221 research outputs found
A comparative study of Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities in 2D and 3D in tantalum
Driving a shock wave through the interface between two materials with different densities can result in the Richtmyer-Meshkov or Rayleigh-Taylor instability and initial perturbations at the interface will grow. If the shock wave is sufficiently strong, the instability will lead to plastic flow at the interface. Material strength will reduce the amount of plastic flow and suppress growth. While such instabilities have been investigated in 2D, no studies of this phenomena have been performed in 3D on materials with strength.
Initial perturbations to seed the hydrodynamic instability were coined into tantalum recovery targets. Two types of perturbations were used, two dimensional (2D) perturbations (hill and valley) and three-dimensional (3D) perturbations (egg crate pattern). The targets were subjected to dynamic loading using the Janus laser at the Jupiter Laser Facility. Shock pressures ranged from 50 GPa up to 150 GPa and were calibrated using VISAR drive targets
Femtosecond X-Ray Diffraction Studies of the Reversal of the Microstructural Effects of Plastic Deformation during Shock Release of Tantalum
We have used femtosecond x-ray diffraction (XRD) to study laser-shocked fiber-textured polycrystalline tantalum targets as the 37-253 GPa shock waves break out from the free surface. We extract the time and depth-dependent strain profiles within the Ta target as the rarefaction wave travels back into the bulk of the sample. In agreement with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations the lattice rotation and the twins that are formed under shock-compression are observed to be almost fully eliminated by the rarefaction process
Ultrafast supercontinuum spectroscopy of carrier multiplication and biexcitonic effects in excited states of PbS quantum dots
We examine the multiple exciton population dynamics in PbS quantum dots by
ultrafast spectrally-resolved supercontinuum transient absorption (SC-TA). We
simultaneously probe the first three excitonic transitions over a broad
spectral range. Transient spectra show the presence of first order bleach of
absorption for the 1S_h-1S_e transition and second order bleach along with
photoinduced absorption band for 1P_h-1P_e transition. We also report evidence
of the one-photon forbidden 1S_{h,e}-1P_{h,e} transition. We examine signatures
of carrier multiplication (multiexcitons for the single absorbed photon) from
analysis of the first and second order bleaches, in the limit of low absorbed
photon numbers (~ 10^-2), at pump energies from two to four times the
semiconductor band gap. The multiexciton generation efficiency is discussed
both in terms of a broadband global fit and the ratio between early- to
long-time transient absorption signals.. Analysis of population dynamics shows
that the bleach peak due to the biexciton population is red-shifted respect the
single exciton one, indicating a positive binding energy.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
The Current State of Performance Appraisal Research and Practice: Concerns, Directions, and Implications
On the surface, it is not readily apparent how some performance appraisal research issues inform performance appraisal practice. Because performance appraisal is an applied topic, it is useful to periodically consider the current state of performance research and its relation to performance appraisal practice. This review examines the performance appraisal literature published in both academic and practitioner outlets between 1985 and 1990, briefly discusses the current state of performance appraisal practice, highlights the juxtaposition of research and practice, and suggests directions for further research
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Strain anisotropy and shear strength of shock compressed tantalum measured from in-situ Laue diffraction
Angular redistribution of near-infrared emission from quantum dots in 3D photonic crystals
We study the angle-resolved spontaneous emission of near-infrared light
sources in 3D photonic crystals over a wavelength range from 1200 to 1550 nm.
To this end PbSe quantum dots are used as light sources inside titania inverse
opal photonic crystals. Strong deviations from the Lambertian emission profile
are observed. An attenuation of 60 % is observed in the angle dependent radiant
flux emitted from the samples due to photonic stop bands. At angles that
correspond to the edges of the stop band the emitted flux is increased by up to
34 %. This increase is explained by the redistribution of Bragg-diffracted
light over the available escape angles. The results are quantitatively
explained by an expanded escape-function model. This model is based on
diffusion theory and adapted to photonic crystals using band structure
calculations. Our results are the first angular redistributions and escape
functions measured at near-infrared, including telecom, wavelengths. In
addition, this is the first time for this model to be applied to describe
emission from samples that are optically thick for the excitation light and
relatively thin for the photoluminesence light.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures (current format = single column, double spaced
Nonisentropic Release of a Shocked Solid
We present molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of shock and release in micron-scale tantalum crystals that exhibit post-breakout temperatures far exceeding those expected under the standard assumption of isentropic release. We show via an energy-budget analysis that this is due to plastic-work heating from material strength that largely counters thermoelastic cooling. The simulations are corroborated by experiments where the release temperatures of laser-shocked tantalum foils are deduced from their thermal strains via in situ x-ray diffraction, and are found to be close to those behind the shock
Distribution of carrier multiplication rates in CdSe and InAs nanocrystals
The distribution of rates of carrier multiplication (CM) following photon
absorption is calculated for semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs). The NC
electronic structure is described using a screened pseudopotential method known
to give reliable description of NC excitons. The rates of biexciton generation
are calculated using the Fermi golden rule with all relevant Coulomb matrix
elements, taking into account proper selection rules. In CdSe and InAs NCs we
find a broad distribution biexciton generation rates depending strongly on the
exciton energy and size of the NC. The process becomes inefficient for NC
exceeding 3 nm in diameter in the photon energy range of 2-3 times the band
gap.Comment: 4 pages 3 fi
A prospective evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the TAXUS Element paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent system for the treatment of de novo coronary artery lesions: Design and statistical methods of the PERSEUS clinical program
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Paclitaxel-eluting stents decrease angiographic and clinical restenosis following percutaneous coronary intervention compared to bare metal stents. TAXUS Element is a third-generation paclitaxel-eluting stent which incorporates a novel, thinner-strut, platinum-enriched metal alloy platform. The stent is intended to have enhanced radiopacity and improved deliverability compared to other paclitaxel-eluting stents. The safety and efficacy of the TAXUS Element stent are being evaluated in the pivotal PERSEUS clinical trials.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The PERSEUS trials include two parallel studies of the TAXUS Element stent in single, de novo coronary atherosclerotic lesions. The PERSEUS Workhorse study is a prospective, randomized (3:1), single-blind, non-inferiority trial in subjects with lesion length ≤28 mm and vessel diameter ≥2.75 mm to ≤4.0 mm which compares TAXUS Element to the TAXUS Express<sup>2 </sup>paclitaxel-eluting stent system. The Workhorse study employs a novel Bayesian statistical approach that uses prior information to limit the number of study subjects exposed to the investigational device and thus provide a safer and more efficient analysis of the TAXUS Element stent. PERSEUS Small Vessel is a prospective, single-arm, superiority trial in subjects with lesion length ≤20 mm and vessel diameter ≥2.25 mm to <2.75 mm that compares TAXUS Element with a matched historical bare metal Express stent control.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The TAXUS PERSEUS clinical trial program uses a novel statistical approach to evaluate whether design and metal alloy iterations in the TAXUS Element stent platform provide comparable safety and improved procedural performance compared to the previous generation Express stent. PERSEUS trial enrollment is complete and primary endpoint data are expected in 2010. PERSEUS Workhorse and Small Vessel are registered at <url>http://www.clinicaltrials.gov</url>, identification numbers NCT00484315 and NCT00489541.</p
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