scholarly journals Controlled strong excitation of silicon as a step towards processing materials at sub-nanometer precision

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thanh-Hung Dinh ◽  
Nikita Medvedev ◽  
Masahiko Ishino ◽  
Toshiyuki Kitamura ◽  
Noboru Hasegawa ◽  
...  

AbstractInteraction of a solid material with focused, intense pulses of high-energy photons or other particles (such as electrons and ions) creates a strong electronic excitation state within an ultra-short time and on ultra-small spatial scales. This offers the possibility to control the response of a material on a spatial scale less than a nanometer—crucial for the next generation of nano-devices. Here we create craters on the surface of a silicon substrate by focusing single femtosecond extreme ultraviolet pulse from the SACLA free-electron laser. We investigate the resulting surface modification in the vicinity of damage thresholds, establishing a connection to microscopic theoretical approaches, and, with their help, illustrating physical mechanisms for damage creation. The cooling during ablation by means of rapid electron and energy transport can suppress undesired hydrodynamical motions, allowing the silicon material to be directly processed with a precision reaching the observable limitation of an atomic force microscope.

2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A9
Author(s):  
Aidan M. O’Flannagain ◽  
Shane A. Maloney ◽  
Peter T. Gallagher ◽  
Philippa Browning ◽  
Jose Refojo

Context. Magnetic reconnection is believed to be the primary mechanism by which non-potential energy stored in coronal magnetic fields is rapidly released during solar eruptive events. Unfortunately, owing to the small spatial scales on which reconnection is thought to occur, it is not directly observable in the solar corona. However, larger scale processes, such as associated inflow and outflow, and signatures of accelerated particles have been put forward as evidence of reconnection. Aims. Using a combination of observations we explore the origin of a persistent Type I radio source that accompanies a coronal X-shaped structure during its passage across the disk. Of particular interest is the time range around a partial collapse of the structure that is associated with inflow, outflow, and signatures of particle acceleration. Methods. Imaging radio observations from the Nançay Radioheliograph were used to localise the radio source. Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) AIA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations from the same time period were analysed, looking for evidence of inflows and outflows. Further mpole magnetic reconstructions using SDO HMI observations allowed the magnetic connectivity associated with the radio source to be determined. Results. The Type I radio source was well aligned with a magnetic separator identified in the extrapolations. During the partial collapse, gradual (1 km s−1) and fast (5 km s−1) inflow phases and fast (30 km s−1) and rapid (80–100 km s−1) outflow phases were observed, resulting in an estimated reconnection rate of ∼0.06. The radio source brightening and dimming was found to be co-temporal with increased soft X-ray emission observed in both Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). Conclusions. We interpret the brightening and dimming of the radio emission as evidence for accelerated electrons in the reconnection region responding to a gradual fall and rapid rise in electric drift velocity, in response to the inflowing and outflowing field lines. These results present a comprehensive example of 3D null-point reconnection.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Hannu E. J. Koskinen ◽  
Emilia K. J. Kilpua

AbstractThe Van Allen radiation belts of high-energy electrons and ions, mostly protons, are embedded in the Earth’s inner magnetosphere where the geomagnetic field is close to that of a magnetic dipole. Understanding of the belts requires a thorough knowledge of the inner magnetosphere and its dynamics, the coupling of the solar wind to the magnetosphere, and wave–particle interactions in different temporal and spatial scales. In this introductory chapter we briefly describe the basic structure of the inner magnetosphere, its different plasma regions and the basics of magnetospheric activity.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Lapenta ◽  
Jean Berchem ◽  
Raymond Walker ◽  
Mostafa El Alaoui ◽  
David Schriver ◽  
...  

<p><span>A grand challenge in physics is to understand how and where electrons and ions accelerate to high energy, often forming power law distributions. We report the result of a combined kinetic-fluid effort [1]. For Earth, a full kinetic model of sizeable chunks of the magnetosphere (e.g. the magnetopause up to the bow shock, or the magnetotail) of order 10-20 RE in size in each dimension is hosted within a MHD simulation that provides it with initial and boundary conditions. For Mercury, it is possible to treat the whole magnetosphere that in this case is spawn from a state derived from a hybrid code [2]. <br>With this approach, we search for regions of most intense particle heating and acceleration, comparing the full kinetic (i.e. we treat both electrons and ions as particles) evolution with the evolution of the host global simulation: MHD for the Earth and hybrid for Mercury.</span></p><p><span>The results highlight some significant effects peculiar to kinetic models. First, of all full kinetic models provide a detailed view of the electron role in energy transfer, with a distinct role for the enthalpy, bulk and heat flux. Second, the full kinetic approach, allows for the development of modes and instabilities absent in global fluid or hybrid models [3]. </span></p>


Author(s):  
Charles W. Allen

With respect to structural consequences within a material, energetic electrons, above a threshold value of energy characteristic of a particular material, produce vacancy-interstial pairs (Frenkel pairs) by displacement of individual atoms, as illustrated for several materials in Table 1. Ion projectiles produce cascades of Frenkel pairs. Such displacement cascades result from high energy primary knock-on atoms which produce many secondary defects. These defects rearrange to form a variety of defect complexes on the time scale of tens of picoseconds following the primary displacement. A convenient measure of the extent of irradiation damage, both for electrons and ions, is the number of displacements per atom (dpa). 1 dpa means, on average, each atom in the irradiated region of material has been displaced once from its original lattice position. Displacement rate (dpa/s) is proportional to particle flux (cm-2s-1), the proportionality factor being the “displacement cross-section” σD (cm2). The cross-section σD depends mainly on the masses of target and projectile and on the kinetic energy of the projectile particle.


Author(s):  
A.J. Tousimis

An integral and of prime importance of any microtopography and microanalysis instrument system is its electron, x-ray and ion detector(s). The resolution and sensitivity of the electron microscope (TEM, SEM, STEM) and microanalyzers (SIMS and electron probe x-ray microanalyzers) are closely related to those of the sensing and recording devices incorporated with them.Table I lists characteristic sensitivities, minimum surface area and depth analyzed by various methods. Smaller ion, electron and x-ray beam diameters than those listed, are possible with currently available electromagnetic or electrostatic columns. Therefore, improvements in sensitivity and spatial/depth resolution of microanalysis will follow that of the detectors. In most of these methods, the sample surface is subjected to a stationary, line or raster scanning photon, electron or ion beam. The resultant radiation: photons (low energy) or high energy (x-rays), electrons and ions are detected and analyzed.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya Prakash ◽  
Travis Lantz ◽  
Krupal P. Jethava ◽  
Gaurav Chopra

Amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients primarily consists of amyloid beta 1-42 (Ab42). Commercially, Ab42 is synthetized using peptide synthesizers. We describe a robust methodology for expression of recombinant human Ab(M1-42) in Rosetta(DE3)pLysS and BL21(DE3)pLysS competent E. coli with refined and rapid analytical purification techniques. The peptide is isolated and purified from the transformed cells using an optimized set-up for reverse-phase HPLC protocol, using commonly available C18 columns, yielding high amounts of peptide (~15-20 mg per 1 L culture) in a short time. The recombinant Ab(M1-42) forms characteristic aggregates similar to synthetic Ab42 aggregates as verified by western blots and atomic force microscopy to warrant future biological use. Our rapid, refined, and robust technique to purify human Ab(M1-42) can be used to synthesize chemical probes for several downstream in vitro and in vivo assays to facilitate AD research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 623 ◽  
pp. A176 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. P. Chitta ◽  
A. R. C. Sukarmadji ◽  
L. Rouppe van der Voort ◽  
H. Peter

Context. Densely packed coronal loops are rooted in photospheric plages in the vicinity of active regions on the Sun. The photospheric magnetic features underlying these plage areas are patches of mostly unidirectional magnetic field extending several arcsec on the solar surface. Aims. We aim to explore the transient nature of the magnetic field, its mixed-polarity characteristics, and the associated energetics in the active region plage using high spatial resolution observations and numerical simulations. Methods. We used photospheric Fe I 6173 Å spectropolarimetric observations of a decaying active region obtained from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST). These data were inverted to retrieve the photospheric magnetic field underlying the plage as identified in the extreme-ultraviolet emission maps obtained from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). To obtain better insight into the evolution of extended unidirectional magnetic field patches on the Sun, we performed 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations of magnetoconvection using the MURaM code. Results. The observations show transient magnetic flux emergence and cancellation events within the extended predominantly unipolar patch on timescales of a few 100 s and on spatial scales comparable to granules. These transient events occur at the footpoints of active region plage loops. In one case the coronal response at the footpoints of these loops is clearly associated with the underlying transient. The numerical simulations also reveal similar magnetic flux emergence and cancellation events that extend to even smaller spatial and temporal scales. Individual simulated transient events transfer an energy flux in excess of 1 MW m−2 through the photosphere. Conclusions. We suggest that the magnetic transients could play an important role in the energetics of active region plage. Both in observations and simulations, the opposite-polarity magnetic field brought up by transient flux emergence cancels with the surrounding plage field. Magnetic reconnection associated with such transient events likely conduits magnetic energy to power the overlying chromosphere and coronal loops.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. I. Apiñaniz ◽  
S. Malko ◽  
R. Fedosejevs ◽  
W. Cayzac ◽  
X. Vaisseau ◽  
...  

AbstractWe report on the development of a highly directional, narrow energy band, short time duration proton beam operating at high repetition rate. The protons are generated with an ultrashort-pulse laser interacting with a solid target and converted to a pencil-like narrow-band beam using a compact magnet-based energy selector. We experimentally demonstrate the production of a proton beam with an energy of 500 keV and energy spread well below 10$$\% $$ % , and a pulse duration of 260 ps. The energy loss of this beam is measured in a 2 $$\upmu $$ μ m thick solid Mylar target and found to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The short time duration of the proton pulse makes it particularly well suited for applications involving the probing of highly transient plasma states produced in laser-matter interaction experiments. This proton source is particularly relevant for measurements of the proton stopping power in high energy density plasmas and warm dense matter.


2006 ◽  
Vol 118 ◽  
pp. 661-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dae Hwan Kwon ◽  
Thuy Dang Nguyen ◽  
Pyuck Pa Choi ◽  
Ji Soon Kim ◽  
Young Soon Kwon

The microstructure and properties of Cu-TiB2 composites produced by high-energy ball-milling of TiB2 powders and spark-plasma sintering (SPS) were investigated. TiB2 powders were mechanically milled at a rotation speed of 1000rpm for short time in Ar atmosphere, using a planetary ball mill. To produce Cu-xTiB2 composites( x = 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10wt.% ), the raw and milled TiB2 powders were mixed with Cu powders by means of a turbular mixer, respectively. Sintering of mixed powders was carried out in a SPS facility under vacuum. High-energy ball-milling resulted in refinement of TiB2 particles. XRD patterns of milled TiB2 powders indicated broader TiB2 peaks with decreased intensities. After sintering at 950 for 5min using the raw and milled TiB2 mixture powders, the sintered density decreased with increasing TiB2 content regardless of milling of TiB2. In the case of raw TiB2, hardness rapidly increased from 4 to 44 HRB with increasing TiB2 content. The electrical conductivity changed from 95.5 to 80.7 %IACS. For mixtures of Cu powders with milled TiB2 powders, hardness increased from 38 to 67 HRB as TiB2 content increased, while the electrical conductivity varied from 88% to 51 % IACS. When compared to compacts sintered with raw and milled TiB2 powders, the electrical conductivity of specimens with raw TiB2 powder was higher than that of specimens with milled TiB2 powder, while hardness was slightly lower.


2014 ◽  
Vol 118 ◽  
pp. 312-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Leray ◽  
A. Boudard ◽  
B. Braunn ◽  
J. Cugnon ◽  
J.C. David ◽  
...  

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