Amorphous Targets Research Articles

Simulation of ion beam sputtering with OKSANA and SRIM: A comparative study

The energy distributions and average energies of sputtered particles are calculated using simulation codes OKSANA and SRIM-2013. Most simulations refer to an amorphous Ni target bombarded by normally incident Ar ions of keV energies. Sputtering of Si, Ti, V and Nb targets is also considered. It is shown that SRIM can strongly overestimate the contribution of fast ejected atoms, especially for targets irradiated with lighter ions. The effect is amplified by using the surface binding energies found to fit the measured sputter yields. It is concluded that the enhanced ejection of fast particles is associated with sputtering due to backscattered ions. The role of the first collision of an incident ion with a target atom is particularly noted. A comparison of the OKSANA calculated results with the data of other codes (TRIM.SP, ACAT) and experimental data showed their reasonable agreement.

Unexpected Electronic Features of NiO Quantum Dots Produced by Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Ablation in Water.

This study examines the effect of quantum confinement and surface orientations on the electronic properties of NiO quantum dots. It compares NiO nanocrystals produced via atmospheric-pressure microplasma and femtosecond laser (fs-laser) ablation in water, finding that both methods yield quantum-confined nanocrystals with a defined face-centered cubic lattice. Notably, fs-laser synthesis generates crystalline nanocrystals from both crystalline and amorphous targets. While the electronic properties, i.e., energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), of microplasma-synthesized NiO nanocrystals are consistent with the literature, the electronic characteristics of NiO nanocrystals produced by a fs-laser, particularly the high-lying LUMO level, are unusual for NiO quantum dots. Supported by density functional theory calculations, we show that the observed level positions are related to the different polar and nonpolar faces of the nanocrystal surface.

Simulation of Ion Irradiation of Crystalline and Amorphous Targets Tokamak-Reactor First Wall Materials

Simulation of Ion Irradiation of Crystalline and Amorphous Targets Tokamak-Reactor First Wall Materials

Absolute Accuracy Assessment of Lidar Point Cloud Using Amorphous Objects

The accuracy assessment of airborne lidar point cloud typically estimates vertical accuracy by computing RMSEz (root mean square error of the z coordinate) from ground check points (GCPs). Due to the low point density of the airborne lidar point cloud, there is often not enough accurate semantic context to find an accurate conjugate point. To advance the accuracy assessment in full three-dimensional (3D) context, geometric features, such as the three-plane intersection point or two-line intersection point, are often used. Although the point density is still low, geometric features are mathematically modeled from many points. Thus, geometric features provide a robust determination of the intersection point, and the point is considered as a GCP. When no regular built objects are available, we describe the process of utilizing features of irregular shape called amorphous natural objects, such as a tree or a rock. When scanned to a high-density point cloud, an amorphous natural object can be used as ground truth reference data to estimate 3D georeferencing errors of the airborne lidar point cloud. The algorithm to estimate 3D accuracy is the optimization that minimizes the sum of the distance between the airborne lidar points to the ground scanned data. The search volume partitioning was the most important procedure to improve the computational efficiency. We also performed an extensive study to address the external uncertainty associated with the amorphous object method. We describe an accuracy assessment using amorphous objects (108 trees) spread over the project area. The accuracy results for ∆x, ∆y, and ∆z obtained using the amorphous object method were 3.1 cm, 3.6 cm, and 1.7 cm RMSE, along with a mean error of 0.1 cm, 0.1 cm, and 4.5 cm, respectively, satisfying the accuracy requirement of U.S. Geological Survey lidar base specification. This approach shows strong promise as an alternative to geometric feature methods when artificial targets are scarce. The relative convenience and advantages of using amorphous targets, along with its good performance shown here, make this amorphous object method a practical way to perform 3D accuracy assessment.

Crystal-based pair production for a lepton collider positron source

An intense positron sources is a demanding element in the design of future lepton colliders. A crystal-based hybrid positron source could be an alternative to a more conventional scheme based on the electron conversion into positron in a thick amorphous target. The conceptual idea of the hybrid source is to have two separate objects, a photon radiator and a photon-to-positron converter target. In such a scheme an electron beam crosses a thin axially oriented crystal with the emission of a channeling radiation, characterized by a considerably larger amount of photons if compared to Bremsstrahlung. The net result is an increase in the number of produced positrons at the converter target. In this paper we present the results of a beam test conducted at the DESY TB 21 with 5.6 GeV electron beam and a crystalline tungsten radiator. Experimental data clearly highlight an increased production of photons and they are critically compared with the outcomes of novel method to simulate the number of radiated photons, showing a very good agreement. Strong of this, the developed simulation tool has been exploited to design a simple scheme for a positron source based on oriented crystal, demonstrating the advantages in terms of reduction of both deposited energy and the peak energy deposition density if compared to conventional sources. The presented work opens the way for a realistic and detailed design of a hybrid crystal-based positron source for future lepton colliders.

Spatial Distribution of Secondary Ions from Single-Crystal- and Amorphous Targets

Spatial Distribution of Secondary Ions from Single-Crystal- and Amorphous Targets

Design study for a 500 MeV positron beam at the Mainz Microtron MAMI

A design study has been performed for a positron beam with an energy of 500 MeV to be realized at the applied physics area of the Mainz Microtron MAMI. Positrons will be created after pair conversion of bremsstrahlung, produced by the 855 MeV electron beam at MAMI in a tungsten converter target. From the two conceivable geometries (1) pair conversion in the bremsstrahlung converter target itself, and (2) bremsstrahlung pair conversion in a separated lead foil, the former was considered in detail. Positrons will be energy selected within an outside open electron beam-line bending magnet, and bent back by an additional sector magnet. Magnetic focusing elements in between are designed to prepare in a well shielded positron target chamber about 6 m away from the target a beam with horizontal and vertical emittances of epsilon _mathrm{v} = 0.055 pi mm mrad (1 sigma ), and epsilon _mathrm{h} = 0.12, pi mm mrad (1 sigma ), respectively, for a 10 upmu m thick amorphous tungsten target and negligible momentum spread. At an accepted positron band width of 1 MeV, spots are expected vertically with an angular spread of 0.064 mrad and a size of 5.0 mm (FWHM), and horizontally with an angular spread of 0.64 mrad and a size of 7.7 mm (FWHM). The positron yield amounts to 13.1 per second, 1 MeV positron energy band width, and 1 nA electron beam current.Graphic abstract

Simulation of ion irradiation of crystalline and amorphous targets tokamak-reactor first wall materials

An overview of results concerning simulation of various processes which occur due to atomic bombardment of crystalline and amorphous solids is presented. With the use of original computational codes, the following data were obtained: reflection coefficients, projected energy losses and ranges of ions in solids, channeling data as well as sputtering yield and its dependence on incident angle of bombarding particles for Be-W and Ne-W combinations. Be, C and W targets were studied as these are among the plasma-facing materials in tokamaks, including ITER. The emphasis was made on atom-target combinations which lack reliable experimental data. Experimental data on other materials were used to verify calculations. A significant influence of the interaction potential used on the simulation results is shown. The reviewed results are tied by a common subject a study of interaction of plasma ions and first-wall materials of a tokamak-reactor and also by a common method of study the use of an original computational code. Keywords: scattering, ion sputtering, interaction potential, energy release.

On the Impact Parameter Dependence of the Ionization Energy Loss of Fast Negatively Charged Particles in an Oriented Crystal

When a fast charged particle passes through matter, it loses some of its energy to the excitation and ionization of atoms. This energy loss is called ionization energy loss. In rather thin layers of matter, the value of such energy loss is stochastic. It is distributed in accordance with the law, which was first received by L.D. Landau. In amorphous substances, such a distribution (or spectrum), known as the Landau distribution, has a single maximum that corresponds to the most probable value of particle energy loss. When a particle moves in crystal in a planar channeling mode, the probability of close collisions of the particle with atoms decreases (for a positive particle charge) or increases (for a negative charge), which leads to a change in the most probable energy loss compared to an amorphous target. It has recently been shown that during planar channeling of negatively charged particles in a crystal, the distribution of ionization energy loss of the particles is much wider than in the amorphous target. In this case, this distribution can be two-humped, if we neglect the incoherent scattering of charged particles on the thermal oscillations of the crystal atoms and the electronic subsystem of the crystal. This paper explains the reason for this distribution of ionization energy loss of particles. The ionization energy loss distribution of high-energy negatively charged particles which move in the planar channeling mode in a silicon crystal are studied with the use of numerical simulation. The dependence of this distribution on the impact parameter of the particles with respect to atomic planes is considered. The dependence of the most probable ionization energy loss of particles on the impact parameter is found. It is shown that, for a large group of particles, the most probable ionization energy loss during planar channeling in a crystal is lower than in an amorphous target.

Control of amorphous solid water target morphology induced by deposition on a charged surface

Abstract Microstructured targets demonstrate an enhanced coupling of high-intensity laser pulse to a target and play an important role in laser-induced ion acceleration. Here we demonstrate an approach that enables us to control the morphology of amorphous solid water (ASW) microstructured targets, by deposition of water vapor on a charged substrate, cooled down to 100 K. The morphology of the deposited ASW structures is controlled by varying the surface charge on the substrate and the pressure of water vapor. The obtained target is structured as multiple, dense spikes, confined by the charged area on the substrate, with increased aspect ratio of up to 5:1 and having a diameter comparable with the typical spot size of the laser focused onto the target.

Cosmic-Ray Tracks in Astrophysical Ices: Modeling with the Geant4-DNA Monte Carlo Toolkit

Abstract Cosmic rays are ubiquitous in interstellar environments, and their bombardment of dust-grain ice mantles is a possible driver for the formation of complex, even prebiotic molecules. Yet, critical data that are essential for accurate modeling of this phenomenon, such as the average radii of cosmic-ray tracks in amorphous solid water (ASW) remain unconstrained. It is shown that cosmic-ray tracks in ASW can be approximated as a cylindrical volume with an average radius that is mostly independent of the initial particle energy. Interactions between energetic ions and both low-density amorphous (LDA) and high-density amorphous (HDA) ice targets are simulated using the Geant4-DNA Monte Carlo toolkit, which allows for tracking secondary electrons down to subexcitation energies in the material. We find the peak track-core radii, r cyl, for LDA and HDA ices to be 9.9 nm and 8.4 nm, respectively—somewhat less than double the value of 5 nm often assumed in astrochemical models.

Order improvement of surface nanopatterns via substrate rocking under ion bombardment: Experiments and nonlinear models

Surface nanopatterns formed by ion beam sputtering (IBS) frequently include a high density of structural defects, which seriously limit their practical applications. Recent theoretical work [M. P. Harrison and R. M. Bradley, Phys. Rev. E 93, 040802(R) (2016)], based on the anisotropic Kuramoto-Sivashinsky (aKS) equation, proposes that rocking a substrate during IBS can produce defect-free patterns under certain requirements. We find experimentally, via low-energy ${\mathrm{Kr}}^{+}$ irradiation of Si and amorphous carbon targets, that rocking the substrates generally improves the order of the ripple patterns. Indeed, order is improved even when conditions required in the aKS model may not be satisfied. Through numerical simulations, we show that a suitable generalization of this equation, in which conserved nonlinear effects are incorporated, reproduces satisfactorily the pattern order in our experimental conditions.

Reflection of Hydrogen Isotopes and Helium Atoms from the Surface of the First Wall of the ITER Tokamak

The reflection coefficients were calculated for the scattering of hydrogen isotopes and helium atoms from the surface of amorphous beryllium, carbon, and tungsten targets, which are of interest in the physics of thermonuclear plasma. The results demonstrate good agreement with the available experimental data. The isotope effect in the reflection of particles from the wall was analyzed. For the reflection of He atoms, a similarity in reflection coefficient versus Lindhard parameter curves was observed.

On the Reflection of Hydrogen and Deuterium Atoms from a Tungsten Crystal in the Surface Channeling Mode

The reflection coefficients and angular distributions of scattered particles under the bombardment of amorphous and crystalline tungsten targets by hydrogen and deuterium atoms are calculated. A reflection coefficient that is close to 100% is observed in the case of grazing angles of incidence on the crystalline targets. It is planned that tungsten in the form of polycrystalline plates will be used as the material for the ITER tokamak divertor. This phenomenon should be taken into account when calculating the energy input into the divertor.

Quantifying 39Ar recoil in natural hypogene and supergene alunites and jarosites

Hypogene and supergene alunite and jarosite grains in the 500–200, 200–100, 100–50, 50–10, and 200 µm, the typical size used in single crystal Ar/Ar geochronology. The 10 µm. Single crystals and shards of jarosite crystals in sieve-size fractions smaller than 10 µm show the largest recoil losses at 4.22%. The large Ar recoil losses in sieve-size samples < 10 µm is irrelevant for geochronology since routine Ar/Ar analysis does not target grains in that size range. SRIM and TRIM modeling shows that recoil range (mean displacement distance) is 0.16 µm in amorphous targets of both alunite [KAl(SO)(OH)] (ρ = 2.74 g/cm) and jarosite [KFe(SO)(OH)] (ρ = 3.09 g/cm) compositions, resulting in Ar-depleted rims of 0.114 µm in alunite and 0.116 µm in jarosite. Modeling results show that most of the Ar ions ejected by recoil from individual crystallites in supergene samples gets re-implanted in nearby crystallites, resulting in relatively low Ar losses. The experimental and modeling results confirm that Ar recoil loss is not an impediment in dating of hypogene and supergene alunites and jarosites to precision and accuracy comparable to that obtained for silicates commonly used in Ar/Ar geochronology.

BREMSSTRAHLUNG OF ELECTRONS AND YIELD OF NEUTRONS FROM THICK CONVERTERS, PASSING OF GAMMA RADIATION AND NEUTRONS THROUGH BIOLOGICAL SHIELDING

In GEANT4 spectral-angular distributions of the bremsstrahlung of medium-energy electrons from amorphous targets of different thickness and atomic charge were calculated. The total yield of gamma quanta in the forward hemisphere and at large scattering angles were determined depending on the converter thickness. The difference in the characteristics of gamma radiation for thin and thick targets was shown. The neutron yield is calculated due to photonuclear reactions for various converters. Numerical estimates of the radiation spectra after passing through the biological shielding for neutron and bremsstrahlung were carried out.

A Comment on the Computer Simulation Program SRIM

The computer simulation program SRIM, unlike other well-known programs (MARLOWE, TRIM.SP, etc.), predicts non-zero values of the sputtering yield in the case of glancing ion bombardment of smooth amorphous targets. To understand the reason for this and other differences, simulation of the sputtering of a germanium target bombarded with 0.1–10-keV ions is carried out using the OKSANA program. It is shown that SRIM insufficiently correctly simulates the initial stage of the sputtering process.

Ion bombardment induced atom redistribution in amorphous targets: MD versus BCA

Atom redistribution is an important mechanism of ion bombardment induced spontaneous pattern formation in amorphous or amorphized targets. It may be characterized by either molecular dynamics (MD) simulations or by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations based on the binary collision approximation (BCA). In this work we analyze problems of the BCA approach in predicting atom redistribution by comparing MC and MD simulations of recoil events in amorphized Si. We find that the MC results critically depend on the displacement energy used, on the choice of the free flight paths and maximum impact parameters, and on the construction of the trajectories. Moreover, the net atom redistribution as determined by MD is significantly larger for recoils starting near the surface than for bulk recoils. The effect is not reproduced by the MC simulations.

Simulation of Particle Scattering at Amorphous and Polycrystalline Targets

A procedure for simulating the scattering of atomic particles at amorphous and crystalline targets is described in the binary collision approximation. The influence of thermal vibrations, choice of the potential, and the inclusion of inelastic energy losses are analyzed using the simulation of hydrogen-atom scattering at a tungsten surface as an example. The coefficients of reflection from crystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous surfaces are compared.

Public involvement in research about environmental change and health: A case study.

Involving and engaging the public are crucial for effective prioritisation, dissemination and implementation of research about the complex interactions between environments and health. Involvement is also important to funders and policy makers who often see it as vital for building trust and justifying the investment of public money. In public health research, ‘the public’ can seem an amorphous target for researchers to engage with, and the short-term nature of research projects can be a challenge. Technocratic and pedagogical approaches have frequently met with resistance, so public involvement needs to be seen in the context of a history which includes contested truths, power inequalities and political activism. It is therefore vital for researchers and policy makers, as well as public contributors, to share best practice and to explore the challenges encountered in public involvement and engagement. This article presents a theoretically informed case study of the contributions made by the Health and Environment Public Engagement Group to the work of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health (HPRU-ECH). We describe how Health and Environment Public Engagement Group has provided researchers in the HPRU-ECH with a vehicle to support access to public views on multiple aspects of the research work across three workshops, discussion of ongoing research issues at meetings and supporting dissemination to local government partners, as well as public representation on the HPRU-ECH Advisory Board. We conclude that institutional support for standing public involvement groups can provide conduits for connecting public with policy makers and academic institutions. This can enable public involvement and engagement, which would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in individual short-term and unconnected research projects.