+ -ions contribute most significantly (roughly equal amounts) to the discharge current while in the poisoned mode the Ar+ -ions contribute most significantly to the discharge current and the contribution of O+ -ions, Ti+ -ions, and secondary electron emission is much smaller. Furthermore, we find that recycling of atoms coming from the target, that are subsequently ionized, is required for the current generation in both modes of operation. From the R-IRM results it is found that in the metal mode self-sputter recycling dominates and in the poisoned mode working gas recycling dominates. We also show that working gas recycling can lead to very high discharge currents but never to a runaway. It is concluded that the dominating type of recycling determines the discharge current waveform.

Thermochromic VO2 Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering Using V2O3 or V2O5 Targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shigesato, Yuzo; Enomoto, Mikiko; Odaka, Hidehumi

2000-10-01

Thermochromic monoclinic-tetragonal VO2 films were successfully deposited on glass substrates with high reproducibility by rf magnetron sputtering using V2O3 or V2O5 targets. In the case of reactive sputtering using a V-metal target, the VO2 films could be obtained only under the very narrow deposition conditions of the “transition region” where the deposition rate decreases drastically with increasing oxygen gas flow rate. In the case of a V2O3 target, polycrystalline VO2 films with a thickness of 400 to 500 nm were obtained by the introduction of oxygen gas [O2/(Ar+O2)=1--1.5%], whereas hydrogen gas [H2/(Ar+H2)=2.5--10%] was introduced in the case of a V2O5 target. Furthermore, the VO2 films were successfully grown heteroepitaxially on a single-crystal sapphire [α-Al2O3(001)] substrate, where the epitaxial relationship was confirmed to be VO2(010)[100]\\parallelAl2O3(001)[100], [010], [\\bar{1}\\bar{1}0] by an X-ray diffraction pole figure measurement. The resistivity ratio between semiconductor and metal phases for the heteroepitaxial VO2 films was much larger than the ratio of the polycrystalline films on glass substrates under the same deposition conditions.

Mass Spectrometric and Langmuir Probe Measurements in Inductively Coupled Plasmas in Ar, CHF3/Ar and CHF3/Ar/O2 Mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, J. S.; Rao, M. V. V. S.; Cappelli, M. A.; Sharma, S. P.; Meyyappan, M.; Arnold, Jim (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Absolute fluxes and energy distributions of ions in inductively coupled plasmas of Ar, CHF3/Ar, and CHF3/Ar/O2 have been measured. These plasmas were generated in a Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) cell modified for inductive coupling at pressures 10-50 mTorr and 100-300 W of 13.56 MHz radio frequency (RF) power in various feedgas mixtures. In pure Ar plasmas, the Ar(+) flux increases linearly with pressure as well as RF-power. Total ion flux in CHF3 mixtures decreases with increase in pressure and also CHF3 concentration. Relative ion fluxes observed in the present studies are analyzed with the help of available cross sections for electron impact ionization and charge-exchange ion-molecule reactions. Measurements of plasma potential, electron and ion number densities, electron energy distribution function, and mean electron energy have also been made in the center of the plasma with a RF compensated Langmuir probe. Plasma potential values are compared with the mean ion energies determined from the measured ion energy distributions and are consistent. Electron temperature, plasma potential, and mean ion energy vary inversely with pressure, but increase with CHF3 content in the mixture.

Structural and electrical properties of sputtering power and gas pressure on Ti-dope In2O3 transparent conductive films by RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaoumead, Accarat; Joo, Bong-Hyun; Kwak, Dong-Joo; Sung, Youl-Moon

2013-06-01

Transparent conductive titanium-doped indium oxide (ITiO) films were deposited on Corning glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method. The effects of RF sputtering power and Ar gas pressure on the structural and electrical properties of the films were investigated experimentally, using a 2.5 wt% TiO2-doped In2O3 target. The deposition rate was in the range of around 20-60 nm/min under the experimental conditions of 5-20 mTorr of gas pressure and 220-350 W of RF power. The lowest resistivity of 1.2 × 10-4 Ω cm, the average optical transmittance of 75%, the high hall mobility of 47.03 cm2/V s and the relatively low carrier concentration of 1.15E+21 cm-3 were obtained for the ITiO film, prepared at RF power of 300 W and Ar gas pressure of 15 mTorr. This resistivity of 1.2 × 10-4 Ω cm is low enough as a transparent conducting layer in various electro-optical devices and it is comparable with that of ITO or ZnO:Al conducting layer.

Gas Sensing Properties of ZnO-SnO2 Nanostructures.

PubMed

Chen, Weigen; Li, Qianzhu; Xu, Lingna; Zeng, Wen

2015-02-01

One-dimensional (1D) semiconductor metal oxide nanostructures have attracted increasing attention in electrochemistry, optics, magnetic, and gas sensing fields for the good properties. N-type low dimensional semiconducting oxides such as SnO2 and ZnO have been known for the detection of inflammable or toxic gases. In this paper, we fabricated the ZnO-SnO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles by hydrothermal synthesis. Microstructure characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface morphologies for both the pristine and doped samples were observed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Then we made thin film gas sensor to study the gas sensing properties of ZnO-SnO2 and SnO2 gas sensor to H2 and CO. A systematic comparison study reveals an enhanced gas sensing performance for the sensor made of SnO2 and ZnO toward H2 and CO over that of the commonly applied undecorated SnO2 nanoparticles. The improved gas sensing properties are attributed to the size of grains and pronounced electron transfer between the compound nanostructures and the absorbed oxygen species as well as to the heterojunctions of the ZnO nanoparticles to the SnO2 nanoparticles, which provide additional reaction rooms. The results represent an advance of compound nanostructures in further enhancing the functionality of gas sensors, and this facile method could be applicable to many sensing materials, offering a new avenue and direction to detect gases of interest based on composite tin oxide nanoparticles.

Infrared predissociation spectroscopy of M+ (C6H6)(1-4)(H2O)(1-2)Ar(0-1) cluster ions, M = Li, Na.

PubMed

Beck, Jordan P; Lisy, James M

2011-05-05

Infrared predissociation (IRPD) spectra of Li(+)(C(6)H(6))(1-4)(H(2)O)(1-2)Ar(0-1) and Na(+)(C(6)H(6))(2-4)(H(2)O)(1-2)Ar(1) are presented along with ab initio calculations. The results indicate that the global minimum energy structure for Li(+)(C(6)H(6))(2)(H(2)O)(2) has each water forming a π-hydrogen bond with the same benzene molecule. This bonding motif is preserved in Li(+)(C(6)H(6))(3-4)(H(2)O)(2)Ar(0-1) with the additional benzene ligands binding to the available free OH groups. Argon tagging allows high-energy Li(+)(C(6)H(6))(2-4)(H(2)O)(2)Ar isomers containing water-water hydrogen bonds to be trapped and detected. The monohydrated, Li(+) containing clusters contain benzene-water interactions with varying strength as indicated by shifts in OH stretching frequencies. The IRPD spectra of M(+)(C(6)H(6))(1-4)(H(2)O)(1-2)Ar are very different for lithium-bearing versus sodium-bearing cluster ions emphasizing the important role of ion size in determining the most favorable balance of competing noncovalent interactions.

Fabrication and characterization of SnO2/ZnO gas sensors for detecting toluene gas.

PubMed

Min, Byung-Sam; Park, Young-Ho; Lee, Chang-Seop

2014-11-01

This study investigates the use of SnO2, ZnO, Ag, Au, Cu, In, Pd, Ru and carbon black to improve the sensitivity of a gas sensor for detecting toluene gas. Metal-SnO2/ZnO thick films were screen-printed onto Al2O3 substrates with platinum electrodes. The physico-chemical properties of the sensor materials were characterized using SEM/EDS, XRD, and BET analyses. Measuring the electrical resistance of each sensor as a function of the gas concentration determined the sensing characteristics. The sensors were tested using toluene, benzene, xylene, ethanol, methanol, ammonia and trimethylamine vapors with concentrations of 1-2000 ppm. The gas sensing properties of metal-SnO2/ZnO thick films depended on the content and variety of metals and the content of carbon black. The optimum condition of sensor material for toluene gas detection is operation temperature 300 degrees C and when metal catalyst Cu and carbon black were added. The best sensitivity and selectivity for toluene gas at 300 degrees C resulted from doping with 5 wt.% carbon black, 1 wt.% Cu and 20 wt.% ZnO to SnO2.

Experimental investigations of electron density and ion energy distributions in dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas for Ar/CF{sub 4} and Ar/O{sub 2}/CF{sub 4} discharges

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

Liu, Jia; Liu, Yong-Xin; Gao, Fei

2014-01-07

The electron density and ion energy distribution (IED) are investigated in low-pressure dual-frequency capacitively coupled Ar/CF{sub 4} (90%/10%) and Ar/O{sub 2}/CF{sub 4} (80%/10%/10%) plasmas. The relations between controllable parameters, such as high-frequency (HF) power, low-frequency (LF) power and gas pressure, and plasma parameters, such as electron density and IEDs, are studied in detail by utilizing a floating hairpin probe and an energy resolved quadrupole mass spectrometer, respectively. In our experiment, the electron density is mainly determined by the HF power and slightly influenced by the LF power. With increasing gas pressure, the electron density first goes up rapidly to amore » maximum value and then decreases at various HF and LF powers. The HF power also plays a considerable role in affecting the IEDs under certain conditions and the ion energy independently controlled by the LF source is discussed here. For clarity, some numerical results obtained from a two-dimensional fluid model are presented.« less

Potential interstellar noble gas molecules: ArOH+ and NeOH+ rovibrational analysis from quantum chemical quartic force fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theis, Riley A.; Fortenberry, Ryan C.

2016-03-01

The discovery of ArH+ in the interstellar medium has shown that noble gas chemistry may be of more chemical significance than previously believed. The present work extends the known chemistry of small noble gas molecules to NeOH+ and ArOH+. Besides their respective neonium and argonium diatomic cation cousins, these hydroxyl cation molecules are the most stable small noble gas molecules analyzed of late. ArOH+ is once again more stable than the neon cation, but both are well-behaved enough for a complete quartic force field analysis of their rovibrational properties. The Ar-O bond in ArOH+ , for instance, is roughly three-quarters of the strength of the Ar-H bond in ArH+ highlighting the rigidity of this system. The rotational constants, geometries, and vibrational frequencies for both molecules and their various isotopologues are computed from ab initio quantum chemical theory at high-level, and it is shown that these cations may form in regions where peroxy or weakly-bound alcohols may be present. The resulting data should be of significant assistance for the laboratory or observational analysis of these potential interstellar molecules.

Lower thermosphere densities of N2, O and Ar under high latitude winter conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickinson, P. H. G.; Vonzahn, U.; Baker, K. D.; Jenkins, D. B.

1986-01-01

Measurements of the neutral thermosphere were conducted in northern Scandinavia during the Energy Budget Campaign. These measurements included determinations of N2, O, and Ar densities using rocket-borne experiments. The results obtained in the experiments are presented, taking into account also details regarding the employed experimental methods, and an evaluation of the significance of the data. It is found that there are striking differences in thermospheric distributions of the neutral constituents under different geomagnetic conditions. Under quiet geomagnetic conditions there was reasonable agreement with the United States Standard Atmosphere. The concentrations of N2 and Ar were about 70 percent of the predicted values, while the O concentration was about 2.5 times greater.

Electrical Conducting and Mechanism of Oxygen-Deficient Tin Oxide Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Various O2/Ar Ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qi; Wang, Chengbiao; Lv, Changchun; Wang, Yang; Peng, Zhijian; Fu, Xiuli

Oxygen-deficient tin oxide thin films were prepared by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering with a sintered non-stoichiometric tin oxide ceramic target under an atmosphere of various ratios of O2/Ar from pure Ar to 1:1. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the thin films were polycrystalline with relatively strong (1 1 0), (1 0 1) and (2 1 1) diffraction peaks. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that the thin films prepared at different O2/Ar ratios were all of relatively dense and homogeneous structure. With increasing O2/Ar ratio, the grain size of the films decreased slightly, and their chemical composition became close to the stoichiometric SnO2; but the deposition rate as well as film thickness increased first and then decreased sharply. It was revealed that the main defect in obtained films was oxygen vacancy (VO), and as the O2/Ar ratio increased, the concentration of VO fell down monotonously, which would lead to an increased electrical resistivity.

N2O molecular tagging velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ElBaz, A. M.; Pitz, R. W.

2012-03-01

A new seeded velocity measurement technique, N2O molecular tagging velocimetry (MTV), is developed to measure velocity in wind tunnels by photochemically creating an NO tag line. Nitrous oxide "laughing gas" is seeded into the air flow. A 193 nm ArF excimer laser dissociates the N2O to O(1D) that subsequently reacts with N2O to form NO. O2 fluorescence induced by the ArF laser "writes" the original position of the NO line. After a time delay, the shifted NO line is "read" by a 226-nm laser sheet and the velocity is determined by time-of-flight. At standard atmospheric conditions with 4% N2O in air, ˜1000 ppm of NO is photochemically created in an air jet based on experiment and simulation. Chemical kinetic simulations predict 800-1200 ppm of NO for 190-750 K at 1 atm and 850-1000 ppm of NO for 0.25-1 atm at 190 K. Decreasing the gas pressure (or increasing the temperature) increases the NO ppm level. The presence of humid air has no significant effect on NO formation. The very short NO formation time (<10 ns) makes the N2O MTV method amenable to low- and high-speed air flow measurements. The N2O MTV technique is demonstrated in air jet to measure its velocity profile. The N2O MTV method should work in other gas flows as well (e.g., helium) since the NO tag line is created by chemical reaction of N2O with O(1D) from N2O photodissociation and thus does not depend on the bulk gas composition.

Spectral studies of SiCl4 + N2O + Ar and SiH4 + Ar mixtures in a shock tube in 160-550 nm range

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, C.; Fujiwara, T.

1978-01-01

Gases containing SiO, SiO2, SiH, and Si2 were produced in the reflected-shock region of a shock tube by heating SiCl4 + N2O + Ar and SiH4 + Ar mixtures with shock waves. Spectral absorption characteristics were measured in the 160-550 nm wavelength range and in the 2800-3600 K temperature range and compared to calculated values. The sums of the squares of electronic transition moments at equilibrium separation were derived. It was found that absorption by SiO2 and other known bands of SiO, SiH, and Si2 were too weak to be measured. The cross section of absorption by a continuum, believed due to SiH, varied from 2.5 x 10 to the -17th sq cm at 280 nm to 1.6 x 10 to the -18th sq cm at 440 nm.

Infrared Spectra of M^+(2-AMINO-1-PHENYL ETHANOL)(H_2O)_{n=0-2}Ar (M=Na, K)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicely, Amy L.; Lisy, James M.

2009-06-01

A balance of competing electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions directs the structure of hydrated gas-phase cluster ions. Because of this, a biologically relevant model of cluster structures should include the effects of surrounding water molecules and metal ions such as sodium and potassium, which are found in high concentrations in the bloodstream. The molecule 2-amino-1-phenyl ethanol (APE) serves as a model for the neurotransmitters ephedrine and adrenaline. The neutral APE molecule contains an internal hydrogen bond between the amino and hydroxyl groups. In the M^+(APE) complex, the cation can either interrupt the internal hydrogen bond or position itself above the phenyl group, leaving the internal hydrogen bond intact. The former is preferred based on DFT calculations (B3LYP/6-31+G*) for both K^+ and Na^+ across the entire range from 0-400K, but infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectra indicate a preference for the latter configuration at low temperatures. The IRPD spectra of M^+(H_2O)_{n=1-2} and M^+(H_2O)_{n=0-2}Ar (M=Na, K) will be presented along with parallel DFT and thermodynamics calculations to assist with the identification of the isomers present in each experiment.

MICROWAVE SPECTRA OF Ar\\cdot\\cdot\\cdotAgI AND H_{2}O\\cdot\\cdot\\cdotAgI PRODUCED BY LASER ABLATION

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullaney, John C.; Medcraft, Chris; Walker, Nick; Legon, Anthony

2017-06-01

Complexes of argon and water with silver iodide have been formed in the gas phase by laser ablation of a silver iodide rod and studied using a chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. Ar\\cdot\\cdot\\cdotAgI was characterized by its rotational spectrum and ab initio calculations carried out at the CCSD(T)(F12c)/cc-pVTZ-F12 explicitly correlated level of theory. The molecule was shown to be linear in the ground state, with atoms in the order shown. The Ar\\cdot\\cdot\\cdotAg and Ag-I bond lengths, r_{0}(Ar\\cdot\\cdot\\cdotAg) = 2.6759 Å{} and r_{0}(Ag-I) = 2.5356 Å, were determined. Other factors such as the dissociation energy, the intermolecular quadratic stretching force constant and the change in ionicity of AgI upon forming the complex were also determined and will be discussed with comparison to the series Ar\\cdot\\cdot\\cdotAgX (X = F, Cl, Br and I). Data of the H_{2}O\\cdot\\cdot\\cdotAgI complex will also be presented with isotopic studies ongoing.

Structural effects due to the incorporation of Ar atoms in the lattice of ZrO 2 thin films prepared by ion beam assisted deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holgado, J. P.; Escobar Galindo, R.; van Veen, A.; Schut, H.; de Hosson, J. Th. M.; González-Elipe, A. R.

2002-09-01

Two sets of ZrO 2 thin films have been prepared at room temperature by ion beam induced chemical vapour deposition and subsequently annealed up to 1323 K. The two sets of samples have been prepared by using either O 2+ or mixtures of (O 2++Ar +) ions for the decomposition of a volatile metallorganic precursor of zirconium. The structure and microstructure of these two sets of samples have been determined by means of X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and positron beam analysis (PBA). The samples were very compact and dense and had a very low-surface roughness. After annealing in air at T⩾573 K both sets of films were transparent and showed similar refraction indexes. For the (O 2++Ar +)-ZrO 2 thin films it is shown by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Rutherford back scattering that a certain amount of incorporated Ar (5-6 at.%) remains incorporated within the oxide lattice. No changes were detected in the amount of incorporated Ar even after annealing at T=773 K. For higher annealing temperatures ( T>1073 K), the amount of Ar starts to decrease, and at T=1223 K only residual amounts of Ar (<0.4%) remain within the lattice. It has been found that as far as Ar atoms remain incorporated within the ZrO 2 network, the (O 2+-Ar +)-ZrO 2 films present a cubic/tetragonal phase. When the amount of "embedded" Ar decreases, the crystalline phase reverts to monoclinic, the majority phase observed for the (O 2+)-ZrO 2 films after any annealing treatments. The microstructure of the films after different annealing treatments has been investigated by PBA. The presence of Ar ions and the initial amorphous state of the layers were detected by this technique. An increase of the open volume was observed after annealing up to 773 K in both sets of samples. For higher annealing temperatures the samples showed a progressive crystallisation resulting in a decrease of the open volume. During this sintering the samples without embedded Ar present a higher

Use of argon to measure gas exchange in turbulent mountain streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Robert O., Jr.; Madinger, Hilary L.

2018-05-01

Gas exchange is a parameter needed in stream metabolism and trace gas emissions models. One way to estimate gas exchange is via measuring the decline of added tracer gases such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Estimates of oxygen (O2) gas exchange derived from SF6 additions require scaling via Schmidt number (Sc) ratio, but this scaling is uncertain under conditions of high gas exchange via bubbles because scaling depends on gas solubility as well as Sc. Because argon (Ar) and O2 have nearly identical Schmidt numbers and solubility, Ar may be a useful tracer gas for estimating stream O2 exchange. Here we compared rates of gas exchange measured via Ar and SF6 for turbulent mountain streams in Wyoming, USA. We measured Ar as the ratio of Ar : N2 using a membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS). Normalizing to N2 confers higher precision than simply measuring [Ar] alone. We consistently enriched streams with Ar from 1 to 18 % of ambient Ar concentration and could estimate gas exchange rate using an exponential decline model. The mean ratio of gas exchange of Ar relative to SF6 was 1.8 (credible interval 1.1 to 2.5) compared to the theoretical estimate 1.35, showing that using SF6 would have underestimated exchange of Ar. Steep streams (slopes 11-12 %) had high rates of gas exchange velocity normalized to Sc = 600 (k600, 57-210 m d-1), and slope strongly predicted variation in k600 among all streams. We suggest that Ar is a useful tracer because it is easily measured, requires no scaling assumptions to estimate rates of O2 exchange, and is not an intense greenhouse gas as is SF6. We caution that scaling from rates of either Ar or SF6 gas exchange to CO2 is uncertain due to solubility effects in conditions of bubble-mediated gas transfer.

Can soil denitrification models be validated with the N2/Ar-method? Results from a comparison between DENUZ and the N2/Ar-method in Lower Saxony (Germany)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eschenbach, Wolfram; Elbracht, Jörg; Höper, Heinrich; Kunkel, Ralf; Well, Reinhard; Wendland, Frank

2014-05-01

Diffuse NO3- emissions derived from agricultural N surpluses are the main cause of NO3- pollution of aquifers and open water bodies. Denitrification is the key process for the attenuation of these anthropogenic NO3- concentrations in soils and groundwater. Since the greenhouse gas N2O is an obligate intermediate of denitrification this process is also a major regulator of N2O emissions from soils and indirect N2O fluxes from aquifers and open water bodies which result from NO3--leaching. To predict NO3- leaching from the agricultural field and asses the maximal permissible agricultural N surplus to guarantee a mean long-term nitrate concentration in percolation water below 50 mg NO3-/l validated, soil denitrification models are needed. Validation of models predicting denitrification and NO3- leaching is difficult due to lack of suitable data sets and the complexity of denitrification. Moreover, existing groundwater well networks can currently not be used to check the modelled NO3- leaching because NO3- itself might be already partly or totally reduced in the groundwater below soils. In this study we assessed the possibility of validating the soil denitrification model DENUZ (Wendland et al., 2009) with calculated initial NO3- concentrations in the groundwater at the time of groundwater recharge (NO3-t0). NO3-t0 values can be derived from groundwater samples of normal groundwater monitoring wells using the N2/Ar-method (Weymann et al., 2008). Therefore we compare NO3- emission concentrations (pot-NO3-) obtained by groundwater modelled using DENUZ with NO3-t0 values, calculated from measured dissolved gas concentrations (N2, N2O, Ar) and measured NO3- in groundwater samples. We analysed groundwater samples from 484 groundwater monitoring wells throughout Lower-Saxony (Germany). Median NO3- and NO3-t0 concentrations were 0.3 and 30 mg NO3- l-1 respectively, showing that a considerable proportion of the anthropogenic N-surplus is denitrified within the saturated zone

Effect of the chamber wall on fluorocarbon-assisted atomic layer etching of SiO2 using cyclic Ar/C4F8 plasma

PubMed Central

Kawakami, Masatoshi; Metzler, Dominik; Li, Chen; Oehrlein, Gottlieb S.

2016-01-01

The authors studied the effect of the temperature and chemical state of the chamber wall on process performance for atomic layer etching of SiO2 using a steady-state Ar plasma, periodic injection of a defined number of C4F8 molecules, and synchronized plasma-based Ar+ ion bombardment. To evaluate these effects, the authors measured the quartz coupling window temperature. The plasma gas phase chemistry was characterized using optical emission spectroscopy. It was found that although the thickness of the polymer film deposited in each cycle is constant, the etching behavior changed, which is likely related to a change in the plasma gas phase chemistry. The authors found that the main gas phase changes occur after C4F8 injection. The C4F8 and the quartz window react and generate SiF and CO. The emission intensity changes with wall surface state and temperature. Therefore, changes in the plasma gas species generation can lead to a shift in etching performance during processing. During initial cycles, minimal etching is observed, while etching gradually increases with cycle number. PMID:27375342

Nano suboxide layer generated in Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} by Ar{sup +} ion irradiation

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

Song, W. D., E-mail: song-wendong@dsi.a-star.edu.sg, E-mail: ying-ji-feng@dsi.a-star.edu.sg; Ying, J. F., E-mail: song-wendong@dsi.a-star.edu.sg, E-mail: ying-ji-feng@dsi.a-star.edu.sg; He, W.

2015-01-19

Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}/TaO{sub x} heterostructure has become a leading oxide layer in memory cells and/or a bidirectional selector for resistive random access memory (RRAM). Although atomic layer deposition (ALD) was found to be uniquely suitable for depositing uniform and conformal films on complex topographies, it is hard to use ALD to grow suboxide TaO{sub x} layer. In this study, tantalum oxide films with a composition of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} were grown by ALD. Using Ar{sup +} ion irradiation, the suboxide was formed in the top layer of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} films by observing the Ta core level shift toward lowermore » binding energy with angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. By controlling the energy and irradiation time of an Ar{sup +} ion beam, Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}/TaO{sub x} heterostructure can be reliably produced on ALD films, which provides a way to fabricate the critical switching layers of RRAM.« less

Experimental study of the visible-light photocatalytic activity of oxygen-deficient TiO2 prepared with Ar/H2 plasma surface treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakano, Takuma; Yazawa, Shota; Araki, Shota; Kogoshi, Sumio; Katayama, Noboru; Kudo, Yusuke; Nakanishi, Tetsuya

2015-01-01

Oxygen-deficient TiO2 (TiO2-x) has been proposed as a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst. TiO2-x thin films were prepared by Ar/H2 plasma surface treatment, applying varying levels of microwave input power and processing times. The highest visible light photocatalytic activity was observed when using an input power of 200 W, a plasma processing time of 10 min, and a 1:1 \\text{Ar}:\\text{H}2 ratio, conditions that generate an electron temperature of 5.7(±1.0) eV and an electron density of 8.5 × 1010 cm-3. The maximum formaldehyde (HCHO) removal rate of the TiO2-x film was 2.6 times higher than that obtained from a TiO2-xNx film under the same test conditions.

Collisional radiative model for Ar-O2 mixture plasma with fully relativistic fine structure cross sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priti, Gangwar, Reetesh Kumar; Srivastava, Rajesh

2018-04-01

A collisional radiative (C-R) model has been developed to diagnose the rf generated Ar-O2 (0%-5%) mixture plasma at low temperatures. Since in such plasmas the most dominant process is an electron impact excitation process, we considered several electron impact fine structure transitions in an argon atom from its ground as well as excited states. The cross-sections for these transitions have been obtained using the reliable fully relativistic distorted wave theory. Processes which account for the coupling of argon with the oxygen molecules have been further added to the model. We couple our model to the optical spectroscopic measurements reported by Jogi et al. [J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 47, 335206 (2014)]. The plasma parameters, viz. the electron density (ne) and the electron temperature (Te) as a function of O2 concentration have been obtained using thirteen intense emission lines out of 3p54p → 3p54s transitions observed in their spectroscopic measurements. It is found that as the content of O2 in Ar increases from 0%-5%, Te increases in the range 0.85-1.7 eV, while the electron density decreases from 2.76 × 1012-2.34 × 1011 cm-3. The Ar-3p54s (1si) fine-structure level populations at our extracted plasma parameters are found to be in very good agreement with those obtained from the measurements. Furthermore, we have estimated the individual contributions coming from the ground state, 1si manifolds and cascade contributions to the population of the radiating Ar-3p54p (2pi) states as a function of a trace amount of O2. Such information is very useful to understand the importance of various processes occurring in the plasma.

Net Community and Gross Photosynthetic Production Rates in the Eastern Tropical South Pacific, as Determined from O2/AR Ratios and Triple Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Dissolved O2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prokopenko, M. G.; Yeung, L. Y.; Berelson, W.; Fleming, J.; Rollins, N.; Young, E. D.; Haskell, W. Z.; Hammond, D. E.; Capone, D. G.

2010-12-01

This study assesses the rates of ocean carbon production and its fate with respect to recycling or export in the Eastern Tropical South Pacific (ETSP). ETSP has been previously identified as a region where N2 fixation and denitrification may be spatially coupled; this is also a region of localized CO2 outgassing. Using an Equilibrated Inlet Mass Spectrometer (EIMS) system, we obtained continuous measurements of the biological O2 supersaturation in the mixed layer along the ship track encompassing a region bounded by 10-20° S and 80-100° W in January - March, 2010. Vertical profiles were also taken at selected stations and analyzed for dissolved O2/Ar ratios on EIMS and triple oxygen isotope composition (17O excess) on a multi-collector IRMS (Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer) at UCLA. Gas exchange rates were estimated using two approaches: the Rn-222 deficit method and the wind parameterization method, which utilized wind speeds extracted from ASCAT satellite database. Oxygen Net Community Production (O-NCP) rates calculated based on biological O2 supersaturation ranged from slightly negative to ~ 0.3 - 15 mmol/m2d, with higher rates along the northern part of the transect. Oxygen Gross Community Production (O-GPP) rates calculated from 17O excess were between 50 ± 20 and 200 ± 40 mmol/m2d, with higher rates observed along the northern cruise transect as well. Notably, the NCP/GPP ratios along the northern transect were higher by the factor of 2 to 3 than their southern counterparts. The O2/Ar-based NCP rates were comparable to POC flux measured with floating traps deployed at the southern stations, but exceeded by a factor of 5-10 the trap POC fluxes obtained at the northern stations. A one-dimensional box model has been constructed to quantify the magnitude of oxygen primary production below the mixed layer. The results of this work will be integrated with measurements of 15-N2 uptake that are in progress, to constrain the potential contribution of N2 fixation

Selective Detection of Formaldehyde Gas Using a Cd-Doped TiO2-SnO2 Sensor

PubMed Central

Zeng, Wen; Liu, Tianmo; Wang, Zhongchang; Tsukimoto, Susumu; Saito, Mitsuhiro; Ikuhara, Yuichi

2009-01-01

We report the microstructure and gas-sensing properties of a nonequilibrium TiO2-SnO2 solid solution prepared by the sol-gel method. In particular, we focus on the effect of Cd doping on the sensing behavior of the TiO2-SnO2 sensor. Of all volatile organic compound gases examined, the sensor with Cd doping exhibits exclusive selectivity as well as high sensitivity to formaldehyde, a main harmful indoor gas. The key gas-sensing quantities, maximum sensitivity, optimal working temperature, and response and recovery time, are found to meet the basic industrial needs. This makes the Cd-doped TiO2-SnO2 composite a promising sensor material for detecting the formaldehyde gas. PMID:22291551

Investigation on gas medium parameters for an ArF excimer laser through orthogonal experimental design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Xingliang; Sha, Pengfei; Fan, Yuanyuan; Jiang, R.; Zhao, Jiangshan; Zhou, Yi; Yang, Junhong; Xiong, Guangliang; Wang, Yu

2018-02-01

Due to complex kinetics of formation and loss mechanisms, such as ion-ion recombination reaction, neutral species harpoon reaction, excited state quenching and photon absorption, as well as their interactions, the performance behavior of different laser gas medium parameters for excimer laser varies greatly. Therefore, the effects of gas composition and total gas pressure on excimer laser performance attract continual research studies. In this work, orthogonal experimental design (OED) is used to investigate quantitative and qualitative correlations between output laser energy characteristics and gas medium parameters for an ArF excimer laser with plano-plano optical resonator operation. Optimized output laser energy with good pulse to pulse stability can be obtained effectively by proper selection of the gas medium parameters, which makes the most of the ArF excimer laser device. Simple and efficient method for gas medium optimization is proposed and demonstrated experimentally, which provides a global and systematic solution. By detailed statistical analysis, the significance sequence of relevant parameter factors and the optimized composition for gas medium parameters are obtained. Compared with conventional route of varying single gas parameter factor sequentially, this paper presents a more comprehensive way of considering multivariables simultaneously, which seems promising in striking an appropriate balance among various complicated parameters for power scaling study of an excimer laser.

2.7 MeV Ar11+ ion irradiation induced structural evolution in Lu2(Ti2-xLux)O7-x/2 pyrochlores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, D. Y.; Liu, C. G.; Zhang, K. Q.; Xia, Y.; Chen, L. J.; Liu, H.; Li, Y. H.

2015-11-01

This paper aims to study the radiation effects of nonstoichiometric pyrochlore series Lu2(Ti2-xLux)O7-x/2 (x = 0-0.667). Polycrystalline Lu2(Ti2-xLux)O7-x/2 samples were irradiated with 2.7 MeV Ar11+ ions up to a fluence of 8 × 1014 ions/cm2. The irradiated samples were characterized using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction technique. The results reveal that Lu2(Ti2-xLux)O7-x/2 samples undergo significant amorphization and lattice swelling upon irradiation. Specifically, the amorphization process is predominantly driven by ballistic nuclear energy deposition of Ar11+ ions at this energy regime, which can be well described by a direct-impact/defect-stimulated model. Both the amorphization fraction and the relative variation of lattice parameter decrease with increasing x, showing a strong dependence on the chemical composition. The results are then discussed in the framework of the structural disorder and recovery ability from damage, applying an atomic layer model.

Fabrication of ZnO photonic crystals by nanosphere lithography using inductively coupled-plasma reactive ion etching with CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar plasma on the ZnO/GaN heterojunction light emitting diodes

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

Chen, Shr-Jia; Chang, Chun-Ming; Kao, Jiann-Shiun

2010-07-15

This article reports fabrication of n-ZnO photonic crystal/p-GaN light emitting diode (LED) by nanosphere lithography to further booster the light efficiency. In this article, the fabrication of ZnO photonic crystals is carried out by nanosphere lithography using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching with CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar plasma on the n-ZnO/p-GaN heterojunction LEDs. The CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar mixed gas gives high etching rate of n-ZnO film, which yields a better surface morphology and results less plasma-induced damages of the n-ZnO film. Optimal ZnO lattice parameters of 200 nm and air fill factor from 0.35 to 0.65 were obtained from fittingmore » the spectrum of n-ZnO/p-GaN LED using a MATLAB code. In this article, we will show our recent result that a ZnO photonic crystal cylinder has been fabricated using polystyrene nanosphere mask with lattice parameter of 200 nm and radius of hole around 70 nm. Surface morphology of ZnO photonic crystal was examined by scanning electron microscope.« less

Multi-applicative tetragonal TiO2/SnO2 nanocomposites for photocatalysis and gas sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patil, S. M.; Dhodamani, A. G.; Vanalakar, S. A.; Deshmukh, S. P.; Delekar, S. D.

2018-04-01

TiO2-based mixed metal oxide heteronanostructures have multiple applications in photocatalysis and gas sensing because of their charge transport properties. In this study, we prepared tetragonal TiO2/SnO2 nanocomposites (NCs) with different weight percentages using a simple wet impregnation method. The physicochemical properties of the NCs were investigated using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. The results showed that the surface area of the NCs increased significantly and the anatase TiO2 was sensitized after the addition of a small amount of cassiterite SnO2 NPs. We systematically studied the as-prepared NCs during the photocatalytic degradation of Congo Red dye under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm) and NH3 gas sensing, which demonstrated the efficient photocatalytic performance and the superior sensing response of the catalyst with a weight composition of 25% SnO2 in TiO2 (4:1) compared with the other NCs or the bare individual nanoparticles. The improved photocatalytic and gas sensing performance of the TiO2/SnO2 (4:1) NCs may be attributed to the increased active surface area, the increased adsorption of the dye and target gas molecules, as well as efficient electron-hole charge separation and transfer.

Modeling Cl2/O2/Ar inductively coupled plasmas used for silicon etching: effects of SiO2 chamber wall coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinck, S.; Boullart, W.; Bogaerts, A.

2011-08-01

In this paper, simulations are performed to gain a better insight into the properties of a Cl2/Ar plasma, with and without O2, during plasma etching of Si. Both plasma and surface properties are calculated in a self-consistent manner. Special attention is paid to the behavior of etch products coming from the wafer or the walls, and how the chamber walls can affect the plasma and the resulting etch process. Two modeling cases are considered. In the first case, the reactor walls are defined as clean (Al2O3), whereas in the second case a SiO2 coating is introduced on the reactor walls before the etching process, so that oxygen will be sputtered from the walls and introduced into the plasma. For this reason, a detailed reaction set is presented for a Cl2/O2/Ar plasma containing etched species, as well as an extensive reaction set for surface processes, including physical and chemical sputtering, chemical etching and deposition processes. Density and flux profiles of various species are presented for a better understanding of the bulk plasma during the etching process. Detailed information is also given on the composition of the surfaces at various locations of the reactor, on the etch products in the plasma and on the surface loss probabilities of the plasma species at the walls, with different compositions. It is found that in the clean chamber, walls are mostly chlorinated (Al2Cl3), with a thin layer of etch products residing on the wall. In the coated chamber, an oxy-chloride layer is grown on the walls for a few nanometers during the etching process. The Cl atom wall loss probability is found to decrease significantly in the coated chamber, hence increasing the etch rate. SiCl2, SiCl4 and SiCl3 are found to be the main etch products in the plasma, with the fraction of SiCl2 being always slightly higher. The simulation results compare well with experimental data available from the literature.

Influence of Ar addition on ozone generation in a non-thermal plasma—a numerical investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsin Liang; Lee, How Ming; Chen, Shiaw Huei; Wei, Ta Chin; Been Chang, Moo

2010-10-01

A numerical model based on a dielectric barrier discharge is developed in this study to investigate the influence of Ar addition on ozone generation. The simulation results show good agreement with the experimental data, confirming the validity of the numerical model. The mechanisms regarding how the Ar addition affects ozone generation are investigated with the assistance of a numerical simulation by probing into the following two questions, (1) why the ozone concentration just slightly decreases in the low specific input energy (SIE, the ratio of discharge power to gas flow rate) region even if the inlet O2 concentration is substantially decreased and (2) why the variation of the increased rate of ozone concentration with SIE (i.e. the variation in the slope of ozone concentration versus SIE) is more significant for an O2/Ar mixture plasma. As SIE is relatively low, ozone decomposition through electron-impact and radical attack reactions is less significant because of low ozone concentration and gas temperature. Therefore, the ozone concentration depends mainly on the amount of oxygen atoms generated. The simulation results indicate that the amount of oxygen atoms generated per electronvolt for Ar concentrations of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50% and 80% are 0.178, 0.174, 0.169, 0.165 and 0.166, respectively, explaining why the ozone concentration does not decrease linearly with the inlet O2 concentration in the low SIE region. On the other hand, the simulation results show that increasing Ar concentration would lead to a lower reduced field and a higher gas temperature. The former would lead to an increase in the rate constant of e + O3 → e + O + O2 while the latter would result in a decrease in the rate constant of O + O2 + M → O3 + M and an increase in that of O3 + O → 2O2. The changes in the rate constants of these reactions would have a negative effect on ozone generation, which is the rationale for the second question.

Laser flash-photolysis and gas discharge in N2O-containing mixture: kinetic mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosarev, Ilya; Popov, Nikolay; Starikovskaia, Svetlana; Starikovskiy, Andrey; mipt Team

2011-10-01

The paper is devoted to further experimental and theoretical analysis of ignition by ArF laser flash-photolysis and nanosecond discharge in N2O-containing mixture has been done. Additional experiments have been made to assure that laser emission is distributed uniformly throughout the cross-section. The series of experiments was proposed and carried out to check validity of O(1D) determination in experiments on plasma assisted ignition initiated by flash-photolysis. In these experiments, ozone density in the given mixture (mixture composition and kinetics has been preliminary analyzed) was measured using UV light absorption in Hartley band. Good coincidence between experimental data and results of calculations have been obtained Temporal behavior of energy input, electric field and electric current has been measured and analyzed. These data are considered as initial conditions for numerical modeling of the discharge in O2:N2O:H2:Ar = 0.3:1:3:5 mixture. Ion-molecular reactions and reactions of active species production in Ar:H2:O2:N2O mixture were analyzed. The set of reactions to describe chemical transformation in the system due to the discharge action has been selected.

Effect of the chamber wall on fluorocarbon-assisted atomic layer etching of SiO{sub 2} using cyclic Ar/C{sub 4}F{sub 8} plasma

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

Kawakami, Masatoshi; Metzler, Dominik; Oehrlein, Gottlieb S., E-mail: oehrlein@umd.edu

2016-07-15

The authors studied the effect of the temperature and chemical state of the chamber wall on process performance for atomic layer etching of SiO{sub 2} using a steady-state Ar plasma, periodic injection of a defined number of C{sub 4}F{sub 8} molecules, and synchronized plasma-based Ar{sup +} ion bombardment. To evaluate these effects, the authors measured the quartz coupling window temperature. The plasma gas phase chemistry was characterized using optical emission spectroscopy. It was found that although the thickness of the polymer film deposited in each cycle is constant, the etching behavior changed, which is likely related to a change inmore » the plasma gas phase chemistry. The authors found that the main gas phase changes occur after C{sub 4}F{sub 8} injection. The C{sub 4}F{sub 8} and the quartz window react and generate SiF and CO. The emission intensity changes with wall surface state and temperature. Therefore, changes in the plasma gas species generation can lead to a shift in etching performance during processing. During initial cycles, minimal etching is observed, while etching gradually increases with cycle number.« less

Polyaniline assisted by TiO2:SnO2 nanoparticles as a hydrogen gas sensor at environmental conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasirian, Shahruz; Milani Moghaddam, Hossain

2015-02-01

In the present research, polyaniline assisted by TiO2:SnO2 nanoparticles was synthesized and deposited onto an epoxy glass substrate with Cu-interdigited electrodes for gas sensing application. To examine the efficiency of the polyaniline/TiO2:SnO2 nanocomposite (PTS) as a hydrogen (H2) gas sensor, its nature, stability, response, recovery/response time have been studied with a special focus on its ability to work at environmental conditions. H2 gas sensing results demonstrated that a PTS sensor with 20 and 10 wt% of anatase-TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles, respectively, has the best response time (75 s) with a recovery time of 117 s at environmental conditions. The highest (lowest) response (recovery time) was 6.18 (46 s) in PTS sensor with 30 and 15 wt% of anatase- (rutile-)TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles, respectively, at 0.8 vol.% H2 gas. Further, the H2 gas sensing mechanism of PTS sensor has also been studied.

Hydrothermal synthesis of hierarchical CoO/SnO2 nanostructures for ethanol gas sensor.

PubMed

Wang, Qingji; Kou, Xueying; Liu, Chang; Zhao, Lianjing; Lin, Tingting; Liu, Fangmeng; Yang, Xueli; Lin, Jun; Lu, Geyu

2018-03-01

In this work, ethanol gas sensor with high performance was fabricated successfully with hierarchical CoO/SnO 2 heterojunction by two-steps hydrothermal method. The response value of CoO/SnO 2 sensor is up to 145 at 250 °C when exposed to 100 ppm ethanol gas, which is much higher than that (13.5) of SnO 2 sensor. These good sensing performances mainly attribute to the formation of the CoO/SnO 2 heterojunction, which makes great variation of resistance in air and ethanol gas. Thus, the combination of n-type SnO 2 and p-type CoO provides an effective strategy to design new ethanol gas sensors. The unique nanostructure also played an important role in detecting ethanol, due to its contribution in facilitating the transport rate of the ethanol gas molecules. Also, we provide a general two-step strategy for designing the heterojunction based on the SnO 2 nanostructure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of n-GaN After Cl2/Ar and Cl2/N2 Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yan-Jun; Xue, Song; Guo, Wen-Ping; Sun, Chang-Zheng; Hao, Zhi-Biao; Luo, Yi

2003-10-01

A systematic study on the effect of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching on n-type GaN is presented. The optical and electrical properties and surface stoichiometry of n-type GaN are evaluated using room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) and current-voltage (I-V) characteristic measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Investigation of the effect of additive gas (N2 and Ar) and RF power on these characteristics has also been carried out. It is shown that the decrease in the O/Ga ratio after ICP etching can suppress the deterioration of the near-band-edge emission intensity. Furthermore, N vacancy (VN) with a shallow donor nature and Ga vacancy (VGa) with a deep acceptor nature are generated after ICP etching upon the addition of Ar and N2 to Cl2 plasma, respectively. Lower ohmic contact resistance could be obtained when VN or ion-bombardment-induced defect is dominant at the surface. Improved etching conditions have been obtained based on these results.

A pulsed plasma jet with the various Ar/N2 mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkhordari, A.; Ganjovi, A.; Mirzaei, I.; Falahat, A.; Rostami Ravari, M. N.

2017-12-01

In this paper, using the Optical Emission Spectroscopy technique, the physical properties of a fabricated pulsed DBD plasma jet are studied. Ar/N2 gaseous mixture is taken as operational gas, and Ar contribution in Ar/N2 mixture is varied from 75 to 95%. Through the optical emission spectra analysis of the pulsed DBD plasma jet, the rotational, vibrational and excitation temperatures and density of electrons in plasma medium of the pulsed plasma jet are obtained. It is seen that, at the wavelength of 750.38 nm, the radiation intensity from the Ar 4p → 4 s transition increases at the higher Ar contributions in Ar/N2 mixture. It is found that, for 95% of Ar presence in the mixture, the emission intensities from argon and molecular nitrogen are higher, and the emission line intensities will increase nonlinearly. In addition, it is observed that the quenching of Ar* by N2 results in the higher intensities of N2 excited molecules. Moreover, at the higher percentages of Ar in Ar/N2 mixture, while all the plasma temperatures are increased, the plasma electron density is reduced.

Kinetics of Reduction of CaO-FeO x -MgO-PbO-SiO2 Slags by CO-CO2 Gas Mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahanshahi, Sharif; Wright, Steven

2017-08-01

Kinetics of the reaction of lead slags (PbO-CaO-SiO2-FeO x -MgO) with CO-CO2 gas mixtures was studied by monitoring the changes in the slag composition when a stream of CO-CO2 gas mixture was blown on the surface of thin layers of slags (3 to 10 mm) at temperatures in the range of 1453 K to 1593 K (1180 °C to 1320 °C). These measurements were carried out under conditions where mass transfer in the gas phase was not the rate-limiting step and the reduction rates were insensitive to factors affecting mass transfer in the slag phase. The results show simultaneous reduction of PbO and Fe2O3 in the slag. The measured specific rate of oxygen removal from the melts varied from about 1 × 10-6 to 4 × 10-5 mol O cm-2 s-1 and was strongly dependent on the slag chemistry and its oxidation state, partial pressure of CO in the reaction gas mixture, and temperature. The deduced apparent first-order rate constant increased with increasing iron oxide content, oxidation state of the slag, and temperature. The results indicate that under the employed experimental conditions, the rate of formation of CO2 at the gas-slag interface is likely to be the rate-limiting step.

Microsolvation of the pyrrole cation (Py+) with nonpolar and polar ligands: infrared spectra of Py+-Ln with L = Ar, N2, and H2O (n ≤ 3).

PubMed

Schütz, Markus; Matsumoto, Yoshiteru; Bouchet, Aude; Öztürk, Murat; Dopfer, Otto

2017-02-01

The solvation of aromatic (bio-)molecular building blocks has a strong impact on the intermolecular interactions and function of supramolecular assemblies, proteins, and DNA. Herein we characterize the initial microsolvation process of the heterocyclic aromatic pyrrole cation (Py + ) in its 2 A 2 ground electronic state with nonpolar, quadrupolar, and dipolar ligands (L = Ar, N 2 , and H 2 O) by infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy of cold mass-selected Py + -L n (n ≤ 3) clusters in a molecular beam and dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP-D3/aug-cc-pVTZ level. Size- and isomer-specific shifts in the NH stretch frequency (Δν NH ) unravel the competition between various ligand binding sites, the strength of the respective intermolecular bonds, and the cluster growth. In Py + -Ar, linear H-bonding of Ar to the acidic NH group (NHAr) is competitive with π-stacking to the aromatic ring, and both Py + -Ar(H) and Py + -Ar(π) are observed. For L = N 2 and H 2 O, the linear NHL H-bond is much more stable than any other binding site and the only observed binding motif. For the Py + -Ar 2 and Py + -(N 2 ) 2 trimers, the H/π isomer with one H-bonded and one π-bonded ligand strongly competes with a 2H isomer with two bifurcated nonlinear NHL bonds. The latter are equivalent for Ar but nonequivalent for N 2 . Py + -H 2 O exhibits a strong and linear NHO H-bond with charge-dipole configuration and C 2v symmetry. IRPD spectra of cold Py + -H 2 O-L clusters with L = Ar and N 2 reveal that Ar prefers π-stacking to the Py + ring, while N 2 forms an OHN 2 H-bond to the H 2 O ligand. The Δν NH frequency shifts in Py + -L n are correlated with the strength of the NHL H-bond and the proton affinity (PA) of L, and a monotonic correlation between Δν NH of the Py + -L(H) dimers and PA is established. Comparison with neutral Py-L dimers reveals the strong impact of the positive charge on the acidity of the NH group, the strength of

H2 gas sensing properties of a ZnO/CuO and ZnO/CuO/Cu2O Heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ababii, N.; Postica, V.; Hoppe, M.; Adelung, R.; Lupan, O.; Railean, S.; Pauporté, T.; Viana, B.

2017-03-01

The most important parameters of gas sensors are sensitivity and especially high selectivity to specific chemical species. To improve these parameters we developed sensor structures based on layered semiconducting oxides, namely CuO/Cu2O, CuO:Zn/Cu2O:Zn, NiO/ZnO. In this work, the ZnO/CuxO (where x = 1, 2) bi-layer heterostructure were grown via a simple synthesis from chemical solution (SCS) at relatively low temperatures (< 95 °C), representing a combination of layered n-type and p-type semiconducting oxides which are widely used as sensing material for gas sensors. The main advantages of the developed device structures are given by simplicity of the synthesis and technological cost-efficiency. Structural investigations showed high crystallinity of synthesized layers confirming the presence of zinc oxide nanostructures on the surface of the copper oxide film deposited on glass substrate. Structural changes in morphology of grown nanostructures induced by post-grown thermal annealing were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations, and were studied in detail. The influence of thermal annealing type on the optical properties was also investigated. As an example of practical applications, the ZnO/CuxO bi-layer heterojunctions and ZnO/CuO/Cu2O three-layered structures were integrated into sensor structures and were tested to different types of reducing gases at different operating temperatures (OPT), showing promising results for fabrication of selective gas sensors.

Nanoscale self-recovery of resistive switching in Ar+ irradiated TiO2-x films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barman, A.; Saini, C. P.; Sarkar, P. K.; Das, D.; Dhar, S.; Singh, M.; Sinha, A. K.; Kanjilal, D.; Gupta, M.; Phase, D. M.; Kanjilal, A.

2017-11-01

Nanoscale evidence of self-recovery in resistive switching (RS) behavior was found in TiO2-x film by conductive atomic force microscopy when exposed to Ar+-ions above a threshold fluence of 1  ×  1016 ions cm-2. This revealed an evolution and gradual disappearance of bipolar RS-loops, followed by reappearance with increasing number of voltage sweep. This was discussed in the realm of oxygen vacancy (OV) driven formation, dissolution and reformation of conducting filaments. The presence of OVs in ion-beam irradiated TiO2-x films was evidenced by decreasing trend of work function in scanning-Kelvin probe microscopy, and was further verified by x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy at Ti and O-K edges.

Primary retention following nuclear recoil in β-decay: Proposed synthesis of a metastable rare gas oxide ((38)ArO4) from ((38)ClO4(-)) and the evolution of chemical bonding over the nuclear transmutation reaction path.

PubMed

Timm, Matthew J; Matta, Chérif F

2014-12-01

Argon tetroxide (ArO4) is the last member of the N=50 e(-) isoelectronic and isosteric series of ions: SiO4(4-), PO4(3-), SO4(2-), and ClO4(-). A high level computational study demonstrated that while ArO4 is kinetically stable it has a considerable positive enthalpy of formation (of ~298kcal/mol) (Lindh et al., 1999. J. Phys. Chem. A 103, pp. 8295-8302) confirming earlier predictions by Pyykkö (1990. Phys. Scr. 33, pp. 52-53). ArO4 can be expected to be difficult to synthesize by traditional chemistry due to its metastability and has not yet been synthesized at the time of writing. A computational investigation of the changes in the chemical bonding of chlorate (ClO4(-)) when the central chlorine atom undergoes a nuclear transmutation from the unstable artificial chlorine isotope (38)Cl to the stable rare argon isotope (38)Ar through β-decay, hence potentially leading to the formation of ArO4, is reported. A mathematical model is presented that allows for the prediction of yields following the recoil of a nucleus upon ejecting a β-electron. It is demonstrated that below a critical angle between the ejected β-electron and that of the accompanying antineutrino their respective linear momentums can cancel to such an extent as imparting a recoil to the daughter atom insufficient for breaking the Ar-O bond. As a result, a primary retention yield of ~1% of ArO4 is predicted following the nuclear disintegration. The study is conducted at the quadratic configuration interaction with single and double excitations [QCISD/6-311+G(3df)] level of theory followed by an analysis of the electron density by the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM). Crossed potential energy surfaces (PES) were used to construct a PES from the metastable ArO4 ground singlet state to the Ar-O bond dissociation product ArO3+O((3)P) from which the predicted barrier to dissociation is ca. 22kcal/mol and the exothermic reaction energy is ca. 28kcal/mol [(U)MP2/6-311+G(d)]. Copyright © 2014

In situ measurement of VUV/UV radiation from low-pressure microwave-produced plasma in Ar/O2 gas mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iglesias, E. J.; Mitschker, F.; Fiebrandt, M.; Bibinov, N.; Awakowicz, P.

2017-08-01

Ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral irradiance is determined in low-pressure microwave-produced plasma, which is regularly used for polymer surface treatment. The re-emitted fluorescence in the UV/VIS spectral range from a sodium salicylate layer is measured. This fluorescence is related to VUV/UV radiation in different spectral bands based on cut-off filters. The background produced by direct emitted radiation in the fluorescence spectral region is quantified using a specific background filter, thus enabling the use of the whole fluorescence spectral range. A novel procedure is applied to determine the absolute value of the VUV/UV irradiance on a substrate. For that, an independent measurement of the absolute spectral emissivity of the plasma in the UV is performed. The measured irradiances on a substrate from a 25 Pa Ar/O2-produced plasma are in the range of 1015-1016 (photon~ s-1 cm-2). These values include the contribution from impurities present in the discharge.

Superhydrophobic nanostructured Kapton® surfaces fabricated through Ar + O2 plasma treatment: Effects of different environments on wetting behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barshilia, Harish C.; Ananth, A.; Gupta, Nitant; Anandan, C.

2013-03-01

Kapton® [poly (4,4'-oxy diphenylene pyromellitimide)] polyimides have widespread usage in semiconductor devices, solar arrays, protective coatings and space applications, due to their excellent chemical and physical properties. In addition to their inherent properties, imparting superhydrophobicity on these surfaces will be an added advantage. Present work describes the usage of Ar + O2 plasma treatment for the preparation of superhydrophobic Kapton® surfaces. Immediately after the plasma treatment, the surfaces showed superhydrophilicity as a result of high energy dangling bonds and polar group concentration. But the samples kept in low vacuum for 48 h exhibited superhydrophobicity with high water contact angles (>150°). It is found that the post plasma treatment process, called ageing, especially in low vacuum plays an important role in delivering superhydrophobic property to Kapton®. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to probe the physical changes in the surface of the Kapton®. The surfaces showed formation of nano-feathers and nano-tussock microstructures with variation in surface roughness against plasma treatment time. A thorough chemical investigation was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy, which revealed changes in the surface of the Ar + O2 plasma treated Kapton®. Surface chemical species of Kapton® were confirmed again by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra for untreated surfaces whereas Ar + O2 plasma treated samples showed the de-bonding and re-organization of structural elements. Creation of surface roughness plays a dominant role in the contribution of superhydrophobicity to Kapton® apart from the surface modifications due to Ar + O2 plasma treatment and ageing in low vacuum.

Ni: Fe2O3, Mg: Fe2O3 and Fe2O3 thin films gas sensor application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saritas, Sevda; Kundakci, Mutlu; Coban, Omer; Tuzemen, Sebahattin; Yildirim, Muhammet

2018-07-01

Iron oxide is a widely used sensitive material for gas sensor applications. They have fascinated much attention in the field of gas sensing and detecting under atmospheric conditions and at 200 °C temperature due to their low cost in production; simplicity and fast of their use; large number of detectable gases. Iron oxide gas sensors constitute investigated for hazardous gases used in various fields. The morphological structure (particle size, pore size, etc.), optical, magnetic and electrical properties of Ni:Fe2O3, Mg:Fe2O3 and Fe2O3 thin films which grown by Spray pyrolysis (SP) have been investigated. XRD, Raman and AFM techniques have been used for structural analysis. AFM measurements have been provided very useful information about surface topography. I-V (Van der Pauw) technique has been used for response of gas sensor. These devices offer a wide variety of advantages over traditional analytical instruments such as low cost, short response time, easy manufacturing, and small size.

Enhanced ozone production in a pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma jet with addition of argon to a He-O2 flow gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sands, Brian; Ganguly, Biswa; Scofield, James

2013-09-01

Ozone production in a plasma jet DBD driven with a 20-ns risetime unipolar pulsed voltage can be significantly enhanced using helium as the primary flow gas with an O2 coflow. The overvolted discharge can be sustained with up to a 5% O2 coflow at <20 kHz pulse repetition frequency at 13 kV applied voltage. Ozone production scales with the pulse repetition frequency up to a ``turnover frequency'' that depends on the O2 concentration, total gas flow rate, and applied voltage. For example, peak ozone densities >1016 cm-3 were measured with 3% O2 admixture and <3 W input power at a 12 kHz turnover frequency. A further increase in the repetition frequency results in increased discharge current and 777 nm O(5 P) emission, but decreased ozone production and is followed by a transition to a filamentary discharge mode. The addition of argon at concentrations >=5% reduces the channel conductivity and shifts the turnover frequency to higher frequencies. This results in increased ozone production for a given applied voltage and gas flow rate. Time-resolved Ar(1s5) and He(23S1) metastable densities were acquired along with discharge current and ozone density measurements to gain insight into the mechanisms of optimum ozone production.

Reduction Kinetics of Wüstite Scale on Pure Iron and Steel Sheets in Ar and H2 Gas Mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Weichen; Sloof, Willem G.

2017-10-01

A dense and closed Wüstite scale is formed on pure iron and Mn alloyed steel after oxidation in Ar + 33 vol pct CO2 + 17 vol pct CO gas mixture. Reducing the Wüstite scale in Ar + H2 gas mixture forms a dense and uniform iron layer on top of the remaining Wüstite scale, which separates the unreduced scale from the gas mixture. The reduction of Wüstite is controlled by the bulk diffusion of dissolved oxygen in the formed iron layer and follows parabolic growth rate law. The reduction kinetics of Wüstite formed on pure iron and on Mn alloyed steel are the same. The parabolic rate constant of Wüstite reduction obeys an Arrhenius relation with an activation energy of 104 kJ/mol if the formed iron layer is in the ferrite phase. However, at 1223 K (950 °C) the parabolic rate constant of Wüstite reduction drops due to the phase transformation of the iron layer from ferrite to austenite. The effect of oxygen partial pressure on the parabolic rate constant of Wüstite reduction is negligible when reducing in a gas mixture with a dew point below 283 K (10 °C). During oxidation of the Mn alloyed steel, Mn is dissolved in the Wüstite scale. Subsequently, during reduction of the Wüstite layer, Mn diffuses into the unreduced Wüstite. Ultimately, an oxide-free iron layer is obtained at the surface of the Mn alloyed steel, which is beneficial for coating application.

Multistage plasma initiation process by pulsed CO2 laser irradiation of a Ti sample in an ambient gas (He, Ar, or N2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermann, J.; Boulmer-Leborgne, C.; Mihailescu, I. N.; Dubreuil, B.

1993-02-01

New experimental results are reported on plasma initiation in front of a titanium sample irradiated by ir (λ=10.6 μm) laser pulses in an ambient gas (He, Ar, and N2) at pressures ranging from several Torr up to the atmosphere. The plasma is studied by space- and time-resolved emission spectroscopy, while sample vaporization is probed by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Threshold laser intensities leading to the formation of a plasma in the vapor and in the ambient gases are determined. Experimental results support the model of a vaporization mechanism for the plasma initiation (vaporization-initiated plasma breakdown). The plasma initiation is described by simple numerical criteria based on a two-stage process. Theoretical predictions are found to be in a reasonable agreement with the experiment. This study provides also a clear explanation of the influence of the ambient gas on the laser beam-metal surface energy transfer. Laser irradiation always causes an important vaporization when performed in He, while in the case of Ar or N2, the interaction is reduced in heating and vaporization of some surface defects and impurities.

NO2 Gas Sensing Properties of Multiple Networked ZnGa2O4 Nanorods Coated with TiO2.

PubMed

An, Soyeon; Park, Sunghoon; Ko, Hyunsung; Jin, Changhyun; Lee, Chongmu

2015-01-01

The NO2 gas sensing properties of ZnGa2O4-TiO2 heterostructure nanorods was examined. ZnGa2O4-core/TiO2-shell nanorods were fabricated by the thermal evaporation of a mixture of Zn and GaN powders and the sputter deposition of TiO2. Multiple networked ZnGa2O4-core/TiO2-shell nanorod sensors showed the response of 876% at 10 ppm NO2 at 300 degrees C. This response value at 10 ppm NO2 is approximately 4 times larger than that of bare ZnGa2O4 nanorod sensors. The response values obtained by the ZnGa2O4-core/TiO2-shell nanorods in this study are more than 13 times higher than those obtained previously by the SnO2-core/ZnO-shell nanofibers at 5% NO2. The significant enhancement in the response of ZnGa2O4 nanorods to NO2 gas by coating them with TiO2 can be explained based on the space-charge model.

The molecular structures and conformation of o-selenobenzyl fluoride derivatives, ArSeX (Ar=C 6H 4CH 2F; X=CN, Cl, Me): ab initio and DFT calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Myongho; Kwon, Younghi

2000-10-01

Ab initio and density functional theory methods are applied to investigate the molecular structures, intramolecular orbital interactions, and 19F and 77Se NMR chemical shifts of o-selenobenzyl fluoride derivatives, ArSeX ( Ar= C6H4CH2F; X= CN, Cl, Me) , at both RHF and B3LYP levels with the basis sets 6-311G ∗∗ and 6-311+G ∗∗. There are two stable rotational conformers for ArSeX. The energy differences between both conformers for each compound are small (within 2 kcal/mol) at various levels.

Effect of N{sub 2} and Ar gas on DC arc plasma generation and film composition from Ti-Al compound cathodes

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

Zhirkov, Igor, E-mail: igozh@ifm.liu.se; Rosen, Johanna; Oks, Efim

2015-06-07

DC arc plasma from Ti, Al, and Ti{sub 1−x}Al{sub x} (x = 0.16, 0.25, 0.50, and 0.70) compound cathodes has been characterized with respect to plasma chemistry (charged particles) and charge-state-resolved ion energy for Ar and N{sub 2} pressures in the range 10{sup −6} to 3 × 10{sup −2} Torr. Scanning electron microscopy was used for exploring the correlation between the cathode and film composition, which in turn was correlated with the plasma properties. In an Ar atmosphere, the plasma ion composition showed a reduction of Al of approximately 5 at. % compared to the cathode composition, while deposited films were in accordance with the cathodemore » stoichiometry. Introducing N{sub 2} above ∼5 × 10{sup −3} Torr, lead to a reduced Al content in the plasma as well as in the film, and hence a 1:1 correlation between the cathode and film composition cannot be expected in a reactive environment. This may be explained by an influence of the reactive gas on the arc mode and type of erosion of Ti and Al rich contaminations, as well as on the plasma transport. Throughout the investigated pressure range, a higher deposition rate was obtained from cathodes with higher Al content. The origin of generated gas ions was investigated through the velocity rule, stating that the most likely ion velocities of all cathode elements from a compound cathode are equal. The results suggest that the major part of the gas ions in Ar is generated from electron impact ionization, while gas ions in a N{sub 2} atmosphere primarily originate from a nitrogen contaminated layer on the cathode surface. The presented results provide a contribution to the understanding processes of plasma generation from compound cathodes. It also allows for a more reasonable approach to the selection of composite cathode and experimental conditions for thin film depositions.« less

0{degree} binary encounter electron production in 30-MeV O{ital {sup q}}{sup +}+H{sub 2}, He, O{sub 2}, Ne, and Ar collisions

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

Zouros, T.J.; Wong, K.L.; Grabbe, S.

Double-differential cross sections (DDCS{close_quote}s) for the production of binary encounter electrons (BEE{close_quote}s) were measured for collisions of 30-MeV O{sup {ital q}+} projectiles with H{sub 2}, He, O{sub 2}, Ne, and Ar targets with {ital q}=4{endash}8 and an electron ejection angle of {theta}=0{degree} with respect to the beam direction. Particular interest focused on (a) the evaluation of the contributions of the different electron subshells of the multielectron targets, O{sub 2}, Ne, and Ar; (b) the study of the well-known enhancement of the BEE DDCS{close_quote}s with decreasing projectile charge-state {ital q}; here this dependence was tested for higher collision energies and newmore » targets; (c) the study of the dependence of the BEE {ital peak} {ital energy} on the particular target and projectile charge state. Results were analyzed in terms of the impulse approximation, in which target electrons in the projectile frame undergo 180{degree} elastic scattering in the field of the projectile ion. The electron scattering calculations were performed in a partial-wave treatment using the Hartree-Fock model. Good agreement with the data was found for the H{sub 2} and He targets, while for the multielectron targets O{sub 2}, Ne, and Ar only electrons whose velocity was lower than the projectile velocity needed to be included for good agreement. All measured BEE DDCS{close_quote}s were found to increase with decreasing projectile charge state, in agreement with other recent BEE results. The BEE peak energies were found to be independent of the projectile charge state for all targets utilized. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}« less

Fluorocarbon assisted atomic layer etching of SiO 2 and Si using cyclic Ar/C 4F 8 and Ar/CHF 3 plasma

DOE PAGES

Metzler, Dominik; Li, Chen; Engelmann, Sebastian; ...

2015-11-11

The need for atomic layer etching (ALE) is steadily increasing as smaller critical dimensions and pitches are required in device patterning. A flux-control based cyclic Ar/C 4F 8 ALE based on steady-state Ar plasma in conjunction with periodic, precise C 4F 8 injection and synchronized plasma-based low energy Ar + ion bombardment has been established for SiO 2. 1 In this work, the cyclic process is further characterized and extended to ALE of silicon under similar process conditions. The use of CHF 3 as a precursor is examined and compared to C 4F 8. CHF 3 is shown to enablemore » selective SiO 2/Si etching using a fluorocarbon (FC) film build up. Other critical process parameters investigated are the FC film thickness deposited per cycle, the ion energy, and the etch step length. Etching behavior and mechanisms are studied using in situ real time ellipsometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Silicon ALE shows less self-limitation than silicon oxide due to higher physical sputtering rates for the maximum ion energies used in this work, ranged from 20 to 30 eV. The surface chemistry is found to contain fluorinated silicon oxide during the etching of silicon. As a result, plasma parameters during ALE are studied using a Langmuir probe and establish the impact of precursor addition on plasma properties.« less

Alveolar air and oxidative metabolic demand during exercise in healthy adults: the role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the β2AR gene.

PubMed

Van Iterson, Erik H; Snyder, Eric M; Johnson, Bruce D

2017-11-01

The predominating β -adrenergic receptor subtype expressed on human alveolar tissue is the β 2 AR The homozygous arginine (Arg16Arg) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at codon 16 of the β 2 AR gene has been associated with abnormal β 2 AR function accompanied by decreased resting alveolar-capillary membrane gas-transfer in certain healthy adults. Although not previously studied in the context of the β 2 AR gene, pulmonary gas-transfer is also influenced by alveolar volume ( V A ) and with it the availability of alveolar surface area, particularly during exercise. Small V A implies less alveolar surface area available for O 2 transport. We tested the following hypothesis in healthy adults during exercise: compared with Gly16Gly and Arg16Gly β2AR genotypes, Arg16Arg will demonstrate reduced V A and ventilation ( V̇ A ) relative to V̇ E and oxidative metabolic demand. Age- BMI- and gender-matched groups of Arg16Arg ( N  = 16), Gly16Gly ( N  = 31), and Arg16Gly ( N  = 17) performed consecutive low (9-min, 40%-peak workload) and moderate (9-min, 75%-peak workload) intensity exercise. We derived V A and V̇ A using "ideal" alveolar equations via arterialized gases combined with breath-by-breath ventilation and gas-exchange measurements; whereas steady-state V̇ O 2 was used in metabolic equations to derive exercise economy (EC = workload÷ V̇ O 2 ). Variables at rest did not differ across β 2 AR genotype. Strongest β 2 AR genotype effects occurred during moderate exercise. Accordingly, while V̇ E did not differ across genotype ( P  > 0.05), decreased in Arg16Arg versus Arg16Gly and Gly16Gly were V̇ O 2 (1110 ± 263, 1269 ± 221, 1300 ± 319 mL/(min·m 2 ), respectively, both P  < 0.05), V̇ A (59 ± 21, 70 ± 16, 70 ± 21 L/min, respectively, both P  <   0.05), and V A (1.43 ± 0.37, 1.95 ± 0.61, 1.93 ± 0.65 L, respectively, both P  <   0.05). Also reduced was EC in Arg16Arg versus Arg16Gly ( P  <   0.05) and Gly16

Selective dry etching of III-V nitrides in Cl{sub 2}/Ar, CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar, ICi/Ar, and IBr/Ar

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

Vartuli, C.B.; Pearton, S.J.; MacKenzie, J.D.

1996-10-01

The selectivity for etching the binary (GaN, AlN, and InN) and ternary nitrides (InGaN and InAlN) relative to each other in Cl{sub 2}/Ar, CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar, ICl/Ar, or IBr/Ar electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas, and Cl{sub 2}/Ar or CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar reactive ion (RIE) plasmas was investigated. Cl-based etches appear to be the best choice for maximizing the selectivity of GaN over the other nitrides. GaN/AlN and GaN/InGaN etch rate ratios of {approximately} 10 were achieved at low RF power in Cl{sub 2}/Ar under ECR and RIE conditions, respectively. GaN/InN selectivity of 10 was found in ICl under ECR conditions.more » A relatively high selectivity (> 6) of InN/GaN was achieved in CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar under ECR conditions at low RF powers (50 W). Since the high bond strengths of the nitrides require either high ion energies or densities to achieve practical etch rates it is difficult to achieve high selectivities.« less

Thomson scattering diagnostics of decay processes of Ar/SF6 gas-blast arcs confined by a nozzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomita, Kentaro; Gojima, Daisuke; Nagai, Kazuhiko; Uchino, Kiichiro; Kamimae, Ryo; Tanaka, Yasunori; Suzuki, Katsumi; Iijima, Takanori; Uchii, Toshiyuki; Shinkai, Takeshi

2013-09-01

Because of its instability, it is difficult to measure precisely the electron density (ne) of a long-gap decaying arc discharge in a circuit breaker. However, it is well known that it is an essential parameter for the determination of success or failure of the current interruption in a circuit breaker. In this paper, the spatiotemporal evolutions of the electron density were successfully measured in decaying SF6 gas-blast arc discharges formed with a long gap (50 mm) in a confined nozzle using laser Thomson scattering. Pure Ar gas and an 80%Ar/20%SF6 mixture gas were used as the arc quenching media at atmospheric pressure. After reducing the current to zero, both the measured ne and arc radius in the Ar/SF6 gas arc clearly decayed more rapidly than in the pure Ar gas arc.

Ce doped NiO nanoparticles as selective NO2 gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawali, Swati R.; Patil, Vithoba L.; Deonikar, Virendrakumar G.; Patil, Santosh S.; Patil, Deepak R.; Patil, Pramod S.; Pant, Jayashree

2018-03-01

Metal oxide gas sensors are promising portable gas detection devices because of their advantages such as low cost, easy production and compact size. The performance of such sensors is strongly dependent on material properties such as morphology, structure and doping. In the present study, we report the effect of cerium (Ce) doping on nickel oxide (NiO) nano-structured thin film sensors towards various gases. Bare NiO and Ce doped NiO nanoparticles (Ce:NiO) were synthesized by sol-gel method. To understand the effect of Ce doping in nickel oxide, various molar percentages of Ce with respect to nickel were incorporated. The structure, phase, morphology and band-gap energy of as-synthesized nanoparticles were studied by XRD, SEM, EDAX and UV-vis spectroscopy. Thin film gas sensors of all the samples were prepared and subjected to various gases such as LPG, NH3, CH3COCH3 and NO2. A systematic and comparative study reveals an enhanced gas sensing performance of Ce:NiO sensors towards NO2 gas. The maximum sensitivity for NO2 gas is around 0.719% per ppm at moderate operating temperature of 150 °C for 0.5% Ce:NiO thin film gas sensor. The enhanced gas sensing performance for Ce:NiO is attributed to the distortion of crystal lattice caused by doping of Ce into NiO.

Concurrent estimates of carbon export reveal physical biases in ΔO2/Ar-based net community production estimates in the Southern California Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haskell, William Z.; Fleming, John C.

2018-07-01

Net community production (NCP) represents the amount of biologically-produced organic carbon that is available to be exported out of the surface ocean and is typically estimated using measurements of the O2/Ar ratio in the surface mixed layer under the assumption of negligible vertical transport. However, physical processes can significantly bias NCP estimates based on this in-situ tracer. It is actively debated whether discrepancies between O2/Ar-based NCP and carbon export estimates are due to differences in the location of biological production and export, or the result of physical biases. In this study, we calculate export production across the euphotic depth during two months of upwelling in Southern California in 2014, based on an estimate of the consumption rate of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and the dissolved: total organic carbon consumption ratio below the euphotic depth. This estimate equals the concurrent O2/Ar-based NCP estimates over the same period that are corrected for physical biases, but is significantly different than NCP estimated without a correction for vertical transport. This comparison demonstrates that concurrent physical transport estimates would significantly improve O2/Ar-based estimates of NCP, particularly in settings with vertical advection. Potential approaches to mitigate this bias are discussed.

Scalable fabrication of SnO2 thin films sensitized with CuO islands for enhanced H2S gas sensing performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Toan, Nguyen; Chien, Nguyen Viet; Van Duy, Nguyen; Vuong, Dang Duc; Lam, Nguyen Huu; Hoa, Nguyen Duc; Van Hieu, Nguyen; Chien, Nguyen Duc

2015-01-01

The detection of H2S, an important gaseous molecule that has been recently marked as a highly toxic environmental pollutant, has attracted increasing attention. We fabricate a wafer-scale SnO2 thin film sensitized with CuO islands using microelectronic technology for the improved detection of the highly toxic H2S gas. The SnO2-CuO island sensor exhibits significantly enhanced H2S gas response and reduced operating temperature. The thickness of CuO islands strongly influences H2S sensing characteristics, and the highest H2S gas response is observed with 20 nm-thick CuO islands. The response value (Ra/Rg) of the SnO2-CuO island sensor to 5 ppm H2S is as high as 128 at 200 °C and increases nearly 55-fold compared with that of the bare SnO2 thin film sensor. Meanwhile, the response of the SnO2-CuO island sensor to H2 (250 ppm), NH3 (250 ppm), CO (250 ppm), and LPG (1000 ppm) are low (1.3-2.5). The enhanced gas response and selectivity of the SnO2-CuO island sensor to H2S gas is explained by the sensitizing effect of CuO islands and the extension of electron depletion regions because of the formation of p-n junctions.

Plasma chemistry of NO in complex gas mixtures excited with a surfatron launcher.

PubMed

Hueso, J L; González-Elipe, A R; Cotrino, J; Caballero, A

2005-06-09

The plasma chemistry of NO has been investigated in gas mixtures with oxygen and/or hydrocarbon and Ar as carrier gas. Surface wave discharges operating at microwave frequencies have been used for this study. The different plasma reactions have been analyzed for a pressure range between 30 and 75 Torr. Differences in product concentration and/or reaction yields smaller than 10% were found as a function of this parameter. The following gas mixtures have been considered for investigation: Ar/NO, Ar/NO/O2, Ar/NO/CH4, Ar/CH4/O2, Ar/NO/CH4/O2. It is found that NO decomposes into N2 and O2, whereas other products such as CO, H2, and H2O are also formed when CH4 and O2 are present in the reaction mixture. Depending on the working conditions, other minority products such as HCN, CO2, and C2 or higher hydrocarbons have been also detected. The reaction of an Ar/NO plasma with deposits of solid carbon has also been studied. The experiments have provided useful information with respect to the possible removal of soot particles by this type of plasma. It has been shown that carbon deposits are progressively burned off by interaction with the plasma, and practically 100% decomposition of NO was found. Plasma intermediate species have been studied by optical emission spectroscopy (OES). Bands and/or peaks due to N2*, NO*, OH*, C2*, CN*, CH*, or H* were detected with different relative intensities depending on the gas mixture. From the analysis of both the reaction products and efficiency and the type of intermediate species detected by OES, different plasma reactions and processes are proposed to describe the plasma chemistry of NO in each particular mixture of gases. The results obtained provide interesting insights about the plasma removal of NO in real gas exhausts.

40Ar/ 39Ar ages and paleomagnetism of São Miguel lavas, Azores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Catherine L.; Wijbrans, Jan R.; Constable, Catherine G.; Gee, Jeff; Staudigel, Hubert; Tauxe, Lisa; Forjaz, Victor-H.; Salgueiro, Mário

1998-08-01

We present new 40Ar/ 39Ar ages and paleomagnetic data for São Miguel island, Azores. Paleomagnetic samples were obtained for 34 flows and one dike; successful mean paleomagnetic directions were obtained for 28 of these 35 sites. 40Ar/ 39Ar age determinations on 12 flows from the Nordeste complex were attempted successfully: ages obtained are between 0.78 Ma and 0.88 Ma, in contrast to published K-Ar ages of 1 Ma to 4 Ma. Our radiometric ages are consistent with the reverse polarity paleomagnetic field directions, and indicate that the entire exposed part of the Nordeste complex is of a late Matuyama age. The duration of volcanism across São Miguel is significantly less than previously believed, which has important implications for regional melt generation processes, and temporal sampling of the geomagnetic field. Observed stable isotope and trace element trends across the island can be explained, at least in part, by communication between different magma source regions at depth. The 40Ar/ 39Ar ages indicate that our normal polarity paleomagnetic data sample at least 0.1 Myr (0-0.1 Ma) and up to 0.78 Myr (0-0.78 Ma) of paleosecular variation and our reverse polarity data sample approximately 0.1 Myr (0.78-0.88 Ma) of paleosecular variation. Our results demonstrate that precise radiometric dating of numerous flows sampled is essential to accurate inferences of long-term geomagnetic field behavior. Negative inclination anomalies are observed for both the normal and reverse polarity time-averaged field. Within the data uncertainties, normal and reverse polarity field directions are antipodal, but the reverse polarity field shows a significant deviation from a geocentric axial dipole direction.

Hexavalent chromium content in stainless steel welding fumes is dependent on the welding process and shield gas type.

PubMed

Keane, Michael; Stone, Samuel; Chen, Bean; Slaven, James; Schwegler-Berry, Diane; Antonini, James

2009-02-01

Occupational exposure to welding fumes is a known health hazard. To isolate elements in stainless steel welding fumes with high potential for adverse health outcomes, fumes were generated using a robotic gas metal arc system, using four shield gases of varying oxygen content. The objective was to measure Cr(VI) concentrations in a broad spectrum of gas metal arc welding processes, and identify processes of exceptionally high or low Cr(VI) content. The gases used were 95% Ar/5% O(2), 98% Ar/2% O(2), 95% Ar/5%CO(2), and 75% He/25% Ar. The welder was operated in axial spray mode (Ar/O(2), Ar/CO(2)), short-circuit (SC) mode (Ar/CO(2) low voltage and He/Ar), and pulsed axial-spray mode (98% Ar/2% O(2)). Results indicate large differences in Cr(VI) in the fumes, with Ar/O(2) (Pulsed)>Ar/O(2)>Ar/CO(2)>Ar/CO(2) (SC)>He/Ar; values were 3000+/-300, 2800+/-85, 2600+/-120, 1400+/-190, and 320+/-290 ppm respectively (means +/- standard errors for 2 runs and 3 replicates per run). Respective rates of Cr(VI) generation were 1.5, 3.2, 4.4, 1.3, and 0.46 microg/min; generation rates were also calculated in terms of microg Cr(VI) per metre of wire used. The generation rates of Cr(VI) increased with increasing O(3) concentrations. Particle size measurements indicated similar distributions, but somewhat higher >0.6 microm fractions for the short-circuit mode samples. Fumes were also sampled into 2 selected size ranges, a microspatter fraction (>or=0.6 microm) and a fine (<0.6 microm) fraction; analysis indicated that Cr(VI) is primarily associated with particles <0.6 microm. The conclusion of the study is that Cr(VI) concentrations vary significantly with welding type and shield gas type, and this presents an opportunity to tailor welding practices to lessen Cr(VI) exposures in workplaces by selecting low Cr(VI)-generating processes. Short-circuit processes generated less Cr(VI) than axial-spray methods, and inert gas shielding gave lower Cr(VI) content than shielding with active

Effect of template post-annealing on Y(Dy)BaCuO nucleation on CeO2 buffered metallic tapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Xuefeng; Zhong, Yun; Zhong, Huaxiao; Fan, Feng; Sang, Lina; Li, Mengyao; Fang, Qiang; Zheng, Jiahui; Song, Haoyu; Lu, Yuming; Liu, Zhiyong; Bai, Chuanyi; Guo, Yanqun; Cai, Chuanbing

2017-08-01

Substrate engineering is very significant in the synthesis of the high-temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductor. Here we design and synthesize several distinct and stable Cerium oxide (CeO2) surface reconstructions which are used to grow epitaxial films of the HTS YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO). To identify the influence of annealing and post-annealing surroundings on the nature of nucleation centers, including Ar/5%H2, humid Ar/5%H2 and O2 in high temperature annealing process, we study the well-controlled structure, surface morphology, crystal constants and surface redox processes of the ceria buffers by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and field-emission scanning electronic microscopy (FE-SEM), respectively. The ceria film post-annealed under humid Ar/5%H2 gas shows the best buffer layer properties. Furthermore, the film absorbs more oxygen ions, which appears to contribute to oxygenation of superconductor film. The film is well-suited for ceria model studies as well as a perfect substitute for CeO2 bulk material.

(18)O(2) label mechanism of sulfur generation and characterization in properties over mesoporous Sm-based sorbents for hot coal gas desulfurization.

PubMed

Liu, B S; Wan, Z Y; Wang, F; Zhan, Y P; Tian, M; Cheung, A S C

2014-02-28

Using a sol-gel method, SmMeOx/MCM-41 or SBA-15 (Me=Fe, Co and Zn) and corresponding unsupported sorbents were prepared. The desulfurization performance of these sorbents was evaluated over a fixed-bed reactor and the effects of reaction temperature, feed and sorbent composition on desulfurization performance were studied. Samarium-based sorbents used to remove H2S from hot coal gas were reported for the first time. The results of successive sulfidation/regeneration cycles revealed that SmFeO3/SBA-15 sorbent was suitable for desulfurization of hot coal gas in the chemical industry. The formation of elemental sulfur during both sulfidation and regeneration processes depended strongly on the catalytic action of Sm2O2S species, which was confirmed for the first time via high sensitive time of flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS) using 6%vol(18)O2/Ar regeneration gas and can reduce markedly procedural complexity. The sorbents were characterized using N2-adsorption, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction of H2 (H2-TPR), thermogravimetry (TG) and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) techniques. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gas-sensing enhancement methods for hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yalei; Zhang, Wenlong; Yang, Bin; Liu, Jingquan; Chen, Xiang; Wang, Xiaolin; Yang, Chunsheng

2017-11-01

Gas sensing for hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based gas sensors can be enhanced in three ways: structural improvement, composition optimization, and processing improvement. There have been zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and three-dimensional structures reported in the literature. Controllable synthesis of different structures has been deployed to increase specific surface area. Change of composition would intensively tailor the SnO2 structure, which affected the gas-sensing performance. Furthermore, doping and compounding methods have been adopted to promote gas-sensing performance by adjusting surface conditions of SnO2 crystals and constructing heterojunctions. As for processing area, it is very important to find the optimal reaction time and temperature. In this paper, a gas-solid reaction rate constant was proposed to evaluate gas-sensing properties and find an excellent hydrothermal synthesized SnO2-based gas sensor.

POSTFLAME BEHAVIOR OF NITROGENOUS SPECIES IN THE PRESENCE OF FUEL SULFUR: I. RICH, MOIST, CO/AR/O2

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of experimental measurements of NO, N2, and other nitrogenous species in the postflame games of rich (phi = 2.17) premixed laminar CO/Ar/O2 (trace H2) flames, with fuel nitrogen as NO, C2N2, and NH3 and fuel sulfur as SO2, which allowed the nitrogen balanc...

Ternary recombination of H3+, H2D+, HD2+, and D3+ with electrons in He/Ar/H2/D2 gas mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalosi, Abel; Dohnal, Petr; Plasil, Radek; Johnsen, Rainer; Glosik, Juraj

2016-09-01

The temperature dependence of the ternary recombination rate coefficients of H2D+ and HD2+ ions has been studied in the temperature range of 80-150 K at pressures from 500 to 1700 Pa in a stationary afterglow apparatus equipped with a cavity ring-down spectrometer. Neutral gas mixtures consisting of He/Ar/H2/D2 (with typical number densities 1017 /1014 /1014 /1014 cm-3) were employed to produce the desired ionic species and their fractional abundances were monitored as a function of helium pressure and the [D2]/[H2] ratio of the neutral gas. In addition, the translational and the rotational temperature and the ortho to para ratio were monitored for both H2D+ and HD2+ ions. A fairly strong pressure dependence of the effective recombination rate coefficient was observed for both ion species, leading to ternary recombination rate coefficients close to those previously found for (helium assisted) ternary recombination of H3+ and D3+. Work supported by: Czech Science Foundation projects GACR 14-14649P, GACR 15-15077S, GACR P209/12/0233, and by Charles University in Prague Project Nr. GAUK 692214.

MnFe2O4 as a gas sensor towards SO2 and NO2 gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathore, Deepshikha; Mitra, Supratim

2016-05-01

The chemical co-precipitation method was used to synthesize MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. Single cubic phase formation of nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffraction technique. The average particle size of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles was found to be 10.7 nm using Scherrer formula. The ultrafine powder of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles was pressed to design pellet of 10 mm diameter and 1mm thickness. Copper electrodes have been deposited on the surface of pellet using silver paste in the form of capacitor. Fabricated gas sensing device of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles was tested towards SO2 and NO2 gases. Cole-Cole plot of MnFe2O4 was investigated with the help of electrochemical workstation. The performance of the sensors including sensitivity, response and recovery time was also determined. It was observed that the MnFe2O4 nanoparticles are more sensible for NO2 gas as compared to SO2 gas.

A closer look at 40Ar/39Ar systematics of illite, recoil, retention ages, total gas ages, and a new correction method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitz-Diaz, E.; Hall, C. M.; van der Pluijm, B.

2013-12-01

One of the fundamentals of 40Ar-39Ar systematics of illite considers the effects of 39Ar recoil (ejection of 39Ar from tiny illite crystallites during the nuclear reaction 39K(n,p)39Ar), for which sample vacuum encapsulation prior to irradiation has been used since the 1990's. This technique separately measures the fraction of recoiled 39Ar and the Ar (39Ar and 40Ar) retained within illite crystals as they degas during step heating in vacuum. Total-gas ages (TGA) are calculated by using both recoiled and retained argon, while retention ages (RA) only involve retained Ar. Observations in numerous natural examples have shown that TGA fit stratigraphic constraints of geological processes when the average illite crystallite thickness (ICT) is smaller than 10nm, and that RA better matches these constrains for larger ICTs. Illite crystals with ICT >50nm show total gas and retention ages within a few My and they are identical, within analytical error, when ICT exceeds 150nm. We propose a new age correction that takes into account the average ICT and corresponding recoil for a sample , with such corrected ages (XCA) lying between the TGA and RA end-member ages. We apply this correction to samples containing one generation of illite and it particularly affects illite populations formed in the anchizone, with typical ICT values between 10-40nm. We analyzed bentonitic samples (S1, S2 and S3) from sites in Cretaceous carbonates in the front of the Monterrey salient in northern Mexico. Four size fractions (<0.05, 0.05-0.2, 0.2-1 & 1-2 μm) were separated, analyzed with XRD and dated by Ar-Ar. XRD analysis provides mineralogic characterization, illite polytype quantification, and illite crystallite thickness (ICT) determination using half-height peak width (illite crystallinity) and the Scherrer equation. All samples contain illite as the main mineral phase, ICT values between 8-27nm, from fine to coarser grain size fractions. Ages show a range in TGA among the different size

A novel ethanol gas sensor based on TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuan; Liu, Lixin; Meng, Chuanmin; Zhou, Yun; Gao, Zhao; Li, Xuhai; Cao, Xiuxia; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Wenjun

2016-01-01

Much greater surface-to-volume ratio of hierarchical nanostructures renders them attract considerable interest as prototypical gas sensors. In this work, a novel resistive gas sensor based on TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures is fabricated by a facile one-step synthetic process and the ethanol sensing performance of this device is characterized systematically, which shows faster response/recovery behavior, better selectivity, and higher sensitivity of about 9 times as compared to the pure TiO2 nanofibers. The enhanced sensitivity of the TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures should be attributed to the extraordinary branched hierarchical structures and TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 heterojunctions, which can eventually result in an obvious change of resistance upon ethanol exposure. This study not only indicates the gas sensing mechanism for performance enhancement of branched nanoheterostructures, but also proposes a rational approach to design nanostructure based chemical sensors with desirable performance. PMID:27615429

A novel ethanol gas sensor based on TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuan; Liu, Lixin; Meng, Chuanmin; Zhou, Yun; Gao, Zhao; Li, Xuhai; Cao, Xiuxia; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Wenjun

2016-09-01

Much greater surface-to-volume ratio of hierarchical nanostructures renders them attract considerable interest as prototypical gas sensors. In this work, a novel resistive gas sensor based on TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures is fabricated by a facile one-step synthetic process and the ethanol sensing performance of this device is characterized systematically, which shows faster response/recovery behavior, better selectivity, and higher sensitivity of about 9 times as compared to the pure TiO2 nanofibers. The enhanced sensitivity of the TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures should be attributed to the extraordinary branched hierarchical structures and TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 heterojunctions, which can eventually result in an obvious change of resistance upon ethanol exposure. This study not only indicates the gas sensing mechanism for performance enhancement of branched nanoheterostructures, but also proposes a rational approach to design nanostructure based chemical sensors with desirable performance.

Discharge dynamics and plasma density recovery by on/off switches of additional gas

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

Lee, Hyo-Chang, E-mail: lhc@kriss.re.kr; Department of Electrical Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763; Kwon, Deuk-Chul

2016-06-15

Measurement of the plasma density is investigated to study plasma dynamics by adding reactive gas (O{sub 2}) or rare gas (He) in Ar plasmas. When the O{sub 2} or He gas is added, plasma density is suddenly decreased, while the plasma density recovers slowly with gas off. It is found that the recovery time is strongly dependent on the gas flow rate, and it can be explained by effect of gas residence time. When the He gas is off in the Ar plasma, the plasma density is overshot compared to the case of the O{sub 2} gas pulsing due tomore » enhanced ionizations by metastable atoms. Analysis and calculation for correlation between the plasma density dynamics and the gas pulsing are also presented in detail.« less

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of an Idealized Shock Tube: N2 in Ar Bath Driven by He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piskulich, Ezekiel Ashe; Sewell, Thomas D.; Thompson, Donald L.

2015-06-01

The dynamics of 10% N2 in Ar initially at 298 K in an idealized shock tube driven by He was studied using molecular dynamics. The simulations were performed using the Large-Scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) code. Nitrogen was modeled as a Morse oscillator and non-covalent interactions were approximated by the Buckingham exponential-6 pair potential. The initial pressures in the He driver gas and the driven N2/Ar gas were 1000 atm and 20 atm, respectively. Microcanonical trajectories were followed for 2 ns following release of the driver gas. Results for excitation and subsequent relaxation of the N2, as well as properties of the gas during the simulations, will be reported.

Etching Characteristics of VO2 Thin Films Using Inductively Coupled Cl2/Ar Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ham, Yong-Hyun; Efremov, Alexander; Min, Nam-Ki; Lee, Hyun Woo; Yun, Sun Jin; Kwon, Kwang-Ho

2009-08-01

A study on both etching characteristics and mechanism of VO2 thin films in the Cl2/Ar inductively coupled plasma was carried. The variable parameters were gas pressure (4-10 mTorr) and input power (400-700 W) at fixed bias power of 150 W and initial mixture composition of 25% Cl2 + 75% Ar. It was found that an increase in both gas pressure and input power results in increasing VO2 etch rate while the etch selectivity over photoresist keeps a near to constant values. Plasma diagnostics by Langmuir probes and zero-dimensional plasma model provided the data on plasma parameters, steady-state densities and fluxes of active species on the etched surface. The model-based analysis of the etch mechanism showed that, for the given ranges of operating conditions, the VO2 etch kinetics corresponds to the transitional regime of ion-assisted chemical reaction and is influenced by both neutral and ion fluxes with a higher sensitivity to the neutral flux.

Highly selective SiO2 etching over Si3N4 using a cyclic process with BCl3 and fluorocarbon gas chemistries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsui, Miyako; Kuwahara, Kenichi

2018-06-01

A cyclic process for highly selective SiO2 etching with atomic-scale precision over Si3N4 was developed by using BCl3 and fluorocarbon gas chemistries. This process consists of two alternately performed steps: a deposition step using BCl3 mixed-gas plasma and an etching step using CF4/Ar mixed-gas plasma. The mechanism of the cyclic process was investigated by analyzing the surface chemistry at each step. BCl x layers formed on both SiO2 and Si3N4 surfaces in the deposition step. Early in the etching step, the deposited BCl x layers reacted with CF x radicals by forming CCl x and BF x . Then, fluorocarbon films were deposited on both surfaces in the etching step. We found that the BCl x layers formed in the deposition step enhanced the formation of the fluorocarbon films in the CF4 plasma etching step. In addition, because F radicals that radiated from the CF4 plasma reacted with B atoms while passing through the BCl x layers, the BCl x layers protected the Si3N4 surface from F-radical etching. The deposited layers, which contained the BCl x , CCl x , and CF x components, became thinner on SiO2 than on Si3N4, which promoted the ion-assisted etching of SiO2. This is because the BCl x component had a high reactivity with SiO2, and the CF x component was consumed by the etching reaction with SiO2.

Fluid inclusion volatile analysis by gas chromatography with photoionization micro-thermal conductivity detectors: Applications to magmatic MoS 2 and other H 2O-CO 2 and H 2O-CH 4 fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bray, C. J.; Spooner, E. T. C.

1992-01-01

Eighteen fluid inclusion volatile peaks have been detected and identified from 1-2 g samples (quartz) by gas chromatography using heated (~105°C) on-line crushing, helium carrier gas, a single porous polymer column (HayeSep R; 10' × 1/8″: 100/120#; Ni alloy tubing), two temperature programme conditions for separate sample aliquots, micro-thermal conductivity (TCD) and photoionization detectors (PID; 11.7 eV lamp), and off-line digital peak processing. In order of retention time these volatile peaks are: N 2, Ar, CO, CH 4, CO 2, C 2H 4, C 2H 6, C 2H 2, COS, C 3H 6, C 3H 8, C 3H 4 (propyne), H 2O (22.7 min at 80°C), SO 2, ± iso- C4H10 ± C4H8 (1-butene) ± CH3SH, C 4H 8 (iso-butylene), (?) C 4H 6 (1,3 butadiene) and ± n- C4H10 ± C4H8 (trans-2-butene) (80 and -70°C temperature programme conditions combined). H 2O is analysed directly. O 2 can be analysed cryogenically between N 2 and Ar, but has not been detected in natural samples to date in this study. H 2S, SO 2, NH 3, HCl, HCN, and H 2 ca nnot be analysed at present. Blanks determined by crushing heat-treated Brazilian quartz (800-900°C/4 h) are zero for 80°C temperature programme conditions, except for a large, unidentified peak at ~64 min, but contain H 2O, CO 2, and some low molecular weight hydrocarbons at -70°C temperature conditions due to cryogenic accumulation from the carrier gas and subsequent elution. TCD detection limits are ~30 ppm molar in inclusions; PID detection limits are ~ 1 ppm molar in inclusions and lower for unsaturated hydrocarbons (e.g., ~0.2 ppm for C 2H 4; ~ 1 ppb for C 2H 2; ~0.3 ppb for C 3H 6). Precisions (1σ) are ~ ±1-2% and ~ ± 13% for H 2O in terms of total moles detected; the latter value is equivalent to ±0.6 mol% at the 95 mol% H 2O level. Major fluid inclusion volatile species have been successfully analysed on a ~50 mg fluid inclusion section chip (~7 mm × ~10 mm × ~100 μm). Initial inclusion volatile analyses of fluids of interpreted magmatic origin from

Effect of TiO2 on the Gas Sensing Features of TiO2/PANi Nanocomposites

PubMed Central

Huyen, Duong Ngoc; Tung, Nguyen Trong; Thien, Nguyen Duc; Thanh, Le Hai

2011-01-01

A nanocomposite of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and polyaniline (PANi) was synthesized by in-situ chemical polymerization using aniline (ANi) monomer and TiCl4 as precursors. SEM pictures show that the nanocomposite was created in the form of long PANi chains decorated with TiO2 nanoparticles. FTIR, Raman and UV-Vis spectra reveal that the PANi component undergoes an electronic structure modification as a result of the TiO2 and PANi interaction. The electrical resistor of the nanocomposite is highly sensitive to oxygen and NH3 gas, accounting for the physical adsorption of these gases. A nanocomposite with around 55% TiO2 shows an oxygen sensitivity of 600–700%, 20–25 times higher than that of neat PANi. The n-p contacts between TiO2 nanoparticles and PANi matrix give rise to variety of shallow donors and acceptor levels in the PANi band gap which enhance the physical adsorption of gas molecules. PMID:22319389

Alteration of natural (37)Ar activity concentration in the subsurface by gas transport and water infiltration.

PubMed

Guillon, Sophie; Sun, Yunwei; Purtschert, Roland; Raghoo, Lauren; Pili, Eric; Carrigan, Charles R

2016-05-01

High (37)Ar activity concentration in soil gas is proposed as a key evidence for the detection of underground nuclear explosion by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. However, such a detection is challenged by the natural background of (37)Ar in the subsurface, mainly due to Ca activation by cosmic rays. A better understanding and improved capability to predict (37)Ar activity concentration in the subsurface and its spatial and temporal variability is thus required. A numerical model integrating (37)Ar production and transport in the subsurface is developed, including variable soil water content and water infiltration at the surface. A parameterized equation for (37)Ar production in the first 15 m below the surface is studied, taking into account the major production reactions and the moderation effect of soil water content. Using sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification, a realistic and comprehensive probability distribution of natural (37)Ar activity concentrations in soil gas is proposed, including the effects of water infiltration. Site location and soil composition are identified as the parameters allowing for a most effective reduction of the possible range of (37)Ar activity concentrations. The influence of soil water content on (37)Ar production is shown to be negligible to first order, while (37)Ar activity concentration in soil gas and its temporal variability appear to be strongly influenced by transient water infiltration events. These results will be used as a basis for practical CTBTO concepts of operation during an OSI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Substituent effect in spin-crossover behavior of iron(II)-Ar-pybox complexes (Ar-pybox = 4-aryl-2,6-bis(oxazolin-2-yl)pyridine)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimura, Akifumi; Ishida, Takayuki

2018-01-01

Spin-crossover (SCO) is a reversible transition between low-spin (LS) and high-spin (HS) states by external stimuli like heat. The SCO behavior of [Fe(Ar-pybox)2](ClO4)2 was investigated, where Ar-pybox stands for 4-aryl-2,6-bis(oxazolin-2-yl)pyridine with Ar = 4-pyridyl (4Py), 3-thienyl (3Th), and phenyl (Ph). They were characterized by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction study, being consistent with the results of the magnetic measurements. The SCO temperatures (T1/2) in the polycrystalline state were determined to be 360 and 230 K for Ar = 4Py and Ph, respectively. The 3Th derivative possessed a HS state in all the temperature range. The solution susceptometry was also performed to purge intermolecular interaction and rigid crystal lattice effects, affording T1/2 = 310, 240, and 240 K for Ar = 4Py, 3Th, and Ph, respectively, in acetone. The substituent effect analysis using the Hammett substituent constant (σp) clarified that electron-withdrawing groups raise T1/2. A plausible model describing the substituent effect on T1/2 is proposed based on d-π interaction. The present result is regarded as a successful example of crystal field engineering.

Fabrication of Nanocomposites of SnO2 and MgAl2O4 for Gas Sensing Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nithyavathy, N.; Arunmetha, S.; Vinoth, M.; Sriram, G.; Rajendran, V.

2016-04-01

Simple solid-state and sol-gel routes have been used to synthesize nanocomposites of tin oxide and magnesium aluminate at calcination temperature of 900 K for gas sensing applications. The effects of the surface structure of magnesium aluminate on the gas response for different concentrations of tin oxide addition were investigated for potential use in gas sensors. (SnO2) x doped in small amounts x into magnesium aluminate resulted in three nanocomposite samples MAS0.25, MAS0.50, and MAS0.75 for x = 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75, respectively, plus MgAl2O4 (MA) for x = 0. The response to different pressures of gases such as oxygen (O2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ethanol (C2H5OH) was quantitatively analyzed for all samples at different operating temperatures. The temperature was varied linearly by increasing the supply to a heating pad mounted below the sensor sample, regardless of the gas pressure inside the chamber. All the sample materials showed good response at different gas pressures (1 bar to 2 bar) and operating temperatures (300 K to 600 K). It was noted that the composite samples showed enhanced and fast response to gases, at both lower and higher operating temperatures, with detection of even the smallest change in gas pressure.

JOINT ACTION OF O3 AND SO2 IN MODIFYING PLANT GAS EXCHANGE

EPA Science Inventory

The joint action of O3 and SO2 stress on plants was investigated. Gas exchange measurements of O3, SO2, and H2O vapor were made for garden pea. Plants were grown under controlled environments; O3, SO2, H2O vapor fluxes were evaluated with a whole-plant gas exchange chamber using ...

``Smoking From The Same Pipe": Developement of an 40Ar/39Ar Datting Intercalibration PIpette System (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrin, B. D.; Swisher, C. C.; Deino, A.; Hemming, S. R.; Hodges, K.; Renne, P. R.

2010-12-01

The precision and accuracy of Ar isotope ratio measurements is one of the main limiting factors in the uncertainties of an 40Ar/39Ar age. Currently, it is relatively common to measure Ar isotopic ratios to a precision of 1-2‰ or better on an intralaboratory basis. This level of analytical precision equates to a comparable level of precision (1-3‰) in the calculated age, depending on the extent of atmospheric Ar contamination, importance of nucleogenic interference corrections, and other factors. However, it has become clear that improving the precision of mass spectrometry is not the only bottleneck towards improving the accuracy and precision of 40Ar/39Ar dating in general. Rather, the most urgent issue is interlaboratory reproducibility. This became obvious in a recent EARTHTIME initiative undertaken to intercalibrate two commonly used 40Ar/39Ar standards [the Fish Canyon sanidine (FCs) and the Alder Creek sanidine (ACs)]. This effort revealed variations amongst laboratories (at the 1-2% level), an order of magnitude greater than the internal analytical precisions. To address these issues, we have proposed (to NSF) to construct two identical pipette systems loaded to identical starting pressures and with identical isotopic compositions. One pipette system will travel between participating 40Ar/39Ar labs and the second system will not travel and serve as the “Master” system to test for any fractionation or undocumented depletion of the traveling pipette system. In order to ensure delivery of uniform amounts of homogenous gas, the pipette system will be computer-controlled with preprogrammed routines and lockouts to prevent compromising the reservoirs. The pipette systems will deliver three gas samples with different isotopic ratios at two different pressures/concentrations. One pipette bulb will be of atmospheric isotopic composition, and the other two pipette bulbs will have 40Ar*/39ArK ratios corresponding to co-irradiated ACs and FCs fixed by their

First-principles calibration of 40Ar/39Ar mineral standards and complete extraction of 40Ar* from sanidine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, L. E.; Kuiper, K.; Mark, D.; Postma, O.; Villa, I. M.; Wijbrans, J. R.

2010-12-01

. The sensitivity of each participating mass spectrometer will be calibrated by the bracketing standards approach, alternating measurements of pipette gas and mineral standards. This will convert relative abundances into absolute molar quantities and allow for quantification of interlaboratory systematic bias. Uncertainty propagation indicates uncertainties of the molar quantity of 40Ar in mineral standards will be < 0.25% (2σ), a considerable improvement of one component of the uncertainties involved in 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° [215458].

Ion mass spectrometry investigations of the discharge during reactive high power pulsed and direct current magnetron sputtering of carbon in Ar and Ar/N{sub 2}

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

Schmidt, S.; Greczynski, G.; Jensen, J.

2012-07-01

Ion mass spectrometry was used to investigate discharges formed during high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) of a graphite target in Ar and Ar/N{sub 2} ambient. Ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) were recorded in time-averaged and time-resolved mode for Ar{sup +}, C{sup +}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, N{sup +}, and C{sub x}N{sub y}{sup +} ions. An increase of N{sub 2} in the sputter gas (keeping the deposition pressure, pulse width, pulse frequency, and pulse energy constant) results for the HiPIMS discharge in a significant increase in C{sup +}, N{sup +}, and CN{sup +} ion energies.more » Ar{sup +}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, and C{sub 2}N{sup +} ion energies, in turn, did not considerably vary with the changes in working gas composition. The HiPIMS process showed higher ion energies and fluxes, particularly for C{sup +} ions, compared to DCMS. The time evolution of the plasma species was analyzed for HiPIMS and revealed the sequential arrival of working gas ions, ions ejected from the target, and later during the pulse-on time molecular ions, in particular CN{sup +} and C{sub 2}N{sup +}. The formation of fullerene-like structured CN{sub x} thin films for both modes of magnetron sputtering is explained by ion mass-spectrometry results and demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy as well as diffraction.« less

A high-response ethanol gas sensor based on one-dimensional TiO2/V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuan; Zhou, Yun; Meng, Chuanmin; Gao, Zhao; Cao, Xiuxia; Li, Xuhai; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Wenjun; Peng, Xusheng; Zhang, Botao; Lin, Yifeng; Liu, Lixin

2016-10-01

Hierarchical nanostructures with much increased surface-to-volume ratio have been of significant interest for prototypical gas sensors. Herein we report a novel resistive gas sensor based on TiO2/V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures fabricated by a facile one-step synthetic process, in which well-matched energy levels induced by the formation of effective heterojunctions between TiO2 and V2O5, a large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and complete electron depletion for the V2O5 nanobranches induced by the branched-nanofiber structures are all beneficial to the change of resistance upon ethanol exposure. As a result, the ethanol sensing performance of this device shows a lower operating temperature, faster response/recovery behavior, better selectivity and about seven times higher sensitivity compared with pure TiO2 nanofibers. This study not only confirms the gas sensing mechanism for performing enhancement of branched nanoheterostructures, but also proposes a rational approach to the design of nanostructure-based chemical sensors with desirable performance.

The structure of liquid UO2-x in reducing gas atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alderman, O. L. G.; Benmore, C. J.; Weber, J. K. R.; Skinner, L. B.; Tamalonis, A. J.; Sendelbach, S.; Hebden, A.; Williamson, M. A.

2017-02-01

High energy X-ray diffraction experiments performed on hypostoichiometric UO2-x liquids in reducing gas mixtures of 95%Ar:5%CO and 95%Ar:5%H2 are compared to that conducted in a pure Ar atmosphere [Skinner et al., Science 346, 984 (2014)]. The measurements are pertinent to severe accident scenarios at nuclear reactors, where core melts can encounter reducing conditions and further shed light on the oxide chemistry of the low valence states of uranium, particularly U(III), which become stable only at very high temperatures and low oxygen potentials. The radioactive samples were melted by floating small spheres of material using an aerodynamic levitator and heating with a laser beam. In the more reducing environments, a 1.7% shift to lower Q-values is observed in the position of the principal peak of the measured X-ray structure factors, compared to the more oxidizing Ar environment. This corresponds to an equivalent elongation in the U-U nearest neighbor distances and the U-U periodicity. The U-O peak (modal) bond-length, as measured from the real-space total correlation functions, is also observed to expand by 0.9-1.6% under reducing conditions, consistent with the presence of 15-27% U3+ cations, assuming constant U-O coordination number. The slightly larger U-U elongation, as compared to the U-O elongation, is interpreted as a slight increase in U-O-U bond angles. Difficulties concerning the determination of the hypostoichiometry, x, are discussed, along with the future directions for related research.

The structure of liquid UO 2-x in reducing gas atmospheres

DOE PAGES

Alderman, O. L. G.; Benmore, C. J.; Weber, J. K. R.; ...

2017-02-22

High energy X-ray diffraction experiments performed on hypostoichiometric UO 2-x liquids in reducing gas mixtures of 95%Ar:5%CO and 95%Ar:5%H 2 are compared to that conducted in a pure Ar atmosphere [Skinner et al., Science 346, 984 (2014)]. The measurements are pertinent to severe accident scenarios at nuclear reactors, where core melts can encounter reducing conditions and further shed light on the oxide chemistry of the low valence states of uranium, particularly U(III), which become stable only at very high temperatures and low oxygen potentials. The radioactive samples were melted by floating small spheres of material using an aerodynamic levitator andmore » heating with a laser beam. In the more reducing environments, a 1.7% shift to lower Q-values is observed in the position of the principal peak of the measured X-ray structure factors, compared to the more oxidizing Ar environment. This corresponds to an equivalent elongation in the U-U nearest neighbor distances and the U-U periodicity. The U-O peak (modal) bond-length, as measured from the real-space total correlation functions, is also observed to expand by 0.9–1.6% under reducing conditions, consistent with the presence of 15–27% U 3+ cations, assuming constant U-O coordination number. The slightly larger U-U elongation, as compared to the U-O elongation, is interpreted as a slight increase in U-O-U bond angles. Difficulties concerning the determination of the hypostoichiometry, x, are discussed, along with the future directions for related research.« less

High rate dry etching of InGaZnO by BCl3/O2 plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Wanjae; Whang, Ki-Woong; Gwang Yoon, Young; Hwan Kim, Jeong; Rha, Sang-Ho; Seong Hwang, Cheol

2011-08-01

This paper reports the results of the high-rate dry etching of indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) at room temperature using BCl3/O2 plasma. We achieved an etch rate of 250 nm/min. We inferred from the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis that BOx or BOClx radicals generated from BCl3/O2 plasma cause the etching of the IGZO material. O2 initiates the etching of IGZO, and Ar removes nonvolatile byproducts from the surface during the etching process. Consequently, a smooth etched surface results when these gases are added to the etch gas.

Direct Measurement of Recoil Effects on Ar-Ar Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, C. M.

2011-12-01

Advances in the precision possible with the Ar-Ar method using new techniques and equipment have led to considerable effort to improve the accuracy of the calibration of interlaboratory standards. However, ultimately the accuracy of the method relies on the measurement of 40Ar*/39ArK ratios on primary standards that have been calibrated with the K-Ar method and, in turn, on secondary standards that are calibrated against primary standards. It is usually assumed that an Ar-Ar total gas age is equivalent to a K-Ar age, but this assumes that there is zero loss of Ar due to recoil. Instead, traditional Ar-Ar total gas ages are in fact Ar retention ages [1] and not, strictly speaking, comparable to K-Ar ages. There have been efforts to estimate the importance of this effect on standards along with prescriptions for minimizing recoil effects [2,3], but these studies have relied on indirect evidence for 39Ar recoil. We report direct measurements of 39Ar recoil for a set of primary and secondary standards using the vacuum encapsulation techniques of [1] and show that significant adjustments to ages assigned to some standards may be needed. The fraction f of 39Ar lost due to recoil for primary standards MMhb-1 hornblende and GA-1550 biotite are 0.00367 and 0.00314 respectively. It is possible to modify the assumed K-Ar ages of these standards so that when using their measured Ar retention 40Ar*/39ArK ratios, one obtains a correct K-Ar age for an unknown, assuming that the unknown sample has zero loss of 39Ar due to recoil. Assuming a primary K-Ar age for MMhb-1 of 520.4 Ma, the modified age would be 522.1 Ma and assuming a primary K-Ar age for GA-1550 of 98.79 Ma [4] yields a modified effective age of 99.09 Ma. Measured f values for secondary standards FCT-3 biotite, FCT-2 sanidine and TCR-2 sanidine are 0.00932, 0.00182 and 0.00039 respectively. Using an R value for FCT-3 biotite relative to MMhb-1 [5], the K-Ar age for this standard would be 27.83 Ma and using R values

High temperature infrared absorption cross sections of methane near 3.4 µm in Ar and CO 2 mixtures

DOE PAGES

Koroglu, Batikan; Neupane, Sneha; Pryor, Owen; ...

2017-11-04

In this study, the absorption cross-sections of CH 4 at two wavelengths in the mid-IR region: λ peak = 3403.4 nm and λ valley = 3403.7 nm were measured. Data were taken using three different compositions of non-reactive gas mixtures comprising CH 4/Ar/CO 2 between 700 < T < 2000 K and 0.1 < P < 1.5 atm in a shock tube utilizing a continuous-wave distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser. Also, broadband room temperature methane cross section measurements were performed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and the cascade laser to gain a better insight into the changes of the linemore » shapes in various bath gasses (Ar, CO 2, and N 2). An application of the high-temperature cross-section data was demonstrated to determine the concentration of methane during oxy-methane combustion in a mixture of CO 2, O 2, and Ar. Lastly, current measurements will be valuable addition to the spectroscopy database for methane- an important fuel used for power generation and heating around the world.« less

High temperature infrared absorption cross sections of methane near 3.4 µm in Ar and CO 2 mixtures

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

Koroglu, Batikan; Neupane, Sneha; Pryor, Owen

In this study, the absorption cross-sections of CH 4 at two wavelengths in the mid-IR region: λ peak = 3403.4 nm and λ valley = 3403.7 nm were measured. Data were taken using three different compositions of non-reactive gas mixtures comprising CH 4/Ar/CO 2 between 700 < T < 2000 K and 0.1 < P < 1.5 atm in a shock tube utilizing a continuous-wave distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser. Also, broadband room temperature methane cross section measurements were performed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and the cascade laser to gain a better insight into the changes of the linemore » shapes in various bath gasses (Ar, CO 2, and N 2). An application of the high-temperature cross-section data was demonstrated to determine the concentration of methane during oxy-methane combustion in a mixture of CO 2, O 2, and Ar. Lastly, current measurements will be valuable addition to the spectroscopy database for methane- an important fuel used for power generation and heating around the world.« less

High temperature infrared absorption cross sections of methane near 3.4 μm in Ar and CO2 mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koroglu, Batikan; Neupane, Sneha; Pryor, Owen; Peale, Robert E.; Vasu, Subith S.

2018-02-01

The absorption cross-sections of CH4 at two wavelengths in the mid-IR region: λpeak = 3403.4 nm and λvalley = 3403.7 nm were measured. Data were taken using three different compositions of non-reactive gas mixtures comprising CH4/Ar/CO2 between 700 < T < 2000 K and 0.1 < P < 1.5 atm in a shock tube utilizing a continuous-wave distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser. Also, broadband room temperature methane cross section measurements were performed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and the cascade laser to gain a better insight into the changes of the line shapes in various bath gasses (Ar, CO2, and N2). An application of the high-temperature cross-section data was demonstrated to determine the concentration of methane during oxy-methane combustion in a mixture of CO2, O2, and Ar. Current measurements will be valuable addition to the spectroscopy database for methane- an important fuel used for power generation and heating around the world.

Synthesis and gas sensing properties of α-Fe(2)O(3)@ZnO core-shell nanospindles.

PubMed

Zhang, Jun; Liu, Xianghong; Wang, Liwei; Yang, Taili; Guo, Xianzhi; Wu, Shihua; Wang, Shurong; Zhang, Shoumin

2011-05-06

α-Fe(2)O(3)@ZnO core-shell nanospindles were synthesized via a two-step hydrothermal approach, and characterized by means of SEM/TEM/XRD/XPS. The ZnO shell coated on the nanospindles has a thickness of 10-15 nm. Considering that both α-Fe(2)O(3) and ZnO are good sensing materials, we have investigated the gas sensing performances of the core-shell nanocomposite using ethanol as the main probe gas. It is interesting to find that the gas sensor properties of the core-shell nanospindles are significantly enhanced compared with pristine α-Fe(2)O(3). The enhanced sensor properties are attributed to the unique core-shell nanostructure. The detailed sensing mechanism is discussed with respect to the energy band structure and the electron depletion theory. The core-shell nanostructure reported in this work provides a new path to fabricate highly sensitive materials for gas sensing applications.

Tungsten-Doped TiO2 Nanolayers with Improved CO2 Gas Sensing Properties for Environmental Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saberi, Maliheh; Ashkarran, Ali Akbar

Tungsten-doped TiO2 gas sensors were successfully synthesized using sol-gel process and spin coating technique. The fabricated sensor was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Gas sensing properties of pristine and tungsten-doped TiO2 nanolayers (NLs) were probed by detection of CO2 gas. A series of experiments were conducted in order to find the optimum operating temperature of the prepared sensors and also the optimum value of tungsten concentration in TiO2 matrix. It was found that introducing tungsten into the TiO2 matrix enhanced the gas sensing performance. The maximum response was found to be (1.37) for 0.001g tungsten-doped TiO2 NLs at 200∘C as an optimum operating temperature.

Langmuir Probe Measurements of Inductively Coupled Plasma in CF4/AR/O2 Mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, M. V. V. S.; Cruden, Brett; Sharma, Surendra; Meyyappan, Meyya

2001-01-01

Inductively coupled plasmas of CF4:Ar:O2, which have been of importance to material processing, were studied in the GEC cell at 80:10:10, 60:20:20, and 40:30:30 mixture ratios. Radial distributions of plasma potential (V(sub p)), electron and ion number densities (n(sub e) and n(sub i)), electron temperature (T(sub e)), and electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs) were measured in the mid-plane of plasma across the electrodes in the pressure range of 10-50 mTorr, and RF power of 200 and 300 W. V(sub p), n(sub e) and n(sub i), which peak in the center of the plasma, increase with decrease of pressure. T(sub e) also increases with pressure but peaks toward the electrode edge. Both V(sub p) and T(sub e) remain nearly independent of RF power, whereas n(sub e) and n(sub i) increase with power. In all conditions the EEDFs exhibit non-Maxwellian shape and are more like Druyvesteyn form at higher energies. They exhibit a broad lip in the energy range 0-10 eV suggesting an electron loss mechanism, which could be due to via resonance electron attachment processes producing negative ions in this rich electronegative gas mixture. This behavior is more prominent towards the electrode edge.

Langmuir Probe Measurements of Inductively Coupled Plasmas in CF4/Ar/O2 Mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, M. V. V. S.; Cruden, Brett; Sharma, Surendra; Meyyappan, Meyya

2001-01-01

Inductively coupled plasmas of CF4:Ar:O2, which have been of importance to material processing, were studied in the GEC cell at 80:10:10, 60:20:20, and 40:30:30 mixture ratios. Radial distributions of plasma potential (V(sub p)), electron and ion number densities (n(sub e) and n(sub i), electron temperature (T(sub e)), and electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs) were measured in the mid-plane of plasma across the electrodes in the pressure range of 10-50 mTorr, and RF (radio frequency) power of 200 and 300 W. V(sub p), n(sub e) and n(sub i), which peak in the center of the plasma, increase with decrease of pressure. T(sub e) also increases with pressure but peaks toward the electrode edge. Both V(sub p) and T(sub e) remain nearly independent of RF power, whereas n(sub e) and n(sub i) increase with power. In all conditions the EEDFs exhibit non-Maxwellian shape and are more like Druyvesteyn form at higher energies. They exhibit a broad dip in the energy range 0-10 eV suggesting an electron loss mechanism, which could be due to via resonance electron attachment processes producing negative ions in this rich electronegative gas mixture. This behavior is more prominent towards the electrode edge.

Ag2O:SiO2:V2O5 Glass System:. a Novel Reference Electrode for SO2 Gas Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K.; Lad, A.; Bhoga, S. S.

2002-12-01

Ag2O:SiO2:V2O5 glass system with 0.5≤ y ≥ 0.66 for fixed n = 9 is synthesized, structurally and electrically characterized with a view to have high glass transition temperature (Tg ≈ 500°C) which can be used as solid reference electrode in electrochemical SOx gas sensor application. 10Ag2O:40SiO2:50V2O5 glass having Tg ≈ 502°C exhibits maximum bulk and electronic conductivity 3.67*10-3 and 4.47*10-2 S/cm, respectively at 450°C. The increase in conductivity is understood to be due to a mixed former effect. A few galvanic SOx sensors fabricated utilizing optimized glass as reference and Ag+ conducting solid electrolyte responds to change in PSOx according to 2 electron cell reaction.

Neutral-neutral and neutral-ion collision integrals for Y2O3-Ar plasma system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhamale, Gayatri D.; Nath, Swastik; Mathe, Vikas L.; Ghorui, Srikumar

2017-06-01

A detailed investigation on the neutral-neutral and neutral-ion collision integrals is reported for Y2O3-Ar plasma, an important system of functional material with unique properties having a wide range of processing applications. The calculated integrals are indispensible pre-requisite for the estimation of transport properties needed in CFD modelling of associated plasma processes. Polarizability plays an important role in determining the integral values. Ambiguity in selecting appropriate polarizability data available in the literature and calculating effective number of electrons in the ionized species contributing to the polarizability are addressed. The integrals are evaluated using Lennard-Jones like phenomenological potential up to (l,s) = (4,4). Used interaction potential is suitable for both neutral-neutral and neutral-ion interactions. For atom-parent ion interactions, contribution coming from the inelastic resonant charge transfer process has been accounted properly together with that coming from the elastic counterpart. A total of 14 interacting species and 60 different interactions are considered. Key contributing factors like basic electronic properties of the interacting species and associated polarizability values are accounted carefully. Adopted methodology is first benchmarked against data reported in the literature and then applied to the Y2O3-Ar plasma system for estimating the collision integrals. Results are presented in the temperature range of 100 K-100 000 K.

Validation of spectroscopic gas analyzer accuracy using gravimetric standard gas mixtures: impact of background gas composition on CO2 quantitation by cavity ring-down spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Jeong Sik; Park, Miyeon; Lee, Jinbok; Lee, Jeongsoon

2017-12-01

The effect of background gas composition on the measurement of CO2 levels was investigated by wavelength-scanned cavity ring-down spectrometry (WS-CRDS) employing a spectral line centered at the R(1) of the (3 00 1)III ← (0 0 0) band. For this purpose, eight cylinders with various gas compositions were gravimetrically and volumetrically prepared within 2σ = 0.1 %, and these gas mixtures were introduced into the WS-CRDS analyzer calibrated against standards of ambient air composition. Depending on the gas composition, deviations between CRDS-determined and gravimetrically (or volumetrically) assigned CO2 concentrations ranged from -9.77 to 5.36 µmol mol-1, e.g., excess N2 exhibited a negative deviation, whereas excess Ar showed a positive one. The total pressure broadening coefficients (TPBCs) obtained from the composition of N2, O2, and Ar thoroughly corrected the deviations up to -0.5 to 0.6 µmol mol-1, while these values were -0.43 to 1.43 µmol mol-1 considering PBCs induced by only N2. The use of TPBC enhanced deviations to be corrected to ˜ 0.15 %. Furthermore, the above correction linearly shifted CRDS responses for a large extent of TPBCs ranging from 0.065 to 0.081 cm-1 atm-1. Thus, accurate measurements using optical intensity-based techniques such as WS-CRDS require TPBC-based instrument calibration or use standards prepared in the same background composition of ambient air.

KPFM/AFM imaging on TiO2(110) surface in O2 gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arima, Eiji; Wen, Huan Fei; Naitoh, Yoshitaka; Li, Yan Jun; Sugawara, Yasuhiro

2018-03-01

We have carried out high-speed imaging of the topography and local contact potential difference (LCPD) on rutile TiO2(110) in O2 gas by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). We succeeded in KPFM/AFM imaging with atomic resolution at 1 frame min-1 and observed the adsorbate on a hydroxylated TiO2(110) surface. The observed adsorbate is considered to be oxygen adatoms (Oa), hydroperoxyls (HO2), or terminal hydroxyls (OHt). After adsorption, changes in the topography and the LCPD of the adsorbate were observed. This phenomenon is thought to be caused by the charge transfer of the adsorbate. This technique has the potential to observe catalytic behavior with atomic resolution.

Effect of SiO2 coating layer morphology on TiH2 gas release characteristic.

PubMed

Yang, Zhimao; Fang, Jixiang; Ding, Bingjun

2005-10-15

In this study, a uniform and compact SiO2 film-coating layer was prepared on the surface of TiH2 particles by sol-gel method using inexpensive raw materials. The preparation process of SiO2-coated TiH2 particles and the effect of the coating layer morphology on the gas release characteristic were investigated in detail. When the pH value of TiH2 suspending solution is about 4.0 and the concentration of silicic acid is more than 0.5 mol/L, the coating layer shows a SiO2 particle-coating morphology. While a homogeneous and dense film-coating layer can be obtained when the solution pH value and concentration of silicic acid are about 4.0 and 0.5 mol/L. The results of gas release at 700 degrees C show that TiH2 particles coated with silicon dioxide layers can efficiently delay the starting time of gas release of TiH2 powders to 60-100 s. Comparing the particle-coating layer, the SiO2 film-coating layer has a better delaying effect on gas release of TiH2 particles.

Experimental Investigation of Gas/Slag/Matte/Tridymite Equilibria in the Cu-Fe-O-S-Si System in Controlled Gas Atmospheres: Experimental Results at 1473 K (1200 °C) and P(SO2) = 0.25 atm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallah-Mehrjardi, Ata; Hidayat, Taufiq; Hayes, Peter C.; Jak, Evgueni

2017-12-01

Experimental studies were undertaken to determine the gas/slag/matte/tridymite equilibria in the Cu-Fe-O-S-Si system at 1473 K (1200 °C), P(SO2) = 0.25 atm, and a range of P(O2)'s. The experimental methodology involved high-temperature equilibration using a substrate support technique in controlled gas atmospheres (CO/CO2/SO2/Ar), rapid quenching of equilibrium phases, followed by direct measurement of the chemical compositions of the phases with Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis (EPMA). The experimental data for slag and matte were presented as a function of copper concentration in matte (matte grade). The data provided are essential for the evaluation of the effect of oxygen potential under controlled atmosphere on the matte grade, liquidus composition of slag and chemically dissolved copper in slag. The new data provide important accurate and reliable quantitative foundation for improvement of the thermodynamic databases for copper-containing systems.

Development of a Low-Cost Spectrophotometric Sensor for ClO2 Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conry, Jessica; Scott, Dane; Apblett, Allen; Materer, Nicholas

2006-04-01

ClO2 is of interest because of it's capability to kill biological hazards such as E. coli and mold. However, ClO2 is a toxic, reactive gas that must be generated at the point-of-use. Gas storage is not possible due to the possibility of an explosion. The need to detect the amount of ClO2 at the point-of-use necessitates a low cost sensor. A low-cost spectrophotometric sensor based on a broad-band light source, a photodiode detector and a band-pass filter is proposed. To verify the design, precise determinations of the gas-phase cross-section and characterization of the optical components are necessary. Known concentrations of ClO2(g) are prepared using the equilibrium relationship between an aqueous solution and the gas phase. The aqueous solutions are obtained by generating the gas via a chemical reaction and passing it through water. The concentrations of the aqueous solutions are then determined by chemical titration and UV-visible absorption measurements. For the solutions, a maximum absorption is observed at 359 nm, and the cross section at this wavelength is determined to be 4.79x10-18cm^2, in agreement with previous observations. Using a broad-band source, the absorption of ClO2 gas is successfully analyzed and concentrations are determined as low as 100 ppm. A more recent prototype based on an UV LED can measure down to concentrations as low as one ppm.

Novel microelectrode-based online system for monitoring N2O gas emissions during wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Marques, Ricardo; Oehmen, Adrian; Pijuan, Maite

2014-11-04

Clark-type nitrous oxide (N2O) microelectrodes are commonly used for measuring dissolved N2O levels, but have not previously been tested for gas-phase applications, where the N2O emitted from wastewater systems can be directly quantified. In this study, N2O microelectrodes were tested and validated for online gas measurements, and assessed with respect to their temperature, gas flow, composition dependence, gas pressure, and humidity. An exponential correlation between temperature and sensor signal was found, whereas gas flow, composition, pressure, and humidity did not have any influence on the signal. Two of the sensors were tested at different N2O concentration ranges (0-422.3, 0-50, 0-10, and 0-2 ppmv N2O) and exhibited a linear response over each range. The N2O emission dynamics from two laboratory scale sequencing batch reactors performing ammonia or nitrite oxidation were also monitored using one of the microsensors and results were compared with two other analytical methods. Results show that N2O emissions were accurately described with these microelectrodes and support their application for assessing gaseous N2O emissions from wastewater treatment systems. Advantages of the sensors as compared to conventional measurement techniques include a wider quantification range of N2O fluxes, and a single measurement system that can assess both liquid and gas-phase N2O dynamics.

Integrated capture of fossil fuel gas pollutants including CO.sub.2 with energy recovery

DOEpatents

Ochs, Thomas L [Albany, OR; Summers, Cathy A [Albany, OR; Gerdemann, Steve [Albany, OR; Oryshchyn, Danylo B [Philomath, OR; Turner, Paul [Independence, OR; Patrick, Brian R [Chicago, IL

2011-10-18

A method of reducing pollutants exhausted into the atmosphere from the combustion of fossil fuels. The disclosed process removes nitrogen from air for combustion, separates the solid combustion products from the gases and vapors and can capture the entire vapor/gas stream for sequestration leaving near-zero emissions. The invention produces up to three captured material streams. The first stream is contaminant-laden water containing SO.sub.x, residual NO.sub.x particulates and particulate-bound Hg and other trace contaminants. The second stream can be a low-volume flue gas stream containing N.sub.2 and O.sub.2 if CO2 purification is needed. The final product stream is a mixture comprising predominantly CO.sub.2 with smaller amounts of H.sub.2O, Ar, N.sub.2, O.sub.2, SO.sub.X, NO.sub.X, Hg, and other trace gases.

Enhanced Ethanol Gas Sensing Properties of SnO2-Core/ZnO-Shell Nanostructures

PubMed Central

Tharsika, T.; Haseeb, A. S. M. A.; Akbar, Sheikh A.; Sabri, Mohd Faizul Mohd; Hoong, Wong Yew

2014-01-01

An inexpensive single-step carbon-assisted thermal evaporation method for the growth of SnO2-core/ZnO-shell nanostructures is described, and the ethanol sensing properties are presented. The structure and phases of the grown nanostructures are investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. XRD analysis indicates that the core-shell nanostructures have good crystallinity. At a lower growth duration of 15 min, only SnO2 nanowires with a rectangular cross-section are observed, while the ZnO shell is observed when the growth time is increased to 30 min. Core-shell hierarchical nanostructures are present for a growth time exceeding 60 min. The growth mechanism for SnO2-core/ZnO-shell nanowires and hierarchical nanostructures are also discussed. The sensitivity of the synthesized SnO2-core/ZnO-shell nanostructures towards ethanol sensing is investigated. Results show that the SnO2-core/ZnO-shell nanostructures deposited at 90 min exhibit enhanced sensitivity to ethanol. The sensitivity of SnO2-core/ZnO-shell nanostructures towards 20 ppm ethanol gas at 400 °C is about ∼5-times that of SnO2 nanowires. This improvement in ethanol gas response is attributed to high active sensing sites and the synergistic effect of the encapsulation of SnO2 by ZnO nanostructures. PMID:25116903

Sol-gel preparation of self-cleaning SiO2-TiO2/SiO2-TiO2 double-layer antireflective coating for solar glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Wensheng; Zheng, Jiaxian; Yan, Lianghong; Zhang, Xinxiang

2018-03-01

Self-cleaning SiO2-TiO2/SiO2-TiO2 double-layer antireflective (AR) coating is prepared by sol-gel process. SiO2 sol is prepared by using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursor and ammonia as catalyst, while TiO2 sol was prepared by using tetrabutyl orthotitanate (TBOT) as precursor and hydrochloric acid as catalyst. The effect of TiO2 content on refractive index, abrasion-resistance and photo-catalytic activity of SiO2-TiO2 hybrid thin films or powders is systematically investigated. It is found that the refractive index of SiO2-TiO2 hybrid thin films increases gradually from 1.18 to 1.53 as the weight ratio of TiO2 to SiO2 increased from 0 to 1.0. The SiO2-TiO2 hybrid thin film and powder possesses good abrasion-resistance and photo-catalytic activity, respectively, as the weight ratio of TiO2 to SiO2 is 0.4. The degradation degree of Rhodamine B by SiO2-TiO2 hybrid powder is 88.3%. Finally, SiO2-TiO2/SiO2-TiO2 double-layer AR coating with high transmittance, abrasion-resistance and self-cleaning property is realized.

Novel Gas Sensor Based on ZnO Nanorod Circular Arrays for C2H5OH Gas Detection.

PubMed

Jianjiao, Zhang; Hongyan, Yue; Erjun, Guo; Shaolin, Zhang; Liping, Wang; Chunyu, Zhang; Xin, Gao; Jing, Chang; Hong, Zhang

2015-03-01

Novel side-heating gas sensor based on ZnO nanorod circular arrays was firstly fabricated by hydrothermal treatment assisted with a kind of simple dip-coating technique. The structure and morphologies of ZnO nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), respectively. XRD result indicates that the obtained ZnO nanorods have good crystalline with the hexagonal wurtzite structure. SEM result indicates that ZnO nanorod arrays are vertically growth on the surface of ceramic tube of side-heating sensor with controlled diameter and length, narrow size distribution and high orientation. The gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorod circular arrays are also evaluated. Comparative to the sensor based on scattered ZnO nanorods responding to 25 ppm H2, CO, C6H5CH3 and C2H5OH gas, respectively, the sensing values of high orientation gas sensor are generally increased by 5%. This novel sensor has good application promising for the fabrication of cost effective and high performance gas sensors.

Device for quickly sensing the amount of O2 in a combustion product gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Jag J. (Inventor); Davis, William T. (Inventor); Puster, Richard L. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A sensing device comprising an O2 sensor, a pump, a compressor, and a heater is provided to quickly sense the amount of O2 in a combustion product gas. A sample of the combustion product gas is compressed to a pressure slightly above one atmosphere by the compressor. Next, the heater heats the sample between 800 C and 900 C. Next, the pump causes the sample to be flushed against the electrode located in O2 sensor 6000 to 10,000 times per second. Reference air at approximately one atmosphere is provided to the electrode of O2 sensor. Accordingly, the O2 sensor produces a voltage which is proportional to the amount of oxygen in the combustion product gas. This voltage may be used to control the amount of O2 entering into the combustion chamber which produces the combustion product gas.

Study on room temperature gas-sensing performance of CuO film-decorated ordered porous ZnO composite by In2O3 sensitization

PubMed Central

Li, Tian-tian; Bao, Na; Geng, Ai-fang; Yang, Ying; Dong, Xiang-ting

2018-01-01

For the first time, ordered mesoporous ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized by a template method. The electroplating after chemical plating method was creatively used to form copper film on the surface of the prepared ZnO, and then a CuO film-decorated ordered porous ZnO composite (CuO/ZnO) was obtained by a high-temperature oxidation method. In2O3 was loaded into the prepared CuO film–ZnO by an ultrasonic-assisted method to sensitize the room temperature gas-sensing performance of the prepared CuO/ZnO materials. The doped In2O3 could effectively improve the gas-sensing properties of the prepared materials to nitrogen oxides (NOx) at room temperature. The 1% In2O3 doped CuO/ZnO sample (1 wt% In2O3–CuO/ZnO) showed the best gas-sensing properties whose response to 100 ppm NOx reached 82%, and the detectable minimum concentration reached 1 ppm at room temperature. The prepared materials had a good selectivity, better response, very low detection limit, and high sensitivity to NOx gas at room temperature, which would have a great development space in the gas sensor field and a great research value. PMID:29515887

Study on room temperature gas-sensing performance of CuO film-decorated ordered porous ZnO composite by In2O3 sensitization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tian-tian; Bao, Na; Geng, Ai-fang; Yu, Hui; Yang, Ying; Dong, Xiang-ting

2018-02-01

For the first time, ordered mesoporous ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized by a template method. The electroplating after chemical plating method was creatively used to form copper film on the surface of the prepared ZnO, and then a CuO film-decorated ordered porous ZnO composite (CuO/ZnO) was obtained by a high-temperature oxidation method. In2O3 was loaded into the prepared CuO film-ZnO by an ultrasonic-assisted method to sensitize the room temperature gas-sensing performance of the prepared CuO/ZnO materials. The doped In2O3 could effectively improve the gas-sensing properties of the prepared materials to nitrogen oxides (NOx) at room temperature. The 1% In2O3 doped CuO/ZnO sample (1 wt% In2O3-CuO/ZnO) showed the best gas-sensing properties whose response to 100 ppm NOx reached 82%, and the detectable minimum concentration reached 1 ppm at room temperature. The prepared materials had a good selectivity, better response, very low detection limit, and high sensitivity to NOx gas at room temperature, which would have a great development space in the gas sensor field and a great research value.

Simulation of radiation driven fission gas diffusion in UO 2, ThO 2 and PuO 2

DOE PAGES

Cooper, Michael William D.; Stanek, Christopher Richard; Turnbull, James Anthony; ...

2016-12-01

Below 1000 K it is thought that fission gas diffusion in nuclear fuel during irradiation occurs through atomic mixing due to radiation damage. Here we present a molecular dynamics (MD) study of Xe, Kr, Th, U, Pu and O diffusion due to irradiation. It is concluded that the ballistic phase does not sufficiently account for the experimentally observed diffusion. Thermal spike simulations are used to confirm that electronic stopping remedies the discrepancy with experiment and the predicted diffusivities lie within the scatter of the experimental data. Here, our results predict that the diffusion coefficients are ordered such that D* 0more » > D* Kr > D* Xe > D* U. For all species >98.5% of diffusivity is accounted for by electronic stopping. Fission gas diffusivity was not predicted to vary significantly between ThO 2, UO 2 and PuO 2, indicating that this process would not change greatly for mixed oxide fuels.« less

Gas-phase elemental mercury removal in a simulated combustion flue gas using TiO2 with fluorescent light.

PubMed

Cho, Jae Han; Lee, Tai Gyu; Eom, Yujin

2012-10-01

A previously proposed technology incorporating TiO2 into common household fluorescent lighting was further tested for its Hg0 removal capability in a simulated flue-gas system. The flue gas is simulated by the addition of O2, SO2, HCl, NO, H2O, and Hg0, which are frequently found in combustion facilities such as waste incinerators and coal-fired power plants. In the O2 + N2 + Hg0 environment, a Hg0 removal efficiency (etaHg) greater than 95% was achieved. Despite the tendency for etaHg to decrease with increasing SO2 and HCl, no significant drop was observed at the tested level (SO2: 5-300 ppm, HCl: 30-120 ppm(v)). In terms of NO and moisture, a significant negative effect on etaHg was observed for both factors. NO eliminated the OH radical on the TiO2 surface, whereas water vapor caused either the occupation of active sites available to Hg0 or the reduction of Hg0 by free electron. However, the negative effect of NO was minimized (etaHg > 90%) by increasing the residence time in the photochemical reactor. The moisture effect can be avoided by installing a water trap before the flue gas enters the Hg0 removal system. This paper reports a novel technology for a removal of gas-phase elemental mercury (Hg0) from a simulated flue gas using TiO2-coated glass beads under a low-cost, easily maintainable household fluorescent light instead of ultraviolet (UV) light. In this study, the effects of individual chemical species (O2, SO2, HCl, NO, and water vapor) on the performance of the proposed technology for Hg0 removal are investigated. The result suggests that the proposed technology can be highly effective, even in real combustion environments such as waste incinerators and coal-fired power plants.

Synthesis and reactivity of dimeric Ar'TlTlAr' and trimeric (Ar"T1)3 (Ar', Ar" = bulky terphenyl group) thallium(I) derivatives: Tl(I)-Tl(I) bonding in species ligated by monodentate ligands.

PubMed

Wright, Robert J; Phillips, Andrew D; Hino, Shirley; Power, Philip P

2005-04-06

The synthesis and characterization of three new organothallium(I) compounds are reported. Reaction of (Ar'Li)(2) (Ar' = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(3)-2,6-Pr(i)(2))(2)) and Ar"Li (Ar" = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(3)-2,6-Me(2))(2)) with TlCl in Et(2)O afforded (Ar'Tl)(2) (1) and (Ar' 'Tl)(3) (2). The "dithallene" 1 is the heaviest group 13 dimetallene and features a planar, trans-bent structure with Ar'Tl-Tl = 119.74(14) degrees and Tl-Tl = 3.0936(8) A. Compound 2 is the first structurally characterized neutral, three-membered ring species of formula c-(MR)(3) (M = Al-Tl; R = organo group). The Tl(3) ring has Tl-Tl distances in the range ca. 3.21-3.37 A as well as pyramidal Tl geometries. The Tl-Tl bonds in 1 and 2 are outside the range (2.88-2.97 A) of Tl-Tl single bonds in R(2)TlTlR(2) compounds. The weak Tl-Tl bonding in 1 and 2 leads to their dissociation into Ar'Tl and Ar' 'Tl monomers in hexane. The Ar'Tl monomer behaves as a Lewis base and readily forms a 1:1 donor-acceptor complex with B(C(6)F(5))(3) to give Ar'TlB(C(6)F(5))(3), 3. Adduct 3 features an almost linear thallium C(ipso)-Tl-B angle of 174.358(7) degrees and a Tl-B distance of 2.311(2) A, which indicates strong association. Treatment of 1 with a variety of reagents resulted in no reactions. The lower reactivity of 1 is in accord with the reluctance of Tl(I) to undergo oxidation to Tl(III) due to the unreactive character of the 6s(2) electrons.

Ag-Modified In2O3/ZnO Nanobundles with High Formaldehyde Gas-Sensing Performance

PubMed Central

Fang, Fang; Bai, Lu; Song, Dongsheng; Yang, Hongping; Sun, Xiaoming; Sun, Hongyu; Zhu, Jing

2015-01-01

Ag-modified In2O3/ZnO bundles with micro/nano porous structures have been designed and synthesized with by hydrothermal method continuing with dehydration process. Each bundle consists of nanoparticles, where nanogaps of 10–30 nm are present between the nanoparticles, leading to a porous structure. This porous structure brings high surface area and fast gas diffusion, enhancing the gas sensitivity. Consequently, the HCHO gas-sensing performance of the Ag-modified In2O3/ZnO bundles have been tested, with the formaldehyde-detection limit of 100 ppb (parts per billion) and the response and recover times as short as 6 s and 3 s, respectively, at 300 °C and the detection limit of 100 ppb, response time of 12 s and recover times of 6 s at 100 °C. The HCHO sensing detect limitation matches the health standard limitation on the concentration of formaldehyde for indoor air. Moreover, the strategy to synthesize the nanobundles is just two-step heating and easy to scale up. Therefore, the Ag-modified In2O3/ZnO bundles are ready for industrialization and practical applications. PMID:26287205

Oxidation behaviour of ferritic stainless steel grade Crofer 22 APU at 700 °C in flowing Ar-75%CO2-12%H2O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shariff, Nurul Atikah; Othman, Norinsan Kamil; Jalar, Azman

2013-11-01

The oxidation of Ferritic Stainless Steel (FSS) grade Crofer 22 APU has been investigated. FSS alloys were exposed to isothermal conditions in a horizontal tube furnace at a 700 °C in flowing Ar-75%CO2-12%H2O at a pressure of approximately 1 atm. The results showed that the growth of non protective Fe2O3 and spinel was observed after 50 h exposure in the presence of 12% H2O. The weight was increased significantly with time of exposure. The formation of different oxides is presented on the interface of the specimen such as MnCr2O4, Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 were revealed by X-ray diffraction and supported by EDAX analysis. FSS did not form a protective Cr2O3 layer due to water vapour accelerates the kinetics oxidation. Data of microstructure observation is presented and discussed in this paper in term of water vapour effects.

Surface-area-controlled synthesis of porous TiO2 thin films for gas-sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jae Young; Kim, Ho-hyoung; Rana, Dolly; Jamwal, Deepika; Katoch, Akash

2017-03-01

Surface-area-controlled porous TiO2 thin films were prepared via a simple sol-gel chemical route, and their gas-sensing properties were thoroughly investigated in the presence of typical oxidizing NO2 gas. The surface area of TiO2 thin films was controlled by developing porous TiO2 networked by means of controlling the TiO2-to-TTIP (titanium isopropoxide, C12H28O4Ti) molar ratio, where TiO2 nanoparticles of size ˜20 nm were used. The sensor’s response was found to depend on the surface area of the TiO2 thin films. The porous TiO2 thin-film sensor with greater surface area was more sensitive than those of TiO2 thin films with lesser surface area. The improved sensing ability was ascribed to the porous network formed within the thin films by TiO2 sol. Our results show that surface area is a key parameter for obtaining superior gas-sensing performance; this provides important guidelines for preparing and using porous thin films for gas-sensing applications.

The effect of VUV radiation from Ar/O2 plasmas on low-k SiOCH films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Graves, D. B.

2011-08-01

The degradation of porous low-k materials, like SiOCH, under plasma processing continues to be a problem in the next generation of integrated-circuit fabrication. Due to the exposure of the film to many species during plasma treatment, such as photons, ions, radicals, etc, it is difficult to identify the mechanisms responsible for plasma-induced damage. Using a vacuum beam apparatus with a calibrated Xe vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) lamp, we show that 147 nm VUV photons and molecular O2 alone can damage these low-k materials. Using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, we show that VUV/O2 exposure causes a loss of methylated species, resulting in a hydrophilic, SiOx-like layer that is susceptible to H2O absorption, leading to an increased dielectric constant. The effect of VUV radiation on chemical modification of porous SiOCH films in the vacuum beam apparatus and in Ar and O2 plasma exposure was found to be a significant contributor to dielectric damage. Measurements of dielectric constant change using a mercury probe are consistent with chemical modification inferred from FTIR analysis. Furthermore, the extent of chemical modification appears to be limited by the penetration depth of the VUV photons, which is dependent on wavelength of radiation. The creation of a SiOx-like layer near the surface of the material, which grows deeper as more methyl is extracted, introduces a dynamic change of VUV absorption throughout the material over time. As a result, the rate of methyl loss is continuously changing during the exposure. We present a model that attempts to capture this dynamic behaviour and compare the model predictions to experimental data through a fitting parameter that represents the effective photo-induced methyl removal. While this model accurately simulates the methyl loss through VUV exposure by the Xe lamp and Ar plasma, the methyl loss from VUV photons in O2 plasma are only accurately depicted at longer exposure times. We conclude that other

Threshold collision-induced dissociation of diatomic molecules: a case study of the energetics and dynamics of O2- collisions with Ar and Xe.

PubMed

Ahu Akin, F; Ree, Jongbaik; Ervin, Kent M; Kyu Shin, Hyung

2005-08-08

The energetics and dynamics of collision-induced dissociation of O2- with Ar and Xe targets are studied experimentally using guided ion-beam tandem mass spectrometry. The cross sections and the collision dynamics are modeled theoretically by classical trajectory calculations. Experimental apparent threshold energies are 2.1 and 1.1 eV in excess of the thermochemical O2- bond dissociation energy for argon and xenon, respectively. Classical trajectory calculations confirm the observed threshold behavior and the dependence of cross sections on the relative kinetic energy. Representative trajectories reveal that the bond dissociation takes place on a short time scale of about 50 fs in strong direct collisions. Collision-induced dissociation is found to be remarkably restricted to the perpendicular approach of ArXe to the molecular axis of O2-, while collinear collisions do not result in dissociation. The higher collisional energy-transfer efficiency of xenon compared with argon is attributed to both mass and polarizability effects.

Nanocrystalline CeO2-δ coated β-MnO2 nanorods with enhanced oxygen transfer property

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xiubing; Zhao, Guixia; Chang, Yueqi; Wang, Ge; Irvine, John T. S.

2018-05-01

In this research, β-MnO2 nanorods were synthesized by a hydrothermal method, followed by a facile precipitation method to obtain nanocrystalline CeO2-δ coated β-MnO2 nanorods. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, HRTEM, FESEM, XPS and in-situ high-temperature XRD. The HRTEM results show that well dispersed CeO2-δ nanocrystals sized about 5 nm were coated on the surface of β-MnO2 nanorods. The oxygen storage and transfer property of as-synthesized materials were evaluated using TGA under various atmospheres (air, pure N2, and 5%H2/95%Ar). The TGA results indicate that CeO2-δ modification could favour the reduction of Mn4+ to Mn3+ and/or Mn2+ at lower temperature as compared with pure β-MnO2 nanorods and the physically mixed CeO2-δ-β-MnO2 under low oxygen partial pressure conditions (i.e., pure N2, 5%H2/95%Ar). Specifically, CeO2-δ@β-MnO2 sample can exhibit 7.5 wt% weight loss between 100 and 400 °C under flowing N2 and 11.4 wt% weight loss between 100 and 350 °C under flowing 5%H2/95%Ar. During the reduction process under pure N2 or 5%H2/95%Ar condition, the oxygen ions in β-MnO2 nanorods are expected to be released to the surroundings in the form of O2 or H2O with the coated CeO2-δ nanocrystals acting as mediator as inferred from the synergistic effect between the well-interacted CeO2-δ nanocrystals and β-MnO2 nanorods.

Reactions of CH3SH and CH3SSCH3 with gas-phase hydrated radical anions (H2O)n(•-), CO2(•-)(H2O)n, and O2(•-)(H2O)n.

PubMed

Höckendorf, Robert F; Hao, Qiang; Sun, Zheng; Fox-Beyer, Brigitte S; Cao, Yali; Balaj, O Petru; Bondybey, Vladimir E; Siu, Chi-Kit; Beyer, Martin K

2012-04-19

The chemistry of (H(2)O)(n)(•-), CO(2)(•-)(H(2)O)(n), and O(2)(•-)(H(2)O)(n) with small sulfur-containing molecules was studied in the gas phase by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. With hydrated electrons and hydrated carbon dioxide radical anions, two reactions with relevance for biological radiation damage were observed, cleavage of the disulfide bond of CH(3)SSCH(3) and activation of the thiol group of CH(3)SH. No reactions were observed with CH(3)SCH(3). The hydrated superoxide radical anion, usually viewed as major source of oxidative stress, did not react with any of the compounds. Nanocalorimetry and quantum chemical calculations give a consistent picture of the reaction mechanism. The results indicate that the conversion of e(-) and CO(2)(•-) to O(2)(•-) deactivates highly reactive species and may actually reduce oxidative stress. For reactions of (H(2)O)(n)(•-) with CH(3)SH as well as CO(2)(•-)(H(2)O)(n) with CH(3)SSCH(3), the reaction products in the gas phase are different from those reported in the literature from pulse radiolysis studies. This observation is rationalized with the reduced cage effect in reactions of gas-phase clusters. © 2012 American Chemical Society

The Viking gas exchange experiment results from Chryse and Utopia surface samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oyama, V. I.; Berdahl, B. J.

1977-01-01

Immediate gas changes occurred when untreated Martian surface samples were humidified and/or wet by an aqueous nutrient medium in the Viking lander gas exchange experiment. The evolutions of N2, CO2, and Ar are mainly associated with soil surface desorption caused by water vapor, while O2 evolution is primarily associated with decomposition of superoxides inferred to be present on Mars. On recharges with fresh nutrient and test gas, only CO2 was given off, and its rate of evolution decreased with each recharge. This CO2 evolution is thought to come from the oxidation of organics present in the nutrient by gamma Fe2O3 in the surface samples. Atmospheric analyses were also performed at both sites. The mean atmospheric composition from four analyses is N2, 2.3%; O2, not greater than 0.15%; Ar, 1.5% and CO2, 96.2%.

Experimental Investigation of Gas/Slag/Matte/Tridymite Equilibria in the Cu-Fe-O-S-Si System in Controlled Gas Atmosphere: Experimental Results at 1523 K (1250 °C) and P(SO2) = 0.25 atm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallah-Mehrjardi, Ata; Hidayat, Taufiq; Hayes, Peter C.; Jak, Evgueni

2018-04-01

To assist in the optimization of copper smelting and converting processes, accurate new measurements of the phase equilibria of the Cu-Fe-O-S-Si system have been undertaken. The experimental investigation was focused on the characterization of gas/slag/matte/tridymite equilibria in the Cu-Fe-O-S-Si system at 1523 K (1250 °C), P(SO2) = 0.25 atm, and a range of P(O2)s. The experimental methodology, developed in PYROSEARCH, includes high-temperature equilibration of samples on substrate made from the silica primary phase in controlled gas atmospheres (CO/CO2/SO2/Ar) followed by rapid quenching of the equilibrium condensed phases and direct measurement of the phase compositions with electron-probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA). The data provided in the present study at 1523 K (1250 °C) and the previous study by the authors at 1473 K (1200 °C) has enabled the determination of the effects of temperature on the phase equilibria of the multicomponent multiphase system, including such characteristics as the chemically dissolved copper in slag and Fe/SiO2 ratio at silica saturation as a function of copper concentration in matte. The new data will be used in the optimization of the thermodynamic database for the copper-containing systems.

A CRDS approach to gas phase equilibrium constants: the case of N 2O 4 ↔ 2NO 2 at 283 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuchler, Matthew F.; Schmidt, Kierstin L.; Morgan, Mackenzie

2005-01-01

We report a general technique for determining the gas phase equilibrium constant, KP, of the A ↔ 2C system using cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS). Working at a constant temperature, the absorption of one of the equilibrium species is measured at two different total pressures. KP is determined from the total pressures of the equilibrium mixture and the ratio of the absorptions. Theoretical limits on sensitivity of this technique are described as a function of experimental conditions. We present results from the reaction N 2O 4 ↔ 2NO 2 measured at T = 283 K. KP measured in this experiment, 21 (±5) Torr, is found to be lower than that recommended by the NASA Panel for Data Evaluation, 32 Torr. [S.P. Sander, A.R. Ravishankara, D.M. Golden, C.E. Kolb, M.J. Kurylo, R.E. Huie, V.L. Orkin, M.J. Molina, G.K. Moortgat, B.J. Finlayson-Pitts, Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Atmospheric Studies. Evaluation No. 14; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, 2003].

TiO2/ZnO and ZnO/TiO2 core/shell nanofibers prepared by electrospinning and atomic layer deposition for photocatalysis and gas sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyadjiev, Stefan I.; Kéri, Orsolya; Bárdos, Péter; Firkala, Tamás; Gáber, Fanni; Nagy, Zsombor K.; Baji, Zsófia; Takács, Máté; Szilágyi, Imre M.

2017-12-01

In the present work, core TiO2 and ZnO oxide nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning, then shell oxide (ZnO, TiO2) layers were deposited on them by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The aim of preparing ZnO and TiO2 nanofibers, as well as ZnO/TiO2 and TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites is to study the interaction between the oxide materials when a pure oxide fiber is covered with thin film of the other oxide, and explore the influence of exchanging the core and shell materials on their photocatalytic and gas sensing properties. The composition, structure and morphology of the pure and composite nanofibers were studied by SEM-EDX, TEM, XRD, FTIR, UV-vis and Raman. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared materials was analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy through decomposing aqueous methyl orange under UV irradiation. The gas sensing of the nanofibers was investigated by detecting 100 ppm NH3 at 150 and 220 °C using interdigital electrode based sensors.

Real time closed loop control of an Ar and Ar/O2 plasma in an ICP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faulkner, R.; Soberón, F.; McCarter, A.; Gahan, D.; Karkari, S.; Milosavljevic, V.; Hayden, C.; Islyaikin, A.; Law, V. J.; Hopkins, M. B.; Keville, B.; Iordanov, P.; Doherty, S.; Ringwood, J. V.

2006-10-01

including mass flow controllers and exhaust throttle are included and sensor characteristics are also modelled. The application of this control-oriented model to achieve multivariable closed loop control of specific species e.g. atomic Oxygen and ion density using the actuators rf power, Oxygen and Argon flow rates, and pressure/exhaust flow rate in an Ar/O2 ICP plasma will be presented.

Etching Enhancement Followed by Nitridation on Low-k SiOCH Film in Ar/C5F10O Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyawaki, Yudai; Shibata, Emi; Kondo, Yusuke; Takeda, Keigo; Kondo, Hiroki; Ishikawa, Kenji; Okamoto, Hidekazu; Sekine, Makoto; Hori, Masaru

2013-02-01

The etching rates of low-dielectric-constant (low-k), porous SiOCH (p-SiOCH) films were increased by nitrogen-added Ar/C5F10O plasma etching in dual-frequency (60 MHz/2 MHz)-excited parallel plate capacitively coupled plasma. Previously, perfluoropropyl vinyl ether [C5F10O] provided a very high density of CF3+ ions [Nagai et al.: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 45 (2006) 7100]. Surface nitridation on the p-SiOCH surface exposed to Ar/N2 plasma led to the etching of larger amounts of p-SiOCH in Ar/C5F10O plasma, which depended on the formation of bonds such as =C(sp2)=N(sp2)- and -C(sp)≡N(sp).

Influence of Feedstock Powder Modification by Heat Treatments on the Properties of APS-Sprayed Al2O3-40% TiO2 Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, Lutz-Michael; Sempf, Kerstin; Sohn, Yoo Jung; Vaßen, Robert

2018-04-01

The formation and decomposition of aluminum titanate (Al2TiO5, tialite) in feedstock powders and coatings of the binary Al2O3-TiO2 system are so far poorly understood. A commercial fused and crushed Al2O3-40%TiO2 powder was selected as the feedstock for the experimental series presented in this paper, as the composition is close to that of Al2TiO5. Part of that powder was heat-treated in air at 1150 and 1500 °C in order to modify the phase composition, while not influencing the particle size distribution and processability. The powders were analyzed by thermal analysis, XRD and FESEM including EDS of metallographically prepared cross sections. Only a maximum content of about 45 wt.% Al2TiO5 was possible to obtain with the heat treatment at 1500 °C due to inhomogeneous distribution of Al and Ti in the original powder. Coatings were prepared by plasma spraying using a TriplexPro-210 (Oerlikon Metco) with Ar-H2 and Ar-He plasma gas mixtures at plasma power levels of 41 and 48 kW. Coatings were studied by XRD, SEM including EDS linescans of metallographically prepared cross sections, and microhardness HV1. With the exception of the powder heat-treated at 1500 °C an Al2TiO5-Ti3O5 (tialite-anosovite) solid solution Al2- x Ti1+ x O5 instead of Al2TiO5 existed in the initial powder and the coatings.

Cr2O3 nanoparticle-functionalized WO3 nanorods for ethanol gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Seungbok; Bonyani, Maryam; Sun, Gun-Joo; Lee, Jae Kyung; Hyun, Soong Keun; Lee, Chongmu

2018-02-01

Pristine WO3 nanorods and Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods were synthesized by the thermal evaporation of WO3 powder in an oxidizing atmosphere, followed by spin-coating of the nanowires with Cr2O3 nanoparticles and thermal annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the morphological features and X-ray diffraction was used to study the crystallinity and phase formation of the synthesized nanorods. Gas sensing tests were performed at different temperatures in the presence of test gases (ethanol, acetone, CO, benzene and toluene). The Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor showed a stronger response to these gases relative to the pristine WO3 nanorod sensor. In particular, the response of the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor to 200 ppm ethanol gas was 5.58, which is approximately 4.4 times higher that of the pristine WO3 nanorods sensor. Furthermore, the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor had a shorter response and recovery time. The pristine WO3 nanorods had no selectivity toward ethanol gas, whereas the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor showed good selectivity toward ethanol. The gas sensing mechanism of the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor toward ethanol is discussed in detail.

Highly Sensitive and Selective Hydrogen Gas Sensor Using the Mesoporous SnO2 Modified Layers

PubMed Central

Xue, Niuzi; Zhang, Qinyi; Zhang, Shunping; Zong, Pan; Yang, Feng

2017-01-01

It is important to improve the sensitivities and selectivities of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors when they are used to monitor the state of hydrogen in aerospace industry and electronic field. In this paper, the ordered mesoporous SnO2 (m-SnO2) powders were prepared by sol-gel method, and the morphology and structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The gas sensors were fabricated using m-SnO2 as the modified layers on the surface of commercial SnO2 (c-SnO2) by screen printing technology, and tested for gas sensing towards ethanol, benzene and hydrogen with operating temperatures ranging from 200 °C to 400 °C. Higher sensitivity was achieved by using the modified m-SnO2 layers on the c-SnO2 gas sensor, and it was found that the S(c/m2) sensor exhibited the highest response (Ra/Rg = 22.2) to 1000 ppm hydrogen at 400 °C. In this paper, the mechanism of the sensitivity and selectivity improvement of the gas sensors is also discussed. PMID:29036898

Control and enhancement of the oxygen storage capacity of ceria films by variation of the deposition gas atmosphere during pulsed DC magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eltayeb, Asmaa; Vijayaraghavan, Rajani K.; McCoy, Anthony; Venkatanarayanan, Anita; Yaremchenko, Aleksey A.; Surendran, Rajesh; McGlynn, Enda; Daniels, Stephen

2015-04-01

In this study, nanostructured ceria (CeO2) films are deposited on Si(100) and ITO coated glass substrates by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering using a CeO2 target. The influence on the films of using various gas ambients, such as a high purity Ar and a gas mixture of high purity Ar and O2, in the sputtering chamber during deposition are studied. The film compositions are studied using XPS and SIMS. These spectra show a phase transition from cubic CeO2 to hexagonal Ce2O3 due to the sputtering process. This is related to the transformation of Ce4+ to Ce3+ and indicates a chemically reduced state of CeO2 due to the formation of oxygen vacancies. TGA and electrochemical cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies show that films deposited in an Ar atmosphere have a higher oxygen storage capacity (OSC) compared to films deposited in the presence of O2. CV results specifically show a linear variation with scan rate of the anodic peak currents for both films and the double layer capacitance values for films deposited in Ar/O2 mixed and Ar atmosphere are (1.6 ± 0.2) × 10-4 F and (4.3 ± 0.5) × 10-4 F, respectively. Also, TGA data shows that Ar sputtered samples have a tendency to greater oxygen losses upon reduction compared to the films sputtered in an Ar/O2 mixed atmosphere.

Structural characterization of framework-gas interactions in the metal-organic framework Co2(dobdc) by in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Miguel I; Mason, Jarad A; Bloch, Eric D; Teat, Simon J; Gagnon, Kevin J; Morrison, Gregory Y; Queen, Wendy L; Long, Jeffrey R

2017-06-01

The crystallographic characterization of framework-guest interactions in metal-organic frameworks allows the location of guest binding sites and provides meaningful information on the nature of these interactions, enabling the correlation of structure with adsorption behavior. Here, techniques developed for in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments on porous crystals have enabled the direct observation of CO, CH 4 , N 2 , O 2 , Ar, and P 4 adsorption in Co 2 (dobdc) (dobdc 4- = 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), a metal-organic framework bearing coordinatively unsaturated cobalt(ii) sites. All these molecules exhibit such weak interactions with the high-spin cobalt(ii) sites in the framework that no analogous molecular structures exist, demonstrating the utility of metal-organic frameworks as crystalline matrices for the isolation and structural determination of unstable species. Notably, the Co-CH 4 and Co-Ar interactions observed in Co 2 (dobdc) represent, to the best of our knowledge, the first single-crystal structure determination of a metal-CH 4 interaction and the first crystallographically characterized metal-Ar interaction. Analysis of low-pressure gas adsorption isotherms confirms that these gases exhibit mainly physisorptive interactions with the cobalt(ii) sites in Co 2 (dobdc), with differential enthalpies of adsorption as weak as -17(1) kJ mol -1 (for Ar). Moreover, the structures of Co 2 (dobdc)·3.8N 2 , Co 2 (dobdc)·5.9O 2 , and Co 2 (dobdc)·2.0Ar reveal the location of secondary (N 2 , O 2 , and Ar) and tertiary (O 2 ) binding sites in Co 2 (dobdc), while high-pressure CO 2 , CO, CH 4 , N 2 , and Ar adsorption isotherms show that these binding sites become more relevant at elevated pressures.

Structural characterization of framework–gas interactions in the metal–organic framework Co 2 (dobdc) by in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction

DOE PAGES

Gonzalez, Miguel I.; Mason, Jarad A.; Bloch, Eric D.; ...

2017-04-19

The crystallographic characterization of framework–guest interactions in metal–organic frameworks allows the location of guest binding sites and provides meaningful information on the nature of these interactions, enabling the correlation of structure with adsorption behavior. Here, techniques developed for in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments on porous crystals have enabled the direct observation of CO, CH 4, N 2, O 2, Ar, and P 4 adsorption in Co2(dobdc) (dobdc 4– = 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), a metal–organic framework bearing coordinatively unsaturated cobalt(II) sites. All these molecules exhibit such weak interactions with the high-spin cobalt(II) sites in the framework that no analogous molecular structures exist,more » demonstrating the utility of metal–organic frameworks as crystalline matrices for the isolation and structural determination of unstable species. Notably, the Co–CH 4 and Co–Ar interactions observed in Co 2(dobdc) represent, to the best of our knowledge, the first single-crystal structure determination of a metal–CH 4 interaction and the first crystallographically characterized metal–Ar interaction. Analysis of low-pressure gas adsorption isotherms confirms that these gases exhibit mainly physisorptive interactions with the cobalt(II) sites in Co 2(dobdc), with differential enthalpies of adsorption as weak as –17(1) kJ mol –1 (for Ar). Moreover, the structures of Co 2(dobdc)·3.8N 2, Co 2(dobdc)·5.9O 2, and Co 2(dobdc)·2.0Ar reveal the location of secondary (N 2, O 2, and Ar) and tertiary (O 2) binding sites in Co 2(dobdc), while high-pressure CO 2, CO, CH 4, N 2, and Ar adsorption isotherms show that these binding sites become more relevant at elevated pressures.« less

Noble Gas-Uranium Coordination and Intersystem Crossing for the CUO(Ne)x(Ng)n (Ng = Ar, Kr, Xe) Complexes in Solid Neon

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

Andrews, Lester; Liang, Binyong; Li, Jun

2004-02-15

Atomic uranium excited by laser ablation reacts with CO in excess neon to produce the novel CUO molecule, which forms weak complexes CUO(Ne)m with neon and stronger complexes CUO(Ne)x(Ng)n (Ng = Ar, Kr, Xe) when the heavier noble gas atoms are present. The heavier CUO(Ne)m-1(Ng) complexes are identified through the effects of CO isotopic and Ng substitution on the neon matrix infrared spectra and by comparison to DFT frequency calculations on model complexes CUO(Ng) (Ng = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe). The U-C and U-O stretching frequencies of CUO(Ne)m-1(Ng) complexes are slightly red shifted from 1047 and 872 cm-1 frequencies formore » the 1Sigma+ CUO ground state neon complex, which identifies singlet ground state CUO(Ne)m-1(Ng) complexes in solid neon. The next singlet CUO(Ne)x(Ng)2 complexes in excess neon follow in like manner. However, stretching modes and the isotopic shifts of the higher CUO(Ne)x(Ng)n complex approach those of the pure argon matrix CUO(Ar)n complex, which characterizes triple t ground state complexes by comparison to DFT frequency calculations.« less

Ammonia Gas Sensing Behavior of Tanninsulfonic Acid Doped Polyaniline-TiO2 Composite

PubMed Central

Bairi, Venu Gopal; Bourdo, Shawn E.; Sacre, Nicolas; Nair, Dev; Berry, Brian C.; Biris, Alexandru S.; Viswanathan, Tito

2015-01-01

A highly active tannin doped polyaniline-TiO2 composite ammonia gas sensor was developed and the mechanism behind the gas sensing activity was reported for the first time. A tanninsulfonic acid doped polyaniline (TANIPANI)-titanium dioxide nanocomposite was synthesized by an in situ polymerization of aniline in the presence of tanninsulfonic acid and titanium dioxide nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis were utilized to determine the incorporation of TiO2 in TANIPANI matrix. UV-Visible and infrared spectroscopy studies provided information about the electronic interactions among tannin, polyaniline, and TiO2. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) surface analysis techniques were used to investigate the metal oxide dispersions inside polyaniline matrix. Gas sensors were prepared by spin coating solutions of TANIPANI-TiO2 and TANIPANI composites onto glass slides. Sensors were tested at three different concentrations (20 ppm, 40 ppm, and 60 ppm) of ammonia gas at ambient temperature conditions by measuring the changes in surface resistivity of the films with respect to time. Ammonia gas sensing plots are presented showing the response values, response times and recovery times. The TANIPANI-TiO2 composite exhibited better response and shorter recovery times when compared to TANIPANI control and other polyaniline composites that have been reported in the literature. For the first time a proposed mechanism of gas sensing basing on the polaron band localization and its effects on the gas sensing behavior of polyaniline are reported. PMID:26501291

A novel snowflake-like SnO2 hierarchical architecture with superior gas sensing properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanqiong

2018-02-01

Snowflake-like SnO2 hierarchical architecture has been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and followed by calcination. The SnO2 hierarchical structures are assembled with thin nanoflakes blocks, which look like snowflake shape. A possible mechanism for the formation of the SnO2 hierarchical structures is speculated. Moreover, gas sensing tests show that the sensor based on snowflake-like SnO2 architectures exhibited excellent gas sensing properties. The enhancement may be attributed to its unique structures, in which the porous feature on the snowflake surface could further increase the active surface area of the materials and provide facile pathways for the target gas.

QCM gas sensor characterization of ALD-grown very thin TiO2 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyadjiev, S.; Georgieva, V.; Vergov, L.; Szilágyi, I. M.

2018-03-01

The paper presents a technology for preparation and characterization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films suitable for gas sensor applications. Applying atomic layer deposition (ALD), very thin TiO2 films were deposited on quartz resonators, and their gas sensing properties were studied using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The TiO2 thin films were grown using Ti(iOPr)4 and water as precursors. The surface of the films was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) used for a composition study. The research was focused on the gas-sensing properties of the films. Films of 10-nm thickness were deposited on quartz resonators with Au electrodes and the QCMs were used to build highly sensitive gas sensors, which were tested for detecting NO2. Although very thin, these ALD-grown TiO2 films were sensitive to NO2 already at room temperature and could register as low concentrations as 50 ppm, while the sorption was fully reversible, and the sensors could be fully recovered. With the technology presented, the manufacturing of gas sensors is simple, fast and cost-effective, and suitable for energy-effective portable equipment for real-time environmental monitoring of NO2.

Investigating the effect of adding an on-axis jet to Ar gas puff Z pinches on Z.

DOE PAGES

Harvey-Thompson, Adam James; Jennings, Christopher Ashley; Jones, Brent M.; ...

2016-10-20

Double-shell Ar gas puff implosions driven by 16.5±0.5 MA on the Z generator at Sandia National Laboratories are very effective emitters of Ar K-shell radiation (photon energy >3 keV), producing yields of 330 ± 9% kJ (B. Jones et al., Phys. Plasmas, 22, 020706, 2015). In addition, previous simulations and experiments have reported dramatic increases in K-shell yields when adding an on-axis jet to double shell gas puffs for some configurations.

Nanostructured TiO2-based gas sensors with enhanced sensitivity to reducing gases

PubMed Central

Kusior, Anna; Trenczek-Zajac, Anita

2016-01-01

2D TiO2 thin films and 3D flower-like TiO2-based nanostructures, also decorated with SnO2, were prepared by chemical and thermal oxidation of Ti substrates, respectively. The crystal structure, morphology and gas sensing properties of the TiO2-based sensing materials were investigated. 2D TiO2 thin films crystallized mainly in the form of rutile, while the flower-like 3D nanostructures as anatase. The sensor based on the 2D TiO2 showed the best performance for H2 detection, while the flower-like 3D nanostructures exhibited enhanced selectivity to CO(CH3)2 after sensitization by SnO2 nanoparticles. The sensor response time was of the order of several seconds. Their fast response, high sensitivity to selected gas species, improved selectivity and stability suggest that the SnO2-decorated flower-like 3D nanostructures are a promising material for application as an acetone sensor. PMID:28144521

Detection of a noble gas molecular ion, 36ArH+, in the Crab Nebula.

PubMed

Barlow, M J; Swinyard, B M; Owen, P J; Cernicharo, J; Gomez, H L; Ivison, R J; Krause, O; Lim, T L; Matsuura, M; Miller, S; Olofsson, G; Polehampton, E T

2013-12-13

Noble gas molecules have not hitherto been detected in space. From spectra obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory, we report the detection of emission in the 617.5- and 1234.6-gigahertz J = 1-0 and 2-1 rotational lines of (36)ArH(+) at several positions in the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant known to contain both molecular hydrogen and regions of enhanced ionized argon emission. Argon-36 is believed to have originated from explosive nucleosynthesis in massive stars during core-collapse supernova events. Its detection in the Crab Nebula, the product of such a supernova event, confirms this expectation. The likely excitation mechanism for the observed (36)ArH(+) emission lines is electron collisions in partially ionized regions with electron densities of a few hundred per centimeter cubed.

Recovery of SO2 and MgO from By-Products of MgO Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization.

PubMed

Yan, Liyun; Lu, Xiaofeng; Wang, Quanhai; Guo, Qiang

2014-11-01

An industrial demonstration unit using natural gas as a heat source was built to calcine the by-products of MgO wet flue gas desulfurization from power plants; influencing factors on the SO 2 content in calciner gas were comprehensively analyzed; and an advantageous recycling condition of MgO and SO 2 from by-products was summarized. Results showed that the SO 2 content in the calciner gas was increased by more than 10 times under a lower excess air coefficient, a higher feed rate, a lower crystal water in by-products, and a higher feed port position. For the tests conducted under the excess air coefficient above and below one, the effect of the furnace temperature on the SO 2 content in the calciner gas was reversed. Results of activity analysis indicate that particles of MgO generated under the calcination temperature of 900-1,000°C had a high activity. In contrast, due to the slight sintering, MgO generated under the calcination temperature of 1,100°C had a low activity. To recycle SO 2 as well as MgO, a temperature range of 900-927°C for TE103 is proposed. These studies will prompt the desulfurization market diversification, reduce the sulfur's dependence on imports for making sulfuric acid, be meaningful to balance the usage of the natural resource in China, and be regarded as a reference for the development of this technology for other similar developing countries.

Gas sensing behaviour of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} and W{sup 6+}: Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles towards acetone

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

Kohli, Nipin, E-mail: nipinkohli82@yahoo.com; Hastir, Anita; Singh, Ravi Chand

2016-05-23

This paper reports the acetone gas sensing properties of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} and 2% W{sup 6+} doped Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles. The simple cost-effective hydrolysis assisted co-precipitation method was adopted. Synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques. XRD revealed that synthesized nanoparticles have corundum structure. The lattice parameters have been calculated by Rietveld refinement; and strain and crystallite size have been calculated by using the Williamson-Hall plots. For acetone gas sensing properties, the nanoparticles were applied as thick film onto alumina substrate and tested at different operating temperatures. The results showedmore » that the optimum operating temperature of both the gas sensors is 250°C. At optimum operating temperature, the response of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} and 2% W{sup 6+} doped Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} gas sensor towards 100 ppm acetone was found to be 25.5 and 35.6 respectively. The investigations revealed that the addition of W{sup 6+} as a dopant enhanced the sensing response of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles appreciably.« less

Highly Efficient Gas Sensor Using a Hollow SnO2 Microfiber for Triethylamine Detection.

PubMed

Zou, Yihui; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Jin; Liu, Jingquan; Che, Yanke; Liu, Xianghong; Zhang, Jun; Yang, Dongjiang

2017-07-28

Triethylamine (TEA) gas sensors having excellent response and selectivity are in great demand to monitor the real environment. In this work, we have successfully prepared a hollow SnO 2 microfiber by a unique sustainable biomass conversion strategy and shown that the microfiber can be used in a high-performance gas sensor. The sensor based on the hollow SnO 2 microfiber shows a quick response/recovery toward triethylamine. The response of the hollow SnO 2 microfiber is up to 49.5 when the concentration of TEA gas is 100 ppm. The limit of detection is as low as 2 ppm. Furthermore, the sensor has a relatively low optimal operation temperature of 270 °C, which is lower than those of many other reported sensors. The excellent sensing properties are largely attributed to the high sensitivity provided by SnO 2 and the good permeability and conductivity of the one-dimensional hollow structure. Thus, the hollow SnO 2 microfiber using sustainable biomass as a template is a significant strategy for a unique TEA gas sensor.

Identification of non-classical C-H···M interactions in early and late transition metal complexes containing the CH(ArO)3 ligand.

PubMed

Lein, Matthias; Harrison, John A; Nielson, Alastair J

2013-08-14

The fully optimised DFT structure of the d(0) complex [{CH(ArO)3}Ti(NEt2)] (2) at the B3LYP level compares well with the distorted tetrahedral geometry shown by the X-ray crystal structure. QTAIM analysis of the electron density associated with the C-H···Ti interaction shows a well defined bond critical point, a bond path between the hydrogen and titanium centres and a negative value for the energy density indicative of covalency. A natural bond orbital (NBO) picture of the interaction shows that the C-H σ bond electron density donates to a d hybrid orbital on the metal in a linear fashion. Calculated IR and NMR data for the components of the interaction are consistent with experiment. The computed structures for [{CH(ArO)3}Ti(OPh)] (3), [{CH(ArO)3}Zr(NEt2)] (4), [{CH(ArO)3}Hf(NEt2)] (5), show tetrahedral geometries and QTAIM and NBO properties similar to (2). [{CH(ArO)3}Mo(NEt2)] (6) shows distortion of the tripodal ligand and a reduced C-H···M bond angle with properties more consistent with a C-H···M side-on donor interaction. In [{CH(ArO)3}Fe(NEt2)] (7) the C-H···M bond angle is linear and involves a donor interaction. An energy minimised structure maintaining the three fold coordination to the tripodal ligand was not obtained for [{CH(ArO)3}Ni(NEt2)](2-) but changing from a diethyl amide ligand to phenolato gave energy minimised [{CH(ArO)3}Ni(OPh)](2-) (8). This structure shows a distorted square planar geometry with a substantially bent phenoxo ligand and a near linear C-H···M covalent interaction with donor and back bonding properties. The work shows that linear C-H···M interactions can have both agostic and weak hydrogen bond-like covalency.

Fast response of sprayed vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanorods towards nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mane, A. A.; Suryawanshi, M. P.; Kim, J. H.; Moholkar, A. V.

2017-05-01

The V2O5 nanorods have been successfully spray deposited at optimized substrate temperature of 400 °C onto the glass substrates using vanadium trichloride (VCl3) solution of different concentrations. The effect of solution concentration on the physicochemical and NO2 gas sensing properties of sprayed V2O5 nanorods is studied at different operating temperatures and gas concentrations. The XRD study reveals the formation of V2O5 having an orthorhombic symmetry. The FE-SEM micrographs show the nanorods-like morphology of V2O5. The AFM micrographs exhibit a well covered granular surface topography. For direct allowed transition, the band gap energy values are found to be decreased from 2.45 eV to 2.42 eV. The nanorods deposited with 30 mM solution concentration shows the maximum response of 24.2% for 100 ppm NO2 gas concentration at an operating temperature of 200 °C with response and recovery times of 13 s and 140 s, respectively. Finally, the chemisorption mechanism of NO2 gas on the V2O5 nanorods is discussed.

Dissociation energies of Ag–RG (RG = Ar, Kr, Xe) and AgO molecules from velocity map imaging studies

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

Cooper, Graham A.; Gentleman, Alexander S.; Iskra, Andreas

2015-09-28

The near ultraviolet photodissociation dynamics of silver atom—rare gas dimers have been studied by velocity map imaging. Ag–RG (RG = Ar, Kr, Xe) species generated by laser ablation are excited in the region of the C ({sup 2}Σ{sup +})←X ({sup 2}Σ{sup +}) continuum leading to direct, near-threshold dissociation generating Ag* ({sup 2}P{sub 3/2}) + RG ({sup 1}S{sub 0}) products. Images recorded at excitation wavelengths throughout the C ({sup 2}Σ{sup +})←X ({sup 2}Σ{sup +}) continuum, coupled with known atomic energy levels, permit determination of the ground X ({sup 2}Σ{sup +}) state dissociation energies of 85.9 ± 23.4 cm{sup −1} (Ag–Ar), 149.3 ±more » 22.4 cm{sup −1} (Ag–Kr), and 256.3 ± 16.0 cm{sup −1} (Ag–Xe). Three additional photolysis processes, each yielding Ag atom photoproducts, are observed in the same spectral region. Two of these are markedly enhanced in intensity upon seeding the molecular beam with nitrous oxide, and are assigned to photodissociation of AgO at the two-photon level. These features yield an improved ground state dissociation energy for AgO of 15 965 ± 81 cm{sup −1}, which is in good agreement with high level calculations. The third process results in Ag atom fragments whose kinetic energy shows anomalously weak photon energy dependence and is assigned tentatively to dissociative ionization of the silver dimer Ag{sub 2}.« less

Highly sensitive nanostructure SnO2 based gas sensor for environmental pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korgaokar, Sushil; Moradiya, Meet; Prajapati, Om; Thakkar, Pranav; Pala, Jay; Savaliya, Chirag; Parikh, Sachin; Markna, J. H.

2017-05-01

A major quantity of pollutants are produced from industries and vehicles in the form of gas. New approaches are needed to solve well-known environmental pollutants like CO, CO2, NO2, SOx. Therefore detection with effective gas sensors is a vital part of pollution prevention efforts. There is a need to develop fast, rapid, cost-effective, highly sensitive, low power, and non-intrusive rugged sensors that can be easily installed. In the present study, nanostructured SnO2 used as a sensitive material in the devices and synthesized using hydrothermal process. The detailed development of the fabrication of SnO2 nanostructures gas sensor is described, which shows the remarkable change in the sensing properties with varying particle size. Additionally, we have used X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for characterization and carefully examined the relative parameters like response magnitude (sensitivity) and selectivity of SnO2 nano structures with different particle size.

Direct measurement of additional Ar-H2O vibration-rotation-tunneling bands in the millimeter-submillimeter range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Luyao; Widicus Weaver, Susanna L.

2016-06-01

Three new weak bands of the Ar-H2O vibration-rotation-tunneling spectrum have been measured in the millimeter wavelength range. These bands were predicted from combination differences based on previously measured bands in the submillimeter region. Two previously reported submillimeter bands were also remeasured with higher frequency resolution. These new measurements allow us to obtain accurate information on the Coriolis interaction between the 101 and 110 states. Here we report these results and the associated improved molecular constants.

Role of flue gas components in mercury oxidation over TiO2 supported MnOx-CeO2 mixed-oxide at low temperature.

PubMed

Li, Hailong; Wu, Chang-Yu; Li, Ying; Li, Liqing; Zhao, Yongchun; Zhang, Junying

2012-12-01

MnO(x)-CeO(2) mixed-oxide supported on TiO(2) (Mn-Ce/Ti) was synthesized by an ultrasound-assisted impregnation method and employed to oxidize elemental mercury (Hg(0)) at 200°C in simulated coal combustion flue gas. Over 90% of Hg(0) oxidation was achieved on the Mn-Ce/Ti catalyst at 200°C under simulated flue gas representing those from burning low-rank coals with a high gas hourly space velocity of 60,000 h(-1). Gas-phase O(2) regenerated the lattice oxygen and replenished the chemisorbed oxygen, which facilitated Hg(0) oxidation. HCl was the most effective flue gas component responsible for Hg(0) oxidation. 10 ppm HCl plus 4% O(2) resulted in 100% Hg(0) oxidation under the experimental conditions. SO(2) competed with Hg(0) for active sites, thus deactivating the catalyst's capability in oxidizing Hg(0). NO covered the active sites and consumed surface oxygen active for Hg(0) oxidation, hence limiting Hg(0) oxidation. Water vapor showed prohibitive effect on Hg(0) oxidation due to its competition with HCl and Hg(0) for active adsorption sites. This study provides information about the promotional or inhibitory effects of individual flue gas components on Hg(0) oxidation over a highly effective Mn-Ce/Ti catalyst. Such knowledge is of fundamental importance for industrial applications of the Mn-Ce/Ti catalyst in coal-fired power plants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reduction Mechanisms of Cu2+-Doped Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2 Glasses during Heating in H2 Gas.

PubMed

Nogami, Masayuki; Quang, Vu Xuan; Ohki, Shinobu; Deguchi, Kenzo; Shimizu, Tadashi

2018-01-25

Controlling valence state of metal ions that are doped in materials has been widely applied for turning optical properties. Even though hydrogen has been proven effective to reduce metal ions because of its strong reducing capability, few comprehensive studies focus on practical applications because of the low diffusion rate of hydrogen in solids and the limited reaction near sample surfaces. Here, we investigated the reactions of hydrogen with Cu 2+ -doped Na 2 O-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 glass and found that a completely different reduction from results reported so far occurs, which is dominated by the Al/Na concentration ratio. For Al/Na < 1, Cu 2+ ions were reduced via hydrogen to metallic Cu, distributing in glass body. For Al/Na > 1, on the other hand, the reduction of Cu 2+ ions occurred simultaneously with the formation of OH bonds, whereas the reduced Cu metal moved outward and formed a metallic film on glass surface. The NMR and Fourier transform infrared results indicated that the Cu 2+ ions were surrounded by Al 3+ ions that formed AlO 4 , distorted AlO 4 , and AlO 5 units. The diffused H 2 gas reacted with the Al-O - ···Cu + units, forming Al-OH and metallic Cu, the latter of which moved freely toward glass surface and in return enhanced H 2 diffusion.

Ar-Ar_Redux: rigorous error propagation of 40Ar/39Ar data, including covariances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vermeesch, P.

2015-12-01

Rigorous data reduction and error propagation algorithms are needed to realise Earthtime's objective to improve the interlaboratory accuracy of 40Ar/39Ar dating to better than 1% and thereby facilitate the comparison and combination of the K-Ar and U-Pb chronometers. Ar-Ar_Redux is a new data reduction protocol and software program for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology which takes into account two previously underappreciated aspects of the method: 1. 40Ar/39Ar measurements are compositional dataIn its simplest form, the 40Ar/39Ar age equation can be written as: t = log(1+J [40Ar/39Ar-298.5636Ar/39Ar])/λ = log(1 + JR)/λ Where λ is the 40K decay constant and J is the irradiation parameter. The age t does not depend on the absolute abundances of the three argon isotopes but only on their relative ratios. Thus, the 36Ar, 39Ar and 40Ar abundances can be normalised to unity and plotted on a ternary diagram or 'simplex'. Argon isotopic data are therefore subject to the peculiar mathematics of 'compositional data', sensu Aitchison (1986, The Statistical Analysis of Compositional Data, Chapman & Hall). 2. Correlated errors are pervasive throughout the 40Ar/39Ar methodCurrent data reduction protocols for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology propagate the age uncertainty as follows: σ2(t) = [J2 σ2(R) + R2 σ2(J)] / [λ2 (1 + R J)], which implies zero covariance between R and J. In reality, however, significant error correlations are found in every step of the 40Ar/39Ar data acquisition and processing, in both single and multi collector instruments, during blank, interference and decay corrections, age calculation etc. Ar-Ar_Redux revisits every aspect of the 40Ar/39Ar method by casting the raw mass spectrometer data into a contingency table of logratios, which automatically keeps track of all covariances in a compositional context. Application of the method to real data reveals strong correlations (r2 of up to 0.9) between age measurements within a single irradiation batch. Propertly taking

The RealGas and RealGasH2O options of the TOUGH+ code for the simulation of coupled fluid and heat flow in tight/shale gas systems

EPA Science Inventory

We developed two new EOS additions to the TOUGH+ family of codes, the RealGasH2O and RealGas. The RealGasH2O EOS option describes the non-isothermal two-phase flow of water and a real gas mixture in gas reservoirs, with a particular focus in ultra-tight (such as tight-sand and sh...

Recovery of SO2 and MgO from By-Products of MgO Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization

PubMed Central

Yan, Liyun; Lu, Xiaofeng; Wang, Quanhai; Guo, Qiang

2014-01-01

Abstract An industrial demonstration unit using natural gas as a heat source was built to calcine the by-products of MgO wet flue gas desulfurization from power plants; influencing factors on the SO2 content in calciner gas were comprehensively analyzed; and an advantageous recycling condition of MgO and SO2 from by-products was summarized. Results showed that the SO2 content in the calciner gas was increased by more than 10 times under a lower excess air coefficient, a higher feed rate, a lower crystal water in by-products, and a higher feed port position. For the tests conducted under the excess air coefficient above and below one, the effect of the furnace temperature on the SO2 content in the calciner gas was reversed. Results of activity analysis indicate that particles of MgO generated under the calcination temperature of 900–1,000°C had a high activity. In contrast, due to the slight sintering, MgO generated under the calcination temperature of 1,100°C had a low activity. To recycle SO2 as well as MgO, a temperature range of 900–927°C for TE103 is proposed. These studies will prompt the desulfurization market diversification, reduce the sulfur's dependence on imports for making sulfuric acid, be meaningful to balance the usage of the natural resource in China, and be regarded as a reference for the development of this technology for other similar developing countries. PMID:25371652

Highly efficient low-temperature plasma-assisted modification of TiO2 nanosheets with exposed {001} facets for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity.

PubMed

Li, Beibei; Zhao, Zongbin; Zhou, Quan; Meng, Bo; Meng, Xiangtong; Qiu, Jieshan

2014-11-03

Anatase TiO2 nanosheets with exposed {001} facets have been controllably modified under non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma with various working gas, including Ar, H2 , and NH3 . The obtained TiO2 nanosheets possess a unique crystalline core/amorphous shell structure (TiO2 @TiO2-x ), which exhibit the improved visible and near-infrared light absorption. The types of dopants (oxygen vacancy/surface Ti(3+) /substituted N) in oxygen-deficient TiO2 can be tuned by controlling the working gases during plasma discharge. Both surface Ti(3+) and substituted N were doped into the lattice of TiO2 through NH3 plasma discharge, whereas the oxygen vacancy or Ti(3+) (along with the oxygen vacancy) was obtained after Ar or H2 plasma treatment. The TiO2 @TiO2-x from NH3 plasma with a green color shows the highest photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation compared with the products from Ar plasma or H2 plasma due to the synergistic effect of reduction and simultaneous nitridation in the NH3 plasma. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Efficiencies of state and velocity-changing collisions of superthermal CN A(2)Pi with He, Ar, N(2) and O(2).

PubMed

Alagappan, Azhagammai; Ballingall, Iain; Costen, Matthew L; McKendrick, Kenneth G; Paterson, Grant

2007-02-14

Polarized laser photolysis of ICN is combined with saturated optical pumping to prepare state-selected CN Alpha(2)Pi (nu' = 4, J = 0.5, F(2), f) with a well-defined anisotropic superthermal speed distribution. The collisional evolution of the prepared state is observed by Doppler-resolved Frequency Modulated (FM) spectroscopy via stimulated emission on the CN Alpha(2)Pi-Chi(2)Sigma(+) (4,2) band. The phenomenological rate constants for removal of the prepared state in collisions with He, Ar, N(2) and O(2) are reported. The observed collision cross-sections are consistent with attractive forces contributing significantly for all the colliders with the exception of He. The collisional evolution of the prepared velocity distribution demonstrates that no significant back-transfer into the prepared level occurs, and that any elastic scattering is strongly in the forward hemisphere.

Electrospinning Hetero-Nanofibers In2O3/SnO2 of Homotype Heterojunction with High Gas Sensing Activity

PubMed Central

Du, Haiying; Yao, PengJun; Sun, Yanhui; Wang, Jing; Wang, Huisheng; Yu, Naisen

2017-01-01

In2O3/SnO2 composite hetero-nanofibers were synthesized by an electrospinning technique for detecting indoor volatile organic gases. The physical and chemical properties of In2O3/SnO2 hetero-nanofibers were characterized and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX), specific surface Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Gas sensing properties of In2O3/SnO2 composite hetero-nanofibers were measured with six kinds of indoor volatile organic gases in concentration range of 0.5~50 ppm at the operating temperature of 275 °C. The In2O3/SnO2 composite hetero-nanofibers sensor exhibited good formaldehyde sensing properties, which would be attributed to the formation of n-n homotype heterojunction in the In2O3/SnO2 composite hetero-nanofibers. Finally, the sensing mechanism of the In2O3/SnO2 composite hetero-nanofibers was analyzed based on the energy-band principle. PMID:28792433

Electrostatic bonding of thin (approximately 3 mil) 7070 cover glass to Ta2O5 AR-coated thin (approximately 2 mil) silicon wafers and solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egelkrout, D. W.; Horne, W. E.

1980-01-01

Electrostatic bonding (ESB) of thin (3 mil) Corning 7070 cover glasses to Ta2O5 AR-coated thin (2 mil) silicon wafers and solar cells is investigated. An experimental program was conducted to establish the effects of variations in pressure, voltage, temperature, time, Ta2O5 thickness, and various prebond glass treatments. Flat wafers without contact grids were used to study the basic effects for bonding to semiconductor surfaces typical of solar cells. Solar cells with three different grid patterns were used to determine additional requirements caused by the raised metallic contacts.

MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} as a gas sensor towards SO{sub 2} and NO{sub 2} gases

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

Rathore, Deepshikha, E-mail: deep.nano@gmail.com; Mitra, Supratim

2016-05-06

The chemical co-precipitation method was used to synthesize MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles. Single cubic phase formation of nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffraction technique. The average particle size of MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles was found to be 10.7 nm using Scherrer formula. The ultrafine powder of MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles was pressed to design pellet of 10 mm diameter and 1mm thickness. Copper electrodes have been deposited on the surface of pellet using silver paste in the form of capacitor. Fabricated gas sensing device of MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles was tested towards SO{sub 2} and NO{sub 2} gases. Cole-Cole plot of MnFe{submore » 2}O{sub 4} was investigated with the help of electrochemical workstation. The performance of the sensors including sensitivity, response and recovery time was also determined. It was observed that the MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles are more sensible for NO{sub 2} gas as compared to SO{sub 2} gas.« less

CuO-Decorated ZnO Hierarchical Nanostructures as Efficient and Established Sensing Materials for H2S Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Vuong, Nguyen Minh; Chinh, Nguyen Duc; Huy, Bui The; Lee, Yong-Ill

2016-01-01

Highly sensitive hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas sensors were developed from CuO-decorated ZnO semiconducting hierarchical nanostructures. The ZnO hierarchical nanostructure was fabricated by an electrospinning method following hydrothermal and heat treatment. CuO decoration of ZnO hierarchical structures was carried out by a wet method. The H2S gas-sensing properties were examined at different working temperatures using various quantities of CuO as the variable. CuO decoration of the ZnO hierarchical structure was observed to promote sensitivity for H2S gas higher than 30 times at low working temperature (200 °C) compared with that in the nondecorated hierarchical structure. The sensing mechanism of the hybrid sensor structure is also discussed. The morphology and characteristics of the samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis absorption, photoluminescence (PL), and electrical measurements. PMID:27231026

Low Power Consumption Gas Sensor Created from Silicon Nanowires/TiO2 Core-Shell Heterojunctions.

PubMed

Liu, Dong; Lin, Leimiao; Chen, Qiaofen; Zhou, Hongzhi; Wu, Jianmin

2017-10-27

Silicon nanowires/TiO 2 (SiNWs/TiO 2 ) array with core-shell nanostructure was created by sol-gel and drop-casting methods. The hybrid material displayed excellent sensing performance for CH 4 detection at room temperature. The chemiresistor sensor has a linear response toward CH 4 gas in the 30-120 ppm range with a detection limit of 20 ppm, which is well below most CH 4 sensors reported before. The enhanced gas sensing performance at room temperature was attributed to the creation of heterojunctions that form a depletion layer at the interface of SiNWs and TiO 2 layer. Adsorption of oxygen and corresponding gas analyte on TiO 2 layer could induce the change of depletion layer thickness and consequently the width of the SiNWs conductive channel, leading to a sensitive conductive response toward gas analyte. Compared to conventional metal oxide gas sensors, the room temperature gas sensors constructed from SiNWs/TiO 2 do not need an additional heating device and work at power at the μW level. The low power consumption feature is of great importance for sensing devices, if they are widely deployed and connected to the Internet of Things. The innovation of room temperature sensing materials may push forward the integration of gas sensing element with wireless device.

Shockwave compression of Ar gas at several initial densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dattelbaum, Dana M.; Goodwin, Peter M.; Garcia, Daniel B.; Gustavsen, Richard L.; Lang, John M.; Aslam, Tariq D.; Sheffield, Stephen A.; Gibson, Lloyd L.; Morris, John S.

2017-01-01

Experimental data of the principal Hugoniot locus of variable density gas-phase noble and molecular gases are rare. The majority of shock Hugoniot data is either from shock tube experiments on low-pressure gases or from plate impact experiments on cryogenic, liquefied gases. In both cases, physics regarding shock compressibility, thresholds for the on-set of shock-driven ionization, and even dissociation chemistry are difficult to infer for gases at intermediate densities. We have developed an experimental target design for gas gun-driven plate impact experiments on noble gases at initial pressures between 200-1000 psi. Using optical velocimetry, we are able to directly determine both the shock and particle velocities of the gas on the principal Hugoniot locus, as well as clearly differentiate ionization thresholds. The target design also results in multiply shocking the gas in a quasi-isentropic fashion yielding off-Hugoniot compression data. We describe the results of a series of plate impact experiments on Ar with starting densities between 0.02-0.05 g/cm3 at room temperature. Furthermore, by coupling optical fibers to the targets, we have measured the time-resolved optical emission from the shocked gas using a spectrometer coupled to an optical streak camera to spectrally-resolve the emission, and with a 5-color optical pyrometer for temperature determination.

Gas-Phase Chemistry of Arylimido-Functionalized Hexamolybdates [Mo6O19]2-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Jie; Wang, QianQian; Liu, Chang; An, ShuQi

2018-04-01

The gas-phase fragmentations of a series of arylimido derivatives of hexamolybdate [Mo6O18(NC6H5-n R n )]2- (2-10, where R = CH3, i-C3H7, OCH3, NO2; n = 1 or 2) versus the parent species [Mo6O19]2- (1) were systematically studied using electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI). Fragmentation of 1 generates two molybdate fragments only, [Mo3O10]2- and [Mo4O13]2-, whereas decomposition of 2-10 went through two dissociation pathways in which path A generates a variety of molybdate fragments via breaking the Mo-N bond followed by the cleavages of the multiple Mo-O bonds, whereas path B produces a range of molybdate fragments with arylimido group via breaking the multiple Mo-O bonds on POM framework. Moreover, the presences of mixed-oxidation-state molybdate fragments are characteristic for the fragmentation. The gas-phase stability order obtained by energy-variable collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiment reveals that 2-10 are generally less stable than 1 and substitution on the benzene ring exerts a considerable effect on the stabilization of the hybrid clusters. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

One-pot electrospinning and gas-sensing properties of LaMnO3 perovskite/SnO2 heterojunction nanofibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dongdong; Yi, Jianxin

2018-03-01

Using nanostructured composite materials is an effective way to obtain high-performance gas sensors. This work used p-type LaMnO3 perovskite-structured semiconductor as a novel promoter for SnO2 nanofibers and studied the gas-sensing characteristics. Nanofibers of 0-2.5-mol% LaMnO3/SnO2 were synthesized via one-pot electrospinning. Compared with pristine SnO2, LaMnO3/SnO2 composite nanofibers exhibited smaller particle size (10-30 nm) and higher BET surface area. XPS revealed that oxygen surface absorption decreased with increasing LaMnO3 content. 0.3-mol% LaMnO3/SnO2 exhibited significantly enhanced ethanol sensitivity relative to pristine SnO2. A response of 20 was obtained at the optimum temperature of 260 °C for 100-ppm ethanol. Higher LaMnO3 loading led to decrease of the ethanol response. The impact of LaMnO3 loading on the sensing behavior of SnO2 nanofibers was discussed in terms of p-n heterojunction formation and changes in the microstructure and catalytic properties.

Characterization of Ar/N2/H2 middle-pressure RF discharge and application of the afterglow region for nitridation of GaAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raud, J.; Jõgi, I.; Matisen, L.; Navrátil, Z.; Talviste, R.; Trunec, D.; Aarik, J.

2017-12-01

This work characterizes the production and destruction of nitrogen and hydrogen atoms in RF capacitively coupled middle-pressure discharge in argon/nitrogen/hydrogen mixtures. Input power, electron concentration, electric field strength and mean electron energy were determined on the basis of electrical measurements. Gas temperature and concentration of Ar atoms in 1s states were determined from spectral measurements. On the basis of experimentally determined plasma characteristics, main production and loss mechanisms of H and N atoms were discussed. The plasma produced radicals were applied for the nitridation and oxide reduction of gallium arsenide in the afterglow region of discharge. After plasma treatment the GaAs samples were analyzed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique. Successful nitridation of GaAs sample was obtained in the case of Ar/5% N2 discharge. In this gas mixture the N atoms were generated via dissociative recombination of N2+ created by charge transfer from Ar+. The treatment in Ar/5% N2/1% H2 mixture resulted in the reduction of oxide signals in the XPS spectra. Negligible formation of GaN in the latter mixture was connected with reduced concentration of N atoms, which was, in turn, due to less efficient mechanism of N atom production (electron impact dissociation of N2 molecules) and additional loss channel in reaction with H2.

Development of a low-level 39Ar calibration standard – Analysis by absolute gas counting measurements augmented with simulation

DOE PAGES

Williams, Richard M.; Aalseth, C. E.; Brandenberger, J. M.; ...

2017-02-17

Here, this paper describes the generation of 39Ar, via reactor irradiation of potassium carbonate, followed by quantitative analysis (length-compensated proportional counting) to yield two calibration standards that are respectively 50 and 3 times atmospheric background levels. Measurements were performed in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's shallow underground counting laboratory studying the effect of gas density on beta-transport; these results are compared with simulation. The total expanded uncertainty of the specific activity for the ~50 × 39Ar in P10 standard is 3.6% (k=2).

Development of a low-level 39Ar calibration standard – Analysis by absolute gas counting measurements augmented with simulation

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

Williams, Richard M.; Aalseth, C. E.; Brandenberger, J. M.

Here, this paper describes the generation of 39Ar, via reactor irradiation of potassium carbonate, followed by quantitative analysis (length-compensated proportional counting) to yield two calibration standards that are respectively 50 and 3 times atmospheric background levels. Measurements were performed in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's shallow underground counting laboratory studying the effect of gas density on beta-transport; these results are compared with simulation. The total expanded uncertainty of the specific activity for the ~50 × 39Ar in P10 standard is 3.6% (k=2).

On the 40Ar/39Ar Dating of Low-Potassium Ocean Crust Basalt from IODP Expedition 349, South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koppers, A. A. P.

2014-12-01

Accurate age dates for the basement rocks in the South China Sea (SCS) basins were lacking before the execution of International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 349 in early 2014. This left a large margin of error in estimated opening ages for the SCS and rendered various hypotheses regarding its opening mechanism and history untested, hampering our understanding of East Asian tectonic and paleoenvironmental evolution. Therefore, high-precision 40Ar/39Ar age dating lies at the heart of Expedition 349, which in particular aimed to determine the timing of the start and cessation of seafloor spreading in the SCS. In addition, the recovery of a complete seamount apron section at Site U1431 allows 40Ar/39Ar dating of abundantly present plagioclase and biotite crystals to help establish a detailed chronology of the sedimentary and volcaniclastic sequences cored. Here we present the first 40Ar/39Ar incremental heating ages on the low-potassium (~0.1-0.2 wt% K2O) and the least altered (loss on ignition < 1.5%) mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) from the SCS. Plagioclase and groundmass samples were prepared using conventional mineral separation techniques, acid-leaching and hand-picking. Analyses were carried out using a new ARGUS-VI multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometer. Ages are expected to have precisions ranging between 0.1-0.3 Ma (2σ), which will allow us to precisely and accurately date the final emplacement of basalts at Sites U1431, U1433 and U1434 in the SCS basin, just prior to the cessation of spreading as all sites were slightly offset from the relict spreading center.

CuBi2O4 Prepared by the Polymerized Complex Method for Gas-Sensing Applications.

PubMed

Choi, Yun-Hyuk; Kim, Dai-Hong; Hong, Seong-Hyeon

2018-05-02

Multicomponent oxides can be extensively explored as alternative gas-sensing materials to binary oxides with their structural and compositional versatilities. In this work, the gas-sensing properties of CuBi 2 O 4 have been investigated toward various reducing gases (C 2 H 5 OH, NH 3 , H 2 , CO, and H 2 S) and oxidizing gas (NO 2 ) for the first time. For this, the powder synthesis has been developed using the polymerized complex method (Pechini method) to obtain a single-phase polycrystalline CuBi 2 O 4 . The defect, optical, and electronic properties in the prepared CuBi 2 O 4 powder were modulated by varying the calcination temperature from 500 to 700 °C. Noticeably, a high concentration of Cu + -oxygen vacancy ([Formula: see text]) defect complexes and isolated Cu 2+ ion clusters was found in the 500 °C-calcined CuBi 2 O 4 , where they were removed through air calcination at higher temperatures (up to 700 °C) while making the compound more stoichiometric. The change in the intrinsic defect concentration with the calcination temperature led to the variation of the electronic band gap energy and hole concentration in CuBi 2 O 4 with the polaronic hopping conduction (activation energy = 0.43 eV). The CuBi 2 O 4 sensor with 500 °C-calcined powder showed the highest gas responses (specifically, 10.4 toward 1000 ppm C 2 H 5 OH at the operating temperature of 400 °C) with the highest defect concentration. As a result, the gas-sensing characteristics of CuBi 2 O 4 are found to be dominantly affected by the intrinsic defect concentration, which is controlled by the calcination temperature. Toward reducing H 2 S and oxidizing NO 2 gases, the multiple reactions arising simultaneously on the surface of the CuBi 2 O 4 sensor govern its response behavior, depending on the gas concentration and the operating temperature. We believe that this work can be a cornerstone for understanding the effect of chemical defect on the gas-sensing characteristics in multicomponent

Smoothing single-crystalline SiC surfaces by reactive ion etching using pure NF{sub 3} and NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas plasmas

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

Tasaka, Akimasa, E-mail: aki-tasaka-load@yahoo.co.jp; Kotaka, Yuki; Oda, Atsushi

2014-09-01

In pure NF{sub 3} plasma, the etching rates of four kinds of single-crystalline SiC wafer etched at NF{sub 3} pressure of 2 Pa were the highest and it decreased with an increase in NF{sub 3} pressure. On the other hand, they increased with an increase in radio frequency (RF) power and were the highest at RF power of 200 W. A smooth surface was obtained on the single-crystalline 4H-SiC after reactive ion etching at NF{sub 3}/Ar gas pressure of 2 Pa and addition of Ar to NF{sub 3} plasma increased the smoothness of SiC surface. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that the numbermore » of pillars decreased with an increase in the Ar-concentration in the NF{sub 3}/Ar mixture gas. The roughness factor (R{sub a}) values were decreased from 51.5 nm to 25.5 nm for the As-cut SiC, from 0.25 nm to 0.20 nm for the Epi-SiC, from 5.0 nm to 0.7 nm for the Si-face mirror-polished SiC, and from 0.20 nm to 0.16 nm for the C-face mirror-polished SiC by adding 60% Ar to the NF{sub 3} gas. Both the R{sub a} values of the Epi- and the C-face mirror-polished wafer surfaces etched using the NF{sub 3}/Ar (40:60) plasma were similar to that treated with mirror polishing, so-called the Catalyst-Referred Etching (CARE) method, with which the lowest roughness of surface was obtained among the chemical mirror polishing methods. Etching duration for smoothing the single-crystalline SiC surface using its treatment was one third of that with the CARE method.« less

Highly sensitive H2 gas sensor of Co doped ZnO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhati, Vijendra Singh; Ranwa, Sapana; Kumar, Mahesh

2018-04-01

In this report, the hydrogen gas sensing properties based on Co doped ZnO nanostructures are explored. The undoped and Co doped nanostructures were grown by RF magnetron sputtering system, and its structural, morphological, and hydrogen sensing behavior are investigated. The maximum relative response was occurred by the 2.5% Co doped ZnO nanostructures among undoped and other doped sensors. The enhancement of relative response might be due to large chemisorbed sites formation on the ZnO surface for the reaction to hydrogen gas.

The enhancement of CuO modified V2O5-WO3/TiO2 based SCR catalyst for Hg° oxidation in simulated flue gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chuanmin; Jia, Wenbo; Liu, Songtao; Cao, Yue

2018-04-01

CuO modified V2O5-WO3/TiO2 based SCR catalysts prepared by improved impregnation method were investigated to evaluate the catalytic activity for elemental mercury (Hg°) oxidation in simulated flue gas at 150-400 °C. Nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the catalysts. It was found that V0.8WTi-Cu3 catalyst exhibited the superior Hg° oxidation activity and wide operating temperature window at the gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 3 × 105 h-1. The BET and XRD results showed that CuO was well loaded and highly dispersed on the catalysts surface. The XPS results suggested that the addition of CuO generated abundant chemisorbed oxygen, which was due to the synergistic effect between CuO and V2O5. The existence of the redox cycle of V4+ + Cu2+ ↔ V5+ + Cu+ in V0.8WTi-Cu3 catalyst enhanced Hg° oxidation activity. The effects of flue gas components (O2, NO, SO2 and H2O) on Hg° oxidation over V0.8WTi-Cu3 catalyst were also explored. Moreover, the co-presence of NO and NH3 remarkably inhibited Hg° oxidation, which was due to the competitive adsorption and reduction effect of NH3 at SCR condition. Fortunately, this inhibiting effect was gradually scavenged with the decrease of GHSV. The mechanism of Hg° oxidation was also investigated.

Production of Ar and Xe metastables in rare gas mixtures in a dielectric barrier discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikheyev, Pavel A.; Han, Jiande; Clark, Amanda; Sanderson, Carl; Heaven, Michael C.

2017-12-01

Optically pumped all-rare-gas lasers (OPRGL) utilize metastable atoms of the heavier rare gases as lasing species. The required number density of metastables for efficient laser operation is 1012-1013 cm-3 in He buffer gas at pressures in the 400-1000 Torr range. Such metastable densities are easily produced in a nanosecond pulsed discharge, even at pressures larger than atmospheric, but problems appear when one is trying to achieve continuous production. The reason for low production efficiency in many types of continuous discharge at atmospheric pressure is the low value of the E/N parameter (<5-6 Td). In the present work, we have examined the possibility of using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to provide near continuous, high densities of Ar and Xe metastables. Experiments were performed using a 20 kHz DBD in binary Ar and Xe mixtures with He, and in ternary Ar:Xe:He mixtures at pressures up to 1 atmosphere. Concentrations were measured by means of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. Time-averaged [Ar(1s5)] and [Xe(1s5)] number densities on the order of 1012 cm-3 were readily achieved. The temporal behavior of [Xe(1s5)] throughout the DBD cycle was observed. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using DBDs for OPRGL development. Spectral scans over the absorption lines were also used to examine the pressure broadening coefficients for the 912.3 nm Ar line in He and the Xe 904.5 nm line in Ne and He.

Trapping of N 2, CO and Ar in amorphous ice—Application to comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bar-Nun, A.; Notesco, G.; Owen, T.

2007-10-01

Recent attempts using high resolution spectra to detect N +2 in several comets were unsuccessful [Cochran, A.L., Cochran, W.D., Baker, E.S., 2000. Icarus 146, 583-593; Cochran, A.L., 2002. Astrophys. J. 576, L165-L168]. The upper limits on N +2 in comparison with the positively detected CO + for Comets C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp, 122P/1995 S1 de Vico and 153P/2002 C1 Ikeya-Zhang range between N2+/CO<(0.65-5.4)×10. Ar was not detected in three recent comets [Weaver, H.A., Feldman, P.D., Combi, M.R., Krasnopolsky, V., Lisse, C.M., Shemansky, D.E., 2002. Astrophys. J. 576, L95-L98], with upper limits of Ar/CO<(3.4-7.8)×10 for Comets C/1999 T1 McNaught-Hartley, C/2001 A2 LINEAR and C/2000 WM1 LINEAR. The Ar detected by Stern et al. [Stern, S.A., Slater, D.C., Festou, M.C., Parker, J.Wm., Gladstone, G.R., A'Hearn, M.F., Wilkinson, E., 2000. Astrophys. J. 544, L169-L172] for Comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp, gives a ratio Ar/CO=7.25×10, which was not confirmed by Cosmovici et al. [Cosmovici, C.B., Bratina, V., Schwarz, G., Tozzi, G., Mumma, M.J., Stalio, R., 2006. Astrophys. Space Sci. 301, 135-143]. Trying to solve the two problems, we studied experimentally the trapping of N+CO+Ar in amorphous water ice, at 24-30 K. CO was found to be trapped in the ice 20-70 times more efficiently than N 2 and with the same efficiency as Ar. The resulting Ar/CO ratio of 1.2×10 is consistent with Weaver et al.'s [Weaver, H.A., Feldman, P.D., Combi, M.R., Krasnopolsky, V., Lisse, C.M., Shemansky, D.E., 2002. Astrophys. J. 576, L95-L98] non-detection of Ar. However, with an extreme starting value for N 2/CO = 0.22 in the region where the ice grains which agglomerated to produce comet nuclei were formed, the expected N 2/CO ratio in the cometary ice should be 6.6×10, much higher than its non-detection limit.

Probing electron density across Ar{sup +} irradiation-induced self-organized TiO{sub 2−x} nanochannels for memory application

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

Barman, A.; Saini, C. P.; Ghosh, S. K.

2016-06-13

The variation of electron density in TiO{sub 2−x} nanochannels, exhibiting resistive switching phenomenon, produced by Ar{sup +} ion-irradiation at the threshold fluence of 5 × 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2} is demonstrated by X-ray reflectivity (XRR). The transmission electron microscopy reveals the formation of nanochannels, while the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirms Ti enrichment near the surface due to ion-irradiation, in consistent with the increase in electron density by XRR measurements. Such a variation in Ti concentration indicates the evolution of oxygen vacancies (OVs) along the TiO{sub 2−x} nanochannels, and thus paves the way to explain the operation and performance of the Pt/TiO{sub 2−x}/Pt-basedmore » memory devices via OV migration.« less

A scintillating gas detector for 2D dose measurements in clinical carbon beams.

PubMed

Seravalli, E; de Boer, M; Geurink, F; Huizenga, J; Kreuger, R; Schippers, J M; van Eijk, C W E; Voss, B

2008-09-07

A two-dimensional position sensitive dosimetry system based on a scintillating gas detector has been developed for pre-treatment verification of dose distributions in hadron therapy. The dosimetry system consists of a chamber filled with an Ar/CF4 scintillating gas mixture, inside which two cascaded gas electron multipliers (GEMs) are mounted. A GEM is a thin kapton foil with copper cladding structured with a regular pattern of sub-mm holes. The primary electrons, created in the detector's sensitive volume by the incoming beam, drift in an electric field towards the GEMs and undergo gas multiplication in the GEM holes. During this process, photons are emitted by the excited Ar/CF4 gas molecules and detected by a mirror-lens-CCD camera system. Since the amount of emitted light is proportional to the dose deposited in the sensitive volume of the detector by the incoming beam, the intensity distribution of the measured light spot is proportional to the 2D hadron dose distribution. For a measurement of a 3D dose distribution, the scintillating gas detector is mounted at the beam exit side of a water-bellows phantom, whose thickness can be varied in steps. In this work, the energy dependence of the output signal of the scintillating gas detector has been verified in a 250 MeV/u clinical 12C ion beam by means of a depth-dose curve measurement. The underestimation of the measured signal at the Bragg peak depth is only 9% with respect to an air-filled ionization chamber. This is much smaller than the underestimation found for a scintillating Gd2O2S:Tb ('Lanex') screen under the same measurement conditions (43%). Consequently, the scintillating gas detector is a promising device for verifying dose distributions in high LET beams, for example to check hadron therapy treatment plans which comprise beams with different energies.

A scintillating gas detector for 2D dose measurements in clinical carbon beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seravalli, E.; de Boer, M.; Geurink, F.; Huizenga, J.; Kreuger, R.; Schippers, J. M.; van Eijk, C. W. E.; Voss, B.

2008-09-01

A two-dimensional position sensitive dosimetry system based on a scintillating gas detector has been developed for pre-treatment verification of dose distributions in hadron therapy. The dosimetry system consists of a chamber filled with an Ar/CF4 scintillating gas mixture, inside which two cascaded gas electron multipliers (GEMs) are mounted. A GEM is a thin kapton foil with copper cladding structured with a regular pattern of sub-mm holes. The primary electrons, created in the detector's sensitive volume by the incoming beam, drift in an electric field towards the GEMs and undergo gas multiplication in the GEM holes. During this process, photons are emitted by the excited Ar/CF4 gas molecules and detected by a mirror-lens-CCD camera system. Since the amount of emitted light is proportional to the dose deposited in the sensitive volume of the detector by the incoming beam, the intensity distribution of the measured light spot is proportional to the 2D hadron dose distribution. For a measurement of a 3D dose distribution, the scintillating gas detector is mounted at the beam exit side of a water-bellows phantom, whose thickness can be varied in steps. In this work, the energy dependence of the output signal of the scintillating gas detector has been verified in a 250 MeV/u clinical 12C ion beam by means of a depth-dose curve measurement. The underestimation of the measured signal at the Bragg peak depth is only 9% with respect to an air-filled ionization chamber. This is much smaller than the underestimation found for a scintillating Gd2O2S:Tb ('Lanex') screen under the same measurement conditions (43%). Consequently, the scintillating gas detector is a promising device for verifying dose distributions in high LET beams, for example to check hadron therapy treatment plans which comprise beams with different energies.

Synthesis of porous SnO2 nanocubes via selective leaching and enhanced gas-sensing properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yining; Wei, Qi; Song, Peng; Wang, Qi

2016-01-01

Porous micro-/nanostructures are of great interest in many current and emerging areas of technology. In this paper, porous SnO2 nanocubes have been successfully fabricated via a selective leaching strategy using CoSn(OH)6 as precursor. The structure and morphology of as-prepared samples were investigated by several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimeter analysis (TG⿿DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N2 adsorption⿿desorption analyses. On the basis of those characterizations, the mechanism for the formation of porous SnO2 nanocubes has been proposed. Owing to the well-defined and uniform porous structures, porous SnO2 nanocubes possessing more adsorbent amount of analytic gas and accelerate the transmission speed so as to enhance the gas-sensing properties. Gas sensing investigation showed that the sensor based on porous SnO2 nanocubes exhibited high response, short response⿿recovery times and good selectivity to ethanol gas.

New generation of α-MnO2 nanowires @PDMS composite as a hydrogen gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidi, Seyedeh Mehri; Mosivand, Alireza; Mahboubi, Mina; Arabi, Hadi; Azad, Narin; Jamal, Murtada Riyadh

2018-03-01

New hydrogen gas sensor has been prepared by α-MnO2 nanowires in polydimethylsiloxane matrix. For this purpose, the high aspect ratio α-MnO2 nanowires has been prepared by the aid of hydrothermal method and then dispersed into poly-dimethyl siloxane polymer media. For gas sensing, the samples have been exposed under different gas concentrations from 0 to 5%. The sensor responses have been examined by normalized ellipsometric parameter with respect to the chamber filled with N2 Gas. Our results indicate linear behavior of resonance wavelength in ellipsometric parameter as a function of gas concentrations which can open a new insight for the sample's capability to hydrogen gas sensing applications.

Ionization of the group 3 metals La, Y and Sc in H2---O2---Ar flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, Patricia M.; Goodings, John M.

1995-09-01

Four pairs of premixed, fuel-rich/fuel-lean (FR/FL; equivalence ratio [Phi] = 1.5/0.75). H2---O2---Ar flames at four temperatures in the range 1900-2425 K, all at atmospheric pressure, were doped with about 10-6 mole fraction of the group 3 metals La, Y and Sc using atomizer techniques. The metals produce solid particles in the flames and gaseous metallic species. The latter include free metallic atoms, A, near the flame reaction zone, but only the monoxide AO and the oxide-hydroxide OAOH further downstream at equilibrium; the [OAOH]/[AO] ratio varies in FR/FL flames. Metallic ions (<1% of the total metal) were observed by sampling a given flame along its axis through a nozzle into a mass spectrometer. All of the observed ions can be represented by an oxide ion series AO+·nH2O (n = 0-3 or more) although their actual structures may be different; e.g. A(OH)2+ for n = 1, interpreted as protonated OAOH. A major objective was to ascertain the ionization mechanism, principally that of La. The ionization appears to receive an initial boost from the exothermic chemi-ionization reaction of A with atomic O to produce AO+; further downstream, the ionization level is sustained by the thermal (collisional) ionization of AO to produce AO+ and/or the chemi-ionization of OAOH with H to produce A(OH)2+. The ions AO+, A(OH)2+ and higher hydrates are all rapidly equilibrated by three-body association reactions with water. Ions are lost by dissociative electron-ion recombination of A(OH)2+ and possibly higher hydrates. The chemical ionization of the metallic species by H3O+ was investigated by adding a small quantity of CH4 to the flames. The ion chemistry is discussed in detail. An estimate of the bond dissociation energy D0°(OLa---OH) = 408 ± 40 kJ mol-1 (4.23 ± 0.41 eV) was obtained.

Free energy study of H2O, N2O5, SO2, and O3 gas sorption by water droplets/slabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wentao; Pak, Chi Yuen; Tse, Ying-Lung Steve

2018-04-01

Understanding gas sorption by water in the atmosphere is an active research area because the gases can significantly alter the radiation and chemical properties of the atmosphere. We attempt to elucidate the molecular details of the gas sorption of water and three common atmospheric gases (N2O5, SO2, and O3) by water droplets/slabs in molecular dynamics simulations. The system size effects are investigated, and we show that the calculated solvation free energy decreases linearly as a function of the reciprocal of the number of water molecules from 1/215 to 1/1000 in both the slab and the droplet systems. By analyzing the infinitely large system size limit by extrapolation, we find that all our droplet results are more accurate than the slab results when compared to the experimental values. We also show how the choice of restraints in umbrella sampling can affect the sampling efficiency for the droplet systems. The free energy changes were decomposed into the energetic ΔU and entropic -TΔS contributions to reveal the molecular details of the gas sorption processes. By further decomposing ΔU into Lennard-Jones and Coulombic interactions, we observe that the ΔU trends are primarily determined by local effects due to the size of the gas molecule, charge distribution, and solvation structure around the gas molecule. Moreover, we find that there is a strong correlation between the change in the entropic contribution and the mean residence time of water, which is spatially nonlocal and related to the mobility of water.

40Ar/39Ar geochronology of terrestrial pyroxene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ware, Bryant; Jourdan, Fred

2018-06-01

Geochronological techniques such as U/Pb in zircon and baddeleyite and 40Ar/39Ar on a vast range of minerals, including sanidine, plagioclase, and biotite, provide means to date an array of different geologic processes. Many of these minerals, however, are not always present in a given rock, or can be altered by secondary processes (e.g. plagioclase in mafic rocks) limiting our ability to derive an isotopic age. Pyroxene is a primary rock forming mineral for both mafic and ultramafic rocks and is resistant to alteration process but attempts to date this phase with 40Ar/39Ar has been met with little success so far. In this study, we analyzed pyroxene crystals from two different Large Igneous Provinces using a multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometer (ARGUS VI) since those machines have been shown to significantly improve analytical precision compared to the previous single-collector instruments. We obtain geologically meaningful and relatively precise 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages ranging from 184.6 ± 3.9 to 182.4 ± 0.8 Ma (2σ uncertainties of ±1.8-0.4%) and 506.3 ± 3.4 Ma for Tasmanian and Kalkarindji dolerites, respectively. Those data are indistinguishable from new and/or published U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar plagioclase ages showing that 40Ar/39Ar dating of pyroxene is a suitable geochronological tool. Scrutinizing the analytical results of the pyroxene analyses as well as comparing them to the analytical result from plagioclase of the same samples indicate pure pyroxene was dated. Numerical models of argon diffusion in plagioclase and pyroxene support these observations. However, we found that the viability of 40Ar/39Ar dating approach of pyroxene can be affected by irradiation-induced recoil redistribution between thin pyroxene exsolution lamellae and the main pyroxene crystal, hence requiring careful petrographic observations before analysis. Finally, diffusion modeling show that 40Ar/39Ar of pyroxene can be used as a powerful tool to date the formation age of mafic

Study on optical emission analysis of AC air water discharges under He, Ar and N2 environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J. Y.; Kostyuk, P. V.; Han, S. B.; Kim, J. S.; Vu, C. N.; Lee, H. W.

2006-09-01

In this paper, hybrid air-water discharges were used to develop an optimal condition for providing a high level of water decomposition for hydrogen evolution. Electrical and optical phenomena accompanying the discharges were investigated along with feeding gases, flow rates and point-to-plane electrode gap distance. The experiments were primarily focused on the optical emission of the near UV range, providing a sufficient energy threshold for water dissociation and excitation. The OH(A 2Σ+ → X 2Π, Δν = 0) band optical emission intensity indicated the presence of plasma chemical reactions involving hydrogen formation. Despite the fact that energy input was high, the OH(A-X) optical emission was found to be negligible at the zero gap distance between the tip of the metal rod and water surface. In the gas atmosphere saturated with water vapour the OH(A-X) intensity was relatively high compared with the liquid and transient phases although the optical emission strongly depended on the flow rate and type of feeding gas. The gas phase was found to be more favourable because of less energy consumption in the cases of He and Ar carrier gases, and quenching mechanisms of oxygen in the N2 carrier gas atmosphere, preventing hydrogen from recombining with oxygen. In the gas phase the discharge was at a steady state, in contrast to the other phases, in which bubbles interrupted propagation of the plasma channel. Optical emission intensity of OH(A-X) band increased according to the flow rate or residence time of the He feeding gas. Nevertheless, a reciprocal tendency was acquired for N2 and Ar carrier gases. The peak value of OH(A-X) band optical emission intensity was observed near the water surface; however in the cases of Ar and N2 with a 0.5 SLM flow rate, it was shifted below the water surface. Rotational temperature was estimated to be in the range of 900-3600 K, according to the carrier gas and flow rate, which is sufficient for hydrogen production.

Full Vector Analyses of Cryptochron C2r.2r-l (ca. 2.42-2.44 Ma) Recorded on Koolau Volcano at Halawa, Oahu, Hawaii: Evidence From Directions, Absolute Paleointensity Determinations and 40Ar/39Ar Studies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browne, E. J.; Herrero-Bervera, E.; Singer, B.

2005-12-01

sampled. We used the modified Thellier-Coe double heating method to determine paleointensities. pTRM checks were performed systematically one temperature step down the last pTRM acquisition in order to document magnetomineralogical changes during heating. The temperature was incremented by steps of 50o C between room temperature and 500oC and every 25-30o C. The paleointensity determinations were obtained from the slope of the Arai diagrams. Special care was taken to interpret the Arai diagrams within the same range of temperatures lower than 300oC unless a clear and unique slope would be present. Our paleointensity results indicate a near-zero reduced strength of the field during the excursional period ranging from 5 to 9 micro-Tesla. The corresponding VGPs are located off the southeast part of Africa, close to Madagascar. Initial 40Ar/39Ar incremental heating experiments on groundmass from nine flow-sites located at different stratigraphic levels yielded isochron ages ranging from 2.64+/-0.25 to 2.40+/-0.46 Ma indicating that the excursion may correlate with the C2r.2r-l Cryptochron of Cande and Kent [1995]. this is potentially the first terrestrial record of the ca. 2.4 Ma Cryptochron, a finding that will place important constraints on evolution of the entire Koolau shield edifice also.

SO2 and NH3 gas adsorption on a ternary ZnO/CuO/CuCl2 impregnated activated carbon evaluated using combinatorial methods.

PubMed

Romero, Jennifer V; Smith, Jock W H; Sullivan, Braden M; Croll, Lisa M; Dahn, J R

2012-01-09

Ternary libraries of 64 ZnO/CuO/CuCl(2) impregnated activated carbon samples were prepared on untreated or HNO(3)-treated carbon and evaluated for their SO(2) and NH(3) gas adsorption properties gravimetrically using a combinatorial method. CuCl(2) is shown to be a viable substitute for HNO(3) and some compositions of ternary ZnO/CuO/CuCl(2) impregnated carbon samples prepared on untreated carbon provided comparable SO(2) and NH(3) gas removal capacities to the materials prepared on HNO(3)-treated carbon. Through combinatorial methods, it was determined that the use of HNO(3) in this multigas adsorbent formulation can be avoided.

From O2 to H2S: a landscape view of gas biology.

PubMed

Kashiba, Misato; Kajimura, Mayumi; Goda, Nobuhito; Suematsu, Makoto

2002-03-01

The majority of molecular oxygen (O2) consumed in the body is used as a substrate of cytochrome c oxidase to maintain oxidative phosphorylation for ATP synthesis. Rest of the O2 is used for oxidative biosynthesis including synthesis of vasoactive substances such as prostaglandins and secondary gaseous mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). Thus, O2 is not only used for maintenance of energy supply but also for regulating blood supply into tissues. Nitrous oxide (N2O), laughing gas for anesthesia, is generated endogenously through NO reductase in bacteria and fungi, and has recently been shown to modulate N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor function. A number of other biologically active gases could participate in regulation of cell and tissue functions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is generated mainly through the Krebs cycle as a result of glucose oxidation and serves as a potent vasodilator, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) synthesized through degradation of cysteine has recently been postulated to be a neuromodulator, although their receptor proteins for signaling have not been verified as a discernible molecular entity. Easy penetration allow these gases to access the inner space of receptor proteins and to execute their biological actions. These gases are generated and consumed in anaerobic bacteria through varied reactions distinct from those in mammals. This review summarizes recent information on mechanisms for gas generation and reception in biological systems.

Membrane-Based Characterization of a Gas Component — A Transient Sensor Theory

PubMed Central

Lazik, Detlef

2014-01-01

Based on a multi-gas solution-diffusion problem for a dense symmetrical membrane this paper presents a transient theory of a planar, membrane-based sensor cell for measuring gas from both initial conditions: dynamic and thermodynamic equilibrium. Using this theory, the ranges for which previously developed, simpler approaches are valid will be discussed; these approaches are of vital interest for membrane-based gas sensor applications. Finally, a new theoretical approach is introduced to identify varying gas components by arranging sensor cell pairs resulting in a concentration independent gas-specific critical time. Literature data for the N2, O2, Ar, CH4, CO2, H2 and C4H10 diffusion coefficients and solubilities for a polydimethylsiloxane membrane were used to simulate gas specific sensor responses. The results demonstrate the influence of (i) the operational mode; (ii) sensor geometry and (iii) gas matrices (air, Ar) on that critical time. Based on the developed theory the case-specific suitable membrane materials can be determined and both operation and design options for these sensors can be optimized for individual applications. The results of mixing experiments for different gases (O2, CO2) in a gas matrix of air confirmed the theoretical predictions. PMID:24608004

Vibrational and thermodynamic properties of Ar, N2, O2, H2 and CO adsorbed and condensed into (H,Na)-Y zeolite cages as studied by variable temperature IR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Gribov, Evgueni N; Cocina, Donato; Spoto, Giuseppe; Bordiga, Silvia; Ricchiardi, Gabriele; Zecchina, Adriano

2006-03-14

The adsorption of Ar, H2, O2, N2 and CO on (H,Na)-Y zeolite (Si/Al = 2.9, H+/Na+ approximately 5) has been studied at variable-temperature (90-20 K) and sub-atmospheric pressure (0-40 mbar) by FTIR spectroscopy. Unprecedented filling conditions of the zeolite cavities were attained, which allowed the investigation of very weakly adsorbed species and of condensed, liquid-like or solid-like, phases. Two pressure regimes were singled out, characterized by: (i) specific interaction at low pressure of the probe molecules (P) with the internal Brønsted and Lewis sites, and (ii) multilayer adsorption at higher pressure. In the case of CO the perturbation of the protonic sites located inside the sodalite cages was also observed. As the molecule is too large to penetrate the sodalite cage, the perturbation is thought to involve a proton jump tunneling mechanism. The adsorption energy for the (HF)OH...P (P = Ar, H2, O2, N2 and CO) specific interaction involving the high frequency Brønsted acid sites exposed in the supercages was derived following the VTIR (variable temperature infrared spectroscopy) method described by E. Garrone and C. Otero Areán (Chem. Soc. Rev., 2005, 34, 846).

Selective Improvement of NO2 Gas Sensing Behavior in SnO2 Nanowires by Ion-Beam Irradiation.

PubMed

Kwon, Yong Jung; Kang, Sung Yong; Wu, Ping; Peng, Yuan; Kim, Sang Sub; Kim, Hyoun Woo

2016-06-01

We irradiated SnO2 nanowires with He ions (45 MeV) with different ion fluences. Structure and morphology of the SnO2 nanowires did not undergo noticeable changes upon ion-beam irradiation. Chemical equilibrium in SnO2/gas systems was calculated from thermodynamic principles, which were used to study the sensing selectivity of the tested gases, demonstrating the selective sensitivity of the SnO2 surface to NO2 gas. Being different from other gases, including H2, ethanol, acetone, SO2, and NH3, the sensor response to NO2 gas significantly increases as the ion fluence increases, showing a maximum under an ion fluence of 1 × 10(16) ions/cm(2). Photoluminescence analysis shows that the relative intensity of the peak at 2.1 eV to the peak at 2.5 eV increases upon ion-beam irradiation, suggesting that structural defects and/or tin interstitials have been generated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the ionic ratio of Sn(2+/)Sn(4+) increases by the ion-beam irradiation, supporting the formation of surface Sn interstitials. Using thermodynamic calculations, we explained the observed selective sensing behavior. A molecular level model was also established for the adsorption of NO2 on ion-irradiated SnO2 (110) surfaces. We propose that the adsorption of NO2-related species is considerably enhanced by the generation of surface defects that are comprised of Sn interstitials.

Mass-independent fractionation of oxygen isotopes during H2O2 formation by gas-phase discharge from water vapour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velivetskaya, Tatiana A.; Ignatiev, Alexander V.; Budnitskiy, Sergey Y.; Yakovenko, Victoria V.; Vysotskiy, Sergey V.

2016-11-01

Hydrogen peroxide is an important atmospheric component involved in various gas-phase and aqueous-phase transformation processes in the Earth's atmosphere. A study of mass-independent 17O anomalies in H2O2 can provide additional insights into the chemistry of the modern atmosphere and, possibly, of the ancient atmosphere. Here, we report the results of laboratory experiments to study the fractionation of three oxygen isotopes (16O, 17O, and 18O) during H2O2 formation from products of water vapour dissociation. The experiments were carried out by passing an electrical discharge through a gaseous mixture of helium and water at atmospheric pressure. The effect of the presence of O2 in the gas mixture on the isotopic composition of H2O2 was also investigated. All of the experiments showed that H2O2 produced under two different conditions (with or without O2 added in the gas mixtures) was mass-independently fractionated (MIF). We found a positive MIF signal (∼1.4‰) in the no-O2 added experiments, and this signal increased to ∼2.5‰ once O2 was added (1.6% mixing ratio). We suggest that if O2 concentrations are very low, the hydroxyl radical recombination reaction is the dominant pathway for H2O2 formation and is the source of MIF in H2O2. Although H2O2 formation via a hydroxyl radical recombination process is limited in the modern atmosphere, it would be possible in the Archean atmosphere when O2 was a trace constituent, and H2O2 would be mass-independently fractionated. The anomalous 17O excess, which was observed in H2O2 produced by spark discharge experiments, may provide useful information about the radical chemistry of the ancient atmosphere and the role of H2O2 in maintaining and controlling the atmospheric composition.

TiO2-Based Nanoheterostructures for Promoting Gas Sensitivity Performance: Designs, Developments, and Prospects

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuan; Wu, Tao; Zhou, Yun; Meng, Chuanmin; Zhu, Wenjun; Liu, Lixin

2017-01-01

Gas sensors based on titanium dioxide (TiO2) have attracted much public attention during the past decades due to their excellent potential for applications in environmental pollution remediation, transportation industries, personal safety, biology, and medicine. Numerous efforts have therefore been devoted to improving the sensing performance of TiO2. In those effects, the construct of nanoheterostructures is a promising tactic in gas sensing modification, which shows superior sensing performance to that of the single component-based sensors. In this review, we briefly summarize and highlight the development of TiO2-based heterostructure gas sensing materials with diverse models, including semiconductor/semiconductor nanoheterostructures, noble metal/semiconductor nanoheterostructures, carbon-group-materials/semiconductor nano- heterostructures, and organic/inorganic nanoheterostructures, which have been investigated for effective enhancement of gas sensing properties through the increase of sensitivity, selectivity, and stability, decrease of optimal work temperature and response/recovery time, and minimization of detectable levels. PMID:28846621

Prebreakdown phenomena and formation process of the glow discharge in low-pressure Ar gas

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

Hosokawa, Tatsuzo; Goto, Kazuhiro; Ohuchi, Mikio

2001-06-01

The prebreakdown phenomena and the formation process of the glow discharge in a low-pressure Ar gas were investigated under a uniform field gap. Prebreakdown phenomena were observed for 0.5Torrcm{le}pd{le}2Torrcm (where p is pressure, d the gap distance) in Ar gas under conditions of a slowly increasing voltage. It was observed that the prebreakdown phenomena formed pulse discharges up to the transition to the glow discharge. The amplitudes of the photon and current pulses due to the pulse discharge increased with time, and then decreased as soon as the transition to a steady glow discharge occurred. When the overvoltage or externalmore » series resistance was increased, the pulse amplitudes increased with the applied voltage and decreased with the resistance. The characteristics of the prebreakdown phenomena were changed by the shape of the electrodes. The formation mechanism of the glow discharge can be qualitatively explained by that of the streamer in a high-pressure discharge. The transient glow discharge was observed, and its duration increased with an increase in resistance. The instability of the glow discharge was controlled by three factors, namely, Kaufmann{close_quote}s criterion, the Child{endash}Langmuir law, and the density balance between the production and removal rates of electrons. {copyright} 2001 American Institute of Physics.« less

Structural transformation and enhanced gas sensing characteristics of TiO2 nanostructures induced by annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tshabalala, Zamaswazi P.; Motaung, David E.; Swart, Hendrik C.

2018-04-01

The improved sensitivity and selectivity, and admirable stability are fundamental features required for the current age gas sensing devices to appease future humanity and environmental requirements. Therefore, herein, we report on the room temperature gas sensing behaviour of TiO2 nanotubes with significance response and sensitivity towards 60 ppm NO2 gas. Improved sensitivity of 29.44 ppm-1 and admirable selectivity towards NO2, among other gases ensuring adequate safety in monitoring NO2 in automobile and food industries. The improved sensitivity of TiO2 nanotubes was attributed to larger surface area provided by the hollow nanotubes resulting to improved gas adsorption and the relatively high concentration of oxygen vacancies.

Understanding the amorphous-to-microcrystalline silicon transition in SiF{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar gas mixtures

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

Dornstetter, Jean-Christophe; LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau; Bruneau, Bastien

2014-06-21

We report on the growth of microcrystalline silicon films from the dissociation of SiF{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar gas mixtures. For this growth chemistry, the formation of HF molecules provides a clear signature of the amorphous to microcrystalline growth transition. Depositing films from silicon tetrafluoride requires the removal of F produced by SiF{sub 4} dissociation, and this removal is promoted by the addition of H{sub 2} which strongly reacts with F to form HF molecules. At low H{sub 2} flow rates, the films grow amorphous as all the available hydrogen is consumed to form HF. Above a critical flow rate, corresponding tomore » the full removal of F, microcrystalline films are produced as there is an excess of atomic hydrogen in the plasma. A simple yet accurate phenomenological model is proposed to explain the SiF{sub 4}/H{sub 2} plasma chemistry in accordance with experimental data. This model provides some rules of thumb to achieve high deposition rates for microcrystalline silicon, namely, that increased RF power must be balanced by an increased H{sub 2} flow rate.« less

Gamma ray irradiated AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles with enhanced gas sensor properties

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

Wang, Xiuhua, E-mail: xhwang@mail.ahnu.edu.cn; Shi, Zhijie; Yao, Shangwu

2014-11-15

AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and irradiated by various doses of gamma ray. The products were characterized with X-ray powder diffraction, UV–vis absorption spectrum and transmission electron microscope. The results revealed that the crystal structure, morphology and size of the samples remained unchanged after irradiation, while the intensity of UV–Vis spectra increased with irradiation dose increasing. In addition, gamma ray irradiation improved the performance of gas sensor based on the AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles including the optimum operating temperature and sensitivity, which might be ascribed to the generation of defects. - Graphical abstract: Gamma ray irradiationmore » improved the performance of gas sensor based on the AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles including sensitivity and optimum operating temperature, which might be ascribed to the generation of defects. - Highlights: • AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized and irradiated with gamma ray. • AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles were employed to fabricate gas sensors to detect ethanol. • Gamma ray irradiation improved the sensitivity and optimum operating temperature.« less

500 keV Ar2+ ion irradiation induced anatase to brookite phase transformation and ferromagnetism at room temperature in TiO2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bharati, B.; Mishra, N. C.; Kanjilal, D.; Rath, Chandana

2018-01-01

In our earlier report, where we have demonstrated ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature (RT) in TiO2 thin films deposited through electron beam evaporation technique followed by annealing either in Ar or O2 atmosphere [Mohanty et al., Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 355 (2014) 240-245], here we have studied the evolution of structure and magnetic properties after irradiating the TiO2 thin films with 500 keV Ar2+ ions. The pristine film while exhibits anatase phase, the films become amorphous after irradiating at fluence in the range 1 × 1014 to 1 × 1016 ions/cm2. Increasing the fluence up to 5 × 1016 ions/cm2, amorphous to crystalline phase transformation occurs and the structure becomes brookite. Although anatase to rutile phase transformation is usually reported in literatures, anatase to brookite phase transformation is an unusual feature which we have reported here for the first time. Such anatase to brookite phase transformation is accompanied with grain growth without showing any change in film thickness evidenced from Rutherford's Back Scattering (RBS) measurement. From scanning probe micrographs (SPM), roughness is found to be more in amorphous films than in the crystalline ones. Anatase to brookite phase transformation could be realized by considering the importance of intermediate amorphous phase. Because due to amorphous phase, heat deposited by energetic ions are localized as dissipation of heat is less and as a result, the localized region crystallizes in brookite phase followed by grain growth as observed in highest fluence. Further, we have demonstrated ferromagnetic behavior at RT in irradiated films similar to pristine one, irrespective of their phase and crystallinity. Origin for room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) is attributed to the presence of oxygen vacancies which is confirmed by carrying out XPS measurement.

Palladium (Pd) sensitized molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) nanobelts for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mane, A. A.; Moholkar, A. V.

2018-01-01

The MoO3 nanobelts have been grown onto the glass substrates using chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) deposition technique at optimized substrate temperature of 400 °C. XRD study shows that the film is polycrystalline in nature and possesses an orthorhombic crystal structure. The FE-SEM micrographs show the formation of nanobelts-like morphology of MoO3. The presence of Pd and its oxidation states in Pd-sensitized MoO3 film is confirmed using EDAX and XPS study, respectively. The percentage gas response is defined as |Rg -Ra|/Ra × 100 % where, Ra and Rg are the film resistances in presence of air and analyte gas, respectively. Before Pd sensitization, MoO3 nanobelts show NO2 gas response of 68% for 100 ppm concentration at operating temperature of 200 °C with response and recovery times of 15 s and 150 s, respectively. Selectivity coefficient study shows that the Pd-sensitized MoO3 nanobelts are more sensitive and selective towards NO2 gas among various gases such as NH3, H2S, CO, CO2 and SO2. The Pd-sensitized MoO3 nanobelts shows the enhanced response of 95.3% towards 100 ppm NO2 gas concentration with response and recovery times of 74 s and 297 s, respectively. The lower detection limit is found to be 5 ppm which is four times less than immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) value of 20 ppm. Finally, the proposed NO2 gas sensing mechanism based on chemisorption model is discussed.

Influences of the residual argon gas and thermal annealing on Ta2O5 and SiO2 thin film filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wen-Jen; Chen, Chih-Min; Lai, Yin-Chieh

2005-04-01

Ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) technique had widely used for improving stacking density and atomic mobility of thin films in many applications, especially adopted in optical film industries. Tantalum pentaoxide (Ta2O5) and silicon oxides (SiO2) optical thin films were deposited on the quartz glass substrate by using argon ion beam assisted deposition, and the influences of the residual argon gas and thermal annealing processes on the optical property, stress, compositional and microstructure evolution of the thin films were investigated in this study. Ta2O5 thin films were analyzed by XPS indicated that the ratio value of oxygen to tantalum was insufficient, at the same time, the residual argon gas in the thin films might result in film and device instabilities. Adopting oxygen-thermal annealing treatment at the temperature of 425°C, the thin films not only decreased the residual argon gas and the surface roughness, but also provided the sufficient stoichiometric ratio. Simultaneously, microstructure examination indicated few nano-crystallized structures and voids existed in Ta2O5 thin films, and possessed reasonable refractive index and lower extinction coefficient. By the way, we also suggested the IBAD system using the film compositional gas ion beam to replace the argon ion beam for assisting deposited optical films. The designed (HL)6H6LH(LH)6 multi-layers indicated higher insertion loss than the designed (HL)68H(LH)6 multi-layers. Therefore, using the high refractive index as spacer material represented lower insertion loss.

Plasma plume effects on the conductivity of amorphous-LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interfaces grown by pulsed laser deposition in O{sub 2} and Ar

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

Sambri, A.; Amoruso, S.; Bruzzese, R.

2012-06-04

Amorphous-LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interfaces exhibit metallic conductivity similar to those found for the extensively studied crystalline-LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interfaces. Here, we investigate the conductivity of the amorphous-LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interfaces grown in different pressures of O{sub 2} and Ar background gases. During the deposition, the LaAlO{sub 3} ablation plume is also studied, in situ, by fast photography and space-resolved optical emission spectroscopy. An interesting correlation between interfacial conductivity and kinetic energy of the Al atoms in the plume is observed: to assure conducting interfaces of amorphous-LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3}, the kinetic energy of Al should be higher than 1 eV. Ourmore » findings add further insights on mechanisms leading to interfacial conductivity in SrTiO{sub 3}-based oxide heterostructures.« less

[Study of the phase transformation of TiO2 with in-situ XRD in different gas].

PubMed

Ma, Li-Jing; Guo, Lie-Jin

2011-04-01

TiO2 sample was prepared by sol-gel method from chloride titanium. The phase transformation of the prepared TiO2 sample was studied by in-situ XRD and normal XRD in different gas. The experimental results showed that the phase transformation temperatures of TiO2 were different under in-situ or normal XRD in different kinds of gas. The transformation of amorphous TiO2 to anatase was controlled by kinetics before 500 degrees C. In-situ XRD showed that the growth of anatase was inhibited, but the transformation of anatase to rutile was accelerated under inactive nitrogen in contrast to air. Also better crystal was obtained under hydrogen than in argon. These all showed that external oxygen might accelerate the growth of TiO2, but reduced gas might partly counteract the negative influence of lack of external oxygen. The mechanism of phase transformation of TiO2 was studied by in-situ XRD in order to control the structure in situ.

Ab initio based study of the ArO- photoelectron spectra: Selectivity of spin-orbit transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchachenko, A. A.; Jakowski, Jacek; Chałasiński, Grzegorz; Szczȩśniak, M. M.; Cybulski, S. M.

2000-04-01

A combined ab initio atoms-in-molecule approach was implemented to model the photoelectron spectra of the ArO- anion. The lowest adiabatic states of Σ and Π symmetry of ArO and ArO- were investigated using the fourth-order Møller-Plessett perturbation theory including bond functions. The total energies were dissected into electrostatic, exchange, induction, and dispersion components. The complex of Ar with atomic oxygen is only weakly bound, primarily by dispersion interaction. The Π state possesses a deeper minimum (Re=3.4Å,De=380μEh) than the Σ state (Re=3.8Å,De=220μEh). In contrast, the anion complex is fairly strongly bound, primarily by ion-induced dipole induction forces, and the Σ state possesses a deeper minimum at shorter interatomic distances (Re=3.02Å,De=3600μEh) than the Π state (Re=3.35Å,De=2400μEh). The Σ-Π splittings in both systems are mainly due to differences in the exchange repulsion terms. Atoms-in-molecule models were used to account for the spin-orbit interaction, and to generate adiabatic relativistic potentials and wave functions. Collisional properties, diffusion, and mobility coefficients of O and O- in Ar, and absolute total Ar+O scattering cross sections, were calculated and found to agree well with the available experimental data. The photoelectron spectra were simulated within vibronic model, and were found in excellent agreement with the experimental measurements. The bimodal electron kinetic energy distribution was shown to stem from the strong selectivity of spin-orbit transitions, which split into two dense groups, depending on the initial electronic state of the anion. The latter feature cannot be described without explicit consideration of electronic intensity factor.

Characteristics of surface-wave plasma with air-simulated N2 O2 gas mixture for low-temperature sterilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, L.; Nonaka, H.; Zhou, H. Y.; Ogino, A.; Nagata, T.; Koide, Y.; Nanko, S.; Kurawaki, I.; Nagatsu, M.

2007-02-01

Sterilization experiments using low-pressure air discharge plasma sustained by the 2.45 GHz surface-wave have been carried out. Geobacillus stearothermoplilus spores having a population of 3.0 × 106 were sterilized for only 3 min using air-simulated N2-O2 mixture gas discharge plasma, faster than the cases of pure O2 or pure N2 discharge plasmas. From the SEM analysis of plasma-irradiated spores and optical emission spectroscopy measurements of the plasmas, it has been found that the possible sterilization mechanisms of air-simulated plasma are the chemical etching effect due to the oxygen radicals and UV emission from the N2 molecules and NO radicals in the wavelength range 200-400 nm. Experiment suggested that UV emission in the wavelength range less than 200 nm might not be significant in the sterilization. The UV intensity at 237.0 nm originated from the NO γ system (A 2Σ+ → X 2Π) in N2-O2 plasma as a function of the O2 percentage added to N2-O2 mixture gas has been investigated. It achieved its maximum value when the O2 percentage was roughly 10-20%. This result suggests that air can be used as a discharge gas for sterilization, and indeed we have confirmed a rapid sterilization with the actual air discharge at a sample temperature of less than 65 °C.

Natural ³⁷Ar concentrations in soil air: implications for monitoring underground nuclear explosions.

PubMed

Riedmann, Robin A; Purtschert, Roland

2011-10-15

For on-site inspections (OSI) under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) measurement of the noble gas ³⁷Ar is considered an important technique. ³⁷Ar is produced underground by neutron activation of Calcium by the reaction ⁴⁰Ca(n,α)³⁷Ar. The naturally occurring equilibrium ³⁷Ar concentration balance in soil air is a function of an exponentially decreasing production rate from cosmic ray neutrons with increasing soil depth, diffusive transport in the soil air, and radioactive decay (T(1/2): 35 days). In this paper for the first time, measurements of natural ³⁷Ar activities in soil air are presented. The highest activities of ~100 mBq m⁻³ air are 2 orders of magnitude larger than in the atmosphere and are found in 1.5-2.5 m depth. At depths > 8 m ³⁷Ar activities are < 20 mBq m⁻³ air. After identifying the main ³⁷Ar production and gas transport factors the expected global activity range distribution of ³⁷Ar in shallow subsoil (0.7 m below the surface) was estimated. In high altitude soils, with large amounts of Calcium and with low gas permeability, ³⁷Ar activities may reach values up to 1 Bq m⁻³.

Lifetime Extension of the Gas Discharge Detectors with Plasma Etching of Silicon Deposits in 80%CF4 + 20%CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavrilov, G. E.; Vakhtel, V. M.; Maysuzenko, D. A.; Tavtorkina, T. A.; Fetisov, A. A.; Shvetsova, N. Yu.

2017-12-01

A method of elimination of silicon compounds from the anode wire of an aged proportional counter is presented. The aging of a counter with a 70%Ar + 30%CO2 and a 60%Ar + 30%CO2 + 10%CF4 working mixture was stimulated by a 90Sr β source. To accelerate the process of aging, the gas mixture flow to the counter was supplied through a pipe with RTV coated wall. As a result, the amplitude of the signal decreased 70% already at accumulated charge of Q = 0.03 C/cm. The etching of the silicon compounds on the wire surface with an 80%CF4 + 20%CO2 gas mixture discharge led to full recovery of the operating characteristics of detector and an increase in the lifetime. A scanning electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy analysis of the recovered wire surface were performed. In accordance with the results, a good quality of wire cleaning from SiO2 compounds was obtained.

Importance of rotational adiabaticity in collisions of CO2 super rotors with Ar and He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, Matthew J.; Ogden, Hannah M.; Mullin, Amy S.

2018-02-01

The collision dynamics of optically centrifuged CO2 with Ar and He are reported here. The optical centrifuge produces an ensemble of CO2 molecules in high rotational states (with J ˜ 220) with oriented angular momentum. Polarization-dependent high-resolution transient IR absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the relaxation dynamics in the presence of Ar or He by probing the CO2 J = 76 and 100 states with Er o t=2306 and 3979 cm-1, respectively. The data show that He relaxes the CO2 super rotors more quickly than Ar. Doppler-broadened line profiles show that He collisions induce substantially larger rotation-to-translation energy transfer. CO2 super rotors have greater orientational anisotropy with He collisions and the anisotropy from the He collisions persists longer than with Ar. Super rotor relaxation dynamics are discussed in terms of mass effects related to classical gyroscope physics and collisional rotational adiabaticity.

Fourier-transform MW spectroscopy of the SH({sup 2}{Pi}{sub i})-Ar and SD-Ar radical complexes

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

Sumiyoshi, Yoshihiro; Endo, Yasuki; Ohshima, Yasuhiro

1996-12-31

The authors have studied the SH({sup 2}{Pi}{sub i})-Ar and SD-Ar radical complexes with FTMW spectroscopy. The complexes were produced in a supersonic free jet by a pulsed discharge of H{sub 2}S or D{sub 2}S, which was diluted to 0.35% in Ar with a stagnation pressure of 2 atm. R-branch transitions in the lower spin-orbit component ({Omega}=3/2) for the linear {sup 2}{Pi}{sub i} radicals were observed for J{double_prime} = 3/2 to J{double_prime} = 15/2 in the 8-26 GHz region. The transitions were split into two parity components owing to the parity doubling. Each parity component was split further due to themore » magnetic hyperfine interaction associated with the H/D nucleus. Rotational constants for SH-Ar and SD-Ar were determined to be 1569.656(2) and 1567.707(2)MHz respectively. The value for SH-Ar agrees well with that of a previous LIF study. From the SH/SD data, it was confirmed that the argon atom is located at the hydrogen side of the SH radical. With an assumption that the S-H bond length is equal to that in the monomer, the H-Ar distance is calculated to be 2.900 {Angstrom}, which is about 0.1 {Angstrom} longer than that in OH-Ar. The effective D{sub J} constants of SH-Ar and SD-Ar were found to have negative values of -58.4(7) and -50.7(6), kHz respectively.« less

Annual Greenhouse Gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) Fluxes Via Ebullition from a Temperate Emergent Wetland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mcnicol, G.; Sturtevant, C. S.; Knox, S. H.; Baldocchi, D. D.; Silver, W. L.

2014-12-01

Quantifying wetland greenhouse gas exchange is necessary to evaluate their potential for mitigating climate change via carbon sequestration. However measuring greenhouse gas fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) in wetlands is difficult due to high spatial and temporal variability, and multiple transport pathways of emission. Transport of biogenic soil gas via highly sporadic ebullition (bubbling) events is often ignored or quantified poorly in wetland greenhouse gas budgets, but can rapidly release large volumes of gas to the atmosphere. To quantify a robust annual ebullition flux we measured rates continuously for a year (2013-2014) using custom-built chambers deployed in a restored emergent wetland located in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA. We combined ebullition flux rates with observations of gas concentrations to estimate annual ebullition emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O and compare flux rates to whole-ecosystem exchange of CO2 and CH4 measured simultaneously by eddy covariance.Mean ebullition flux rates were 18.3 ± 5.6 L m-2 yr-1. Ebullition CH4 concentrations were very high and ranged from 23-76 % with a mean of 47 ± 2.9 %; CO2 concentrations were lower and ranged from 0.7-6.6 % with a mean of 2.8 ± 0.3 %; N2O concentrations were below atmospheric concentrations and ranged from 130-389 ppb(v) with a mean of 257 ± 13 ppb(v). We calculated well-constrained annual ebullition fluxes of: 6.2 ± 1.9 g CH4 m-2 yr-1, 1.0 ± 0.3 g CO2 m-2 yr-1 and 9.3 ± 2.8 mg N2O m-2 yr-1. Methane emissions via ebullition were very large, representing 15-25 % of total wetland CH4 emissions measured at this site, whereas ebullition released only relatively small quantities of CO2 and N2O. Our results demonstrate that large releases of CH4 via ebullition from open water surfaces can be a significant component of restored wetland greenhouse gas budgets.

The Effect of CaO on Gas/Slag/Matte/Tridymite Equilibria in Fayalite-Based Copper Smelting Slags at 1473 K (1200 °C) and P(SO2) = 0.25 Atm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallah-Mehrjardi, Ata; Hayes, Peter C.; Jak, Evgueni

2018-04-01

Fundamental experimental studies have been undertaken to determine the effect of CaO on the equilibria between the gas phase (CO/CO2/SO2/Ar) and slag/matte/tridymite phases in the Cu-Fe-O-S-Si-Ca system at 1473 K (1200 °C) and P(SO2) = 0.25 atm. The experimental methodology developed in the Pyrometallurgy Innovation Centre was used. New experimental data have been obtained for the four-phase equilibria system for fixed concentrations of CaO (up to 4 wt pct) in the slag phase as a function of copper concentration in matte, including the concentrations of dissolved sulfur and copper in slag, and Fe/SiO2 ratios in slag at tridymite saturation. The new data provided in the present study are of direct relevance to the pyrometallurgical processing of copper and will be used as an input to optimize the thermodynamic database for the copper-containing multi-component multi-phase system.

Reactive ion etching of GaN using BCl 3, BCl 3/Ar and BCl 3/ N 2 gas plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basak, D.; Nakanishi, T.; Sakai, S.

2000-04-01

Reactive ion etching (RIE) of GaN has been performed using BCl 3 and additives, Ar and N 2, to BCl 3 plasma. The etch rate, surface roughness and the etch profile have been investigated. The etch rate of GaN is found to be 104 nm/min at rf power of 200 W, pressure of 2 Pa, with 9.5 sccm flow rate of BCl 3. The addition of 5 sccm of Ar to 9.5 sccm of BCl 3 reduces the etch rate of GaN while the addition of N 2 does not influence the etch rate significantly. The RIE of GaN layer with BCl 3/Ar and BCl 3/N 2 results in a smoother surface compared to surfaces etched with BCl 3 only. The etched side-wall in BCl 3 plasma makes an angle of 60° with the normal surface, and the angle of inclination is more in cases of BCl 3/Ar and BCl 3/N 2 plasmas. The RIE induced damage to the surface is measured qualitatively by PL measurements. It is observed that the damage to the etched surfaces is similar for all the plasmas.

The Assessment for Sensitivity of a NO2 Gas Sensor with ZnGa2O4/ZnO Core-Shell Nanowires—a Novel Approach

PubMed Central

Chen, I-Cherng; Lin, Shiu-Shiung; Lin, Tsao-Jen; Hsu, Cheng-Liang; Hsueh, Ting Jen; Shieh, Tien-Yu

2010-01-01

The application of novel core-shell nanowires composed of ZnGa2O4/ZnO to improve the sensitivity of NO2 gas sensors is demonstrated in this study. The growth of ZnGa2O4/ZnO core-shell nanowires is performed by reactive evaporation on patterned ZnO:Ga/SiO2/Si templates at 600 °C. This is to form the homogeneous structure of the sensors investigated in this report to assess their sensitivity in terms of NO2 detection. These novel NO2 gas sensors were evaluated at working temperatures of 25 °C and at 250 °C, respectively. The result reveals the ZnGa2O4/ZnO core-shell nanowires present a good linear relationship (R2 > 0.99) between sensitivity and NO2 concentration at both working temperatures. These core-shell nanowire sensors also possess the highest response (<90 s) and recovery (<120 s) values with greater repeatability seen for NO2 sensors at room temperature, unlike traditional sensors that only work effectively at much higher temperatures. The data in this study indicates the newly-developed ZnGa2O4/ZnO core-shell nanowire based sensors are highly promising for industrial applications. PMID:22319286

A simple large-scale synthesis of mesoporous In2O3 for gas sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Su; Song, Peng; Yan, Huihui; Yang, Zhongxi; Wang, Qi

2016-08-01

In this paper, large-scale mesoporous In2O3 nanostructures were synthesized by a facile Lewis acid catalytic the furfural alcohol resin (FAR) template route for the high-yield. Their morphology and structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential thermal and thermogravimetry analysis (DSC-TG) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) approach. The as-obtained mesoporous In2O3 nanostructures possess excellent mesoporous and network structure, which increases the contact area with the gases, it is conducive for adsorption-desorption of gas on the surface of In2O3. The In2O3 particles and pores were both about 15 nm and very uniform. In gas-sensing measurements with target gases, the gas sensor based on mesoporous In2O3 nanostructures showed a good response, short response-recovery time, good selectivity and stability to ethanol. These properties are due to the large specific surface area of mesoporous structure. This synthetic method could use as a new design concept for functional mesoporous nanomaterials and for mass production.

Hydration of the Atlantis Massif: Halogen, Noble Gas and In-Situ δ18O Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, M. J.; Kendrick, M. A.; Rubatto, D.

2017-12-01

A combination of halogen (Cl, Br, I), noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) and in situ oxygen isotope analysis have been utilized to investigate the fluid-mobile element record of hydration and alteration processes at the Atlantis Massif (30°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). The sample suite investigated includes serpentinite, talc-amphibole ± chlorite schist and hydrated gabbro recovered by seafloor drilling undertaken at sites on a transect across the Atlantis Massif during IODP Expedition 357. Serpentine mesh and veins analysed in-situ by SHRIMP SI exhibit δ18O from 6‰ down to ≈0‰, suggesting serpentinization temperatures of 150 to >280°C and water/rock ratios >5. Differences of 1.5-2.5‰ are observed between adjacent generations of serpentine, but the δ18O range is similar at each investigated drilling site. Halogen and noble gas abundances in serpentinites, talc-amphibole schist and hydrated gabbro have been measured by noble gas mass spectrometry of both irradiated and non-irradiated samples. Serpentinites contain low abundances of halogens and noble gases (e.g. 70-430 ppm Cl, 4.7-12.2 x 10-14 mol/g 36Ar) relative to other seafloor serpentinites. The samples have systematically different Br/Cl and I/Cl ratios related to their mineralogy. Serpentinites retain mantle-like Br/Cl with a wide variation in I/Cl that stretches toward seawater values. Talc-amphibole schists exhibit depletion of Br and I relative to Cl with increasing Cl abundances, suggesting tremolite exerts strong control on halogen abundance ratios. Serpentinites show no evidence of interaction with halogen-rich sedimentary pore fluids. Iodine abundances are variable across serpentinites, and are decoupled from Br and Cl; iodine enrichment (up to 530 ppb) is observed within relatively oxidised and clay-bearing samples. Serpentinized harzburgites exhibit distinct depletion of Kr and Xe relative to atmospheric 36Ar in seawater. Oxygen isotope compositions and low abundances of both halogens

Structures, bonding, and reaction chemistry of the neutral organogallium(I) compounds (GaAr)n(n = 1 or 2) (Ar = terphenyl or related ligand): an experimental investigation of Ga-Ga multiple bonding.

PubMed

Hardman, Ned J; Wright, Robert J; Phillips, Andrew D; Power, Philip P

2003-03-05

The synthesis, structure, and properties of several new organogallium(I) compounds are reported. The monovalent compounds GaAr* (Ar* = C(6)H(3)-2,6-Trip(2), Trip = C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Pr(i)()(3), 1), GaAr# (Ar# = C(6)H(3)-2,6(Bu(t)Dipp)(2), Bu(t)Dipp = C(6)H(2)-2,6-Pr(i)(2)-4-Bu(t)(), 4), and the dimeric (GaAr')(2) (Ar' = C(6)H(3)-2,6-Dipp(2), Dipp = C(6)H(3)-2,6-Pr(i)(2), 6) were synthesized by the reaction of "GaI" with (Et(2)O)LiAr*, (Et(2)O)LiAr# (3), or (LiAr')(2). Compounds 1 and 4 were isolated as green crystals, whereas 6 was obtained as a brown-red crystalline solid. All three compounds dissolved in hydrocarbon solvents to give green solutions and almost identical UV/visible spectra. Cryoscopy of 1 and 6 showed that they were monomeric in cyclohexane. Crystals of 1 and 4 were unsuitable for X-ray crystal structure determinations, but an X-ray data set for 6 showed that it was weakly dimerized in the solid with a long Ga-Ga bond of 2.6268(7) A and a trans-bent CGaGaC core array. The 1,2-diiodo-1,2-diaryldigallane compounds [Ga(Ar*)I](2) (2), [Ga(Ar#)I](2) (5), and [Ga(Ar')I](2) (7) were isolated as byproducts of the synthesis of 1, 4, and 6. The crystal structures of 2 and 7 showed that they had planar ICGaGaCI core arrays with Ga-Ga distances near 2.49 A, consistent with Ga-Ga single bonding. Treatment of 1, 4, and 6 with B(C(6)F(5))(3) immediately afforded the 1:1 donor-acceptor complexes ArGa[B(C(6)F(5))(3)] (Ar = Ar*, 8; Ar#, 9; Ar', 10) that featured almost linear gallium coordination, Ga-B distances near the sum of the covalent radii of gallium and boron, as well as some close Ga...F contacts. Compound 1 also reacted with Fe(CO)(5) under ambient conditions to give Ar*GaFe(CO)(4) (11), which had been previously synthesized by the reaction of GaAr*Cl(2) with Na(2)Fe(CO)(4). Reaction of 1 with 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene afforded the compound [Ar*GaCH(2)C(Me)C(Me)CH(2)]2 (12) that had a 10-membered 1,5-Ga(2)C(8) ring with no Ga-Ga interaction. Stirring 1 or 6

Greenhouse gas budget (CO2, CH4 and N2O) of intensively managed grassland following restoration.

PubMed

Merbold, Lutz; Eugster, Werner; Stieger, Jacqueline; Zahniser, Mark; Nelson, David; Buchmann, Nina

2014-06-01

The first full greenhouse gas (GHG) flux budget of an intensively managed grassland in Switzerland (Chamau) is presented. The three major trace gases, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) were measured with the eddy covariance (EC) technique. For CO2 concentrations, an open-path infrared gas analyzer was used, while N2O and CH4 concentrations were measured with a recently developed continuous-wave quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer (QCLAS). We investigated the magnitude of these trace gas emissions after grassland restoration, including ploughing, harrowing, sowing, and fertilization with inorganic and organic fertilizers in 2012. Large peaks of N2O fluxes (20-50 nmol m(-2) s(-1) compared with a <5 nmol m(-2) s(-1) background) were observed during thawing of the soil after the winter period and after mineral fertilizer application followed by re-sowing in the beginning of the summer season. Nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes were controlled by nitrogen input, plant productivity, soil water content and temperature. Management activities led to increased variations of N2O fluxes up to 14 days after the management event as compared with background fluxes measured during periods without management (<5 nmol m(-2) s(-1)). Fluxes of CO2 remained small until full plant development in early summer 2012. In contrast, methane emissions showed only minor variations over time. The annual GHG flux budget was dominated by N2O (48% contribution) and CO2 emissions (44%). CH4 flux contribution to the annual budget was only minor (8%). We conclude that recently developed multi-species QCLAS in an EC system open new opportunities to determine the temporal variation of N2O and CH4 fluxes, which further allow to quantify annual emissions. With respect to grassland restoration, our study emphasizes the key role of N2O and CO2 losses after ploughing, changing a permanent grassland from a carbon sink to a significant carbon source. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Shock formation in Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe on deuterium gas puff implosions

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

Narkis, J.; Rahman, H. U.; Ney, P.

2016-12-29

1- and 2-D simulations of 1-cm radius, gas-puff liners of Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe imploding onto a deuterium target are conducted using the discharge parameters for the Zebra (1 MA, 130 ns) driver using the resistive MHD code MACH2. This is an implementation of the Staged Z-pinch concept, in which the target is driven to high-energy-density first by shock compression launched by a diffused azimuthal magnetic field (J×B force), and then by the adiabatic compression as the liner converges on axis. During the run-in phase, the initial shock heating preheats the deuterium plasma, with a subsequent stable, adiabatic compressionmore » heating the target to high energy density. Shock compression of the target coincides with the development of a J×B force at the target/liner interface. Stronger B-field transport and earlier shock compression increases with higher-Z liners, which results in an earlier shock arrival on axis. As a result, delayed shock formation in lower-Z liners yields a relative increase in shock heating, however, the 2-D simulations show an increased target isolation from magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability penetration, suggesting that an optimal balance between these two effects is reached in an Ar or Kr liner, rather than with Xe.« less

Oxygen Isotopic Fractionation During Evaporation of SiO2 in Vacuum and in H Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagahara, H.; Young, E. D.; Hoering, T. C.; Mysen, B. O.

1993-07-01

Chondritic components, chondrules, CAIs, and some parts of the matrix are believed to have formed and/or thermally processed in the solar nebula. If this scenario is the case, they should be fractionated for major and minor elements and isotopes according to the formation temperature. This is true for major and trace elements, but is not the case for isotopes. Differences in oxygen isotopic composition among meteorite groups are interpreted to be the results of mixing of gas and dust from different oxygen reservoirs, and the effect of isotopic fractionation is negligible for most meteorites except for rare CAIs. Davis et al. [1] studied the isotopic fractionation of SiO2, MgO, and forsterite and showed that oxygen isotopic fractionation from solid materials is very small, but that from liquid is significant. Evaporation in the solar nebula should, however, be in hydrogen gas, which is reactive with silicates. Therefore, the effect of hydrogen gas on the evaporation behaviors of silicates, including mode of evaporation, evaporation rate, and compositional and isotopic fractionation, should be studied. Nagahara [2] studied the evaporation rate of SiO2 in equilibrium, in constant evacuation (free evaporation), and in hydrogen, and showed that the rate in hydrogen gas is orders of magnitude larger than that in vacuum; the mode of evaporation also differs from that in vacuum. Oxygen isotopic fractionation during evaporation of SiO2 in constant evacuation and in hydrogen gas at two different total pressures are studied in the present study. The starting material is a single crystal of natural quartz, which should transform into high cristobalite at experimental conditions. The powdered starting material was kept in a graphite capsule without a cap and set in a vacuum chamber with and without hydrogen gas flow. Experimental temperature was 1600 degrees C. Oxygen isotopic compositions (^18O/^16O) were measured with the CO2laser heating fluorination technique. Oxygen

Quantitative fluid inclusion gas analysis of airburst, nuclear, impact and fulgurite glasses.

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

Parnell, John; Newsom, Horton E.; Blamey, Nigel J. F.

We present quantitative fluid inclusion gas analysis on a suite of violently-formed glasses. We used the incremental crush mass spectrometry method (Norman & Blamey, 2001) to analyze eight pieces of Libyan Desert Glass (LDG). As potential analogues we also analyzed trinitite, three impact crater glasses, and three fulgurites. The 'clear' LDG has the lowest CO{sub 2} content and O{sub 2}/Ar ratios are two orders of magnitude lower than atmospheric. The 'foamy' glass samples have heterogeneous CO{sub 2} contents and O{sub 2}/Ar ratios. N{sub 2}/Ar ratios are similar to atmospheric (83.6). H{sub 2} and He are elevated but it is difficultmore » to confirm whether they are of terrestrial or meteoritic origin. Combustion cannot account for oxygen depletion that matches the amount of CO{sub 2} produced. An alternative mechanism is required that removes oxygen without producing CO{sub 2}. Trinitite has exceedingly high CO{sub 2} which we attribute to carbonate breakdown of the caliche at ground zero. The O{sub 2}/Ar ratio for trinitite is lower than atmospheric but higher than all LDG samples. N{sub 2}/Ar ratios closely match atmospheric. Samples from Lonar, Henbury and Aouelloul impact craters have atmospheric N{sub 2}/Ar ratios. O{sub 2}/Ar ratios at Lonar and Henbury are 9.5 to 9.9 whereas the O{sub 2}/Ar ratio is 0.1 for the Aouelloul sample. In most fulgurites the N{sub 2}/Ar ratio is higher than atmospheric, possibly due to interference from CO. Oxygen ranges from 1.3 to 19.3%. Gas signatures of LDG inclusions neither match those from the craters, trinitite nor fulgurites. It is difficult to explain both the observed depletion of oxygen in the LDG and a CO{sub 2} level that is lower than it would be if the CO{sub 2} were simply a product of hydrocarbon combustion in air. One possible mechanism for oxygen depletion is that as air turbulently mixed with a hot jet of vaporized asteroid from an airburst and expanded, the atmospheric oxygen reacted with the metal vapor

Temperature dependence of gas sensing behaviour of TiO2 doped PANI composite thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Subodh; Sharma, S. S.; Sharma, Preetam; Sharma, Vinay; Rajura, Rajveer Singh; Singh, M.; Vijay, Y. K.

2014-04-01

In the present work we have reported the effect of temperature on the gas sensing properties of TiO2 doped PANI composite thin film based chemiresistor type gas sensors for hydrogen gas sensing application. PANI and TiO2 doped PANI composite were synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline at low temperature. The electrical properties of these composite thin films were characterized by I-V measurements as function of temperature. The I-V measurement revealed that conductivity of composite thin films increased as the temperature increased. The changes in resistance of the composite thin film sensor were utilized for detection of hydrogen gas. It was observed that at room temperature TiO2 doped PANI composite sensor shows higher response value and showed unstable behavior as the temperature increased. The surface morphology of these composite thin films has also been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurement.

Fabrication of a Highly Sensitive Single Aligned TiO2 and Gold Nanoparticle Embedded TiO2 Nano-Fiber Gas Sensor.