75 research outputs found
Influence of Oxygen content on the electrochemical behavior of Ta1-xOx coatings
In this study, Ta1-xOx coatings were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering aiming at the
enhancement of the electrochemical stability stainless steel 316L. The coatings were produced using
variable oxygen content in order to determine its influence on the films morphological features and corrosion resistance. Structural and morphological characteristics were correlated with the corrosion
behavior in artificial saliva. Potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests were
complemented with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the electrochemical behavior of the
coatings. The results reveal a more protective behavior of the coatings as the oxygen amount increases in
the films, as well as pitting inhibition in the coated stainless steel, independently of the
film composition.
A synergetic effect between Ta2O5 and phosphate-based passive layers is suggested as the protective
mechanisms of the coatings; while the more active electrochemical behavior of low oxygen content
films is evidenced as a consequence of the metallic tantalum on the surface with a more open morphology and
larger density of defects on the surface.This research is sponsored by FEDER funds through the program COMPETE – Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia , in the framework of the Strategic Projects PEST-C/FIS/UI607/2013, and PEst-C/EME/UI0285/2013, and with a PhD fellowship SFRH/BD/98199/2013.
The authors thank the financial support by IAPMEI funds through QREN – Implantes dentários inteligentes – SMARTDENT, Projeto Vale Inovação n. 2012/24005 and by MCTI/CNPQ N 16/2012 TECNOLOGIAS INOVADORAS NA PRODUÇÃO, PROTOTIPAGEM E/OU AUMENTO DE ESCALA EM NANOTECNOLO-
GIA – Desenvolvimento de Titânio e Liga de Titânio Nano-estruturados com Tratamentos de Superfície para Aplicação em Implantes Ósseos
Kaon Production and Kaon to Pion Ratio in Au+Au Collisions at \snn=130 GeV
Mid-rapidity transverse mass spectra and multiplicity densities of charged
and neutral kaons are reported for Au+Au collisions at \snn=130 GeV at RHIC.
The spectra are exponential in transverse mass, with an inverse slope of about
280 MeV in central collisions. The multiplicity densities for these particles
scale with the negative hadron pseudo-rapidity density. The charged kaon to
pion ratios are and
for the most central collisions. The ratio is lower than the same
ratio observed at the SPS while the is higher than the SPS result.
Both ratios are enhanced by about 50% relative to p+p and +p
collision data at similar energies.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
Phi meson production in Au+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt (s)=200 GeV
We report the STAR measurement of Phi meson production in Au+Au and p+p
collisions at sqrt (s)=200 GeV. Using the event mixing technique, the Phi
spectra and yields are obtained at mid-rapidity for five centrality bins in
Au+Au collisions and for non-singly-diffractive p+p collisions. It is found
that the Phi transverse momentum distributions from Au+Au collisions are better
fitted with a single-exponential while the p+p spectrum is better described by
a double-exponential distribution. The measured nuclear modification factors
indicate that Phi production in central Au+Au collisions is suppressed relative
to peripheral collisions when scaled by the number of binary collisions. The
systematics of versus centrality and the constant Phi/K- ratio versus beam
species, centrality, and collision energy rule out kaon coalescence as the
dominant mechanism for Phi production.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Experimental and Theoretical Challenges in the Search for the Quark Gluon Plasma: The STAR Collaboration's Critical Assessment of the Evidence from RHIC Collisions
We review the most important experimental results from the first three years
of nucleus-nucleus collision studies at RHIC, with emphasis on results from the
STAR experiment, and we assess their interpretation and comparison to theory.
The theory-experiment comparison suggests that central Au+Au collisions at RHIC
produce dense, rapidly thermalizing matter characterized by: (1) initial energy
densities above the critical values predicted by lattice QCD for establishment
of a Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP); (2) nearly ideal fluid flow, marked by
constituent interactions of very short mean free path, established most
probably at a stage preceding hadron formation; and (3) opacity to jets. Many
of the observations are consistent with models incorporating QGP formation in
the early collision stages, and have not found ready explanation in a hadronic
framework. However, the measurements themselves do not yet establish
unequivocal evidence for a transition to this new form of matter. The
theoretical treatment of the collision evolution, despite impressive successes,
invokes a suite of distinct models, degrees of freedom and assumptions of as
yet unknown quantitative consequence. We pose a set of important open
questions, and suggest additional measurements, at least some of which should
be addressed in order to establish a compelling basis to conclude definitively
that thermalized, deconfined quark-gluon matter has been produced at RHIC.Comment: 101 pages, 37 figures; revised version to Nucl. Phys.
Strange anti-particle to particle ratios at mid-rapidity in sqrt(s_NN)= 130 GeV Au+Au Collisions
Values of the ratios in the mid-rapidity yields of anti-Lambda/Lambda = 0.71
+/- 0.01(stat.) +/- 0.04(sys.), anti-Xi+/Xi- = 0.83 +/- 0.04(stat.) +/- 0.05
(sys.), anti-Omega+/Omega- = 0.95 +/- 0.15(stat) +/- 0.05(sys.) and K+/K- 1.092
+/- 0.023(combined) were obtained in central sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV Au+Au
collisions using the STAR detector. The ratios indicate that a fraction of the
net-baryon number from the initial system is present in the excess of hyperons
over anti-hyperons at mid-rapidity. The trend in the progression of the baryon
ratios, with increasing strange quark content, is similar to that observed in
heavy-ion collisions at lower energies. The value of these ratios may be
related to the charged kaon ratio in the framework of simple quark-counting and
thermal models.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, revtex4, now accepted by Physics Letters B. All
figures improved for clarity, fig. 2 now has kaon ratio separated by
technique, fig. 3 now has additional other RHIC data points. Minor
clarifications in text in response to referee comments. Updated ref
Azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au collisions at √s\u3csub\u3eNN\u3c/sub\u3e = 200 GeV
The results from the STAR Collaboration on directed flow (ν1), elliptic flow (ν2), and the fourth harmonic (ν4) in the anisotropic azimuthal distribution of particles from Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200GeV are summarized and compared with results from other experiments and theoretical models. Results for identified particles are presented and fit with a blast-wave model. Different anisotropic flow analysis methods are compared and nonflow effects are extracted from the data. For ν2, scaling with the number of constituent quarks and parton coalescence are discussed. For ν4, scaling with v22 and quark coalescence are discussed
Longitudinal Double-Spin Asymmetry and Cross Section for Inclusive Jet Production in Polarized Proton Collisions at √s = 200 GeV
We report a measurement of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry ALL and the differential cross section for inclusive midrapidity jet production in polarized proton collisions at √s=200 GeV. The cross section data cover transverse momenta
Two-particle correlations on transverse momentum and momentum dissipation in Au-Au collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 130 GeV
Measurements of two-particle correlations on transverse momentum pt for Au–Au collisions at GeV are presented. Significant large-momentum-scale correlations are observed for charged primary hadrons with 0.15 ≤ pt ≤ 2 GeV/c and pseudorapidity |η| ≤ 1.3. Such correlations were not observed in a similar study at lower energy and are not predicted by theoretical collision models. Their direct relation to mean-pt fluctuations measured in the same angular acceptance is demonstrated. Positive correlations are observed for pairs of particles which have large pt values while negative correlations occur for pairs in which one particle has large pt and the other has much lower pt. The correlation amplitudes per final state particle increase with collision centrality. The observed correlations are consistent with a scenario in which the transverse momentum of hadrons associated with initial-stage semi-hard parton scattering is dissipated by the medium to lower pt
ρ\u3csup\u3e0\u3c/sup\u3e production and possible modification in Au + Au and p + p collisions at √s\u3csub\u3eNN\u3c/sub\u3e = 200 GeV
We report results on ρ(770)0→π+π− production at midrapidity in p+p and peripheral Au+Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV. This is the first direct measurement of ρ(770)0→π+π− in heavy-ion collisions. The measured ρ0 peak in the invariant mass distribution is shifted by ∼40 MeV/c2 in minimum bias p+p interactions and ∼70 MeV/c2 in peripheral Au+Au collisions. The ρ0 mass shift is dependent on transverse momentum and multiplicity. The modification of the ρ0 meson mass, width, and shape due to phase space and dynamical effects are discussed
Neutral kaon interferometry in Au+Au collisions at √s\u3csub\u3eNN\u3c/sub\u3e = 200 GeV
We present the first statistically meaningful results from two-Ks0 interferometry in heavy-ion collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV. A model that takes the effect of the strong interaction into account has been used to fit the measured correlation function. The effects of single and coupled channels were explored. At the mean transverse mass ⟨mT⟩ = 1.07 GeV, we obtain the values R = 4.09±0.46(stat)±0.31(sys) fm and λ=0.92±0.23(stat)±0.13(sys), where R and λ are the invariant radius and chaoticity parameters, respectively. The results are qualitatively consistent with mT systematics established with pions in a scenario characterized by a strong collective flow
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