Properties of Ion Implanted Ti-6Al-4V Processed using Beamline and PSII Techniques

The surface of Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy has been modified using beamline implantation of boron. In separate experiments, Ti64 has been implanted with nitrogen using a plasma source ion implantation (PSII) technique utilizing either ammonia (NH{sub 3}), nitrogen (N{sub 2}), or their combinations as the source of nitrogen ions. Beamline experiments have shown the hardness of the N-implanted surface saturates at a dose level of {approximately} 4 {times} 10{sup 17} at/cm{sup 2} at {approximately} 10 GPa. The present work makes comparisons of hardness and tribological tests of (1) B implantation using beamline techniques, and (2) N implanted samples using ammonia and/or nitrogen gas in a PSII process. The results show that PSII using N{sub 2} or NH{sub 3} gives similar hardness as N implantation using a beamline process. The presence of H in the Ti alloy surface does not affect the hardness of the implanted surface. Boron implantation increased the surface hardness by as much as 2.5x at the highest dose level. Wear testing by a pin-on-disk method indicated that nitrogen implantation reduced the wear rate by as much as 120x, and boron implantation reduced the wear rate by 6.5x. Increased wear resistance was accompanied by a decreased coefficient of friction

Residual Stress, Mechanical Behavior and Electrical Properties of Cu/Nb Thin-Film Multilayers

Effect of compositional wavelength (modulation) on residual stress, electrical resistivities and mechanical properties of Cu/Nb thin-film multilayers sputtered onto single-crystal Si substrates, was evaluated. Electrical resistivities were measured down to 4 K using a standard 4-point probe. Differential specimen curvature was used to determine residual stress, and a microprobe was used to obtain hardness and elastic modulus. Profilometry, ion-beam analysis and TEM were used. Hardness of the Cu-Nb multilayers increased with decreasing compositional wavelength so that the layered structures had hardness values in excess of either constituent and the hardness predicted by the rule of mixtures. A peak in net residual compressive stress of the multilayers was observed at a compositional wavelength of 100 nm. No resistivity plateau was observed within the composition wavelength range studied

Properties of ion implanted Ti-6Al-4V processed using beamline and PSII techniques

The surface of Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy has been modified using beamline implantation of boron. In separate experiments, Ti64 has been implanted with nitrogen using a plasma source ion implantation (PSII) technique utilizing either ammonia (NH{sub 3}), nitrogen (N{sub 2}), or their combinations as the source of nitrogen ions. Beamline experiments have shown the hardness of the N-implanted surface saturates at a dose level of {approximately} 4 {times} 10{sup 17} at/cm{sup 2} at {approximately} 10 GPa. The present work makes comparisons of hardness and tribological tests of (1) B implantation using beamline techniques, and (2) N implanted samples using ammonia and/or nitrogen gas in a PSII process. The results show that PSII using N{sub 2} or NH{sub 3} gives similar hardness as N implantation using a beamline process. The presence of H in the Ti alloy surface does not affect the hardness of the implanted surface. Boron implantation increased the surface hardness by as much as 2.5x at the highest dose level. Wear testing by a pin-on-disk method indicated that nitrogen implantation reduced the wear rate by as much as 120x, and boron implantation reduced the wear rate by 6.5x. Increased wear resistance was accompanied by a decreased coefficient of friction

Excitation and relaxation in atom-cluster collisions

Electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom in atom-cluster collisions are treated simultaneously and self-consistently by combining time-dependent density functional theory with classical molecular dynamics. The gradual change of the excitation mechanisms (electronic and vibrational) as well as the related relaxation phenomena (phase transitions and fragmentation) are studied in a common framework as a function of the impact energy (eV...MeV). Cluster "transparency" characterized by practically undisturbed atom-cluster penetration is predicted to be an important reaction mechanism within a particular window of impact energies.Comment: RevTeX (4 pages, 4 figures included with epsf

First array of enriched Zn82^{82}Se bolometers to search for double beta decay

The R&D activity performed during the last years proved the potential of ZnSe scintillating bolometers to the search for neutrino-less double beta decay, motivating the realization of the first large-mass experiment based on this technology: CUPID-0. The isotopic enrichment in $^{82}$Se, the Zn$^{82}$Se crystals growth, as well as the light detectors production have been accomplished, and the experiment is now in construction at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy). In this paper we present the results obtained testing the first three Zn$^{82}$Se crystals operated as scintillating bolometers, and we prove that their performance in terms of energy resolution, background rejection capability and intrinsic radio-purity complies with the requirements of CUPID-0

Optical and tribological properties of diamond-like carbon films synthesized by plasma immersion ion processing

Hard diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been prepared on PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate), glass, and Si(100) substrates using C{sub 2}H{sub 2}-Ar plasma immersion ion processing (PIIP). The composition, structure, and properties of the films were investigated with regard to variation of the deposition parameters. It was found that the modulation of reactive gas composition during PIIP could enhance the formation of DLC films with an increased sp{sup 3} bonding structure, improved surface smoothness, high density and high hardness. An optimal combination of good optical properties and high hardness was highly dependent on the control of hydrogen content in the DLC films. Tribological tests showed that DLC-coated glass and PMMA samples exhibited a reduced friction coefficient and enhanced wear resistance relative to uncoated glass and PMMA materials. The effects of ion energy and gas composition during PIIP deposition on the formation of optically transparent and wear resistant DLC films are discussed

Ion-beam-induced reconstruction of amorphous GaN

Wurtzite GaN can be rendered amorphous by high-dose heavy-ion bombardment. We show here that relatively low-dose reirradiation of such amorphous GaN (a-GaN) with MeV light ions can significantly change some of the physical properties of a-GaN. In particular, light-ion reirradiation of a-GaN results in (i) an increase in material density, (ii) the suppression of complete decomposition during postimplantation annealing, (iii) a significant increase in the values of hardness and Young's modulus, and (iv) an apparent decrease in the absorption of visible light. Transmission electronmicroscopy shows that a-GaN remains completely amorphous after light-ion reirradiation. Therefore, we attribute the above effects of light-ion reirradiation to an ion-beam-induced atomic-level reconstruction of the amorphous phase. Results indicate that electronic energy loss of light ions is responsible for the changes in the mechanical properties and for the suppression of thermally induced decomposition of a-GaN. However, the changes in the density of a-GaN appear to be controlled by the nuclear energy loss of light ions

CUORE-0 results and prospects for the CUORE experiment

With 741 kg of TeO2 crystals and an excellent energy resolution of 5 keV (0.2%) at the region of interest, the CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) experiment aims at searching for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te with unprecedented sensitivity. Expected to start data taking in 2015, CUORE is currently in an advanced construction phase at LNGS. CUORE projected neutrinoless double beta decay half-life sensitivity is 1.6E26 y at 1 sigma (9.5E25 y at the 90% confidence level), in five years of live time, corresponding to an upper limit on the effective Majorana mass in the range 40-100 meV (50-130 meV). Further background rejection with auxiliary bolometric detectors could improve CUORE sensitivity and competitiveness of bolometric detectors towards a full analysis of the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. CUORE-0 was built to test and demonstrate the performance of the upcoming CUORE experiment. It consists of a single CUORE tower (52 TeO2 bolometers of 750 g each, arranged in a 13 floor structure) constructed strictly following CUORE recipes both for materials and assembly procedures. An experiment its own, CUORE-0 is expected to reach a sensitivity to the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life of 130Te around 3E24 y in one year of live time. We present an update of the data, corresponding to an exposure of 18.1 kg y. An analysis of the background indicates that the CUORE performance goal is satisfied while the sensitivity goal is within reach.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the proceedings of NEUTRINO 2014, 26th International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics, 2-7 June 2014, held at Boston, Massachusetts, US

Steps towards the hyperfine splitting measurement of the muonic hydrogen ground state: pulsed muon beam and detection system characterization

The high precision measurement of the hyperfine splitting of the muonic-hydrogen atom ground state with pulsed and intense muon beam requires careful technological choices both in the construction of a gas target and of the detectors. In June 2014, the pressurized gas target of the FAMU experiment was exposed to the low energy pulsed muon beam at the RIKEN RAL muon facility. The objectives of the test were the characterization of the target, the hodoscope and the X-ray detectors. The apparatus consisted of a beam hodoscope and X-rays detectors made with high purity Germanium and Lanthanum Bromide crystals. In this paper the experimental setup is described and the results of the detector characterization are presented.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, published and open access on JINS

Status of the CUORE and results from the CUORE-0 neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

CUORE is a 741 kg array of TeO2 bolometers for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. The detector is being constructed at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, where it will start taking data in 2015. If the target background of 0.01 counts/keV/kg/y will be reached, in five years of data taking CUORE will have a 1 sigma half life sensitivity of 10E26 y. CUORE-0 is a smaller experiment constructed to test and demonstrate the performances expected for CUORE. The detector is a single tower of 52 CUORE-like bolometers that started taking data in spring 2013. The status and perspectives of CUORE will be discussed, and the first CUORE-0 data will be presented.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, to be published in the proceedings of ICHEP 2014, 37th International Conference on High Energy Physics, Valencia (Spain) 2-9 July 201