Imaging plate scanners calibration and the attenuation behavior of imaging plate signals

Based on previously reported work, we propose a new method for calibrating image plate(IP) scanners, offering greater flexibility and convenience, which can be extended to the calibration tasks of various scanner models. This method was applied to calibrate the sensitivity of a GE Typhoon FLA 7000 scanner. Additionally, we performed a calibration of the spontaneous signal attenuation behavior for BAS-MS, BAS-SR, and BAS-TR type IPs under the 20±1℃ environmental conditions, and observed significant signal carrier diffusion behavior in BAS-MS IP. The calibration results lay a foundation for further research on the interaction between ultra-short, ultra-intense lasers and matter.

Analyzing the surface passivity effect of germanium oxynitride:a comprehensive approach through first principles simulation and interface state density

High-purity germanium(HPGe)detectors,which are used for direct dark matter detection,have the advantages of a low threshold and excellent energy resolution.The surface passivation of HPGe has become crucial for achieving an extremely low energy threshold.In this study,first-principles simulations,passivation film preparation,and metal oxide semiconductor(MOS)capacitor characterization were combined to study surface passivation.Theoretical calculations of the energy band structure of the -H,-OH,and -NH_(2) passivation groups on the surface of Ge were performed,and the interface state density and potential with five different passivation groups with N/O atomic ratios were accurately analyzed to obtain a stable surface state.Based on the theoretical calculation results,the surface passivation layers of the Ge_(2)ON_(2) film were prepared via magnetron sputtering in accordance with the optimum atomic ratio structure.The microstructure,C-V,and I-V electrical properties of the layers,and the passivation effect of the Al/Ge_(2)ON_(2)/Ge MOS were characterized to test the interface state density.The mean interface state density obtained by the Terman method was 8.4×10^(11) cm^(-2) eV^(-1).The processing of germanium oxynitrogen passivation films is expected to be used in direct dark matter detection of the HPGe detector surface passivation technology to reduce the detector leakage currents.

Constraining nuclear symmetry energy with the charge radii of mirror-pair nuclei

The nuclear charge radius plays a vital role in determining the equation of state of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter.Based on the correlation between the differences in charge radii of mirror-partner nuclei and the slope parameter(L)of symmetry energy at the nuclear saturation density,an analysis of the calibrated slope parameter L was performed in finite nuclei.In this study,relativistic and nonrelativistic energy density functionals were employed to constrain the nuclear symmetry energy through the available databases of the mirror-pair nuclei^(36)Ca–^(36)S,^(38)Ca–^(38)Ar,and ^(54)Ni–^(54)Fe.The deduced nuclear symmetry energy was located in the range 29.89–31.85 MeV,and L of the symmetry energy essentially covered the range 22.50–51.55 MeV at the saturation density.Moreover,the extracted L_(s) at the sensitivity density p_(s)=0.10 fm^(-3) was located in the interval range 30.52–39.76 MeV.

Static and dynamic evolution of CO adsorption onγ-U(100)surface with different levels of Mo doping using DFT and AIMD calculations

Alloys of uranium and molybdenum are considered as the future of nuclear fuel and defense materials.However,surface corrosion is a fundamental problem in practical applications and storage.In this study,the static and dynamic evolution of carbon monoxide(CO)adsorption and dissociation onγ-U(100)surface with different Mo doping levels was investigated based on density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics.During the static calculation phase,parameters,such as adsorption energy,configuration,and Bader charge,were evaluated at all adsorption sites.Furthermore,the time-dependent behavior of CO molecule adsorption were investigated at the most favorable sites.The minimum energy paths for CO molecu-lar dissociation and atom migration were investigated using the transition state search method.The results demonstrated that the CO on the uranium surface mainly manifests as chemical adsorption before dissociation of the CO molecule.The CO molecule exhibited a tendency to rotate and tilt upright adsorption.However,it is difficult for CO adsorption on the surface in one of the configurations with CO molecule in vertical direction but oxygen(O)is closer to the surface.Bader charge illustrates that the charge transfers from slab atoms to the 2π*antibonding orbital of CO molecule and particularly occurs in carbon(C)atoms.The time is less than 100 fs for the adsorptions that forms embryos with tilt upright in dynamics evolution.The density of states elucidates that the overlapping hybridization of C and O 2p orbitals is mainly formed via the d orbitals of uranium and molybdenum(Mo)atoms in the dissociation and re-adsorption of CO molecule.In conclusion,Mo doping of the surface can decelerate the adsorption and dissociation of CO molecules.A Mo-doped surface,created through ion injection,enhanced the resistance to uranium-induced surface corrosion.

Analysis on the cation distribution of Mg_(x)Ni_(1-x)Fe_(2)O_(4)(x=0,0.25,0.5,0.75,1)using Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurement

MgxNi1-xFe_(2)O_(4)(x=0,0.25,0.5,0.75,1)spinel ferrite material was analyzed to determine its magnetic properties and structure.X-ray diffraction(XRD),Mössbauer spectroscopy,and vibrating sample magnetometer(VSM)characterization were performed on the samples prepared using the sol-gel method.The results from XRD confirmed the existence of the single-phase cubic spinel structures Fd3m,as well as the evolution of the crystalline size(D),the lattice parameter(a)and cell volume in compounds.The Mössbauer spectra showed the distribution of cations and changes in the magnetic properties of the sample.VSM measurement revealed that the samples were room-temperature ferromagnetic.Moreover,the saturation magnetization(Ms)of the samples changed with the Mg^(2+)ion content x,and a maximum occured at x=0.5.Doping with Mg^(2+)ions increased the transfer of Ni^(2+)ions to tetrahedral sites,thus increasing the magnetic moment difference between tetrahedral(A)and octahedral(B)sites.Specifically,doping NiFe_(2)O_(4) with Mg^(2+)ions can enhance its magnetic properties and enhance its saturation magnetization.

Study of primordial deuterium abundance in Big Bang nucleosynthesis

Big Bang nucleosynthesis(BBN)theory predicts the primordial abundances of the light elements^(2) H(referred to as deuterium,or D for short),^(3)He,^(4)He,and^(7) Li produced in the early universe.Among these,deuterium,the first nuclide produced by BBN,is a key primordial material for subsequent reactions.To date,the uncertainty in predicted deuterium abundance(D/H)remains larger than the observational precision.In this study,the Monte Carlo simulation code PRIMAT was used to investigate the sensitivity of 11 important BBN reactions to deuterium abundance.We found that the reaction rate uncertainties of the four reactions d(d,n)^(3)He,d(d,p)t,d(p,γ)^(3)He,and p(n,γ)d had the largest influence on the calculated D/H uncertainty.Currently,the calculated D/H uncertainty cannot reach observational precision even with the recent LUNA precise d(p,γ)^(3) He rate.From the nuclear physics aspect,there is still room to largely reduce the reaction-rate uncertainties;hence,further measurements of the important reactions involved in BBN are still necessary.A photodisintegration experiment will be conducted at the Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source Facility to precisely study the deuterium production reaction of p(n,γ)d.

Trial application of the envelope method to the potential ambiguity problem

The optical potential ambiguity is a long-standing problem in the analysis of elastic scattering data.For a specific collid-ing system,ambiguous potential families can lead to different behaviors in the nearside and farside scattering components.By contrast,the envelope method can decompose the experimental data into two components with negative and positive deflection angles,respectively.Hence,a question arises as to whether the comparison between the calculated nearside(or farside)component and the derived positive-deflection-angle(or negative-deflection-angle)component can help analyze the potential ambiguity problem.In this study,we conducted a trial application of the envelope method to the potential ambiguity problem.The envelope method was improved by including uncertainties in the experimental data.The colliding systems of 16O+28Si at 215.2 MeV and 12C+12C at 1016 MeV were considered in the analyses.For each colliding system,the angular distribution experimental data were described nearly equally well by two potential sets,one of which is“surface transpar-ent”and the other is refractive.The calculated angular distributions were decomposed into nearside and farside scattering components.Using the improved envelope method,the experimental data were decomposed into the positive-deflection-angle and negative-deflection-angle components,which were then compared with the calculated nearside and farside components.The capability of the envelope method to analyze the potential ambiguities was also discussed.

In situ luminescence measurements of GaN/Al_(2)O_(3) film under different energy proton irradiations

Ion beam-induced luminescence(IBIL) experiments were performed to investigate the in situ luminescence of GaN/Al_(2)O_(3) at varying ion energies,which allowed for the measurement of defects at different depths within the material.The energies of H^(+)were set to 500 keV,640 keV and 2 MeV,the Bragg peaks of which correspond to the GaN film,GaN/Al_(2)O_(3) heterojunction and Al_(2)O_(3) substrate,respectively.A photoluminescence measurement at 250 K was also performed for comparison,during which only near band edge(NBE) and yellow band luminescence in the GaN film were observed.The evolution of the luminescence of the NBE and yellow band in the GaN film was discussed,and both exhibited a decrease with the fluence of H^(+).Additionally,the luminescence of F centers,induced by oxygen vacancies,and Cr^(3+),resulting from the ^(2)E →^(4)A_(2) radiative transition in Al_(2)O_(3),were measured using 2 MeV H^(+).The luminescence intensity of F centers increases gradually with the fluence of H^(+).The luminescence evolution of Cr^(3+)is consistent with a yellow band center,attributed to its weak intensity,and it is situated within the emission band of the yellow band in the GaN film.Our results show that IBIL measurement can effectively detect the luminescence behavior of multilayer films by adjusting the ion energy.Luminescence measurement can be excited by various techniques,but IBIL can satisfy in situ luminescence measurement,and multilayer structural materials of tens of micrometers can be measured through IBIL by adjusting the energy of the inducing ions.The evolution of defects at different layers with ion fluence can be obtained.

Possibilities for the synthesis of superheavy element Z=121 in fusion reactions

Based on the dinuclear system model,the calculated evaporation residue cross sections matched well with the current experimental results.The synthesis of superheavy elements Z=121 was systematically studied through combinations of stable projectiles with Z=21-30 and targets with half-lives exceeding 50 d.The influence of mass asymmetry and isotopic dependence on the projectile and target nuclei was investigated in detail.The reactions^(254)Es(^(46)Ti,3n)^(297)121 and^(252)Es(^(46)Ti,3n)^(295)121 were found to be experimentally feasible for synthesizing superheavy element Z=121,with maximal evaporation residue cross sections of 6.619 and 4.123 fb at 219.9 and 223.9 MeV,respectively.

Fully polarized Compton scattering in plane waves and its polarization transfer

Fully polarized Compton scattering from a beam of spin-polarized electrons is investigated in plane-wave backgrounds in a broad intensity region from the perturbative to the nonperturbative regimes.In the perturbative regime,polarized linear Compton scattering is considered for investigating polarization transfer from a single laser photon to a scattered photon,and in the high-intensity region,the polarized locally monochromatic approximation and locally constant field approximation are established and are employed to study polarization transfer from an incoming electron to a scattered photon.The numerical results suggest an appreciable improvement of about 10%in the scattering probability in the intermediate-intensity region if the electron’s longitudinal spin is parallel to the laser rotation.The longitudinal spin of the incoming electron can be transferred to the scattered photon with an efficiency that increases with laser intensity and collisional energy.For collision between an optical laser with frequency1 eV and a 10 GeV electron,this polarization transfer efficiency can increase from about 20%in the perturbative regime to about 50%in the nonperturbative regime for scattered photons with relatively high energy.

Evaluation of cosmogenic activation of copper and germanium during production in Jinping Underground Laboratory

Intrinsic radiation of materials is one of the major backgrounds for many rare-event search experiments.Thus,the production of pure materials in an underground laboratory is a promising approach for eliminating cosmogenic radionuclides.In this paper,we demonstrate a procedure to evaluate the yields of cosmogenic radionuclides in copper and germanium in the second phase of the China Jinping Underground Laboratory.Our results show that for copper and germanium materials,the largest cosmogenic background comes from 3 H and57,58,60Co,and 3 H and 68Ge,respectively,which all have yields on the order of 10-7 kg-1 day-1.The corresponding radioactivities after 90 days pf exposure underground are estimated to be lower than 10-6μBq kg-1.

Progress and perspective of the cathode/electrolyte interface construction in all-solid-state lithium batteries

Security risks of flammability and explosion represent major problems with the use of conventional lithium rechargeable batteries using a liquid electrolyte.The application of solid-state electrolytes could effectively help to avoid these safety concerns.However,integrating the solid-state electrolytes into the all-solid-state lithium batteries is still a huge challenge mainly due to the high interfacial resistance present in the entire battery,especially at the interface between the cathode and the solid-state electrolyte pellet and the interfaces inside the cathode.Herein,recent progress made from investigations of cathode/solid-state electrolyte interfacial behaviors including the contact problem,the interlayer diffusion issue,the space-charge layer effect,and electrochemical compatibility is presented according to the classification of oxide-,sulfide-,and polymer-based solid-state electrolytes.We also propose strategies for the construction of ideal next-generation cathode/solid-state electrolyte interfaces with high room-temperature ionic conductivity,stable interfacial contact during long cycling,free formation of the space-charge region,and good compatibility with high-voltage cathodes.

Numerical and experimental study on the response characteristics of warhead in the fast cook-off process

The response characteristics of the warhead under thermal stimuli conditions are important to the safety improvement.The goal of this study is to obtain data on the warhead in the fast cook-off process.In this paper,a numerical calculation method is proposed,whose reliability is supported by comparison with experimental results.Through the numerical calculation,the temperature distribution,temperature change,and ignition time are acquired.The numerical results show that the ignition time is 76 s after the warhead started to burn and that the maximum temperature of the explosive’s outer surface is 238.3℃ at the ignition time.The fast cook-off experiment of the warhead is implemented so as to get the flame temperature and reaction grades that are not available through numerical calculation.The experimental results show that the overpressure fails to reach the preset minimumvalue which is equivalent to 6 kg of TNT and that the reaction grade is deflagration.The research results have reference value for the design of the warhead and the reduction of detonation risks.

k_(eff)uncertainty quantification and analysis due to nuclear data during the full lifetime burnup calculation for a small-sized prismatic high temperature gas-cooled reactor

To benefit from recent advances in modeling and computational algorithms,as well as the availability of new covariance data,sensitivity and uncertainty analyses are needed to quantify the impact of uncertain sources on the design parameters of small prismatic high-temperature gascooled reactors(HTGRs).In particular,the contribution of nuclear data to the k_(eff)uncertainty is an important part of the uncertainty analysis of small-sized HTGR physical calculations.In this study,a small-sized HTGR designed by China Nuclear Power Engineering Co.,Ltd.was selected for k_(eff)uncertainty analysis during full lifetime burnup calculations.Models of the cold zero power(CZP)condition and full lifetime burnup process were constructed using the Reactor Monte Carlo Code RMC for neutron transport calculation,depletion calculation,and sensitivity and uncertainty analysis.For the sensitivity analysis,the Contribution-Linked eigenvalue sensitivity/Uncertainty estimation via Track length importance Characterization(CLUTCH)method was applied to obtain sensitive information,and the "sandwich" method was used to quantify the k_(eff)uncertainty.We also compared the k_(eff)uncertainties to other typical reactors.Our results show that ^(235)U is the largest contributor to k_(eff)uncertainty for both the CZP and depletion conditions,while the contribution of ^(239)Pu is not very significant because of the design of low discharge burnup.It is worth noting that the radioactive capture reaction of ^(28)Si significantly contributes to the k_(eff)uncertainty owing to its specific fuel design.However,the k_(eff)uncertainty during the full lifetime depletion process was relatively stable,only increasing by 1.12%owing to the low discharge burnup design of small-sized HTGRs.These numerical results are beneficial for neutronics design and core parameters optimization in further uncertainty propagation and quantification study for small-sized HTGR.

Calibration of CR-39 solid-state track detectors for study of laser-driven nuclear reactions

It is of particular interest to investigate nuclear fusion reactions generated by high-intensity lasers in plasma environments that are similar to real astrophysical conditions.We have experimentally investigated2H(d,p)3H,one of the most crucial reactions in big bang nucleosynthesis models,at the Shenguang-Ⅱlaser facility.In this work,we present a new calibration of CR-39 solidstate track detectors,which are widely employed as the main diagnostics in this type of fusion reaction experiment.We measure the dependence of the track diameter on the proton energy.It is found that the track diameters of protons with different energies are likely to be identical.We propose that in this case,the energy of the reaction products can be obtained by considering both the diameters and gray levels of these tracks.The present results would be very helpful for analyzing the2 H(d,p)3H reaction products recorded with the same batch of CR-39 solid-state track detectors.

Evaluation of the passivation effect and the first-principles calculation on surface termination of germanium detector

The point-contact high-purity germanium detector(HPGe)has the advantages of low background,low energy threshold,and high energy resolution and can be applied in the detection of rare-event physics.However,the performance of HPGe must be further improved to achieve superior energy resolution,low noise,and long-term reliability.In this study,we combine computational simulations and experimental comparisons to deeply understand the passivation mechanism of Ge.The surface passivation effect is calculated and inferred from the band structure and density of interface states,and further con-firmed by the minority carrier lifetime.The first-principles method based on the density functional theory was adopted to systematically study the lattice structure,band structure,and density of state(DOS)of four different systems:Ge–H,Ge–Ge-NH 2,Ge-OH,and Ge-SiO_(x).The electronic char-acteristics of the Ge(100)unit cell with different passi-vation groups and Si/O atomic ratios were compared.This shows that H,N,and O atoms can effectively reduce the surface DOS of the Ge atoms.The passivation effect of the SiO_(x) group varied with increasing O atoms and Si/O atomic ratios.Experimentally,SiO and SiO_(2) passivation films were fabricated by electron beam evaporation on a Ge substrate,and the valence state of Si and resistivity was measured to characterize the film.The minority carrier lifetime of Ge-SiO_(2) is 21.3 ls,which is approximately quadruple that of Ge-SiO.The passivation effect and mechanism are discussed in terms of hopping conduction and surface defect density.This study builds a relationship between the passivation effect and different termination groups,and provides technical support for the potential passivation layer,which can be applied in Ge detectors with ultralow energy thresholds and especially in HPGe for rare-event physics detection experiments in future.

Surface metallization of PTFE and PTFE composites by ion implantation for low-background electronic substrates in rare-event detection experiments

Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)is a low-background polymer that is applied to several applications in rare-event detection and underground low-background experiments.PTFE-based electronic substrates are important for reducing the detection limit of high-purity germanium detectors and scintillator calorimeters,which are widely applied in dark matter and 0υββdetection experiments.The traditional adhesive bonding method between PTFE and copper is not conducive to working in liquid nitrogen and extremely low-temperature environments.To avoid adhesive bonding,PTFE must be processed for surface metallization owing to the mismatch between the PTFE and copper conductive layer.Low-background PTFE matrix composites(m-PTFE)were selected to improve the electrical and mechanical properties of PTFE by introducing SiO_(2)/TiO_(2) particles.The microstructures,surface elements,and electrical properties of PTFE and m-PTFE were characterized and analyzed following ion implantation.PTFE and m-PTFE surfaces were found to be broken,degraded,and cross-linked by ion implantation,resulting in C=C conjugated double bonds,increased surface energy,and increased surface roughness.Comparably,the surface roughness,bond strength,and conjugated double bonds of m-PTFE were significantly more intense than those of PTFE.Moreover,the interface bonding theory between PTFE and the metal copper foil was analyzed using the direct metallization principle.Therefore,the peel strength of the optimized electronic substrates was higher than that of the industrial standard at extremely low temperatures,while maintaining excellent electrical properties.

Mechanical and Tribological Properties of CrN Coated Inconel X750

Three CrN coatings were deposited on the Inconel X750 through the metal vapor vacuum arc ion implantation and the magnetic filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition system(MEVVA-FCVA) with the N2 flow rates of 10,50,and 100sccm, respectively.The surface morphologies and cross-section morphologies of the CrN coatings were obtained through scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and an optical profilometer.The microstructures of the coatings were characterized through X-ray diffraction(XRD).The hardness and the elastic modulus of the coatings were tested by a nano-hardness tester.The adhesion strength and friction coefficients were investigated through scratch tests and ball-on-disk tests and the wear tracks were tested by the optical profilometer. The experimental results indicate that the CrN coating deposited on the Inconel X750 substrate displays a uniform thickness and a smooth surface. The mechanical properties behaves well as the N2 flow rate varies.The CrN coating significantly reduces the friction coefficient fluctuation and improves the antiadhesion and anti-wear properties of the Inconel X750.

Effects of 50keV and 100keV Proton Irradiation on GaInP/GaAs/Ge Triple-Junction Solar Cells

GaInP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells were irradiated with 50 keV and 100 keV protons at fluences of 5 × 10^10 cm^-2, 1 × 10^11 cm^-2,1 × 10^12 cm^-2, and 1 × 10^13 cm^-2. Their performance degradation is analyzed using current-voltage characteristics and spectral response measurements, and then the changes in Isc, Voc, Pmax and the spectral response of the cells are observed as functions of proton irradiation fluence and energy. The results show that the spectral response of the top cell degrades more significantly than that of the middle cell, and 100 keV proton-induced degradation rates of Isc, Voc and Pmax are larger compared with 50 keV proton irradiation.

Spatial Characteristics of Thomson Scattering Spectra in Laser and Magnetic Fields

Spatial characteristics of Thomson scattering spectra are studied for an electron moving in the circularly polarized laser field in the presence of a strong uniform magnetic field. The results show that the angular distributions of the spectra with respect to the azimuthal and polar angles exhibit different symmetries, respectively, which depend on the fields and electron parameters sensitively and significantly. Moreover, for relatively large parameters such as high laser intensity, high magnetic resonance parameter as well as large initial momentum of electron, the two lobes in spectra tend to the laser-propagating direction so that the radiation can be collimated in the forward direction. Furthermore, an important finding is that by choosing the appropriate fields and initial momentum of electron, the high frequency part of the Thomson scattering spectra can reach the frequency range of soft x-ray,in which a high radiation power per solid angle as ~10^11 a.u. can be obtained.