Beam Analysis Research Articles

Elemental profiling of agricultural soil in Hoshiarpur utilizing analytical techniques.

Our study aimed to assess the soil quality in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district through a meticulous analysis of nutrient and elemental composition. Using a variety of analytical techniques, including Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), external Particle-induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) an Ion beam analysis Technique, and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), we delved into soil characterization for 22 agricultural soil samples in the Punjab region. Within the NAA framework, utilizing the Pneumatic Carrier Facility and the self-serve facility at Dhruva reactor in Mumbai, a brief 1-min irradiation procedure identified pivotal elements-Na, Mg, V, Al, Mn, and K. Conversely, an extended neutron irradiation process of approximately 4h within the self-serve facility enabled the estimation of nearly 12 elements, including Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Transition elements, and other significant elements. The external PIGE technique quantified low Z elements (Na, Mg, Al, and Si), contributing to our analytical arsenal. Rigorously validating both NAA and PIGE methodologies, we compared results meticulously against established geological standard reference materials-specifically USGS RGM-1 and USGS AGV-1.Instrumental in elemental analysis, ED-XRF spectroscopy fortified our investigative endeavors by quick assessment of ten crucial elements. The elemental analysis revealed notable accumulations of Mn and Zn in the soil, surpassing the suggested permissible limits, whereas Co, Cr, and Pb were found to be within the recommended thresholds set by WHO/UNEP. Beyond elemental profiling, our study extended to estimate the accumulation levels of various elements utilizing ecological risk factors such as Contamination Factor, Potential Ecological Risk Index, Pollution Load Index, and Geoaccumulation Factor. Our findings highlighted significant accumulation of REEs including La, Sm and Yb.. This evaluation sheds new light on the interplay between soil composition and environmental health, emphasizing the need for advanced accessible agricultural technologies to prevent and forecast contaminant discharge in arable soil. This commitment aligns with our broader goal of advancing sustainable practices in soil management.

Effects of H vacancies on photochromic properties of oxygen-containing yttrium hydride

We present in-situ studies of H loss from YHO films using ion beam analysis and its effect on the photochromic properties. The film evaporates loosely bound H under exposure to a beam of 3056 keV He2+ without a concomitant increase of O. Annealing at 145 °C decreases both the photochromic contrast and the bleaching speed indicating the importance of mobile H for the photochromic reaction.

Effects of CuO nanoparticles on SAC composite solder joints: Microstructural and DFT study

In this paper, novel application possibilities of CuO nanoparticles were investigated in SAC0307 solder alloy for composite soldering purposes. CuO nanoparticles in 0.25 and 0.5 wt% were mixed into the solder paste to produce composite solder joints. Solder joints were manufactured using standard surface mounting technology from different solder pastes. The solder joints were loaded in an 85 °C/85RH% temperature and humidity test for 4000 h. It was found that the CuO composite solder joints showed improved mechanical quality due to the microstructural refinement, which was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB) analysis. On the other hand, the corrosion resistance of CuO joints decreased, as they suffered localized corrosion extensively, which produced longer and more Sn whiskers on their surface than on the reference SAC0307. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations proved that CuO can bond to Sn, but CuO is not chemically inert in the solder bulk. CuO can start a cyclic reaction with the dispersed Cu6Sn5 intermetallics, which produces SnO2 in the solder bulk, ultimately enhancing corrosion. Therefore, CuO nanoparticles are suggested to be applied only in non-corrosive environments, such as space applications.

Upgrade of the ion beam analysis end-station with the wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometer for use with the focused MeV ion beams

A novel modular end-station has been developed for use with focused MeV ion beams. It supports analysis of micro-samples using simultaneously several ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques, including wavelength dispersive (WD) and energy dispersive (ED) Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) spectrometry, Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry (EBS and RBS) and Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA). The end-station enables quantitative elemental analysis, including the creation of two-dimensional elemental maps based on the ED-PIXE and EBS/RBS/NRA measurements. The in-house developed wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDX) spectrometer can measure high energy resolution spectra on selected sample micro-regions. In this work the description of the modular end-station is presented, highlighting the features of the WDX spectrometer: i) in the complementary analysis of complex ED X-ray spectra with many overlapping peaks measured simultaneously and ii) in chemical speciation studies. An example is presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the modular system for simultaneous analytical measurements of selected heterogeneous micro-samples.

Free Vibration Analysis of Curvilinearly Tapered Axially Functionally Graded Material Beams

The study focuses on the free vibration analysis of beams made of axially functionally graded materials (AFGM) with curvilinear variable cross-sections along their length. The beams encompass various shapes, including concave and convex conic sections, with axial material properties varying according to polynomial and exponential laws. The equations of motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle within the framework of Timoshenko beam theory. These governing equations, subjected to various boundary conditions, are solved using the differential transform method (DTM). The proposed solution technique is validated by comparing computed natural frequencies with the existing literature and results obtained using three-dimensional finite element analysis in ABAQUS. The incorporation of material gradients into the beam finite element models was achieved using the user-defined material subroutine (UMAT). Additionally, a comprehensive study is conducted to examine the influence of various factors on the natural frequencies of functionally graded beams. These factors include parameters of material laws, types of variable beam shapes, slenderness ratio, and specific boundary conditions. This study provides a thorough understanding of the modal dynamics of the considered beams, offering valuable insights into the behavior of FGM structures.

Spatial analysis of multi-frequency SAW beams excited by slanted IDTs on ZnO-SiC heterostructures

Slanted (or fan-shaped) interdigital transducers (IDTs) with broadband response allow the selective excitation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) with narrow beam widths and pathways controlled by the excitation frequency. Such SAW-based spatial and frequency control is important for applications in microfluidics, as well as in emerging applications in semiconductor nanostructures. In this contribution, we generate both Rayleigh and Sezawa modes with slanted IDTs on a 4H-SiC substrate coated with a piezoelectric ZnO film. We directly measure the phase wavefronts of narrow SAW beams in the 1200–1260 MHz frequency bandwidth using high-resolution ( <1μm ) optical interferometry, and discuss the mechanisms that directly affect the propagation direction and phase profiles of the SAW beams. The combination of multimodal and multi-frequency SAW delay lines provides rich opportunities for SAW-based control of low-dimensional systems, such as electrons in epitaxial graphene or spin centers near the surface of the SiC substrates.

Analysis of Rutherford backscattering spectra with CNN-GRU mixture density network

Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) utilizing MeV ion beams provides valuable insights into surface elemental composition across the entire periodic table. While ion beam measurements have advanced towards high throughput for mapping applications, data analysis has lagged behind due to the challenges posed by large volumes of data and multiple detectors providing diverse analytical information. Traditional physics-based fitting algorithms for these spectra can be time-consuming and prone to local minima traps, often taking days or weeks to complete. This study presents an approach employing a Mixture Density Network (MDN) to model the posterior distribution of Elemental Depth Profiles (EDP) from input spectra. Our MDN architecture includes an encoder module (EM), leveraging a Convolutional Neural Network-Gated Recurrent Unit (CNN-GRU), and a Mixture Density Head (MDH) employing a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). Validation across three datasets with varying complexities demonstrates that for simple and intermediate cases, the MDN performs comparably to the conventional automatic fitting method (Autofit). However, for more complex datasets, Autofit still outperforms the MDN. Additionally, our integrated approach, combining MDN with the automatic fit method, significantly enhances accuracy while still reducing computational time, offering a promising avenue for improved analysis in IBA.

A mixed-element phase field method for the fracture analysis of beams

The prediction of fracture in thin structures is crucial for the safety assessments in various fields of engineering. Modeling methods such as the phase-field method typically assume damage to be constant across the thickness of structural models like beams, plates and shells which, especially in load cases coupling stretching and bending, is an imperfect approximation. In this contribution, fracture behaviors along the thickness direction of Euler–Bernoulli beam considering axial deformation are addressed with a phase-field modeling approach. To achieve this, a mixed-element beam model is introduced, which combines 1D beam elements representing the displacement field with 2D rectangular elements describing a crack phase-field. The nonlinear coupled governing equations are solved using a staggered scheme. The transfer of variables between the coupled fields occurs at the quadrature points which in turn need to have corresponding geometric locations. Numerical examples ranging from the problems of fracture in standalone beams to lattice structures show the applicability of the approach, and detailed comparisons with a standard 2D model confirm its accuracy and efficiency.

Chemical characterization of lithium based ceramics utilizing charged particle activation and ion beam techniques

Non-destructive methodologies using activation analysis and ion beam analysis techniques were optimized for the chemical characterization of ceramic materials, lithium titanate and lithium niobate, which have application in tritium breeding blanket. The analyses were carried out as a part of chemical quality control exercise. The atomic ratios of Li/Ti, Li/Nb were quantified by charged particle activation analysis using 13 MeV proton beam from variable energy cyclotron facility and particle induced gamma ray emission/Rutherford backscattering spectrometry using 3 MeV/2 MeV proton beam from 3MV tandem accelerator facility. The results of these different analytical methods are in good agreement, which established the applicability of these activation analysis and ion beam techniques for the chemical characterization of these ceramic materials.

Active Constrained Layer Damping of Beams with Natural Fiber Reinforced Viscoelastic Composites

Abstract Viscoelastic composite reinforced with natural fibers is proposed here for the damping treatment of structures for vibration attenuation. The constrained layer damping (CLD) method is found a prominent structural vibration damping method and as a result of the inclusion of natural fiber, substantial damping could be achieved due to the development of shear as well as extensional strains in the viscoelastic material. Finite element analysis of a substrate beam combined with CLD treatment is used to investigate the corresponding improvement in damping. The influence of various geometry of presently considered natural viscoelastic composite layers on the CLD treatment's damping performance has been evaluated and discussed. Damping performances of natural as well as synthetic fibers have been assessed and compared for using natural fibers in viscoelastic composite for various structural applications. The addition of natural fiber has resulted from enhanced damping capacity due to substantial friction at the natural fiber-matrix interface compared to the case of interface with synthetic fiber. Natural fiber attributes less stiffness and a higher loss factor as compared to synthetic fiber and the insertion of stiff fibers affects the polymer chain's movements, decreasing the matrix phase's damping behavior. The dynamic mechanical analysis test is performed to evaluate the damping characteristics in the form of loss factor, storage, and loss modulus over the temperature range from frozen state to melting state.

Protecting smart cities structures from fire hazards: experimental analysis of post-tensioned beams

Protecting smart cities structures from fire hazards: experimental analysis of post-tensioned beams

Vibration Analysis of Porous Cu-Si Microcantilever Beams in Fluids Based on Modified Couple Stress Theory.

The vibrations in functionally graded porous Cu-Si microcantilever beams are investigated based on physical neutral plane theory, modified coupled stress theory, and scale distribution theory (MCST&SDT). Porous microcantilever beams define four pore distributions. Considering the physical neutral plane theory, the material properties of the beams are computed through four different power-law distributions. The material properties of microcantilever beams are corrected by scale effects based on modified coupled stress theory. Considering the fluid driving force, the amplitude-frequency response spectra and resonant frequencies of the porous microcantilever beam in three different fluids are obtained based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The quality factors of porous microcantilever beams in three different fluids are derived by estimating the equation. The computational analysis shows that the presence of pores in microcantilever beams leads to a decrease in Young's modulus. Different pore distributions affect the material properties to different degrees. The gain effect of the scale effect is weakened, but the one-dimensional temperature field and amplitude-frequency response spectra show an increasing trend. The quality factor is decreased by porosity, and the degree of influence of porosity increases as the beam thickness increases. The gradient factor n has a greater effect on the resonant frequency. The effect of porosity on the resonant frequency is negatively correlated when the gradient factor is small (n<1) but positively correlated when the gradient factor is large (n>1).

First results on monolithic CMOS detector with internal gain

In this paper we report on a set of characterisations carried out on the first monolithic LGAD prototype integrated in a customised 110 nm CMOS process having a depleted active volume thickness of 48 μm. This prototype is formed by a pixel array where each pixel has a total size of 100 μm× 250 μm and includes a high-speed front-end amplifier. After describing the sensor and the electronics architecture, both laboratory and in-beam measurements are reported and described. Optical characterisations performed with an IR pulsed laser setup have shown a sensor internal gain of about 2.5. With the same experimental setup, the electronic jitter was found to be between 50 ps and 150 ps, depending on the signal amplitude. Moreover, the analysis of a test beam performed at the Proton Synchrotron (PS) T10 facility of CERN with 10 GeV/c protons and pions indicated that the overall detector time resolution is in the range of 234 ps to 244 ps. Further TCAD investigations, based on the doping profile extracted from C(V) measurements, confirmed the multiplication gain measured on the test devices. Finally, TCAD simulations were used to tune the future doping concentration of the gain layer implant, targeting sensors with a higher avalanche gain. This adjustment is expected to enhance the timing performance of the sensors of the future productions, in order to cope with the high event rate expected in most of the near future high-energy and high-luminosity physics experiments, where the time resolution will be essential to disentangle overlapping events and it will also be crucial for Particle IDentification (PID).

Zircoborate glass-ceramic composite reinforced with aluminum oxynitride: Microstructural evolution, physical properties, and charged radiation attenuation analysis

This study used the powder metallurgy method to create aluminum oxynitride (AlON)-reinforced zircoborate glass-ceramic composites. The solid-phase reaction method was used to synthesize AlON powder, which was then added to Zr-based glass-ceramic in different amounts (0, 4, and 8 % by weight) to make it stronger and harder. The prepared materials were characterized for their structural, physical, and radiation shielding properties. The density of GZr8 (AlON-free) had a value of 2.9 g/cm3, and the sintered glass-ceramic density with 4 % wt. AlON reinforcement (GZr8Al4) reached 3.05 g/cm3. The highest density of 3.11 g/cm3 was obtained for the GZr8Al8 sample with 8 % AlON wt. The Vickers hardness for GZr8, GZr8Al4, and GZr8Al8 was measured to be 4.89, 5.94, and 6.33 GPa, respectively. The AlON-reinforced GZr8 samples had fast neutron (FN) removal cross-sections of 0.0796 cm−1 and 0.0824 cm−1 for AlON content of 4 and 8 wt%, respectively. Generally, the coherent scattering cross-section (σcoh), incoherent scattering cross-section (σinc), and absorption cross-section (σabs) of thermal neutrons (TNs) increase from 0.047856 cm−1, 0.02072 cm−1, and 0.01498 cm−1, respectively for GZr8 to 0.53124 cm−1, 0.02074 cm−1, and 0.01795 cm−1, for GZr8Al8. AlON was proven to improve the ability of the Zr-based glass-ceramics to attenuate FNs and TNs. Stopping powers of electrons, protons, alpha particles and carbon ions increase with the AlON content of the materials. Comparatively, the range of charged radiation in AlON-rich samples is lower. The inclusion of AlON in the matrix of the Zr-based glass-ceramics makes it more efficient at absorbing charged radiation and can be used in ion beam or hadron therapy, ion beam analysis, or other charged radiation environments as an absorber.

In Plasma ion beam analysis of polymer layer and adsorbed H monolayer etching

We present two experiments where a layer is plasma-etched while monitoring its evolution by in plasma ion beam analysis. First, we etch a photoresist with a diffuse O2 plasma at low pressure. Using a 4.335 MeV He beam, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry and Elastic Recoil Detection spectra are acquired every minute during 8 h. Etching of most elements follows a linear trend, but H desorbs faster at the beginning of the plasma process, which we ascribe to the ion beam-induced desorption. In addition, we observe a thin Mo layer building up at the surface, likely due to the sputtering of an electrode in the plasma source. Secondly, we etch in HF a crystalline Si (c-Si) sample with <100> surface orientation, which should leave 14 H/nm2 bonded to the c-Si surface. The sample is then introduced in the chamber and exposed to a diffuse Ar plasma at low pressure. During plasma processing, the H surface concentration is monitored using a resonant nuclear reaction with a 15N beam at 6.385 MeV. The initial H concentration is 11.7±1.1 H/nm2, and it decreases over a 3-minute timescale to an equilibrium concentration of 6.0±0.8 H/nm2. Over the range of experimental conditions investigated, the diffuse Ar plasma is therefore not able to entirely sputter the H from the c-Si surface.

Sensing Analysis of Piezoelectric Composite Beam

The objective of this paper is to analyze the smart composite beam integrated with a piezoelectric layer to use in sensing simulation. The beam consists of an 8-layered [0/45/-45/90]S bottom CFRP composite layer and an upper PZT layer as a piezoelectric sensor. Linear 3D piezo-elasticity theory for static analysis has been utilized. A prescribed downward displacement is applied at the free end of the cantilever beam to obtain the voltage and electric field results of the outer surface of the piezoelectric layer. The analysis of the piezoelectric composite beam is performed by ADINA FEM analysis.

Experimental bifurcation analysis of a clamped beam with designed mechanical nonlinearity

We use control-based continuation (CBC) to perform an experimental bifurcation study of a periodically forced dual-beam. The nonlinearity is of geometric nature, provided by a thin, clamped beam. The overall system exhibits hysteresis and bistability in its open-loop frequency response due to a hardening, Duffing-like nonlinear stiffness, which can be designed or adjusted by choosing the properties of the thin beam. We employ local stabilising feedback control to implement CBC and track stable periodic solutions past the fold points. Thus obtained continuous solution branches are used to generate the solution surface over the plane of excitation amplitude and frequency. This surface features two curves of fold bifurcations that meet at a cusp point, and they delimit the experimentally observed bistability range of this nonlinear beam.

Alumina - Stabilized SEI and CEI in Potassium Metal Batteries.

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanopowder is spin-coated onto both sides of commercial polypropene separator to create artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and artificial cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) in potassium metal batteries (KMBs). This significantly enhances the stability, including of KMBs with Prussian Blue (PB) cathodes. For example, symmetric cells are stable after 1,000 cycles at 0.5 mA/cm2-0.5 mAh/cm2 and 3.0 mA/cm2-0.5 mAh/cm2. Alumina modified separators promote electrolyte wetting and increase ionic conductivity (0.59 vs. 0.2 mS/cm) and transference number (0.81 vs. 0.23). Cryo-stage focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) analysis of cycled modified anode demonstrates dense and planar electrodeposits, versus unmodified baseline consisting of metal filaments (dendrites) interspersed with pores and SEI. Alumina-modified CEI also suppresses elemental Fe crossover and reduces cathode cracking. Mesoscale modeling of metal - SEI interactions captures crucial role of intrinsic heterogeneities, illustrating how artificial SEI affects reaction current distribution, conductivity and morphological stability.

Alumina – Stabilized SEI and CEI in Potassium Metal Batteries

AbstractAluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanopowder is spin‐coated onto both sides of commercial polypropene separator to create artificial solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) and artificial cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) in potassium metal batteries (KMBs). This significantly enhances the stability, including of KMBs with Prussian Blue (PB) cathodes. For example, symmetric cells are stable after 1,000 cycles at 0.5 mA/cm2–0.5 mAh/cm2 and 3.0 mA/cm2–0.5 mAh/cm2. Alumina modified separators promote electrolyte wetting and increase ionic conductivity (0.59 vs. 0.2 mS/cm) and transference number (0.81 vs. 0.23). Cryo‐stage focused ion beam (cryo‐FIB) analysis of cycled modified anode demonstrates dense and planar electrodeposits, versus unmodified baseline consisting of metal filaments (dendrites) interspersed with pores and SEI. Alumina‐modified CEI also suppresses elemental Fe crossover and reduces cathode cracking. Mesoscale modeling of metal – SEI interactions captures crucial role of intrinsic heterogeneities, illustrating how artificial SEI affects reaction current distribution, conductivity and morphological stability.

Numerical Free Vibration Analysis of Sandwich Beams with a Steel-Ceramic FGM Core and FG-CNTRC Facesheets

Numerical Free Vibration Analysis of Sandwich Beams with a Steel-Ceramic FGM Core and FG-CNTRC Facesheets