Grain Refinement of Freeform Fabricated Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Using Beam/Arc Modulation

Grain refinement can significantly improve the mechanical properties of freeform-fabricated Ti-6Al-4V alloy, promoting increased strength and enhanced isotropy compared with coarser grained material. Large beta-grains can lead to a segregated microstructure, in regard to both alpha-phase morphology and alpha-lath orientation. Beam modulation, which has been used in conventional fusion welding to promote grain refinement, is explored in this study for use in additive manufacturing processes including electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF(sup 3)) and gas-tungsten arc (GTA) deposition to alter solidification behavior and produce a refined microstructure. The dynamic molten pool size induced by beam modulation causes rapid heat flow variance and results in a more competitive grain growth environment, reducing grain size. Consequently, improved isotropy and strength can be achieved with relatively small adjustments to deposition parameters

Free electron laser induced processes in thin molecular ice

Intermolecular reactions in and on icy films on silicate and carbonaceous grains constitute a major route for the formation of new molecular constituents in interstellar molecular clouds. In more diffuse regions and in protoplanetary discs, energetic radiation can trigger reaction routes far from thermal equilibrium. As an analog of interstellar icecovered dust grains, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite HOPG covered with D2O, NO, and H atoms is irradiated by ultrashort XUV pulses and the desorbing ionic and neutral products are analysed. The yields of several products show a nonlinear intensity dependence and thus enable the elucidation of reaction dynamics by two pulse correlated desorptio

Ionization dynamics in expanding clusters studied by XUV pump probe spectroscopy

he expansion and disintegration dynamics of xenon clusters initiated by the ionization with femtosecond soft x ray extreme ultraviolet XUV pulses were studied with pump probe spectroscopy using the autocorrelator setup of the Free Electron LASer in Hamburg FLASH facility. The ionization by the first XUV pulse of 92 eV photon energy 8 1012 W cm amp; 8722;2 leads to the generation of a large number of quasi free electrons trapped by the space charge of the cluster ions. A temporally delayed, more intense probe 4 1013 W cm amp; 8722;2 pulse substantially increases a population of nanoplasma electrons providing a way of probing plasma states in the expanding cluster by tracing the average charge of fragment ions. The results of the study reveal a timescale for cluster expansion and disintegration, which depends essentially on the initial cluster size. The average charge state of fragment ions, and thus the cluster plasma changes significantly on a timescale of 1 3 p

X ray spectroscopy on the active ion in laser crystals

X-ray absorption and (resonant) emission spectroscopies combined measure the differences in crystal field parameters for the ground and core-excited states.</p

Quantitative evaluation of transient valence orbital occupations in a 3d transition metal complex as seen from the metal and ligand perspective

It is demonstrated for the case of photo excited ferrocyanide how time resolved soft X ray absorption spectroscopy in transmission geometry at the ligand K edge and metal L3 edge provides quantitatively equivalent valence electronic structure information, where signatures of photo oxidation are assessed locally at the metal as well as the ligand. This allows for a direct and independent quantification of the number of photo oxidized molecules at two soft X ray absorption edges highlighting the sensitivity of X ray absorption spectroscopy to the valence orbital occupation of 3d transition metal complexes throughout the soft X ray rang

Probing Solute Solvent Interactions of Transition Metal Complexes Using L Edge Absorption Spectroscopy

In order to tailor solution phase chemical reactions involving transition metal complexes, it is critical to understand how their valence electronic charge distributions are affected by the solution environment. Here, solute amp; 8722;solvent interactions of a solvatochromic mixed ligand iron complex were investigated using X ray absorption spectroscopy at the transition metal L2,3 edge. Due to the selectivity of the corresponding core excitations to the iron 3d orbitals, the method grants direct access to the valence electronic structure around the iron center and its response to interactions with the solvent environment. A linear increase of the total L2,3 edge absorption cross section as a function of the solvent Lewis acidity is revealed. The effect is caused by relative changes in different metal amp; 8722;ligand bonding channels, which preserve local charge densities while increasing the density of unoccupied states around the iron center. These conclusions are corroborated by a combination of molecular dynamics and spectrum simulations based on time dependent density functional theory. The simulations reproduce the spectral trends observed in the X ray but also optical absorption experiments. Our results underscore the importance of solute amp; 8722;solvent interactions when aiming for an accurate description of the valence electronic structure of solvated transition metal complexes and demonstrate how L2,3 edge absorption spectroscopy can aid in understanding the impact of the solution environment on intramolecular covalency and the electronic charge distributio

Decoherence of matter waves by thermal emission of radiation

Emergent quantum technologies have led to increasing interest in decoherence - the processes that limit the appearance of quantum effects and turn them into classical phenomena. One important cause of decoherence is the interaction of a quantum system with its environment, which 'entangles' the two and distributes the quantum coherence over so many degrees of freedom as to render it unobservable. Decoherence theory has been complemented by experiments using matter waves coupled to external photons or molecules, and by investigations using coherent photon states, trapped ions and electron interferometers. Large molecules are particularly suitable for the investigation of the quantum-classical transition because they can store much energy in numerous internal degrees of freedom; the internal energy can be converted into thermal radiation and thus induce decoherence. Here we report matter wave interferometer experiments in which C70 molecules lose their quantum behaviour by thermal emission of radiation. We find good quantitative agreement between our experimental observations and microscopic decoherence theory. Decoherence by emission of thermal radiation is a general mechanism that should be relevant to all macroscopic bodies.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Angular Momentum Flow During Ultrafast Demagnetization of a Ferrimagnet

One of the key processes setting the speed of the ultrafast magnetization phenomena is the angular momentum transfer from and into the spin system. However, the way the angular momentum flows during ultrafast demagnetization and magnetization switching phenomena remains elusive so far. We report on time resolved soft x ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements of the ferrimagnetic GdFeCo alloy allowing us to record the dynamics of elemental spin and orbital moments at the Fe and Gd sites during femtosecond laser induced demagnetization. We observe a complete transfer of spin and orbital angular momentum to the lattice during the first hundreds of femtoseconds of the demagnetization proces

Life-threatening intoxication with methylene bis(thiocyanate): clinical picture and pitfalls. A case report

BACKGROUND: Methylene bis(thiocyanate) (MBT) is a microbiocidal agent mainly used in industrial water cooling systems and paper mills as an inhibitor of algae, fungi, and bacteria. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the first case of severe intoxication following inhalation of powder in an industrial worker. Profound cyanosis and respiratory failure caused by severe methemoglobinemia developed within several minutes. Despite immediate admission to the intensive care unit, where mechanical ventilation and hemodialysis for toxin elimination were initiated, multi-organ failure involving liver, kidneys, and lungs developed. While liver failure was leading, the patient was successfully treated with the MARS (molecular adsorbent recirculating system) procedure. CONCLUSION: Intoxication with MBT is a potentially life-threatening intoxication causing severe methemoglobinemia and multi-organ failure. Extracorporeal liver albumin dialysis (MARS) appears to be an effective treatment to allow recovery of hepatic function

Eosinophils Are Important for Protection, Immunoregulation and Pathology during Infection with Nematode Microfilariae

Eosinophil responses typify both allergic and parasitic helminth disease. In helminthic disease, the role of eosinophils can be both protective in immune responses and destructive in pathological responses. To investigate whether eosinophils are involved in both protection and pathology during filarial nematode infection, we explored the role of eosinophils and their granule proteins, eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and major basic protein-1 (MBP-1), during infection with Brugia malayi microfilariae. Using eosinophil-deficient mice (PHIL), we further clarify the role of eosinophils in clearance of microfilariae during primary, but not challenge infection in vivo. Deletion of EPO or MBP-1 alone was insufficient to abrogate parasite clearance suggesting that either these molecules are redundant or eosinophils act indirectly in parasite clearance via augmentation of other protective responses. Absence of eosinophils increased mast cell recruitment, but not other cell types, into the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid during challenge infection. In addition absence of eosinophils or EPO alone, augmented parasite-induced IgE responses, as measured by ELISA, demonstrating that eosinophils are involved in regulation of IgE. Whole body plethysmography indicated that nematode-induced changes in airway physiology were reduced in challenge infection in the absence of eosinophils and also during primary infection in the absence of EPO alone. However lack of eosinophils or MBP-1 actually increased goblet cell mucus production. We did not find any major differences in cytokine responses in the absence of eosinophils, EPO or MBP-1. These results reveal that eosinophils actively participate in regulation of IgE and goblet cell mucus production via granule secretion during nematode-induced pathology and highlight their importance both as effector cells, as damage-inducing cells and as supervisory cells that shape both innate and adaptive immunity