Analysis of the visible spectra of concentrated chromic chloride solutions

In the development of the Redox Energy Storage System, the electrical storage efficiency is low due to the complex chemical reaction of the chromium II and III species. Several studies dealing with the processes occurring at the catalyzed carbon electrode during the charging and discharging of the system are described

Imaging analysis of LDEF craters

Two small craters in Al from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) experiment tray A11E00F (no. 74, 119 micron diameter and no. 31, 158 micron diameter) were analyzed using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS), low voltage scanning electron microscopy (LVSEM), and SEM energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). High resolution images and sensitive elemental and molecular analysis were obtained with this combined approach. The result of these analyses are presented

Meteor ablation spheres from deep-sea sediments

Spheres from mid-Pacific abyssal clays (0 to 500,000 yrs old), formed from particles that completely melted and subsequently recrystallized as they separated from their meteoroid bodies, or containing relict grains of parent meteoroids that did not experience any melting were analyzed. The spheres were readily divided into three groups using their dominant mineralogy. The Fe-rich spheres were produced during ablation of Fe and metal-rich silicate meteoroids. The glassy spheres are considerably more Fe-rich than the silicate spheres. They consist of magnetite and an Fe glass which is relatively low in Si. Bulk compositions and relict grains are useful for determining the parent meteoroid types for the silicate spheres. Bulk analyses of recrystallized spheres show that nonvolatile elemental abundances are similar to chondrite abundances. Analysis of relict grains identified high temperature minerals associated with a fine-grained, low temperature, volatile-rich matrix. The obvious candidates for parent meteoroids of this type of silicate sphere is a carbonaceous chondrite

Energy-Momentum Tensor of Particles Created in an Expanding Universe

We present a general formulation of the time-dependent initial value problem for a quantum scalar field of arbitrary mass and curvature coupling in a FRW cosmological model. We introduce an adiabatic number basis which has the virtue that the divergent parts of the quantum expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor are isolated in the vacuum piece of , and may be removed using adiabatic subtraction. The resulting renormalized is conserved, independent of the cutoff, and has a physically transparent, quasiclassical form in terms of the average number of created adiabatic `particles'. By analyzing the evolution of the adiabatic particle number in de Sitter spacetime we exhibit the time structure of the particle creation process, which can be understood in terms of the time at which different momentum scales enter the horizon. A numerical scheme to compute as a function of time with arbitrary adiabatic initial states (not necessarily de Sitter invariant) is described. For minimally coupled, massless fields, at late times the renormalized goes asymptotically to the de Sitter invariant state previously found by Allen and Folacci, and not to the zero mass limit of the Bunch-Davies vacuum. If the mass m and the curvature coupling xi differ from zero, but satisfy m^2+xi R=0, the energy density and pressure of the scalar field grow linearly in cosmic time demonstrating that, at least in this case, backreaction effects become significant and cannot be neglected in de Sitter spacetime.Comment: 28 pages, Revtex, 11 embedded .ps figure

Monolayer MoS2 strained to 1.3% with a microelectromechanical system

We report on a modified transfer technique for atomically thin materials integrated onto microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for studying strain physics and creating strain-based devices. Our method tolerates the non-planar structures and fragility of MEMS, while still providing precise positioning and crack free transfer of flakes. Further, our method used the transfer polymer to anchor the 2D crystal to the MEMS, which reduces the fabrication time, increases the yield, and allowed us to exploit the strong mechanical coupling between 2D crystal and polymer to strain the atomically thin system. We successfully strained single atomic layers of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with MEMS devices for the first time and achieved greater than 1.3% strain, marking a major milestone for incorporating 2D materials with MEMS We used the established strain response of MoS2 Raman and Photoluminescence spectra to deduce the strain in our crystals and provide a consistency check. We found good comparison between our experiment and literature.Published versio

Localized Particle States and Dynamics Gravitational Effects

Scalar particles--i.e., scalar-field excitations--in de Sitter space exhibit behavior unlike either classical particles in expanding space or quantum particles in flat spacetime. Their energies oscillate forever, and their interactions are spread out in energy. Here it is shown that these features characterize not only normal-mode excitations spread out over all space, but localized particles or wave packets as well. Both one-particle and coherent states of a massive, minimally coupled scalar field in de Sitter space, associated with classical wave packets, are constructed explicitly. Their energy expectation values and corresponding Unruh-DeWitt detector response functions are calculated. Numerical evaluation of these quantities for a simple set of classical wave packets clearly displays these novel features. Hence, given the observed accelerating expansion of the Universe, it is possible that observation of an ultralow-mass scalar particle could yield direct confirmation of distinct predictions of quantum field theory in curved spacetime.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Walking the Pens: A Case Study of Secondary Agriculture Teachers’ Experiences Using a Serious Digital Game in an Introductory Animal Science Course

In a world where knowledge is a click away, today’s students need information delivered in ways that meet their expectations as digital natives. Serious digital games are one way to meet the demand. This particularistic case study sought to understand agriculture teachers’ experiences using a serious digital game in an introductory animal science course. Three themes emerged from the data collected: 1) the real-world context provided by the game; 2) the game’s potential to promote students’ agricultural awareness; and 3) teachers’ positioning of the game as a secondary teaching approach. Based on these findings, it can be recommended that professional development opportunities be created for teachers to learn how to use serious digital games more effectively in other situations. Inservice workshops focused on using digital games as a primary approach to teaching secondary agricultural education curricula, especially when simulations are necessary for teaching content. Because agricultural literacy was an unintended outcome, future research should focus intentionally on the impact serious digital games have on agricultural literac

Final report -- PT-105-548-A, The effect of masonite burnout on shield attenuation properties

In a previous study it was determined experimentally that heat deterioration, or burnout, of the shield masonite is more severe than radiation damage under existing and proposed operating conditions. Higher shield temperatures, which are expected to result from increased power levels, fringe enrichment, and higher graphite temperatures, will markedly increase the rate at which the masonite burns out. The laminated iron-masonite biological shield will lose, as a result of burnout, the hydrogen and oxygen necessary to attenuate and moderate neutrons. The purpose of this production test has been to obtain experimental data from which future shield leakage rates could be estimated. The attenuation data reported here were obtained in the DR pile bulk shield facility from experiments using various void spacings to simulate burnout conditions. From these data it was hoped to determine (1) the resultant attenuation properties of the shields, and (2) the exposure rates due to radiation penetrating the shield