Yttria and Ceria Doped Zirconia Thin Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition

The Yttria stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) is a standard electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which are potential candidates for next generation portable and mobile power sources. YSZ electrolyte thin films having a cubic single phase allow reducing the SOFC operating temperature without diminishing the electrochemical power density. Films of 8 mol % Yttria stabilized Zirconia (8YSZ) and films with addition of 4 weight % Ceria (8YSZ + 4CeO2) were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique using 8YSZ and 8YSZ + 4CeO2 targets and a Nd-YAG laser (355 nm). Films have been deposited on Soda-Calcia-Silica glass and Si(100) substrates at room temperature. The morphology and structural characteristics of the samples have been studied by means of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Films of a cubic-YSZ single phase with thickness in the range of 1-3 µm were grown on different substrates.Fil: Saporiti, F.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica. Grupo de Materiales Avanzados; Argentina;Fil: Juarez, R. E.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica. Grupo de Materiales Avanzados; Argentina;Fil: Audebert, Fernando Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería; Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica. Grupo de Materiales Avanzados; Argentina;Fil: Boudard, M.. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Laboratoire des Matériaux et du Génie Physique; Francia

Measurement of nuclide cross-sections of spallation residues in 1 A GeV 238U + proton collisions

The production of heavy nuclides from the spallation-evaporation reaction of 238U induced by 1 GeV protons was studied in inverse kinematics. The evaporation residues from tungsten to uranium were identified in-flight in mass and atomic number. Their production cross-sections and their momentum distributions were determined. The data are compared with empirical systematics. A comparison with previous results from the spallation of 208Pb and 197Au reveals the strong influence of fission in the spallation of 238U.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, background information at http://www-wnt.gsi.de/kschmidt

Singlet-to-triplet ratio in the deuteron breakup reaction pd→pnppd\to pnp at 585 MeV

Available experimental data on the exclusive $pd\to pnp$ reaction at 585 MeV show a narrow peak in the proton-neutron final-state interaction region. It was supposed previously, on the basis of a phenomenological analysis of the shape of this peak, that the final spin-singlet $pn$ state provided about one third of the observed cross section. By comparing the absolute value of the measured cross section with that of $pd$ elastic scattering using the F\"aldt-Wilkin extrapolation theorem, it is shown here that the $pd\to pnp$ data can be explained mainly by the spin-triplet final state with a singlet admixture of a few percent. The smallness of the singlet contribution is compatible with existing $pN\to pN\pi$ data and the one-pion exchange mechanism of the $pd\to pnp$ reaction.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, 2 Postscript figure

Isotopic and velocity distributions of Bi produced in charge-pickup reactions of 208Pb at 1 A GeV

Isotopically resolved cross sections and velocity distributions have been measured in charge-pickup reactions of 1 A GeV 208Pb with proton, deuterium and titanium target. The total and partial charge-pickup cross sections in the reactions 208Pb + 1H and 208Pb + 2H are measured to be the same in the limits of the error bars. A weak increase in the total charge-pickup cross section is seen in the reaction of 208Pb with the titanium target. The measured velocity distributions show different contributions - quasi-elastic scattering and Delta-resonance excitation - to the charge-pickup production. Data on total and partial charge-pickup cross sections from these three reactions are compared with other existing data and also with model calculations based on the coupling of different intra-nuclear cascade codes and an evaporation code.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, background information on http://www-w2k.gsi.de/kschmidt

Fission-Residues Produced in the Spallation Reaction 238U+p at 1 A GeV

Fission fragments from 1 A GeV 238U projectiles irradiating a hydrogen target were investigated by using the fragment separator FRS for magnetic selection of reaction products including ray-tracing and DE-ToF techniques. The momentum spectra of 733 identified fragments were analysed to provide isotopic production cross sections, fission-fragment velocities and recoil momenta of the fissioning parent nuclei. Besides their general relevance, these quantities are also demanded for applications. Calculations and simulations with codes commonly used and recently developed or improved are compared to the data.Comment: 60 pages, 21 figures, 4 tables, 2 appendices (15 pages

Evaporation residues produced in spallation of 208Pb by protons at 500A MeV

The production cross sections of fragmentation-evaporation residues in the reaction Pb+p at 500A MeV have been measured using the inverse-kinematics method and the FRS spectrometer (GSI). Fragments were identified in nuclear charge using ionisation chambers. The mass identification was performed event-by-event using the B-rho - TOF - Delta-E technique. Although partially-unresolved ionic charge states induced an ambiguity on the mass of some heavy fragments, production rates could be obtained with a high accuracy by systematically accounting for the polluting ionic charge states. The contribution of multiple reactions in the target was subtracted using a new, partly self-consistent code. The isobaric distributions are found to have a shape very close to the one observed in experiments at higher energy. Kinematic properties of the fragments were also measured. The total and the isotopic cross sections, including charge-pickup cross sections, are in good agreement with previous measurements. The data are discussed in the light of previous spallation measurements, especially on lead at 1 GeV

Production of medium-mass neutron-rich nuclei in reactions induced by 136Xe projectiles at 1 A GeV on a beryllium target

Production cross sections of medium-mass neutron-rich nuclei obtained in the fragmentation of 136Xe projectiles at 1 A GeV have been measured with the FRagment Separator (FRS) at GSI. 125Pd was identified for the first time. The measured cross sections are compared to 238U fission yields and model calculations in order to determine the optimum reaction mechanism to extend the limits of the chart of the nuclides around the r-process waiting point at N=82.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Coincidence measurement of residues and light particles in the reaction 56Fe+p at 1 GeV per nucleon with SPALADIN

The spallation of $^{56}$Fe in collisions with hydrogen at 1 A GeV has been studied in inverse kinematics with the large-aperture setup SPALADIN at GSI. Coincidences of residues with low-center-of-mass kinetic energy light particles and fragments have been measured allowing the decomposition of the total reaction cross-section into the different possible de-excitation channels. Detailed information on the evolution of these de-excitation channels with excitation energy has also been obtained. The comparison of the data with predictions of several de-excitation models coupled to the INCL4 intra-nuclear cascade model shows that only GEMINI can reasonably account for the bulk of collected results, indicating that in a light system with no compression and little angular momentum, multifragmentation might not be necessary to explain the data.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, revised version accepted in Phys. Rev. Let

Measurement of residual nucleus cross sections and recoil energies in p + Fe collisions at 300, 500, 750, 1000 and 1500 MeV

The production of residual nuclei in p + Fe collisions has been measured at GSI on the FRS facility by means of the reverse kinematic techniques at 300, 500, 750, 1000 and 1500 MeV/A. The cross-sections larger than 0.01 mb of all isotopes with Z larger than 8 have been obtained. Velocity distributions were also measured. Comparisons to models describing spallation reactions and some empirical formulae often used in astrophysics are presented. These data are directly used to calculate impurety production and DPAs in a thin window as foreseen in spallation sources or accelerator-driven systems

Spallation Residues in the Reaction 56Fe + p at 0.3, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5 A GeV

The spallation residues produced in the bombardment of 56}Fe at 1.5, 1.0, 0.75, 0.5 and 0.3 A GeV on a liquid-hydrogen target have been measured using the reverse kinematics technique and the Fragment Separator at GSI (Darmstadt). This technique has permitted the full identification in charge and mass of all isotopes produced with cross-sections larger than 10^{-2} mb down to Z=8. Their individual production cross-sections and recoil velocities at the five energies are presented. Production cross-sections are compared to previously existing data and to empirical parametric formulas, often used in cosmic-ray astrophysics. The experimental data are also extensively compared to different combinations of intra-nuclear cascade and de-excitation models. It is shown that the yields of the lightest isotopes cannot be accounted for by standard evaporation models. The GEMINI model, which includes an asymmetric fission decay mode, gives an overall good agreement with the data. These experimental data can be directly used for the estimation of composition modifications and damages in materials containing iron in spallation sources. They are also useful for improving high precision cosmic-ray measurements.Comment: Submited to Phys. Rev. C (10/2006