Robust skyrmion-bubble textures in SrRuO3_3 thin films stabilized by magnetic anisotropy

Topological spin textures in an itinerant ferromagnet, SrRuO$_3$ is studied combining Hall transport measurements and numerical simulations. We observe characteristic signatures of the Topological Hall Effect associated with skyrmions. A relatively large thickness of our films and absence of heavy metal layers make the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction an unlikely source of these topological spin textures. Additionally, the transport anomalies exhibit an unprecedented robustness to magnetic field tilting and temperature. Our numerical simulations suggest that this unconventional behavior results from magnetic bubbles with skyrmion topology stabilized by magnetodipolar interactions in an unexpected region of parameter space.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Effects of crack tip geometry on dislocation emission and cleavage: A possible path to enhanced ductility

We present a systematic study of the effect of crack blunting on subsequent crack propagation and dislocation emission. We show that the stress intensity factor required to propagate the crack is increased as the crack is blunted by up to thirteen atomic layers, but only by a relatively modest amount for a crack with a sharp 60$^\circ$ corner. The effect of the blunting is far less than would be expected from a smoothly blunted crack; the sharp corners preserve the stress concentration, reducing the effect of the blunting. However, for some material parameters blunting changes the preferred deformation mode from brittle cleavage to dislocation emission. In such materials, the absorption of preexisting dislocations by the crack tip can cause the crack tip to be locally arrested, causing a significant increase in the microscopic toughness of the crack tip. Continuum plasticity models have shown that even a moderate increase in the microscopic toughness can lead to an increase in the macroscopic fracture toughness of the material by several orders of magnitude. We thus propose an atomic-scale mechanism at the crack tip, that ultimately may lead to a high fracture toughness in some materials where a sharp crack would seem to be able to propagate in a brittle manner. Results for blunt cracks loaded in mode II are also presented.Comment: 12 pages, REVTeX using epsfig.sty. 13 PostScript figures. Final version to appear in Phys. Rev. B. Main changes: Discussion slightly shortened, one figure remove

Argonne National Laboratory Reports

The behavior of FTR-type, mixed-oxide, pre-irradiated "high-power-structure" fuel during a simulation of an FTR loss-of-flow accident was studied in the Mark-IIA integral TREAT loop. Analysis of the data leads to a postulated scenario (sequence and timing) of events in this test. This scenario is presented, together with the calculated timing of events obtained by use of SAS code

Above cutoff impedance measurements of pumping holes for the collider liner

A holed liner was considered for the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) Collider Ring because of vacuum problems caused by photon-induced desorption. The liner would serve to shield the cold surface of the beam tube from the synchrotron radiation and the holes (or slots) would allow distributed pumping by gas-absorption material that could be placed between the liner and the beam tube. The impedance of holes and slots in a liner were studied by means of simulations using both MAFIA and HFSS, analytical modelling, wire measurements and electron beam measurements

Argonne National Laboratory Reports

The behavior of FTR-type, mixed-oxide, pre-irradiated, ''intermediate-power-structure'' fuel during a simulation of an FTR loss-of-flow accident was studied in the Mark-IIA integral TREAT loop. Analysis of the data reported here leads to a postulated scenario (sequence and timing) of events in the test. This scenario is presented, together with the calculated timing of events obtained by use of the SAS code

Summary and evaluation: fuel dynamics loss-of-flow experiments (tests L2, L3, and L4)

Three similar experiments conducted to support the analyses of hypothetical LMFBR unprotected-loss-of-flow accidents are summarized and evaluated. The tests, designated L2, L3, and L4, provided experimental data against which accident-analysis codes could be compared, so as to guide further analysis and modeling of the initiating phases of the hypothetical accident. The tests were conducted using seven-pin bundles of mixed-oxide fuel pins in Mark-II flowing-sodium loops in the TREAT reactor. Test L2 used fresh fuel. Tests L3 and L4 used irradiated fuel pins having, respectively, ''intermediate-power'' (no central void) and ''high-power'' (fully developed central void) microstructure. 12 references. (auth