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The mechanical properties of SiC films grown via C60 precursors were determined using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Conventional silicon nitride and diamond-tipped steel AFM cantilevers were employed to determine the film hardness, friction coefficient, and elastic modulus. The hardness is found to be 26 GPa by nanoindentation of the film with a Berkovich diamond tip. The friction coefficient for the silicon nitride tip on the SiC film is about one half to one third that for silicon nitride sliding on a silicon substrate. By combining nanoindentation and AFM measurements an elastic modulus of ~300 GPa is estimated for these SiC films.

An experimental campaign to tune the initial shock compression sequence of capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) was initiated in late 2010. The experiments use a NIF ignition-scale hohlraum and capsule that employs a re-entrant cone to provide optical access to the shocks as they propagate in the liquid deuterium-filled capsule interior. The strength and timing of the shock sequence is diagnosed with velocity interferometry that provides target performance data used to set the pulse shape for ignition capsule implosions that follow. From the start, these measurements yielded significant new information on target performance, leading to improvements in the target design. We describe the results and interpretation of the initial tuning experiments.

Ignition implosions on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [Lindl et al., Phys. Plasmas 11 , 339 (2004)] are driven with a very carefully tailored sequence of four shock waves that must be timed to very high precision in order to keep the fuel on a low adiabat. The first series of precision tuning experiments on NIF have been performed. These experiments use optical diagnostics to directly measure the strength and timing of all four shocks inside the hohlraum-driven, cryogenic deuterium-filled capsule interior. The results of these experiments are presented demonstrating a significant decrease in the fuel adiabat over previously un-tuned implosions. The impact of the improved adiabat on fuel compression is confirmed in related deuterium-tritium (DT) layered capsule implosions by measurement of fuel areal density (ρR), which show the highest fuel compression (ρR ∼ 1.0 g/cm2 ) measured to date.

The recent discovery of more than a thousand planets outside our Solar System, together with the significant push to achieve inertially confined fusion in the laboratory, has prompted a renewed interest in how dense matter behaves at millions to billions of atmospheres of pressure. The theoretical description of such electron-degenerate matter has matured since the early quantum statistical model of Thomas and Fermi, and now suggests that new complexities can emerge at pressures where core electrons (not only valence electrons) influence the structure and bonding of matter. Recent developments in shock-free dynamic (ramp) compression now allow laboratory access to this dense matter regime. Here we describe ramp-compression measurements for diamond, achieving 3.7-fold compression at a peak pressure of 5 terapascals (equivalent to 50 million atmospheres). These equation-of-state data can now be compared to first-principles density functional calculations and theories long used to describe matter present in the interiors of giant planets, in stars, and in inertial-confinement fusion experiments. Our data also provide new constraints on mass-radius relationships for carbon-rich planets.

Mixing of plastic ablator material, doped with Cu and Ge dopants, deep into the hot spot of ignition-scale inertial confinement fusion implosions by hydrodynamic instabilities is diagnosed with x-ray spectroscopy on the National Ignition Facility. The amount of hot-spot mix mass is determined from the absolute brightness of the emergent Cu and Ge K-shell emission. The Cu and Ge dopants placed at different radial locations in the plastic ablator show the ablation-front hydrodynamic instability is primarily responsible for hot-spot mix. As a result, low neutron yields and hot-spot mix mass between 34(–13,+50) ng and 4000(–2970,+17 160) ng are observed.

We present the first results from an experimental campaign to measure the atomic ablator-gas mix in the deceleration phase of gas-filled capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility. Plastic capsules containing CD layers were filled with tritium gas; as the reactants are initially separated, DT fusion yield provides a direct measure of the atomic mix of ablator into the hot spot gas. Capsules were imploded with x rays generated in hohlraums with peak radiation temperatures of ∼294 eV. While the TT fusion reaction probes conditions in the central part (core) of the implosion hot spot, the DT reaction probes a mixed region on the outer part of the hot spot near the ablator-hot-spot interface. Experimental data were used to develop and validate the atomic-mix model used in two-dimensional simulations.

The first measurements of multiple, high-pressure shock waves in cryogenic deuterium-tritium (DT) ice layered capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility have been performed. The strength and relative timing of these shocks must be adjusted to very high precision in order to keep the DT fuel entropy low and compressibility high. All previous measurements of shock timing in inertial confinement fusion implosions [T. R. Boehly et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 195005 (2011), H. F. Robey et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 215004 (2012)] have been performed in surrogate targets, where the solid DT ice shell and central DT gas regions were replaced with a continuous liquid deuterium (D2) fill. This report presents the first experimental validation of the assumptions underlying this surrogate technique.

The NIF requires complex and precise targets to perform its mission. The most complicated of these are the indirect-drive cryogenic ignition targets. At the center of these targets is a ∼2 mm diameter capsule that is filled with hydrogen fuel-in most cases, a solid layer of a 50:50 equimolar mixture of deuterium and tritium in equilibrium with its vapor at 1.3–1.5 Kelvin below the triple point at shot time. The capsule and the fuel are concentric and centered inside a high-Z hohlraum. An example of an ignition target is displayed in Figure 1.

The NIF laser pulse used for ignition experiments is tuned by direct observation of the shocks launched into the capsule during the initial phases of the pulse. Optical velocimetry is key to this task.

A nearly monoenergetic beam of argon and chlorine ions with kinetic energy from 40 to 900 eV and intensity up to 30 μA/cm2 is used to study the etching of Si. The etch rate and ion current density at the surface are simultaneously measured to obtain the etch yield. The ratio of atomic chlorine (Cl+) to molecular chlorine (Cl+2) ions striking the surface is measured by a quadrupole mass spectrometer. In the absence of any chlorine, the Ar ion sputtering of silicon at 120 eV is about 0.05 silicon atoms removed per ion and monotonically increases to 1 silicon atom per ion at 800 eV. The Ar+‐induced etch yield increases by about an order of magnitude when the surface is simultaneously exposed to a neutral molecular chlorine flux sufficient to produce saturation coverages from the effusive doser. An etch yield of 0.13 silicon atoms removed per incident Ar ion is measured at an Ar+ energy of 50 eV, which also monotonically increases to 4 silicon atoms removed per incident argon ion at 700 eV. The etch yield fur...

Depth profiles of 1H and 2D in rapidly grown KD2xH2(1−x)PO4 single crystals are studied by elastic recoil detection analysis. Results show that, under ambient conditions, deuteration in the first ∼500 nm from the sample surface significantly decreases within the first several days after D2O surface polishing. This effect is attributed to deuterium–hydrogen exchange. The effective diffusion coefficient of this process is strongly dependent on both the degree of deuteration and the sample growth conditions. Physical mechanisms of D/H exchange are discussed.

The heat of sublimation of C{sub 60}, C{sub 70}, C{sub 78}, C{sub 84}, and C{sub 96} is measured by modulated molecular beam mass spectrometry (MMBMS). The scattering of C{sub 70} and C{sub 84} from Si(100) is also investigated by MMBMS. The behavior of C{sub 84} is quite similar to that of C{sub 60} reported earlier by Hamza, Balooch, and Moalem, except that the onset of the surface decomposition of the fullerene occurs at 850 K, 150 K lower than for C{sub 60}. When the surface temperature reaches 1000 K, total decomposition of the incident C{sub 84} is observed. The behavior of C{sub 70} is surprisingly different from both C{sub 60} and C{sub 84}. Twenty percent of the incident C{sub 70} decomposes at 1000 K, and the remaining 80% does not decompose until a target temperature of 1200 K is reached. At surface temperatures below 800 K, for the interaction of C{sub 70} and C{sub 84} with silica, the dominent surface processes are adsorption with near perfect sticking probability, followed by surface diffusion to the edge of the specimen and desorption. 20 refs., 6 figs.

Radiation-driven, layered deuterium-tritium (DT) implosions were carried out using 3-shock and 4-shock “adiabat-shaped” drives and plastic ablators on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [E. M. Campbell et al., AIP Conf. Proc. 429, 3 (1998)]. The purpose of these shots was to gain further understanding on the relative performance of the low-foot implosions of the National Ignition Campaign [M. J. Edwards et al., Phys. Plasmas 20, 070501 (2013)] versus the subsequent high-foot implosions [T. Doppner et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 055001 (2015)]. The neutron yield performance in the experiment with the 4-shock adiabat-shaped drive was improved by factors ∼3 to ∼10, compared to five companion low-foot shots despite large low-mode asymmetries of DT fuel, while measured compression was similar to its low-foot companions. This indicated that the dominant degradation source for low-foot implosions was ablation-front instability growth, since adiabat shaping significantly stabilized this growth. For the experiment with the low-power 3-shock adiabat-shaped drive, the DT fuel compression was significantly increased, by ∼25% to ∼36%, compared to its companion high-foot implosions. The neutron yield increased by ∼20%, lower than the increase of ∼50% estimated from one-dimensional scaling, suggesting the importance of residual instabilities and asymmetries. For the experiment with the high-power, 3-shock adiabat-shaped drive, the DT fuel compression was slightly increased by ∼14% compared to its companion high-foot experiments. However, the compression was reduced compared to the lower-power 3-shock adiabat-shaped drive, correlated with the increase of hot electrons that hypothetically can be responsible for reduced compression in high-power adiabat-shaped experiments as well as in high-foot experiments. The total neutron yield in the high-power 3-shock adiabat-shaped shot N150416 was 8.5 × 1015 ± 0.2 × 1015, with the fuel areal density of 0.90 ± 0.07 g/cm2, corresponding to the ignition threshold factor parameter IFTX (calculated without alpha heating) of 0.34 ± 0.03 and the yield amplification due to the alpha heating of 2.4 ± 0.2. The performance parameters were among the highest of all shots on NIF and the closest to ignition at this time, based on the IFTX metric. The follow-up experiments were proposed to continue testing physics hypotheses, to measure implosion reproducibility, and to improve quantitative understanding on present implosion results.

A series of indirectly driven capsule implosions has been performed on the National Ignition Facility to assess the relative contributions of ablation-front instability growth vs. fuel compression on implosion performance. Laser pulse shapes for both low and high-foot pulses were modified to vary ablation-front growth & fuel adiabat, separately and controllably. Two principal conclusions are drawn from this study: 1) It is shown that an increase in laser picket energy reduces ablation-front instability growth in low-foot implosions resulting in a substantial (3-10X) increase in neutron yield with no loss of fuel compression. 2.) It is shown that a decrease in laser trough power reduces the fuel adiabat in high-foot implosions results in a significant (36%) increase in fuel compression together with no reduction in neutron yield. These results taken collectively bridge the space between the higher compression low-foot results and the higher yield high-foot results.

Hydrodynamic instability growth experiments with threedimensional (3-D) surface-roughness modulations were performed on plastic (CH) shell spherical implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The initial capsule outer-surface roughness was similar to the standard specifications ("native roughness") used in a majority of implosions on NIF. At a convergence ratio of ~3, the measured tent modulations were close to those predicted by 3-D simulations (within ~15-20%), while measured 3-D, broadband modulations were ~3-4 times larger than those simulated based on the growth of the known imposed initial surface modulations. One of the hypotheses to explain the results is based on the increased instability amplitudes due to modulations of the oxygen content in the bulk of the capsule. These new experiments results have prompted looking for ways to reduce UV light exposure during target fabrication.

We are developing a new NIF experimental platform that employs wetted foam liquid fuel layer ICF capsules. We will use the liquid fuel layer capsules in a NIF sub-scale experimental campaign to explore the relationship between hot spot convergence ratio (CR) and the predictability of hot spot formation. DT liquid layer ICF capsules allow for flexibility in hot spot CR via the adjustment of the initial cryogenic capsule temperature and, hence, DT vapor density. Our hypothesis is that the predictive capability of hot spot formation is robust and 1D-like for a relatively low CR hot spot (CR~15), but will become less reliable as hot spot CR is increased to CR>20. Simulations indicate that backing off on hot spot CR is an excellent way to reduce capsule instability growth and to improve robustness to low-mode x-ray flux asymmetries. In the initial experiments, we will test our hypothesis by measuring hot spot size, neutron yield, ion temperature, and burn width to infer hot spot pressure and compare to predictions for implosions with hot spot CR's in the range of 12 to 25. Larger scale experiments are also being designed, and we will advance from sub-scale to full-scale NIF experiments to determine if 1D-like behavior at low CR is retained as the scale-size is increased. The long-term objective is to develop a liquid fuel layer ICF capsule platform with robust thermonuclear burn, modest CR, and significant α-heating with burn propagation.

A series of indirectly driven capsule implosions has been performed on the National Ignition Facility to assess the relative contributions of ablation-front instability growth vs. fuel compression on implosion performance. Laser pulse shapes for both low and high-foot pulses were modified to vary ablation-front growth and fuel adiabat, separately and controllably. Three principal conclusions are drawn from this study: (1) It is shown that reducing ablation-front instability growth in low-foot implosions results in a substantial (3-10X) increase in neutron yield with no loss of fuel compression. (2) It is shown that reducing the fuel adiabat in high-foot implosions results in a significant (36%) increase in fuel compression together with a small (10%) increase in neutron yield. (3) Increased electron preheat at higher laser power in high-foot implosions, however, appears to offset the gain in compression achieved by adiabat-shaping at lower power. These results taken collectively bridge the space between the higher compression low-foot results and the higher yield high-foot results.

Hydrodynamic growth and its effects on implosion performance and mix were studied at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Spherical shells with pre-imposed 2D modulations were used to measure Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability growth in the acceleration phase of implosions using in-flight x-ray radiography. In addition, implosion performance and mix have been studied at peak compression using plastic shells filled with tritium gas and imbedding localized CD diagnostic layer in various locations in the ablator. Neutron yield and ion temperature of the DT fusion reactions were used as a measure of shell-gas mix, while neutron yield of the TT fusion reaction was used as a measure of implosion performance. The results have indicated that the low-mode hydrodynamic instabilities due to surface roughness were the primary culprits to yield degradation, with atomic ablator-gas mix playing a secondary role.

Streaked 1-dimensional (slit imaging) radiography of 1.1 mm radius capsules in ignition hohlraums was recently introduced on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and gives an inflight continuous record of capsule ablator implosion velocities, shell thickness and remaining mass in the last 3-5 ns before peak implosion time. The high quality data delivers good accuracy in implosion metrics that meets our requirements for ignition and agrees with recently introduced 2-dimensional pinhole radiography. Calculations match measured trajectory across various capsule designs and laser drives when the peak laser power is reduced by 20%. Furthermore, calculations matching measured trajectories give also good agreement in ablator shell thickness and remaining mass.

Recent advances in shock timing experiments and analysis techniques now enable shock measurements to be performed in cryogenic deuterium-tritium (DT) ice layered capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Previous measurements of shock timing in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions were performed in surrogate targets, where the solid DT ice shell and central DT gas were replaced with a continuous liquid deuterium (D2) fill. These previous experiments pose two surrogacy issues: a material surrogacy due to the difference of species (D2 vs. DT) and densities of the materials used and a geometric surrogacy due to presence of an additional interface (ice/gas) previously absent in the liquid-filled targets. This report presents experimental data and a new analysis method for validating the assumptions underlying this surrogate technique.

Polymer-derived, monolithic three-dimensional nanographene (3D-NG) bulk material with tunable properties is produced by a simple and inexpensive approach. The material is mass-producible, and combines chemical inertness and mechanical strength with a hierarchical porous architecture and a graphene-like surface area. This provides an opportunity to control its electron transport and mechanical properties dynamically by means of electrochemical-induced interfacial electric fields.

Ignition implosions on the National Ignition Facility [J. D. Lindl et al., Phys. Plasmas 11, 339 (2004)] are underway with the goal of compressing deuterium-tritium fuel to a sufficiently high areal density (ρR) to sustain a self-propagating burn wave required for fusion power gain greater than unity. These implosions are driven with a very carefully tailored sequence of four shock waves that must be timed to very high precision to keep the fuel entropy and adiabat low and ρR high. The first series of precision tuning experiments on the National Ignition Facility, which use optical diagnostics to directly measure the strength and timing of all four shocks inside a hohlraum-driven, cryogenic liquid-deuterium-filled capsule interior have now been performed. The results of these experiments are presented demonstrating a significant decrease in adiabat over previously untuned implosions. The impact of the improved shock timing is confirmed in related deuterium-tritium layered capsule implosions, which show the highest fuel compression (ρR~1.0 g/cm(2)) measured to date, exceeding the previous record [V. Goncharov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 165001 (2010)] by more than a factor of 3. The experiments also clearly reveal an issue with the 4th shock velocity, which is observed to be 20% slower than predictions from numerical simulation.

The National Ignition Facility has been used to compress deuterium-tritium to an average areal density of ~1.0±0.1 g cm(-2), which is 67% of the ignition requirement. These conditions were obtained using 192 laser beams with total energy of 1-1.6 MJ and peak power up to 420 TW to create a hohlraum drive with a shaped power profile, peaking at a soft x-ray radiation temperature of 275-300 eV. This pulse delivered a series of shocks that compressed a capsule containing cryogenic deuterium-tritium to a radius of 25-35 μm. Neutron images of the implosion were used to estimate a fuel density of 500-800 g cm(-3).

In situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments have been performed to elucidate the competing deformation mechanisms of nanocrystalline nickel at elevated temperatures (150--300 ${}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$C) and high strain rates. The observed lattice strain deviations, average grain sizes, and dislocation density at various stages of deformation and different temperatures suggest a strong dependence of dislocation slips and grain boundary sliding upon strain and temperature. The heating profile is found to strongly influence the microstructure and thus is a relevant parameter to consider when interpreting and comparing various experimental results.

In an effort to understand and enhance the tensile ductility of truly nanocrystalline metals, we have investigated and compared the mechanical behavior, especially the tensile behavior, of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) nanocrystalline cobalt (\ensuremath{\sim}20 nm) and face-centered cubic (fcc) nanocrystalline nickel (\ensuremath{\sim}28 nm). Although both materials exhibit obvious plasticity in tension, their uniform tensile ductility, tensile elongation-to-failure, and fracture behavior are drastically different. In-situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction and ultra-small angle x-ray scattering reveal distinct deformation disparity in terms of residual strain development, texture evolution, nanovoid formation, and subsequent strain-hardening and strain-rate-hardening behavior. The dependence of tensile property on the strain rate and temperature is examined and discussed. Factors that influence the strength and ductility of nanocrystalline metals are considered and prioritized according to the current findings. A new Hall-petch relationship is proposed for nanocrystalline nickel.

The full spectrum of occupied and unoccupied σ and π orbitals is presented for solid C60, C70, and graphite, using Cls emission and absorption spectroscopy. There are significant diffcrences between C60 and C70, and even larger changes relative to their infinite analog graphite (C∝). A comparison is made with photocmission and inverse photoemission results, along with first principles quasiparticle calculations.

Epitaxial silicon carbide films are grown on Si(100) and Si(111) substrates at surface temperatures between 950 and 1250 K via c60 precursors. Films have been grown up to thicknesses greater than 1 μm. The growth rate of the SiC film is not limited by the surface reaction rate of C60 with silicon at these temperatures, rather by the arrival rate of the reactants Si (by diffusion) or C60. This results in rapid film growth. Films have been characterized by low energy electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and Auger depth profiling. X-ray diffraction suggests the growth of β-SiC in the temperature range investigated. Auger depth profiling shows the film is stoichiometric. Selective crystalline silicon carbide growth is achieved on patterned silicon-silicon oxide samples.

The interaction of C60 with aluminum was investigated using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), photoluminescence and soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The interaction of C70 with aluminum was also probed with soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The bonding of C60 and C70 to the aluminum surface is strong such that after multilayer desorption at 570 and 620 K, respectively, a monolayer coverage of the fullerene remains intact, as seen in the valence band spectra, on the surface to 700 K. Above surface temperatures of 700 K the continued presence of a C60 photoluminescence signal and the decline in the surface carbon concentration suggests that the C60 dissolves into the aluminum bulk. The chemical shift in the binding energy of the Al 2p electrons also indicates strong interaction between C60 and aluminum. Multilayer and monolayer coverages of C60 on aluminum passivated the surface such that exposures of 340 L of water at room temperature led to no oxidation of the surface. Multilayer coverages of C60 on aluminum were protective against oxidation at ambient conditions.

The dissociation of C60 to C58 has been observed on surfaces of silica and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite by modulated molecular beam reaction spectroscopy. At 1200 K on both surfaces approximately 5% of the incident C60 dissociates and desorbs as C58. The activation energy for C58 production from C60 on the surface (≈ 2.5 eV) is considerably smaller than that required in the gas phase, possibly due to the stabilization of the C1 or C2 products on the surface. At surface temperatures between 1000 and 1200 K, carbon was detected on the SiO2 surface.

We demonstrate the hohlraum radiation temperature and symmetry required for ignition-scale inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions. Cryogenic gas-filled hohlraums with 2.2 mm-diameter capsules are heated with unprecedented laser energies of 1.2 MJ delivered by 192 ultraviolet laser beams on the National Ignition Facility. Laser backscatter measurements show that these hohlraums absorb 87% to 91% of the incident laser power resulting in peak radiation temperatures of T(RAD)=300 eV and a symmetric implosion to a 100 μm diameter hot core.

Thick (>150 μm) beryllium coatings are studied as an ablator material of interest for fusion fuel capsules for the National Ignition Facility (NIF). As an added complication, the coatings are deposited on mm-scale spherical substrates, as opposed to flats. DC magnetron sputtering is used because of the relative controllability of the processing temperature and energy of the deposits. We used ultra small angle x-ray spectroscopy (USAXS) to characterize the void fraction and distribution along the spherical surface. We investigated the void structure using a combination focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), along with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our results show a few volume percent of voids and a typical void diameter of less than two hundred nanometers. Understanding how the stresses in the deposited material develop with thickness is important so that we can minimize film cracking and delamination. To that end, an in-situ multiple optical beam stress sensor (MOSS) was used to measure the stress behavior of thick Beryllium coatings on flat substrates as the material was being deposited. We will show how the film stress saturates with thickness and changes with pressure.

The atomic and electronic structure of clean and water-covered sapphire (1102) surfaces have been studied by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS), and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). A surface electronic state with a loss energy of 4.1 eV is measured in the bulk bandgap on the clean, reconstructed (2 × 1) surface. Exposure of the surface to water at room temperature (RT) causes the surface electronic state to shift to lower loss energies reaching a value of ∼ 3.6 eV at saturation coverage. In addition a higher energy loss feature appears at ∼ 7.5 eV loss and is attributed to a hydroxyl adlayer. Adsorption of water on the surface at RT was observed to proceed with near unity sticking probability. Two desorption states were seen. At low coverage a state appears with a peak temperature for desorption of 525 K. With increasing exposure the peak shifts to lower temperature, reaching 450 K near one monolayer, defined as one water molecule per (1 × 1) unit cell. At higher coverages a second state becomes populated. The water adlayer removed the surface reconstruction only after exposure to an electron beam, yielding a (1 × 1) LEED pattern. The laser-induced desorption of aluminum ions from clean and water-covered sapphire (1102) at laser wavelengths of 1064 nm (1.17 eV), 355 nm (3.51 eV), and 266 nm (4.66 eV) was investigated by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Below the laser ablation threshold, predominately Al + ions desorbed with an average kinetic energy of 7.0 ± 0.7 eV at all three wavelengths from both clean and water-covered surfaces. For 1064 nm light at fluences just below the ablation threshold, AlO − desorbed with kinetic energy of 1.7 ± 0.5 eV from the clean (2 × 1) surface. The observed aluminum desorption at high kinetic energy is consistent with the previously proposed aluminum-localized exciton-mediated desorption mechanism. In sharp contrast to the laser-surface interactions, a 300 eV electron beam desorbed O + from the clean (2 × 1) surface and H + and OH + from the water-covered surface.

The intense, ultrafast electronic excitation of clean silicon (100)–(2×1) surfaces leads to the formation of silicon nanostructures embedded in silicon, which photoluminescence at ∼560 nm wavelength (∼2 eV band gap). The silicon surfaces were irradiated with slow, highly charged ions (e.g., Xe44+ and Au53+) to produce the electronic excitation. The observation of excitonic features in the luminescence is particularly unusual for silicon nanostructures. The temperature dependence and the measurement of the triplet–singlet splitting of the emission strongly support the excitonic assignment.

Complex target structures are necessary to take full advantage of the unique laboratory environment created by inertial confinement fusion experiments. For example, uses-of-ignition targets that contain a thin layer of a low density nanoporous material inside a spherical ablator shell allow placing dopants in direct contact with the DT fuel. The ideal foam for this application is a low-density hydrocarbon foam that is strong enough to survive wetting with cryogenic hydrogen, and low enough in density (density less than {approx}30 mg/cc) to not reduce the yield of the target. Here, we discuss the fabrication foam-lined uses-of-ignition targets, and the development of low-density foams that can be used for this application. Much effort has been directed over the last 20 years toward the development of spherical foam targets for direct-drive and fast-ignition experiments. In these targets, the spherical foam shell is used to define the shape of the cryogenic DT fuel layer, or acts as a surrogate to simulate the cryogenic fuel layer. These targets are fabricated from relatively high-density aerogels (>100 mg/cc) and coated with a few micron thick permeation barrier. With exception of the above mentioned fast ignition targets, the wall of these targets is typically larger than 100more » microns. In contrast, the fusion application targets for indirect-drive experiments on NIF will require a much thinner foam shell surrounded by a much thicker ablator shell. The design requirements for both types of targets are compared in Table 1. The foam shell targets for direct-drive experiments can be made in large quantities and with reasonably high yields using an encapsulation technique pioneered by Takagi et al. in the early 90's. In this approach, targets are made by first generating unsupported foam shells using a triple-orifice droplet generator, followed by coating the dried foam shells with a thin permeation barrier. However, this approach is difficult, if not impossible, to transfer to the lower density and thinner wall foam shells required for indirect-drive uses-of-ignition targets for NIF that then would have to be coated with an at least hundred-micron-thick ablator film. So far, the thinnest shells that have been fabricated using the triple-orifice-droplet generator technique had a wall thickness of {approx}20 microns, but despite of being made from a higher-density foam formulation, the shells were mechanically very sensitive, difficult to dry, and showed large deviations from roundness. We thus decided to explore a different approach based on using prefabricated thick-walled spherical ablator shells as templates for the thin-walled foam shell. As in the case of the above mentioned encapsulation technique, the foam is made by sol-gel chemistry. However, our approach removes much the requirements on the mechanical stability of the foam shell as the foam shell is never handled in its free-standing form, and promises superior ablator uniformity and surface roughness. As discussed below, the success of this approach depends strongly on the availability of suitable aerogel chemistries (ideally pure hydrocarbon (CH)-based systems) with suitable rheological properties (high viscosity and high modulus near the gel point) that produce low-density and mechanically strong foams.« less

We present an electrochemical study of carbon aerogel (CA) in aqueous sodium fluoride solutions, focusing on the comparison of two quantities that are related to the potential of zero charge (pzc): the capacitance minimum and the 'electrocapillary maximum' of the surface forces. Capacitance minima are well resolved in our samples. Their potential emerges reproducibly as around 90 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl in KCl), similar to the value, 70 mV, of bulk glassy carbon which we use for comparison, and similar to previous reported pzc values for carbon materials. Significantly, no electrocapillary maximum is found in this potential range. This demonstrates that the pzc does not necessarily coincide with the potential of the maximum of surface stress. We also determined the area-specific capacitances, c(a) = 2.8 microF cm(-2), which agrees well with reports for the basal-plane of graphite single crystals. Our experiments yield large reversible strain amplitudes, up to 0.45%.

Synchrotron x-ray diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy revealed the origin of different strain hardening behaviors (and dissimilar tensile ductility) in nanocrystalline Ni and nanocrystalline Co. Planar defect accumulations and texture evolution were observed in Co but not in Ni, suggesting that interfacial defects are an effective passage to promote strain hardening in truly nanograins. Twinning becomes less significant in Co when grain sizes reduce to below ~15 nm. This study offers insights into achieving excellent mechanical properties in nanocrystalline materials.

Many challenges remain in the effort to realize the exceptional properties of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in composite materials. Here, we report on electrically conductive composites fabricated via infiltration of CNT-based aerogels. The ultra low-density, high conductivity, and extraordinary robustness of the CNT aerogels make them ideal scaffolds around which to create conductive composites. Infiltrating the aerogels with various insulating materials (e.g. epoxy and silica) resulted in composites with electrical conductivities over 1 Scm-1 with as little as 1 vol% nanotube content. The electrical conductivity observed in the composites was remarkably close to that of the CNT scaffold in all cases.

Optical damage thresholds of submicron‐thick, electron beam deposited HfO2 and SiO2 films on BK‐7 substrates have been measured by monitoring the emission of neutral constituents during excitation with time‐delayed pairs of 70‐ps laser pulses at a wavelength of 1064 nm. The dependence of the optical damage threshold on time delay provides evidence of the optical damage mechanism. For SiO2, linear absorption is the mechanism for energy deposition into the films by the laser beams. The data for HfO2 are less definitive, although linear absorption is the most likely damage mechanism. The behavior of the single‐layer films is compared to multilayer HfO2‐SiO2 high‐reflector coatings, for which a ‘‘conditioning’’ effect causes an increased optical damage threshold due to multiple pulse laser excitation at fluences below the single‐pulse optical damage threshold.

High-convergence, hohlraum-driven implosions of double-shell capsules using mid-Z (SiO{sub 2}) inner shells have been performed on the OMEGA laser facility [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]. These experiments provide an essential extension of the results of previous low-Z (CH) double-shell implosions [P. A. Amendt et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 065004 (2005)] to materials of higher density and atomic number. Analytic modeling, supported by highly resolved 2D numerical simulations, is used to account for the yield degradation due to interfacial atomic mixing. This extended experimental database from OMEGA enables a validation of the mix model, and provides a means for quantitatively assessing the prospects for high-Z double-shell implosions on the National Ignition Facility [Paisner et al., Laser Focus World 30, 75 (1994)].

A new compression technique, which enables the study of solids into the TPa regime, is described and used to ramp (or quasi-isentropically) compress diamond to a peak pressure of 1400 GPa. Diamond stress versus density data are reported to 800 GPa and suggest that the diamond phase is stable and has significant material strength up to at least this stress level. Data presented here are the highest ramp compression pressures by more than a factor of 5 and the highest-pressure solid equation-of-state data ever reported.

Solid state dynamics experiments at extreme pressures, P > 1000 GPa (10 Mbar), and ultrahigh strain rates (1.e6-1.e8 1/s) are being developed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser. These experiments will open up exploration of new regimes of materials science at an order of magnitude higher pressures than have been possible to date. Such extreme, solid state conditions can be accessed with a ramped pressure drive. The experimental, computational, and theoretical techniques are being developed and tested on the Omega laser. Velocity interferometer measurements (VISAR) establish the high pressure conditions generated by the ramped drive. Constitutive models for solid state strength under these conditions are tested by comparing simulations with experiments measuring perturbation growth from the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in solid state samples of vanadium. Radiography techniques using synchronized bursts of x-rays have been developed to diagnose this perturbation growth. Experiments on Omega demonstrating these techniques at peak pressures of {approx}1 Mbar will be discussed. The time resolved observation of foil cracking and void formation show the need for tamped samples and a planar drive.

Coincidence counting in highly charged ion based secondary ion mass spectroscopy has been applied to the characterization of selective tungsten deposition via disilane reduction of tungsten hexafluoride on a patterned SiO2/Si wafer. The high secondary ion yield and the secondary ion emission from a small area produced by highly charged ions make the coincidence technique very powerful.

Using atomic layer deposition (ALD), we show that Pt nanoparticles can be deposited on the inner surfaces of carbon aerogels (CA). The resultant Pt-loaded materials exhibit high catalytic activity for the oxidation of CO even at loading levels as low as approximately 0.05 mg Pt/cm2. We observe a conversion efficiency of nearly 100% in the 150-250 degrees C temperatures range, and the total conversion rate seems to be limited only by the thermal stability of the CA support in ambient oxygen. The ALD approach described here is universal in nature, and can be applied to the design of new catalytic materials for a variety of applications, including fuel cells, hydrogen storage, pollution control, green chemistry, and liquid fuel production.

We review different routes for the generation of nanoporous metallic foams and films exhibiting well-defined pore size and short-range order. Dealloying and templating allows the generation of both 2D and 3D structures that promise a plasmonic response determined by material constituents and porosity. Viewed in the context of metamaterials, the ease of fabrication of samples covering macroscopic dimensions is highly promising, and suggests more in-depth investigations of the plasmonic and photonic properties of this material system for photonic applications.

This study presents diamond film growth, preparation, and characterization using microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition for gyrotron window materials intended for fusion plasma ignition in magnetic and inertial confinement fusion such as ITER. A surface polishing technique is utilized to polish the films to a mirror grade surface finish. A fine-grained film surface morphology is realized to avoid any deformation caused by shock wave fronts during compression.

Experiments have been conducted using laser-driven cylindrical hohlraums whose walls are machined from Ta2O5 foams of 100 mg/cc and 4 g/cc densities. Measurements of the radiation temperature demonstrate that the lower density walls produce higher radiation temperatures than the high density walls. This is the first experimental demonstration of the prediction that this would occur [M. D. Rosen and J. H. Hammer, Phys. Rev. E 72, 056403 (2005)10.1103/PhysRevE.72.056403]. For high density walls, the radiation front propagates subsonically, and part of the absorbed energy is wasted by the flow kinetic energy. For the lower wall density, the front velocity is supersonic and can devote almost all of the absorbed energy to heating the wall.

Nanoporous open-cell foams are a rapidly growing class of high-porosity materials (porosity {ge} 70%). The research in this field is driven by the desire to create functional materials with unique physical, chemical and mechanical properties where the material properties emerge from both morphology and the material itself. An example is the development of nanoporous metallic materials for photonic and plasmonic applications which has recently attracted much interest. The general strategy is to take advantage of various size effects to introduce novel properties. These size effects arise from confinement of the material by pores and ligaments, and can range from electromagnetic resonances to length scale effects in plasticity. In this chapter we will focus on the mechanical properties of low density nanoporous metals and how these properties are affected by length scale effects and bonding characteristics. A thorough understanding of the mechanical behavior will open the door to further improve and fine-tune the mechanical properties of these sometimes very delicate materials, and thus will be crucial for integrating nanoporous metals into products. Cellular solids with pore sizes above 1 micron have been the subject of intense research for many years, and various scaling relations describing the mechanical properties have been developed.[4]more » In general, it has been found that the most important parameter in controlling their mechanical properties is the relative density, that is, the density of the foam divided by that of solid from which the foam is made. Other factors include the mechanical properties of the solid material and the foam morphology such as ligament shape and connectivity. The characteristic internal length scale of the structure as determined by pores and ligaments, on the other hand, usually has only little effect on the mechanical properties. This changes at the submicron length scale where the surface-to-volume ratio becomes large and the effect of free surfaces can no longer be neglected. As the material becomes more and more constraint by the presence of free surfaces, length scale effects on plasticity become more and more important and bulk properties can no longer be used to describe the material properties. Even the elastic properties may be affected as the reduced coordination of surface atoms and the concomitant redistribution of electrons may soften or stiffen the material. If, and to what extend, such length scale effects control the mechanical behavior of nanoporous materials depends strongly on the material and the characteristic length scale associated with its plastic deformation. For example, ductile materials such as metals which deform via dislocation-mediated processes can be expected to exhibit pronounced length scale effects in the sub-micron regime where free surfaces start to constrain efficient dislocation multiplication. In this chapter we will limit our discussion to our own area of expertise which is the mechanical behavior of nanoporous open-cell gold foams as a typical example of nanoporous metal foams. Throughout this chapter we will review our current understanding of the mechanical properties of nanoporous open-cell foams including both experimental and theoretical studies.« less