text:
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bee:- L. Brazley, ECT R. Ramsey, ECT W. Brown, GC W. Mott, ECT E. Hardison, OR A. Whitman, ECT Division C. Kouts, EV-11 S. Miller, GC EV-10 EV-131 RWRamseyzs 62779 6P7 79 ----...
Constraining the Ly? escape fraction with far-infrared observations of Ly? emitters
Wardlow, Julie L.; Calanog, J.; Cooray, A.; Malhotra, S.; Zheng, Z.; Rhoads, J.; Finkelstein, S.; Bock, J.; Bridge, C.; Ciardullo, R.; Gronwall, C.; Conley, A.; Farrah, D.; Gawiser, E.; Heinis, S.; Ibar, E.; Ivison, R. J.; Marsden, G.; Oliver, S. J.; Riechers, D.; and others
We study the far-infrared properties of 498 Ly? emitters (LAEs) at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5 in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South, using 250, 350, and 500 ?m data from the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey and 870 ?m data from the LABOCA ECDFS Submillimeter Survey. None of the 126, 280, or 92 LAEs at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5, respectively, are individually detected in the far-infrared data. We use stacking to probe the average emission to deeper flux limits, reaching 1? depths of ?0.1 to 0.4 mJy. The LAEs are also undetected at ?3? in the stacks, although a 2.5? signal is observed at 870 ?m for the z = 2.8 sources. We consider a wide range of far-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs), including an M82 and an Sd galaxy template, to determine upper limits on the far-infrared luminosities and far-infrared-derived star formation rates of the LAEs. These star formation rates are then combined with those inferred from the Ly? and UV emission to determine lower limits on the LAEs' Ly? escape fraction (f {sub esc}(Ly?)). For the Sd SED template, the inferred LAEs f {sub esc}(Ly?) are ? 30% (1?) at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5, which are all significantly higher than the global f {sub esc}(Ly?) at these redshifts. Thus, if the LAEs f {sub esc}(Ly?) follows the global evolution, then they have warmer far-infrared SEDs than the Sd galaxy template. The average and M82 SEDs produce lower limits on the LAE f {sub esc}(Ly?) of ?10%-20% (1?), all of which are slightly higher than the global evolution of f {sub esc}(Ly?), but consistent with it at the 2?-3? level.
LyMAS: Predicting large-scale Ly? forest statistics from the dark matter density field
Peirani, Sķbastien; Colombi, Stķphane; Dubois, Yohan; Pichon, Christophe; Weinberg, David H.; Blaizot, Jķrķmy
We describe Ly? Mass Association Scheme (LyMAS), a method of predicting clustering statistics in the Ly? forest on large scales from moderate-resolution simulations of the dark matter (DM) distribution, with calibration from high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations of smaller volumes. We use the 'Horizon-MareNostrum' simulation, a 50 h {sup ¢1} Mpc comoving volume evolved with the adaptive mesh hydrodynamic code RAMSES, to compute the conditional probability distribution P(F{sub s} |? {sub s}) of the transmitted flux F{sub s} , smoothed (one-dimensionally, 1D) over the spectral resolution scale, on the DM density contrast ? {sub s}, smoothed (three-dimensionally, 3D) over a similar scale. In this study we adopt the spectral resolution of the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) at z = 2.5, and we find optimal results for a DM smoothing length ? = 0.3 h {sup ¢1} Mpc (comoving). In its simplest form, LyMAS draws randomly from the hydro-calibrated P(F{sub s} |? {sub s}) to convert DM skewers into Ly? forest pseudo-spectra, which are then used to compute cross-sightline flux statistics. In extended form, LyMAS exactly reproduces both the 1D power spectrum and one-point flux distribution of the hydro simulation spectra. Applied to the MareNostrum DM field, LyMAS accurately predicts the two-point conditional flux distribution and flux correlation function of the full hydro simulation for transverse sightline separations as small as 1 h {sup ¢1} Mpc, including redshift-space distortion effects. It is substantially more accurate than a deterministic density-flux mapping ({sup F}luctuating Gunn-Peterson Approximation{sup )}, often used for large-volume simulations of the forest. With the MareNostrum calibration, we apply LyMAS to 1024{sup 3} N-body simulations of a 300 h {sup ¢1} Mpc and 1.0 h {sup ¢1} Gpc cube to produce large, publicly available catalogs of mock BOSS spectra that probe a large comoving volume. LyMAS will be a powerful tool for interpreting 3D Ly? forest data, thereby transforming measurements from BOSS and other massive quasar absorption surveys into constraints on dark energy, DM, space geometry, and intergalactic medium physics.
LINKING Ly╬▒ AND LOW-IONIZATION TRANSITIONS AT LOW OPTICAL DEPTH
Jaskot, A. E.; Oey, M. S.
We suggest that low optical depth in the Lyman continuum (LyC) may relate the Ly╬▒ emission, C II and Si II absorption, and C II* and Si II* emission seen in high-redshift galaxies. We base this analysis on Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra of four Green Pea (GP) galaxies, which may be analogs of z > 2 Ly╬▒ emitters (LAEs). In the two GPs with the strongest Ly╬▒ emission, the Ly╬▒ line profiles show reduced signs of resonant scattering. Instead, the Ly╬▒ profiles resemble the H╬▒ line profiles of evolved star ejecta, suggesting that the Ly╬▒ emission originates from a low column density and similar outflow geometry. The weak C II absorption and presence of non-resonant C II* emission in these GPs support this interpretation and imply a low LyC optical depth along the line of sight. In two additional GPs, weak Ly╬▒ emission and strong C II absorption suggest a higher optical depth. These two GPs differ in their Ly╬▒ profile shapes and C II* emission strengths, however, indicating different inclinations of the outflows to our line of sight. With these four GPs as examples, we explain the observed trends linking Ly╬▒, C II, and C II* in stacked LAE spectra, in the context of optical depth and geometric effects. Specifically, in some galaxies with strong Ly╬▒ emission, a low LyC optical depth may allow Ly╬▒ to escape with reduced scattering. Furthermore, C II absorption, C II* emission, and Ly╬▒ profile shape can reveal the optical depth, constrain the orientation of neutral outflows in LAEs, and identify candidate LyC emitters.
Localization of human elav-like neuronal protein 1 (Hel-N1) on chromosome 9p21 by chromosome microdissection polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization
Han, Jian; Knops, J.F.; Longshore, J.W.; King, P.H.
Hel-N1 is a member of the highly conserved elav family of neuronal genes. It shares considerable sequence homology with HuD, another human member, and both genes are expressed in brain. HuD was recently mapped to chromosome 1p34. Here, we have utilized chromosome microdissection polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization to map Hel-N1 to chromosome 9p21. The different chromosomal locations of these homologous genes underscore their distinct identities. 10 refs., 2 figs.
Well-temperate phage: Optimal bet-hedging against local environmental
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collapses (Journal Article) | DOE PAGES DOE PAGES Search Results Accepted Manuscript: Well-temperate phage: Optimal bet-hedging against local environmental collapses Title: Well-temperate phage: Optimal bet-hedging against local environmental collapses Upon infection of their bacterial hosts temperate phages must chose between lysogenic and lytic developmental strategies. Here we apply the game-theoretic bet-hedging strategy introduced by Kelly to derive the optimal lysogenic fraction of the
Well-temperate phage: Optimal bet-hedging against local environmental...
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Here we apply the game-theoretic bet-hedging strategy introduced by Kelly to derive the ... Subject: 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES computational models; information theory and ...
Well-temperate phage: Optimal bet-hedging against local environmental
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phage: Optimal bet-hedging against local environmental collapses Maslov, Sergei Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Sneppen, Kim Univ. of Copenhagen,...
ionic liquids biological-ly derived from lignin and hemicellulose
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z ? 1 Ly? emitters. I. The luminosity function , , ,
Wold, Isak G. B.; Barger, Amy J.; Cowie, Lennox L. E-mail: email@example.com
We construct a flux-limited sample of 135 candidate z ? 1 Ly? emitters (LAEs) from Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) grism data using a new data cube search method. These LAEs have luminosities comparable to those at high redshifts and lie within a 7 Gyr gap present in existing LAE samples. We use archival and newly obtained optical spectra to verify the UV redshifts of these LAEs. We use the combination of the GALEX UV spectra, optical spectra, and X-ray imaging data to estimate the active galactic nucleus (AGN) fraction and its dependence on Ly? luminosity. We remove the AGNs and compute the luminosity function (LF) from 60 z ? 1 LAE galaxies. We find that the best-fit LF implies a luminosity density increase by a factor of ?1.5 from z ? 0.3 to z ? 1 and ?20 from z ? 1 to z ? 2. We find a z ? 1 volumetric Ly? escape fraction of 0.7% ▒ 0.4%.
Accelerated evolution of the Ly? luminosity function at z ? 7 revealed by the Subaru ultra-deep survey for Ly? emitters at z = 7.3
Konno, Akira; Ouchi, Masami; Ono, Yoshiaki; Shibuya, Takatoshi; Naito, Yoshiaki; Momose, Rieko; Yuma, Suraphong; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro; Nakajima, Kimihiko; Furusawa, Hisanori; Iye, Masanori
We present the ultra-deep Subaru narrowband imaging survey for Ly? emitters (LAEs) at z = 7.3 in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey (SXDS) and Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) fields (?0.5 deg{sup 2}) with a total integration time of 106 hr. Exploiting our new sharp bandwidth filter, NB101, installed on the Suprime-Cam, we have reached L(Ly?) = 2.4 ū 10{sup 42} erg s{sup ¢1} (5?) for z = 7.3 LAEs, about four times deeper than previous Subaru z ? 7 studies, which allows us to reliably investigate the evolution of the Ly? luminosity function (LF) for the first time down to the luminosity limit same as those of Subaru z = 3.1-6.6 LAE samples. Surprisingly, we only find three and four LAEs in the SXDS and COSMOS fields, respectively, while one expects a total of ?65 LAEs by our survey in the case of no Ly? LF evolution from z = 6.6 to 7.3. We identify a decrease of the Ly? LF from z = 6.6 to 7.3 at the >90% confidence level from our z = 7.3 Ly? LF with the best-fit Schechter parameters of L{sub Ly?}{sup ?}=2.7{sub ?1.2}{sup +8.0}ū10{sup 42} erg s{sup ?1} and ?{sup ?}=3.7{sub ?3.3}{sup +17.6}ū10{sup ?4} Mpc{sup ?3} for a fixed ? = ¢1.5. Moreover, the evolution of the Ly? LF is clearly accelerated at z > 6.6 beyond the measurement uncertainties including cosmic variance. Because no such accelerated evolution of the UV-continuum LF or the cosmic star formation rate (SFR) is found at z ? 7, but suggested only at z > 8, this accelerated Ly? LF evolution is explained by physical mechanisms different from a pure SFR decrease but related to the Ly? production and escape in the process of cosmic reionization. Because a simple accelerating increase of intergalactic medium neutral hydrogen absorbing Ly? cannot be reconciled with Thomson scattering of optical depth measurements from WMAP and Planck, our findings may support new physical pictures suggested by recent theoretical studies, such as the existence of HI clumpy clouds within cosmic ionized bubbles that are selectively absorbing Ly? and the large ionizing photon escape fraction of galaxies causing weak Ly? emission.
COMPUTING INTRINSIC LY{alpha} FLUXES OF F5 V TO M5 V STARS
Linsky, Jeffrey L.; France, Kevin; Ayres, Tom
The Ly{alpha} emission line dominates the far-ultraviolet spectra of late-type stars and is a major source for photodissociation of important molecules including H{sub 2}O, CH{sub 4}, and CO{sub 2} in exoplanet atmospheres. The incident flux in this line illuminating an exoplanet's atmosphere cannot be measured directly as neutral hydrogen in the interstellar medium (ISM) attenuates most of the flux reaching the Earth. Reconstruction of the intrinsic Ly{alpha} line has been accomplished for a limited number of nearby stars, but is not feasible for distant or faint host stars. We identify correlations connecting the intrinsic Ly{alpha} flux with the flux in other emission lines formed in the stellar chromosphere, and find that these correlations depend only gradually on the flux in the other lines. These correlations, which are based on Hubble Space Telescope spectra, reconstructed Ly{alpha} line fluxes, and irradiance spectra of the quiet and active Sun, are required for photochemical models of exoplanet atmospheres when intrinsic Ly{alpha} fluxes are not available. We find a tight correlation of the intrinsic Ly{alpha} flux with stellar X-ray flux for F5 V to K5 V stars, but much larger dispersion for M stars. We also show that knowledge of the stellar effective temperature and rotation rate can provide reasonably accurate estimates of the Ly{alpha} flux for G and K stars, and less accurate estimates for cooler stars.
A z ? 5.7 Ly? emission line with an ultrabroad red wing
Yang, Huan; Wang, JunXian; Zheng, Zhen-Ya; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James E.; Infante, Leopoldo E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Using the Ly? emission line as a tracer of high-redshift, star-forming galaxies, hundreds of Ly? emission line galaxies (LAEs) at z > 5 have been detected. These LAEs are considered to be low-mass young galaxies, critical to the re-ionization of the universe and the metal enrichment of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and the intergalactic medium (IGM). It is assumed that outflows in LAEs can help both ionizing photons and Ly? photons escape from galaxies. However, we still know little about the outflows in high-redshift LAEs due to observational difficulties, especially at redshift >5. Models of Ly? radiative transfer predict asymmetric Ly? line profiles with broad red wings in LAEs with outflows. Here, we report a z ? 5.7 Ly? emission line with a broad red wing extending to >1000 km s{sup ¢1} relative to the peak of Ly? line, which has been detected in only a couple of z > 5 LAEs until now. If the broad red wing is ascribed to gas outflow instead of active galactic nucleus activity, the outflow velocity could be larger than the escape velocity (?500 km s{sup ¢1}) of a typical halo mass of z ? 5.7 LAEs, which is consistent with the idea that outflows in LAEs disperse metals to CGM and IGM.
Ly{alpha} EMITTERS AT z = 7 IN THE SUBARU/XMM-NEWTON DEEP SURVEY FIELD:
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PHOTOMETRIC CANDIDATES AND LUMINOSITY FUNCTION (Journal Article) | SciTech Connect Ly{alpha} EMITTERS AT z = 7 IN THE SUBARU/XMM-NEWTON DEEP SURVEY FIELD: PHOTOMETRIC CANDIDATES AND LUMINOSITY FUNCTION Citation Details In-Document Search Title: Ly{alpha} EMITTERS AT z = 7 IN THE SUBARU/XMM-NEWTON DEEP SURVEY FIELD: PHOTOMETRIC CANDIDATES AND LUMINOSITY FUNCTION We conducted a deep narrowband NB973 (FWHM = 200 A centered at 9755 A) survey of z = 7 Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs) in the
X-RAY CONSTRAINTS ON THE Ly{alpha} ESCAPE FRACTION
Zheng Zhenya; Wang Junxian; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James E.; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Gawiser, Eric; Gronwall, Caryl; Ciardullo, Robin; Guaita, Lucia; Nilsson, Kim K.
We have co-added the X-ray flux of all known Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs) in the 4 Ms Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S) region, achieving the tightest upper limits yet on the X-ray to Ly{alpha} ratio. We use the X-ray data to place sensitive upper limits on the average unobscured star formation rate (SFR{sub X}) in these galaxies. A very small fraction of Ly{alpha} galaxies in the field are individually detected in the X-rays, implying a low fraction of active galactic nucleus activity. After excluding the few X-ray-detected LAEs, we stack the undetected LAEs located in the 4 Ms CDF-S data and 250 ks Extended CDF-S (ECDF-S) data, and compute a 1{sigma} upper limit on SFR{sub X} < 1.6, 14, 28, 28, 140, 440, 880 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1} for LAEs located at z {approx} 0.3 and z = 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.5, 5.7, and 6.5, respectively. The upper limit of SFR{sub X} in LAEs can be then compared to SFR{sub Ly{alpha}} derived from Ly{alpha} line and thus can constrain on the Ly{alpha} escape fraction (f{sup Esc}{sub Ly{alpha}}). The f{sup Esc}{sub Ly{alpha}} from X-ray at z {approx} 0.3 is substantially larger than that from UV or H{alpha}. Three X-ray-detected LAE galaxies at z {approx} 0.3 show f{sup Esc}{sub Ly{alpha}} {approx} 3%-22%, and the average Ly{alpha} escape fraction from stacking the X-ray-undetected LAEs show f{sup Esc}{sub Ly{alpha}} > 28% at 3{sigma} significance level at the same redshift. We derive a lower limit on f{sup Esc}{sub Ly{alpha}} > 14% (84% confidence level, 1{sigma} lower limit) for LAEs at redshift z {approx} 2.1 and z {approx} 3.1-3.2. At z > 4, the current LAE samples are not of sufficient size to constrain SFR{sub X} well. By averaging all the LAEs at z > 2, the X-ray non-detection constrains f{sup Esc}{sub Ly{alpha}} > 17% (84% confidence level, 1{sigma} lower limit), and rejects f{sup Esc}{sub Ly{alpha}} < 5.7% at the 99.87% confidence level from 2.1 < z < 6.5.
A submillimeter galaxy illuminating its circumgalactic medium: Ly? scattering in a cold, clumpy outflow
Geach, J. E.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Smith, D. J. B.; Bower, R. G.; Alexander, D. M.; Swinbank, A. M.; Blain, A. W.; Bremer, M. N.; Chapin, E. L.; Chapman, S. C.; Clements, D. L.; Dunlop, J. S.; Koprowski, M. P.; Micha?owski, M. J.; Farrah, D.; Jenness, T.; Robson, E. I.; Scott, D.; Spaans, M.; Van der Werf, P.
We report the detection at 850 ?m of the central source in SSA22-LAB1, the archetypal 'Lyman-? Blob' (LAB), a 100 kpc scale radio-quiet emission-line nebula at z = 3.1. The flux density of the source, S {sub 850} = 4.6 ▒ 1.1 mJy, implies the presence of a galaxy or group of galaxies with a total luminosity of L {sub IR} ? 10{sup 12} L {sub ?}. The position of an active source at the center of a ?50 kpc radius ring of linearly polarized Ly? emission detected by Hayes et al. suggests that the central source is leaking Ly? photons preferentially in the plane of the sky, which undergo scattering in H I clouds at a large galactocentric radius. The Ly? morphology around the submillimeter detection is reminiscent of a biconical outflow, and the average Ly? line profiles of the two 'lobes' are dominated by a red peak, which is expected for a resonant line emerging from a medium with a bulk velocity gradient that is outflowing relative to the line center. Taken together, these observations provide compelling evidence that the central active galaxy (or galaxies) is responsible for a large fraction of the extended Ly? emission and morphology. Less clear is the history of the cold gas in the circumgalactic medium being traced by Ly?: is it mainly pristine material accreting into the halo that has not yet been processed through an interstellar medium (ISM), now being blown back as it encounters an outflow, or does it mainly comprise gas that has been swept-up within the ISM and expelled from the galaxy?.
Foreground contamination in Ly? intensity mapping during the epoch of reionization
Gong, Yan; Cooray, Asantha; Silva, Marta; Santos, Mario G.
The intensity mapping of Ly? emission during the epoch of reionization will be contaminated by foreground emission lines from lower redshifts. We calculate the mean intensity and the power spectrum of Ly? emission at z ? 7 and estimate the uncertainties according to the relevant astrophysical processes. We find that the low-redshift emission lines from 6563 ┼ H?, 5007 ┼ [O III], and 3727 ┼ [O II] will be strong contaminants on the observed Ly? power spectrum. We make use of both the star formation rate and luminosity functions to estimate the mean intensity and power spectra of the three foreground lines at z ? 0.5 for H?, z ? 0.9 for [O III], and z ? 1.6 for [O II], as they will contaminate the Ly? emission at z ? 7. The [O II] line is found to be the strongest. We analyze the masking of the bright survey pixels with a foreground line above some line intensity threshold as a way to reduce the contamination in an intensity mapping survey. We find that the foreground contamination can be neglected if we remove pixels with fluxes above 1.4 ū 10{sup ¢20} W m{sup ¢2}.
Ly{alpha} ESCAPE FROM z {approx} 0.03 STAR-FORMING GALAXIES: THE DOMINANT ROLE OF OUTFLOWS
Wofford, Aida; Leitherer, Claus [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Salzer, John, E-mail: email@example.com [Astronomy Department, Indiana University, Swain West 408, 727 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States)
The usefulness of H I Ly{alpha} photons for characterizing star formation in the distant universe is limited by our understanding of the astrophysical processes that regulate their escape from galaxies. These processes can only be observed in detail out to a few Multiplication-Sign 100 Mpc. Past nearby (z < 0.3) spectroscopic studies are based on small samples and/or kinematically unresolved data. Taking advantage of the high sensitivity of Hubble Space Telescope's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), we observed the Ly{alpha} lines of 20 H{alpha}-selected galaxies located at
PREDICTING Ly╬▒ AND Mg II FLUXES FROM K AND M DWARFS USING GALAXY EVOLUTION EXPLORER ULTRAVIOLET PHOTOMETRY
Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Rolph, Kristina A.; Peacock, Sarah; Barman, Travis S. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: email@example.com
A star's ultraviolet (UV) emission can greatly affect the atmospheric chemistry and physical properties of closely orbiting planets with the potential for severe mass loss. In particular, the Ly╬▒ emission line at 1216 ├ģ, which dominates the far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum, is a major source of photodissociation of important atmospheric molecules such as water and methane. The intrinsic flux of Ly╬▒, however, cannot be directly measured due to the absorption of neutral hydrogen in the interstellar medium and contamination by geocoronal emission. To date, reconstruction of the intrinsic Ly╬▒ line based on Hubble Space Telescope spectra has been accomplished for 46 FGKM nearby stars, 28 of which have also been observed by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). Our investigation provides a correlation between published intrinsic Ly╬▒ and GALEX far- and near-ultraviolet (NUV) chromospheric fluxes for K and M stars. The negative correlations between the ratio of the Ly╬▒ to the GALEX fluxes reveal how the relative strength of Ly╬▒ compared to the broadband fluxes weakens as the FUV and NUV excess flux increase. We also correlate GALEX fluxes with the strong NUV Mg II h+k spectral emission lines formed at lower chromospheric temperatures than Ly╬▒. The reported correlations provide estimates of intrinsic Ly╬▒ and Mg II fluxes for the thousands of K and M stars in the archived GALEX all-sky surveys. These will constrain new stellar upper atmosphere models for cool stars and provide realistic inputs to models describing exoplanetary photochemistry and atmospheric evolution in the absence of UV spectroscopy.
He II Ly{beta} GUNN-PETERSON ABSORPTION: NEW HST OBSERVATIONS AND THEORETICAL EXPECTATIONS
Syphers, David; Pieri, Matthew; Shull, J. Michael; Anderson, Scott F.; Zheng, Wei; Kriss, Gerard A.; Smith, Britton; Meiksin, Avery; Schneider, Donald P.; York, Donald G.
Observations of He II Ly{alpha} Gunn-Peterson troughs have proved to be a valuable probe of the epoch of helium reionization at z {approx} 3. Since this optical depth can become unmeasurably large even for modest He II fractions, various alternate techniques have been proposed to push to higher redshift, and among the more promising is looking at higher-order Lyman-series troughs. We here report four new observations of the He II Ly{beta} trough, including new data on the only sightline with a prior Ly{beta} observation. However, the effective optical depth ratio {tau}{sub eff,{beta}}/{tau}{sub eff,{alpha}} is not simply predicted by f{sub {beta}}{lambda}{sub {beta}}/f{sub {alpha}}{lambda}{sub {alpha}} = 0.16, and we analyze cosmological simulations to find that the correct ratio for helium at z {approx} 3 is {approx_equal}0.35. In one case we infer {tau}{sub eff,{alpha}} > 8.8, strong evidence that helium was not fully reionized at z = 3.2-3.5, in agreement with previous measurements suggesting a later completion of reionization.
BROAD Ly{alpha} EMISSION FROM THREE NEARBY BL LACERTAE OBJECTS
Stocke, John T.; Danforth, Charles W. [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Perlman, Eric S., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Florida Institute of Technology, Physics and Space Sciences Department, 150 West University Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32901 (United States)
We present far-UV HST/COS spectra of four nearby BL Lac objects. BL Lac spectra are dominated by a smooth, power-law continuum which arises in a relativistic jet. However, the spectra are not necessarily featureless; weak, broad- and/or narrow-line emission is sometimes seen in high-quality optical spectra. We present detections of Ly{alpha} emission in HST/COS spectra of Mrk 421 (z = 0.030) and PKS 2005-489 (z = 0.071) as well as an archival HST/GHRS observation of Mrk 501 (z = 0.0337). Archival HST/STIS observations of PKS 2155-304 (z = 0.116) show no Ly{alpha} emission to a very low upper limit. Using the assumption that the broad-line region (BLR) clouds are symmetrically placed around the active galactic nucleus (AGN), we use these measured Ly{alpha} emission features to constrain either the relativistic {Gamma} values for the ionizing continuum produced by the jet (in the ionization-bounded case) or the mass of warm gas (in the density-bounded case). While realistic {Gamma} values can be obtained for all four cases, the values for Mrk 421 and PKS 2155-304 are high enough to suggest that covering factors of BLR clouds of {approx}1%-2% might be required to provide consistency with earlier values of Doppler boosting and viewing angles suggested for this class of BL Lacs. This discrepancy also exists in the case of M 87, where the amount of Doppler boosting in our direction is expected to be minimal, again suggestive of a small covering factor of BLR clouds. If, as these small covering factors might suggest, the assumptions of a density-bounded model could be more correct, then the observed Ly{alpha} luminosities require that BL Lac/FR 1 nuclei possess very little warm gas (10{sup -4} to 10{sup -5} M{sub sun}) as suggested by Guilbert et al. If these clouds are in pressure balance with a hotter ({approx}10{sup 6} K) gas, the BLR contains too little mass to power the AGN by accretion alone.
SITES ELIHlNAlED FRCil FUW' ~1WWk'l ffi LY
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Well-temperate phage: Optimal bet-hedging against local environmental collapses
Maslov, Sergei; Sneppen, Kim
Upon infection of their bacterial hosts temperate phages must chose between lysogenic and lytic developmental strategies. Here we apply the game-theoretic bet-hedging strategy introduced by Kelly to derive the optimal lysogenic fraction of the total population of phages as a function of frequency and intensity of environmental downturns affecting the lytic subpopulation. ŌĆ£Well-temperateŌĆØ phage from our title is characterized by the best long-term population growth rate. We show that it is realized when the lysogenization frequency is approximately equal to the probability of lytic population collapse. We further predict the existence of sharp boundaries in systemŌĆÖs environmental, ecological, and biophysical parameters separating the regions where this temperate strategy is optimal from those dominated by purely virulent or dormant (purely lysogenic) strategies. We show that the virulent strategy works best for phages with large diversity of hosts, and access to multiple independent environments reachable by diffusion. Conversely, progressively more temperate or even dormant strategies are favored in the environments, that are subject to frequent and severe temporal downturns.
HUBBLE/COS OBSERVATIONS OF THE Ly{alpha} FOREST TOWARD THE BL Lac OBJECT 1ES 1553+113
Danforth, Charles W.; Keeney, Brian A.; Stocke, John T.; Shull, J. Michael; Yao Yangsen, E-mail: email@example.com [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)
We present new moderate-resolution, far-ultraviolet spectra from the Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (HST/COS) of the BL Lac object 1ES 1553+113 covering the wavelength range 1135 A < {lambda} < 1795 A. The data show a smooth continuum with a wealth of narrow (b < 100 km s{sup -1}) absorption features arising in the interstellar medium and intergalactic medium. These features include 41 Ly{alpha} absorbers at 0 < z{sub abs} < 0.43, 14 of which are detected in multiple Lyman lines and 6 of which show absorption in one or more metal lines. We analyze a metal-rich triplet ({Delta}cz {approx} 1000 km s{sup -1}) of Ly{alpha} absorbers at z{sub abs} {approx} 0.188 in which O VI, N V, and C III absorption is detected. Silicon ions (Si III, Si IV) are not detected to fairly strong upper limits and we use the measured Si III/C III upper limit to derive an abundance limit (C/Si) {>=} 4(C/Si){sub sun} for the strongest component of the absorber complex. Galaxy redshift surveys show a number of massive galaxies at approximately the same redshift as this absorption complex, suggesting that it arises in a large-scale galaxy filament. As one of the brightest extragalactic X-ray and {gamma}-ray sources, 1ES 1553+113 is of great interest to the high-energy astrophysics community. With no intrinsic emission or absorption features, 1ES 1553+113 has no direct redshift determination. We use intervening Ly{alpha} absorbers to place a direct limit on the redshift: z{sub em}>0.395 based on a confirmed Ly{alpha}+O VI absorber and z{sub em}>0.433 based on a single-line detection of Ly{alpha}. The current COS data are only sensitive to Ly{alpha} absorbers at z < 0.47, but we present statistical arguments that z{sub em} {approx}< 0.58 (at a 1{sigma} confidence limit) based on the non-detection of any Ly{beta} absorbers at z>0.4.
The impact of gas bulk rotation on the Ly╬▒ line
Garavito-Camargo, Juan N.; Forero-Romero, Jaime E.; Dijkstra, Mark E-mail: email@example.com
We present results of radiative transfer calculations to measure the impact of gas bulk rotation on the morphology of the Ly╬▒ emission line in distant galaxies. We model a galaxy as a sphere with an homogeneous mixture of dust and hydrogen at a constant temperature. These spheres undergo solid-body rotation with maximum velocities in the range 0-300 km s{sup ŌĆō1} and neutral hydrogen optical depths in the range Žä{sub H} = 10{sup 5}-10{sup 7}. We consider two types of source distributions in the sphere: central and homogeneous. Our main result is that rotation introduces a dependence of the line morphology with viewing angle and rotational velocity. Observations with a line of sight parallel to the rotation axis yield line morphologies similar to the static case. For lines of sight perpendicular to the rotation axis, both the intensity at the line center and the line width increase with rotational velocity. Along the same line of sight, the line becomes single peaked at rotational velocities close to half the line width in the static case. Notably, we find that rotation does not induce any spatial anisotropy in the integrated line flux, the escape fraction or the average number of scatterings. This is because Lyman scattering through a rotating solid-body proceeds identically to the static case. The only difference is the Doppler shift from the different regions in the sphere that move with respect to the observer. This allows us to derive an analytic approximation for the viewing-angle dependence of the emerging spectrum, as a function of rotational velocity.
LY? FOREST TOMOGRAPHY FROM BACKGROUND GALAXIES: THE FIRST MEGAPARSEC-RESOLUTION LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURE MAP AT z > 2
Lee, Khee-Gan; Hennawi, Joseph F.; Eilers, Anna-Christina [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K÷nigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Stark, Casey; White, Martin [Department of Astronomy, University of California at Berkeley, B-20 Hearst Field Annex 3411, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Prochaska, J. Xavier [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Schlegel, David J. [University of California Observatories, Lick Observatory, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Arinyo-i-Prats, Andreu [Institut de CiĶncies del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona (IEEC-UB), MartĒ FranquĶs 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain); Suzuki, Nao [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU), The University of Tokyo, Kashiwano-ha 5-1-5, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba (Japan); Croft, Rupert A. C. [Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Caputi, Karina I. [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700-AV Groningen (Netherlands); Cassata, Paolo [Instituto de Fisica y Astronomia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Casilla 5030, Valparaiso (Chile); Ilbert, Olivier; Le Brun, Vincent; Le FĶvre, Olivier [Aix Marseille Universitķ, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, F-13388 Marseille (France); Garilli, Bianca [INAF-IASF, Via Bassini 15, I-20133, Milano (Italy); Koekemoer, Anton M. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Maccagni, Dario [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani,1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Nugent, Peter, E-mail: email@example.com [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); and others
We present the first observations of foreground Ly? forest absorption from high-redshift galaxies, targeting 24 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) with z ? 2.3-2.8 within a 5' ū 14' region of the COSMOS field. The transverse sightline separation is ?2 h {sup ¢1} Mpc comoving, allowing us to create a tomographic reconstruction of the three-dimensional (3D) Ly? forest absorption field over the redshift range 2.20 ? z ? 2.45. The resulting map covers 6 h {sup ¢1} Mpc ū 14 h {sup ¢1} Mpc in the transverse plane and 230 h {sup ¢1} Mpc along the line of sight with a spatial resolution of ?3.5 h {sup ¢1} Mpc, and is the first high-fidelity map of a large-scale structure on ?Mpc scales at z > 2. Our map reveals significant structures with ? 10 h {sup ¢1} Mpc extent, including several spanning the entire transverse breadth, providing qualitative evidence for the filamentary structures predicted to exist in the high-redshift cosmic web. Simulated reconstructions with the same sightline sampling, spectral resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio recover the salient structures present in the underlying 3D absorption fields. Using data from other surveys, we identified 18 galaxies with known redshifts coeval with our map volume, enabling a direct comparison with our tomographic map. This shows that galaxies preferentially occupy high-density regions, in qualitative agreement with the same comparison applied to simulations. Our results establish the feasibility of the CLAMATO survey, which aims to obtain Ly? forest spectra for ?1000 SFGs over ?1 deg{sup 2} of the COSMOS field, in order to map out the intergalactic medium large-scale structure at (z) ? 2.3 over a large volume (100 h {sup ¢1} Mpc){sup 3}.
HST/COS detection of deuterated molecular hydrogen in a damped Ly? system at z = 0.18
Oliveira, Cristina M.; Sembach, Kenneth R.; Tumlinson, Jason; Thom, Christopher [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); O'Meara, John, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Saint Michael's College, Colchester, VT 05439 (United States)
We report on the detection of deuterated molecular hydrogen, HD, at z = 0.18. HD and H{sub 2} are detected in HST/COS data of a low-metallicity (Z ? 0.07 Z {sub ?}) damped Ly? (DLA) system at z = 0.18562 toward QSO B0120¢28, with log N(H I) = 20.50 ▒ 0.10. Four absorption components are clearly resolved in H{sub 2}, while two components are resolved in HD; the bulk of the molecular hydrogen is associated with the components traced by HD. We find total column densities log N(HD) = 14.82 ▒ 0.15 and log N(H{sub 2}) = 20.00 ▒ 0.10. This system has a high molecular fraction, f(H{sub 2}) = 0.39 ▒ 0.10, and a low HD-to-H{sub 2} ratio, log (HD/2H{sub 2}) = ¢5.5 ▒ 0.2 dex. The excitation temperature, T {sub 01} = 65 ▒ 2 K, in the component containing the bulk of the molecular gas is lower than in other DLAs. These properties are unlike those in other higher redshift DLA systems known to contain HD, but are consistent with what is observed in dense clouds in the Milky Way.
X-RAY PROPERTIES OF THE z {approx} 4.5 Ly{alpha} EMITTERS IN THE CHANDRA DEEP FIELD SOUTH REGION
Zheng, Z. Y.; Wang, J. X.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Finkelstein, K. D.; Malhotra, S.; Rhoads, J. E. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
We report the first X-ray detection of Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs) at redshift z {approx} 4.5. One source (J033127.2-274247) is detected in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South (ECDF-S) X-ray data and has been spectroscopically confirmed as a z = 4.48 quasar with L{sub X} = 4.2 x 10{sup 44} erg s{sup -1}. The single detection gives an Ly{alpha} quasar density of {approx} 2.7{sup +6.2} {sub -2.2} x 10{sup -6} Mpc{sup -3}, consistent with the X-ray luminosity function of quasars. Another 22 LAEs in the central Chandra Deep Field-South region are not detected individually, but their co-added counts yield an S/N = 2.4 (p = 99.83%) detection at soft band, with an effective exposure time of {approx}36 Ms. Further analysis of the equivalent width (EW) distribution shows that all the signals come from 12 LAE candidates with EW{sub rest}< 400 A and 2 of them contribute about half of the signal. From follow-up spectroscopic observations, we find that one of the two is a low-redshift emission-line galaxy, and the other is a Lyman break galaxy at z = 4.4 with little or no Ly{alpha} emission. Excluding these two and combined with ECDF-S data, we derive a 3{sigma} upper limit on the average X-ray flux of F {sub 0.5-2.0keV} < 1.6 x 10{sup -18} erg cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}, which corresponds to an average luminosity of (L {sub 0.5-2keV}) <2.4 x 10{sup 42} erg s{sup -1} for z {approx} 4.5 LAEs. If the average X-ray emission is due to star formation, it corresponds to a star formation rate (SFR) of <180-530 M {sub sun} yr{sup -1}. We use this SFR {sub X} as an upper limit of the unobscured SFR to constrain the escape fraction of Ly{alpha} photons and find a lower limit of f{sub esc,Ly{alpha}} > 3%-10%. However, our upper limit on the SFR {sub X} is {approx}7 times larger than the upper limit on SFR {sub X} on z {approx} 3.1 LAEs in the same field and at least 30 times higher than the SFR estimated from Ly{alpha} emission. From the average X-ray-to-Ly{alpha} line ratio, we estimate that fewer than 3.2% (6.3%) of our LAEs could be high-redshift type 1 (type 2) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and those hidden AGNs likely show low rest-frame EWs.
DETECTIONS OF FAINT Ly{alpha} EMITTERS AT z = 5.7: GALAXY BUILDING BLOCKS AND ENGINES OF REIONIZATION
Dressler, Alan; McCarthy, Patrick; Martin, Crystal L.; Henry, Alaina; Sawicki, Marcin E-mail: email@example.com
We report results of an unprecedentedly deep, blind search for Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs) at z = 5.7 using the Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph (IMACS), with the goal of identifying missing sources of reionization that could also be basic building blocks for today's L* galaxies. We describe how improvements in wide field imaging with the Baade telescope, upgrades to IMACS, and the accumulation of {approx}20 hr of integration per field in excellent seeing led to the detection of single-emission-line sources as faint as F {approx} 2 x 10{sup -18} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2}, a sensitivity five times deeper than our first search. A reasonable correction for foreground interlopers implies a steep rise of approximately an order of magnitude in source density for a factor of four drop in flux, from F = 10{sup -17.0} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2} to F = 10{sup -17.6} (2.5 x 10{sup -18}) erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2}. At this flux the putative LAEs have reached a surface density of {approx}1 arcmin{sup -2}-a comoving volume density of 4 x 10{sup -3} Mpc{sup -3}, several times the density of L* galaxies today. Such a population of faint LAEs would account for a significant fraction of the critical flux density required to complete reionization at this epoch, and would be good candidates for building blocks of stellar mass {approx}10{sup 8}-10{sup 9} M{sub sun} for the young galaxies of this epoch.
A glimpse at quasar host galaxy far-UV emission using damped Ly╬▒'s as natural coronagraphs
Cai, Zheng; Fan, Xiaohui; Wang, Ran; McGreer, Ian; Noterdaeme, Pasquier; Finley, Hayley; Petitjean, Patrick; Carithers, Bill; Bian, Fuyan; Miralda-Escud├®, Jordi; P├óris, Isabelle; Schneider, Donald P.; Zakamska, Nadia L.; Ge, Jian; Slosar, Anze
In merger-driven models of massive galaxy evolution, the luminous quasar phase is expected to be accompanied by vigorous star formation in quasar host galaxies. In this paper, we use high column density damped Ly╬▒ (DLA) systems along quasar sight lines as natural coronagraphs to directly study the far-UV (FUV) radiation from the host galaxies of luminous background quasars. We have stacked the spectra of Ōł╝2000 DLA systems (N {sub H} {sub I} > 10{sup 20.6} cm{sup ŌĆō2}) with a median absorption redshift (z) = 2.6 selected from quasars observed in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. We detect residual flux in the dark troughs of the composite DLA spectra. The level of this residual flux significantly exceeds systematic errors in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey fiber sky subtraction; furthermore, the residual flux is strongly correlated with the continuum luminosity of the background quasar, while uncorrelated with DLA column density or metallicity. We conclude that the flux could be associated with the average FUV radiation from the background quasar host galaxies (with medium redshift (z) = 3.1) that is not blocked by the intervening DLA. Assuming that all of the detected flux originates from quasar hosts, for the highest quasar luminosity bin ((L) = 2.5 ├Ś 10{sup 13} L {sub Ōśē}), the host galaxy has an FUV intensity of 1.5 ┬▒ 0.2 ├Ś 10{sup 40} erg s{sup ŌĆō1} ├ģ{sup ŌĆō1}; this corresponds to an unobscured UV star formation rate of 9 M {sub Ōśē} yr{sup ŌĆō1}.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SPECTROSCOPICALLY CONFIRMED GALAXIES AT z {>=} 6. II. MORPHOLOGY OF THE REST-FRAME UV CONTINUUM AND Ly{alpha} EMISSION
Jiang Linhua; Windhorst, Rogier A.; Cohen, Seth H.; Mechtley, Matthew; Egami, Eiichi; Fan Xiaohui; Dave, Romeel; Finlator, Kristian; Kashikawa, Nobunari; Ouchi, Masami; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro
We present a detailed structural and morphological study of a large sample of spectroscopically confirmed galaxies at z {>=} 6 using deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) near-IR broad-band images and Subaru Telescope optical narrow-band images. The galaxy sample consists of 51 Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs) at z {approx_equal} 5.7, 6.5, and 7.0, and 16 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at 5.9 {<=} z {<=} 6.5. These galaxies exhibit a wide range of rest-frame UV continuum morphology in the HST images, from compact features to multiple component systems. The fraction of merging/interacting galaxies reaches 40%-50% at the brightest end of M{sub 1500} {<=} -20.5 mag. The intrinsic half-light radii r{sub hl,in}, after correcting for point-spread function (PSF) broadening, are roughly between r{sub hl,in} {approx_equal} 0.''05 (0.3 kpc) and 0.''3 (1.7 kpc) at M{sub 1500} {<=} -19.5 mag. The median r{sub hl,in} value is 0.''16 ({approx}0.9 kpc). This is consistent with the sizes of bright LAEs and LBGs at z {>=} 6 found in previous studies. In addition, more luminous galaxies tend to be larger and exhibit a weak size-luminosity relation, r{sub hl,in}{proportional_to}L {sup 0.14} at M{sub 1500} {<=} -19.5 mag. The slope of 0.14 is significantly flatter than those in fainter LBG samples. We discuss the morphology of z {>=} 6 galaxies with nonparametric methods, including the concentration, asymmetry, and smoothness system and the Gini and M{sub 20} parameters, and demonstrate their validity through simulations. We search for extended Ly{alpha} emission halos around LAEs at z {approx_equal} 5.7 and 6.5 by stacking a number of narrow-band images. We do not find evidence of extended Ly{alpha} halos predicted by cosmological simulations. Such halos, if they exist, could be weaker than predicted. Finally, we investigate positional misalignment between the UV continuum and Ly{alpha} emissions in LAEs. While the two positions are generally consistent, several merging galaxies show significant positional differences. This is likely caused by a disturbed interstellar medium distribution due to merging activity.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SPECTROSCOPICALLY CONFIRMED GALAXIES AT z {>=} 6. I. BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REST-FRAME UV CONTINUUM AND Ly{alpha} EMISSION
Jiang Linhua; Mechtley, Matthew; Cohen, Seth H.; Windhorst, Rogier A.; Egami, Eiichi; Fan Xiaohui; Dave, Romeel; Finlator, Kristian; Kashikawa, Nobunari; Ouchi, Masami; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro
We present deep Hubble Space Telescope near-IR and Spitzer mid-IR observations of a large sample of spectroscopically confirmed galaxies at z {>=} 6. The sample consists of 51 Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs) at z {approx_equal} 5.7, 6.5, and 7.0, and 16 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at 5.9 {<=} z {<=} 6.5. The near-IR images were mostly obtained with WFC3 in the F125W and F160W bands, and the mid-IR images were obtained with IRAC in the 3.6 {mu}m and 4.5 {mu}m bands. Our galaxies also have deep optical imaging data from Subaru Suprime-Cam. We utilize the multi-band data and secure redshifts to derive their rest-frame UV properties. These galaxies have steep UV-continuum slopes roughly between {beta} {approx_equal} -1.5 and -3.5, with an average value of {beta} {approx_equal} -2.3, slightly steeper than the slopes of LBGs in previous studies. The slope shows little dependence on UV-continuum luminosity except for a few of the brightest galaxies. We find a statistically significant excess of galaxies with slopes around {beta} {approx_equal} -3, suggesting the existence of very young stellar populations with extremely low metallicity and dust content. Our galaxies have moderately strong rest-frame Ly{alpha} equivalent width (EW) in a range of {approx}10 to {approx}200 A. The star formation rates are also moderate, from a few to a few tens of solar masses per year. The LAEs and LBGs in this sample share many common properties, implying that LAEs represent a subset of LBGs with strong Ly{alpha} emission. Finally, the comparison of the UV luminosity functions between LAEs and LBGs suggests that there exists a substantial population of faint galaxies with weak Ly{alpha} emission (EW < 20 A) that could be the dominant contribution to the total ionizing flux at z {>=} 6.
Broader source: All U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office Webpages (Extended Search)
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Intergalactic medium emission observations with the cosmic web imager. II. Discovery of extended, kinematically linked emission around SSA22 Ly? BLOB 2
Christopher Martin, D.; Chang, Daphne; Matuszewski, Matt; Morrissey, Patrick; Rahman, Shahin; Moore, Anna; Steidel, Charles C.; Matsuda, Yuichi
The intergalactic medium (IGM) is the dominant reservoir of baryons, delineates the large-scale structure of the universe at low to moderate overdensities, and provides gas from which galaxies form and evolve. Simulations of a cold-dark-matter- (CDM-) dominated universe predict that the IGM is distributed in a cosmic web of filaments and that galaxies should form along and at the intersections of these filaments. While observations of QSO absorption lines and the large-scale distribution of galaxies have confirmed the CDM paradigm, the cosmic web of IGM has never been confirmed by direct imaging. Here we report our observation of the Ly? blob 2 (LAB2) in SSA22 with the Cosmic Web Imager (CWI). This is an integral field spectrograph optimized for low surface brightness, extended emission. With 22 hr of total on- and off-source exposure, CWI has revealed that LAB2 has extended Ly? emission that is organized into azimuthal zones consistent with filaments. We perform numerous tests with simulations and the data to secure the robustness of this result, which relies on data with modest signal-to-noise ratios. We have developed a smoothing algorithm that permits visualization of data cube slices along image or spectral image planes. With both raw and smoothed data cubes we demonstrate that the filaments are kinematically associated with LAB2 and display double-peaked profiles characteristic of optically thick Ly? emission. The flux is 10-20 times brighter than expected for the average emission from the IGM but is consistent with boosted fluorescence from a buried QSO or gravitation cooling radiation. Using simple emission models, we infer a baryon mass in the filaments of at least 1-4 ū 10{sup 11} M {sub ?}, and the dark halo mass is at least 2 ū 10{sup 12} M {sub ?}. The spatial-kinematic morphology is more consistent with inflow from the cosmic web than outflow from LAB2, although an outflow feature maybe present at one azimuth. LAB2 and the surrounding gas have significant and coaligned angular momentum, strengthening the case for their association.
An HST/COS observation of broad Ly? emission and associated absorption lines of the BL Lacertae object H 2356-309
Fang, Taotao [Department of Astronomy and Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005 (China); Danforth, Charles W.; Stocke, John T.; Shull, J. Michael [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Buote, David A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4129 Frederick Reines Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Canizares, Claude R. [Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Gastaldello, Fabio, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [IASF-Milano, INAF, via Bassini 15, Milan I-20133 (Italy)
Weak spectral features in BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) often provide a unique opportunity to probe the inner region of this rare type of active galactic nucleus. We present a Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observation of the BL Lac H 2356-309. A weak Ly? emission line was detected. This is the fourth detection of a weak Ly? emission feature in the ultraviolet (UV) band in the so-called high-energy peaked BL Lacs, after Stocke et al. Assuming the line-emitting gas is located in the broad line region (BLR) and the ionizing source is the off-axis jet emission, we constrain the Lorentz factor (?) of the relativistic jet to be ?8.1 with a maximum viewing angle of 3.░6. The derived ? is somewhat larger than previous measurements of ? ? 3-5, implying a covering factor of ?3% of the line-emitting gas. Alternatively, the BLR clouds could be optically thin, in which case we constrain the BLR warm gas to be ?10{sup ¢5} M {sub ?}. We also detected two H I and one O VI absorption lines that are within |?v| < 150 km s{sup ¢1} of the BL Lac object. The O VI and one of the H I absorbers likely coexist due to their nearly identical velocities. We discuss several ionization models and find a photoionization model where the ionizing photon source is the BL Lac object that can fit the observed ion column densities with reasonable physical parameters. This absorber can either be located in the interstellar medium of the host galaxy or in the BLR.
Radiation damage and associated phase change effect on photodesorption rates from icesŚLy? studies of the surface behavior of CO{sub 2}(ice)
Yuan, Chunqing; Yates, John T. Jr.
Photodesorption from a crystalline film of CO{sub 2}(ice) at 75 K has been studied using Ly? (10.2 eV) radiation. We combine quantitative mass spectrometric studies of gases evolved and transmission IR studies of species trapped in the ice. Direct CO desorption is observed from the primary CO{sub 2} photodissociation process, which occurs promptly for CO{sub 2} molecules located on the outermost surface of the ice (Process I). As the fluence of Ly? radiation increases to ?5.5 ū 10{sup 17} photons cm{sup ¢2}, extensive damage to the crystalline ice occurs and photo-produced CO molecules from deeper regions (Process II) are found to desorb at a rapidly increasing rate, which becomes two orders of magnitude greater than Process I. It is postulated that deep radiation damage to produce an extensive amorphous phase of CO{sub 2} occurs in the 50 nm ice film and that CO (and CO{sub 2}) diffusive transport is strongly enhanced in the amorphous phase. Photodesorption in Process II is a combination of electronic and thermally activated processes. Radiation damage in crystalline CO{sub 2} ice has been monitored by its effects on the vibrational line shapes of CO{sub 2}(ice). Here the crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition has been correlated with the occurrence of efficient molecular transport over long distances through the amorphous phase of CO{sub 2}(ice). Future studies of the composition of the interstellar region, generated by photodesorption from ice layers on grains, will have to consider the significant effects of radiation damage on photodesorption rates.
Synthesis of MOF having hydroxyl functional side groups and optimization of activation process for the maximization of its BET surface area
Kim, Jongsik; Kim, Dong Ok; Kim, Dong Wook; Sagong, Kil
To accomplish the postsynthetic modification of MOF with organic-metal precursors (OMPs) described in our previous researches more efficiently, synthesis of MOF (HCC-2) possessing relatively larger pore size as well as higher number of hydroxyl functional side groups per its base unit than those of HCC-1 has been successfully conducted via adopting 1,4-di-(4-carboxy-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)benzene as an organic ligand and Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}{center_dot}6H{sub 2}O as a metal source, respectively. Also, optimization about the Activation process of HCC-2 was performed to maximize its BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area which was proved to be proportional to the number of exposed active sites on which its postsynthetic modification occurred. However, Activation process having been validated to be so effective with the acquirement of highly-purified HCC-1 (CO{sub 2} supercritical drying step followed by vacuum drying step) was less satisfactory with the case of HCC-2. This might be attributed to relatively higher hydrophilicity and bulkier molecular structure of organic ligand of HCC-2. However, it was readily settled by simple modification of above Activation process. Moreover, indispensable residues composed of both DMF and its thermally degraded derivatives which were chemically attached via coordination bond with hydroxyl functionalities even after Activation process III might enable their H{sub 2} adsorption properties to be seriously debased compared to that of IRMOF-16 having no hydroxyl functionalities. - Graphical abstract: Synthesis of new-structured MOF (HCC-2) simultaneously possessing relatively larger pore size as well as higher number of hydroxyl functional side groups per its base unit at the same time than those of HCC-1 has been performed via adopting 1,4-di-(4-carboxy-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)benzene as an organic ligand and Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}{center_dot}6H{sub 2}O as a metal source, respectively. Also, the optimization of activation process for HCC-2 was conducted to maximize its BET surface area while the suitability of this activation process was proved via SEM, TGA, EA, XRF, and PSD. Being compared with the crystal structures of IRMOF-16 and HCC-1 via XRD and FT-IR analysis, the crystal structure of HCC-2 having an identical chemical structure except the introduction of four hydroxyl functional side groups on the backbone of its organic ligand showed no noticeable change. Specifically, HCC-2 was established as a cubic structure with each axis of about 21.5 A. Moreover, H{sub 2} adsorption isotherms for these HCCs were attained to ultimately examine that hydroxyl functionalities inside their pores have any influence on their H{sub 2} adsorption properties. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer HCC-2 having higher number of hydroxyl groups than that of HCC-1 was prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The optimization of activation process for HCC-2 was studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The crystal structure of HCC-2 was a cubic-shaped structure with each axis of 21.5 A. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer -OH functionalities on HCCs had negative influence on their H{sub 2} adsorption abilities. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This might be due to impurities rigidly attached to their functional side groups.
STELLAR POPULATIONS OF Ly{alpha} EMITTERS AT z {approx} 6-7: CONSTRAINTS ON THE ESCAPE FRACTION OF IONIZING PHOTONS FROM GALAXY BUILDING BLOCKS
Ono, Yoshiaki; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro; Okamura, Sadanori; Masami Ouchi; Dunlop, James; Farrah, Duncan; McLure, Ross
We investigate the stellar populations of Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs) at z = 5.7 and 6.6 in a 0.65 deg{sup 2} sky of the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey (SXDS) Field, using deep images taken with the Subaru/Suprime-Cam, United Kingdom Infrared Telescope/Wide Field Infrared Camera, and Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera (IRAC). We produce stacked multiband images at each redshift from 165 (z = 5.7) and 91 (z = 6.6) IRAC-undetected objects to derive typical spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of z {approx} 6-7 LAEs for the first time. The stacked LAEs have as blue UV continua as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) z-dropout galaxies of similar M{sub UV}, with a spectral slope {beta} {approx} -3, but at the same time they have red UV-to-optical colors with detection in the 3.6 {mu}m band. Using SED fitting we find that the stacked LAEs have low stellar masses of {approx}(3-10) x 10{sup 7} M{sub sun}, very young ages of {approx}1-3 Myr, negligible dust extinction, and strong nebular emission from the ionized interstellar medium, although the z = 6.6 object is fitted similarly well with high-mass models without nebular emission; inclusion of nebular emission reproduces the red UV-to-optical colors while keeping the UV colors sufficiently blue. We infer that typical LAEs at z {approx} 6-7 are building blocks of galaxies seen at lower redshifts. We find a tentative decrease in the Ly{alpha} escape fraction from z = 5.7 to 6.6, which may imply an increase in the intergalactic medium neutral fraction. From the minimum contribution of nebular emission required to fit the observed SEDs, we place an upper limit on the escape fraction of ionizing photons of f {sup ion}{sub esc} {approx} 0.6 at z = 5.7 and {approx}0.9 at z = 6.6. We also compare the stellar populations of our LAEs with those of stacked HST/WFC3 z-dropout galaxies.
THE FIRST OBSERVATIONS OF LOW-REDSHIFT DAMPED Ly{alpha} SYSTEMS WITH THE COSMIC ORIGINS SPECTROGRAPH: CHEMICAL ABUNDANCES AND AFFILIATED GALAXIES
Battisti, A. J.; Meiring, J. D.; Tripp, T. M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Prochaska, J. X.; Werk, J. K. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Observatories-Lick Observatory, UC Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Jenkins, E. B. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Lehner, N. [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Tumlinson, J.; Thom, C. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
We present Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) measurements of metal abundances in eight 0.083 < z{sub abs} < 0.321 damped Ly{alpha} (DLA) and sub-DLA absorption systems serendipitously discovered in the COS-Halos survey. We find that these systems show a large range in metallicities, with -1.10 < [Z/H] < 0.31, similar to the spread found at higher redshifts. These low-redshift systems on average have subsolar metallicities, but do show a rise in metallicity over cosmic time when compared to higher-redshift systems. We find that the average sub-DLA metallicity is higher than the average DLA metallicity at all redshifts. Nitrogen is underabundant with respect to {alpha}-group elements in all but perhaps one of the absorbers. In some cases, [N/{alpha}] is significantly below the lowest nitrogen measurements in nearby galaxies. Systems for which depletion patterns can be studied show little, if any, depletion, which is characteristic of Milky Way halo-type gas. We also identify affiliated galaxies for three of the sub-DLAs using spectra obtained from a Keck/Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS). None of these sub-DLAs arise in the stellar disks of luminous galaxies; instead, these absorbers may exist in galaxy halos at impact parameters ranging from 38 to 92 kpc. Multiple galaxies are present near two of the sub-DLAs, and galaxy interactions may play a role in the dispersal of the gas. Many of these low-redshift absorbers exhibit simple kinematics, but one sub-DLA has a complicated mix of at least 13 components spread over 150 km s{sup -1}. We find three galaxies near this sub-DLA, which also suggests that galaxy interactions roil the gas. This study reinforces the view that DLAs have a variety of origins, and low-redshift studies are crucial for understanding absorber-galaxy connections.
METALLICITIES, DUST, AND MOLECULAR CONTENT OF A QSO-DAMPED Ly{alpha} SYSTEM REACHING log N(H I) = 22: AN ANALOG TO GRB-DLAs
Guimaraes, R.; Noterdaeme, P.; Petitjean, P.; Ledoux, C.; Srianand, R.; Rahmani, H.; Lopez, S.
We present the elemental abundance and H{sub 2} content measurements of a damped Ly{alpha} (DLA) system with an extremely large H I column density, log N(H I) (cm{sup -2}) = 22.0 {+-} 0.10, at z{sub abs} = 3.287 toward the QSO SDSS J081634+144612. We measure column densities of H{sub 2}, C I, C I*, Zn II, Fe II, Cr II, Ni II, and Si II from a high signal-to-noise and high spectral resolution VLT-UVES spectrum. The overall metallicity of the system is [Zn/H] = -1.10 {+-} 0.10 relative to solar. Two molecular hydrogen absorption components are seen at z = 3.28667 and 3.28742 (a velocity separation of Almost-Equal-To 52 km s{sup -1}) in rotational levels up to J = 3. We derive a total H{sub 2} column density of log N(H{sub 2}) (cm{sup -2}) = 18.66 and a mean molecular fraction of f = 2N(H{sub 2})/[2N(H{sub 2}) + N(H I)] = 10{sup -3.04{+-}0.37}, typical of known H{sub 2}-bearing DLA systems. From the observed abundance ratios we conclude that dust is present in the interstellar medium of this galaxy, with an enhanced abundance in the H{sub 2}-bearing clouds. However, the total amount of dust along the line of sight is not large and does not produce any significant reddening of the background QSO. The physical conditions in the H{sub 2}-bearing clouds are constrained directly from the column densities of H{sub 2} in different rotational levels, C I and C I*. The kinetic temperature is found to be T Almost-Equal-To 75 K and the particle density lies in the range n{sub H} = 50-80 cm{sup -3}. The neutral hydrogen column density of this DLA is similar to the mean H I column density of DLAs observed at the redshift of {gamma}-ray bursts (GRBs). We explore the relationship between GRB-DLAs and the high column density end of QSO-DLAs finding that the properties (metallicity and depletion) of DLAs with log N(H I) > 21.5 in the two populations do not appear to be significantly different.
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Tru-ly Clean - What Does It Mean?
Hopkins, A.
The evolution and genesis of the definition of transuranic waste (known as TRU) and its application to the cleanup criteria applied to soils contaminated with transuranics, specifically plutonium, has been a matter of discussion at contaminated sites in the United States and elsewhere. Cleanup decisions and the processes that led up to those decisions have varied at several plutonium contaminated sites within the United States and without the pacific region. The sites with radionuclide soil action levels include Bikini and Enewetak Atolls, Republic of the Marshall Islands; Johnston Atoll, Hawaii; the Hanford Site in Washington State; the Nevada Test Site; the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site in Colorado; the Chariot Site in north Alaska; and the Maralinga Site in Australia. The soil-action level developed for Rocky Flats by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for plutonium is one of the higher soil-action levels approved by regulatory agencies that is considered protective for future use of land at a cleanup site. The Republic of the Marshall Islands has adopted a relatively conservative cleanup standard to accommodate the subsistence lifestyle of the islanders, while the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site has been transferred to the U.S. Department of the Interior to be used as a fish and wildlife refuge, a land use that resulted in a less conservative plutonium soil cleanup level. (authors)
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Betting on the Future: The authors compare natural gas forecaststo futures buys
Bolinger, Mark; Wiser, Ryan
On December 12, 2005, the reference case projections from Annual Energy Outlook 2006 (AEO 2006) were posted on the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) web site. We at LBNL have in the past compared the EIA's reference case long-term natural gas price forecasts from the AEO series to contemporaneous natural gas prices that can be locked in through the forward market. The goal is better understanding fuel price risk and the role that renewables play in mitigating such risk. As such, we were curious to see how the latest AEO gas price forecast compares to the NYMEX natural gas futures strip. Below is a discussion of our findings. As a refresher, our past work in this area has found that over the past five years, forward natural gas contracts (with prices that can be locked in--.g., gas futures, swaps, and physical supply) have traded at a premium relative to contemporaneous long-term reference case gas price forecasts from the EIA. As such, we have concluded that, over the past five years at least, levelized cost comparisons of fixed-price renewable generation with variable price gas-fired generation have yielded results that are ''biased'' in favor of gas-fired generation, presuming that long-term price stability is valued. In this article we update our past analysis to include the latest long-term gas price forecast from the EIA, as contained in AEO 2006. For the sake of brevity, we do not rehash information (on methodology, potential explanations for the premiums, etc.) contained in our earlier reports on this topic. As was the case in the past five AEO releases (AEO 2001-AEO 2005), we once again find that the AEO 2006 reference case gas price forecast falls well below where NYMEX natural gas futures contracts were trading at the time the EIA finalized its gas price forecast. In fact, the NYMEX-AEO 2006 reference case comparison yields by far the largest premium--$2.3/MMBtu levelized over five years--that we have seen over the last six years. In other words, on average, one would have had to pay $2.3/MMBtu more than the AEO 2006 reference case natural gas price forecast in order to lock in natural gas prices over the coming five years. Fixed-price generation (like certain forms of renewable generation) obviously need not bear this added cost, and moreover can provide price stability for terms well in excess of five years
IGM CONSTRAINTS FROM THE SDSS-III/BOSS DR9 Ly╬▒ FOREST TRANSMISSION...
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Authors: Lee, Khee-Gan ; Hennawi, Joseph F. 1 ; Spergel, David N. 2 ; Weinberg, David H. 3 ; Hogg, David W. 4 ; Viel, Matteo 5 ; Bolton, James S. 6 ; Bailey, Stephen ; ...
SEARCHING FOR z {approx} 7.7 Ly{alpha} EMITTERS IN THE COSMOS...
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universe is a useful probe of the epoch of reionization, as the Lyalpha line should be attenuated by the intergalactic medium (IGM) at low to moderate neutral hydrogen fractions. ...
Ly{alpha} EMITTERS AT z = 7 IN THE SUBARU/XMM-NEWTON DEEP SURVEY...
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This could be due to evolution of the LAE population at these epochs as a recent galaxy evolution model predicts that the LAE modestly evolves from z 5.7 to 7. However, even ...
THE END OF HELIUM REIONIZATION AT z {approx_equal} 2.7 INFERRED FROM COSMIC VARIANCE IN HST/COS He II Ly{alpha} ABSORPTION SPECTRA
Worseck, Gabor; Xavier Prochaska, J. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); McQuinn, Matthew [Department of Astronomy, University of California, 601 Campbell Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Dall'Aglio, Aldo; Wisotzki, Lutz [Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam, An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam (Germany); Fechner, Cora; Richter, Philipp [Institut fuer Physik und Astronomie, Universitaet Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24/25, 14476 Potsdam (Germany); Hennawi, Joseph F. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Reimers, Dieter, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Hamburger Sternwarte, Universitaet Hamburg, Gojenbergsweg 112, 21029 Hamburg (Germany)
We report on the detection of strongly varying intergalactic He II absorption in HST/COS spectra of two z{sub em} {approx_equal} 3 quasars. From our homogeneous analysis of the He II absorption in these and three archival sightlines, we find a marked increase in the mean He II effective optical depth from <{tau}{sub eff},He{sub ii}>{approx_equal}1 at z {approx_equal} 2.3 to <{tau}{sub eff},He{sub ii}>{approx}>5 at z {approx_equal} 3.2, but with a large scatter of 2{approx}<{tau}{sub eff},He{sub ii}{approx}<5 at 2.7 < z < 3 on scales of {approx}10 proper Mpc. This scatter is primarily due to fluctuations in the He II fraction and the He II-ionizing background, rather than density variations that are probed by the coeval H I forest. Semianalytic models of He II absorption require a strong decrease in the He II-ionizing background to explain the strong increase of the absorption at z {approx}> 2.7, probably indicating He II reionization was incomplete at z{sub reion} {approx}> 2.7. Likewise, recent three-dimensional numerical simulations of He II reionization qualitatively agree with the observed trend only if He II reionization completes at z{sub reion} {approx_equal} 2.7 or even below, as suggested by a large {tau}{sub eff},He{sub ii}{approx}>3 in two of our five sightlines at z < 2.8. By doubling the sample size at 2.7 {approx}< z {approx}< 3, our newly discovered He II sightlines for the first time probe the diversity of the second epoch of reionization when helium became fully ionized.
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Spring 2015 Henderson Hall Education and Career Fair
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Refractive index of r-cut sapphire under shock pressure range 5 to 65ŌĆēGPa
Cao, Xiuxia; Li, Jiabo; Li, Jun; Li, Xuhai; Xu, Liang; Wang, Yuan; Zhu, Wenjun; Meng, Chuanmin; Zhou, Xianming
High-pressure refractive index of optical window materials not only can provide information on electronic polarizability and band-gap structure, but also is important for velocity correction in particle-velocity measurement with laser interferometers. In this work, the refractive index of r-cut sapphire window at 1550ŌĆēnm wavelength was measured under shock pressures of 5ŌĆō65ŌĆēGPa. The refractive index (n) decreases linearly with increasing shock density (Žü) for shock stress above the Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL): nŌĆē=ŌĆē2.0485 (┬▒ 0.0197)ŌĆēŌłÆŌĆē0.0729 (┬▒ 0.0043)Žü, while n remains nearly a constant for elastic shocks. This behavior is attributed to the transition from elastic (below HEL) to heterogeneous plastic deformation (above HEL). Based on the obtained refractive index-density relationship, polarizability of the shocked sapphire was also obtained.
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The Lyman alpha reference sample. II. Hubble space telescope imaging results, integrated properties, and trends
Hayes, Matthew; ųstlin, G÷ran; Duval, Florent; Sandberg, Andreas; Guaita, Lucia; Melinder, Jens; Rivera-Thorsen, Th°ger; Adamo, Angela; Schaerer, Daniel; Verhamme, Anne; Orlitovß, Ivana; Mas-Hesse, J. Miguel; OtĒ-Floranes, Hķctor; Cannon, John M.; Pardy, Stephen; Atek, Hakim; Kunth, Daniel; Laursen, Peter; Herenz, E. Christian
We report new results regarding the Ly? output of galaxies, derived from the Lyman Alpha Reference Sample, and focused on Hubble Space Telescope imaging. For 14 galaxies we present intensity images in Ly?, H?, and UV, and maps of H?/H?, Ly? equivalent width (EW), and Ly?/H?. We present Ly? and UV radial light profiles and show they are well-fitted by Sķrsic profiles, but Ly? profiles show indices systematically lower than those of the UV (n ? 1-2 instead of ? 4). This reveals a general lack of the central concentration in Ly? that is ubiquitous in the UV. Photometric growth curves increase more slowly for Ly? than the far ultraviolet, showing that small apertures may underestimate the EW. For most galaxies, however, flux and EW curves flatten by radii ?10 kpc, suggesting that if placed at high-z only a few of our galaxies would suffer from large flux losses. We compute global properties of the sample in large apertures, and show total Ly? luminosities to be independent of all other quantities. Normalized Ly? throughput, however, shows significant correlations: escape is found to be higher in galaxies of lower star formation rate, dust content, mass, and nebular quantities that suggest harder ionizing continuum and lower metallicity. Six galaxies would be selected as high-z Ly? emitters, based upon their luminosity and EW. We discuss the results in the context of high-z Ly? and UV samples. A few galaxies have EWs above 50 ┼, and one shows f{sub esc}{sup Ly?} of 80%; such objects have not previously been reported at low-z.
Narrowband Lyman-continuum imaging of galaxies at z ? 2.85
Mostardi, R. E.; Shapley, A. E.; Nestor, D. B.; Steidel, C. C.; Trainor, R. F.; Reddy, N. A.
We present results from a survey for z ? 2.85 Lyman-continuum (LyC) emission in the HS1549+1933 field and place constraints on the amount of ionizing radiation escaping from star-forming galaxies. Using a custom narrowband filter (NB3420) tuned to wavelengths just below the Lyman limit at z ? 2.82, we probe the LyC spectral region of 49 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and 91 Ly? emitters (LAEs) spectroscopically confirmed at z ? 2.82. Four LBGs and seven LAEs are detected in NB3420. Using V-band data probing the rest-frame nonionizing UV, we observe that many NB3420-detected galaxies exhibit spatial offsets between their LyC and nonionizing UV emission and are characterized by extremely blue NB3420¢V colors, corresponding to low ratios of nonionizing to ionizing radiation (F {sub UV}/F {sub LyC}) that are in tension with current stellar population synthesis models. We measure average values of (F {sub UV}/F {sub LyC}) for our LBG and LAE samples, correcting for foreground galaxy contamination and H I absorption in the intergalactic medium. We find (F{sub UV}/F{sub LyC}){sub corr}{sup LBG}=82▒45 and (F{sub UV}/F{sub LyC}){sub corr}{sup LAE}=7.4▒3.6. These flux density ratios correspond, respectively, to relative LyC escape fractions of f{sub esc,} {sub rel}{sup LBG}=5%--8% and f{sub esc,} {sub rel}{sup LAE}=18%--49%, absolute LyC escape fractions of f{sub esc}{sup LBG}=1%--2% and f{sub esc}{sup LAE}=5%--15%, and a comoving LyC emissivity from star-forming galaxies of 8.8-15.0 ū 10{sup 24} erg s{sup ¢1} Hz{sup ¢1} Mpc{sup ¢3}. In order to study the differential properties of galaxies with and without LyC detections, we analyze narrowband Ly? imaging and rest-frame near-infrared imaging, finding that while LAEs with LyC detections have lower Ly? equivalent widths on average, there is no substantial difference in the rest-frame near-infrared colors of LBGs or LAEs with and without LyC detections. These preliminary results are consistent with an orientation-dependent model where LyC emission escapes through cleared paths in a patchy interstellar medium.
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SunShot Initiative 2014 Peer Review Report
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... Thermochemical Storage with Anhydrous Ammonia: ... that are identified by theory and transmission electron microscopy ... concise- ly describes a line of actions that allows ...
Anisotropic Lyman-alpha emission
Zheng, Zheng; Wallace, Joshua
As a result of resonant scatterings off hydrogen atoms, Ly╬▒ emission from star-forming galaxies provides a probe of the (hardly isotropic) neutral gas environment around them. We study the effect of the environmental anisotropy on the observed Ly╬▒ emission by performing radiative transfer calculations for models of neutral hydrogen clouds with prescriptions of spatial and kinematic anisotropies. The environmental anisotropy leads to corresponding anisotropy in the Ly╬▒ flux and spectral properties and induces correlations among them. The Ly╬▒ flux (or observed luminosity) depends on the viewing angle and shows an approximate correlation with the initial Ly╬▒ optical depth in the viewing direction relative to those in all other directions. The distribution of Ly╬▒ flux from a set of randomly oriented clouds is skewed to high values, providing a natural contribution to the Ly╬▒ equivalent width (EW) distribution seen in observation. A narrower EW distribution is found at a larger peak offset of the Ly╬▒ line, similar to the trend suggested in observation. The peak offset appears to correlate with the line shape (full width at half-maximum and asymmetry), pointing to a possibility of using Ly╬▒ line features alone to determine the systemic redshifts of galaxies. The study suggests that anisotropies in the spatial and kinematic distributions of neutral hydrogen can be an important ingredient in shaping the observed properties of Ly╬▒ emission from star-forming galaxies. We discuss the implications of using Ly╬▒ emission to probe the circumgalactic and intergalactic environments of galaxies.
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Silver Functionalized Silica Aerogel Matyas Josef Fryxell Glen E Robinson Matthew J Reprocessing Silver functionalized arogel Radioiodine Aging Sorption BET SEM XRD Reprocessing...
Characterization of Dry-Air Aged Granules of Silver-Functionalized...
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Silica Aerogel Matyas, Josef; Fryxell, Glen E.; Robinson, Matthew J. Reprocessing; Silver-functionalized arogel; Radioiodine; Aging; Sorption; BET; SEM; XRD...
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Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)","USDOE","Reprocessing; Silver-functionalized arogel; Radioiodine; Aging; Sorption; BET; SEM; XRD",,"This...
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phage Optimal bet hedging against local environmental collapses Maslov Sergei Brookhaven National Lab BNL Upton NY United States Sneppen Kim Univ of Copenhagen Copenhagen...
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phage: Optimal bet-hedging against local environmental collapses","Maslov, Sergei Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Sneppen, Kim Univ. of Copenhagen,...
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Experimental Investigation of Active Feedback Control of Turbulent Transport in a Magnetized Plasma
Gilmore, Mark Allen
A new and unique basic plasma science laboratory device - the HelCat device (HELicon-CAThode) - has been constructed and is operating at the University of New Mexico. HelCat is a 4 m long, 0.5 m diameter device, with magnetic field up to 2.2 kG, that has two independent plasmas sources - an RF helicon source, and a thermionic cathode. These two sources, which can operate independently or simultaneously, are capable of producing plasmas with a wide range of parameters and turbulence characteristics, well suited to a variety of basic plasma physics experiments. An extensive set of plasma diagnostics is also operating. Experiments investigating the active feedback control of turbulent transport of particles and heat via electrode biasing to affect plasma ExB flows are underway, and ongoing.
Security classification of information concerning high-energy lasers. Instruction
MacCallum, J.
The Instruction reissues Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 5210.61, April 7, 1977, to update policy and guidance, and establishes uniform criteria for the security classification of information concerning DoD programs and projects involving the research, development, test and evaluation (RDT E), application, production, and operational use of high-energy lasers (HEL), and their application for military purposes, whether as weapons or in other military systems.
Improving PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cell Power Conversion Efficiency to an NREL-Certified 4.4% (Fact Sheet)
Not Available
Transition metal oxide improves overall efficiency and maintains performance with inexpensive metals. A research team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has demonstrated that inserting a transition metal oxide (TMO) between the lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dot (QD) layer and the metal electrode eliminates the Schottky barrier that impedes efficient hole extraction and thereby improves the overall conversion efficiency. This allows for inexpensive metals such as Al to be employed without loss of performance. n-type TMOs consisting of molybdenum oxide (MoO{sub x}) and vanadium oxide (V{sub 2}O{sub x}) were used as an efficient hole extraction layer (HEL) in heterojunction ZnO/PbS QD solar cells. A 4.4% NREL-certified device was reported based on the MoO{sub x} HEL with Al as the back contact material, representing a more than 65% efficiency improvement compared with the case of Au contacting the PbS QD layer directly. The team finds the acting mechanism of the HEL to be a dipole formed at the MoO{sub x} and PbS interface, which enhances band bending to allow efficient hole extraction from the valence band of the PbS layer by MoO{sub x}. The carrier transport to the metal anode is likely enhanced through shallow gap states in the MoO{sub x} layer.
ON THE DETECTION OF IONIZING RADIATION ARISING FROM STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT REDSHIFT z {approx} 3-4: LOOKING FOR ANALOGS OF 'STELLAR RE-IONIZERS'
Vanzella, Eros; Cristiani, Stefano; Nonino, Mario; Guo Yicheng; Giavalisco, Mauro; Grazian, Andrea; Castellano, Marco; Fontana, Adriano; Giallongo, Emanuele; Pentericci, Laura; Galametz, Audrey; Dickinson, Mark; Faber, S. M.; Newman, Jeffrey; Siana, Brian D.
We use the spatially resolved, multi-band photometry in the GOODS South field acquired by the CANDELS project to constrain the nature of candidate Lyman continuum (LyC) emitters at redshift z {approx} 3.7 identified using ultradeep imaging below the Lyman limit (1{sigma} limit of Almost-Equal-To 30 AB in a 2'' diameter aperture). In 19 candidates out of a sample of 20 with flux detected at >3{sigma} level, the light centroid of the candidate LyC emission is offset from that of the Lyman break galaxy (LBG) by up to 1.''5. We fit the spectral energy distribution of the LyC candidates to spectral population synthesis models to measure photometric redshifts and the stellar population parameters. We also discuss the differences in the UV colors between the LBG and the LyC candidates, and how to estimate the escape fraction of ionizing radiation (f{sub esc}) in cases, like in most of our galaxies, where the LyC emission is spatially offset from the host galaxy. In all but one case we conclude that the candidate LyC emission is most likely due to lower redshift interlopers. Based on these findings, we argue that the majority of similar measurements reported in the literature need further investigation before it can be firmly concluded that LyC emission is detected. Our only surviving LyC candidate is an LBG at z = 3.795, which shows the bluest (B - V) color among LBGs at similar redshift, a stellar mass of M {approx} 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }, weak interstellar absorption lines, and a flat UV spectral slope with no Ly{alpha} in emission. We estimate its f{sub esc} to be in the range 25%-100%, depending on the dust and intergalactic attenuation.
Carbon Dioxide Sealing Capacity: Textural or Compositional Controls?
Cranganu, Constantin; Soleymani, Hamidreza; Sadiqua, Soleymani; Watson, Kieva
This research project is aiming to assess the carbon dioxide sealing capacity of most common seal-rocks, such as shales and non-fractured limestones, by analyzing the role of textural and compositional parameters of those rocks. We hypothesize that sealing capacity is controlled by textural and/or compositional pa-rameters of caprocks. In this research, we seek to evaluate the importance of textural and compositional parameters affecting the sealing capacity of caprocks. The conceptu-al framework involves two testable end-member hypotheses concerning the sealing ca-pacity of carbon dioxide reservoir caprocks. Better understanding of the elements controlling sealing quality will advance our knowledge regarding the sealing capacity of shales and carbonates. Due to relatively low permeability, shale and non-fractured carbonate units are considered relatively imper-meable formations which can retard reservoir fluid flow by forming high capillary pres-sure. Similarly, these unites can constitute reliable seals for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration purposes. This project is a part of the comprehensive project with the final aim of studying the caprock sealing properties and the relationship between microscopic and macroscopic characteristics of seal rocks in depleted gas fields of Oklahoma Pan-handle. Through this study we examined various seal rock characteristics to infer about their respective effects on sealing capacity in special case of replacing reservoir fluid with super critical carbon dioxide (scCO{sub 2}). To assess the effect of textural and compositional properties on scCO{sub 2} maximum reten-tion column height we collected 30 representative core samples in caprock formations in three counties (Cimarron, Texas, Beaver) in Oklahoma Panhandle. Core samples were collected from various seal formations (e.g., Cherokee, Keys, Morrowan) at different depths. We studied the compositional and textural properties of the core samples using several techniques. Mercury Injection Porosimetry (MIP), Scanning Electron Microsco-py SEM, and Sedigraph measurements are used to assess the pore-throat-size distribu-tion, sorting, texture, and grain size of the samples. Also, displacement pressure at 10% mercury saturation (Pd) and graphically derived threshold pressure (Pc) were deter-mined by MIP technique. SEM images were used for qualitative study of the minerals and pores texture of the core samples. Moreover, EDS (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spec-trometer), BET specific surface area, and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) measurements were performed to study various parameters and their possible effects on sealing capaci-ty of the samples. We found that shales have the relatively higher average sealing threshold pressure (Pc) than carbonate and sandstone samples. Based on these observations, shale formations could be considered as a promising caprock in terms of retarding scCO{sub 2} flow and leak-age into above formations. We hypothesized that certain characteristics of shales (e.g., 3 fine pore size, pore size distribution, high specific surface area, and strong physical chemical interaction between wetting phase and mineral surface) make them an effi-cient caprock for sealing super critical CO{sub 2}. We found that the displacement pressure at 10% mercury saturation could not be the ultimate representative of the sealing capacity of the rock sample. On the other hand, we believe that graphical method, introduced by Cranganu (2004) is a better indicator of the true sealing capacity. Based on statistical analysis of our samples from Oklahoma Panhandle we assessed the effects of each group of properties (textural and compositional) on maximum supercriti-cal CO{sub 2} height that can be hold by the caprock. We conclude that there is a relatively strong positive relationship (+.40 to +.69) between supercritical CO{sub 2} column height based on Pc and hard/ soft mineral content index (ratio of minerals with Mohs hardness more than 5 over minerals with Mohs hardness less than 5) in both shales and limestone samples. Average median pore radius and porosity display a strong negative correlation with supercritical CO{sub 2} retention column height. Also, increasing bulk density is positive-ly correlated with the supercritical CO{sub 2} retention column height. One of the most im-portant factors affecting sealing capacity and consequently the height of supercritical CO{sub 2} column is sorting of the pore throats. We observed a strong positive correlation be-tween pore throat sorting and height of CO{sub 2} retention column, especially in shales. This correlation could not be observed in limestone samples. It suggests that the pore throat sorting is more controlling the sealing capacity in shales and shales with well sorted pore throats are the most reliable lithology as seal. We observed that BrunauerŌĆōEmmettŌĆōTeller (BET) surface area shows a very strong correlation with CO{sub 2} retention column height in limestone samples while BET surface area did not display significant correlation in shales. Pore structure based on SEM mi-crographs exhibits strong correlation with CO{sub 2} retention column height in limestones. Both intercrystalline and vuggy structures have negative correlations while intergranu-lar texture has positive correlation in limestone with respect to CO{sub 2} retention column height. Textural effects observed on SEM micrographs did not show statistically signifi-cant correlation with supercritical CO{sub 2} retention column height in shale samples. Finally, we showed that increasing hard/soft mineral index is strongly correlated with the displacement pressure in limestone samples. Vuggy texture displays a relatively strong and negative correlation with displacement pressure values at 10% mercury satu-ration in shale samples.
Central Washington University: 2014 Engineering Technologies, Safety & Construction Fair
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Location:┬Ā400 E. University Way Ellensburg, WA 98926,┬ĀSURC BallroomPOC: Heather BainWebsite:┬Āhttp://bit.ly/1pgOpN7
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... The inhibition of PI3K-Akt activation by LY294002 significantly reduced the viral yield, including a reduction in budded viruses and occlusion bodies. The virus production was ...
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... DATE: August 14, 2001 DATE: LY 3 3OOJ PLACE: Washingon, D.C. PLACE: Lima, Peru Witnessed by John R. Hamilton Ambassador of the United States of America -6- ANNEX INTELLECTUAL ...
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Location: 614 SW 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97205, 2nd Floor Library RoomPOC: Heather BainWebsite:┬Āhttp://bit.ly/1t6XjaO
The Honorable Richard M. Daley,. Jr. 121 N.. LaSalle Street
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Social Media | Argonne National Laboratory
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Timeline Photos from Facebook More Twitter @argonne 4 hours ago Missed "What is the Brain Initiative?" Fear not, science-y goodness awaits you here @C2ST - http:bit.ly...
IES TM-30-15: Learn the Basics, See the Results
IES Method for Evaluating Light Source Color Rendition http:bit.ly1IWZxVu Optics Express journal article that provides overview of the IES method: Development of the...
HBCU College Festival sponsored by Alfred Street Baptist Church
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Location: T.C. Williams High School, 3330 King St, Alexandria, VA 22302Attendees: Rauland Sharp (HC) and Dameone Ferguson (NNSA)POC: Chester Scott┬ĀWebsite:┬Āhttp://bit.ly/1BARRqp
2013 Progress Report -- DOE Joint Genome Institute None 59 BASIC...
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bit ly JGI Vision for the Institute A central focus of this Strategic Vision is to bridge the gap between sequenced genomes and an understanding of biological functions at the...
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bit.lyJGI-Vision for the Institute. A central focus of this Strategic Vision is to bridge the gap between sequenced genomes and an understanding of biological functions at the...
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September lyGg by R. M. Hamilton, B. E. Smith and J. H. Healy Own-File R e w r t 1970 ... R. M. Hamilton, B. E : Smith, and J. 11. Healy . . . . . ' 16 February 1970 . . . . . . S ...
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drums 27,031 cubic meters Operations: First on, last out A "TRU-ly" unique waste story ... ... Working Smart: Submissions wanted Join the search for an official WIPP logo and motto ... ...
Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Bethesda Employment Education Fair
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Location: NSA Bethesda Fitness Center (Gymnasium, Bldg 17), 8901 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20889Attendees: Donna Friend (HC) and Rauland Sharp (HC)POC: Donna FriendWebsite:┬Āhttp://bit.ly/1yTjTNu
Gallaudet University Spring 2015 Career Fair
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Gallaudet University, Field House Gymnasium, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002┬ĀContact:┬ĀDOECorporateRecruitment@hq.doe.govhttp://bit.ly/1vjfWjFThis event was rescheduled due to inclement...
Black Engineering of the Year Awards and STEM Conference Career Fair
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Location:┬Ā Washington Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008Website Link: ┬Āhttp://bit.ly/1CbVvraPOC:┬Ā Dameone Ferguson (NNSA)
Nestor, Daniel B.; Shapley, Alice E.; Steidel, Charles C.; Siana, Brian
We present the results of an ultradeep, narrowband imaging survey for Lyman-continuum (LyC) emission at z {approx} 3 in the SSA22a field. We employ a custom narrowband filter centered at {lambda} = 3640 A (NB3640), which probes the LyC region for galaxies at z {>=} 3.06. We also analyze new and archival NB4980 imaging tuned to the wavelength of the Ly{alpha} emission line at z = 3.09, and archival broadband B, V, and R images of the non-ionizing UV continuum. Our NB3640 images contain 26 z {>=} 3.06 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) as well as a set of 130 Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs), identified by their excess NB4980 flux relative to the BV continuum. Six LBGs and 28 LAEs are detected in the NB3640 image. LBGs appear to span a range of NB3640-R colors, while LAEs appear bimodal in their NB3640-R properties. We estimate average UV-to-LyC flux density ratios, corrected for foreground contamination and intergalactic medium absorption, finding (F{sub UV}/F{sub LyC}){sup LBG}{sub corr} = 11.3{sup +10.3}{sub -5.4}, which implies an LBG LyC escape fraction f{sup LyC}{sub esc} {approx} 0.1, and (F{sub UV}/F{sub LyC}){sup LAE}{sub corr} = 2.2{sup +0.9}{sub -0.6}. The strikingly blue LAE flux density ratios defy interpretation in terms of standard stellar population models. Assuming (F{sub UV}/F{sub LyC}){sup LBG}{sub corr} applies down to L = 0.1L*, we estimate a galaxy contribution to the intergalactic hydrogen ionization rate that is consistent with independent estimates based on the Ly{alpha} forest opacity at z {approx_equal} 3. If we assume that (F{sub UV}/F{sub LyC}){sup LAE}{sub corr} holds at the faintest luminosities, the galaxy contribution significantly exceeds that inferred from the Ly{alpha} forest. We interpret our results in terms of a model where LyC photons escape over only {approx}10%-20% of solid angle. When advantageously oriented, a galaxy will exhibit a low UV-to-LyC ratio, an effect enhanced for more compact galaxies. This model, however, does not adequately explain the extremely blue NB3640-R colors measured for some LAEs in our sample. Further follow-up study of these faint LAEs is crucial, given the potentially important contribution similar objects make to the process of reionization.
Plasma Instabilities in Heavy Ion Collisions
Attems, M.; Rebhan, A.; Strickland, M.
Non-Abelian plasma instabilities play a crucial role in the nonequilibrium dynamics of a weakly coupled quark-gluon plasma. The Chromo-Weibel instabilities have been proposed as a possible mechanism for the fast apparent thermalization of the quark-gluon plasma and have been extensively studied in stationary anisotropic plasmas using the so-called hard-loop approximation. The generalization to the hard-expanding-loop (HEL) formalism allows the (numerical) calculation of the time evolution of gluonic mean fields in the more realistic dynamical case of anisotropic expansion.
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9,2011); Patrick Reis and Darrcu Goode, Senators hedge bets aa4eadof CSAPR vote - Second anti-reg bill to gel vote Penys debate gaffe - Acrimony hits new heights in So(yndra...
Development of precipitated iron Fischer-Tropsch catalysts. Quarterly technical progress report, April 1, 1995--June 30, 1995
Bukur, D.B.; Lang, X.; Wei, G.; Xiao, S.
Work continued on the development of catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Six catalysts were synthesised. The effects of a calcium oxide promoter were evaluated. Catalysts were characterized for pore size and BET surface area.
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Seven Ways to Optimize Your Process Heat System Seven Ways to Optimize Your Process Heat System This brief outlines the seven Best Bets for Process Heating System Savings and ...
A REFINED ESTIMATE OF THE IONIZING EMISSIVITY FROM GALAXIES AT z {approx_equal} 3: SPECTROSCOPIC FOLLOW-UP IN THE SSA22a FIELD
Nestor, Daniel B.; Shapley, Alice E.; Kornei, Katherine A.; Steidel, Charles C.; Siana, Brian
We investigate the contribution of star-forming galaxies to the ionizing background at z {approx} 3, building on previous work based on narrowband (NB3640) imaging in the SSA22a field. We use new Keck/LRIS spectra of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and narrowband-selected Ly{alpha} emitters (LAEs) to measure redshifts for 16 LBGs and 87 LAEs at z > 3.055, such that our NB3640 imaging probes the Lyman-continuum (LyC) region. When we include the existing set of spectroscopically confirmed LBGs, our total sample with z > 3.055 consists of 41 LBGs and 91 LAEs, of which 9 LBGs and 20 LAEs are detected in our NB3640 image. With our combined imaging and spectroscopic data sets, we critically investigate the origin of NB3640 emission for detected LBGs and LAEs. We remove from our samples three LBGs and three LAEs with spectroscopic evidence of contamination of their NB3640 flux by foreground galaxies and statistically model the effects of additional, unidentified foreground contaminants. The resulting contamination and LyC-detection rates, respectively, are 62% {+-} 13% and 8% {+-} 3% for our LBG sample, and 47% {+-} 10% and 12% {+-} 2% for our LAE sample. The corresponding ratios of non-ionizing UV to LyC flux density, corrected for intergalactic medium (IGM) attenuation, are 18.0{sup +34.8} {sub -7.4} for LBGs and 3.7{sup +2.5} {sub -1.1} for LAEs. We use these ratios to estimate the total contribution of star-forming galaxies to the ionizing background and the hydrogen photoionization rate in the IGM, finding values larger than, but consistent with, those measured in the Ly{alpha} forest. Finally, the measured UV to LyC flux-density ratios imply model-dependent LyC escape fractions of f {sup LyC} {sub esc} {approx} 5%-7% for our LBG sample and f {sup LyC} {sub esc} {approx} 10%-30% for our fainter LAE sample.
The mystery of spectral breaks: Lyman continuum absorption by photon-photon pair production in the Fermi GeV spectra of bright blazars
Stern, Boris E. [Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt 60-letiya Oktyabrya 7a, Moscow 117312 (Russian Federation); Poutanen, Juri, E-mail: email@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com [Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku, Võisõlõntie 20, FI-21500 Piikki÷ (Finland)
We re-analyze Fermi/LAT ?-ray spectra of bright blazars using the new Pass 7 version of the detector response files and detect breaks at ?5 GeV in the rest-frame spectra of 3C 454.3 and possibly also 4C +21.35, associated with the photon-photon pair production absorption by the He II Lyman continuum (LyC). We also detect significant breaks at ?20 GeV associated with hydrogen LyC in both the individual spectra and the stacked redshift-corrected spectrum of several bright blazars. The detected breaks in the stacked spectra univocally prove that they are associated with atomic ultraviolet emission features of the quasar broad-line region (BLR). The dominance of the absorption by the hydrogen Ly complex over He II, a small detected optical depth, and break energy consistent with head-on collisions with LyC photons imply that the ?-ray emission site is located within the BLR, but most of the BLR emission comes from a flat disk-like structure producing little opacity. Alternatively, the LyC emission region size might be larger than the BLR size measured from reverberation mapping, and/or the ?-ray emitting region is extended. These solutions would resolve the long-standing issue of how the multi-hundred GeV photons can escape from the emission zone without being absorbed by softer photons.
Influence of Lymphatic Invasion on Locoregional Recurrence Following Mastectomy: Indication for Postmastectomy Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer Patients With One to Three Positive Nodes
Matsunuma, Ryoichi; Oguchi, Masahiko; Fujikane, Tomoko; Matsuura, Masaaki; Sakai, Takehiko; Kimura, Kiyomi; Morizono, Hidetomo; Iijima, Kotaro; Izumori, Ayumi; Miyagi, Yumi; Nishimura, Seiichiro; Makita, Masujiro; Gomi, Naoya; Horii, Rie; Akiyama, Futoshi; Iwase, Takuji
Purpose: The indication for postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in breast cancer patients with one to three positive lymph nodes has been in discussion. The purpose of this study was to identify patient groups for whom PMRT may be indicated, focusing on varied locoregional recurrence rates depending on lymphatic invasion (ly) status. Methods and Materials: Retrospective analysis of 1,994 node-positive patients who had undergone mastectomy without postoperative radiotherapy between January 1990 and December 2000 at our hospital was performed. Patient groups for whom PMRT should be indicated were assessed using statistical tests based on the relationship between locoregional recurrence rate and ly status. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that the ly status affected the locoregional recurrence rate to as great a degree as the number of positive lymph nodes (p < 0.001). Especially for patients with one to three positive nodes, extensive ly was a more significant factor than stage T3 in the TNM staging system for locoregional recurrence (p < 0.001 vs. p = 0.295). Conclusion: Among postmastectomy patients with one to three positive lymph nodes, patients with extensive ly seem to require local therapy regimens similar to those used for patients with four or more positive nodes and also seem to require consideration of the use of PMRT.
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a n a u r y 2 0 1 5 * Vo l 2 , Is s u e 3 When you A B S O LU T E LY P O S I T I V E LY have to get it right 2 w w w. s a n d i a . g o v Sandia Research is a quarterly magazine published by Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia is a multiprogram engi- neering and science laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy. With main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California, Sandia has research and development
Kollmeier, Juna A. [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Weinberg, David H.; McEwen, Joseph [Astronomy Department and CCAPP, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Oppenheimer, Benjamin D.; Danforth, Charles [Astronomy Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Haardt, Francesco [Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, UniversitÓ dell'Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, I-22100 Como (Italy); Katz, Neal; Fardal, Mark [Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Davķ, Romeel [University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town 7535 (South Africa); Madau, Piero [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Ford, Amanda B. [Astronomy Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Peeples, Molly S., E-mail: email@example.com [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
We examine the statistics of the low-redshift Ly? forest from smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations in light of recent improvements in the estimated evolution of the cosmic ultraviolet background (UVB) and recent observations from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). We find that the value of the metagalactic photoionization rate (?{sub HI}) required by our simulations to match the observed properties of the low-redshift Ly? forest is a factor of five larger than the value predicted by state-of-the art models for the evolution of this quantity. This mismatch in ?{sub HI} results in the mean flux decrement of the Ly? forest being overpredicted by at least a factor of two (a 10? discrepancy with observations) and a column density distribution of Ly? forest absorbers systematically and significantly elevated compared to observations over nearly two decades in column density. We examine potential resolutions to this mismatch and find that either conventional sources of ionizing photons (galaxies and quasars) must contribute considerably more than current observational estimates or our theoretical understanding of the low-redshift universe is in need of substantial revision.
"Ask Argonne" - Charlie Catlett, Computer Scientist, Part 2
Catlett, Charlie
A few weeks back, computer scientist Charlie Catlett talked a bit about the work he does and invited questions from the public during Part 1 of his "Ask Argonne" video set (http://bit.ly/1joBtzk). In Part 2, he answers some of the questions that were submitted. Enjoy!
"Ask Argonne" - Robert Jacob, Climate Scientist, Part 2
Jacob, Robert
Previously, climate scientist Robert Jacob talked a bit about the work he does and invited questions from the public during Part 1 of his "Ask Argonne" video set (http://bit.ly/1aK6WDv). In Part 2, he answers some of the questions that were submitted.
"Ask Argonne" - Robert Jacob, Climate Scientist, Part 2
Jacob, Robert
Previously, climate scientist Robert Jacob talked a bit about the work he does and invited questions from the public during Part 1 of his "Ask Argonne" video set (http://bit.ly/1aK6WDv). In Part 2, he answers some of the questions that were submitted.
"Ask Argonne" - Charlie Catlett, Computer Scientist, Part 2
Catlett, Charlie
A few weeks back, computer scientist Charlie Catlett talked a bit about the work he does and invited questions from the public during Part 1 of his "Ask Argonne" video set (http://bit.ly/1joBtzk). In Part 2, he answers some of the questions that were submitted. Enjoy!
Tailoring surface properties and structure of layered double hydroxides using silanes with different number of functional groups
Tao, Qi; He, Hongping; Li, Tian; Frost, Ray L.; Zhang, Dan; He, Zisen
Four silanes, trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS), dimethyldiethoxylsilane (DMDES), 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), were adopted to graft layered double hydroxides (LDH) via an induced hydrolysis silylation method (IHS). Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and {sup 29}Si MAS nuclear magnetic resonance spectra ({sup 29}Si MAS NMR) indicated that APTES and TEOS can be grafted onto LDH surfaces via condensation with hydroxyl groups of LDH, while TMCS and DMDES could only be adsorbed on the LDH surface with a small quantity. A combination of X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) and {sup 29}Si MAS NMR spectra showed that silanes were exclusively present in the external surface and had little influence on the long range order of LDH. The surfactant intercalation experiment indicated that the adsorbed and/or grafted silane could not fix the interlamellar spacing of the LDH. However, they will form crosslink between the particles and affect the further surfactant intercalation in the silylated samples. The replacement of water by ethanol in the tactoids and/or aggregations and the polysiloxane oligomers formed during silylation procedure can dramatically increase the value of BET surface area (S{sub BET}) and total pore volumes (V{sub p}) of the products. - Graphical abstract: The replacement of water by ethanol in the tactoids and aggregations of LDHs, and the polysiloxane oligomers formed during silylation process can dramatically increase the BET surface area (S{sub BET}) and the total pore volume (V{sub p}) of the silylated products. - Highlights: Ģ Silanes with multifunctional groups were grafted onto LDH surface in C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OH medium. Ģ The number of hydrolysable groups in silanes affects the structure of grafted LDH. Ģ Replacement of H{sub 2}O by C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OH in aggregations increases S{sub BET} and V{sub p} of grafted LDH. Ģ Polysiloxane oligomers contribute to the increase of S{sub BET} and V{sub p} of grafted LDH.
VP 100: Growth in solar means growth in Ohio | Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Indexed Site
Growth in solar means growth in Ohio VP 100: Growth in solar means growth in Ohio October 6, 2010 - 10:57am Addthis DuPont is betting on major growth in the market for solar energy -- and therefore for its Tedlar film, a durable backing for silicon solar panels. | Photo Courtesy of DuPont DuPont is betting on major growth in the market for solar energy -- and therefore for its Tedlar film, a durable backing for silicon solar panels. | Photo Courtesy of DuPont Lorelei Laird Writer, Energy
Inquiring Minds - Questions About Physics
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Fermilab's Antimatter Production Rate What is Fermilab's current rate of production of antimatter, and what is its prospective growth over the next several years? I have a bet with one of my co-workers that Fermilab has a higher production rate of antimatter than CERN. Is this true? Steve Steve, I think you'll win your bet with regard to antimatter production at CERN and Fermilab. I contacted Dave McGinnis, head of our Antiproton Source group, and he had the following numbers for me: Since
A SPECTROSCOPIC SEARCH FOR LEAKING LYMAN CONTINUUM AT z {approx} 0.7
Bridge, Carrie R.; Siana, Brian; Salvato, Mara; Rudie, Gwen C.; Teplitz, Harry I.; Scarlata, Claudia; Colbert, James; Armus, Lee; Conselice, Christopher J.; Ferguson, Henry C.; Brown, Thomas M.; Giavalisco, Mauro; De Mello, Duilia F.; Gardner, Jonathan P.
We present the results of rest-frame, UV slitless spectroscopic observations of a sample of 32 z {approx} 0.7 Lyman break galaxy (LBG) analogs in the COSMOS field. The spectroscopic search was performed with the Solar Blind Channel on the Hubble Space Telescope. We report the detection of leaking Lyman continuum (LyC) radiation from an active galactic nucleus-starburst composite. While we find no direct detections of LyC emission in the remainder of our sample, we achieve individual lower limits (3{sigma}) of the observed non-ionizing UV-to-LyC flux density ratios, f{sub {nu}} (1500 A)/f{sub {nu}}(830 A) of 20 to 204 (median of 73.5) and 378.7 for the stack. Assuming an intrinsic Lyman break of 3.4 and an intergalactic medium transmission of LyC photons along the line of sight to the galaxy of 85%, we report an upper limit for the relative escape fraction in individual galaxies of 0.02-0.19 and a stacked 3{sigma} upper limit of 0.01. We find no indication of a relative escape fraction near unity as seen in some LBGs at z {approx} 3. Our UV spectra achieve the deepest limits to date at any redshift for the escape fraction in individual sources. The contrast between these z {approx} 0.7 low escape fraction LBG analogs with z {approx} 3 LBGs suggests that either the processes conducive to high f{sub esc} are not being selected for in the z {approx}< 1 samples or the average escape fraction is decreasing from z {approx} 3 to z {approx} 1. We discuss possible mechanisms that could affect the escape of LyC photons.
LANL: AOT & LANSCE The Pulse October 2010
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0 Los Alamos National Laboratory * Est. 1943 The Pulse-Newsletter of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and Accelerator Operations and Technology Division I N S I D E 2 From Alex's Desk 3 Probing locAl DiPoles AnD ligAnD structure in bAti0 3 nAno- PArticles 4 lAnsce helPs to reveAl the First structurAl DetAils oF An hiv-relAteD Protein 5 lujAn center reseArcher rec- ognizeD At AnnuAl technology trAnsFer ceremony 6 heADs uP! continued on page 3 Fredrik Tovesson On track to a better
Shock response of He bubbles in single crystal Cu
Li, B.; Wang, L.; E, J. C.; Luo, S. N.; Ma, H. H.
With large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate shock response of He nanobubbles in single crystal Cu. For sufficient bubble size or internal pressure, a prismatic dislocation loop may form around a bubble in unshocked Cu. The internal He pressure helps to stabilize the bubble against plastic deformation. However, the prismatic dislocation loops may partially heal but facilitate nucleation of new shear and prismatic dislocation loops. For strong shocks, the internal pressure also impedes internal jetting, while a bubble assists local melting; a high speed jet breaks a He bubble into pieces dispersed among Cu. Near-surface He bubbles may burst and form high velocity ejecta containing atoms and small fragments, while the ejecta velocities do not follow the three-dimensional Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions expected for thermal equilibrium. The biggest fragment size deceases with increasing shock strength. With a decrease in ligament thickness or an increase in He bubble size, the critical shock strength required for bubble bursting decreases, while the velocity range, space extension and average velocity component along the shock direction, increase. Small bubbles are more efficient in mass ejecting. Compared to voids and perfect single crystal Cu, He bubbles have pronounced effects on shock response including bubble/void collapse, Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL), deformation mechanisms, and surface jetting. HEL is the highest for perfect single crystal Cu with the same orientations, followed by He bubbles without pre-existing prismatic dislocation loops, and then voids. Complete void collapse and shear dislocations occur for embedded voids, as opposed to partial collapse, and shear and possibly prismatic dislocations for He bubbles. He bubbles lower the threshhold shock strength for ejecta formation, and increase ejecta velocity and ejected mass.
Study of hydrocarbon: shale interaction. Progress report No. 16, October 1-December 31, 1979 and January 1-March 31, 1980
Schettler, P.D. Jr.; Wampler, D.L.
Data and interpretations relating the physical chemistry of Devonian shale to the productivity of natural gas wells are presented in this report. Specifically, methane isotherms, helium porosity, BET, and permeability and diffusion data are presented at pressures ranging up to 1000 psi. Use of the data in productivity calculations and resource estimation has been the subject of other reports in this series.
Excitation wavelength dependence of water-window line emissions from boron-nitride laser-produced plasmas
Crank, M.; Harilal, S. S.; Hassan, S. M.; Hassanein, A.
We investigated the effects of laser excitation wavelength on water-window emission lines of laser-produced boron-nitride plasmas. Plasmas are produced by focusing 1064 nm and harmonically generated 532 and 266 nm radiation from a Nd:YAG laser on BN target in vacuum. Soft x-ray emission lines in the water-window region are recorded using a grazing-incidence spectrograph. Filtered photodiodes are used to obtain complementary data for water-window emission intensity and angular dependence. Spectral emission intensity changes in nitrogen Ly-{alpha} and He-{alpha} are used to show how laser wavelength affects emission. Our results show that the relative intensity of spectral lines is laser wavelength dependent, with the ratio of Ly-{alpha} to He-{alpha} emission intensity decreasing as laser wavelength is shortened. Filtered photodiode measurements of angular dependence showed that 266 and 532 nm laser wavelengths produce uniform emission.
Theoretical model for plasma expansion generated by hypervelocity impact
Ju, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Qingming Zhang, Dongjiang; Long, Renrong; Chen, Li; Huang, Fenglei; Gong, Zizheng
The hypervelocity impact experiments of spherical LY12 aluminum projectile diameter of 6.4?mm on LY12 aluminum target thickness of 23?mm have been conducted using a two-stage light gas gun. The impact velocity of the projectile is 5.2, 5.7, and 6.3?km/s, respectively. The experimental results show that the plasma phase transition appears under the current experiment conditions, and the plasma expansion consists of accumulation, equilibrium, and attenuation. The plasma characteristic parameters decrease as the plasma expands outward and are proportional with the third power of the impact velocity, i.e., (T{sub e}, n{sub e})???v{sub p}{sup 3}. Based on the experimental results, a theoretical model on the plasma expansion is developed and the theoretical results are consistent with the experimental data.
2013 Progress Report -- DOE Joint Genome Institute (Program Document) |
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SciTech Connect Program Document: 2013 Progress Report -- DOE Joint Genome Institute Citation Details In-Document Search Title: 2013 Progress Report -- DOE Joint Genome Institute In October 2012, we introduced a 10-Year Strategic Vision [http://bit.ly/JGI-Vision] for the Institute. A central focus of this Strategic Vision is to bridge the gap between sequenced genomes and an understanding of biological functions at the organism and ecosystem level. This involves the continued massive-scale
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32 0163-6804/11/$25.00 ┬® 2011 IEEE INTRODUCTION A grid network is a collection of geographical- ly distributed resources, such as storage clus- ters, supercomputers, and scientific equipment, that are accessible to users over a network. Examples of e-Science grids include the Large Hadron Collider Computing Grid Project, the Biomedical Informatics Research Network, and the George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering and Simulation. These networks typically deal with the trans- fer of
2013 Science Bowl | Princeton Plasma Physics Lab
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SciTech Connect Program Document: 2013 Progress Report -- DOE Joint Genome Institute Citation Details In-Document Search Title: 2013 Progress Report -- DOE Joint Genome Institute In October 2012, we introduced a 10-Year Strategic Vision [http://bit.ly/JGI-Vision] for the Institute. A central focus of this Strategic Vision is to bridge the gap between sequenced genomes and an understanding of biological functions at the organism and ecosystem level. This involves the continued massive-scale
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AECU - 785 THE EFFECT OF ELECTRONIC PARAMAGNETISM ON NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE FREQUENCIES IN METALS By C. H. Townes Conyers Herring W. D. Knig^it Columbia University Bell Telephone Laboratories Trinity College Tochnicai Information Division, ORE, Oak Ridgo, Tonnossoo J^ This document is FUBLK:LY RELEASABLF //> [\AAUMJ DISCLAIMER This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency Thereof,
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J U LY 2 9 - AU G U S T 2 , 2 0 1 3 Bloodstain Pattern Analysis on Fabrics This advanced level course is designed for practitioners who routinely examine bloodstained fabrics and other textiles and are required to assess, interpret and report on bloodstain patterns as part of those examinations. The course builds upon fundamental knowledge of the forensic discipline of BPA and is designed to facilitate an improved level of examination, interpretation and reporting with respect to those
Rhoads, James E.; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Cohen, Seth; Zheng Zhenya; Stern, Daniel; Dickinson, Mark; Pirzkal, Norbert; Grogin, Norman; Koekemoer, Anton; Peth, Michael A.; Spinrad, Hyron; Reddy, Naveen; Hathi, Nimish; Budavari, Tamas; Ferreras, Ignacio; Gardner, Jonathan P.; Gronwall, Caryl; Haiman, Zoltan; Kuemmel, Martin; Meurer, Gerhardt; and others
We present observations of a luminous galaxy at z = 6.573-the end of the reionization epoch-which has been spectroscopically confirmed twice. The first spectroscopic confirmation comes from slitless Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys grism spectra from the PEARS survey (Probing Evolution And Reionization Spectroscopically), which show a dramatic continuum break in the spectrum at rest frame 1216 A. The second confirmation is done with Keck + DEIMOS. The continuum is not clearly detected with ground-based spectra, but high wavelength resolution enables the Ly{alpha} emission line profile to be determined. We compare the line profile to composite line profiles at z = 4.5. The Ly{alpha} line profile shows no signature of a damping wing attenuation, confirming that the intergalactic gas is ionized at z = 6.57. Spectra of Lyman breaks at yet higher redshifts will be possible using comparably deep observations with IR-sensitive grisms, even at redshifts where Ly{alpha} is too attenuated by the neutral intergalactic medium to be detectable using traditional spectroscopy from the ground.
Mechanism and computational model for Lyman-{alpha}-radiation generation by high-intensity-laser four-wave mixing in Kr-Ar gas
Louchev, Oleg A.; Saito, Norihito; Wada, Satoshi; Bakule, Pavel; Yokoyama, Koji; Ishida, Katsuhiko; Iwasaki, Masahiko
We present a theoretical model combined with a computational study of a laser four-wave mixing process under optical discharge in which the non-steady-state four-wave amplitude equations are integrated with the kinetic equations of initial optical discharge and electron avalanche ionization in Kr-Ar gas. The model is validated by earlier experimental data showing strong inhibition of the generation of pulsed, tunable Lyman-{alpha} (Ly-{alpha}) radiation when using sum-difference frequency mixing of 212.6 nm and tunable infrared radiation (820-850 nm). The rigorous computational approach to the problem reveals the possibility and mechanism of strong auto-oscillations in sum-difference resonant Ly-{alpha} generation due to the combined effect of (i) 212.6-nm (2+1)-photon ionization producing initial electrons, followed by (ii) the electron avalanche dominated by 843-nm radiation, and (iii) the final breakdown of the phase matching condition. The model shows that the final efficiency of Ly-{alpha} radiation generation can achieve a value of {approx}5x10{sup -4} which is restricted by the total combined absorption of the fundamental and generated radiation.
A DEEP HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SEARCH FOR ESCAPING LYMAN CONTINUUM FLUX AT z {approx} 1.3: EVIDENCE FOR AN EVOLVING IONIZING EMISSIVITY
Siana, Brian; Bridge, Carrie R.; Teplitz, Harry I.; Chary, Ranga-Ram; Colbert, James W.; Scarlata, Claudia; Ferguson, Henry C.; Brown, Thomas M.; Giavalisco, Mauro; Dickinson, Mark; De Mello, Duilia F.; Conselice, Christopher J.; Gardner, Jonathan P.
We have obtained deep Hubble Space Telescope far-UV images of 15 starburst galaxies at z {approx} 1.3 in the GOODS fields to search for escaping Lyman continuum (LyC) photons. These are the deepest far-UV images (m{sub AB} = 28.7, 3{sigma}, 1'' diameter) over this large an area (4.83 arcmin{sup 2}) and provide some of the best escape fraction constraints for any galaxies at any redshift. We do not detect any individual galaxies, with 3{sigma} limits to the LyC ({approx}700 A) flux 50-149 times fainter (in f{sub {nu}}) than the rest-frame UV (1500 A) continuum fluxes. Correcting for the mean intergalactic medium (IGM) attenuation (factor {approx}2), as well as an intrinsic stellar Lyman break (factor {approx}3), these limits translate to relative escape fraction limits of f{sub esc,rel} < [0.03, 0.21]. The stacked limit is f{sub esc,rel}(3{sigma}) < 0.02. We use a Monte Carlo simulation to properly account for the expected distribution of line-of-sight IGM opacities. When including constraints from previous surveys at z {approx} 1.3 we find that, at the 95% confidence level, no more than 8% of star-forming galaxies at z {approx} 1.3 can have relative escape fractions greater than 0.50. Alternatively, if the majority of galaxies have low, but non-zero, escaping LyC, the escape fraction cannot be more than 0.04. In light of some evidence for strong LyC emission from UV-faint regions of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z {approx} 3, we also stack sub-regions of our galaxies with different surface brightnesses and detect no significant LyC flux at the f{sub esc,rel} < 0.03 level. Both the stacked limits and the limits from the Monte Carlo simulation suggest that the average ionizing emissivity (relative to non-ionizing UV emissivity) at z {approx} 1.3 is significantly lower than has been observed in LBGs at z {approx} 3. If the ionizing emissivity of star-forming galaxies is in fact increasing with redshift, it would help to explain the high photoionization rates seen in the IGM at z>4 and reionization of the IGM at z>6.
Plastic flow modeling in glassy polymers
Clements, Brad
Glassy amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers exhibit strong rate, temperature, and pressure dependent polymeric yield. As a rule of thumb, in uniaxial compression experiments the yield stress increases with the loading rate and applied pressure, and decreases as the temperature increases. Moreover, by varying the loading state itself complex yield behavior can be observed. One example that illustrates this complexity is that most polymers in their glassy regimes (i.e., when the temperature is below their characteristic glass transition temperature) exhibit very pronounced yield in their uniaxial stress stress-strain response but very nebulous yield in their uniaxial strain response. In uniaxial compression, a prototypical glassy-polymer stress-strain curve has a stress plateau, often followed by softening, and upon further straining, a hardening response. Uniaxial compression experiments of this type are typically done from rates of 10{sup -5} s{sup -1} up to about 1 s{sup -1}. At still higher rates, say at several thousands per second as determined from Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar experiments, the yield can again be measured and is consistent with the above rule of thumb. One might expect that that these two sets of experiments should allow for a successful extrapolation to yet higher rates. A standard means to probe high rates (on the order of 105-107 S-I) is to use a uniaxial strain plate impact experiment. It is well known that in plate impact experiments on metals that the yield stress is manifested in a well-defined Hugoniot Elastic Limit (HEL). In contrast however, when plate impact experiments are done on glassy polymers, the HEL is arguably not observed, let alone observed at the stress estimated by extrapolating from the lower strain rate experiments. One might argue that polymer yield is still active but somehow masked by the experiment. After reviewing relevant experiments, we attempt to address this issue. We begin by first presenting our recently developed glassy polymer model. While polymers are well known for their non-equilibrium deviatoric behavior we have found the need for incorporating both equilibrium and non-equilibrium volumetric behavior into our theory. Experimental evidence supporting the notion of non-equilibrium volumetric behavior will be summarized. Our polymer yield model accurately captures the stress plateau, softening and hardening and its yield stress predictions agree well with measured values for several glassy polymers including PMMA, PC, and an epoxy resin. We then apply our theory to plate impact experiments in an attempt to address the questions associated with high rate polymer yield in uniaxial strain configurations.
Synthesis and characterization of WO{sub 3} nanostructures prepared by an aged-hydrothermal method
Huirache-Acuna, R.; Paraguay-Delgado, F.; Albiter, M.A.; Lara-Romero, J.; Martinez-Sanchez, R.
Nanostructures of tungsten trioxide (WO{sub 3}) have been successfully synthesized by using an aged route at low temperature (60 deg. C) followed by a hydrothermal method at 200 deg. C for 48 h under well controlled conditions. The material was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Specific Surface Area (S{sub BET}) were measured by using the BET method. The lengths of the WO{sub 3} nanostructures obtained are between 30 and 200 nm and their diameters are from 20 to 70 nm. The growth direction of the tungsten oxide nanostructures was determined along [010] axis with an inter-planar distance of 0.38 nm.
NercEnergy, Author at Nercenergy
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Author: NercEnergy Tips for Understanding the Relationship Between a Web Application and SLAs At the heart of any Service Level Agreement is the descriptions of the services you provided as well as the expectations a customer and business have regarding their work relationship. This is carried out by defining specific metrics regarding how parameters are measured as well as any and all guarantees. Generally, an SLA is a contract between a company and a customer, but it may also bet between
Programming Archives - Nercenergy
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Programming Tips for Understanding the Relationship Between a Web Application and SLAs At the heart of any Service Level Agreement is the descriptions of the services you provided as well as the expectations a customer and business have regarding their work relationship. This is carried out by defining specific metrics regarding how parameters are measured as well as any and all guarantees. Generally, an SLA is a contract between a company and a customer, but it may also bet between different
Web Application Monitoring Archives - Nercenergy
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Monitoring Tips for Understanding the Relationship Between a Web Application and SLAs At the heart of any Service Level Agreement is the descriptions of the services you provided as well as the expectations a customer and business have regarding their work relationship. This is carried out by defining specific metrics regarding how parameters are measured as well as any and all guarantees. Generally, an SLA is a contract between a company and a customer, but it may also bet between different
JavaScript Archives - Nercenergy
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JavaScript Tips for Understanding the Relationship Between a Web Application and SLAs At the heart of any Service Level Agreement is the descriptions of the services you provided as well as the expectations a customer and business have regarding their work relationship. This is carried out by defining specific metrics regarding how parameters are measured as well as any and all guarantees. Generally, an SLA is a contract between a company and a customer, but it may also bet between different
Coupling a Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle to a Helium-Cooled Reactor.
Middleton, Bobby; Pasch, James Jay; Kruizenga, Alan Michael; Walker, Matthew
This report outlines the thermodynamics of a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) recompression closed Brayton cycle (RCBC) coupled to a Helium-cooled nuclear reactor. The baseline reactor design for the study is the AREVA High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR). Using the AREVA HTGR nominal operating parameters, an initial thermodynamic study was performed using Sandia's deterministic RCBC analysis program. Utilizing the output of the RCBC thermodynamic analysis, preliminary values of reactor power and of Helium flow rate through the reactor were calculated in Sandia's HelCO2 code. Some research regarding materials requirements was then conducted to determine aspects of corrosion related to both Helium and to sCO2 , as well as some mechanical considerations for pressures and temperatures that will be seen by the piping and other components. This analysis resulted in a list of materials-related research items that need to be conducted in the future. A short assessment of dry heat rejection advantages of sCO2> Brayton cycles was also included. This assessment lists some items that should be investigated in the future to better understand how sCO2 Brayton cycles and nuclear can maximally contribute to optimizing the water efficiency of carbon free power generation
Intergalactic medium emission observations with the cosmic web imager. I. The circum-QSO medium of QSO 1549+19, and evidence for a filamentary gas inflow
Martin, D. Christopher; Chang, Daphne; Matuszewski, Matt; Morrissey, Patrick; Rahman, Shahin; Moore, Anna; Steidel, Charles C.
The Palomar Cosmic Web Imager (PCWI), an integral field spectrograph designed to detect and map low surface brightness emission, has obtained imaging spectroscopic maps of Ly? from the circum-QSO medium (CQM) of QSO HS1549+19 at redshift z = 2.843. Extensive extended emission is detected from the CQM, consistent with fluorescent and pumped Ly? produced by the ionizing and Ly? continuum of the QSO. Many features present in PCWI spectral images match those detected in narrow-band images. Filamentary structures with narrow line profiles are detected in several cases as long as 250-400 kpc. One of these is centered at a velocity redshifted with respect to the systemic velocity, and displays a spatially collimated and kinematically cold line profile increasing in velocity width approaching the QSO. This suggests that the filament gas is infalling onto the QSO, perhaps in a cold accretion flow. Because of the strong ionizing flux, the neutral column density is low, typically N(H I)?10{sup 12}--10{sup 15} cm{sup ?2}, and the line center optical depth is also low (typically ?{sub 0} < 10), insufficient to display well separated double peak emission characteristic of higher line optical depths. With a simple ionization and cloud model we can very roughly estimate the total gas mass (log M {sub gas} = 12.5 ▒ 0.5) and the total (log M {sub tot} = 13.3 ▒ 0.5). We can also calculate a kinematic mass from the total line profile (2 ū 10{sup 13} M {sub ?}), which agrees with the mass estimated from the gas emission. The intensity-binned spectrum of the CQM shows a progression in kinematic properties consistent with heirarchical structure formation.
Giordano, S.; Raymond, J. C.; Lamy, P.; Uzzo, M.; Dobrzycka, D.
Comet C/2002 S2, a member of the Kreutz family of sungrazing comets, was discovered in white-light images of the Large Angle and Spectromeric Coronagraph Experiment coronagraph on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on 2002 September 18 and observed in H I Ly? emission by the SOHO Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) instrument at four different heights as it approached the Sun. The H I Ly? line profiles detected by UVCS are analyzed to determine the spectral parameters: line intensity, width, and Doppler shift with respect to the coronal background. Two-dimensional comet images of these parameters are reconstructed at the different heights. A novel aspect of the observations of this sungrazing comet data is that, whereas the emission from most of the tail is blueshifted, that along one edge of the tail is redshifted. We attribute these shifts to a combination of solar wind speed and interaction with the magnetic field. In order to use the comet to probe the density, temperature, and speed of the corona and solar wind through which it passes, as well as to determine the outgassing rate of the comet, we develop a Monte Carlo simulation of the H I Ly? emission of a comet moving through a coronal plasma. From the outgassing rate, we estimate a nucleus diameter of about 9 m. This rate steadily increases as the comet approaches the Sun, while the optical brightness decreases by more than a factor of 10 and suddenly recovers. This indicates that the optical brightness is determined by the lifetimes of the grains, sodium atoms, and molecules produced by the comet.
NREL Analysis Insights: Renewable Energy On The Grid, Redefining What's Possible (Brochure), NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
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3367 A P R I L 2 0 1 5 A N A LY S I S I N S I G H T S RENEWABLE ENERGY ON THE GRID Redefining What's Possible 2 RENEWABLE ENERGY ON THE GRID Environmental regulations, state-level portfolio standards, new methods for accessing natural gas reserves and aging power plants are opening opportunities for new electricity generation from renewable resources and natural gas. Advances in efficiency and smart grid technologies also have the potential to change historical demand curves. New renewable
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Thermal Neutron Capture Evaluated Data Measurements 1975SM02: 13C(n, ╬│); measured atomic mass. 1981MUZU: 13C(n, ╬│), E = thermal; measured Žā(capture), ratio. 14C level deduced spectroscopic factor. 1982MU14: 13C(n, ╬│), E = thermal; measured Žā(E╬│), I╬│; deduced capture mechanism. 1987LY01, 1987LYZY: 13C(n, ╬│), E = thermal; calculated capture Žā. 1990RA03: 13C(n, ╬│), E = resonance; measured E╬│, I╬│. 14C levels deduced partial, total ╬ō╬│. Valence capture mechanism. 1992JUZZ: 13C(n, ╬│);
One West Third Street Tulsa Oklahoma
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LaKesha Robertson Administrative Technician WNT Contractor Jonesboro Special thanks to: Pat Boone Ruben Garcia Larry Harp Darlene Low Jerry Martin Beth Nielsen Jim Sherwood Rutha Williams Jon Worthington U P D AT E S O U T H W E S T E R N P O W E R A D M I N I S T R A T I O N J U LY - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 4 Southwestern Honored for Outstanding E-Government In a ceremony held August 4, 2004 at Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham
One West Third Street Tulsa Oklahoma
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Conley Jennings Lineman Springfield, MO Special thanks to: Marshall Boyken Mike Deihl Ruben Garcia Bethel Herrold William Hiller Beth Nielsen George Robbins Gary Swartzlander Cris Van Horn Rutha Williams Jan Woolverton U P D AT E S O U T H W E S T E R N P O W E R A D M I N I S T R A T I O N J U LY - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 5 Strategic Workshop Unites Hydropower Community At the invitation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Federal power customers joined representatives of the Corps,
DOE Loan Programs Office Update
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N S O L I C I TAT I O N S | A P P LY N O W IN THIS UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2015 SUPPORTING THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY UPDATED ATVM LOAN PROGRAM GUIDANCE NEW GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS WORKSHEET CURRENT OPEN SOLICITATIONS SUPPORTING THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY Last month, President Obama underscored the importance of innovation in the American auto industry during his visit to one of the many factories upgraded with a $5.9 billion loan to the Ford Motor Company through the Advanced Technology
Office of Legacy Management (LM)
-., * : . ; * c i. :i; $i 4 5 ' I jr 1 ly i *- 1 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT Region I Report No. 078-154-A - Part1 of 2 Subject: Radioactive Material in Norton, Massachusetts Uncontrolled ' :-- . . . _ > Location, Investigation at: Norton and Attleboro, Massachusetts Investigation conducted: November 14, 28-30; December 1, 7, 8, 21, 1978; January 9-12, 1978 Investigators: ?-9,7G Phys'ical Security-Inspector I dati sibntd rl,puet ryyl Ilty Inspector
Inverse Design of Mn-based ternary p-type wide-gap oxides
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ZnO is an important prototypical wide-gap oxide semiconductor. The discrepancy between band- structure theory and ARPES is removed by a correction for the Zn-d band energy in GW calculations. Significance and Impact The present approach improves the capability for property prediction and design of energy materials. Benchmarking Band-Structure Calculations Against Angular-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES) for ZnO L.Y. Lim, S. Lany, Y.J. Chang, E. Rotenberg, A. Zunger, M.F. Toney,
Analysis Insights: Energy Storage - Possibilities for Expanding Electric Grid Flexibility (Brochure), NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
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764 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 A N A LY S I S I N S I G H T S ENERGY STORAGE Possibilities for Expanding Electric Grid Flexibility POTENTIAL GRID APPLICATIONS STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CHARACTERISTICS 0.1 1 10 100 1000 Seconds Minutes Hours Days Generation Transmission & Distribution End Use E ciency 85-100% 70-85% 45-70% 30-45% Energy Management Operating & Ramping Reserves Frequency Response & Regulation Provide uninterruptable power supply-provide back-up power Optimize time of use retail
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__, I,- __.j .^,, ~~.,l~, _I.x__ . ,,,,, ,_^_ ,,_xx,. ,~.__~_x -,-.. _1 ,.,., - I~ .c \ -- - g-' . @ ~--~Z~, Ls-u &. 0 -*,- hiK ,,-& b TO FILE ' = .-. r. AUG 2 9 1945 A~TPPHC~~~ METALS COPUDOP~TIO~ '* ~,ci~ly~1~~ 41 BROAD STREET (In duplicate) November 6, 1942 The District Engineer, u. s . Zngineer Office, Zanhattarn District, P. 0. 30x 4.2, Station P., i?C:: York, X.Y. Attention: Idajo- Thomas T. Crenshav:. Gentlemen: Classification Cancc!!A ZG? ;~yp~~ Follo~5.nS our conversation of
Microsoft Word - DR_benefits_Congress_v9_2 03 06 12pm.doc
pp u ly Demand Price of Electricity Supply Quantity of Electricity P P DR Q DR Q Demand DR BENEFITS OF DEMAND RESPONSE IN ELECTRICITY MARKETS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACHIEVING THEM A REPORT TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS PURSUANT TO SECTION 1252 OF THE ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005 U.S. Department of Energy February 2006 U.S. Department of Energy Benefits of Demand Response and Recommendations ii U.S. Department of Energy Benefits of Demand Response and Recommendations iii The Secretary [of Energy]
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P D AT E S O U T H W E S T E R N P O W E R A D M I N I S T R A T I O N S U P P L E M E N T A L E D I T I O N J U LY 1 3 , 2 0 0 6 PMA Partnership Implements New SCADA System at Springfield Operations Center Southwestern successfully installed its new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system at its Operations Center in Springfield, MO, on June 20, 2006. This new software, developed in cooperation with Western Area Power Administration (Western), essentially replaces the old
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A DVA N C E D B L O O D S TA I N P A T T E R N A NA LY S I S WORKSHOP S E P T E M B E R 2 3 - 2 7 , 2 0 1 3 Advanced Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Workshop This advanced level course is designed for practitioners who have successfully completed basic instruction in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis and desire to build on that fundamental knowledge while working toward expertise in the discipline. This workshop will begin with a brief review of the basic concepts and will continue with the student
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dental disease in minutes Understanding climate change Keeping watch on the world SPRING 2007 S A N D I A T E C H N O L O G Y A Q UA RT E R LY R E S E A R C H & D E V E LO P M E N T MAG A Z I N E - VO LUM E 9 , N O. 1 Sandia Technology (ISSN: 1547-5190) is a quarterly maga- zine published by Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia is a multiprogram engineering and science laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the Department of Energy. With main facilities in
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24136 GAUSSIAN 76 - An ab initio molecular orbital program. J. S. Binkley, R. Whiteside, P. c. Hariharan, R. Seeger, W. J. Hehre, w. A. Lathan, M. D. Newton, R. Ditchfield and J. A. Pople Abstract GAUSSIAN 76 is a general-purpose computer program for ab initio Hartree-Fock molecular orbital _calculations. It can handle basis sets involving s, p and d-type gaussian functions. Certain standard sets * (ST0-3G, 4-31G, 6-31G etc.) are stored internal ly for easy use. Closed shell (RHF) or
Discovery of eight z ? 6 quasars from Pan-STARRS1
Ba±ados, E.; Venemans, B. P.; Morganson, E.; Decarli, R.; Walter, F.; Rix, H.-W.; Farina, E. P.; Chambers, K. C.; Morgan, J. S.; Burgett, W. S.; Kaiser, N.; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Fan, X.; McGreer, I.; Jiang, L.; De Rosa, G.; Simcoe, R.; Wei▀, A.; Price, P. A.; Greiner, J.; and others
High-redshift quasars are currently the only probes of the growth of supermassive black holes and potential tracers of structure evolution at early cosmic time. Here we present our candidate selection criteria from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 1 and follow-up strategy to discover quasars in the redshift range 5.7 ? z ? 6.2. With this strategy we discovered eight new 5.7 ? z ? 6.0 quasars, increasing the number of known quasars at z > 5.7 by more than 10%. We additionally recovered 18 previously known quasars. The eight quasars presented here span a large range of luminosities (¢27.3 ? M {sub 1450} ? ¢25.4; 19.6 ? z {sub P1} ? 21.2) and are remarkably heterogeneous in their spectral features: half of them show bright emission lines whereas the other half show a weak or no Ly? emission line (25% with rest-frame equivalent width of the Ly? +N V line lower than 15 ┼). We find a larger fraction of weak-line emission quasars than in lower redshift studies. This may imply that the weak-line quasar population at the highest redshifts could be more abundant than previously thought. However, larger samples of quasars are needed to increase the statistical significance of this finding.
GADRAS isotope ID users manual for analysis of gamma-ray measurements and API for Linux and Android .
Mitchell, Dean J; Harding, Lee T.
Isotope identification algorithms that are contained in the Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS) can be used for real-time stationary measurement and search applications on platforms operating under Linux or Android operating sys-tems. Since the background radiation can vary considerably due to variations in natu-rally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM), spectral algorithms can be substantial-ly more sensitive to threat materials than search algorithms based strictly on count rate. Specific isotopes or interest can be designated for the search algorithm, which permits suppression of alarms for non-threatening sources, such as such as medical radionuclides. The same isotope identification algorithms that are used for search ap-plications can also be used to process static measurements. The isotope identification algorithms follow the same protocols as those used by the Windows version of GADRAS, so files that are created under the Windows interface can be copied direct-ly to processors on fielded sensors. The analysis algorithms contain provisions for gain adjustment and energy lineariza-tion, which enables direct processing of spectra as they are recorded by multichannel analyzers. Gain compensation is performed by utilizing photopeaks in background spectra. Incorporation of this energy calibration tasks into the analysis algorithm also eliminates one of the more difficult challenges associated with development of radia-tion detection equipment.
VUV emission spectroscopy diagnostics of a 14 GHz ECR negative hydrogen ion source
Tamura, R. Ichikawa, T.; Kasuya, T.; Wada, M.; Nishiura, M.; Shimozuma, T.
Vacuum Ultra Violet(VUV) emission from a 4ŌĆģcm diameter 2ŌĆģcm long compact ion source excited by 14ŌĆģGHz microwave has been investigated. Intensity ratio of band spectrum emission near Ly-╬▒ to Ly-╬▒ line spectrum is determined from the measured spectrum. which shows preferential excitation of molecules near the entrance of microwave input power. The ratio does not depend strongly upon pressure nor the input microwave power when the intensity is integrated over the volume of the plasma. The spatial distribution of the spectrum intensity ratio exhibits concentrations near microwave inlet and the opposite side where the microwave matching structure is located. The ratio at these peripheral regions is about two times as high as that of the central region. The ratio increased in proportion to the ion source pressure up to about 3.0ŌĆģPa, indicating efficient production of high energy electrons by ECR up to this pressure.
Inquiring Minds - Questions About Physics
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How strong is the strong force? You Wrote: How strong is the strong force? I bet you think you asked a simple question. The simple answer is that the strength depends on the range over which it is acting. At short distances the strong force is weak and at long distances it is strong. That is completely different from the other three forces and arises because the forces transmitters, called gluons, are massless and carry strong force charge. I hope that you are still interested in the more
Inquiring Minds - Questions About Physics
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Simple formula for the strong and weak interactions? Hello, Is there a simple formula for the strong and weak interactions just as there is for Electromagnetism and Gravity. Hi Dominic, When you say simple formulae for Electromagnetism and Gravity I bet you mean the following two nice and understandable equations: Electromagnetism - Force between two charges Q and q which are r meters apart is given by F(em)= k*Q*q/(r*r) Gravity - Force between two masses M and m which are r meters apart is
Safety Staff Contact Information
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Safety Staff Contact Information
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Metal-organic framework materials with ultrahigh surface areas
Farha, Omar K.; Hupp, Joseph T.; Wilmer, Christopher E.; Eryazici, Ibrahim; Snurr, Randall Q.; Gomez-Gualdron, Diego A.; Borah, Bhaskarjyoti
A metal organic framework (MOF) material including a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area greater than 7,010 m.sup.2/g. Also a metal organic framework (MOF) material including hexa-carboxylated linkers including alkyne bond. Also a metal organic framework (MOF) material including three types of cuboctahedron cages fused to provide continuous channels. Also a method of making a metal organic framework (MOF) material including saponifying hexaester precursors having alkyne bonds to form a plurality of hexa-carboxylated linkers including alkyne bonds and performing a solvothermal reaction with the plurality of hexa-carboxylated linkers and one or more metal containing compounds to form the MOF material.
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LWR NUCLEAR FUEL BUNDLE DATA FOR USE IN FUEL BUNDLE HANDLING TOPICAL REPORT W. 8. Weihermilfer C. S. Allison Septem bet 1979 Work Performed, Under Contract EY-76-C- M - 1 8 3 0 Form 189 Number 210.1 BAlTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORY RICHLAND, WA 99352 BASE TECHNOLOGY N O T I C E T h i s report was prepard n an account of work sponrored by the UAed States Govcmmenr. Neither tht Unltcd S t a t e nor !he k p n m c n t of Energy, not any of their ernploylecs, nw any of theb ccmtnctotr,
Extraordinary selectivity of CoMo{sub 3}S{sub 13} chalcogel for C{sub 2}H{sub 6} and CO{sub 2} adsorption.
Shafaei-Fallah, M.; Rothenberger, Z.; Katsoulidis, A. P.; He, J.; Malliakas, C. D.; Kanatzidis, M. G.
The chalcogel CoMo{sub 3}S{sub 13} is obtained from the reaction of (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}[Mo{sub 3}S{sub 13}] with cobalt acetate in solution. The chalcogel has a BET surface area of 570 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}, and pair distribution function analysis (PDF) and infrared spectroscopy indicate that the [Mo{sub 3}S{sub 13}]{sup 2-} cluster is a building block in the porous network. The CoMo{sub 3}S{sub 13} chalcogel exhibits high selectivity for separating ethane and carbon dioxide from hydrogen and methane.
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8 August 2010 www.y12.doe.gov/news/times.php P.O. Box 2009 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-8245 W H A T ' S I N S I D E Page 2 ARRA work continues Page 4 Sharing secrets with the public Page 5 Apprentices are a sure bet Page 6 Need a yo-yo? Stop by JA BizTown's Y-12 booth Page 8 Employees drop the pounds B&W Technical Services Y-12, LLC, a partnership between Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Group Inc. and Bechtel National Inc., operates the Y-12 National Security Complex. A newsletter for
Polymer network/carbon layer on monolith support and monolith catalytic reactor
Nordquist, Andrew Francis; Wilhelm, Frederick Carl; Waller, Francis Joseph; Machado, Reinaldo Mario
The present invention relates to an improved monolith catalytic reactor and a monolith support. The improvement in the support resides in a polymer network/carbon coating applied to the surface of a porous substrate and a catalytic metal, preferably a transition metal catalyst applied to the surface of the polymer network/carbon coating. The monolith support has from 100 to 800 cells per square inch and a polymer network/carbon coating with surface area of from 0.1 to 15 m.sup.2 /gram as measured by adsorption of N.sub.2 or Kr using the BET method.
The effects of hydrothermal temperature on the photocatalytic performance of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} for hydrogen generation under visible light irradiation
Tian, Fei; Zhu, Rongshu; Song, Kelin; Niu, Minli; Ouyang, Feng; Cao, Gang
Highlights: ŌĆó The ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} (120, 140, 160, 180, and 200 ┬░C) was prepared. ŌĆó The activities splitting water to hydrogen under visible light were evaluated. ŌĆó The activity achieved the best when hydrothermal temperature was 160 ┬░C. ŌĆó The activity order is related to the surface morphology and surface defects. - Abstract: A series of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} photocatalysts were successfully synthesized using the hydrothermal method with different hydrothermal temperatures (120, 140, 160, 180, and 200 ┬░C) and characterized by various analysis techniques, such as UVŌĆōvis, XRD, SEM, BET and PL. The results indicated that these photocatalysts had a similar band gap. The hydrothermal temperature had a huge influence on the properties of the photocatalysts such as the BET surface area, the total pore volume, the average pore diameter, the defects and the morphology. The photocatalytic activities of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} were evaluated based on photocatalytic hydrogen production from water under visible-light irradiation. The activity order is attributed to the coefficient of the surface morphology and the surface defects. The hydrogen production efficiency achieved the best when the hydrothermal temperature was 160 ┬░C. On the basis of the characterization of the catalysts, the effects of the hydrothermal temperature on the photocatalytic activity of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} were discussed.
Synthesis and CO{sub 2} adsorption study of modified MOF-5 with multi-wall carbon nanotubes and expandable graphite
Ullah, Sami E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: email@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; Bustam, M. A. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; Shariff, A. M. E-mail: email@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; Elkhalifah, Ali E. I. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: email@example.com; Murshid, G. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; Riaz, Nadia E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: email@example.com
MOF-5 was synthesized by solvothermal method and its reactivation under anhydrous conditions. This research is conducted to investigate the effect of MOF-5 and MOF-5 modified with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and expandable graphite (EG) on the performance of CO{sub 2} adsorption. The synthesized MOFs were characterized using Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) for surface morphology, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for thermal stability, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystals plane, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) for surface area and CO{sub 2} adsorption. The result had showed that the modified MOF-5 enhanced the CO{sub 2} adsorption compared to the pure MOF-5. The increment in the CO{sub 2} uptake capacities of MOF materials was attributed to the decrease in the pore size and enhancement of micropore volume of MOF-5 by multi-walled carbon nanotube and EG incorporation. The BET surface area of the synthesized MOF-5@MWCNTs is more than MOF-5. The CO{sub 2} sorption capacities of MOF-5 and MOF-5@MWCNTs were observed to increase from 0.00008 to 0.00048 mol g-1 at 298 K and 1 bar. The modified MOF-5@MWCNTs resulted in the highest CO{sub 2} adsorption followed by the modified MOF-5@ EG and lastly, MOF-5.
Pyrolysis of tire rubber: Porosity and adsorption characteristics of the pyrolytic chars
Miguel, G.S.; Fowler, G.D.; Sollars, C.J.
Tire rubber has been pyrolyzed at various temperatures under a nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting chars have been analyzed for their porosity using nitrogen gas adsorption and for their aqueous adsorption characteristics using phenol, methylene blue, and the reactive dyes Procion Turquoise H-A and Procion Red H-E3B. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms were modeled to the BET and Dubinin-Astakhov (DA) equations to determine effective surface areas, mesopore volumes, and micropore volumes. Results showed that pyrolysis of tire rubber was essentially complete at 500 C and resulted in a char yield of approximately 42 wt%. Pyrolytic chars exhibited BET surface areas up to 85 m{sup 2}/g and micropore volumes up to 0.04 mL/g. Owing to their poorly developed micropore structure, the pyrolytic chars exhibited limited aqueous adsorption capacity for compounds of small molecular weight, such as phenol. However, the chars possessed significantly greater adsorption capacity for species of large molecular weight which was attributed to the presence of large mesopore volumes (up to 0.19 mL/g).
Toward New Candidates for Hydrogen Storage: High Surface Area Carbon Aerogels
Kabbour, H; Baumann, T F; Satcher, J H; Saulnier, A; Ahn, C C
We report the hydrogen surface excess sorption saturation value of 5.3 wt% at 30 bar pressure at 77 K, from an activated carbon aerogel with a surface area of 3200 m{sup 2}/g as measured by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. This sorption value is one of the highest we have measured in a material of this type, comparable to values obtained in high surface area activated carbons. We also report, for the first time, the surface area dependence of hydrogen surface excess sorption isotherms of carbon aerogels at 77 K. Activated carbon aerogels with surface areas ranging from 1460 to 3200 m{sup 2}/g are evaluated and we find a linear dependence of the saturation of the gravimetric density with BET surface area for carbon aerogels up to 2550 m{sup 2}/g, in agreement with data from other types of carbons reported in the literature. Our measurements show these materials to have a differential enthalpy of adsorption at zero coverage of {approx}5 to 7 kJ/mole. We also show that the introduction of metal nanoparticles of nickel improves the sorption capacity while cobalt additions have no effect.
Differences in gasification behaviors and related properties between entrained gasifier fly ash and coal char
Jing Gu; Shiyong Wu; Youqing Wu; Ye Li; Jinsheng Gao
In the study, two fly ash samples from Texaco gasifiers were compared to coal char and the physical and chemical properties and reactivity of samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), SEM-energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} adsorption method, and isothermal thermogravimetric analysis. The main results were obtained. The carbon content of gasified fly ashes exhibited 31-37%, which was less than the carbon content of 58-59% in the feed coal. The fly ashes exhibited higher Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, richer meso- and micropores, more disordered carbon crystalline structure, and better CO{sub 2} gasification reactivity than coal char. Ashes in fly ashes occurred to agglomerate into larger spherical grains, while those in coal char do not agglomerate. The minerals in fly ashes, especial alkali and alkaline-earth metals, had a catalytic effect on gasification reactivity of fly ash carbon. In the low-temperature range, the gasification process of fly ashes is mainly in chemical control, while in the high-temperature range, it is mainly in gas diffusion control, which was similar to coal char. In addition, the carbon in fly ashes was partially gasified and activated by water vapor and exhibited higher BET surface area and better gasification activity. Consequently, the fact that these carbons in fly ashes from entrained flow gasifiers are reclaimed and reused will be considered to be feasible. 15 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs.
Adsorption of basic Red 46 using sea mango (Cerbera odollam) based activated carbon
Azmi, Nur Azira Iqlima; Zainudin, Nor Fauziah; Ali, Umi Fazara Md
Sea mango or Cerbera Odollam is another source of carbonaceous material that can be found abundantly in Malaysia. In this research, it is used as a new agricultural source of activated carbon. Sea mango activated carbon was prepared by chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH). The sea mango was soaked in KOH at impregnation ratio of 1:1 and followed by carbonization at temperature of 600░C for 1 hour. The sample was then characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) for surface morphology, while Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) was used to study the surface area. The result shown that sea mango activated carbon (SMAC) developed new pores on its surface and the BET surface area measured was 451.87 m{sup 2}/g. The SMAC performance was then tested for the removal of Basic Red 46 in batch process. The removal of Basic Red 46 (50?mg/L, natural pH, 0.1?g SMAC) was more than 99% in 15 minutes where it reached equilibrium in 30 minutes.
Synthesis, characterization of double perovskite Ca{sub 2}MSbO{sub 6} (M = Dy, Fe, Cr, Al) materials via solŌĆōgel auto-combustion and their catalytic properties
Feraru, S.; Samoila, P.; Borhan, A.I.; Ignat, M.; Iordan, A.R.; Palamaru, M.N.
Double perovskite-type oxide Ca{sub 2}MSbO{sub 6} materials, where M = Dy, Fe, Cr, and Al, were prepared by using the solŌĆōgel auto-combustion method. The role of different B-site cations on their synthesis, structures, morphologies and catalytic properties was investigated. The progress of double-perovskite type structure formation and the disappearance of the organic phases were monitored by infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR). Double perovskite oxide structures were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), while the microstructure of obtained compounds was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also, BET surface areas were measured at the liquid nitrogen temperature by nitrogen adsorption. Catalytic properties of the obtained compounds were evaluated by test reaction of hydrogen peroxide decomposition. - Highlights: ŌĆó Ca{sub 2}MSbO{sub 6} double perovskites were obtained by solŌĆōgel auto-combustion method. ŌĆó Ca{sub 2}MSbO{sub 6} (M = Dy, Fe, Cr and Al) as catalysts in H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decomposition ŌĆó Strong relationship between particles' shape, BET area and catalytic performance ŌĆó Ca{sub 2}FeSbO{sub 6} spherical grains show superior catalytic activity.
Carborane-Based Metal-Organic Framework with High Methane and Hydrogen Storage Capacities
Kennedy, RD; Krungleviciute, V; Clingerman, DJ; Mondloch, JE; Peng, Y; Wilmer, CE; Sarjeant, AA; Snurr, RQ; Hupp, JT; Yildirim, T; Farha, OK; Mirkin, CA
A Cu-carborane-based metal organic framework (MOF), NU-135, which contains a quasi-spherical para-carborane moiety, has been synthesized and characterized. NU-135 exhibits a pore volume of 1.02 cm(3)/g and a gravimetric BET surface area of ca. 2600 m(2)/g, and thus represents the first highly porous carborane-based MOF. As a consequence of the, unique geometry of the carborane unit, NU-135 has a very high volumetric BET surface area of ca. 1900 m(2)/cm(3). CH4, CO2, and H-2 adsorption isotherms were measured over a broad range of pressures and temperatures and are in good agreement with computational predictions. The methane storage capacity of NU-135 at 35 bar and 298 K is ca. 187 v(STP)/v. At 298 K, the pressure required to achieve a methane storage density comparable to that of a compressed natural gas (CNG) tank pressurized to 212 bar, which is a typical storage pressure, is only 65 bar. The methane working capacity (5-65 bar) is 170 v(STP)/v. The volumetric hydrogen storage capacity at 55 bar and 77 K is 49 g/L. These properties are comparable to those of current record holders in the area of methane and hydrogen storage. This initial example lays the groundwork for carborane-based materials with high surface areas.
Synthesis and catalytic activity of polysaccharide templated nanocrystalline sulfated zirconia
Sherly, K. B.; Rakesh, K.
Nanoscaled materials are of great interest due to their unique enhanced optical, electrical and magnetic properties. Sulfate-promoted zirconia has been shown to exhibit super acidic behavior and high activity for acid catalyzed reactions. Nanocrystalline zirconia was prepared in the presence of polysaccharide template by interaction between ZrOCl{sub 2}?8H{sub 2}O and chitosan template. The interaction was carried out in aqueous phase, followed by the removal of templates by calcination at optimum temperature and sulfation. The structural and textural features were characterized by powder XRD, TG, SEM and TEM. XRD patterns showed the peaks of the diffractogram were in agreement with the theoretical data of zirconia with the catalytically active tetragonal phase and average crystalline size of the particles was found to be 9 nm, which was confirmed by TEM. TPD using ammonia as probe, FTIR and BET surface area analysis were used for analyzing surface features like acidity and porosity. The BET surface area analysis showed the sample had moderately high surface area. FTIR was used to find the type species attached to the surface of zirconia. UV-DRS found the band gap of the zirconia was found to be 2.8 eV. The benzylation of o-xylene was carried out batchwise in atmospheric pressure and 433K temperature using sulfated zirconia as catalyst.
COSMIC ORIGINS SPECTROGRAPH OBSERVATIONS OF WARM INTERVENING GAS AT z {approx} 0.325 TOWARD 3C 263
Narayanan, Anand [Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695547, Kerala (India); Savage, Blair D.; Wakker, Bart P., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5534 Sterling Hall, 475 N. Charter Street, Madison, WI 53706-1582 (United States)
We present HST/COS high-S/N observations of the z = 0.32566 multiphase absorber toward 3C 263. The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) data show absorption from H I (Ly{alpha} to Ly{theta}), O VI, C III, N III, Si III, and C II. The Ne VIII in this absorber is detected in the FUSE spectrum along with O III, O IV, and N IV. The low and intermediate ions are kinematically aligned with each other and H I and display narrow line widths of b {approx} 6-8 km s{sup -1}. The O VI {lambda}{lambda}1031, 1037 lines are kinematically offset by {Delta}v {approx} 12 km s{sup -1} from the low ions and are a factor of {approx}4 broader. All metal ions except O VI and Ne VIII are consistent with an origin in gas photoionized by the extragalactic background radiation. The bulk of the observed H I is also traced by this photoionized medium. The metallicity in this gas phase is Z {approx}> 0.15 Z{sub Sun} with carbon having near-solar abundances. The O VI and Ne VIII favor an origin in collisionally ionized gas at T = 5.2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5} K. The H I absorption associated with this warm absorber is a broad-Ly{alpha} absorber (BLA) marginally detected in the COS spectrum. This warm gas phase has a metallicity of [X/H] {approx}-0.12 dex, and a total hydrogen column density of N( H) {approx} 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 19} cm{sup -2}, which is {approx}2 dex higher than what is traced by the photoionized gas. Simultaneous detection of O VI, Ne VIII, and BLAs in an absorber can be a strong diagnostic of gas with T {approx} 10{sup 5}-10{sup 6} K corresponding to the warm phase of the warm-hot intergalactic medium or shock-heated gas in the extended halos of galaxies.
CRITICAL STAR FORMATION RATES FOR REIONIZATION: FULL REIONIZATION OCCURS AT REDSHIFT z Almost-Equal-To 7
Michael Shull, J.; Harness, Anthony; Trenti, Michele; Smith, Britton D. E-mail: email@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
We assess the probable redshift (z{sub rei} Almost-Equal-To 7) for full reionization of the intergalactic medium (IGM) using a prescription for the comoving star formation rate (SFR) density ({rho}-dot{sub SFR}) required to maintain photoionization against recombination. Our newly developed online reionization simulator allows users to assess the required SFR and ionization histories, using a variety of assumptions for galactic and stellar populations, IGM clumping factor and temperature, and Lyman continuum (LyC) escape fraction. The decline in high-redshift galaxy candidates and Ly{alpha} emitters at z = 6-8 suggests a rising neutral fraction, with reionization at z {approx}> 7 increasingly difficult owing to increased recombination rates and constraints from the ionizing background and LyC mean free path. The required rate is {rho}-dot{sub SFR}{approx}(.018 M{sub sun}yr{sup -1}Mpc{sup -3})[(1+z)/8]{sup 3}(C{sub H}/3)(0.2/f{sub esc})T{sub 4}{sup -0.845} scaled to fiducial values of clumping factor C{sub H} = 3, escape fraction f{sub esc} = 0.2, electron temperature T{sub e} = 10{sup 4} K, and low-metallicity initial mass functions (IMFs) and stellar atmospheres. Our hydrodynamical + N-body simulations find a mean clumping factor C{sub H} Almost-Equal-To (2.9)[(1 + z)/6]{sup -1.1} in the photoionized, photoheated filaments at z = 5-9. The critical SFR could be reduced by increasing the minimum stellar mass, invoking a top-heavy IMF, or systematically increasing f{sub esc} at high z. The cosmic microwave background optical depth, {tau}{sub e} = 0.088 {+-} 0.015, could be explained by full reionization, producing {tau}{sub e} = 0.050 back to z{sub rei} Almost-Equal-To 7, augmented by {Delta}{tau}{sub e} Almost-Equal-To 0.01-0.04 in a partially ionized IGM at z > 7. In this scenario, the strongest 21 cm signal should occur at redshifted frequencies 124-167 MHz owing to IGM heating over an interval {Delta}z Almost-Equal-To 3 in the range z Almost-Equal-To 7.5-10.5.
France, Kevin; Schindhelm, Eric; Burgh, Eric B.; Brown, Alexander; Green, James C.; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Brown, Joanna M.; Harper, Graham M.; Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Yang Hao; Abgrall, Herve; Ardila, David R.; Bergin, Edwin; Bethell, Thomas; Calvet, Nuria; Ingleby, Laura; Espaillat, Catherine; Gregory, Scott G.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Hussain, Gaitee
We exploit the high sensitivity and moderate spectral resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph to detect far-ultraviolet (UV) spectral features of carbon monoxide (CO) present in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks for the first time. We present spectra of the classical T Tauri stars HN Tau, RECX-11, and V4046 Sgr, representative of a range of CO radiative processes. HN Tau shows CO bands in absorption against the accretion continuum. The CO absorption most likely arises in warm inner disk gas. We measure a CO column density and rotational excitation temperature of N(CO) = (2 {+-} 1) x 10{sup 17} cm{sup -2} and T{sub rot}(CO) 500 {+-} 200 K for the absorbing gas. We also detect CO A-X band emission in RECX-11 and V4046 Sgr, excited by UV line photons, predominantly H I Ly{alpha}. All three objects show emission from CO bands at {lambda} > 1560 A, which may be excited by a combination of UV photons and collisions with non-thermal electrons. In previous observations these emission processes were not accounted for due to blending with emission from the accretion shock, collisionally excited H{sub 2}, and photo-excited H{sub 2}, all of which appeared as a 'continuum' whose components could not be separated. The CO emission spectrum is strongly dependent upon the shape of the incident stellar Ly{alpha} emission profile. We find CO parameters in the range: N(CO) {approx} 10{sup 18}-10{sup 19} cm{sup -2}, T{sub rot}(CO) {approx}> 300 K for the Ly{alpha}-pumped emission. We combine these results with recent work on photo-excited and collisionally excited H{sub 2} emission, concluding that the observations of UV-emitting CO and H{sub 2} are consistent with a common spatial origin. We suggest that the CO/H{sub 2} ratio ({identical_to} N(CO)/N(H{sub 2})) in the inner disk is {approx}1, a transition between the much lower interstellar value and the higher value observed in solar system comets today, a result that will require future observational and theoretical study to confirm.
Improved DC Gun Insulator Assembly
Sah, R.; Dudas, A.; Neubauer, M. L.; Poelker, M.; Surles-Law, K. E.L.
Many user faŁcilŁiŁties such as synŁchrotron raŁdiŁaŁtion light sources and free elecŁtron lasers reŁquire acŁcelŁerŁatŁing strucŁtures that supŁport elecŁtric fields of 10-100 MV/m, esŁpeŁcialŁly at the start of the acŁcelŁerŁaŁtor chain where ceŁramŁic inŁsuŁlaŁtors are used for very high graŁdiŁent DC guns. These inŁsuŁlaŁtors are difŁfiŁcult to manŁuŁfacŁture, reŁquire long comŁmisŁsionŁing times, and often exŁhibŁit poor reŁliŁaŁbilŁiŁty. Two techŁniŁcal apŁproachŁes to solvŁing this probŁlem will be inŁvesŁtiŁgatŁed. FirstŁly, inŁvertŁed ceŁramŁics offer soŁluŁtions for reŁduced graŁdiŁents beŁtween the elecŁtrodes and ground. An inŁvertŁed deŁsign will be preŁsentŁed for 350 kV, with maxŁiŁmum graŁdiŁents in the range of 5-10 MV/m. SecŁondŁly, novel ceŁramŁic manŁuŁfacŁturŁing proŁcessŁes will be studŁied, in order to proŁtect triple juncŁtion loŁcaŁtions from emisŁsion, by apŁplyŁing a coatŁing with a bulk reŁsisŁtivŁiŁty. The proŁcessŁes for creŁatŁing this coatŁing will be opŁtiŁmized to proŁvide proŁtecŁtion as well as be used to coat a ceŁramŁic with an apŁproŁpriŁate graŁdiŁent in bulk reŁsisŁtivŁiŁty from the vacŁuŁum side to the air side of an HV standŁoff ceŁramŁic cylinŁder. ExŁamŁple inŁsuŁlaŁtor deŁsigns are being comŁputŁer modŁelled, and inŁsuŁlaŁtor samŁples are being manŁuŁfacŁtured and testŁed
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J U LY 2 0 1 3 Early Warning for Biothreats Clean Fuel from Wind and Solar Modeling the Living Ocean Infrastructure Self-Check 1 663 LO S A L A M O S S C I E N C E A N D T E C H N O LO G Y M AG A Z I N E Los Alamos Firsts About Our Name: During World War II, all that the outside world knew of Los Alamos and its top-secret laboratory was the mailing address-P . O. Box 1663, Santa Fe, New Mexico. That box number, still part of our address, symbolizes our historic role in the nation's service.
Research News July 2015, Issue 10
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Alloy Raises the Bar for High-Temperature Performance page 3 the ENERGY lab NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY From NETL's Office of Research & Development Researchnews July 2015, Issue 10 FE AT U RE ST O RY : A ll o y R a is e s th e B a r fo r H ig h -T e m p e ra F ro m N E T L' s O ff ic e o f R e s e a rc h & D e v e lo p m e n t R e s e a r c h n e w s Ju ly 20 15 , Is su e 10 Contents July 2015, Issue 10 2 Editorial: NETL's Educational Programs 3 Feature Story: Alloy Raises the
Wood, Brian E.; M³ller, Hans-Reinhard; Redfield, Seth; Edelman, Eric
The early history of the solar wind has remained largely a mystery due to the difficulty of detecting winds around young stars that can serve as analogs for the young Sun. Here we report on the detection of a wind from the 500ĀMyr old solar analog ?{sup 1} UMa (G1.5ĀV), using spectroscopic observations from the Hubble Space Telescope. We detect H I Ly? absorption from the interaction region between the stellar wind and interstellar medium, i.e., the stellar astrosphere. With the assistance of hydrodynamic models of the ?{sup 1} UMa astrosphere, we infer a wind only half as strong as the solar wind for this star. This suggests that the Sun and solar-like stars do not have particularly strong coronal winds in their youth.
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5AJ01) (See Energy Level Diagrams for 11C) GENERAL: See also (1980AJ01) and Table 11.17 [Table of Energy Levels] (in PDF or PS). Model calculations:(1981RA06, 1983SH38). Special states:(1981RA06). Complex reactions involving 11C:(1979BO22, 1980GR10, 1980WI1K, 1980WI1L, 1981MO20, 1982GE05, 1982LY1A, 1982RA31, 1983FR1A, 1983OL1A, 1983WI1A, 1984GR08, 1984HI1A). Electromagnetic transitions:(1978KR19). Applied work:(1979DE1H, 1982BO1N, 1982HI1H, 1982KA1R, 1982ME1C, 1982NE1D, 1982PI1H, 1982YA1C,
Office of Legacy Management (LM)
LI - I L I 1 II C c - ORNL/RASA-9618 OAK RlDGE NATlONAl. LA8ORATORY Results of the Independent Radiological Verification Survey at B&T Metals, 425 West Town Street, Columbus, Ohio (cooolv) M . E. Murray V. P. Patania C. A. Johnson M N M E D *wD OPEbM~ B V WUCNEEDllW?ME IWiARCH CoRpoRAng FoRTHEwITf@%tATeB ltEpAAMwTmBMeR(Ly ORNL-27 (34el ~~- L._~ This report has been reproduced directly from the best available copy. Avaiiable to DOE and DOE contractors from the Office of Scientific and
Office of Legacy Management (LM)
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Neutral particle beam sensing and steering
Maier, II, William B. (Los Alamos, NM); Cobb, Donald D. (Los Alamos, NM); Robiscoe, Richard T. (Los Alamos, NM)
The direction of a neutral particle beam (NPB) is determined by detecting Ly.alpha. radiation emitted during motional quenching of excited H(2S) atoms in the beam during movement of the atoms through a magnetic field. At least one detector is placed adjacent the beam exit to define an optical axis that intercepts the beam at a viewing angle to include a volume generating a selected number of photons for detection. The detection system includes a lens having an area that is small relative to the NPB area and a pixel array located in the focal plane of the lens. The lens viewing angle and area pixel array are selected to optimize the beam tilt sensitivity. In one embodiment, two detectors are placed coplanar with the beam axis to generate a difference signal that is insensitive to beam variations other than beam tilt.
Inelastic X-ray Scattering from Shocked Liquid Deuterium
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Regan, S. P.; Falk, K.; Gregori, G.; Radha, P. B.; Hu, S. X.; Boehly, T. R.; Crowley, B.; Glenzer, S. H.; Landen, O.; Gericke, D. O.; et al
The Fermi-degenerate plasma conditions created in liquid deuterium by a laser-ablationŌĆödriven shock wave were probed with noncollective, spectrally resolved, inelastic x-ray Thomson scattering employing Cl Ly╬▒ line emission at 2.96 keV. Thus, these first x-ray Thomson scattering measurements of the microscopic properties of shocked deuterium show an inferred spatially averaged electron temperature of 8┬▒5 eV, an electron density of 2.2(┬▒0.5)├Ś1023 cm-3, and an ionization of 0.8 (-0.25, +0.15). Our two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations using equation-of-state models suited for the extreme parameters occurring in inertial confinement fusion research and planetary interiors are consistent with the experimental results.
THE CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM OF MASSIVE GALAXIES AT z {approx} 3: A TEST FOR STELLAR FEEDBACK, GALACTIC OUTFLOWS, AND COLD STREAMS
Shen Sijing; Madau, Piero; Prochaska, J. Xavier [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Guedes, Javiera [Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, Wolgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, CH-8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Mayer, Lucio [Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-9057 Zurich (Switzerland); Wadsley, James [Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1 (Canada)
We present new results on the kinematics, thermal and ionization state, and spatial distribution of metal-enriched gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of massive galaxies at redshift {approx}3, using the Eris suite of cosmological hydrodynamic ''zoom-in'' simulations. The reference run adopts a blastwave scheme for supernova feedback that produces large-scale galactic outflows, a star formation recipe based on a high gas density threshold, metal-dependent radiative cooling, and a model for the diffusion of metals and thermal energy. The effect of the local UV radiation field is added in post-processing. The CGM (defined as all gas at R > 0.2 R{sub vir} = 10 kpc, where R{sub vir} is the virial radius) contains multiple phases having a wide range of physical conditions, with more than half of its heavy elements locked in a warm-hot component at T > 10{sup 5} K. Synthetic spectra, generated by drawing sightlines through the CGM, produce interstellar absorption-line strengths of Ly{alpha}, C II, C IV, Si II, and Si IV as a function of the galactocentric impact parameter (scaled to the virial radius) that are in broad agreement with those observed at high redshift by Steidel et al. The covering factor of absorbing material declines less rapidly with impact parameter for Ly{alpha} and C IV compared to C II, Si IV, and Si II, with Ly{alpha} remaining strong (W{sub Ly{alpha}} > 300 mA) to {approx}> 5 R{sub vir} = 250 kpc. Only about one third of all the gas within R{sub vir} is outflowing. The fraction of sightlines within one virial radius that intercept optically thick, N{sub H{sub I}}>10{sup 17.2} cm{sup -2} material is 27%, in agreement with recent observations by Rudie et al. Such optically thick absorption is shown to trace inflowing ''cold'' streams that penetrate deep inside the virial radius. The streams, enriched to metallicities above 0.01 solar by previous episodes of star formation in the main host and in nearby dwarfs, are the origin of strong (N{sub C{sub II}}>10{sup 13} cm{sup -2}) C II absorption with a covering factor of 22% within R{sub vir} and 10% within 2 R{sub vir}. Galactic outflows do not cause any substantial suppression of the cold accretion mode. The central galaxy is surrounded by a large O VI halo, with a typical column density N{sub O{sub VI}} {approx}> 10{sup 14} cm{sup -2} and a near unity covering factor maintained all the way out to 150 kpc. This matches the trends recently observed in star-forming galaxies at low redshift by Tumlinson et al. Our zoom-in simulations of this single system appear then to reproduce quantitatively the complex baryonic processes that determine the exchange of matter, energy, and metals between galaxies and their surroundings.
Laser heating of solid matter by light pressure-driven shocks
Akli, K; Hansen, S B; Kemp, A J; Freeman, R R; Beg, F N; Clark, D; Chen, S; Hey, D; Highbarger, K; Giraldez, E; Green, J; Gregori, G; Lancaster, K; Ma, T; MacKinnon, A J; Norreys, P A; Patel, N; Patel, P; Shearer, C; Stephens, R B; Stoeckl, C; Storm, M; Theobald, W; Van Woerkom, L; Weber, R; Key, M H
Heating by irradiation of a solid surface in vacuum with 5 x 10{sup 20} W cm{sup -2}, 0.8 ps, 1.05 {micro}m wavelength laser light is studied by x-ray spectroscopy of the K-shell emission from thin layers of Ni, Mo and V. A surface layer is heated to {approx} 5 keV with an axial temperature gradient of 0.6 {micro}m scale length. Images of Ni Ly{sub {alpha}} show the hot region has a {approx} 25 {micro}m diameter, much smaller than {approx} 70 {micro}m region of K{sub {alpha}} emission. 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations suggest that the surface heating is due to a light pressure driven shock.
HST/COS SPECTRA OF THREE QSOs THAT PROBE THE CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM OF A SINGLE SPIRAL GALAXY: EVIDENCE FOR GAS RECYCLING AND OUTFLOW
Keeney, Brian A.; Stocke, John T.; Danforth, Charles W.; Shull, J. Michael; Green, James C. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)] [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Rosenberg, Jessica L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States)] [Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Ryan-Weber, Emma V. [Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Mail H30, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 VIC (Australia)] [Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, Mail H30, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122 VIC (Australia); Savage, Blair D., E-mail: email@example.com [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5534 Sterling Hall, 475 North Charter Street, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)
We have used the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) to obtain far-UV spectra of three closely spaced QSO sight lines that probe the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of an edge-on spiral galaxy, ESO 157-49, at impact parameters of 74 and 93 h {sup -1} {sub 70} kpc near its major axis and 172 h {sup -1} {sub 70} kpc along its minor axis. H I Ly{alpha} absorption is detected at the galaxy redshift in the spectra of all three QSOs, and metal lines of Si III, Si IV, and C IV are detected along the two major-axis sight lines. Photoionization models of these clouds suggest metallicities close to the galaxy metallicity, cloud sizes of {approx}1 kpc, and gas masses of {approx}10{sup 4} M {sub Sun }. Given the high covering factor of these clouds, ESO 157-49 could harbor {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M {sub Sun} of warm CGM gas. We detect no metals in the sight line that probes the galaxy along its minor axis, but gas at the galaxy metallicity would not have detectable metal absorption with ionization conditions similar to the major-axis clouds. The kinematics of the major-axis clouds favor these being portions of a 'galactic fountain' of recycled gas, while two of the three minor-axis clouds are constrained geometrically to be outflowing gas. In addition, one of our QSO sight lines probes a second more distant spiral, ESO 157-50, along its major axis at an impact parameter of 88 h {sup -1} {sub 70} kpc. Strong H I Ly{alpha} and C IV absorption only are detected in the QSO spectrum at the redshift of ESO 157-50.
THE He II POST-REIONIZATION EPOCH: HST/COS OBSERVATIONS OF THE QUASAR HS1700+6416
Syphers, David; Shull, J. Michael, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)
The reionization epoch of singly ionized helium (He II) is believed to start at redshifts z {approx} 3.5-4 and be nearly complete by z {approx_equal} 2.7. We explore the post-reionization epoch with far-ultraviolet spectra of the bright, high-redshift quasar HS1700+6416 taken by the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope, which show strong He II ({lambda}303.78) absorption shortward of the QSO redshift, z{sub QSO} = 2.75. We discuss these data as they probe the post-reionization history of He II and the local ionization environment around the quasar and transverse to the line of sight, finding that quasars are likely responsible for much of the ionization. We compare previous spectra taken by the Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer to the current COS data, which have a substantially higher signal-to-noise ratio. The Gunn-Peterson trough recovers at lower redshifts, with the effective optical depth falling from {tau}{sub eff} {approx_equal} 1.8 at z {approx} 2.7 to {tau}{sub eff} {approx_equal} 0.7 at z {approx} 2.3, higher than has been reported in earlier work. We see an interesting excess of flux near the He II Ly{alpha} break, which could be quasar line emission, although likely not He II Ly{alpha}. We present spectra of four possible transverse-proximity quasars, although the UV hardness data are not of sufficient quality to say if their effects are seen along the HS1700 sightline.
Reconstitution of the cellular response to DNA damage in vitro using damage-activated extracts from mammalian cells
Roper, Katherine; Coverley, Dawn
In proliferating mammalian cells, DNA damage is detected by sensors that elicit a cellular response which arrests the cell cycle and repairs the damage. As part of the DNA damage response, DNA replication is inhibited and, within seconds, histone H2AX is phosphorylated. Here we describe a cell-free system that reconstitutes the cellular response to DNA double strand breaks using damage-activated cell extracts and naieve nuclei. Using this system the effect of damage signalling on nuclei that do not contain DNA lesions can be studied, thereby uncoupling signalling and repair. Soluble extracts from G1/S phase cells that were treated with etoposide before isolation, or pre-incubated with nuclei from etoposide-treated cells during an in vitro activation reaction, restrain both initiation and elongation of DNA replication in naieve nuclei. At the same time, H2AX is phosphorylated in naieve nuclei in a manner that is dependent upon the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-like protein kinases. Notably, phosphorylated H2AX is not focal in naieve nuclei, but is evident throughout the nucleus suggesting that in the absence of DNA lesions the signal is not amplified such that discrete foci can be detected. This system offers a novel screening approach for inhibitors of DNA damage response kinases, which we demonstrate using the inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A cell free system that reconstitutes the response to DNA damage in the absence of DNA lesions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Damage-activated extracts impose the cellular response to DNA damage on naieve nuclei. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PIKK-dependent response impacts positively and negatively on two separate fluorescent outputs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Can be used to screen for inhibitors that impact on the response to damage but not on DNA repair. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LY294002 and wortmannin demonstrate the system's potential as a pathway focused screening approach.
Water vapor distribution in protoplanetary disks
Du, Fujun; Bergin, Edwin A.
Water vapor has been detected in protoplanetary disks. In this work, we model the distribution of water vapor in protoplanetary disks with a thermo-chemical code. For a set of parameterized disk models, we calculate the distribution of dust temperature and radiation field of the disk with a Monte Carlo method, and then solve the gas temperature distribution and chemical composition. The radiative transfer includes detailed treatment of scattering by atomic hydrogen and absorption by water of Ly╬▒ photons, since the Ly╬▒ line dominates the UV spectrum of accreting young stars. In a fiducial model, we find that warm water vapor with temperature around 300 K is mainly distributed in a small and well-confined region in the inner disk. The inner boundary of the warm water region is where the shielding of UV field due to dust and water itself become significant. The outer boundary is where the dust temperature drops below the water condensation temperature. A more luminous central star leads to a more extended distribution of warm water vapor, while dust growth and settling tends to reduce the amount of warm water vapor. Based on typical assumptions regarding the elemental oxygen abundance and the water chemistry, the column density of warm water vapor can be as high as 10{sup 22} cm{sup ŌĆō2}. A small amount of hot water vapor with temperature higher than Ōł╝300 K exists in a more extended region in the upper atmosphere of the disk. Cold water vapor with temperature lower than 100 K is distributed over the entire disk, produced by photodesorption of the water ice.
Enhanced photocatalytic performance of Ga{sup 3+}-doped ZnO
Zhong, Jun Bo; Li, Jian Zhang; Zeng, Jun; He, Xi Yang; Hu, Wei; Shen, Yue Cheng
Graphical abstract: In general, the strong SPS response corresponds to the high separation rate of photoinduced charge carriers on the basis of the SPS principle. The photovoltage of Ga{sup 3+}-doped ZnO is higher than that of ZnO, thus it can be confirmed that the Ga{sup 3+}-doped ZnO has a higher charge separation rate than the ZnO sample. Among these samples, 1%Ga has highest charge separation rate. Display Omitted Highlights: Ō¢║ Ga{sup 3+} has been employed to dope ZnO photocatalyst. Ō¢║ Ga{sup 3+} increases the BET surface area and changes the morphology of ZnO. Ō¢║ The photoinduced charge separation rate has been enhanced. Ō¢║ The photocatalytic activity has been greatly promoted. -- Abstract: ZnO and Ga{sup 3+}-doped ZnO with different molar ratio of Ga/Zn (1%, 2% and 3%) were prepared by a parallel flow precipitation method. The photocatalysts prepared were characterized by BET surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV/vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS), respectively. The results show that doping Ga{sup 3+} into ZnO increases the BET surface area. The XRD spectra of the photocatalysts calcined at 573 K show only the characteristic peaks of wurtzite-type. Ga{sup 3+}-doped ZnO absorbs much more light than ZnO in the visible light region. Doping Ga{sup 3+} into ZnO greatly changes the morphology of ZnO and enhances the photoinduced charge separation rate. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO and Ga{sup 3+}-doped ZnO for decolorization of methyl orange (MO) solution was evaluated, of all the photocatalysts prepared, the Ga{sup 3+}-doped ZnO with 1% possesses the best photocatalytic activity and the possible reason was discussed.
Sol-gel synthesis of protoenstatite
Jones, S.A.; Burlitch, J.M.
Protoenstatite, a high-temperature polymorph of enstatite (MgSiO{sub 3}), is generally not stable at room temperature, and is difficult to synthesize. Using a recently developed, hydrogen peroxide assisted, sol-gel synthesis, protoenstatite was synthesized in a form that was stable at room temperature. Its crystallization was strongly dependent on processing conditions, particularly on the manner in which the xerogel was formed and fired. Xerogels prepared by evaporation, spray-drying and freeze-drying were compared by XRD, HTXRD, BET, TG/DTA, and {sup 29}Si NMR methods. When samples were prepared by evaporation or spray-drying, the result was a mixture of polymorphs. Only the freeze-dried precursor yielded protoenstatite at a lower temperature and within a shorter time than any previously reported.
Deactivation of methanol synthesis catalysts
Roberts, G.W.; Brown, D.M.; Hsiung, T.H.; Lewnard, J.J. (Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA (United States))
A novel methanol synthesis process, the liquid-phase methanol (LPMEOH) process, has been developed and scaled up to a nominal 380 kg/h (10 ton/day) pilot plant. The process is based on a gas-sparged slurry reactor instead of a conventional, fixed-bed reactor. The use of slurry reactors, which are essentially gradientless, greatly facilitated the interpretation and quantification of catalyst deactivation phenomena. With a poison-free, CO-rich feedstream, the rate of deactivation of the Cu/ZnO catalyst increased rapidly with temperature. At constant temperature, in the absence of poisons, the decline with time in the rate constant for methanol synthesis correlated with the loss of BET surface area. Iron carbonyl, nickel carbonyl, and carbonyl sulfide are severe and highly specific poisons for methanol-synthesis catalyst. There was a linear relationship between the catalyst activity loss and the concentration of metal or sulfur on the catalyst.
Redey, Laszlo I.; Vissers, Donald R.; Prakash, Jai
An electrochemical cell having a bimodal positive electrode, a negative electrode of an alkali metal, and a compatible electrolyte including an alkali metal salt molten at the cell operating temperature. The positive electrode has an electrochemically active layer of at least one transition metal chloride at least partially present as a charging product, and additives of bromide and/or iodide and sulfur in the positive electrode or the electrolyte. Electrode volumetric capacity is in excess of 400 Ah/cm.sup.3 ; the cell can be 90% recharged in three hours and can operate at temperatures below 160.degree. C. There is also disclosed a method of reducing the operating temperature and improving the overall volumetric capacity of an electrochemical cell and for producing a positive electrode having a BET area greater than 6.times.10.sup.4 cm.sup.2 /g of Ni.
Redey, Laszlo I.; Vissers, Donald R.; Prakash, Jai
An electrochemical cell having a bimodal positive electrode, a negative electrode of an alkali metal, and a compatible electrolyte including an alkali metal salt molten at the cell operating temperature. The positive electrode has an electrochemically active layer of at least one transition metal chloride at least partially present as a charging product, and additives of bromide and/or iodide and sulfur in the positive electrode or the electrolyte. Electrode volumetric capacity is in excess of 400 Ah/cm.sup.3 ; the cell can be 90% recharged in three hours and can operate at temperatures below 160.degree. C. There is also disclosed a method of reducing the operating temperature and improving the overall volumetric capacity of an electrochemical cell and for producing a positive electrode having a BET area greater than 6.times.10.sup.4 cm.sup.2 /g of Ni.
PETN: Variation in Physical and Chemical Characteristics Related to Aging.
Monroe, D. C.; Laintz, K. E.; Kramer, J. F.; Peterson, P. D.
Physical and chemical analyses of five PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) batches have been conducted to assist in defining powder acceptance criteria for qualification of newly manufactured powders, as well as for examination of potential changes related to aging and thus changes in performance. Results showed that (1) repeatable Fisher Sub-Sieve Sizer measurements (which relate well to historic performance data) could be obtained with consistent sample setup and measurement techniques; (2) BET nitrogen adsorption estimates of surface area correlate well with Fisher measurements and appear less variable; (3) PharmaVision particle size analyses show promise in discriminating among PETN batches; and (4) SEMs are extremely useful in semi-quantitative discrimination among batches. Physical and chemical data will be related to performance data (to be obtained) to develop quantitative physical and chemical tests useful in predicting performance over time, i.e., as powders age.
High capacity carbon dioxide sorbent
Dietz, Steven Dean; Alptekin, Gokhan; Jayaraman, Ambalavanan
The present invention provides a sorbent for the removal of carbon dioxide from gas streams, comprising: a CO.sub.2 capacity of at least 9 weight percent when measured at 22.degree. C. and 1 atmosphere; an H.sub.2O capacity of at most 15 weight percent when measured at 25.degree. C. and 1 atmosphere; and an isosteric heat of adsorption of from 5 to 8.5 kilocalories per mole of CO.sub.2. The invention also provides a carbon sorbent in a powder, a granular or a pellet form for the removal of carbon dioxide from gas streams, comprising: a carbon content of at least 90 weight percent; a nitrogen content of at least 1 weight percent; an oxygen content of at most 3 weight percent; a BET surface area from 50 to 2600 m.sup.2/g; and a DFT micropore volume from 0.04 to 0.8 cc/g.
Mesoporous carbons and polymers
Bell, William; Dietz, Steven
A polymer is prepared by polymerizing a polymerizable component from a mixture containing the polymerizable component and a surfactant, the surfactant and the polymerizable component being present in the mixture in a molar ratio of at least 0.2:1, having an average pore size greater than 4 nm and a density greater than 0.1 g/cc. The polymerizable component can comprise a resorcinol/formaldehyde system and the mixture can comprise an aqueous solution or the polymerizable component can comprise a divinylbenzene/styrene system and the mixture can comprise an organic solution. Alternatively, the polymerizable component can comprise vinylidene chloride or a vinylidene chloride/divinylbenzene system. The polymer may be monolithic, have a BET surface area of at least about 50 m.sup.2 /g., include a quantity of at least one metal powder, or have an electrical conductivity greater than 10 Scm.sup.-1.
Method and apparatus for ion sequestration and a nanostructured metal phosphate
Mattigod, Shas V.; Fryxell, Glen E.; Li, Xiaohong; Parker, Kent E.; Wellman, Dawn M.
A nanostructured substance, a process for sequestration of ionic waste, and an ion-sequestration apparatus are disclosed in the specification. The nanostructured substance can comprise a Lewis acid transition metal bound to a phosphate, wherein the phosphate comprises a primary structural component of the substance and the Lewis acid transition metal is a reducing agent. The nanostructured substance has a Brunner-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area greater than or equal to approximately 100 m.sup.2/g, and a distribution coefficient for an analyte, K.sub.d, greater than or equal to approximately 5000 ml/g. The process can comprise contacting a fluid and a nanostructured metal phosphate. The apparatus can comprise a vessel and a nanostructured metal phosphate. The vessel defines a volume wherein a fluid contacts the nanostructured metal phosphate.
Increased photocatalytic activity of TiO2 mesoporous microspheres from codoping with transition metals and nitrogen
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Mathis, John E.; Lieffers, Justin J.; Mitra, Chandrima; Reboredo, Fernando A.; Bi, Z.; Bridges, Craig A.; Kidder, Michelle K.; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans
The composition of anatase TiO2 was modified by codoping using combinations of a transition metal and nitrogen in order to increase its photocatalytic activity and extend it performance in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The transition metals (Mn, Co, Ni, Cu) were added during the hydrothermal preparation of mesoporous TiO2 particles, and the nitrogen was introduced by post-annealing in flowing ammonia gas at high temperature. The samples were analyzed by SEM, XRD, BET, inductively-coupled plasma spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was assessed by observing the change in methylene blue concentrations under both UV-vis andmore┬Ā┬╗ visible-only light irradiation. As a result, the photocatalytic activity of the (Mn,N), (Co,N), (Cu,N), and Ni,N) codoped TiO2 was significantly enhanced relative to (N) TiO2.┬½┬Āless
Redey, L.I.; Vissers, D.R.; Prakash, J.
An electrochemical cell is described having a bimodal positive electrode, a negative electrode of an alkali metal, and a compatible electrolyte including an alkali metal salt molten at the cell operating temperature. The positive electrode has an electrochemically active layer of at least one transition metal chloride at least partially present as a charging product, and additives of bromide and/or iodide and sulfur in the positive electrode or the electrolyte. Electrode volumetric capacity is in excess of 400 Ah/cm[sup 3]; the cell can be 90% recharged in three hours and can operate at temperatures below 160 C. There is also disclosed a method of reducing the operating temperature and improving the overall volumetric capacity of an electrochemical cell and for producing a positive electrode having a BET area greater than 6[times]10[sup 4] cm[sup 2]/g of Ni. 8 figures.
Sol-gel coatings for optoelectronic devices
Avellaneda, C.O.; Macedo, M.A.; Florentino, A.O.; Aegerter, M.A. [Univ. of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica e Quimica
Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} prepared by a sol-gel process in form of coatings and aerogels are new materials which present interesting properties: (a) The coatings present electrochromic properties and exhibit a blue coloration under Li{sup +} insertion with 100% reversible variation of the optical transmission in the visible and near infrared range between 80% and 200% and have a high chemical stability (tested up to 2,000 cycles). (b) They are semiconductor and present a photoelectric effect when illuminating in the UV region ({lambda} < 360 nm). These films are therefore very promising to be used in electrochromic devices, as electrodes for photoelectrochemical purpose and the development of nanocrystalline solar cell. (c) When prepared in aerogel form, the high BET surface area of the powders is a promising asset to use these new materials for catalytic purposes for air pollution control.
The aerocapacitor: An electrochemical double-layer energy-storage device
Mayer, S.T.; Pekala, R.W.; Kaschmitter, J.L.
The authors have applied unique types of carbon foams developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to make an {open_quotes}aerocapacitor{close_quotes}. The aerocapacitor is a high power-density, high energy-density, electrochemical double-layer capacitor which uses carbon aerogels as electrodes. These electrodes possess very high surface area per unit volume and are electrically continuous in both the carbon and electrolyte phase on a 10 nm scale. Aerogel surface areas range from 100 to 700 m{sup 2}/cc (as measured by BET analysis), with bulk densities of 0.3 to 1.0 g/cc. This morphology permits stored energy to be released rapidly, resulting in high power densities (7.5 kW/kg). Materials parameterization has been performed, and device capacitances of several tens of Farads per gram and per cm{sup 3} of aerogel have been achieved.
Water-Stable Zirconium-Based Metal-Organic Framework Material with High-Surface Area and Gas-Storage Capacities
Gutov, OV; Bury, W; Gomez-Gualdron, DA; Krungleviciute, V; Fairen-Jimenez, D; Mondloch, JE; Sarjeant, AA; Al-Juaid, SS; Snurr, RQ; Hupp, JT; Yildirim, T; Farha, OK
We designed, synthesized, and characterized a new Zr-based metal-organic framework material, NU-1100, with a pore volume of 1.53 ccg(-1) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 4020 m(2)g(-1); to our knowledge, currently the highest published for Zr-based MOFs. CH4/CO2/H-2 adsorption isotherms were obtained over a broad range of pressures and temperatures and are in excellent agreement with the computational predictions. The total hydrogen adsorption at 65 bar and 77 K is 0.092 gg(-1), which corresponds to 43 gL(-1). The volumetric and gravimetric methane-storage capacities at 65 bar and 298 K are approximately 180 v(STP)/v and 0.27 gg(-1), respectively.
Office of Legacy Management (LM)
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Impact of Biodiesel on the Oxidation Kinetics and Morphology of Diesel Particulate
Strzelec, Andrea; Toops, Todd J; Daw, C Stuart
We compare the oxidation characteristics of four different diesel particulates generated with a modern light-duty engine. The four particulates represent engine fueling with conventional ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), biodiesel, and two intermediate blends of these fuels. The comparisons discussed here are based on complementary measurements implemented in a laboratory micro-reactor, including temperature programmed desorption and oxidation, pulsed isothermal oxidation, and BET surface area. From these measurements we have derived models that are consistent with the observed oxidation reactivity differences. When accessible surface area effects are properly accounted for, the oxidation kinetics of the fixed carbon components were found to consistently exhibit an Arrhenius activation energy of 113 6 kJ/mol. Release of volatile carbon from the as-collected particulate appears to follow a temperaturedependent rate law.
Size-Dependent Specific Surface Area of Nanoporous Film Assembled by Core-Shell Iron Nanoclusters
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Antony, Jiji; Nutting, Joseph; Baer, Donald R.; Meyer, Daniel; Sharma, Amit; Qiang, You
Nmore┬Ā┬╗ anoporous films of core-shell iron nanoclusters have improved possibilities for remediation, chemical reactivity rate, and environmentally favorable reaction pathways. Conventional methods often have difficulties to yield stable monodispersed core-shell nanoparticles. We produced core-shell nanoclusters by a cluster source that utilizes combination of Fe target sputtering along with gas aggregations in an inert atmosphere at 7 Ōłś C . Sizes of core-shell iron-iron oxide nanoclusters are observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The specific surface areas of the porous films obtained from Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) process are size-dependent and compared with the calculated data.┬½┬Āless
Development of precipitated iron Fischer-Tropsch catalysts. Quarterly technical progress report, 1 January 1995--31 March 1995
Bukur, D.B.; Lang, X.; Reddy, B.
During the reporting period we completed synthesis of about 100 g of catalyst with nominal composition 100 Fe/3 Cu/4 K/16 SiO{sub 2} (S-3416-2), and of another batch (173 g) of the same catalyst (S-3416-3). Also, we synthesized two additional batches of catalyst with nominal composition 100 Fe/5 Cu/6 K/24 SiO{sub 2}, in the amounts of 240 g (S-5624-3) and 200 g (S-5624-4). These amounts are sufficient for all planned tests with these two catalysts for the entire duration of this contract. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by atomic absorption, and BET surface area and pore size distribution measurements.
Redey, L.I.; Vissers, D.R.; Prakash, J.
An electrochemical cell is described having a bimodal positive electrode, a negative electrode of an alkali metal, and a compatible electrolyte including an alkali metal salt molten at the cell operating temperature. The positive electrode has an electrochemically active layer of at least one transition metal chloride at least partially present as a charging product, and additives of bromide and/or iodide and sulfur in the positive electrode or the electrolyte. Electrode volumetric capacity is in excess of 400 Ah/cm{sup 3}; the cell can be 90% recharged in three hours and can operate at temperatures below 160 C. There is also disclosed a method of reducing the operating temperature and improving the overall volumetric capacity of an electrochemical cell and for producing a positive electrode having a BET area greater than 6{times}10{sup 4}cm{sup 2}/g of Ni. 6 figs.
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68AJ02) (See Energy Level Diagrams for 11Be) GENERAL: See Table 11.1 [Table of Energy Levels] (in PDF or PS). Mass of 11Be: The Q-value of the 9Be(t, p)11Be reaction is given as Q = -1.164 ┬▒ 0.015 MeV by (PU62) (based on 12C(t, p)14C*). This value has been adjusted by (RY65) to -1.170 MeV, leading to M - A for 11Be = 20.181 ┬▒ 0.015 MeV (relative to 12C) (MA65A). See (TA60D, TA60L, DO61, RO66S, DE67P). The ground state of 11Be has even parity (AL64I). 1. 11Be(╬▓-)11B Qm = 11.513 The decay
Broader source: All U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office Webpages (Extended Search)
80AJ01) (See Energy Level Diagrams for 12Be) GENERAL: See also (1975AJ02) and Table 12.1 [Table of Energy Levels] (in PDF or PS). Special reactions: (1975VO09, 1977AR06, 1979NA1E). General reviews: (1973TO16, 1974CE1A). Theoretical papers: (1975BE31, 1976BA24, 1976BE1G, 1976IR1B, 1977SE1D). Mass of 12Be: The Q-value of the 10Be(t, p) reaction (-4809 ┬▒ 15 keV) (1978AL29) leads to an atomic mass excess of 25078 ┬▒ 15 keV for 12Be which we adopt. See also (1975AJ02, 1975JE02). 1. 12Be(╬▓-)12B Qm =
Broader source: All U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office Webpages (Extended Search)
85AJ01) (See Energy Level Diagrams for 12Be) GENERAL: See also (1980AJ01) and Table 12.1 [Table of Energy Levels] (in PDF or PS). Theoretical papers:(1979KO29, 1981AV02, 1981SE06, 1982NG01, 1983ANZQ, 1983MI1E, 1984VA06). Hypernuclei:(1980GA1P, 1982IK1A, 1982KA1D, 1982PO1C, 1983BR1E, 1983DO1B, 1983MI1E, 1984DO04). Other topics:(1983OL1A, 1983WI1A, 1984HI1A). Mass of 12Be: The Q-value of the 10Be(t, p) reaction (-4809 ┬▒ 15 keV) (1978AL29) leads to an atomic mass excess of 25077 ┬▒ 15 keV for
Water retention and gas relative permeability of two industrial concretes
Chen Wei; Liu Jian; Brue, Flore; Skoczylas, Frederic; Davy, C.A.; Bourbon, Xavier; Talandier, Jean
This experimental study aims at identifying the water retention properties of two industrial concretes to be used for long term underground nuclear waste storage structures. Together with water retention, gas transfer properties are identified at varying water saturation level, i.e. relative gas permeability is assessed directly as a function of water saturation level S{sub w}. The influence of the initial de-sorption path and of the subsequent re-saturation are analysed both in terms of water retention and gas transfer properties. Also, the influence of concrete microstructure upon water retention and relative gas permeability is assessed, using porosity measurements, analysis of the BET theory from water retention properties, and MIP. Finally, a single relative gas permeability curve is proposed for each concrete, based on Van Genuchten-Mualem's statistical model, to be used for continuous modelling approaches of concrete structures, both during drying and imbibition.
Clean, premium-quality chars: Demineralized and carbon enriched. Technical report, December 1, 1992--February 28, 1993
Smith, G.V.; Malhotra, V.M.; Wiltowski, T.; Myszka, E.; Banerjee, D.
The overall objective of this two-year project is to evaluate methods of preparing demineralized and carbon enriched chars from Illinois Basin coals. There are two processing steps: physical cleaning of the coal and devolatilization under different environments to form chars. Two different techniques were used: BET surface area analyzer and in-situ Diffuse Reflectance FTIR. Experiments were performed with coals IBC-101, 102, and 104 as received and after cleaning. It was found that the cleaning not only removes the minerals but has changed also the porous structure of the coals. DR-FTIR spectrums helped to explain the possible existing chemical bonds in the coal structure as well as their changes during drying and mild pyrolysis.
Compilation of requests for nuclear data. Addendum
Not Available
Each request is assigned a unique identifying number. The first two digits of this number give the year the request was initiated. All requests for a given Isotope and Quantity are grouped (or blocked) together. The requests in a block are followed by any status comments. Each request has a unique Isotope, Quantity and Requester. The requester is identified by laboratory, last name, and sponsoring US government agency, e.g., BET, Steen, DNR. All requests must give the energy (or range of energy) for the incident particle when appropriate. The accuracy needed in percent is also given. The error quoted is assumed to be 1-sigma at each measured point in the energy range requested unless a comment specifies otherwise. Sometimes a range of accuracy indicated by two values is given or some statement is given in the free text comments. An incident energy resolution in percent is sometimes given.
Carbonaceous materials as lithium intercalation anodes
Tran, T.D.; Feikert, J.H.; Mayer, S.T.; Song, X.; Kinoshita, K.
Commercial and polymer-derived carbonaceous materials were examined as lithium intercalation anodes in propylene carbonate (pyrolysis < 1350C, carbons) and ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (graphites) electrolytes. The reversible capacity (180--355 mAh/g) and the irreversible capacity loss (15--200 % based on reversible capacity) depend on the type of binder, carbon type, morphology, and phosphorus doping concentration. A carbon-based binder was chosen for electrode fabrication, producing mechanically and chemically stable electrodes and reproducible results. Several types of graphites had capacity approaching LiC{sub 6}. Petroleum fuel green cokes doped with phosphorous gave more than a 20 % increase in capacity compared to undoped samples. Electrochemical characteristics are related to SEM, TEM, XRD and BET measurements.
Increased photocatalytic activity of TiO2 mesoporous microspheres from codoping with transition metals and nitrogen
Mathis, John E.; Lieffers, Justin J.; Mitra, Chandrima; Reboredo, Fernando A.; Bi, Z.; Bridges, Craig A.; Kidder, Michelle K.; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans
The composition of anatase TiO2 was modified by codoping using combinations of a transition metal and nitrogen in order to increase its photocatalytic activity and extend it performance in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The transition metals (Mn, Co, Ni, Cu) were added during the hydrothermal preparation of mesoporous TiO2 particles, and the nitrogen was introduced by post-annealing in flowing ammonia gas at high temperature. The samples were analyzed by SEM, XRD, BET, inductively-coupled plasma spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was assessed by observing the change in methylene blue concentrations under both UV-vis and visible-only light irradiation. As a result, the photocatalytic activity of the (Mn,N), (Co,N), (Cu,N), and Ni,N) codoped TiO2 was significantly enhanced relative to (N) TiO2.
Synthesis of mesoporous silica materials from municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash
Liu, Zhen-Shu Li, Wen-Kai; Huang, Chun-Yi
Highlights: Ģ The optimal alkaline agent for the extraction of silica from bottom ash was Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. Ģ The pore sizes for the mesoporous silica synthesized from bottom ash were 2¢3.8 nm. Ģ The synthesized materials exhibited a hexagonal pore structure with a smaller order. Ģ The materials have potential for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. - Abstract: Incinerator bottom ash contains a large amount of silica and can hence be used as a silica source for the synthesis of mesoporous silica materials. In this study, the conditions for alkaline fusion to extract silica from incinerator bottom ash were investigated, and the resulting supernatant solution was used as the silica source for synthesizing mesoporous silica materials. The physical and chemical characteristics of the mesoporous silica materials were analyzed using BET, XRD, FTIR, SEM, and solid-state NMR. The results indicated that the BET surface area and pore size distribution of the synthesized silica materials were 992 m{sup 2}/g and 2¢3.8 nm, respectively. The XRD patterns showed that the synthesized materials exhibited a hexagonal pore structure with a smaller order. The NMR spectra of the synthesized materials exhibited three peaks, corresponding to Q{sup 2} [Si(OSi){sub 2}(OH){sub 2}], Q{sup 3} [Si(OSi){sub 3}(OH)], and Q{sup 4} [Si(OSi){sub 4}]. The FTIR spectra confirmed the existence of a surface hydroxyl group and the occurrence of symmetric Si¢O stretching. Thus, mesoporous silica was successfully synthesized from incinerator bottom ash. Finally, the effectiveness of the synthesized silica in removing heavy metals (Pb{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, Cd{sup 2+}, and Cr{sup 2+}) from aqueous solutions was also determined. The results showed that the silica materials synthesized from incinerator bottom ash have potential for use as an adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions.
Screening of low cost sorbents for arsenic and mercury capture in gasification systems
Cedric Charpenteau; Revata Seneviratne; Anthe George; Marcos Millan; Denis R. Dugwell; Rafael Kandiyoti
A novel laboratory-scale fixed-bed reactor has been developed to investigate trace metal capture on selected sorbents for cleaning the hot raw gas in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants. The new reactor design is presented, together with initial results for mercury and arsenic capture on five sorbents. It was expected that the capture efficiency of sorbents would decrease with increasing temperature. However, a commercial activated carbon, Norit Darco 'Hg', and a pyrolysis char prepared from scrap tire rubber exhibit similar efficiencies for arsenic at 200 and at 400{sup o}C (70% and 50%, respectively). Meta-kaolinite and fly ash both exhibit an efficiency of around 50% at 200{sup o}C, which then dropped as the test temperature was increased to 400{sup o}C. Activated scrap tire char performed better at 200{sup o}C than the pyrolysis char showing an arsenic capture capacity similar to that of commercial Norit Darco 'Hg'; however, efficiency dropped to below 40% at 400{sup o}C. These results suggest that the capture mechanism of arsenic (As4) is more complex than purely physical adsorption onto the sorbents. Certain elements within the sorbents may have significant importance for chemical adsorption, in addition to the effect of surface area, as determined by the BET method. This was indeed the case for the mercury capture efficiency for all four sorbents tested. Three of the sorbents tested retained 90% of the mercury when operated at 100{sup o}C. As the temperature increased, the efficiency of activated carbon and pyrolysis char reduced significantly. Curiously, despite having the smallest Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area, a pf-combustion ash was the most effective in capturing mercury over the temperature range studied. These observations suggest that the observed mercury capture was not purely physical adsorption but a combination of physical and chemical processes. 27 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.
Microstructure and thermal conductivity of surfactant-free NiO nanostructures
Sahoo, Pranati; Misra, Dinesh K.; Salvador, Jim; Makongo, Julien P.A.; Chaubey, Girija S.; Takas, Nathan J.; Wiley, John B.; Poudeu, Pierre F.P.
High purity, nanometer sized surfactant-free nickel oxide (NiO) particles were produced in gram scale using a solution combustion method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), gas pycnometry and gas adsorption analysis (BET). The average particle size of the as-synthesized NiO increases significantly with the preheating temperature of the furnace, while the specific surface area decreases. A BET specific surface area of {approx}100 m{sup 2}/g was obtained for NiO nanoparticles with size as small as 3 nm synthesized at 300 Degree-Sign C. The thermal conductivity ({kappa}) of pressed pellets of the synthesized NiO nanoparticles obtained using spark plasma sintering (SPS) and uniaxial hot pressing is drastically decreased ({approx}60%) compared to that of NiO single crystal. This strong reduction in {kappa} with particle size suggests the suitability of the synthesized surfactant-free NiO nanoparticles for use as nanoinclusions when designing high performance materials for waste heat recovery. - Graphical abstract: Highly efficient phonon scattering by surfactant-free NiO nanostructures obtained by solution combustion of a mixture of nickel (II) nitrate hexahydrate (oxidizer) and urea (fuel) at various temperatures. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fast synthesis of surfactant-free NiO nanoparticles with controllable size. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High specific surface area for NiO nanoparticles with size range from 3 to 7 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Strong reduction of the thermal conductivity with decreasing particle size. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer NiO as nanoinclusions in high performance materials for energy conversion.
Relationship between textural properties, fly ash carbons, and Hg capture in fly ashes derived from the combustion of anthracitic pulverized feed blends
Isabel Surez-Ruiz; Jose B. Parra
In this work, the textural properties of a series of whole anthracitic-derived fly ashes sampled in eight hoppers from the electrostatic precipitators and their sized fractions (from {gt}150 to {lt}25 {mu}m) are investigated. Data from N{sub 2} adsorption isotherms at 77 K, helium density, and mercury porosimetry have contributed to establish a relationship between the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas, VTOT, porosity, carbon content (the type of fly ash carbons), and Hg retention in these fly ashes. The unburned carbons in these ashes are macroporous materials, and they are different from the carbons in fly ashes from classes C and F (the latter derived from the combustion of bituminous coals) and show different textural properties. These ashes represent the end member of the fly ash classes C and F with respect to certain textural properties. Although the BET surface area and VTOT values for the studied samples are the lowest reported, they increase with the increase in carbon content, anisotropic carbon content, and particle size of the ashes. Thus, a positive relationship between all these parameters and Hg capture by the coarser ash fractions was found. The finest fraction of carbons ({lt}25 {mu}m) represented an exception. Although it makes a significant contribution to the total carbon of the whole fly ashes and shows relatively higher surface areas and VTOT values, its Hg concentration was found to be the lowest. This suggests that the type of unburned carbons in the finest fraction and/or other adsorption mechanisms may play a role in Hg concentration. Because the textural properties of anisotropic carbons depend on their subtype and on their origin, the need for its differentiation has been evidenced. 54 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.
Polyacrylamide-hydroxyapatite composite: Preparation, characterization and adsorptive features for uranium and thorium
Baybas, Demet; Ulusoy, Ulvi
The composite of synthetically produced hydroxyapatite (HAP) and polyacrylamide was prepared (PAAm-HAP) and characterized by BET, FT-IR, TGA, XRD, SEM and PZC analysis. The adsorptive features of HAP and PAAm-HAP were compared for UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} and Th{sup 4+}. The entrapment of HAP into PAAm-HAP did not change the structure of HAP. Both structures had high affinity to the studied ions. The adsorption capacity of PAAm-HAP was than that of HAP. The adsorption dependence on pH and ionic intensity provided supportive evidences for the effect of complex formation on adsorption process. The adsorption kinetics was well compatible to pseudo second order model. The values of enthalpy and entropy changes were positive. Th{sup 4+} adsorption from the leachate obtained from a regional fluorite rock confirmed the selectivity of PAAm-HAP for this ion. In consequence, PAAm-HAP should be considered amongst favorite adsorbents for especially deposition of nuclear waste containing U and Th, and radionuclide at secular equilibrium with these elements. - Graphical abstract: SEM images of hydroxyapatite (HAP) and polyacrylamide-hydroxyapatite (PAAm-HAP), and the adsorption isotherms for Uranium and Thorium. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Composite of PAAm-HAP was synthesized from hydroxyapatite and polyacrylamide. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The materials were characterized by BET, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TGA and PZC analysis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer HAP and PAAm-HAP had high sorption capacity and very rapid uptake for UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} and Th{sup 4+}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Super porous PAAm was obtained from PAAm-HAP after its removal of HAP content. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The composite is potential for deposition of U, Th and its associate radionuclides.
Methanol conversion to light olefins over nanostructured CeAPSO-34 catalyst: Thermodynamic analysis of overall reactions and effect of template type on catalytic properties and performance
Aghamohammadi, Sogand; Haghighi, Mohammad; Charghand, Mojtaba
Graphical abstract: In this research nanostructured CeAPSO-34 was synthesized to explore the effect of TEAOH and morpholine on its physiochemical properties and MTO performance. Prepared catalysts were characterized with XRD, FESEM, BET, FTIR and NH3-TPD techniques. The results indicated that the nature of the template determines the physiochemical properties of CeAPSO-34 due to different rate of crystal growth. The catalyst obtained by using morpholine showed longer life time as well as sustaining light olefins selectivity at higher values. Furthermore, a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of overall reactions network was carried out to address the major channels of methanol to olefins conversion. - Highlights: Ģ Introduction of Ce into SAPO-34 framework. Ģ Comparison of CeAPSO-34 synthesized using morpholine and TEAOH. Ģ The nature of the template determines the physiochemical properties of CeAPSO-34. Ģ Morpholine enhances catalyst lifetime in MTO process. Ģ Presenting a complete reaction network for MTO process. - Abstract: TEAOH and morpholine were employed in synthesis of nanostructured CeAPSO-34 molecular sieve and used in methanol to olefins conversion. Prepared samples were characterized by XRD, FESEM, EDX, BET, FTIR and NH{sub 3}-TPD techniques. XRD patterns reflected the higher crystallinity of the catalyst synthesized with morpholine. The FESEM results indicated that the nature of the template determines the morphology of nanostructured CeAPSO-34 due to different rate of crystal growth. There was a meaningful difference in the strength of both strong and weak acid sites for CeAPSO-34 catalysts synthesized with TEAOH and morpholine templates. The catalyst synthesized with morpholine showed higher desorption temperature of both weak and strong acid sites evidenced by NH{sub 3}-TPD characterization. The catalyst obtained using morpholine template had the longer lifetime and sustained desired light olefins at higher values. A comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of overall reactions network was carried out to address the major channels of methanol to olefins conversion.
A HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE/COSMIC ORIGINS SPECTROGRAPH SEARCH FOR WARM-HOT BARYONS IN THE Mrk 421 SIGHT LINE
Danforth, Charles W.; Stocke, John T.; Keeney, Brian A.; Penton, Steven V.; Shull, J. Michael; Yao Yangsen; Green, James C., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)
Thermally broadened Ly{alpha} absorbers (BLAs) offer an alternate method to using highly ionized metal absorbers (O VI, O VII, etc.) to probe the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM, T = 10{sup 5}-10{sup 7} K). Until now, WHIM surveys via BLAs have been no less ambiguous than those via far-UV and X-ray metal-ion probes. Detecting these weak, broad features requires background sources with a well-characterized far-UV continuum and data of very high quality. However, a recent Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) observation of the z = 0.03 blazar Mrk 421 allows us to perform a metal-independent search for WHIM gas with unprecedented precision. The data have high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N Almost-Equal-To 50 per {approx}20 km s{sup -1} resolution element) and the smooth, power-law blazar spectrum allows a fully parametric continuum model. We analyze the Mrk 421 sight line for BLA absorbers, particularly for counterparts to the proposed O VII WHIM systems reported by Nicastro et al. based on Chandra/Low Energy Transmission Grating observations. We derive the Ly{alpha} profiles predicted by the X-ray observations. The S/N of the COS data is high (S/N Almost-Equal-To 25 pixel{sup -1}), but much higher S/N can be obtained by binning the data to widths characteristic of the expected BLA profiles. With this technique, we are sensitive to WHIM gas over a large (N{sub H}, T) parameter range in the Mrk 421 sight line. We rule out the claimed Nicastro et al. O VII detections at their nominal temperatures (T {approx} 1-2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} K) and metallicities (Z = 0.1 Z{sub Sun }) at {approx}> 2{sigma} level. However, WHIM gas at higher temperatures and/or higher metallicities is consistent with our COS non-detections.
An HST COS 'SNAPSHOT' spectrum of the K supergiant ? Vel (K4Ib-II)
Carpenter, Kenneth G. [NASA/GSFC Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Ayres, Thomas R. [University of Colorado, CASA, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Harper, Graham M. [School of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Kober, Gladys; Nielsen, Krister E.; Wahlgren, Glenn M., E-mail: email@example.com [Deptartment of Physics, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064 (United States)
We present a far-ultraviolet spectrum of the K4 Ib-II supergiant ? Vel obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) as a part of the SNAPshot program 'SNAPing coronal iron' (GO 11687). The observation covers a wavelength region (1326-1467 ┼) not previously recorded for ? Vel at a spectral resolving power of R ? 20,000 and displays strong emission and absorption features, superposed on a bright chromospheric continuum. Fluorescent excitation is responsible for much of the observed emission, mainly powered by strong H I Ly? and the O I (UV 2) triplet emission near ?1304. The molecular CO and H{sub 2} fluorescences are weaker than in the early-K giant ? Boo while the Fe II and Cr II lines, also pumped by H I Ly?, are stronger in ? Vel. This pattern of relative line strengths between the two stars is explained by the lower iron-group element abundance in ? Boo, which weakens that star's Fe II and Cr II emission without reducing the molecular fluorescences. The ? Vel spectrum shows fluorescent Fe II, Cr II, and H{sub 2} emission similar to that observed in the M supergiant ? Ori, but more numerous well-defined narrow emissions from CO. The additional CO emissions are visible in the spectrum of ? Vel since that star does not have the cool, opaque circumstellar shells that surround ? Ori and produce broad circumstellar CO (A-X) band absorptions that hide those emissions in the cooler star. The presence of Si IV emission in ? Vel indicates a ?8 ū 10{sup 4} K plasma that is mixed into the cooler chromosphere. Evidence of the stellar wind is seen in the C II ??1334,1335 lines and in the blueshifted Fe II and Ni II wind absorption lines. Line modeling using Sobolev with Exact Integration for the C II lines indicates a larger terminal velocity (?45 versus ?30 km s{sup ¢1}) and turbulence (?27 versus <21 km s{sup ¢1}) with a more quickly accelerating wind (? = 0.35 versus 0.7) at the time of this COS observation in 2010 than derived from Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph data obtained in 1994. The Fe II and Ni II absorptions are blueshifted by 7.6 km s{sup ¢1} relative to the chromospheric emission, suggesting formation in lower levels of the accelerating wind and their widths indicate a higher turbulence in the ? Vel wind compared to ? Ori.
Neubauer, M. L.; Dudas, A.; Sah, R.; Elliott, T. S.; Rimmer, R. A.; Stirbet, M. S.
A su┬Łper┬Łcon┬Łduct┬Łing RF (SRF) power cou┬Łpler ca┬Łpa┬Łble of han┬Łdling 500 kW CW RF power is re┬Łquired for pre┬Łsent and fu┬Łture stor┬Łage rings and linacs. There are over 35 cou┬Łpler de┬Łsigns for SRF cav┬Łi┬Łties rang┬Łing in fre┬Łquen┬Łcy from 325 to 1500 MHz. Cou┬Łpler win┬Łdows vary from cylin┬Łders to cones to disks, and RF power cou┬Łplers are lim┬Łit┬Łed by the abil┬Łi┬Łty of ce┬Łram┬Łic win┬Łdows to with┬Łstand the stress┬Łes due to heat┬Łing and me┬Łchan┬Łi┬Łcal flex┬Łure. We pro┬Łpose a novel ro┬Łbust co-ax┬Łi┬Łal SRF cou┬Łpler de┬Łsign which uses com┬Łpressed win┬Łdow tech┬Łnol┬Ło┬Łgy. This tech┬Łnol┬Ło┬Łgy will allow the use of high┬Łly ther┬Łmal┬Łly con┬Łduc┬Łtive ma┬Łte┬Łri┬Łals for cryo┬Łgenic win┬Łdows. Using com┬Łpressed win┬Łdow tech┬Łniques on disk co-ax┬Łi┬Łal win┬Łdows will make sig┬Łnif┬Łi┬Łcant im┬Łprove┬Łments in the power han┬Łdling of SRF cou┬Łplers. We pre┬Łsent the bench test re┬Łsults of two win┬Łdow as┬Łsem┬Łblies back to back, as well as in┬Łdi┬Łvid┬Łu┬Łal win┬Łdow VSWR in EIA3.125 coax. A vac┬Łu┬Łum test as┬Łsem┬Łbly was made and the win┬Łdows baked out at 155C. The pro┬Łcess┬Łes used to build win┬Łdows is scal┬Łable to larg┬Łer di┬Łam┬Łe┬Łter coax and to high┬Łer power lev┬Łels.
Schelgel, D.; Abdalla, F.; Abraham, T.; Ahn, C.; Allende Prieto, C.; Annis, J.; Aubourg, E.; Azzaro, M.; Bailey, S.; Baltay, C.; Baugh, C.; Bebek, C.; Becerril, S.; Blanton, M.; Bolton, A.; Bromley, B.; Cahn, R.; Carton, P.-H.; Cervanted-Cota, J.L.; Chu, Y.; Cortes, M.; /APC, Paris /Brookhaven /IRFU, Saclay /Marseille, CPPM /Marseille, CPT /Durham U. / /IEU, Seoul /Fermilab /IAA, Granada /IAC, La Laguna / /IAC, Mexico / / /Madrid, IFT /Marseille, Lab. Astrophys. / / /New York U. /Valencia U.
BigBOSS is a Stage IV ground-based dark energy experiment to study baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and the growth of structure with a wide-area galaxy and quasar redshift survey over 14,000 square degrees. It has been conditionally accepted by NOAO in response to a call for major new instrumentation and a high-impact science program for the 4-m Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak. The BigBOSS instrument is a robotically-actuated, fiber-fed spectrograph capable of taking 5000 simultaneous spectra over a wavelength range from 340 nm to 1060 nm, with a resolution R = {lambda}/{Delta}{lambda} = 3000-4800. Using data from imaging surveys that are already underway, spectroscopic targets are selected that trace the underlying dark matter distribution. In particular, targets include luminous red galaxies (LRGs) up to z = 1.0, extending the BOSS LRG survey in both redshift and survey area. To probe the universe out to even higher redshift, BigBOSS will target bright [OII] emission line galaxies (ELGs) up to z = 1.7. In total, 20 million galaxy redshifts are obtained to measure the BAO feature, trace the matter power spectrum at smaller scales, and detect redshift space distortions. BigBOSS will provide additional constraints on early dark energy and on the curvature of the universe by measuring the Ly-alpha forest in the spectra of over 600,000 2.2 < z < 3.5 quasars. BigBOSS galaxy BAO measurements combined with an analysis of the broadband power, including the Ly-alpha forest in BigBOSS quasar spectra, achieves a FOM of 395 with Planck plus Stage III priors. This FOM is based on conservative assumptions for the analysis of broad band power (k{sub max} = 0.15), and could grow to over 600 if current work allows us to push the analysis to higher wave numbers (k{sub max} = 0.3). BigBOSS will also place constraints on theories of modified gravity and inflation, and will measure the sum of neutrino masses to 0.024 eV accuracy.
THE GREAT OBSERVATORIES ORIGINS DEEP SURVEY: CONSTRAINTS ON THE LYMAN CONTINUUM ESCAPE FRACTION DISTRIBUTION OF LYMAN-BREAK GALAXIES AT 3.4 < z < 4.5
Vanzella, E.; Nonino, M.; Fontanot, F.; Cristiani, S.; Tozzi, P.; Giavalisco, M.; Inoue, A. K.; Grazian, A.; Giallongo, E.; Boutsia, K.; Fontana, A.; Pentericci, L.; Dickinson, M.; Stern, D.; Ferguson, H.; Spinrad, H.; Rosati, P.
We use ultra-deep ultraviolet VLT/VIMOS intermediate-band and VLT/FORS1 narrowband imaging in the GOODS Southern field to derive limits on the distribution of the escape fraction (f{sub esc}) of ionizing radiation for L {>=} L*{sub z=3} Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at redshift 3.4-4.5. Only one LBG, at redshift z = 3.795, is detected in its Lyman continuum (LyC; S/N {approx_equal} 5.5), the highest redshift galaxy currently known with a direct detection. Its ultraviolet morphology is quite compact (R{sub eff} = 0.8 kpc physical). Three out of seven active galactic nuclei are also detected in their LyC, including one at redshift z = 3.951 and z{sub 850} = 26.1. From stacked data (LBGs), we set an upper limit to the average f{sub esc} in the range 5%-20%, depending on how the data are selected (e.g., by magnitude and/or redshift). We undertake extensive Monte Carlo simulations that take into account intergalactic attenuation, stellar population synthesis models, dust extinction, and photometric noise in order to explore the moments of the distribution of the escaping radiation. Various distributions (exponential, log-normal, and Gaussian) are explored. We find that the median f{sub esc} is lower than {approx_equal}6% with an 84% percentile limit not larger than 20%. If this result remains valid for fainter LBGs down to current observational limits, then the LBG population might be not sufficient to account for the entire photoionization budget at the redshifts considered here, with the exact details dependent upon the assumed ionizing background and QSO contribution thereto. It is possible that f{sub esc} depends on the UV luminosity of the galaxies, with fainter galaxies having higher f{sub esc}, and estimates of f{sub esc} from a sample of faint LBGs from HUDF (i{sub 775} {<=}28.5) are in broad quantitative agreement with such a scenario.
Halo mass dependence of H I and O VI absorption: evidence for differential kinematics
Mathes, Nigel L.; Churchill, Christopher W.; Nielsen, Nikole M.; Trujillo-Gomez, Sebastian; Kacprzak, Glenn G.; Charlton, Jane; Muzahid, Sowgat
We studied a sample of 14 galaxies (0.1 < z < 0.7) using HST/WFPC2 imaging and high-resolution HST/COS or HST/STIS quasar spectroscopy of Ly╬▒, Ly╬▓, and O VI ╬╗╬╗1031, 1037 absorption. The galaxies, having 10.8 Ōēż log (M {sub h}/M {sub Ōśē}) Ōēż 12.2, lie within D = 300 kpc of quasar sightlines, probing out to D/R {sub vir} = 3. When the full range of M {sub h} and D/R {sub vir} of the sample are examined, Ōł╝40% of the H I absorbing clouds can be inferred to be escaping their host halo. The fraction of bound clouds decreases as D/R {sub vir} increases such that the escaping fraction is Ōł╝15% for D/R {sub vir} < 1, Ōł╝45% for 1 Ōēż D/R {sub vir} < 2, and Ōł╝90% for 2 Ōēż D/R {sub vir} < 3. Adopting the median mass log M {sub h}/M {sub Ōśē} = 11.5 to divide the sample into 'higher' and 'lower' mass galaxies, we find a mass dependency for the hot circumgalactic medium kinematics. To our survey limits, O VI absorption is found in only Ōł╝40% of the H I clouds in and around lower mass halos as compared to Ōł╝85% around higher mass halos. For D/R {sub vir} < 1, lower mass halos have an escape fraction of Ōł╝65%, whereas higher mass halos have an escape fraction of Ōł╝5%. For 1 Ōēż D/R {sub vir} < 2, the escape fractions are Ōł╝55% and Ōł╝35% for lower mass and higher mass halos, respectively. For 2 Ōēż D/R {sub vir} < 3, the escape fraction for lower mass halos is Ōł╝90%. We show that it is highly likely that the absorbing clouds reside within 4R {sub vir} of their host galaxies and that the kinematics are dominated by outflows. Our finding of 'differential kinematics' is consistent with the scenario of 'differential wind recycling' proposed by Oppenheimer et al. We discuss the implications for galaxy evolution, the stellar to halo mass function, and the mass-metallicity relationship of galaxies.
THE COLUMN DENSITY DISTRIBUTION AND CONTINUUM OPACITY OF THE INTERGALACTIC AND CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM AT REDSHIFT (z) = 2.4
Rudie, Gwen C.; Steidel, Charles C. [Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, MS 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Shapley, Alice E. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, 430 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (United States); Pettini, Max, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)
We present new high-precision measurements of the opacity of the intergalactic and circumgalactic medium (IGM; CGM) at (z) = 2.4. Using Voigt profile fits to the full Ly{alpha} and Ly{beta} forests in 15 high-resolution high-S/N spectra of hyperluminous QSOs, we make the first statistically robust measurement of the frequency of absorbers with H I column densities 14{approx}< log (N{sub H{sub I}}/cm{sup -2}){approx}<17.2. We also present the first measurements of the frequency distribution of H I absorbers in the volume surrounding high-z galaxies (the CGM, 300 pkpc), finding that the incidence of absorbers in the CGM is much higher than in the IGM. In agreement with Rudie et al., we find that there are fractionally more high-N{sub H{sub I}} absorbers than low-N{sub H{sub I}} absorbers in the CGM compared to the IGM, leading to a shallower power law fit to the CGM frequency distribution. We use these new measurements to calculate the total opacity of the IGM and CGM to hydrogen-ionizing photons, finding significantly higher opacity than most previous studies, especially from absorbers with log (N{sub H{sub I}}/cm{sup -2}) < 17.2. Reproducing the opacity measured in our data as well as the incidence of absorbers with log (N{sub H{sub I}}/cm{sup -2})>17.2 requires a broken power law parameterization of the frequency distribution with a break near N{sub H{sub I}} Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 15} cm{sup -2}. We compute new estimates of the mean free path ({lambda}{sub mfp}) to hydrogen-ionizing photons at z{sub em} = 2.4, finding {lambda}{sub mfp} = 147 {+-} 15 Mpc when considering only IGM opacity. If instead, we consider photons emanating from a high-z star-forming galaxy and account for the local excess opacity due to the surrounding CGM of the galaxy itself, the mean free path is reduced to {lambda}{sub mfp} = 121 {+-} 15 Mpc. These {lambda}{sub mfp} measurements are smaller than recent estimates and should inform future studies of the metagalactic UV background and of ionizing sources at z Almost-Equal-To 2-3.
Controlled synthesis of mesoporous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods and visible light photocatalytic property
Zhang, Guo-Ying; Feng, Yan; Xu, Yan-Yan; Gao, Dong-Zhao; Sun, Ya-Qiu
Graphical abstract: Porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods were prepared by a facile hydrothermal process of Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}{center_dot}9H{sub 2}O in NaOH aqueous solution combined with calcination method. The rod structure can be well controlled via NaOH quantity and exhibits a high BET surface area of 105.1 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}. The as-obtained porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods show good reusability and superior visible-light photocatalytic activity in degradation of MB compared to hematite nanoparticles and microplates. Considering the excellent photocatalytic activity, recycling stability, and facile preparation method, the porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods are believed to have potential application in the field of photocatalysis. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods with typical pore size of 2-4 nm were controlled prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods exhibit a high BET surface area of 105.1 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} and a pore volume of 0.13 m{sup 3} g{sup -1}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It exhibits excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity and reusability in degradation of MB, in comparison to {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles and platelets. -- Abstract: Porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods with typical pore size of 2-4 nm were controlled prepared by a facile hydrothermal process of Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}{center_dot}9H{sub 2}O aqueous solution in the presence of NaOH, followed by a calcination treatment. Contrast experiments indicate that the morphology and crystalline structure of the hydrothermal products depend greatly on the quantity of NaOH. Hematite nanoparticles and microplates were respectively obtained under conditions without or with excess NaOH. The porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods exhibit a high BET surface area of 105.1 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} and a pore volume of 0.13 m{sup 3} g{sup -1}. UV-vis measurement shows wide absorption to visible light and an obvious blue-shift of the adsorption edge due to the quantum size effect. The visible-light photocatalytic performances of the as-prepared samples were evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of methylene blue at ambient temperature. The results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of the porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods is superior to hematite nanoparticles and platelets and exhibit good reusable feature. The photocatalytic process of porous structure is determined to be pseudo-first-order reaction with apparent reaction rate constant of 1.04 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} min{sup -1}. And the optimum photocatalyst dosage is 20 mg per 100 mL of dye solution. The porous {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanorods are considered potential photocatalyst for practical application due to the excellent photocatalytic behavior and good reusability.
The Citizen Cyberscience Lectures - 1) Mobile phones and Africa: a success story 2) Citizen Problem Solving
Mobile phones and Africa: a success story Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Mo Ibrahim Foundation Citizen Problem Solving Dr. Alpheus Bingham, InnoCentive The Citizen Cyberscience Lectures are hosted by the partners of the Citizen Cyberscience Centre, CERN, The UN Institute of Training and Research and the University of Geneva. The goal of the Lectures is to provide an inspirational forum for participants from the various international organizations and academic institutions in Geneva to explore how information technology is enabling greater citizen participation in tackling global development challenges as well as global scientific research. The first Citizen Cyberscience Lectures will welcome two speakers who have both made major innovative contributions in this area. Dr. Mo Ibrahim, founder of Celtel International, one of AfricaÆs most successful mobile network operators, will talk about ōMobile phones and Africa: a success storyö. Dr. Alpheus Bingham, founder of InnoCentive, a Web-based community that solves industrial R&D; challenges, will discuss ōCitizen Problem Solvingö. The Citizen Cyberscience Lectures are open and free of charge. Participants from outside CERN must register by sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.com BEFORE the 23rd october to be able to access CERN. THE LECTURES Mobile phones and Africa: a success story Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Mo Ibrahim Foundation Abstract The introduction of mobile phones into Africa changed the continent, enabling business and the commercial sector, creating directly and indirectly, millions of jobs. It enriched the social lives of many people. Surprisingly, it supported the emerging civil society and advanced the course of democracy Bio Dr Mo Ibrahim is a global expert in mobile communications with a distinguished academic and business career. In 1998, Dr Ibrahim founded Celtel International to build and operate mobile networks in Africa. Celtel became one of AfricaÆs most successful companies with operations in 15 countries, covering more than a third of the continentÆs population and investing more than US$750 million in Africa. The company was sold to MTC Kuwait in 2005 for $3.4billion. In 2006 Dr Ibrahim established the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to support great African leadership. The Foundation focuses on two major initiatives to stimulate debate around, and improve the quality of, governance in Africa. The Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership recognises and celebrates excellence; and the Ibrahim Index of African Governance provides civil society with a comprehensive and quantifiable tool to promote government accountability. Dr Ibrahim is also Founding Chairman of Satya Capital Ltd, an investment company focused on opportunities in Africa. Dr Ibrahim has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of LondonÆs School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of Birmingham and De Montfort University, Leicester as well as an Honorary Fellowship Award from the London Business School. He has also received the ChairmanÆs Award for Lifetime Achievement from the GSM Association in 2007 and the Economists Innovation Award 2007 for Social & Economic Innovation. In 2008 Dr Ibrahim was presented with the BNP Paribas Prize for Philanthropy, and also listed by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Citizen Problem Solving Dr. Alpheus Bingham, InnoCentive Abstract American playwright Damien Runyon (Guys and Dolls) once remarked, "the race is not always to the swift, nor the victory to the strong -- but that IS how you bet." Not only does a system of race handicapping follow from this logic, but the whole notion of expertise and technical qualifications. Such 'credentials' allow one to 'bet' on who might most likely solve a difficult challenge, whether as consultant, contractor or employee. Of course, the approach would differ if one were allowed to bet AFTER the race. When such systems came into broad use, i.e., chat rooms, usenets, innocentive, etc., and were subsequently studied, it was often found that the greate
Tilton, Evan M.; Danforth, Charles W.; Michael Shull, J. [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Ross, Teresa L., E-mail: email@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States)
We present a comprehensive catalog of ultraviolet (HST/STIS and FUSE) absorbers in the low-redshift intergalactic medium (IGM) at z < 0.4. The catalog draws from much of the extensive literature on IGM absorption and reconciles discrepancies among several previous catalogs through a critical evaluation of all reported absorption features in light of new HST/COS data. We report on 746 H I absorbers down to a rest-frame equivalent width of 12 mA over a maximum redshift path length {Delta}z = 5.38. We also confirm 111 O VI absorbers, 29 C IV absorbers, and numerous absorption lines due to other metal ions. We characterize the bivariate distribution of absorbers in redshift and column density as a power law, {partial_derivative}{sup 2}N/{partial_derivative}z{partial_derivative}N) {proportional_to} N{sup -{beta}}, where {beta} = 2.08 {+-} 0.12 for O VI and {beta} = 1.68 {+-} 0.03 for H I. Utilizing a more sophisticated accounting technique than past work, our catalog accounts for {approx}43% of the baryons: 24% {+-} 2% in the photoionized Ly{alpha} forest and 19% {+-} 2% in the warm-hot IGM as traced by O VI. We discuss the large systematic effects of various assumed metallicities and ionization states on these calculations, and we implement recent simulation results in our estimates.
Jefferson, S.; Cameron, J.F.
A method is described for detecting leaks in pipe lines carrying fluid. The steps include the following: injecting a radioactive solution into a fluid flowing in the line; flushing the line clear of the radioactive solution; introducing a detector-recorder unit, comprising a radioactivity radiation detector and a recorder which records the detector signal over a time period at a substantially constant speed, into the line in association with a go-devil capable of propelling the detector-recorder unit through the line in the direction of the fluid flow at a substantia1ly constant velocity; placing a series of sources of radioactivity at predetermined distances along the downstream part of the line to make a characteristic signal on the recorder record at intervals corresponding to the location of said sources; recovering the detector-recorder unit at a downstream point along the line; transcribing the recorder record of any radioactivity detected during the travel of the detector- recorder unit in terms of distance along the line. (AEC)
Evolution of Elastic X-ray Scattering in Laser-Shocked Warm Dense Li
Kugland, N L; Gregori, G; Bandyopadhyay, S; Brenner, C; Brown, C; Constantin, C; Glenzer, S H; Khattak, F; Kritcher, A L; Niemann, C; Otten, A; Pasley, J; Pelka, A; Roth, M; Spindloe, C; Riley, D
We have studied the dynamics of warm dense Li with near-elastic x-ray scattering. Li foils were heated and compressed using shock waves driven by 4 ns long laser pulses. Separate 1 ns long laser pulses were used to generate a bright source of 2.96 keV Cl Ly-{alpha} photons for x-ray scattering, and the spectrum of scattered photons was recorded at a scattering angle of 120{sup o} using a HOPG crystal operated in the von Hamos geometry. A variable delay between the heater and backlighter laser beams measured the scattering time evolution. Comparison with radiation hydrodynamics simulations shows that the plasma is highly coupled during the first several nanoseconds, then relaxes to a moderate coupling state at later times. Near-elastic scattering amplitudes have been successfully simulated using the screened one-component plasma model. Our main finding is that the near-elastic scattering amplitudes are quite sensitive to the mean ionization state {bar Z}, and by extension to the choice of ionization model in the radiation-hydrodynamics simulations used to predict plasma properties within the shocked Li.
Gong Yan; Cooray, Asantha [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)
The attenuation of high-energy gamma-ray spectrum due to the electron-positron pair production against the extragalactic background light (EBL) provides an indirect method to measure the EBL of the universe. We use the measurements of the absorption features of the gamma-rays from blazars as seen by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to explore the EBL flux density and constrain the EBL spectrum, star formation rate density (SFRD), and photon escape fraction from galaxies out to z = 6. Our results are basically consistent with the existing determinations of the quantities. We find a larger photon escape fraction at high redshifts, especially at z = 3, compared to the result from recent Ly{alpha} measurements. Our SFRD result is consistent with the data from both gamma-ray burst and ultraviolet (UV) observations in the 1{sigma} level. However, the average SFRD we obtain at z {approx}> 3 matches the gamma-ray data better than the UV data. Thus our SFRD result at z {approx}> 6 favors the fact that star formation alone is sufficiently high enough to reionize the universe.
Cowper, G.
A device is described for automatica1ly recording pulse annplitude distribution received from a counter. The novelty of the device consists of the over-all arrangement of conventional circuit elements to provide an easy to read permanent record of the pulse amplitude distribution during a certain time period. In the device a pulse analyzer separates the pulses according to annplitude into several channels. A scaler in each channel counts the pulses and operates a pen marker positioned over a drivable recorder sheet. Since the scalers in each channel have the sanne capacity, the control circuitry permits counting of the incoming pulses until one scaler reaches capacity, whereupon the input is removed and an internal oscillator supplies the necessary pulses to fill up the other scalers. Movement of the chart sheet is initiated wben the first scaler reaches capacity to thereby give a series of marks at spacings proportional to the time required to fill the remaining scalers, and accessory equipment marks calibration points on the recorder sheet to facilitate direct reading of the number of external pulses supplied to each scaler.
The Eighth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Data from SDSS-III
Aihara, Hiroaki; Prieto, Carlos Allende; An, Deokkeun; Anderson, Scott F.; Aubourg, Eric; Balbinot, Eduardo; Beers, Timothy C.; Berlind, Andreas A.; Bickerton, Steven J.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Blanton, Michael R.; /New York U., CCPP /Penn State U.
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) started a new phase in August 2008, with new instrumentation and new surveys focused on Galactic structure and chemical evolution, measurements of the baryon oscillation feature in the clustering of galaxies and the quasar Ly{alpha} forest, and a radial velocity search for planets around {approx}8000 stars. This paper describes the first data release of SDSS-III (and the eighth counting from the beginning of the SDSS). The release includes 5-band imaging of roughly 5200 deg{sup 2} in the Southern Galactic Cap, bringing the total footprint of the SDSS imaging to 14,555 deg{sup 2}, or over a third of the Celestial Sphere. All the imaging data have been reprocessed with an improved sky-subtraction algorithm and a final, self-consistent recalibration and flat-field determination. This release also includes all data from the second phase of the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Evolution (SEGUE-2), consisting of spectroscopy of approximately 118,000 stars at both high and low Galactic latitudes. All the more than half a million stellar spectra obtained with the SDSS spectrograph have been reprocessed through an improved stellar parameters pipeline, which has better determination of metallicity for high metallicity stars.
HST/COS OBSERVATIONS OF THIRTEEN NEW He II QUASARS
Syphers, David; Anderson, Scott F.; Zheng Wei; Meiksin, Avery; Schneider, Donald P.; York, Donald G.
The full reionization of intergalactic helium was a major event in the history of the intergalactic medium (IGM), and UV observations of the He II Gunn-Peterson trough allow us to characterize the end of this process at z {approx} 3. Due to intervening hydrogen absorption, quasars allowing such study are rare, with only 33 known in the literature, and most of those are very recent discoveries. We expand on our previous discovery work, and present 13 new He II quasars with redshifts 2.82 < z < 3.77, here selected with {approx}80% efficiency, and including several that are much brighter than the vast majority of those previously known. This is the largest sample of uniformly observed He II quasars covering such a broad redshift range, and they show evidence of IGM opacity increasing with redshift, as expected for the helium reionization epoch. No evidence of He II Ly{alpha} quasar emission is seen in individual or averaged spectra, posing a problem for standard models of the broad-line region. The current rapid advance in the study of He II quasars has been greatly facilitated by the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope, and we discuss the instrumental and other subtleties that must be taken into account in IGM He II observations.
Curran, S. J.
Recent high-redshift surveys for 21 cm absorption in damped Ly{alpha} absorption systems (DLAs) take the number of published searches at z{sub abs} > 2 to 25, the same number as at z{sub abs} < 2, although the detection rate at high redshift remains significantly lower (20% compared to 60%). Using the known properties of the DLAs to estimate the unknown profile widths of the 21 cm non-detections and including the limits via a survival analysis, we show that the mean spin temperature/covering factor degeneracy at high redshift is, on average, double that of the low-redshift sample. This value is significantly lower than the previous factor of eight for the spin temperatures and is about the same factor as in the angular diameter distance ratios between the low- and high-redshift samples. That is, without the need for the several pivotal assumptions, which lead to an evolution in the spin temperature, we show that the observed distribution of 21 cm detections in DLAs can be accounted for by the geometry effects of an expanding universe. That is, as yet there is no evidence of the spin temperature of gas-rich galaxies evolving with redshift.
A FOURTH H I 21 cm ABSORPTION SYSTEM IN THE SIGHT LINE OF MG J0414+0534: A RECORD FOR INTERVENING ABSORBERS
Tanna, A.; Webb, J. K.; Curran, S. J.; Whiting, M. T.; Bignell, C.
We report the detection of a strong H I 21 cm absorption system at z = 0.5344, as well as a candidate system at z = 0.3389, in the sight line toward the z = 2.64 quasar MG J0414+0534. This, in addition to the absorption at the host redshift and the other two intervening absorbers, takes the total to four (possibly five). The previous maximum number of 21 cm absorbers detected along a single sight line is two and so we suspect that this number of gas-rich absorbers is in some way related to the very red color of the background source. Despite this, no molecular gas (through OH absorption) has yet been detected at any of the 21 cm redshifts, although, from the population of 21 cm absorbers as a whole, there is evidence for a weak correlation between the atomic line strength and the optical-near-infrared color. In either case, the fact that so many gas-rich galaxies (likely to be damped Ly{alpha} absorption systems) have been found along a single sight line toward a highly obscured source may have far-reaching implications for the population of faint galaxies not detected in optical surveys, a possibility which could be addressed through future wide-field absorption line surveys with the Square Kilometer Array.
Quasar-Lyman ? forest cross-correlation from BOSS DR11: Baryon Acoustic Oscillations
Font-Ribera, Andreu; Kirkby, David; Blomqvist, Michael; Busca, Nicolas; Aubourg, ╔ric; Bautista, Julian; Ross, Nicholas P.; Bailey, Stephen; Beutler, Florian; Carithers, Bill; Slosar, An×e; Rich, James; Delubac, Timothķe; Bhardwaj, Vaishali; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Brewington, Howard; Brinkmann, Jon; Brownstein, Joel R.; Dawson, Kyle S.; and others
We measure the large-scale cross-correlation of quasars with the Ly? forest absorption, using over 164,000 quasars from Data Release 11 of the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. We extend the previous study of roughly 60,000 quasars from Data Release 9 to larger separations, allowing a measurement of the Baryonic Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) scale along the line of sight c/(H(z = 2.36)r{sub s}) = 9.0▒0.3 and across the line of sight D{sub A}(z = 2.36)/r{sub s} = 10.8▒0.4, consistent with CMB and other BAO data. Using the best fit value of the sound horizon from Planck data (r{sub s} = 147.49ĀMpc), we can translate these results to a measurement of the Hubble parameter of H(z = 2.36) = 226▒8ĀkmĀs{sup ?1}ĀMpc{sup ?1} and of the angular diameter distance of D{sub A}(z = 2.36) = 1590▒60ĀMpc. The measured cross-correlation function and an update of the code to fit the BAO scale (baofit) are made publicly available.
A dual-channel, curved-crystal spectrograph for petawatt laser, x-ray backlighter source studies
Theobald, W.; Stoeckl, C.; Jaanimagi, P. A.; Nilson, P. M.; Storm, M.; Meyerhofer, D. D.; Sangster, T. C.; Hey, D.; MacKinnon, A. J.; Park, H.-S.; Patel, P. K.; Shepherd, R.; Snavely, R. A.; Key, M. H.; King, J. A.; Zhang, B.; Stephens, R. B.; Akli, K. U.; Highbarger, K.; Daskalova, R. L.; and others
A dual-channel, curved-crystal spectrograph was designed to measure time-integrated x-ray spectra in the {approx}1.5 to 2 keV range (6.2-8.2 A wavelength) from small-mass, thin-foil targets irradiated by the VULCAN petawatt laser focused up to 4x10{sup 20} W/cm{sup 2}. The spectrograph consists of two cylindrically curved potassium-acid-phthalate crystals bent in the meridional plane to increase the spectral range by a factor of {approx}10 compared to a flat crystal. The device acquires single-shot x-ray spectra with good signal-to-background ratios in the hard x-ray background environment of petawatt laser-plasma interactions. The peak spectral energies of the aluminum He{sub {alpha}} and Ly{sub {alpha}} resonance lines were {approx}1.8 and {approx}1.0 mJ/eV sr ({approx}0.4 and 0.25 J/A sr), respectively, for 220 J, 10 ps laser irradiation.
Broader source: All U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office Webpages (Extended Search)
71AJ02) (See Energy Level Diagrams for 17O) GENERAL: See also (59AJ76) and Table 17.5 [Table of Energy Levels] (in PDF or PS). Shell model: (WI57H, BR59M, FE59E, KH59, SA59C, AK60, TA60L, BA61N, NE61C, BH62, TA62, TA62F, CO63B, HA63A, KU63I, PA63C, BR64Z, RI64B, GI65D, LE65G, MA65J, ZA65B, AR66H, BO66J, BR66C, BR66S, BR66CC, DE66M, LA66L, MA66BB, QU66, RI66G, SO66A, ZA66A, BO67B, EL67C, EN67, FE67A, GO67B, LY67, NI67, PA67K, PF67, BI68A, DE68K, EL68, EL68E, HE68J, HO68, KA68, MA68DD, NI68,
Elastic Neutron Scattering at 96 MeV
Hildebrand, A.; Blomgren, J.; Atac, A.; Bergenwall, B.; Johansson, C.; Klug, J.; Mermod, P.; Nilsson, L.; Pomp, S.; Esterlund, M.; Dangtip, S.; Tippawan, U.; Phansuke, P.; Jonsson, O.; Renberg, P.-U.; Prokofiev, A.; Nadel-Turonski, P.; Elmgren, K.; Olsson, N.; Blideanu, V.
A facility for detection of scattered neutrons in the energy interval 50-130 MeV, SCANDAL (SCAttered Nucleon Detection AssembLy), has recently been installed at the 20 - 180-MeV neutron beam line of The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala. Elastic neutron scattering from 12C, 16O, 56Fe, 89Y, and 208Pb has been studied at 96 MeV in the 10-70 deg. interval. The results from 12C and 208Pb have recently been published,6 while the data from 16O, 56Fe, and 89Y are under analysis. The achieved energy resolution, 3.7 MeV, is about an order of magnitude better than for any previous experiment above 65 MeV incident energy. The present experiment represents the highest neutron energy where the ground state has been resolved from the first excited state in neutron scattering. A novel method for normalization of the absolute scale of the cross section has been used. The estimated normalization uncertainty, 3%, is unprecedented for a neutron-induced differential cross section measurement on a nuclear target. The results are compared with modern optical model predictions, based on phenomenology or microscopic theory. Applications for these measurements are nuclear-waste incineration, single-event upsets in electronics, and fast-neutron therapy.
Measurements of Martin-Puplett Interferometer Limitations using Blackbody Source
Evtushenko, Pavel E.; Klopf, John M.
Frequency domain measurements with Martin-Puplett interferometer is one of a few techniques capable of bunch length measurements at the level of ~ 100 fs. As the bunch length becomes shorter, it is important to know and be able to measure the limitations of the instrument in terms of shortest measurable bunch length. In this paper we describe an experiment using a blackbody source with the modified Martin-Puplett interferometer that is routine- ly used for bunch length measurements at the JLab FEL, as a way to estimate the shortest, measurable bunch length. The limitation comes from high frequency cut-off of the wire-grid polarizer currently used and is estimated to be 50 fs RMS. The measurements are made with the same Golay cell detector that is used for beam measure- ments. We demonstrate that, even though the blackbody source is many orders of magnitude less bright than the coherent transition or synchrotron radiation, it can be used for the measurements and gives a very good signal to noise ratio in combination with lock-in detection. We also compare the measurements made in air and in vacuum to characterize the very strong effect of the atmospheric absorption.
PIK3CA is implicated as an oncogene in ovarian cancer
Shayesteh, Laleh; Lu, Yiling; Kuo, Wen-Lin; Baldocchi, Russell; Godfrey, Tony; Collins, Colin; Pinkel, Daniel; Powell, Bethan; Mills,Gordon B.; Gray, Joe W.
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer death among American women, yet little is known about its molecular aetiology. Studies using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) have revealed several regions of recurrent, abnormal, DNA sequence copy number that may encode genes involved in the genesis or progression of the disease. One region at 3q26 found to be increased in copy number in approximately 40 percent of ovarian and other cancers contains PIK3CA, which encodes the p110 a catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3-kinase). The association between PIK3CA copy number and PI3-kinase activity makes PIK3CA a candidate oncogene because a broad range of cancer-related functions have been associated with PI3-kinase mediated signaling. These include proliferation, glucose transport and catabolism, cell adhesion, apoptosis, RAS signaling and oncogenic transformation. In addition, downstream effectors of PI3-kinase,AKT1 and AKT2, have been found to be amplified or activated in human tumors, including ovarian cancer. We show here that PIK3CA is frequently increased in copy number in ovarian cancers, that the increased copy number is associated with increased PIK3CA transcription, p110 a protein expression and PI3-kinase activity and that treatment with the PI3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 decreases proliferation and increases apoptosis. Our observations suggest PIK3CA is an oncogene that has an important role in ovarian cancer.
A star-forming shock front in radio galaxy 4C+41.17 resolved with laser-assisted adaptive optics spectroscopy
Steinbring, Eric
Near-infrared integral-field spectroscopy of redshifted [O III], H?, and optical continuum emission from the z = 3.8 radio galaxy 4C+41.17 is presented, obtained with the laser-guide-star adaptive optics facility on the Gemini North telescope. Employing a specialized dithering technique, a spatial resolution of 0.''10, or 0.7 kpc, is achieved in each spectral element, with a velocity resolution of ?70 km s{sup ¢1}. Spectra similar to local starbursts are found for bright knots coincident in archival Hubble Space Telescope ( HST) rest-frame ultraviolet images, which also allows a key line diagnostic to be mapped together with new kinematic information. There emerges a clearer picture of the nebular emission associated with the jet in 8.3 GHz and 15 GHz Very Large Array maps, closely tied to a Ly?-bright shell-shaped structure seen with HST. This supports a previous interpretation of that arc tracing a bow shock, inducing ?10{sup 10¢11} M {sub ?} star formation regions that comprise the clumpy broadband optical/ultraviolet morphology near the core.
Efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation by silica supported and platinum promoted titanium dioxide
Joshi, Meenal M.; Labhsetwar, Nitin K.; Parwate, D.V.; Rayalu, Sadhana S.
Graphical abstract: Titanium dioxide was supported on mesoporous silica and promoted with Pt and Ru. The supported photocatalysts show high surface area and better photocatalytic activity in visible light as compared to the benchmark Degussa P25. These photocatalysts were characterized using XRD, BET-SA, and UV-DRS techniques. The surface area of supported photocatalyst was 140.6 m{sup 2}/g which is higher than Degussa P-25. Supported photocatalyst was evaluated for hydrogen evolution via water splitting reaction using ethanol as a sacrificial donor. Hydrogen yield observed is 4791.43 ?mol/h/g of TiO{sub 2} and that for P-25 is 161 ?mol/h/g of TiO{sub 2} under visible light irradiation. The value is 30 times higher than benchmark material Degussa P-25. This photocatalyst is also found stable up to 24 h without replenishing with sacrificial donor ethanol. - Highlights: Ģ Semiconductor titanium dioxide has been supported on silica gel and promoted with Pt by simple wet impregnation route. Ģ This synthesized photocatalyst is showing high surface area of 140.6 m{sup 2}/g with crystallite size in the range of 15.44 ?. Ģ This photocatalyst is showing enhanced hydrogen yield of about 4791.43 ?mol/h/g of TiO{sub 2}. Ģ This photocatalyst is also found stable up to 24 h without replenishing with sacrificial donor ethanol. Ģ The effect of various operating parameters on supported photocatalyst also has been studied. - Abstract: Titanium dioxide was supported on mesoporous silica and promoted with Pt and Ru. The supported photocatalysts show high surface area and better photocatalytic activity in visible light as compared to the benchmark Degussa P25. These photocatalysts were characterized using XRD, BET-SA, and UV-DRS techniques. The surface area of supported photocatalyst was 140.6 m{sup 2}/g which is higher than Degussa P-25. Supported photocatalyst was evaluated for hydrogen evolution via water splitting reaction using ethanol as a sacrificial donor. Hydrogen yield observed is 4791.43 ?mol/h/g of TiO{sub 2} and that for P-25 is 161 ?mol/h/g of TiO{sub 2} under visible light irradiation. The value is 30 times higher than benchmark material Degussa P-25. This photocatalyst is also found stable up to 24 h without replenishing with sacrificial donor ethanol. However silica gel/TiO{sub 2}/Ru does not show any exciting result for hydrogen generation. The effect of various operating parameters like photocatalyst loading, Illumination time and intensity of light on supported photocatalyst also has been studied.
Flower-like NiO structures: Controlled hydrothermal synthesis and electrochemical characteristic
Chai, Hui; Chen, Xuan; Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Institute of Applied Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, Xinjiang ; Jia, Dianzeng; Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Institute of Applied Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, Xinjiang ; Bao, Shujuan; Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials, Institute of Applied Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, Xinjiang ; Zhou, Wanyong
Graphical abstract: Flower-like porous NiO was obtained via thermal decomposition of the precursor prepared by a hydrothermal process using hexamethylenetetramine and polyethylene glycol as hydrolysis-controlling agent and surfactant, respectively. The morphology and microstructure of as-synthesized NiO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results of electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the flower-like porous NiO has high capacity (340 F g{sup ?1}) with excellent cycling performance as electrode materials of electrochemical capacitors (ECs), which may be attributed to the unique microstrcture of NiO. Data analyses indicated that NiO with novel porous structure attractive for practical and large-scale applications in electrochemical capacitors. Display Omitted Highlights: ? Synthesis and characterization of NiO with novel porous structure is presented in this work. ? The electrochemical performance of product was examined. ? NiO with excellent performance as electrode materials may be due to the unique microstrcture. ? NiO with novel porous structure attractive for practical with high capacity (340 F g{sup ?1}). -- Abstract: Flower-like porous NiO was obtained by thermal decomposition of the precursor prepared by a hydrothermal process with hexamethylenetetramine and polyethylene glycol as hydrolysis-controlling agent and surfactant, respectively. The morphology and microstructure of as-synthesized NiO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The resulting structures of NiO exhibited porous like petal building blocks. The electrochemical measurementsÆ results demonstrated that flower-like porous NiO has high capacity (340 F g{sup ?1}) with excellent cycling performance as electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors, which may be attributed to the unique structure of NiO. The results indicated that NiO with novel porous structure has been attractive for practical and large-scale applications in electrochemical capacitors.
Characterization, properties and catalytic application of TiO{sub 2} nanotubes prepared by ultrasonic-assisted sol-hydrothermal method
Chen, Jinyuan; Wang, Huijuan; Wei, Xiuzhen; Zhu, Liping
Graphical abstract: A novel class of titania nanotubes (TNTs) have been prepared by ultrasonic assisted sol-hydrothermal method using tetrabutyl titanate and ethanol as the precursors. The physicochemical characteristics of the catalysts were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller method, Differential Scanning Calorimeters-Thermogravimetric Analysis (DSC¢TG) and UV¢vis absorption spectra. The photocatalytic activity of the products was evaluated in terms of reactive brilliant red X-3B in an aqueous solution under UV irradiation for 1 h. The results showed that the catalyst revealed an excellent photocatalytic activity. The degradation rate of reactive brilliant X-3B could be up to 96%. Display Omitted Highlights: ? TiO{sub 2} nanotubes were prepared by ultrasonic-assisted sol-hydrothermal method. ? TEM, HRTEM, XRD, and BET were used to study morphology and crystalline structure. ? FTIR, DSC-TG was used to investigate pyrolytic process and phase structure. ? UV¢vis absorption spectra were used to evaluate the photocatalysis of catalysts. ? Dye degradation result showed that the catalyst had excellent photocatalytic activity. -- Abstract: A novel class of titania nanotubes (TNTs) have been prepared by ultrasonic assisted sol-hydrothermal method using tetrabutyl titanate and ethanol as the precursors. The physicochemical characteristics of the catalysts were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET) method, Differential Scanning Calorimeters-Thermogravimetric Analysis (DSC-TG) and UV¢vis absorption spectra. The photocatalytic activity of the products was evaluated in terms of reactive brilliant red X-3B in an aqueous solution under UV irradiation for 1 h. The results showed that the anatase nanotubes prepared by ultrasonic assisted sol-hydrothermal method exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity. The degradation rate of reactive brilliant X-3B could be up to 96%. The high degradation rate was attributed to the good crystalline pure-phase structure of nanotubes caused by ultrasound. Furthermore, the large surface areas also played an important role in the high degradation rate.
Brown, P.; Engtrakul, C.
The impressive mechanical and electronic properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) make them ideally suited for use in a variety of nanostructured devices, especially in the realm of energy production and storage. In particular, vertically-aligned CNT ōforestsö have been the focus of increasing investigation for use in supercapacitor electrodes and as hydrogen adsorption substrates. Vertically-aligned CNT growth was attempted on metal substrates by waterassisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). CNT growth was catalyzed by iron-molybdenum (FeMo) nanoparticle catalysts synthesized by a colloidal method, which were then spin-coated onto Inconel« foils. The substrates were loaded into a custom-built CVD apparatus, where CNT growth was initiated by heating the substrates to 750 ░C under the fl ow of He, H2, C2H4 and a controlled amount of water vapor. The resultant CNTs were characterized by a variety of methods including Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the growth parameters were varied in an attempt to optimize the purity and growth yield of the CNTs. The surface area and hydrogen adsorption characteristics of the CNTs were quantifi ed by the Brunauer- Emmett-Teller (BET) and Sieverts methods, and their capacitance was measured via cyclic voltammetry. While vertically-aligned CNT growth could not be verifi ed, TEM and SEM analysis indicated that CNT growth was still obtained, resulting in multiwalled CNTs of a wide range in diameter along with some amorphous carbon impurities. These microscopy fi ndings were reinforced by Raman spectroscopy, which resulted in a G/D ratio ranging from 1.5 to 3 across different samples, suggestive of multiwalled CNTs. Changes in gas fl ow rates and water concentration during CNT growth were not found to have a discernable effect on the purity of the CNTs. The specifi c capacitance of a CNT/FeMo/Inconel« electrode was found to be 3.2 F/g, and the BET surface area of a characteristic CNT sample was measured to be 232 m2/g with a cryogenic (77K) hydrogen storage of 0.85 wt%. This level of hydrogen adsorption is slightly higher than that predicted by the Chahine rule, indicating that these CNTs may bind hydrogen more strongly than other carbonaceous materials. More work is needed to confi rm and determine the reason for increased hydrogen adsorption in these CNTs, and to test them for use as catalyst support networks. This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing CNTs for energy storage applications using water-assisted CVD.
Aluminium doped ceria¢zirconia supported palladium-alumina catalyst with high oxygen storage capacity and CO oxidation activity
Dong, Qiang; Yin, Shu Guo, Chongshen; Wu, Xiaoyong; Kimura, Takeshi; Sato, Tsugio
Graphical abstract: Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.3}Al{sub 0.2}O{sub 1.9}/Pd/?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} possessed high OSC and CO oxidation activity at low temperature. - Highlights: Ģ A new OSC material of Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.3}Al{sub 0.2}O{sub 1.9}/Pd/?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} is prepared via a mechanochemical method. Ģ Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.3}Al{sub 0.2}O{sub 1.9}/Pd/?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} showed high OSC even after calcination at 1000 ░C for 20 h. Ģ Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.3}Al{sub 0.2}O{sub 1.9}/Pd/?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} exhibited the highest CO oxidation activity at low temperature correlates with enhanced OSC. - Abstract: The Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.3}Al{sub 0.2}O{sub 1.9}/Pd-?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst prepared by a mechanochemical route and calcined at 1000 ░C for 20 h in air atmosphere to evaluate the thermal stability. The prepared Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.3}Al{sub 0.2}O{sub 1.9}/Pd-?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst was characterized for the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) and CO oxidation activity in automotive catalysis. For the characterization, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and the Brunauer¢Emmet¢Teller (BET) technique were employed. The OSC values of all samples were measured at 600 ░C using thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis. Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.3}Al{sub 0.2}O{sub 1.9}/Pd-?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst calcined at 1000 ░C for 20 h with a BET surface area of 41 m{sup 2} g{sup ?1} exhibited the considerably high OSC of 583 ?mol-O g{sup ?1} and good OSC performance stability. The same synthesis route was employed for the preparation of the CeO{sub 2}/Pd-?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2}/Pd-?-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} for comparison.
CuCo2O4 ORR/OER Bi-functional catalyst: Influence of synthetic approach on performance
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Serov, Alexey; Andersen, Nalin I.; Roy, Aaron J.; Matanovic, Ivana; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Atanassov, Plamen
A series of CuCo2O4 catalysts were synthesized by pore forming, sol-gel, spray pyrolysis and sacrificial support methods. Catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS and BET techniques. The electrochemical activity for the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR and OER) was evaluated in alkaline media by RRDE. Density Functional Theory was used to identify two different types of active sites responsible for ORR/OER activity of CuCo2O4 and it was found that CuCo2O4 can activate the O-O bond by binding molecular oxygen in bridging positions between Co or Co and Cu atoms. It was found that the sacrificial support methodmore┬Ā┬╗ (SSM) catalyst has the highest performance in both ORR and OER and has the highest content of phase-pure CuCo2O4. It was shown that the presence of CuO significantly decreases the activity in oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions. As a result, the half-wave potential (E1/2) of CuCo2O4-SSM was found as 0.8 V, making this material a state-of-the-art, unsupported oxide catalyst.┬½┬Āless
Conversion of CH{sub 4}/CO{sub 2} to syngas over Ni-Co/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} nanocatalyst synthesized via plasma assisted co-impregnation method: Surface properties and catalytic performance
Rahemi, Nader; Haghighi, Mohammad; Reactor and Catalysis Research Center , Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz ; Akbar Babaluo, Ali; Nanostructure Material Research Center , Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1996, Sahand New Town, Tabriz ; Fallah Jafari, Mahdi; Khorram, Sirous
Ni/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst promoted by Co and ZrO{sub 2} was prepared by co-impregnation method and treated with glow discharge plasma. The catalytic activity of the synthesized nanocatalysts has been tested toward conversion of CH{sub 4}/CO{sub 2} to syngas. The physicochemical characterizations like XRD, EDX, FESEM, TEM, BET, FTIR, and XPS show that plasma treatment results in smaller particle size, more surface concentration, and uniform morphology. The dispersion of nickel in plasma-treated nanocatalyst was also significantly improved, which was helpful for controlling the ensemble size of active phase atoms on the support surface. Improved physicochemical properties caused 20%¢30% enhancement in activity of plasma-treated nanocatalyst that means to achieve the same H{sub 2} or CO yield, the plasma-treated nanocatalyst needed about 100 ░C lower reaction temperature. The H{sub 2}/CO ratio got closer to 1 at higher temperatures and finally at 850 ░C H{sub 2}/CO = 1 is attained for plasma-treated nanocatalyst. Plasma-treated nanocatalyst due to smaller Ni particles and strong interaction between active phase and support has lower tendency to keep carbon species on its structure and hence excellent stability can be observed for this catalyst.
Grafted chromium 13-membered dioxo-macrocyclic complex into aminopropyl-based nanoporous SBA-15
Tarlani, Aliakbar; Joharian, Monika; Narimani, Khashayar; Muzart, Jacques; Fallah, Mahtab
In a new approach, chromium (III) tetraaza dioxo ligand was grafted onto functionalized SBA-15 after four step reactions by using coordinating ability of anchored amino functionalized SBA-15. After the termination of each step, the obtained product was characterized by FT-IR, low-angle X-ray diffraction (LA-XRD), N{sub 2} adsorption¢desorption isotherms (Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET)¢Barret¢Joyner¢Halenda (BJH)) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and used as catalyst for the efficient and regioselective alcoholysis of styrene oxide to 2-alkoxy-1-phenylethanol product at ambient temperature. - Graphical abstract: Chromium (III) tetraaza dioxo ligand was grafted onto functionalized SBA-15 using coordinating ability of anchored amino functionalized SBA-15. Preparation of the catalyst is depicted in Scheme 1. - Highlights: Ģ Dioxo tetraazachromium macrocyclic complex grafted into the SBA-15-NH{sub 2} channels. Ģ The bond is created by coordinating ability of anchored amino functionalized SBA-15. Ģ The prepared nanocatalyst has superior activity in the alcoholysis of styrene oxide. Ģ The catalyst is reusable at ambient temperature for the mentioned reaction.
Fabrication, characterization and photocatalytic properties of Ag/AgI/BiOI heteronanostructures supported on rectorite via a cation-exchange method
Chen, Yunfang; Fang, Jianzhang; Lu, Shaoyou; Wu, Yan; Chen, Dazhi; Huang, Liyan; Xu, Weicheng; Zhu, Ximiao; Fang, Zhanqiang
Highlights: ŌĆó Ag/AgI/BiOI-rectorite was prepared by twice cation-exchange process. ŌĆó Ag/AgI/BiOI-rectorite photocatalyst possessed SPR and adsorption capacity. ŌĆó Ag/AgI/BiOI-rectorite exhibited highly photocatalytic activity. ŌĆó Trapped holes and ┬ĘO{sub 2}{sup ŌłÆ} were formed active species in the photocatalytic system. - Abstract: In this work, a new plasmonic photocatalyst Ag/AgI/BiOI-rectorite was prepared via a cation exchange process. The photocatalyst had been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, nitrogen sorption (BET), field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UVŌĆōvis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic activity, which was evaluated by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and bisphenol A (BPA) under visible light irradiation, was enhanced significantly by loading Ag/AgI/BiOI nanoparticles onto rectorite. The photogenerated holes and superoxide radical (┬ĘO{sub 2}{sup ŌłÆ}) were both formed as active species for the photocatalytic reactions under visible light irradiation. The existence of metallic Ag particles, which possess the surface plasmon resonance effect, acted as an indispensable role in the photocatalytic reaction.
Nano Structured Activated Carbon for Hydrogen Storge. Project Final Technical Report (May 2, 2005-Dec. 31, 2012)
Cabasso, Israel; Yuan, Youxin
Development of a nanostructured synthetic carbons materials that have been synthesized by thermal-decomposition of aromatic rich polyether such as poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is reported. These polymers based nanostructured carbons efficacious for gas adsorption and storage and have Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of more than 3000 m2/g, and with average pore diameter of < 2nm. Surface-area, pore characteristics, and other critical variables for selecting porous materials of high gas adsorption capacities are presented. Analysis of the fragments evolved under various carbonization temperatures, and the correlation between the activation and carbonization temperatures provides a mechanistic perspective of the pore evolution during activation. Correlations between gas (N2 and H2) adsorption capacity and porous texture of the materials have been established. The materials possess excellent hydrogen storage properties, with hydrogen storage capacity up to 7.4 wt% (gravimetric) and ~ 45 g H2 L-1 (volumetric) at -196oC and 6.0 MPa.
Soft-Template-Synthesized Mesoporous Carbon for Oral Drug Delivery
Saha, Dipendu; Warren, Kaitlyn E; Naskar, Amit K
Template-synthesized mesoporous carbons were successfully used in in vitro investigations of controlled delivery of three model drugs, captopril, furosemide, and ranitidine hydrochloride. Captopril and furosemide exhibited desorption kinetics over 30 40 h, and ranitidine HCl had a complete release time of 5 10 h. As evident from the slow release kinetics, we contend that our mesoporous carbon is an improved drug-delivery medium compared to state-of-the-art porous silica-based substrates. The mesoporous carbons, synthesized from phloroglucinol and lignin, a synthetic and a sustainable precursor, respectively, exhibit BET surface area of 200 400 m2 g-1 and pore volume of 0.2 0.6 cm3 g-1. The phloroglucinol-based carbon has narrower pore widths and higher pore volume than the lignin-derived counterpart and maintains a longer release time. Numerical modeling of the release kinetics data reveals that the diffusivities of all the drugs from lignin-based carbon media are of equivalent magnitude (10-22 to 10-24 m2 s-1). However, a tailored reduction of pore width in the sorbent reduces the diffusivity of smaller drug molecules (captopril) by an order of magnitude. Thus, engineered pore morphology in our synthesized carbon sorbent, along with its potential to tailor the chemistry of its interaction with sorbet, can be exploited for optimal delivery system of a preferred drug within its therapeutic level and below the level of toxicity.
Ultralight carbon aerogel from nanocellulose as a highly selective oil absorption material
Meng, Yujie; Yang, Timothy M; Peizhi, Liu; Contescu, Cristian I; Biao, Huang; Siqun, Wang
The synthesis of a sponge-like carbon aerogel from microfibril cellulose (MFC), with high porosity (99%), ultra-low density (0.01 g/cm3), hydrophobic properties (149 static contact angle) and reusability is reported in this paper. The physical properties, internal morphology, thermal properties, and chemical properties of carbon aerogels heat-treated at 700 and 900 oC (Samples C-700 and C-900) were examined. Stabilization and carbonization parameters were optimized in terms of residual carbon yield. The BET surface area of Sample C-700 (521 m2 /g) was significantly higher than of Sample C-950 (149 m2 /g). Graphitic-like domains were observed in C-950. The highest normalized sorption capacity (86 g/g) for paraffin oil was observed in sample C-700. The removal of hydrophilic function groups during carbonization causes carbon aerogel to present highly hydrophobic properties. Carbon aerogel s ability to absorb oil is enhanced by its highly porous 3D network structure with interconnected cellulose nanofibrils.
FTIR study of the photocatalytic degradation of gaseous benzene over UV-irradiated TiO{sub 2} nanoballs synthesized by hydrothermal treatment in alkaline solution
Zhu, Zhengru [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)] [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Li, Xinyong, E-mail: email@example.com [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)] [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Zhao, Qidong; Qu, Zhenping; Hou, Yang; Zhao, Ling [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)] [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Liu, Shaomin [Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia)] [Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Chen, Guohua [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon (Hong Kong)] [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon (Hong Kong)
In this study, photocatalysts of TiO{sub 2} nanoballs were obtained via a hydrothermal treating of commercial P25 in alkaline solution, and then characterized with SEM, XRD, BET and surface photovoltage spectroscopy techniques. The UV-assisted photodegradation of gaseous benzene over P25 and the prepared TiO{sub 2} nanoballs was monitored by an in situ infrared technique. The results demonstrated that the prepared TiO{sub 2} nanoballs in anatase form were more active than commercial P25 in photocatalytic oxidation of gaseous benzene. The promoted activity of the hydrothermal-treated TiO{sub 2} is attributed to the increasing specific surface area and larger band gap induced by the reduced crystallite size. The spectra of FTIR indicated that weakly adsorbed phenol was formed as the reaction progress. Hydroxyl groups on the surface of TiO{sub 2} nanoballs are able to react with photo-produced phenol, which is then retained on the catalyst surface leading to the progressive deactivation of the catalyst in the gas-solid system.
Characterization and oxidation states of Cu and Pd in Pd?CuO/ZnO/ZrO[subscript 2] catalysts for hydrogen production by methanol partial oxidation
Schuyten, S.; Guerrero, S.; Miller, J.T.; Shibatae, T.; Wolf, E.E.
Copper and zinc oxide based catalysts prepared by coprecipitation were promoted with palladium and ZrO{sub 2}, and their activity and selectivity for methanol oxidative reforming was measured and characterized by N{sub 2}O decomposition, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, BET, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and temperature programmed reduction. Addition of ZrO{sub 2} increased copper dispersion and surface area, with little effect on activity, while palladium promotion significantly enhanced activity with little change of the catalytic structure. A catalyst promoted with both ZrO{sub 2} and palladium yielded hydrogen below 150 C. EXAFS results under reaction conditions showed that the oxidation state of copper was influenced by palladium in the catalyst bulk. A palladium promoted catalyst contained 90% Cu{sup 0}, while the copper in an unpromoted catalyst was 100% Cu{sup 1+} at the same temperature. Palladium preferentially forms an unstable alloy with copper instead of zinc during reduction, which persists during reaction regardless of copper oxidation state. A 100-h time on stream activity measurement showed growth in copper crystallites and change in copper oxidation state resulting in decreasing activity and selectivity. A kinetic model of the reaction pathway showed that palladium and ZrO{sub 2} promoters lower the activation energy of methanol combustion and steam reforming reactions.
Desalination with carbon aerogel electrodes
Farmer, J.C.; Richardson, J.H.; Fix, D.V.
An electrically regenerated electrosorption process known as carbon aerogel CDI was developed for continuously removing ionic impurities from aqueous streams. A salt solution flows in a channel formed by pairs of parallel carbon aerogel electrodes. Each electrode has a very high BET surface area and very low resistivity. After polarization, anions and cations are removed from electrolyte by the electric field and electrosorbed onto the carbon aerogel. The solution is thus separated into two streams, brine and water. Based on this, carbon aerogel CDI appears to be an energy-efficient alternative to evaporation, electrodialysis, and reverse osmosis. The energy required by this process is about QV/2, plus losses. Estimated energy requirement for sea water desalination is 18-27 Wh gal{sup -1}, depending on cell voltage and flow rate. The requirement for brackish water desalination is less, 1.2-2.5 Wh gal{sup -1} at 1600 ppM. This is assuming that stored electrical energy is reclaimed during regeneration.
High surface area, high permeability carbon monoliths
Lagasse, R.R.; Schroeder, J.L. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Organic Materials Processing Dept.
The goal of this work is to prepare carbon monoliths having precisely tailored pore size distribution. Prior studies have demonstrated that poly(acrylonitrile) can be processed into a precursor having tailored macropore structure. Since the macropores were preserved during pyrolysis, this synthetic process provided a route to porous carbon having macropores with size =0.1 to 10{mu}m. No micropores of size <2 nm could be detected in the carbon, however, by nitrogen adsorption. In the present work, the authors have processed a different polymer, poly(vinylidene chloride) into a macroporous precursor, Pyrolysis produced carbon monoliths having macropores derived from the polymer precursor as well as extensive microporosity produced during the pyrolysis of the polymer. One of these carbons had BET surface area of 1,050 m{sup 2}/g and about 1.2 cc/g total pore volume, with about 1/3 of the total pore volume in micropores and the remainder in 1{mu}m macropores. No mesopores in the intermediate size range could be detected by nitrogen adsorption. Carbon materials having high surface area as well as micron size pores have potential applications as electrodes for double layer supercapacitors containing liquid electrolyte, or as efficient media for performing chemical separations.
Microwave assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Ag/AgCl/WO{sub 3} photocatalyst and its photocatalytic activity under simulated solar light
Adhikari, Rajesh; Gyawali, Gobinda; Sekino, Tohru; Wohn Lee, Soo
Simulated solar light responsive Ag/AgCl/WO{sub 3} composite photocatalyst was synthesized by microwave assisted hydrothermal process. The synthesized powders were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), and BET surface area analyzer to investigate the crystal structure, morphology, chemical composition, optical properties and surface area of the composite photocatalyst. This photocatalyst exhibited higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B under simulated solar light irradiation. Dye degradation efficiency of composite photocatalyst was found to be increased significantly as compared to that of the commercial WO{sub 3} nanopowder. Increase in photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst was explained on the basis of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect caused by the silver nanoparticles present in the composite photocatalyst. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Successful synthesis of Ag/AgCl/WO{sub 3} nanocomposite. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Photocatalytic experiment was performed under simulated solar light. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanocomposite photocatalyst was very active as compared to WO{sub 3} commercial powder. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SPR effect due to Ag nanoparticles enhanced the photocatalytic activity.
Facile synthesis of efficient photocatalytic tantalum nitride nanoparticles
Wang, Zheng; Wang, Jiangting; Hou, Jungang; Huang, Kai; Jiao, Shuqiang; Zhu, Hongmin
Graphical abstract: Tantalum nitride nanoparticles as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst prepared by a novel homogeneously chemical reduction of tantalum pentachloride using sodium in liquid ammonia and the morphologies, visible-light photocatalytic properties and stability of tantalum nitride nanoparticles were investigated. Highlights: ? Tantalum nitride nanoparticles have been prepared by a homogeneously chemical reduction. ? The crystal structure of tantalum nitride was determined by Rietveld refinement and XRD patterns. ? The Tantalum nitride nanoparticle size was in the range of 20¢50 nm. ? Much high photocatalytic activities of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} nanoparticles were obtained under visible-light irradiation. -- Abstract: Tantalum nitride nanoparticles, as visible-light photocatalysts were synthesized by a two-step homogeneously chemical reduction without any polymers and templates. The well-crystallized Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} nanoparticles with a range of 20¢50 nm in size have been characterized by a number of techniques, such as XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, BET and UV¢Vis spectrum. Most importantly, the Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} nanoparticles with good stability exhibited higher photooxidation activities in the water splitting and degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation than bulk Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} particles and commercial P25 TiO{sub 2}, demonstrating that Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} nanoparticle is a promising candidate as a visible-light photocatalyst.
Removal of dissolved humic acid from water by photocatalytic oxidation using a silver orthophosphate semiconductor
Hatakeyama, Keisuke; Okuda, Masukazu; Kuki, Takahiro; Esaka, Takao
Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ? The photocatalytic property of a silver orthophosphate (Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}) was investigated for humic acid degradation. ? The Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} shows high photocatalytic activity under visible light. ? The photocatalytic activity was greatly improved by employing the precipitation method. -- Abstract: In order to remove dissolved organic matter such as humic acid from water, a silver orthophosphate (Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}) was newly employed as a heterogeneous photocatalyst. Here, Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} was prepared by simple ion-exchange and precipitation methods, and the physico-chemical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet¢visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, particle distribution measurements and Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET) analysis. The degradation of humic acid was faster over Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} catalyst than over conventional TiO{sub 2} (P-25). The total photocatalytic properties were improved by employing not an ion-exchange method but a precipitation method; humic acid degradation was performed with a removal ratio of dissolved organic carbon of 75% under visible light (? = 451 nm) for 2-h irradiation.
Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties of lithium tantalate
Zielinska, Beata Mijowska, Ewa; Kalenczuk, Ryszard J.
Lithium tantalate (LiTaO{sub 3}) was successfully synthesized thorough an impregnation method of tantalum pentaoxide in the aqueous solution of lithium hydroxide. Next, the sample was divided into eight batches and calcinated in a temperature range of 450-800 Degree-Sign C. The materials produced were then characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Diffuse Reflectance (DR) UV-vis spectroscopy, BET analysis, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the samples were tested as photocatalysts in a reaction of hydrogen generation. Interestingly, it was found that the sample calcinated at 550 Degree-Sign C exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity. This sample is composed of 85% of LiTaO{sub 3} and 15% of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LiTaO{sub 3} was synthesized thorough an impregnation of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} and LiOH and calcination at the temperature range of 450-800 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Each calcinated sample was tested as photocatalyst in the reaction of hydrogen generation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It was found that the key parameter determining their activity is the sample composition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The sample exhibiting the highest activity is composed of LiTaO{sub 3} (85.1%) and unreacted Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} (14.9%).
Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of the photocatalytic performance of Ag-CdMoO{sub 4} solar light driven plasmonic photocatalyst
Adhikari, Rajesh; Malla, Shova; Gyawali, Gobinda; Sekino, Tohru; Lee, Soo Wohn
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: Ģ Ag-CdMoO{sub 4} solar light driven photocatalyst was successfully synthesized. Ģ Photocatalyst exhibited strong absorption in the visible region. Ģ Photocatalytic activity was significantly enhanced. Ģ Enhanced activity was caused by the SPR effect induced by Ag nanoparticles. - Abstract: Ag-CdMoO{sub 4} plasmonic photocatalyst was synthesized in ethanol/water mixture by photo assisted co-precipitation method at room temperature. As synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV¢Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET) surface area analyzer. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by performing the degradation experiment over methylene blue (MB) and indigo carmine (IC) as model dyes under simulated solar light irradiation. The results revealed that the Ag-CdMoO{sub 4} showed the higher photocatalytic performance as compared to CdMoO{sub 4} nanoparticles. Dispersion of Ag nanoparticles over the surface of CdMoO{sub 4} nanoparticles causes the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and enhances the broad absorption in the entire visible region of the solar spectrum. Hence, dispersion of Ag nanoparticles over CdMoO{sub 4} nanoparticles could be the better alternative to enhance the absorption of visible light by scheelite crystal family for effective photocatalysis.
Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+}co-doped bismuth molybdate nanosheets upconversion photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity
Adhikari, Rajesh; Gyawali, Gobinda; Cho, Sung Hun; Narro-GarcĒa, R.; Sekino, Tohru; Lee, Soo Wohn
In this paper, we report the microwave hydrothermal synthesis of Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} co-doped Bi{sub 2}MoO{sub 6} upconversion photocatalyst. Crystal structure, morphology, elemental composition, optical properties and BET surface area were analyzed in detail. Infrared to visible upconversion luminescence at 532 nm and 546 nm of the co-doped samples was investigated under excitation at 980 nm. The results revealed that the co-doping of Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} into Bi{sub 2}MoO{sub 6} exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of rhodamine B under simulated solar light irradiation. Enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the energy transfer between Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} and Bi{sub 2}MoO{sub 6} via infrared to visible upconversion from Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} ion and higher surface area of the Bi{sub 2}MoO{sub 6} nanosheets. Therefore, this synthetic approach may exhibit a better alternative to fabricate upconversion photocatalyst for integral solar light absorption. - Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration of the upconversion photocatalysis. Display Omitted - Highlights: Ģ Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} co-doped Bi{sub 2}MoO{sub 6} upconversion photocatalyst is successfully synthesized. Ģ We obtained the nanosheets having high surface area. Ģ Upconversion of IR to visible light was confirmed. Ģ Upconversion phenomena can be utilized for effective photocatalysis.
Photocatalytic reduction of aqueous mercury(II) using multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Pd-ZnO nanocomposite
Mohamed, R.M.; Abdel Salam, Mohamed
Highlights: Ģ MWCNT/Pd-ZnO were used for photocatalytic reduction of Hg{sup 2+}. Ģ Photocatalytic reduction of Hg{sup 2+} was dependent on wt% of MWCNT, reaction time, and weight of catalyst. Ģ Catalyst re-use revealed the present photocatalyst remain effective and active after five, cycles. - Abstract: Pd-ZnO nanocatalyst supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes was successfully synthesized via a modified sol¢gel method, and the prepared photocatalyst was used for the environmental remediation of aqueous Hg(II) via photocatalytic reduction under visible light. The prepared MWCNTs/Pd/ZnO nanocomposite photocatalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction, Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET), transmission electron microscopy, and UV¢vis spectra (UV¢vis). The results showed that both Pd and ZnO nanoparticles were well dispersed over the MWCNTs, and a uniform nanocomposite was formed. The results also illustrated that Pd doping can eliminate the recombination of electron-hole pairs in the catalyst, and the presence of MWCNTs in ZnO composite can change surface properties to achieve sensitivity to visible light. The results demonstrated that optimum mass ratio of CNT:ZnO:Pd were 0.04:1.0:0.08, which resulted in the exceptional performance of the photocatalyst to reduce about 100% of Hg(II) in a 100 mg L solution within 30 min.
New insight for enhancing photocatalytic activity of MWCNT/TiO{sub 2} by decorating palladium nanoparticles as charge-transfer channel
Zhang, Feng-Jun; Department of Advanced Materials and Science Engineering, Hanseo University, Seosan-si, Chungnam-do 356-706 ; Oh, Won-Chun; Zhang, Kan; Center for Superfunctional Materials, Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Hyojadong, Namgu, Pohang 790-784
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new insight for further improving photoactivity of MWCNT/TiO{sub 2} was reported. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Pd as charge transfer channel trap electrons from MWCNT to TiO{sub 2} surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Pd content can also influence photoactivity of MWCNT/TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The approach is practically usable for other nanocarbon/semiconductor materials. -- Abstract: A surface bond-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/TiO{sub 2} as supporter, palladium nanoparticles, approximately 3 nm in diameter, are uniformly deposited on the functional MWCNT surface in first, constructing a novel Pd-MWCNT/TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst for photocatalytic solar conversion. The characterization of photocatalysts by a series of joint techniques, including BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet/visible (UV/vis) diffuse reflectance spectra, discloses that palladium nanoparticles has a crucial role in enhancement of photocatalytic activity of MWCNT/TiO{sub 2}, that is to act as a charge transfer channel, which helps to trap electrons from MWCNT to TiO{sub 2}.
Source-term development for a contaminant plume for use by multimedia risk assessment models
Whelan, Gene ); McDonald, John P. ); Taira, Randal Y. ); Gnanapragasam, Emmanuel K.; Yu, Charley; Lew, Christine S.; Mills, William B.
Multimedia modelers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are collaborating to conduct a comprehensive and quantitative benchmarking analysis of four intermedia models: DOE's Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS), EPA's MMSOILS, EPA's PRESTO, and DOE's RESidual RADioactivity (RESRAD). These models represent typical analytically, semi-analytically, and empirically based tools that are utilized in human risk and endangerment assessments for use at installations containing radioactive and/or hazardous contaminants. Although the benchmarking exercise traditionally emphasizes the application and comparison of these models, the establishment of a Conceptual Site Model (CSM) should be viewed with equal importance. This paper reviews an approach for developing a CSM of an existing, real-world, Sr-90 plume at DOE's Hanford installation in Richland, Washington, for use in a multimedia-based benchmarking exercise bet ween MEPAS, MMSOILS, PRESTO, and RESRAD. In an unconventional move for analytically based modeling, the benchmarking exercise will begin with the plume as the source of contamination. The source and release mechanism are developed and described within the context of performing a preliminary risk assessment utilizing these analytical models. By beginning with the plume as the source term, this paper reviews a typical process and procedure an analyst would follow in developing a CSM for use in a preliminary assessment using this class of analytical tool.
Very few of us get to start clean: getting a new organization, new space, and hiring new people for a new information management program. In over 20 years in some aspect of this profession, the author has never faced that particular challenge. By far the majority of information management opportunities involve taking over from someone else. Sometimes, a predecessor has gone on to better things on his/her initiative; that is not always the case. Sometimes the group is one you were a part of yesterday. If the function functions, time moves on and changes may be needed to accommodate new technology, additional and/or changed tasks, and alterations in corporate missions. If the function does not, it is a good bet that you were hired or promoted as an agent of change. Each of these situations poses challenges. This presentation is about that first few months and first year in a new assignment. In other words, you have the job, now what?
An Investigation of the Effect of Graphite Degradation on the Irreversible Capacity in Lithium-ion Cells
Stevenson, Cynthia; Hardwick, Laurence J.; Marcinek, Marek; Beer, Leanne; Kerr, John B.; Kostecki, Robert
The effect of surface structural damage on graphitic anodes, commonly observed in tested Li-ion cells, was investigated. Similar surface structural disorder was artificially induced in Mag-10 synthetic graphite anodes using argon-ion sputtering. Raman microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) measurements confirmed that Ar-ion sputtered Mag-10 electrodes display similar degree of surface degradation as the anodes from tested Li-ion cells. Artificially modified Mag-10 anodes showed double the irreversible charge capacity during the first formation cycle, compared to fresh un-altered anodes. Impedance spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy on surface modified graphite anodes indicated the formation of a thicker and slightly more resistive SEI layer. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) analysis of solvent extracts from the electrodes detected the presence of new compounds with M{sub w} on the order of 1600 g mol{sup -1} for the surface modified electrode with no evidence of elevated M{sub w} species for the unmodified electrode. The structural disorder induced in the graphite during long-term cycling maybe responsible for the slow and continuous SEI layer reformation, and consequently, the loss of reversible capacity due to the shift of lithium inventory in cycled Li-ion cells.
New applications of X-ray tomography in pyrolysis of biomass: Biochar imaging
Jones, Keith; Ramakrishnan, Girish; Uchimiya, Minori; Orlov, Alexander
We report on the first ever use of non-destructive micrometer-scale synchrotron-computed microtomography (CMT) for biochar material characterization as a function of pyrolysis temperature. This innovative approach demonstrated an increase in micron-sized marcropore fraction of the Cotton Hull (CH) sample, resulting in up to 29% sample porosity. We have also found that initial porosity development occurred at low temperatures (below 350┬░C) of pyrolysis, consistent with chemical composition of CH. This innovative technique can be highly complementary to traditional BET measurements, considering that BarrettŌĆōJoynerŌĆōHalenda (BJH) analysis of pore size distribution cannot detect these macropores. Such information can be of substantial relevance to environmental applications, given that water retention by biochars added to soils is controlled by macropore characteristic among the other factors. In addition, complementing our data with SEM, EDX, and XRF characterization techniques allowed us to develop a better understanding of evolution of biochar properties during its production, such presence of metals and initial morphological features of biochar before pyrolysis. These results have significant implications for using biochar as a soil additive and for clarifying the mechanisms of biofuel production by pyrolysis.
New applications of X-ray tomography in pyrolysis of biomass: Biochar imaging
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Jones, Keith; Ramakrishnan, Girish; Uchimiya, Minori; Orlov, Alexander
We report on the first ever use of non-destructive micrometer-scale synchrotron-computed microtomography (CMT) for biochar material characterization as a function of pyrolysis temperature. This innovative approach demonstrated an increase in micron-sized marcropore fraction of the Cotton Hull (CH) sample, resulting in up to 29% sample porosity. We have also found that initial porosity development occurred at low temperatures (below 350┬░C) of pyrolysis, consistent with chemical composition of CH. This innovative technique can be highly complementary to traditional BET measurements, considering that BarrettŌĆōJoynerŌĆōHalenda (BJH) analysis of pore size distribution cannot detect these macropores. Such information can be of substantial relevance tomore┬Ā┬╗ environmental applications, given that water retention by biochars added to soils is controlled by macropore characteristic among the other factors. In addition, complementing our data with SEM, EDX, and XRF characterization techniques allowed us to develop a better understanding of evolution of biochar properties during its production, such presence of metals and initial morphological features of biochar before pyrolysis. These results have significant implications for using biochar as a soil additive and for clarifying the mechanisms of biofuel production by pyrolysis.┬½┬Āless
Chalcogels : porous metal-chalcogenide networks from main-group metal ions. Effect of surface polarizability on selectivity in gas separation.
Bag, S.; Kanatzidis, M. G.; Materials Science Division; Northwestern Univ.
We report the synthesis of metal-chalcogenide gels and aerogels from anionic chalcogenide clusters and linking metal ions. Metal ions such as Sb{sup 3+} and Sn{sup 2+}, respectively chelated with tartrate and acetate ligands, react in solution with the chalcogenide clusters to form extended polymeric networks that exhibit gelation phenomena. Chalcogenide cluster anions with different charge densities, such as [Sn{sub 2}S{sub 6}]{sup 4-} and [SnS{sub 4}]{sup 4-}, were employed. In situ rheological measurements during gelation showed that a higher charge density on the chalcogenide cluster favors formation of a rigid gel network. Aerogels obtained from the gels after supercritical drying have BET surface areas from 114 to 368 m{sup 2}/g. Electron microscopy images coupled with nitrogen adsorption measurements showed the pores are micro (below 2 nm), meso (2-50 nm), and macro (above 50 nm) regions. These chalcogels possess band gaps in the range of 1.00-2.00 eV and selectively adsorb polarizable gases. A 2-fold increase in selectivity toward CO{sub 2}/C{sub 2}H{sub 6} over H{sub 2} was observed for the Pt/Sb/Ge{sub 4}Se{sub 10}-containing aerogel compared to aerogel containing Pt{sub 2}Ge{sub 4}S{sub 10}. The experimental results suggest that high selectivity in gas adsorption is achievable with high-surface-area chalcogenide materials containing heavy polarizable elements.
Nitridation under ammonia of high surface area vanadium aerogels
Merdrignac-Conanec, Odile [Laboratoire Verres et Ceramiques, UMR CNRS 6512, Institut de Chimie de Rennes, Universite de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, F-35042 Rennes Cedex (France)]. E-mail: email@example.com; El Badraoui, Khadija [Laboratoire Verres et Ceramiques, UMR CNRS 6512, Institut de Chimie de Rennes, Universite de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, F-35042 Rennes Cedex (France); L'Haridon, Paul [Laboratoire Verres et Ceramiques, UMR CNRS 6512, Institut de Chimie de Rennes, Universite de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, F-35042 Rennes Cedex (France)
Vanadium pentoxide gels have been obtained from decavanadic acid prepared by ion exchange on a resin from ammonium metavanadate solution. The progressive removal of water by solvent exchange in supercritical conditions led to the formation of high surface area V{sub 2}O{sub 5}, 1.6H{sub 2}O aerogels. Heat treatment under ammonia has been performed on these aerogels in the 450-900 deg. C temperature range. The oxide precursors and oxynitrides have been characterized by XRD, SEM, TGA, BET. Nitridation leads to divided oxynitride powders in which the fibrous structure of the aerogel is maintained. The use of both very low heating rates and high surface area aerogel precursors allows a higher rate and a lower threshold of nitridation than those reported in previous works. By adjusting the nitridation temperature, it has been possible to prepare oxynitrides with various nitrogen enrichment and vanadium valency states. Whatever the V(O,N) composition, the oxidation of the oxynitrides in air starts between 250 and 300 deg. C. This determines their potential use as chemical gas sensors at a maximum working temperature of 250 deg. C.
Synthesis and properties of Chitosan-silica hybrid aerogels
Ayers, Michael R.; Hunt, Arlon J.
Chitosan, a polymer that is soluble in dilute aqueous acid, is derived from chitin, a natural polyglucosamide. Aquagels where the solid phase consists of both chitosan and silica can be easily prepared by using an acidic solution of chitosan to catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate. Gels with chitosan/TEOS mass ratios of 0.1-1.1 have been prepared by this method. Standard drying processes using CO{sub 2} give the corresponding aerogels. The amount of chitosan in the gel plays a role in the shrinkage of the aerogel during drying. Gels with the lowest chitosan/silica ratios show the most linear shrinkage, up to 24%, while those with the highest ratios show only a 7% linear shrinkage. Pyrolysis at 700 C under nitrogen produces a darkened aerogel due to the thermal decomposition of the chitosan, however, the aerogel retains its monolithic form. The pyrolyzed aerogels absorb slightly more infrared radiation in the 2-5 {micro}m region than the original aerogels. B.E.T. surface areas of these aerogels range from 470-750 m{sup 2}/g. Biocompatibility screening of this material shows a very high value for hemolysis, but a low value for cytotoxicity.
Topology-guided design and syntheses of highly stable mesoporous porphyrinic zirconium metal-organic frameworks with high surface area
Liu, Tian -Fu; Feng, Dawei; Chen, Ying -Pin; Zou, Lanfang; Bosch, Mathieu; Yuan, Shuai; Wei, Zhangwen; Fordham, Stephen; Wang, Kecheng; Zhou, Hong -Cai
Through a topology-guided strategy, a series of ZrŌéå-containing isoreticular porphyrinic metalŌĆōorganic frameworks (MOFs), PCN-228, PCN-229, and PCN-230, with ftw-a topology were synthesized using the extended porphyrinic linkers. The bulky porphyrin ring ligand effectively prevents the network interpenetration which often appears in MOFs with increased linker length. The pore apertures of the structures range from 2.5 to 3.8 nm, and PCN-229 demonstrates the highest porosity and BET surface area among the previously reported Zr-MOFs. Additionally, by changing the relative direction of the terminal phenyl rings, this series replaces a ZrŌéł cluster with a smaller ZrŌéå cluster in a topologically identical framework. The high connectivity of the ZrŌéå cluster yields frameworks with enhanced stability despite high porosity and ultralarge linker. As a representative example, PCN-230, constructed with the most extended porphyrinic linker, shows excellent stability in aqueous solutions with pH values ranging from 0 to 12 and demonstrates one of the highest pH tolerances among all porphyrinic MOFs. This work not only presents a successful example of rational design of MOFs with desired topology, but also provides a strategy for construction of stable mesoporous MOFs.
Quaternary ammonium borohydride adsorption in mesoporous silicate MCM-48
Wolverton, Michael J; Daemen, Luke L; Hartl, Monika A
Inorganic borohydrides have a high gravimetric hydrogen density but release H2 only under energetically unfavorable conditions. Surface chemistry may help in lowering thermodynamic barriers, but inclusion of inorganic borohydrides in porous silica materials has proved hitherto difficult or impossible. We show that borohydrides with a large organic cation are readily adsorbed inside mesoporous silicates, particularly after surface treatment. Thermal analysis reveals that the decomposition thermodynamics of tetraalkylammonium borohydrides are substantially affected by inclusion in MCM-48. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data show that the compounds adsorb on the silica surface. Evidence of pore loading is supplemented by DSC/TGA, XRD, FTIR, and BET isotherm measurements. Mass spectrometry shows significant hydrogen release at lower temperature from adsorbed borohydrides in comparison with the bulk borohydrides. INS data measured for partially decomposed samples indicates that the decomposition of the cation and anion is likely simultaneous. Additionally, these data confirm the formation of Si-H bonds on the silica surface upon decomposition of adsorbed tetramethylammonium borohydride.
Synthesis, characterization and properties of carbon nanotubes microspheres from pyrolysis of polypropylene and maleated polypropylene
Zhang, Junhao; Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Heifei, Anhui 230026 ; Du, Jin; Qian, Yitai; Xiong, Shenglin
Microspheres assembled from carbon nanotubes (MCNTs), with the diameters ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 {mu}m, were synthesized by means of pyrolysis of polypropylene and maleated polypropylene in an autoclave. The characterization of structure and morphology was carried out by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), (high resolution) transmission electron microscope [(HR)TEM)], selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) and Raman spectrum. As a typical morphology, the possible growth process of MCNTs was also investigated and discussed. The results of nitrogen adsorption-desorption indicate that the Brunauer-Emett-Teller (BET) surface area (140.6 m{sup 2}/g) of the MCNTs obtained at 600 {sup o}C is about twice as that (74.5 m{sup 2}/g) of carbon nanotubes obtained at 700 {sup o}C. The results of catalytic experiment show that MCNTs based catalyst has higher catalytic activity than the carbon nanotubes based catalyst for the preparation of methanol and dimethoxy-ethane by oxidation of dimethyl ether.
The structure of nano-palladium deposited on carbon-based supports
Pikna, ?ubomĒr, E-mail: email@example.com [Faculty of Metallurgy, Technical University of KoÜice, Letnß 9, 042 00 KoÜice (Slovakia); Milkovi?, Ondrej, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Faculty of Metallurgy, Technical University of KoÜice, Letnß 9, 042 00 KoÜice (Slovakia); Saksl, Karel, E-mail: email@example.com [Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 KoÜice (Slovakia); He×elovß, Mßria, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Faculty of Metallurgy, Technical University of KoÜice, Letnß 9, 042 00 KoÜice (Slovakia); Smr?ovß, Miroslava, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Faculty of Metallurgy, Technical University of KoÜice, Letnß 9, 042 00 KoÜice (Slovakia); PuliÜ, Pavel, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Faculty of Metallurgy, Technical University of KoÜice, Letnß 9, 042 00 KoÜice (Slovakia); Michalik, Ŗtefan, E-mail: email@example.com [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science, UPJŖ, Park Angelinum 9, 041 54 KoÜice (Slovakia); Gamcovß, Jana, E-mail: email@example.com [Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestra▀e 85, 22603 Hamburg (Germany)
Nano-palladium catalysts, prepared using the same procedure with the same metal content (3 wt%) and two different supports, activated carbon (Pd/C) and activated carbonŚmultiwalled carbon nanotubes (Pd/C/CNT), are discussed. The simple technique of deposition reduction was applied in the preparation of these two types of Pd catalysts. TEM, XRD analysis, EXAFS signal analysis, and XANES were used for sample characterization. In both samples, transmission electron microscopy identified nanosized Pd particles with nearly spherical morphology but different sizes. The mean diameters of the particles on Pd/C and Pd/C/CNT were estimated to be 5.4 nm and 7.8 nm, respectively. The EXAFS signal analysis showed that Pd atoms on the particle surfaces were coordinated by 4 oxygens to form a PdO monolayer covering a metallic core. The XANES signal analysis indicated a smaller particle size for Pd/C (? 5 nm) than for Pd/C/CNT (? 10 nm), in good agreement with the TEM observations. - Graphical abstract: Visualization of metallic core (left), oxide monolayer (middle) and nanoparticle of diameter 5 nm (right). - Highlights: Ģ Pd catalysts were prepared on two types of supports: carbon and carbon nanotubes. Ģ BET, TEM, XRD characterization of prepared catalysts. Ģ XAFS: Concentration of Pd in samples Pd/C and Pd/C/CNT. Ģ EXAFS and XANES signal analysis of catalysts. Ģ Visualisation of atoms arrangement at the Pd nanoparticle surface.
Effect of nitrogen-containing groups on enhanced capacitive behaviors of multi-walled carbon nanotubes
Kim, Ji-Il; Park, Soo-Jin
In this work, electrochemical properties of surface treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are studied in supercapacitors. Nitrogen and oxygen functional groups containing MWNTs are prepared by urea and acidic treatments, respectively. The surface properties of the MWNTs are confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and zeta-potential measurements. The textural properties are characterized by N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption isotherm at 77 K using the BET eqaution, BJH method, and HK method. The electrochemical properties of the MWNTs are accumulated by cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectra, and charge-discharge cycling performance in 1 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} at room temperature. As a result, the functionalized MWNTs lead to an increase in capacitance as compared with pristine MWNTs. It suggests that the pyridinic and pyridinic-N-oxides nitrogen species have effects on the specific capacitance due to the positive charge, and thus an improved electron transfer at high current loads results, the most important functional groups affecting capacitive behaviors. - Graphical Abstract: The N{sub 1s} spectra of nitrogen functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes are measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Highlights: > Facile method of increasing elemental composition of nitrogen functional groups on carbon materials. > Increased specific capacitance multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) for electrode materials as high as general chemical activation process. > Enhanced capacitive behaviors via introducing pyridinic and pyridinic-N-oxides nitrogen species onto the MWNTs. > Improvement of electron transfer at high current loads.
Studies on Supercapacitor Electrode Material from Activated Lignin-Derived Mesoporous Carbon
Saha, Dipendu; Li, Yunchao; Bi, Zhonghe; Chen, Jihua; Keum, Jong Kahk; Hensley, Dale K; Grappe, Hippolyte A.; Meyer III, Harry M; Dai, Sheng; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans; Naskar, Amit K
We synthesized mesoporous carbon from pre-cross-linked lignin gel impregnated with a surfactant as the pore-forming agent, and then activated the carbon through physical and chemical methods to obtain activated mesoporous carbon. The activated mesoporous carbons exhibited 1.5- to 6-fold increases in porosity with a maximum BET specific surface area of 1148 m2/g and a pore volume of 1.0 cm3/g. Slow physical activation helped retain dominant mesoporosity; however, aggressive chemical activation caused some loss of the mesopore volume fraction. Plots of cyclic voltammetric data with the capacitor electrode made from these carbons showed an almost rectangular curve depicting the behavior of ideal double-layer capacitance. Although the pristine mesoporous carbon exhibited the same range of surface-area-based capacitance as that of other known carbon-based supercapacitors, activation decreased the surface-area-based specific capacitance and increased the gravimetric-specific capacitance of the mesoporous carbons. Surface activation lowered bulk density and electrical conductivity. Warburg impedance as a vertical tail in the lower frequency domain of Nyquist plots supported good supercapacitor behavior for the activated mesoporous carbons. Our work demonstrated that biomass-derived mesoporous carbon materials continue to show potential for use in specific electrochemical applications.
Scale-Up of Palladium Powder Production Process for Use in the Tritium Facility at Westinghouse, Savannah River, SC/Summary of FY99-FY01 Results for the Preparation of Palladium Using the Sandia/LANL Process
David P. Baldwin; Daniel S. Zamzow; R. Dennis Vigil; Jesse T. Pikturna
Palladium used at Savannah River (SR) for process tritium storage is currently obtained from a commercial source. In order to understand the processes involved in preparing this material, SR is supporting investigations into the chemical reactions used to synthesize this material. The material specifications are shown in Table 1. An improved understanding of the chemical processes should help to guarantee a continued reliable source of Pd in the future. As part of this evaluation, a work-for-others contract between Westinghouse Savannah River Company and Ames Laboratory (AL) was initiated. During FY98, the process for producing Pd powder developed in 1986 by Dan Grove of Mound Applied Technologies, USDOE (the Mound muddy water process) was studied to understand the processing conditions that lead to changes in morphology in the final product. During FY99 and FY00, the process for producing Pd powder that has been used previously at Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories (the Sandia/LANL process) was studied to understand the processing conditions that lead to changes in the morphology of the final Pd product. During FY01, scale-up of the process to batch sizes greater than 600 grams of Pd using a 20-gallon Pfaudler reactor was conducted by the Iowa State University (ISU) Chemical Engineering Department. This report summarizes the results of FY99-FY01 Pd processing work done at AL and ISU using the Sandia/LANL process. In the Sandia/LANL process, Pd is dissolved in a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids. A number of chemical processing steps are performed to yield an intermediate species, diamminedichloropalladium (Pd(NH{sub 3}){sub 2}Cl{sub 2}, or DADC-Pd), which is isolated. In the final step of the process, the Pd(NH{sub 3}){sub 2}Cl{sub 2} intermediate is subsequently redissolved, and Pd is precipitated by the addition of a reducing agent (RA) mixture of formic acid and sodium formate. It is at this point that the morphology of the Pd product is determined. During FY99 and FY00, a study of how the characteristics of the Pd are affected by changes in processing conditions including the RA/Pd molar ratio, Pd concentration, mole fraction of formic acid (mf-FA) in the RA solution, reaction temperature, and mixing was performed. These parameters all had significant effects on the resulting values of the tap density (TD), BET surface area (SA), and Microtrac particle size (PS) distribution for the Pd samples. These effects were statistically modeled and fit in order to determine ranges of predicted experimental conditions that resulted in material that meets the requirements for the Pd powder to be used at SR. Although not statistically modeled, the method and rate of addition of the RA and the method and duration of stirring were shown to be significant factors affecting the product morphology. Instead of producing an additional statistical fit and due to the likely changes anticipated during scale-up of this processing procedure, these latter conditions were incorporated into a reproducible practical method of synthesis. Palladium powder that met the SR specifications for TD, BET SA, and Microtrac PS was reliably produced at batch sizes ranging from 25-100 grams. In FY01, scale-up of the Sandia/LANL process was investigated by the ISU Chemical Engineering Department for the production of 600-gram batches of Pd. Palladium that meets the SR specifications for TD, BET SA, and Microtrac PS has been produced using the Pfaudler reactor, and additional processing batches will be done during the remainder of FY01 to investigate the range of conditions that can be used to produce Pd powder within specifications. Palladium product samples were analyzed at AL and SR to determine TD and at SR to determine BET SA, Microtrac PS distribution, and Pd nodule size and morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
An Improved MUSIC Model for Gibbsite Surfaces
Mitchell, Scott C.; Bickmore, Barry R.; Tadanier, Christopher J.; Rosso, Kevin M.
Here we use gibbsite as a model system with which to test a recently published, bond-valence method for predicting intrinsic pKa values for surface functional groups on oxides. At issue is whether the method is adequate when valence parameters for the functional groups are derived from ab initio structure optimization of surfaces terminated by vacuum. If not, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations of solvated surfaces (which are much more computationally expensive) will have to be used. To do this, we had to evaluate extant gibbsite potentiometric titration data that where some estimate of edge and basal surface area was available. Applying BET and recently developed atomic force microscopy methods, we found that most of these data sets were flawed, in that their surface area estimates were probably wrong. Similarly, there may have been problems with many of the titration procedures. However, one data set was adequate on both counts, and we applied our method of surface pKa int prediction to fitting a MUSIC model to this data with considerable successŚseveral features of the titration data were predicted well. However, the model fit was certainly not perfect, and we experienced some difficulties optimizing highly charged, vacuum-terminated surfaces. Therefore, we conclude that we probably need to do AIMD simulations of solvated surfaces to adequately predict intrinsic pKa values for surface functional groups.
Effects of thermal treatment of nanostructured trititanates on their crystallographic and textural properties
Morgado, Edisson; Jardim, Paula M.; Araujo, Antonio S.
Nanostructured titanates (TTNT) with general formula Na {sub x}H{sub 2-x}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 7}.nH{sub 2}O were synthesized by hydrothermally reacting different TiO{sub 2} anatase (distinct crystal sizes) with NaOH at 120 deg. C followed by washing with water or diluted acid and drying of the precipitate. The resulting powders with different sodium contents were submitted to various calcination temperatures up to 800 deg. C and each calcined product was characterized as for its phase structure, composition, crystallite size and textural properties, namely BET surface area, mesopore volume and pore size distribution. Thermal transformations of TTNT samples were investigated by monitoring the modifications on crystallographic (X-ray diffraction) and textural (N{sub 2} desorption isotherms) properties, revealing the influence of the type of starting anatase and sodium content over the stability of TTNT. Moreover, a detailed study on the reduction of the interlayer distance in TTNT samples upon thermal treatment allowed corroborating the formation of an intermediate nanostructured hexatitanate, just before phase transformation into the corresponding TiO{sub 2} polymorphs and/or titanate crystals, depending on the sodium content and calcination temperature.
Characterization and Leaching Tests of the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) Waste Form for LAW Immobilization
Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla; Brown, Christopher F.; Peterson, Reid A.
Several supplemental technologies for treating and immobilizing Hanford low activity waste (LAW) have been evaluated. One such immobilization technology is the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) granular product. The FBSR granular product is composed of insoluble sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) feldspathoid minerals. Production of the FBSR mineral product has been demonstrated both at the industrial and laboratory scale. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was involved in an extensive characterization campaign. This goal of this campaign was study the durability of the FBSR mineral product and the mineral product encapsulated in a monolith to meet compressive strength requirements. This paper gives an overview of results obtained using the ASTM C 1285 Product Consistency Test (PCT), the EPA Test Method 1311 Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and the ASTMC 1662 Single-Pass Flow-Through (SPFT) test. Along with these durability tests an overview of the characteristics of the waste form has been collected using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), microwave digestions for chemical composition, and surface area from Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) theory.
Development of silver and zinc oxide decorated nanoclay containing polymeric composites for water disinfection applications
Motshekga, Sarah C.; Ray, Suprakas Sinha; Momba, Maggie N. B.
Contaminated drinking water has serious implications to the human health that could lead to death. The rapid growth of bacterial contamination in drinking water is alarming, and yet a robust and cost effective method with less limitation has not been developed. The current study is aimed at evaluating the performance of nanoclay composites dispersed in chitosan biopolymer as an antibacterial material. The performances of the composites were evaluated using the batch kinetic studies. Three composites of Ag-CtsB, ZnO-CtsB and Ag/ZnO-CtsB were prepared and evaluated against gram negative Escherichia coli and gram positive Enterococcus faecalis bacteria. The composites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy and BET surface area measurements. Antibacterial activity results showed that the composites can be a potent bactericide material for water disinfection as they are highly effective against both gram negative and gram positive bacteria tested. Whereas both Ag-CtsB and ZnO-CtsB composites showed good antibacterial activity against bacteria with removal efficiency from 51%, best antibacterial activity was observed with Ag/ZnO-CtsB composite with removal efficiency from 78%. The results revealed that Ag/ZnO-CtsB composite is a promising bactericide that is highly effective against both gram negative and gram positive bacteria tested.
Facile fabrication of three-dimensional mesoporous Si/SiC composites via one-step magnesiothermic reduction at relative low temperature
Jiang, Zhihang; Ma, Yongjun; Zhou, Yong; Hu, Shanglian; Han, Chaojiang; Pei, Chonghua
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: Ģ The Si/SiC composites were synthesized by one-step magnesiothermic reduction. Ģ The mesoporous composites have a high specific surface area (655.7 m{sup 2} g{sup ?1}). Ģ The composites exhibited a strong photoluminescence and better biocompatibility. Ģ The mechanisms of formation and photoluminescence of sample were discussed. - Abstract: By converting modified silica aerogels to the corresponding silicon/silicon carbide (Si/SiC) without losing its nanostructure, three-dimensional mesoporous (3DM) Si/SiC composites are successfully synthesized via one-step magnesothermic reduction at relative low temperature (650 ░C). The phase composition and microstructure of the resulting samples are measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Raman spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). N{sub 2}-sorption isotherms results show that the products have high Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET) specific surface areas (up to 656 m{sup 2} g{sup ?1}) and narrow pore-size distributions (1.5¢30 nm). The composites exhibit a strong photoluminescence (PL) in blue-green light region (peak centered at 533 nm). We have set out work on the biocompatibility and enhancing PL of samples. As a result of excellent performances of the composites, it can be expected to have significant application in optoelectronics, biosensors, biological tracer and so on.
Studies on KIT-6 Supported Cobalt Catalyst for FischerŌĆōTropsch Synthesis
Gnanamani, M.; Jacobs, G; Graham, U; Ma, W; Pendyala, V; Ribeiro, M; Davis, B
KIT-6 molecular sieve was used as a support to prepare cobalt catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) using an incipient wetness impregnation method to produce cobalt loadings of 15 and 25 wt%. The catalysts were characterized by BET surface area, X-ray diffraction, scanning transmission election microscopy (STEM), extended X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy. The catalytic properties for FTS were evaluated using a 1L CSTR reactor. XRD, pore size distribution, and STEM analysis indicate that the KIT-6 mesostructure remains stable during and after cobalt impregnation and tends to form smaller cobalt particles, probably located inside the mesopores. The mesoporous KIT-6 exhibited a slightly higher cobalt dispersion compared to amorphous SiO{sub 2} supported catalyst. With the higher Co loading (25 wt%) on KIT-6, partial structural collapse was observed after the FTS reaction. Compared to an amorphous SiO{sub 2} supported cobalt catalyst, KIT-6 supported cobalt catalyst displayed higher methane selectivity at a similar Co loading, likely due to diffusion effects.
Intensified Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Process with Microchannel Catalytic Reactors
Cao, Chunshe; Hu, Jianli; Li, Shari; Wilcox, Wayne A.; Wang, Yong
A microchannel catalytic reactor with improved heat and mass transport has been used for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to produce fuels and chemicals. This type of novel reactor takes advantages of highly active and selective catalysts with increased site density so that the FT synthesis process can be intensified. It was demonstrated that this microchannel reactor based process can be carried out at gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) as high as 60,000 hr-1 to achieve greater than 60% of one-pass CO conversion while maintaining low methane selectivity (<10%) and high chain growth probability(>0.9). Such superior FT synthesis performance has not ever been reported in the prior open literatures. The overall productivity to heavy hydrocarbons has been significantly improved over the conventional reactor technology. In this study, performance data were obtained in a wide range of pressure (10atm-35atm) and hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio (1-2.5). The catalytic system was characterized by BET, scanning electron microcopy (SEM), transmission electron microcopy(TEM), and H2 chemisorption. A three dimensional pseudo-homogeneous model were used to simulate temperature profiles in the exothermic reaction system in order to optimize the reactor design and intensify the synthesis process. Intraparticle non-isothermal characteristics are also analyzed for the FT synthesis catalyst.
Modified Ni-Cu catalysts for ethanol steam reforming
Dan, M.; Mihet, M.; Almasan, V.; Borodi, G.; Katona, G.; Muresan, L.; Lazar, M. D.
Three Ni-Cu catalysts, having different Cu content, supported on ╬│-alumina were synthesized by wet co-impregnation method, characterized and tested in the ethanol steam reforming (ESR) reaction. The catalysts were characterized for determination of: total surface area and porosity (N{sub 2} adsorption - desorption using BET and Dollimer Heal methods), Ni surface area (hydrogen chemisorption), crystallinity and Ni crystallites size (X-Ray Diffraction), type of catalytic active centers (Hydrogen Temperature Programmed Reduction). Total surface area and Ni crystallites size are not significantly influenced by the addition of Cu, while Ni surface area is drastically diminished by increasing of Cu concentration. Steam reforming experiments were performed at atmospheric pressure, temperature range 150-350┬░C, and ethanol - water molar ration of 1 at 30, using Ar as carrier gas. Ethanol conversion and hydrogen production increase by the addition of Cu. At 350┬░C there is a direct connection between hydrogen production and Cu concentration. Catalysts deactivation in 24h time on stream was studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) on used catalysts. Coke deposition was observed at all studied temperatures; at 150┬░C amorphous carbon was evidenced, while at 350┬░C crystalline, filamentous carbon is formed.
Effect of ultrasound treatment on the morpho-structural and luminescent characteristics of cerium doped yttrium silicate phosphors
Muresan, L.E.; Cadis, A.I.; Perhaita, I.; Silipas, D.T.; Tudoran, L. Barbu
Highlights: ŌĆó Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5}:Ce is prepared by gel combustion in ultrasound conditions (US). ŌĆó Morpho-structural characteristics are revealed based on FTIR, SEM, XRD, BET. ŌĆó Incorporation of Ce{sup 3+} in X1/X2 type centers depends on preparative conditions. ŌĆó US treatment increases the luminescent performances up to 151%. - Abstract: Cerium activated yttrium silicate (Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5}:Ce) phosphors were prepared by gel-combustion, using yttriumŌĆōcerium nitrate as oxidizer, aspartic acid as fuel and TEOS as source of silicon. Two modalities for samples preparation were approached namely: the classical gel-combustion and sonication gel-combustion. The ultrasound treatment during the gelling stage has a positive effect on the structural and luminescent characteristics of the final product. Therefore, a well crystallized single X2ŌĆōY{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} phase phosphor was obtained at 1200 ┬░C. Based on FT-IR and XRD investigations, conversion of X1 to X2ŌĆōY{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} phases is observed as the firing temperature is varied (1100 ┬░C, 1200 ┬░C, 1300 ┬░C 1400 ┬░C). The ultrasound treatment leads to smaller particle size and enhances the luminescent performances up to 151% in comparison with samples prepared by classical way.
Ultralight carbon aerogel from nanocellulose as a highly selective oil absorption material
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Meng, Yujie; Yang, Timothy M; Peizhi, Liu; Contescu, Cristian I; Biao, Huang; Siqun, Wang
The synthesis of a sponge-like carbon aerogel from microfibril cellulose (MFC), with high porosity (99%), ultra-low density (0.01 g/cm3), hydrophobic properties (149 static contact angle) and reusability is reported in this paper. The physical properties, internal morphology, thermal properties, and chemical properties of carbon aerogels heat-treated at 700 and 900 oC (Samples C-700 and C-900) were examined. Stabilization and carbonization parameters were optimized in terms of residual carbon yield. The BET surface area of Sample C-700 (521 m2 /g) was significantly higher than of Sample C-950 (149 m2 /g). Graphitic-like domains were observed in C-950. The highest normalized sorption capacitymore┬Ā┬╗ (86 g/g) for paraffin oil was observed in sample C-700. The removal of hydrophilic function groups during carbonization causes carbon aerogel to present highly hydrophobic properties. Carbon aerogel s ability to absorb oil is enhanced by its highly porous 3D network structure with interconnected cellulose nanofibrils.┬½┬Āless
Synthesis of multi-hierarchical structured yttria-stabilized zirconia powders and their enhanced thermophysical properties
Cao, Fengmei; Gao, Yanfeng; Chen, Hongfei; Liu, Xinling; Tang, Xiaoping; Luo, Hongjie
Multi-hierarchical structured yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powders were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal-calcination process. The morphology, crystallinity, and microstructure of the products were characterized by SEM, XRD, TEM, and BET. A possible formation mechanism of the unique structure formed during hydrothermal processing was also investigated. The measured thermophysical results indicated that the prepared YSZ powders had a low thermal conductivity (0.63¢1.27 W m?╣ K?╣), good short-term high-temperature stability up to 1300 ░C. The influence of the morphology and microstructure on their thermophysical properties was briefly discussed. The unique multi-hierarchical structure makes the prepared YSZ powders candidates for use in enhanced applications involving thermal barrier coatings. - Graphical abstract: There are many tiny pores and grain boundaries in the multi-hierarchical structured yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powders,which greatly decrease the thermal conductivities of the YSZ powders. - Highlights: Ģ Multi-hierarchical structured YSZ powders were successfully prepared. Ģ The prepared YSZ powders had a low thermal conductivity (0.63¢1.27 W m?╣ K?╣). Ģ Improved high-temperature stability had been achieved for the prepared YSZ powders. Ģ The influence of the morphology on their thermophysical properties was explored.
Effect of YSZ sintering temperature on mixed potential sensor performance
Sekhar, Praveen K; Brosha, Eric L; Rangachary, Mukundan; Garzon, Fernando H; Nelson, Mark A; Toracco, Dennis
In this article, the influence of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) sintering temperature on a Pt/YSZ/La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}CrO{sub 3} mixed potential sensor performance is reported. The sintering temperature of YSZ was varied from 1000 to 1200 C. Mercury porosity measurements were performed to estimate the porosity and tortuosity of the YSZ sample as a function of sintering temperature. Further, the surface area of YSZ was computed by the BET method. After YSZ characterization, the unbiased and biased sensor response was recorded. The 1000 C sintered YSZ sample was taken as the reference for comparison purposes. Experimental results indicated a 30% reduction in porosity for the 1200 C sintered YSZ sample, accounting for a 14-fold increase in the sensor response rise time. In addition, for the same sample, a 13-fold increase in sensitivity was observed upon exposure to propylene (100 ppm), associated with a 76% reduction in surface area. The slow response time of the sensor with YSZ sintered at higher temperatures has been attributed to higher tortuosity (delay in gas permeation to the three phase interface). Whereas, reduced heterogeneous catalysis induced by lower surface area accounts for the rise in sensitivity levels. The optimum YSZ sintering temperature was found to lie between 1100 and 1150 C.
Impact of sulfation and desulfation on NOx reduction using Cu-chabazite SCR catalysts
Brookshear, Daniel William; Nam, Jeong -Gil; Nguyen, Ke; Toops, Todd J.; Binder, Andrew J.
This bench reactor study investigates the impact of gaseous sulfur on the NOx reduction activity of Cu-chabazite SCR (Cu-CHA) catalysts at SO2 concentrations representative of marine diesel engine exhaust. After two hours of 500 ppm SO2 exposure at 250 and 400 ┬░C in the simulated diesel exhaust gases, the NOx reduction activity of the sulfated Cu-CHA SCR catalysts is severely degraded at evaluation temperatures below 250 ┬░C; however, above 250 ┬░C the impact of sulfur exposure is minimal. EPMA shows that sulfur is located throughout the washcoat and along the entire length of the sulfated samples. Interestingly, BET measurements reveal that the sulfated samples have a 20% decrease in surface area. Moreover, the sulfated samples show a decrease in NOx/nitrate absorption during NO exposure in a DRIFTS reactor which suggests that Cu sites in the catalyst are blocked by the presence of sulfur. SO2 exposure also results in an increase in NH3 storage capacity, possibly due to the formation of ammonium sulfate species in the sulfated samples. In all cases, lean thermal treatments as low as 500 ┬░C reverse the effects of sulfur exposure and restore the NOx reduction activity of the Cu-CHA catalyst to that of the fresh condition.
Impact of sulfation and desulfation on NOx reduction using Cu-chabazite SCR catalysts
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Brookshear, Daniel William; Nam, Jeong -Gil; Nguyen, Ke; Toops, Todd J.; Binder, Andrew J.
This bench reactor study investigates the impact of gaseous sulfur on the NOx reduction activity of Cu-chabazite SCR (Cu-CHA) catalysts at SO2 concentrations representative of marine diesel engine exhaust. After two hours of 500 ppm SO2 exposure at 250 and 400 ┬░C in the simulated diesel exhaust gases, the NOx reduction activity of the sulfated Cu-CHA SCR catalysts is severely degraded at evaluation temperatures below 250 ┬░C; however, above 250 ┬░C the impact of sulfur exposure is minimal. EPMA shows that sulfur is located throughout the washcoat and along the entire length of the sulfated samples. Interestingly, BET measurements revealmore┬Ā┬╗ that the sulfated samples have a 20% decrease in surface area. Moreover, the sulfated samples show a decrease in NOx/nitrate absorption during NO exposure in a DRIFTS reactor which suggests that Cu sites in the catalyst are blocked by the presence of sulfur. SO2 exposure also results in an increase in NH3 storage capacity, possibly due to the formation of ammonium sulfate species in the sulfated samples. In all cases, lean thermal treatments as low as 500 ┬░C reverse the effects of sulfur exposure and restore the NOx reduction activity of the Cu-CHA catalyst to that of the fresh condition.┬½┬Āless
Genome-scale reconstruction of the metabolic network in Yersinia pestis, strain 91001
Navid, A; Almaas, E
The gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis, the aetiological agent of bubonic plague, is one the deadliest pathogens known to man. Despite its historical reputation, plague is a modern disease which annually afflicts thousands of people. Public safety considerations greatly limit clinical experimentation on this organism and thus development of theoretical tools to analyze the capabilities of this pathogen is of utmost importance. Here, we report the first genome-scale metabolic model of Yersinia pestis biovar Mediaevalis based both on its recently annotated genome, and physiological and biochemical data from literature. Our model demonstrates excellent agreement with Y. pestis known metabolic needs and capabilities. Since Y. pestis is a meiotrophic organism, we have developed CryptFind, a systematic approach to identify all candidate cryptic genes responsible for known and theoretical meiotrophic phenomena. In addition to uncovering every known cryptic gene for Y. pestis, our analysis of the rhamnose fermentation pathway suggests that betB is the responsible cryptic gene. Despite all of our medical advances, we still do not have a vaccine for bubonic plague. Recent discoveries of antibiotic resistant strains of Yersinia pestis coupled with the threat of plague being used as a bioterrorism weapon compel us to develop new tools for studying the physiology of this deadly pathogen. Using our theoretical model, we can study the cell's phenotypic behavior under different circumstances and identify metabolic weaknesses which may be harnessed for the development of therapeutics. Additionally, the automatic identification of cryptic genes expands the usage of genomic data for pharmaceutical purposes.
Zirconium doped nano-dispersed oxides of Fe, Al and Zn for destruction of warfare agents
Stengl, Vaclav; Houskova, Vendula; Bakardjieva, Snejana; Murafa, Nataliya; Marikova, Monika; Oplustil, Frantisek; Nemec, Tomas
Zirconium doped nano dispersive oxides of Fe, Al and Zn were prepared by a homogeneous hydrolysis of the respective sulfate salts with urea in aqueous solutions. Synthesized metal oxide hydroxides were characterized using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and Barrett-Joiner-Halenda porosity (BJH), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX). These oxides were taken for an experimental evaluation of their reactivity with sulfur mustard (HD or bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide), soman (GD or (3,3'-Dimethylbutan-2-yl)-methylphosphonofluoridate) and VX agent (S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl]-O-ethyl-methylphosphonothionate). The presence of Zr{sup 4+} dopant can increase both the surface area and the surface hydroxylation of the resulting doped oxides, decreases their crystallites' sizes thereby it may contribute in enabling the substrate adsorption at the oxide surface thus it can accelerate the rate of degradation of warfare agents. Addition of Zr{sup 4+} converts the product of the reaction of ferric sulphate with urea from ferrihydrite to goethite. We found out that doped oxo-hydroxides Zr-FeO(OH) - being prepared by a homogeneous hydrolysis of ferric and zirconium oxo-sulfates mixture in aqueous solutions - exhibit a comparatively higher degradation activity towards chemical warfare agents (CWAs). Degradation of soman or VX agent on Zr-doped FeO(OH) containing ca. 8.3 wt.% of zirconium proceeded to completion within 30 min.
Mesoporous ironŌĆōmanganese oxides for sulphur mustard and soman degradation
┼Ātengl, V├Īclav; J.E. Purkyn─ø University in ├Üst├Ł nad Labem, Faculty of Environment, 400 96 ├Üst├Ł nad Labem ; Grygar, Tom├Ī┼Ī Matys; J.E. Purkyn─ø University in ├Üst├Ł nad Labem, Faculty of Environment, 400 96 ├Üst├Ł nad Labem ; Bludsk├Ī, Jana; Oplu┼Ītil, Franti┼Īek; N─ømec, Tom├Ī┼Ī
Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: Ō¢║ New nanodispersive materials based on Fe and Mn oxides for degradations of warfare agents. Ō¢║ The best activities for the degradation of sulphur mustard (97.9% in 64 min) and soman (97.9% in 64 min). Ō¢║ One pot synthesis with friendly transformed to industrial conditions. -- Abstract: Substituted iron(III)ŌĆōmanganese(III, IV) oxides, ammonio-jarosite and birnessite, were prepared by a homogeneous hydrolysis of potassium permanganate and iron(III) sulphate with 2-chloroacetamide and urea, respectively. Synthesised oxides were characterised using BrunauerŌĆōEmmettŌĆōTeller (BET) surface area and BarrettŌĆōJoinerŌĆōHalenda porosity (BJH), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The oxides were taken for an experimental evaluation of their reactivity against sulphur mustard (HD) and soman (GD). When ammonio-jarosite formation is suppressed by adding urea to the reaction mixture, the reaction products are mixtures of goethite, schwertmannite and ferrihydrite, and their degradation activity against soman considerably increases. The best activities for the degradation of sulphur mustard (97.9% in 64 min) and soman (97.9% in 64 min) were observed for FeMn{sub 7}5 with 32.6 wt.% Fe (36.8 wt.% Mn) and FeMn{sub 3}7U with 60.8 wt.% Fe (10.1 wt.% Mn) samples, respectively.
CuCo2O4 ORR/OER Bi-functional catalyst: Influence of synthetic approach on performance
Serov, Alexey; Andersen, Nalin I.; Roy, Aaron J.; Matanovic, Ivana; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Atanassov, Plamen
A series of CuCo2O4 catalysts were synthesized by pore forming, sol-gel, spray pyrolysis and sacrificial support methods. Catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS and BET techniques. The electrochemical activity for the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR and OER) was evaluated in alkaline media by RRDE. Density Functional Theory was used to identify two different types of active sites responsible for ORR/OER activity of CuCo2O4 and it was found that CuCo2O4 can activate the O-O bond by binding molecular oxygen in bridging positions between Co or Co and Cu atoms. It was found that the sacrificial support method (SSM) catalyst has the highest performance in both ORR and OER and has the highest content of phase-pure CuCo2O4. It was shown that the presence of CuO significantly decreases the activity in oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions. As a result, the half-wave potential (E1/2) of CuCo2O4-SSM was found as 0.8 V, making this material a state-of-the-art, unsupported oxide catalyst.
Fynbo, J. P. U.; Malesani, D.; Vreeswijk, P. M.; Hjorth, J.; Sollerman, J.; Thoene, C. C.; Jakobsson, P.; Bjoernsson, G.; De Cia, A.; Prochaska, J. X.; Nardini, M.; Chen, H.-W.; Bloom, J. S.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Gorosabel, J.; Christensen, L.; Fruchter, A. S.
We present a sample of 77 optical afterglows (OAs) of Swift detected gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) for which spectroscopic follow-up observations have been secured. Our first objective is to measure the redshifts of the bursts. For the majority (90%) of the afterglows, the redshifts have been determined from the spectra. We provide line lists and equivalent widths (EWs) for all detected lines redward of Ly{alpha} covered by the spectra. In addition to the GRB absorption systems, these lists include line strengths for a total of 33 intervening absorption systems. We discuss to what extent the current sample of Swift bursts with OA spectroscopy is a biased subsample of all Swift detected GRBs. For that purpose we define an X-ray-selected statistical sample of Swift bursts with optimal conditions for ground-based follow-up from the period 2005 March to 2008 September; 146 bursts fulfill our sample criteria. We derive the redshift distribution for the statistical (X-ray selected) sample and conclude that less than 18% of Swift bursts can be at z > 7. We compare the high-energy properties (e.g., {gamma}-ray (15-350 keV) fluence and duration, X-ray flux, and excess absorption) for three subsamples of bursts in the statistical sample: (1) bursts with redshifts measured from OA spectroscopy; (2) bursts with detected optical and/or near-IR afterglow, but no afterglow-based redshift; and (3) bursts with no detection of the OA. The bursts in group (1) have slightly higher {gamma}-ray fluences and higher X-ray fluxes and significantly less excess X-ray absorption than bursts in the other two groups. In addition, the fractions of dark bursts, defined as bursts with an optical to X-ray slope {beta}{sub OX} < 0.5, is 14% in group (1), 38% in group (2), and >39% in group (3). For the full sample, the dark burst fraction is constrained to be in the range 25%-42%. From this we conclude that the sample of GRBs with OA spectroscopy is not representative for all Swift bursts, most likely due to a bias against the most dusty sight lines. This should be taken into account when determining, e.g., the redshift or metallicity distribution of GRBs and when using GRBs as a probe of star formation. Finally, we characterize GRB absorption systems as a class and compare them to QSO absorption systems, in particular the damped Ly{alpha} absorbers (DLAs). On average GRB absorbers are characterized by significantly stronger EWs for H I as well as for both low and high ionization metal lines than what is seen in intervening QSO absorbers. However, the distribution of line strengths is very broad and several GRB absorbers have lines with EWs well within the range spanned by QSO-DLAs. Based on the 33 z > 2 bursts in the sample, we place a 95% confidence upper limit of 7.5% on the mean escape fraction of ionizing photons from star-forming galaxies.
ENO1 promotes tumor proliferation and cell adhesion mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR) in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas
Zhu, Xinghua; Miao, Xiaobing; Wu, Yaxun; Li, Chunsun; Guo, Yan; Liu, Yushan; Chen, Yali; Lu, Xiaoyun; Wang, Yuchan; He, Song
Enolases are glycolytic enzymes responsible for the ATP-generated conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate to phosphoenolpyruvate. In addition to the glycolytic function, Enolase 1 (ENO1) has been reported up-regulation in several tumor tissues. In this study, we investigated the expression and biologic function of ENO1 in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHLs). Clinically, by western blot analysis we observed that ENO1 expression was apparently higher in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma than in the reactive lymphoid tissues. Subsequently, immunohistochemical staining of 144 NHLs suggested that the expression of ENO1 was significantly lower in the indolent lymphomas compared with the progressive lymphomas. Further, we identified ENO1 as an independent prognostic factor, and it was significantly correlated with overall survival of NHL patients. In addition, we found that ENO1 could promote cell proliferation, regulate cell cycle associated gene and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in NHLs. Finally, we verified that ENO1 participated in the process of lymphoma cell adhesion mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR). Adhesion to FN or HS5 cells significantly protected OCI-Ly8 and Daudi cells from cytotoxicity compared with those cultured in suspension, and these effects were attenuated when transfected with ENO1-siRNA. Based on the study, we propose that inhibition of ENO1 expression may be a novel strategy for therapy for NHLs patients, and it may be a target for drug resistance. - Highlights: ŌĆó ENO1 expression is reversely correlated with clinical outcomes of patients with NHLs. ŌĆó ENO1 promotes the proliferation of NHL cells. ŌĆó ENO1 regulates cell adhesion mediated drug resistance.
COS OBSERVATIONS OF METAL LINE AND BROAD LYMAN-{alpha} ABSORPTION IN THE MULTI-PHASE O VI AND Ne VIII SYSTEM AT z = 0.20701 TOWARD HE 0226-4110
Savage, B. D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 475 North Charter Street, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Lehner, N. [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Narayanan, A. [Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695547, Kerala (India)
Observations of the QSO HE 0226-4110 (z{sub em} = 0.495) with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) from 1134 to 1796 A with a resolution of {approx}17 km s{sup -1} and signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) per resolution element of 20-40 are used to study the multi-phase absorption system at z = 0.20701 containing O VI and Ne VIII. The system was previously studied with lower S/N observations with Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). The COS observations provide more reliable measures of the H I and metal lines present in the system and reveal the clear presence of broad Ly{alpha} (BLA) absorption with b = 72(+13, -6) km s{sup -1} and log N(H I) = 13.87 {+-} 0.08. Detecting BLAs associated with warm gas absorbers is crucial for determining the temperature, metallicity, and total baryonic content of the absorbers. The BLA is probably recording the trace amount of thermally broadened H I in the collisionally ionized plasma with log T {approx} 5.7 that also produces the O VI and Ne VIII absorption. The total hydrogen column in the collisionally ionized gas, log N(H) {approx} 20.1, exceeds that in the cooler photoionized gas in the system by a factor of {approx}22. The oxygen abundance in the collisionally ionized gas is [O/H] = -0.89 {+-} 0.08 {+-} 0.07. The absorber probably occurs in the circumgalactic environment (halo) of a foreground L = 0.25L{sub *} disk galaxy with an impact parameter of 109 h{sub 70}{sup -1} kpc identified by Mulchaey and Chen.
Green, James C.; Michael Shull, J.; Snow, Theodore P.; Stocke, John [Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 391-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Froning, Cynthia S.; Osterman, Steve; Beland, Stephane; Burgh, Eric B.; Danforth, Charles; France, Kevin [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Ebbets, Dennis [Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp., 1600 Commerce Street, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States); Heap, Sara H. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 681, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Leitherer, Claus; Sembach, Kenneth [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Linsky, Jeffrey L. [JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Boulder, CO 80309-0440 (United States); Savage, Blair D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 475 North Charter Street, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Siegmund, Oswald H. W. [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Spencer, John; Alan Stern, S. [Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302 (United States); Welsh, Barry [Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); and others
The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) is a moderate-resolution spectrograph with unprecedented sensitivity that was installed into the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 2009 May, during HST Servicing Mission 4 (STS-125). We present the design philosophy and summarize the key characteristics of the instrument that will be of interest to potential observers. For faint targets, with flux F{sub {lambda}} Almost-Equal-To 1.0 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -14} erg cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} A{sup -1}, COS can achieve comparable signal to noise (when compared to Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph echelle modes) in 1%-2% of the observing time. This has led to a significant increase in the total data volume and data quality available to the community. For example, in the first 20 months of science operation (2009 September-2011 June) the cumulative redshift pathlength of extragalactic sight lines sampled by COS is nine times than sampled at moderate resolution in 19 previous years of Hubble observations. COS programs have observed 214 distinct lines of sight suitable for study of the intergalactic medium as of 2011 June. COS has measured, for the first time with high reliability, broad Ly{alpha} absorbers and Ne VIII in the intergalactic medium, and observed the He II reionization epoch along multiple sightlines. COS has detected the first CO emission and absorption in the UV spectra of low-mass circumstellar disks at the epoch of giant planet formation, and detected multiple ionization states of metals in extra-solar planetary atmospheres. In the coming years, COS will continue its census of intergalactic gas, probe galactic and cosmic structure, and explore physics in our solar system and Galaxy.
Stocke, John T.; Keeney, Brian A.; Danforth, Charles W.; Shull, J. Michael; Froning, Cynthia S.; Green, James C.; Penton, Steven V. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)] [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Savage, Blair D., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)
The circumgalactic medium (CGM) of late-type galaxies is characterized using UV spectroscopy of 11 targeted QSO/galaxy pairs at z {<=} 0.02 with the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and {approx}60 serendipitous absorber/galaxy pairs at z {<=} 0.2 with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. CGM warm cloud properties are derived, including volume filling factors of 3%-5%, cloud sizes of 0.1-30 kpc, masses of 10-10{sup 8} M {sub Sun }, and metallicities of {approx}0.1-1 Z {sub Sun }. Almost all warm CGM clouds within 0.5 R {sub vir} are metal-bearing and many have velocities consistent with being bound, 'galactic fountain' clouds. For galaxies with L {approx}> 0.1 L*, the total mass in these warm CGM clouds approaches 10{sup 10} M {sub Sun }, {approx}10%-15% of the total baryons in massive spirals and comparable to the baryons in their parent galaxy disks. This leaves {approx}> 50% of massive spiral-galaxy baryons 'missing'. Dwarfs (<0.1 L*) have smaller area covering factors and warm CGM masses ({<=}5% baryon fraction), suggesting that many of their warm clouds escape. Constant warm cloud internal pressures as a function of impact parameter (P/k {approx} 10 cm{sup -3} K) support the inference that previous COS detections of broad, shallow O VI and Ly{alpha} absorptions are of an extensive ({approx}400-600 kpc), hot (T Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 6} K), intra-cloud gas which is very massive ({>=}10{sup 11} M {sub Sun }). While the warm CGM clouds cannot account for all the 'missing baryons' in spirals, the hot intra-group gas can, and could account for {approx}20% of the cosmic baryon census at z {approx} 0 if this hot gas is ubiquitous among spiral groups.
HST-COS observations of AGNs. II. Extended survey of ultraviolet composite spectra from 159 active galactic nuclei
Stevans, Matthew L. [Present address: Astronomy Department, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (United States); Shull, J. Michael [Also at Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB3 OHA, UK. (United Kingdom); Danforth, Charles W.; Tilton, Evan M., E-mail: email@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)
The ionizing fluxes from quasars and other active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are critical for interpreting their emission-line spectra and for photoionizing and heating the intergalactic medium. Using far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we directly measure the rest-frame ionizing continua and emission lines for 159 AGNs at redshifts 0.001 < z {sub AGN} < 1.476 and construct a composite spectrum from 475 to 1875 ┼. We identify the underlying AGN continuum and strong extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission lines from ions of oxygen, neon, and nitrogen after masking out absorption lines from the H I Ly? forest, 7 Lyman-limit systems (N{sub H} {sub I}?10{sup 17.2} cm{sup ¢2}) and 214 partial Lyman-limit systems (14.5
Borthakur, Sanchayeeta; Heckman, Timothy; Strickland, David [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Wild, Vivienne [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 95S (United Kingdom); Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) (United Kingdom); Schiminovich, David, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States)
We present a study exploring the impact of a starburst on the properties of the surrounding circumgalactic medium (CGM): gas located beyond the galaxy's stellar body and extending out to the virial radius ({approx}200 kpc). We obtained ultraviolet spectroscopic data from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) probing the CGM of 20 low-redshift foreground galaxies using background QSOs. Our sample consists of starburst and control galaxies. The latter comprises normal star-forming and passive galaxies with similar stellar masses and impact parameters as the starbursts. We used optical spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to estimate the properties of the starbursts, inferring average ages of {approx}200 Myr and burst fractions involving {approx}10% of their stellar mass. The COS data reveal highly ionized gas traced by C IV in 80%(4/5) of the starburst and in 17%(2/12) of the control sample. The two control galaxies with C IV absorbers differed from the four starbursts in showing multiple low-ionization transitions and strong saturated Ly{alpha} lines. They therefore appear to be physically different systems. We show that the C IV absorbers in the starburst CGM represent a significant baryon repository. The high detection rate of this highly ionized material in the starbursts suggests that starburst-driven winds can affect the CGM out to radii as large as 200 kpc. This is plausible given the inferred properties of the starbursts and the known properties of starburst-driven winds. This would represent the first direct observational evidence of local starbursts impacting the bulk of their gaseous halos, and as such provides new evidence of the importance of this kind of feedback in the evolution of galaxies.
Tumlinson, Jason; Thom, Christopher; Sembach, Kenneth R. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (United States); Werk, Jessica K.; Prochaska, J. Xavier [UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States); Tripp, Todd M.; Katz, Neal; Meiring, Joseph D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States); Davķ, Romeel [University of the Western Cape, South African Astronomical Observatories, and African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town (South Africa); Oppenheimer, Benjamin D. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Ford, Amanda Brady [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); O'Meara, John M. [Department of Chemistry and Physics, Saint Michael's College, Colchester, VT (United States); Peeples, Molly S. [Center for Galaxy Evolution, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Weinberg, David H. [Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States)
We present the design and methods of the COS-Halos survey, a systematic investigation of the gaseous halos of 44 z = 0.15-0.35 galaxies using background QSOs observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. This survey has yielded 39 spectra of z{sub em} ? 0.5 QSOs with S/N ?10-15 per resolution element. The QSO sightlines pass within 150 physical kpc of the galaxies, which span early and late types over stellar mass log M{sub *}/M{sub ?} = 9.5-11.5. We find that the circumgalactic medium exhibits strong H I, averaging ? 1 ┼ in Ly? equivalent width out to 150 kpc, with 100% covering fraction for star-forming galaxies and 75% covering for passive galaxies. We find good agreement in column densities between this survey and previous studies over similar range of impact parameter. There is weak evidence for a difference between early- and late-type galaxies in the strength and distribution of H I. Kinematics indicate that the detected material is bound to the host galaxy, such that ?> 90% of the detected column density is confined within ▒200 km s{sup ¢1} of the galaxies. This material generally exists well below the halo virial temperatures at T ?< 10{sup 5} K. We evaluate a number of possible origin scenarios for the detected material, and in the end favor a simple model in which the bulk of the detected H I arises in a bound, cool, low-density photoionized diffuse medium that is generic to all L* galaxies and may harbor a total gaseous mass comparable to galactic stellar masses.
HST-COS OBSERVATIONS OF AGNs. I. ULTRAVIOLET COMPOSITE SPECTRA OF THE IONIZING CONTINUUM AND EMISSION LINES
Shull, J. Michael; Stevans, Matthew; Danforth, Charles W., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)
The ionizing fluxes from quasars and other active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are critical for interpreting the emission-line spectra of AGNs and for photoionization and heating of the intergalactic medium. Using ultraviolet spectra from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have directly measured the rest-frame ionizing continua and emission lines for 22 AGNs. Over the redshift range 0.026 < z < 1.44, COS samples the Lyman continuum and many far-UV emission lines (Ly{alpha} {lambda}1216, C IV {lambda}1549, Si IV/O IV] {lambda}1400, N V {lambda}1240, O VI {lambda}1035). Strong EUV emission lines with 14-22 eV excitation energies (Ne VIII {lambda}{lambda}770, 780, Ne V {lambda}569, O II {lambda}834, O III {lambda}833, {lambda}702, O IV {lambda}788, 608, 554, O V {lambda}630, N III {lambda}685) suggest the presence of hot gas in the broad emission-line region. The rest-frame continuum, F{sub {nu}}{proportional_to}{nu}{sup {alpha}{sub {nu}}}, shows a break at wavelengths {lambda} < 1000 A, with spectral index {alpha}{sub {nu}} = -0.68 {+-} 0.14 in the FUV (1200-2000 A) steepening to {alpha}{sub {nu}} = -1.41 {+-} 0.21 in the EUV (500-1000 A). The COS EUV index is similar to that of radio-quiet AGNs in the 2002 HST/FOS survey ({alpha}{sub {nu}} = -1.57 {+-} 0.17). We see no Lyman edge ({tau}{sub HI} < 0.03) or He I {lambda}584 emission in the AGN composite. Our 22 AGNs exhibit a substantial range of FUV/EUV spectral indices and a correlation with AGN luminosity and redshift, likely due to observing below the 1000 A spectral break.
Absorption-line detections of 10{sup 5}-10{sup 6} K gas in spiral-rich groups of galaxies
Stocke, John T.; Keeney, Brian A.; Danforth, Charles W.; Syphers, David; Yamamoto, H.; Shull, J. Michael; Green, James C.; Froning, Cynthia [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Savage, Blair D.; Wakker, Bart; Kim, Tae-Sun [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Ryan-Weber, Emma V.; Kacprzak, Glenn G., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122 (Australia)
Using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope, the COS Science Team has conducted a high signal-to-noise survey of 14 bright QSOs. In a previous paper, these far-UV spectra were used to discover 14 'warm' (T ? 10{sup 5} K) absorbers using a combination of broad Ly? and broad O VI absorptions. A reanalysis of a few of this new class of absorbers using slightly relaxed fitting criteria finds as many as 20 warm absorbers could be present in this sample. A shallow, wide spectroscopic galaxy redshift survey has been conducted around these sight lines to investigate the warm absorber environment, which is found to be spiral-rich groups or cluster outskirts with radial velocity dispersions ? = 250-750 km s{sup ¢1}. While 2? evidence is presented favoring the hypothesis that these absorptions are associated with the galaxy groups and not with the individual, nearest galaxies, this evidence has considerable systematic uncertainties and is based on a small sample size so it is not entirely conclusive. If the associations are with galaxy groups, the observed frequency of warm absorbers (dN/dz = 3.5-5 per unit redshift) requires them to be very extended as an ensemble on the sky (?1 Mpc in radius at high covering factor). Most likely these warm absorbers are interface gas clouds whose presence implies the existence of a hotter (T ? 10{sup 6.5} K), diffuse, and probably very massive (>10{sup 11} M {sub ?}) intra-group medium which has yet to be detected directly.
The existence and nature of the interstellar bow shock
Ben-Jaffel, Lotfi; Strumik, M.; Ratkiewicz, R.; Grygorczuk, J.
We report a new diagnosis of two different states of the local interstellar medium (LISM) near our solar system by using a sensitivity study constrained by several distinct and complementary observations of the LISM, solar wind, and inner heliosphere. Assuming the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) He flow parameters for the LISM, we obtain a strength of ?2.7 ▒ 0.2 ?G and a direction pointing away from galactic coordinates (28, 52) ▒ 3░ for the interstellar magnetic field as a result of fitting Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in situ plasma measurements and IBEX energetic neutral atoms ribbon. When using Ulysses parameters for the LISM He flow, we recently reported the same direction but with a strength of 2.2 ▒ 0.1 ?G. First, we notice that with Ulysses He flow, our solution is in the expected hydrogen deflection plane (HDP). In contrast, for the IBEX He flow, the solution is ?20░ away from the corresponding HDP plane. Second, the long-term monitoring of the interplanetary H I flow speed shows a value of ?26 km s{sup ¢1} measured upwind from the Doppler shift in the strong Ly? sky background emission line. All elements of the diagnosis seem therefore to support Ulysses He flow parameters for the interstellar state. In that frame, we argue that reliable discrimination between superfast, subfast, or superslow states of the interstellar flow should be based on most existing in situ and remote observations used together with global modeling of the heliosphere. For commonly accepted LISM ionization rates, we show that a fast interstellar bow shock should be standing off upstream of the heliopause.
Lithium protects against methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in PC12┬Ācells via Akt/GSK3╬▓/mTOR pathway
Wu, Jintao; Zhu, Dexiao; Zhang, Jing; Li, Guibao; Liu, Zengxun; Sun, Jinhao
Methamphetamine (MA) is neurotoxic, especially in dopaminergic neurons. Long-lasting exposure to MA causes psychosis and increases the risk of Parkinson's disease. Lithium (Li) is a known mood stabilizer and has neuroprotective effects. Previous studies suggest that MA exposure decreases the phosphorylation of Akt/GSK3╬▓ pathway in┬Āvivo, whereas Li facilitates the phosphorylation of Akt/GSK3╬▓ pathway. Moreover, GSK3╬▓ and mTOR are implicated in the locomotor sensitization induced by psychostimulants and mTOR plays a critical role in MA induced toxicity. However, the effect of MA on Akt/GSK3╬▓/mTOR pathway has not been fully investigated in┬Āvitro. Here, we found that MA exposure significantly dephosphorylated Akt/GSK3╬▓/mTOR pathway in PC12┬Ācells. In addition, Li remarkably attenuated the dephosphorylation effect of MA exposure on Akt/GSK3╬▓/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, Li showed obvious protective effects against MA toxicity and LY294002 (Akt inhibitor) suppressed the protective effects of Li. Together, MA exposure dephosphorylates Akt/GSK3╬▓/mTOR pathway in┬Āvitro, while lithium protects against MA-induced neurotoxicity via phosphorylation of Akt/GSK3╬▓/mTOR pathway. - Highlights: ŌĆó Lithium protects against methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in┬Āvitro. ŌĆó Methamphetamine exposure dephosphorylates Akt/GSK3╬▓/mTOR pathway. ŌĆó Lithium attenuates methamphetamine-induced toxicity via phosphorylating Akt/GSK3╬▓/mTOR pathway.
Combi, M. R.; Lee, Y.; Maekinen, J. T. T.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Quemerais, E.
The SWAN all-sky camera on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft detected the hydrogen Lyman-alpha (Ly{alpha}) comae of comets 2001 Q4 NEAT and 2002 T7 LINEAR for large portions of their perihelion apparitions in 2003 and 2004. C/2001 Q4 NEAT was observed from 2003 September 14 through 2004 November 2, covering heliocentric distances from 3.23 AU before perihelion to 2.75 AU after, and C/2002 T7 LINEAR was observed from 2003 December 4 through 2004 August 6, covering heliocentric distances from 2.52 AU before perihelion to 2.09 AU after. We combined the full set of comet specific and full-sky observations and used our time-resolved model (TRM), which enables us to extract continuous values of the daily-average value of the water production rate throughout most of this entire period. The average power-law fit to the production rate variation of C/2001 Q4 NEAT with heliocentric distance, r, gives 3.5 x 10{sup 29} r {sup -1.7} and that for C/2002 T7 LINEAR gives 4.6 x 10{sup 29} r {sup -2.0}. Both comets show roughly a factor of 2 asymmetry in activity about perihelion, being more active before perihelion. C/2001 Q4 NEAT showed a production rate outburst about 30 days before perihelion (2004 April 15) and then a large extended increase above the nominal trend from 50 to 70 days after perihelion (2004 July 5-July 25)
Smee, Stephen A.; Barkhouser, Robert H.; Gunn, James E.; Carr, Michael A.; Lupton, Robert H.; Loomis, Craig; Uomoto, Alan; Roe, Natalie; Schlegel, David; Rockosi, Constance M.; Leger, French; Owen, Russell; Anderson, Lauren; Dawson, Kyle S.; Olmstead, Matthew D.; Brinkmann, Jon; Long, Dan; Honscheid, Klaus; Harding, Paul; Annis, James; and others
We present the design and performance of the multi-object fiber spectrographs for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and their upgrade for the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Originally commissioned in Fall 1999 on the 2.5 m aperture Sloan Telescope at Apache Point Observatory, the spectrographs produced more than 1.5 million spectra for the SDSS and SDSS-II surveys, enabling a wide variety of Galactic and extra-galactic science including the first observation of baryon acoustic oscillations in 2005. The spectrographs were upgraded in 2009 and are currently in use for BOSS, the flagship survey of the third-generation SDSS-III project. BOSS will measure redshifts of 1.35 million massive galaxies to redshift 0.7 and Ly{alpha} absorption of 160,000 high redshift quasars over 10,000 deg{sup 2} of sky, making percent level measurements of the absolute cosmic distance scale of the universe and placing tight constraints on the equation of state of dark energy. The twin multi-object fiber spectrographs utilize a simple optical layout with reflective collimators, gratings, all-refractive cameras, and state-of-the-art CCD detectors to produce hundreds of spectra simultaneously in two channels over a bandpass covering the near-ultraviolet to the near-infrared, with a resolving power R = {lambda}/FWHM {approx} 2000. Building on proven heritage, the spectrographs were upgraded for BOSS with volume-phase holographic gratings and modern CCD detectors, improving the peak throughput by nearly a factor of two, extending the bandpass to cover 360 nm < {lambda} < 1000 nm, and increasing the number of fibers from 640 to 1000 per exposure. In this paper we describe the original SDSS spectrograph design and the upgrades implemented for BOSS, and document the predicted and measured performances.
THE SUBARU HIGH-z QUASAR SURVEY: DISCOVERY OF FAINT z ? 6 QUASARS
Kashikawa, Nobunari; Furusawa, Hisanori; Niino, Yuu [Optical and Infrared Astronomy Division, National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Ishizaki, Yoshifumi; Onoue, Masafusa; Toshikawa, Jun; Ishikawa, Shogo [Department of Astronomy, School of Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Willott, Chris J. [Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada); Im, Myungshin [Center for the Exploration of the Origin of the Universe (CEOU), Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-rho, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Shimasaku, Kazuhiro [Department of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Ouchi, Masami [Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan); Hibon, Pascale, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Gemini Observatory, La Serena (Chile)
We present the discovery of one or two extremely faint z ? 6 quasars in 6.5 deg{sup 2} utilizing a unique capability of the wide-field imaging of the Subaru/Suprime-Cam. The quasar selection was made in (i'-z{sub B} ) and (z{sub B} -z{sub R} ) colors, where z{sub B} and z{sub R} are bandpasses with central wavelengths of 8842 ┼ and 9841 ┼, respectively. The color selection can effectively isolate quasars at z ? 6 from M/L/T dwarfs without the J-band photometry down to z{sub R} < 24.0, which is 3.5 mag deeper than the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We have selected 17 promising quasar candidates. The follow-up spectroscopy for seven targets identified one apparent quasar at z = 6.156 with M {sub 1450} = ¢23.10. We also identified one possible quasar at z = 6.041 with a faint continuum of M {sub 1450} = ¢22.58 and a narrow Ly? emission with HWHM =427 km s{sup ¢1}, which cannot be distinguished from Lyman ? emitters. We derive the quasar luminosity function at z ? 6 by combining our faint quasar sample with the bright quasar samples by SDSS and CFHQS. Including our data points invokes a higher number density in the faintest bin of the quasar luminosity function than the previous estimate employed. This suggests a steeper faint-end slope than lower z, though it is yet uncertain based on a small number of spectroscopically identified faint quasars, and several quasar candidates still remain to be diagnosed. The steepening of the quasar luminosity function at the faint end does increase the expected emission rate of the ionizing photon; however, it only changes by a factor of approximately two to six. This was found to still be insufficient for the required photon budget of reionization at z ? 6.
Chemical constraints on the contribution of population III stars to cosmic reionization
Kulkarni, Girish; Hennawi, Joseph F. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K÷nigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Rollinde, Emmanuel; Vangioni, Elisabeth, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, UPMC, Paris VI, 98 bis boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris (France)
Recent studies have highlighted that galaxies at z = 6-8 fall short of producing enough ionizing photons to reionize the intergalactic medium, and suggest that Population III stars could resolve this tension, because their harder spectra can produce ?10 ū more ionizing photons than Population II. We use a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation, which tracks galactic chemical evolution, to gauge the impact of Population III stars on reionization. Population III supernovae produce distinct metal abundances, and we argue that the duration of the Population III era can be constrained by precise relative abundance measurements in high-z damped Ly? absorbers (DLAs), which provide a chemical record of past star formation. We find that a single generation of Population III stars can self-enrich galaxies above the critical metallicity Z {sub crit} = 10{sup ¢4} Z {sub ?} for the Population III-to-II transition, on a very short timescale t {sub self-enrich} ? 10{sup 6} yr, owing to the large metal yields and short lifetimes of Population III stars. This subsequently terminates the Population III era, so they contribute ? 50% of the ionizing photons only for z ? 30, and at z = 10 contribute <1%. The Population III contribution can be increased by delaying metal mixing into the interstellar medium. However, comparing the resulting metal abundance pattern to existing measurements in z ? 6 DLAs, we show that the observed [O/Si] ratios of absorbers rule out Population III stars being a major contributor to reionization. Future abundance measurements of z ? 7-8 QSOs and gamma-ray bursts should probe the era when the chemical vestiges of Population III star formation become detectable.
Schwadron, N. A.; Moebius, E.; Kucharek, H.; Lee, M. A.; French, J.; Saul, L.; Wurz, P.; Bzowski, M.; Fuselier, S. A.; Livadiotis, G.; McComas, D. J.; Frisch, P.; Gruntman, M.; Mueller, H. R.
Neutral hydrogen atoms that travel into the heliosphere from the local interstellar medium (LISM) experience strong effects due to charge exchange and radiation pressure from resonant absorption and re-emission of Ly?. The radiation pressure roughly compensates for the solar gravity. As a result, interstellar hydrogen atoms move along trajectories that are quite different than those of heavier interstellar species such as helium and oxygen, which experience relatively weak radiation pressure. Charge exchange leads to the loss of primary neutrals from the LISM and the addition of new secondary neutrals from the heliosheath. IBEX observations show clear effects of radiation pressure in a large longitudinal shift in the peak of interstellar hydrogen compared with that of interstellar helium. Here, we compare results from the Lee et al. interstellar neutral model with IBEX-Lo hydrogen observations to describe the distribution of hydrogen near 1 AU and provide new estimates of the solar radiation pressure. We find over the period analyzed from 2009 to 2011 that radiation pressure divided by the gravitational force (?) has increased slightly from ? = 0.94 ▒ 0.04 in 2009 to ? = 1.01 ▒ 0.05 in 2011. We have also derived the speed, temperature, source longitude, and latitude of the neutral H atoms and find that these parameters are roughly consistent with those of interstellar He, particularly when considering the filtration effects that act on H in the outer heliosheath. Thus, our analysis shows that over the period from 2009 to 2011, we observe signatures of neutral H consistent with the primary distribution of atoms from the LISM and a radiation pressure that increases in the early rise of solar activity.
NGC 1365: A low column density state unveiling a low ionization disk wind
Braito, V.; Reeves, J. N.; Gofford, J.; Nardini, E.; Porquet, D.; Risaliti, G.
We present the time-resolved spectral analysis of the XMM-Newton data of NGC 1365 collected during one XMM-Newton observation, which caught this 'changing-look' active galactic nucleus in a high flux state characterized also by a low column density (N {sub H} ? 10{sup 22} cm{sup ¢2}) of the X-ray absorber. During this observation, the low-energy photoelectric cut-off is at about ?1 keV and the primary continuum can be investigated with the XMM-Newton-RGS data, which show strong spectral variability that can be explained as a variable low N {sub H} that decreased from N {sub H} ? 10{sup 23} cm{sup ¢2} to 10{sup 22} cm{sup ¢2} in a 100 ks timescale. The spectral analysis of the last segment of the observation revealed the presence of several absorption features that can be associated with an ionized (log ? ? 2 erg cm s{sup ¢1}) outflowing wind (v {sub out} ? 2000 km s{sup ¢1}). We detected for the first time a possible P-Cygni profile of the Mg XII Ly? line associated with this mildly ionized absorber indicative of a wide angle outflowing wind. We suggest that this wind is a low ionization zone of the highly ionized wind present in NGC 1365, which is responsible for the iron K absorption lines and is located within the variable X-ray absorber. At the end of the observation, we detected a strong absorption line at E ? 0.76 keV most likely associated with a lower ionization zone of the absorber (log ? ? 0.2 erg cm s{sup ¢1}, N {sub H} ? 10{sup 22} cm{sup ¢2}), which suggests that the variable absorber in NGC 1365 could be a low ionization zone of the disk wind.
DES J0454ŌĆō4448: Discovery of the first luminous z Ōēź 6 quasar from the Dark Energy Survey
Reed, S. L.
We present the first results of a survey for high-redshift, z Ōēź 6, quasars using izY multicolour photometric observations from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Here we report the discovery and spectroscopic confirmation of the zAB, YAB = 20.2, 20.2 (M1450 = ŌĆō26.5) quasar DES J0454ŌĆō4448 with a redshift of z = 6.09┬▒0.02 based on the onset of the Ly ╬▒ forest and an H i near zone size of 4.1+1.1ŌĆō1.2 proper Mpc. The quasar was selected as an i-band drop out with iŌĆōz = 2.46 and zAB < 21.5 from an area of ~300 deg2. It is the brightest of our 43 candidates and was identified for spectroscopic follow-up solely based on the DES iŌĆōz and zŌĆōY colours. The quasar is detected by WISE and has W1AB = 19.68. The discovery of one spectroscopically confirmed quasar with 5.7 < z < 6.5 and zAB Ōēż 20.2 is consistent with recent determinations of the luminosity function at z ~ 6. DES when completed will have imaged ~5000 deg2 to YAB = 23.0 (5Žā point source) and we expect to discover 50ŌĆō100 new quasars with z > 6 including 3ŌĆō10 with z > 7 dramatically increasing the numbers of quasars currently known that are suitable for detailed studies.
Bringing simulation and observation together to better understand the intergalactic medium
Egan, Hilary; Smith, Britton D.; O'Shea, Brian W.; Shull, J. Michael
The methods by which one characterizes the distribution of matter in cosmological simulations is intrinsically different from how one performs the same task observationally. In this paper, we make substantial steps toward comparing simulations and observations of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in a more sensible way. We present a pipeline that generates and fits synthetic QSO absorption spectra using sight lines cast through a cosmological simulation, and simultaneously identifies structure by directly analyzing the variations in H I and O VI number density. We compare synthetic absorption spectra with a less observationally motivated, but more straightforward density threshold-based method for finding absorbers. Our efforts focus on H I and O VI to better characterize the warm/hot IGM, a subset of the IGM that is challenging to conclusively identify observationally. We find that the two methods trace roughly the same quantities of H I and O VI above observable column density limits, but the synthetic spectra typically identify more substructure in absorbers. We use both methods to characterize H I and O VI absorber properties. We find that both integrated and differential column density distributions from both methods generally agree with observations. The distribution of Doppler parameters between the two methods are similar for Ly? and compare reasonably with observational results, but while the two methods agree with each other with O VI systems, they both are systematically different from observations. We find a strong correlation between O VI baryon fraction and O VI column density. We also discuss a possible bimodality in the temperature distribution of the gas traced by O VI.
Overexpression of SnoN/SkiL, amplified at the 3q26.2 locus, in ovarian cancers: A role in ovarian pathogenesis
Nanjundan, Meera; Cheng, Kwai Wa; Zhang, Fan; Lahad, John; Kuo, Wen-Lin; Schmandt, Rosemarie; Smith-McCune, Karen; Fishman, David; Gray, Joe W.; Mills, Gordon B.
High-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization of 235 serous epithelial ovarian cancers demonstrated a regional increase at 3q26.2 encompassing SnoN/SkiL, a coregulator of SMAD/TGF{beta} signaling. SnoN RNA transcripts were elevated in {approx}80% of advanced stage serous epithelial ovarian cancers. In both immortalized normal (TIOSE) and ovarian carcinoma cell lines (OVCA), SnoN RNA levels were increased by TGF{beta} stimulation and altered by LY294002 and JNK II inhibitor treatment suggesting that the PI3K and JNK signaling pathways may regulate TGF{beta}-induced increases in SnoN RNA. In TIOSE, SnoN protein levels were reduced 15min post TGF{beta}-stimulation, likely by proteosome-mediated degradation. In contrast, in OVCA, SnoN levels were elevated 3h post-stimulation potentially as a result of inhibition of the proteosome. To elucidate the role of SnoN in ovarian tumorigenesis, we explored the effects of both increasing and decreasing SnoN levels. In both TIOSE and OVCA, SnoN siRNA decreased cell growth between 20 and 50% concurrent with increased p21 levels. In TIOSE, transient expression of SnoN repressed TGF{beta} induction of PAI-1 promoters with little effect on the p21 promoter or resultant cell growth. In contrast to the effects of transient expression, stable expression of SnoN in TIOSE led to growth arrest through induction of senescence. Collectively, these results implicate SnoN levels in multiple roles during ovarian carcinogenesis: promoting cellular proliferation in ovarian cancer cells and as a positive mediator of cell cycle arrest and senescence in non-transformed ovarian epithelial cells.
NIR SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATION OF MASSIVE GALAXIES IN THE PROTOCLUSTER AT z = 3.09
Kubo, Mariko; Yamada, Toru; Ichikawa, Takashi; Kajisawa, Masaru; Matsuda, Yuichi; Tanaka, Ichi
We present the results of near-infrared spectroscopic observations of the K-band-selected candidate galaxies in the protocluster at z = 3.09 in the SSA22 field. We observed 67 candidates with K {sub AB} < 24 and confirmed redshifts of the 39 galaxies at 2.0 < z {sub spec} < 3.4. Of the 67 candidates, 24 are certainly protocluster members with 3.04 ? z {sub spec} ? 3.12, which are massive red galaxies that have been unidentified in previous optical observations of the SSA22 protocluster. Many distant red galaxies (J ¢ K {sub AB} > 1.4), hyper extremely red objects (J ¢ K {sub AB} > 2.1), Spitzer MIPS 24 ?m sources, active galactic nuclei (AGNs) as well as the counterparts of Ly? blobs and the AzTEC/ASTE 1.1 mm sources in the SSA22 field are also found to be protocluster members. The mass of the SSA22 protocluster is estimated to be ?2-5 ū 10{sup 14} M {sub ?}, and this system is plausibly a progenitor of the most massive clusters of galaxies in the current universe. The reddest (J ¢ K {sub AB} ? 2.4) protocluster galaxies are massive galaxies with M {sub star} ? 10{sup 11} M {sub ?} showing quiescent star formation activities and plausibly dominated by old stellar populations. Most of these massive quiescent galaxies host moderately luminous AGNs detected by X-ray. There are no significant differences in the [O III] ?5007/H? emission line ratios and [O III] ?5007 line widths and spatial extents of the protocluster galaxies from those of massive galaxies at z ? 2-3 in the general field.
DES J0454ŌĆō4448: Discovery of the first luminous z Ōēź 6 quasar from the Dark Energy Survey
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Reed, S. L.
We present the first results of a survey for high-redshift, z Ōēź 6, quasars using izY multicolour photometric observations from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Here we report the discovery and spectroscopic confirmation of the zAB, YAB = 20.2, 20.2 (M1450 = ŌĆō26.5) quasar DES J0454ŌĆō4448 with a redshift of z = 6.09┬▒0.02 based on the onset of the Ly ╬▒ forest and an H i near zone size of 4.1+1.1ŌĆō1.2 proper Mpc. The quasar was selected as an i-band drop out with iŌĆōz = 2.46 and zAB < 21.5 from an area of ~300 deg2. It is the brightestmore┬Ā┬╗ of our 43 candidates and was identified for spectroscopic follow-up solely based on the DES iŌĆōz and zŌĆōY colours. The quasar is detected by WISE and has W1AB = 19.68. The discovery of one spectroscopically confirmed quasar with 5.7 < z < 6.5 and zAB Ōēż 20.2 is consistent with recent determinations of the luminosity function at z ~ 6. DES when completed will have imaged ~5000 deg2 to YAB = 23.0 (5Žā point source) and we expect to discover 50ŌĆō100 new quasars with z > 6 including 3ŌĆō10 with z > 7 dramatically increasing the numbers of quasars currently known that are suitable for detailed studies.┬½┬Āless
The OH rotational population and photodissociation of H{sub 2}O in DG Tauri
Carr, John S.; Najita, Joan R.
We analyze the OH rotational emission in the Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared spectrum of the T Tauri star DG Tau. OH is observed in emission from upper level energies of 1900 K to 28,000 K. The rotational diagram cannot be fit with any single combination of temperature and column density and has slopes that correspond to excitation temperatures ranging from 200 K to 6000 K. The relative ?-doublet population within each rotational level is not equal, showing that the OH population is not in thermal equilibrium. The symmetric ?-doublet state is preferred in all rotational states, with an average of 0.5 for the population ratio of the anti-symmetric to symmetric state. We show that the population distribution of the high rotational lines and the ?-doublet ratio are consistent with the formation of OH following the photo-dissociation of H{sub 2}O by FUV photons in the second absorption band of water (?1150-1400 ┼), which includes Ly?. Other processes, OH formation from either photo-dissociation of water in the first absorption band (1450-1900 ┼) or the reaction O({sup 1} D) + H{sub 2}, or collisional excitation, cannot explain the observed emission in the high rotational states but could potentially contribute to the population of lower rotational levels. These results demonstrate that the photodissociation of water is active in DG Tau and support the idea that the hot rotational OH emission commonly observed in Classical T Tauri stars is due to the dissociation of H{sub 2}O by FUV radiation.
The O VII X-Ray Forest Toward Markarian 421: Consistency between XMM-Newton and Chandra
Kaastra, J.S.; Werner, N.; Herder, J.W.A.den; Paerels, F.B.S.; de Plaa, J.; Rasmussen, A.P.; de Vries, C.P.; /SRON, Utrecht
Recently the first detections of highly ionized gas associated with two Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) filaments have been reported. The evidence is based on X-ray absorption lines due to O VII and other ions observed by Chandra towards the bright blazar Mrk 421. We investigate the robustness of this detection by a re-analysis of the original Chandra LETGS spectra, the analysis of a large set of XMM-Newton RGS spectra of Mrk 421, and additional Chandra observations. We address the reliability of individual spectral features belonging to the absorption components, and assess the significance of the detection of these components. We also use Monte Carlo simulations of spectra. We confirm the apparent strength of several features in the Chandra spectra, but demonstrate that they are statistically not significant. This decreased significance is due to the number of redshift trials that are made and that are not taken into account in the original discovery paper. Therefore these features must be attributed to statistical fluctuations. This is confirmed by the RGS spectra, which have a higher signal to noise ratio than the Chandra spectra, but do not show features at the same wavelengths. Finally, we show that the possible association with a Ly{alpha} absorption system also lacks sufficient statistical evidence. We conclude that there is insufficient observational proof for the existence of the two proposed WHIM filaments towards Mrk 421, the brightest X-ray blazar on the sky. Therefore, the highly ionized component of the WHIM still remains to be discovered.
Hubble space telescope/cosmic origins spectrograph observations of the quasar Q0302ŌĆō003: Probing the He II reionization epoch and QSO proximity effects
Syphers, David; Shull, J. Michael
Q0302ŌĆō003 (z = 3.2860 ┬▒ 0.0005) was the first quasar discovered that showed a He II Gunn-Peterson trough, a sign of incomplete helium reionization at z Ōē│ 2.9. We present its Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph far-UV medium-resolution spectrum, which resolves many spectral features for the first time, allowing study of the quasar itself, the intergalactic medium, and quasar proximity effects. Q0302ŌĆō003 has a harder intrinsic extreme-UV spectral index than previously claimed, as determined from both a direct fit to the spectrum (yielding ╬▒{sub ╬Į} Ōēł ŌĆō0.8) and the helium-to-hydrogen ion ratio in the quasar's line-of-sight proximity zone. Intergalactic absorption along this sightline shows that the helium Gunn-Peterson trough is largely black in the range 2.87 < z < 3.20, apart from ionization due to local sources, indicating that helium reionization has not completed at these redshifts. However, we tentatively report a detection of nonzero flux in the high-redshift trough when looking at low-density regions, but zero flux in higher-density regions. This constrains the He II fraction to be about 1% in the low-density intergalactic medium (IGM) and possibly a factor of a few higher in the IGM as a whole, suggesting helium reionization has progressed substantially by z Ōł╝ 3.1. The Gunn-Peterson trough recovers to a He II Ly╬▒ forest at z < 2.87. We confirm a transmission feature due to the ionization zone around a z = 3.05 quasar just off the sightline, and resolve the feature for the first time. We discover a similar such feature possibly caused by a luminous z = 3.23 quasar further from the sightline, which suggests that this quasar has been luminous for >34 Myr.
Imaging the heliosphere using neutral atoms from solar wind energy down to 15 eV
Galli, A.; Wurz, P.; Fuselier, S. A.; McComas, D. J.; Bzowski, M.; Sok├│┼é, J. M.; Kubiak, M. A.; M├Čbius, E.
We study the spatial and temporal distribution of hydrogen energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from the heliosheath observed with the IBEX-Lo sensor of the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX) from solar wind energies down to the lowest available energy (15 eV). All available IBEX-Lo data from 2009 January until 2013 June were included. The sky regions imaged when the spacecraft was outside of Earth's magnetosphere and when the Earth was moving toward the direction of observation offer a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio even at very low energies. We find that the ENA ribbonŌĆöa 20┬░ wide region of high ENA intensitiesŌĆöis most prominent at solar wind energies whereas it fades at lower energies. The maximum emission in the ribbon is located near the poles for 2 keV and closer to the ecliptic plane for energies below 1 keV. This shift is an evidence that the ENA ribbon originates from the solar wind. Below 0.1 keV, the ribbon can no longer be identified against the globally distributed ENA signal. The ENA measurements in the downwind direction are affected by magnetospheric contamination below 0.5 keV, but a region of very low ENA intensities can be identified from 0.1 keV to 2 keV. The energy spectra of heliospheric ENAs follow a uniform power law down to 0.1 keV. Below this energy, they seem to become flatter, which is consistent with predictions. Due to the subtraction of local background, the ENA intensities measured with IBEX agree with the upper limit derived from Ly╬▒ observations.
The mass spectrum of the first stars
Susa, Hajime; Tominaga, Nozomu; Hasegawa, Kenji
We perform cosmological hydrodynamics simulations with non-equilibrium primordial chemistry to obtain 59 minihalos that host first stars. The obtained minihalos are used as the initial conditions of local three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations to investigate the formation of the first stars. We find that two-thirds of the minihalos host multiple stars, while the other third has single stars. The mass of the stars found in our simulations are in the range of 1 M {sub Ōśē} Ōē▓ M Ōē▓ 300 M {sub Ōśē}, peaking at several├Ś 10 M {sub Ōśē}. Most of the very massive stars of Ōē│ 140 M {sub Ōśē} are born as single stars, although not all of the single stars are very massive. We also find a few stars of Ōē▓ 1 M {sub Ōśē} that are kicked by the gravitational three body interactions to the position distant from the center of mass. The frequency that a star forming minihalo contains a binary system is Ōł╝50%. We also investigate the abundance pattern of the stellar remnants by summing up the contributions from the first stars in the simulations. Consequently, the pattern is compatible with that of the low metallicity damped Ly╬▒ systems or the extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars, if the mass spectrum obtained in our experiment is shifted to the low mass side by 0.2 dex. If we consider the case that an EMP star is born in the remnant of the individual minihalo without mixing with others, the chemical signature of the pair instability supernova is more prominent, because most of them are born as single stars.
THE FIRST HIGH-REDSHIFT QUASAR FROM Pan-STARRS
Morganson, Eric; De Rosa, Gisella; Decarli, Roberto; Walter, Fabian; Rix, Hans-Walter; Chambers, Ken; Burgett, William; Flewelling, Heather; Hodapp, Klaus; Kaiser, Nick; Magnier, Eugene; Sweeney, Bill; Waters, Christopher; McGreer, Ian; Fan, Xiaohui; Greiner, Jochen; Price, Paul
We present the discovery of the first high-redshift (z > 5.7) quasar from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 1 (Pan-STARRS1 or PS1). This quasar was initially detected as an i{sub P1} dropout in PS1, confirmed photometrically with the SAO Wide-field InfraRed Camera at Arizona's Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) and the Gamma-Ray Burst Optical/Near-Infrared Detector at the MPG 2.2 m telescope in La Silla. The quasar was verified spectroscopically with the MMT Spectrograph, Red Channel and the Cassegrain Twin Spectrograph at the Calar Alto 3.5 m telescope. Its near-infrared spectrum was taken at the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBT) with the LBT Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research. It has a redshift of 5.73, an AB z{sub P1} magnitude of 19.4, a luminosity of 3.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 47} erg s{sup -1}, and a black hole mass of 6.9 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }. It is a broad absorption line quasar with a prominent Ly{beta} peak and a very blue continuum spectrum. This quasar is the first result from the PS1 high-redshift quasar search that is projected to discover more than 100 i{sub P1} dropout quasars and could potentially find more than 10 z{sub P1} dropout (z > 6.8) quasars.
DISCOVERY OF A STRONG LENSING GALAXY EMBEDDED IN A CLUSTER AT z = 1.62
Wong, Kenneth C.; Suyu, Sherry H.; Tran, Kim-Vy H.; Papovich, Casey J.; Momcheva, Ivelina G.; Brammer, Gabriel B.; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Brodwin, Mark; Gonzalez, Anthony H.; Kacprzak, Glenn G.; Rudnick, Gregory H.; Halkola, Aleksi
We identify a strong lensing galaxy in the cluster IRC 0218 (also known as XMM-LSS J02182¢05102) that is spectroscopically confirmed to be at z = 1.62, making it the highest-redshift strong lens galaxy known. The lens is one of the two brightest cluster galaxies and lenses a background source galaxy into an arc and a counterimage. With Hubble Space Telescope (HST) grism and Keck/LRIS spectroscopy, we measure the source redshift to be z {sub S} = 2.26. Using HST imaging in ACS/F475W, ACS/F814W, WFC3/F125W, and WFC3/F160W, we model the lens mass distribution with an elliptical power-law profile and account for the effects of the cluster halo and nearby galaxies. The Einstein radius is ?{sub E}=0.38{sub ?0.01}{sup +0.02} arcsec (3.2{sub ?0.1}{sup +0.2} kpc) and the total enclosed mass is M {sub tot}({sub E})=1.8{sub ?0.1}{sup +0.2}ū10{sup 11} M{sub ?}. We estimate that the cluster environment contributes ?10% of this total mass. Assuming a Chabrier initial mass function (IMF), the dark matter fraction within ?{sub E} is f{sub DM}{sup Chab}=0.3{sub ?0.3}{sup +0.1}, while a Salpeter IMF is marginally inconsistent with the enclosed mass (f{sub DM}{sup Salp}=?0.3{sub ?0.5}{sup +0.2}). The total magnification of the source is ?{sub tot}=2.1{sub ?0.3}{sup +0.4}. The source has at least one bright compact region offset from the source center. Emission from Ly? and [O III] are likely to probe different regions in the source.
Effective Permeability Change in Wellbore Cement with Carbon Dioxide Reaction
Um, Wooyong; Jung, Hun Bok; Martin, Paul F.; McGrail, B. Peter
Portland cement, a common sealing material for wellbores for geological carbon sequestration was reacted with CO{sub 2} in supercritical, gaseous, and aqueous phases at various pressure and temperature conditions to simulate cement-CO{sub 2} reaction along the wellbore from carbon injection depth to the near-surface. Hydrated Portland cement columns (14 mm diameter x 90 mm length; water-to-cement ratio = 0.33) including additives such as steel coupons and Wallula basalt fragments were reacted with CO{sub 2} in the wet supercritical (the top half) and dissolved (the bottom half) phases under carbon sequestration condition with high pressure (10 MPa) and temperature (50 C) for 5 months, while small-sized hydrated Portland cement columns (7 mm diameter x 20 mm length; water-to-cement ratio = 0.38) were reacted with CO{sub 2} in dissolved phase at high pressure (10 MPa) and temperature (50 C) for 1 month or with wet CO{sub 2} in gaseous phase at low pressure (0.2 MPa) and temperature (20 C) for 3 months. XMT images reveal that the cement reacted with CO{sub 2} saturated groundwater had degradation depth of {approx}1 mm for 1 month and {approx}3.5 mm for 5 month, whereas the degradation was minor with cement exposure to supercritical CO{sub 2}. SEM-EDS analysis showed that the carbonated cement was comprised of three distinct zones; the innermost less degraded zone with Ca atom % > C atom %, the inner degraded zone with Ca atom % {approx} C atom % due to precipitation of calcite, the outer degraded zone with C atom % > Ca atom % due to dissolution of calcite and C-S-H, as well as adsorption of carbon to cement matrix. The outer degraded zone of carbonated cement was porous and fractured because of dissolution-dominated reaction by carbonic acid exposure, which resulted in the increase in BJH pore volume and BET surface area. In contrast, cement-wet CO{sub 2}(g) reaction at low P (0.2 MPa)-T (20 C) conditions for 1 to 3 months was dominated by precipitation of micron-sized calcite on the outside surface of cement, which resulted in the decrease in BJH pore volume and BET surface area. Cement carbonation and pore structure change are significantly dependent on pressure and temperature conditions as well as the phase of CO{sub 2}, which controls the balance between precipitation and dissolution in cement matrix. Geochemical modeling result suggests that ratio of solid (cement)-to-solution (carbonated water) has a significant effect on cement carbonation, thus the cement-CO{sub 2} reaction experiment needs to be conducted under realistic conditions representing the in-situ wellbore environment of carbon sequestration field site. Total porosity and air permeability for a duplicate cement column with water-to-cement ratio of 0.38 measured after oven-drying by Core Laboratories using Boyle's Law technique and steady-state method were 31% and 0.576 mD. A novel method to measure the effective liquid permeability of a cement column using X-ray micro-tomography images after injection of pressurized KI (potassium iodide) is under development by PNNL. Preliminary results indicate the permeability of a cement column with water-to-cement ratio of 0.38 is 4-8 mD. PNNL will apply the method to understand the effective permeability change of Portland cement by CO{sub 2}(g) reaction under a variety of pressure and temperature conditions to develop a more reliable well-bore leakage risk model.
The effect of additives on lime dissolution rates. Final report
Khang, S.J.
Based on the previous years` studies concerning the efficiency of SO{sub 2} removal by spray dryers with high sulfur coal flue gas, the work for year five included investigations of lime dissolution rates at different slaking conditions and with the effect of additives. The prominent additives that have significant effects on lime dissolution rates were tested with the mini pilot spray drying absorber to see their effects on spray drying desulfurization applications. The mechanisms of these additive effects along with the properties of hygroscopic additives have been discussed and incorporated into the spray drying desulfurization model ``SPRAYMOD-M.`` Slaking conditions are very important factors in producing high quality lime slurry in spray drying desulfurization processes. At optimal slaking conditions, the slaked lime particles are very fine (3-5{mu}m) and the slaked lime has high BET surface areas which are beneficial to the desulfurization. The slaked lime dissolution rate experiments in our study are designed to determine how much lime can dissolve in a unit time if the initial lime surface area is kept constant. The purpose of the dissolution rate study for different additives is to find those effective additives that can enhance lime dissolution rates and to investigate the mechanisms of the dissolution rate enhancement properties for these additives. The applications of these additives on spray drying desulfurization are to further verify the theory that dissolution rate is a rate limiting step in the whole spray drying desulfurization process as well as to test the feasibility of these additives on enhancing SO{sub 2} removal in spray dryers.
Low temperature synthesis of nanocrystalline magnesium aluminate with high surface area by surfactant assisted precipitation method: Effect of preparation conditions
Mosayebi, Zeinab; Rezaei, Mehran; Catalyst and Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan ; Hadian, Narges; Kordshuli, Fazlollah Zareie; Meshkani, Fereshteh
Highlights: ? MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} showed a high surface area and nanocrystalline structure. ? Addition of polymeric surfactant affected the structural properties of MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}. ? MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} prepared with surfactant showed a hollow cylindrical shape. -- Abstract: A surfactant assisted co-precipitation method was employed for the low temperature synthesis of magnesium aluminate spinel with nanocrystalline size and high specific surface area. Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer and ammonia solution were used as surfactant and precipitation agent, respectively. The prepared samples were characterized by thermal gravimetric and differential thermal gravimetric analyses (TG/DTG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N{sub 2} adsorption (BET) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The effects of several process parameters such as refluxing temperature, refluxing time, pH, P123 to metals mole ratio (P123/metals) and calcination temperature on the structural properties of the samples were investigated. The obtained results showed that, among the process parameters pH and refluxing temperature have a significant effect on the structural properties of samples. The results revealed that increase in pH from 9.5 to 11 and refluxing temperature from 40 ░C to 80 ░C increased the specific surface area of prepared samples in the range of 157¢188 m{sup 2} g{sup ?1} and 162¢184 m{sup 2} g{sup ?1}, respectively. The XRD analysis showed the single-phase MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} was formed at 700 ░C.
An investigation on the influence of milling time and calcination temperature on the characterization of nano cerium oxide powder synthesized by mechanochemical route
Aminzare, M.; Amoozegar, Z.; Sadrnezhaad, S.K.
Highlights: ? Synthesis of nanosized CeO{sub 2} was carried out using mechanochemical reactions plus sequential calcinations procedure. ? The effect of milling time and calcinations procedure on crystallite size and surface area of the as-synthesized powders was investigated. ? The extended milling times were exposed to result in the smaller crystallite size, and hence higher surface area for the as-synthesized powder. ? Higher calcinations temperatures, on the other hand, led to the as-synthesized powder with a larger crystallite size and therefore, lower surface area. ? Activation energy for nanocrystallite growth was calculated during the calcinations procedure and the aforementioned crystallite growth was found to be conducted in the light of interfacial reactions. -- Abstract: The synthesis of nano-sized CeO{sub 2} powder was investigated via mechanochemical reactions between hydrate cerium chloride and sodium hydroxide as the starting materials. The process was followed by a subsequent calcination procedure. Characterization of as-synthesized powder was performed using X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, Brunner¢Emmett¢Teller (BET) nitrogen gas absorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and particle size analyzer (PSA). The precursors were milled for different milling times and then were subjected to different heat treatment procedure at variable temperatures from 100 to 700 ░C. According to the results, milling time and calcination temperatures induce paramountal effects on crystallite size and surface area of as-synthesized powders. In addition, the average activation energy for the growth of nanocrystals during calcination was determined to be about 12.53 kJ/mol, suggesting the influence of interfacial reactions on the crystallite growth during the calcination procedure.
Co-electrospinning fabrication and photocatalytic performance of TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} core/sheath nanofibers with tunable sheath thickness
Cao, Houbao Du, Pingfan; Song, Lixin; Xiong, Jie Yang, Junjie; Xing, Tonghai; Liu, Xin; Wu, Rongrong; Wang, Minchao; Shao, Xiaoli
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: Ģ The core¢sheath TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} nanofibers were fabricated by co-electrospinning technique. Ģ The catalytic property of nanofibers with different sheath thickness was studied. Ģ The potential methods of improving catalytic efficiency are suggested. - Abstract: In this paper, core/sheath TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} nanofibers with tunable sheath thickness were directly fabricated via a facile co-electrospinning technique with subsequent calcination at 500 ░C. The morphologies and structures of core/sheath TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} nanofibers were characterized by TGA, FESEM, TEM, FTIR, XPS and BET. It was found that the 1D core/sheath nanofibers are made up of anatase¢rutile TiO{sub 2} core and amorphous SiO{sub 2} sheath. The influences of SiO{sub 2} sheath and its thickness on the photoreactivity were evaluated by observing photo-degradation of methylene blue aqueous solution under the irradiation of UV light. Compared with pure TiO{sub 2} nanofibers, the core/sheath TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} nanofibers performed a better catalytic performance. That was attributed to not only efficient separation of hole¢electron pairs resulting from the formation of heterojunction but also larger surface area and surface silanol group which will be useful to provide higher capacity for oxygen adsorption to generate more hydroxyl radicals. And the optimized core/sheath TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} nanofibers with a sheath thickness of 37 nm exhibited the best photocatalytic performance.
Qualifications of Candle Filters for Combined Cycle Combustion Applications
Tomasz Wiltowski
The direct firing of coal produces particulate matter that has to be removed for environmental and process reasons. In order to increase the current advanced coal combustion processes, under the U.S. Department of Energy's auspices, Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation (SWPC) has developed ceramic candle filters that can operate at high temperatures. The Coal Research Center of Southern Illinois University (SIUC), in collaboration with SWPC, developed a program for long-term filter testing at the SIUC Steam Plant followed by experiments using a single-filter reactor unit. The objectives of this program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy were to identify and demonstrate the stability of porous candle filter elements for use in high temperature atmospheric fluidized-bed combustion (AFBC) process applications. These verifications were accomplished through extended time slipstream testing of a candle filter array under AFBC conditions using SIUC's existing AFBC boiler. Temperature, mass flow rate, and differential pressure across the filter array were monitored for a duration of 45 days. After test exposure at SIUC, the filter elements were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy and BET surface area analyses. In addition, a single-filter reactor was built and utilized to study long term filter operation, the permeability exhibited by a filter element before and after the slipstream test, and the thermal shock resilience of a used filter by observing differential pressure changes upon rapid heating and cooling of the filter. The data acquired during the slipstream test and the post-test evaluations demonstrated the suitability of filter elements in advanced power generation applications.
Core-Shell Diamond as a Support for Solid-Phase Extraction and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Saini, Gaurav; Jensen, David S.; Wiest, Landon A.; Vail, Michael A.; Dadson, Andrew; Lee, Milton L.; Shutthanandan, V.; Linford, Matthew R.
We report the formation of core-shell diamond particles for solid phase extraction (SPE) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) made by layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition. Their synthesis begins with the amine functionalization of microdiamond by its immersion in an aqueous solution of a primary amine-containing polymer (polyallylamine (PAAm)). The amine-terminated microdiamond is then immersed in an aqueous suspension of nanodiamond, which leads to adsorption of the nanodiamond. Alternating (self-limiting) immersions in the solutions of the amine-containing polymer and the suspension of nanodiamond are continued until the desired number of nanodiamond layers is formed around the microdiamond. Finally, the core-shell particles are cross-linked with 1,2,5,6-diepoxycyclooctane or reacted with 1,2-epoxyoctadecane. Layer-by-layer deposition of PAAm and nanodiamond is also studied on planar Si/SiO2 surfaces, which were characterized by SEM, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). Core-shell particles are characterized by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface area and pore size measurements. Larger (ca. 50 ?m) core-shell diamond particles have much higher surface areas, and analyte loading capacities in SPE than nonporous solid diamond particles. Smaller (ca. 3 ?m), normal and reversed phase, core-shell diamond particles have been used for HPLC, with 36,300 plates per meter for mesitylene in a separation of benzene and alkyl benzenes on a C18 adsorbent, and 54,800 plates per meter for diazinon in a similar separation of two pesticides.
Synthesis, characterization and electrochemical performance of Al-substituted LiŌééMnOŌéā
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Dhital, Chetan; Huq, Ashfia; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans; Manivannan, Ayyakkannu; Torres-Castro, Loraine; Shojan, Jifi; Julien, Christian M.; Katiyar, Ram S.
Li2MnO3 is known to be electrochemically inactive due to Mn in tetravalent oxidation state. Several compositions such as Li2MnO3 , Li1.5Al0.17MnO3, Li1.0Al0.33MnO3 and Li0.5Al0.5MnO3 were synthesized by a solŌĆōgel Pechini method. All the samples were characterized with x-ray diffraction, Raman, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Tap density and BET analyzer. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated the presence of monoclinic phase for pristine Li2MnO3and mixed monoclinic/spinel phases (Li2 - xMn1 - yAlx + yO3 + z) for Al-substituted Li2MnO3compounds. The Al substitution seems to occur both at Li and Mn sites, which could explain the presence of spinel phase. X-ray photoelectronmore┬Ā┬╗ spectroscopy for Mn 2p orbital reveals a significant decrease in binding energy for Li1.0Al0.33MnO3 and Li0.5Al0.5MnO3 compounds. Cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge cycles and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were also performed. A discharge capacity of 24 mAh g-1 for Li2MnO3, 68 mAh g-1 for Li1.5Al0.17MnO3, 58 mAh g-1 for Li1.0Al0.33MnO3 and 74 mAh g-1 for Li0.5Al0.5MnO3 were obtained. As a result, aluminum substitutions increased the formation of spinel phase which is responsible for cycling.┬½┬Āless
Fe{sup II} induced mineralogical transformations of ferric oxyhydroxides into magnetite of variable stoichiometry and morphology
Usman, M.; CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Physique et Microbiologie pour l'Environnement, LCPME, UMR 7564, Institut Jean Barriol, CNRS-, 405 rue de Vandoeuvre, 54600 Villers-les-Nancy; Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040 ; Abdelmoula, M.; CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Physique et Microbiologie pour l'Environnement, LCPME, UMR 7564, Institut Jean Barriol, CNRS-, 405 rue de Vandoeuvre, 54600 Villers-les-Nancy ; Hanna, K.; CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Physique et Microbiologie pour l'Environnement, LCPME, UMR 7564, Institut Jean Barriol, CNRS-, 405 rue de Vandoeuvre, 54600 Villers-les-Nancy; Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Rennes, UMR CNRS 6226 'Sciences Chimiques de Rennes', Avenue du General Leclerc, 35708 Rennes Cedex 7 ; and others
The Moessbauer spectroscopy was used to monitor the mineralogical transformations of ferrihydrite (F), lepidocrocite (L) and goethite (G) into magnetite as a function of aging time. Ferric oxyhydroxides were reacted with soluble Fe{sup II} and OH{sup -} in stoichiometric amounts to form magnetite at an initial pH of {approx}9.7. Observed transformation extent into magnetite followed the order: F>L>G with almost 30% of untransformed G after 1 month. The departure from stoichiometry, {delta}, of magnetite (Fe{sub 3-{delta}}O{sub 4}) generated from F ({delta}{approx}0.04) and L ({delta}{approx}0.05) was relatively low as compared to that in magnetite from G ({delta}{approx}0.08). The analysis by transmission electron microscopy and BET revealed that generated magnetite was also different in terms of morphology, particle size and surface area depending on the nature of initial ferric oxyhydroxide. This method of preparation is a possible way to form nano-sized magnetite. - Graphical abstract: Moessbauer spectrum of the early stage of magnetite formation formed from the interaction of adsorbed Fe{sup II} species with goethite. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ferric oxides were reacted with hydroxylated Fe{sup II} to form magnetite. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Magnetite formation was quantified as a function of aging time. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Complete transformation of ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite was achieved. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Almost 70% of initial goethite was transformed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Resulting magnetites have differences in stoichiometry and morphological properties.
Simple and low-temperature preparation of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} sphere-like nanoparticles via solid-state thermolysis of the [Co(NH{sub 3}){sub 6}](NO{sub 3}){sub 3} complex
Farhadi, Saeid; Pourzare, Kolsoum
Highlights: ? [Co(NH{sub 3}){sub 6}](NO{sub 3}){sub 3} precursor was used for synthesizing pure Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocrystals. ? Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocrystals were synthesized at low temperature of 200 ░C. ? Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocrystals show a weak ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. ? This simple method is low-cost and suitable for high-scale production of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}. -- Abstract: In this work, spinel-type Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} spherical nanoparticles were easily prepared via decomposition of the hexamminecobalt(III) nitrate complex, [Co(NH{sub 3}){sub 6}](NO{sub 3}){sub 3}, at low temperature (200 ░C). The product was characterized by thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, UV¢vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET) specific surface area measurement and magnetic measurements. The results confirmed that pure single-phase Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles with weak ferromagnetic behavior were obtained by this method. TEM images showed that the Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles are sphere-like with an average diameter size of around 15 nm. The optical spectrum indicated two direct band gaps at 2.15 and 3.56 eV which are blue-shifted relative to reported values for the bulk sample. Using this fast and simple method, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles can be produced without expensive and toxic solvents or complicated equipment.
Erbium and nitrogen co-doped SrTiO{sub 3} with highly visible light photocatalytic activity and stability by solvothermal synthesis
Xu, Jing; Wei, Yuelin; Huang, Yunfang; Wang, Jing; Zheng, Xuanqing; Sun, Zhixian; Wu, Ying; Tao, Xinling; Fan, Leqing; Wu, Jihuai
Highlights: ŌĆó Er/N co-doped SrTiO{sub 3} was prepared by a solvothermal process at low temperature. ŌĆó The co-doping induces the band gap narrowing and prominent absorbance in visible light region. ŌĆó The samples show excellent catalytic activity and stability under visible light irradiation. - Abstract: ErbiumŌĆōnitrogen co-doped SrTiO{sub 3} photocatalysts have been synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. The resulting samples were analyzed by FE-SEM, XRD, BET-surface area and UVŌĆōvis. The UVŌĆōvis absorption spectra of these powders indicated that erbiumŌĆōnitrogen co-doped SrTiO{sub 3} possessed stronger absorption bands in the visible light region in comparison with that of pure SrTiO{sub 3}. The occurrence of the erbiumŌĆōnitrogen co-doped cubic SrTiO{sub 3} induced the higher photocatalytic activities for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under irradiation by ultraviolet light and visible light, respectively, being superior to that of pure SrTiO{sub 3} and commercial TiO{sub 2} (P-25) powders. In addition, the ErŌĆōN co-doped SrTiO{sub 3} (initial molar ratios of Sr/Er/N = 1:0.015:0.1, designated as S5) sample showed the best photocatalytic activity with the degradation rate as high as 98% after 30 min under the visible light irradiation. After five cycles, the photocatalytic activity of the S5 catalyst showed no significant decrease, which indicated that the photocatalysts were stable under visible light irradiation.
Synthesis and characterization of pharmaceutical surfactant templated mesoporous silica: Its application to controlled delivery of duloxetine
Mani, Ganesh; Pushparaj, Hemalatha; Peng, Mei Mei; Muthiahpillai, Palanichamy; Udhumansha, Ubaidulla; Jang, Hyun Tae
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: Ģ Usefulness of dual pharmaceutical surfactants in silica synthesis was evaluated. Ģ Effects of concentration of secondary template (Tween-40) were studied. Ģ Effects of fixed solvothermal condition on mesostructure formation were studied. Ģ Duloxetine drug loading capability was studied. Ģ Sustained release of duloxetine was evaluated. - Abstract: A new group of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were synthesized using combination pharmaceutical surfactants, Triton X-100 and Tween-40 as template and loaded with duloxetine hydrochloride (DX), for improving the sustained release of DX and patterns with high drug loading. Agglomerated spherical silica MSNs were synthesized by sol¢gel and solvothermal methods. The calcined and drug loaded MSNs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Braunner¢Emmett¢Teller (BET), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), diffuse reflectance ultraviolet¢visible (DRS-UV¢vis) spectroscopy. MSNs with high surface area and pore volume were selected and studied for their DX loading and release. The selected MSNs can accommodate a maximum of 34% DX within it. About 90% was released at 200 h and hence, the synthesized MSNs were capable of engulfing DX and sustain its release. Further form the Ritger and Peppas, Higuchi model for mechanism drug release from all the MSN matrices follows anomalous transport or Non-Fickian diffusion with the ærÆ and ænÆ value 0.9 and 0.45 < n < 1, respectively. So, from this study it could be concluded that the MSNs synthesized using pharmaceutical templates were better choice of reservoir for the controlled delivery of drug which requires sustained release.
Desalination with carbon aerogel electrodes. Revision 1
Farmer, J.C.; Richardson, J.H.; Fix, D.V. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Thomson, S.L.; May, S.C. [Bechtel National, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)
Electrically regenerated electrosorption process (carbon aerogel CDI) was developed by LLNL for continuously removing ionic impurities from aqueous streams. A salt solution flows in a channel formed by numerous pairs of parallel carbon aerogel electrodes. Each electrode has a very high BET surface area (2-5.4x10{sup 6}ft{sup 2}lb{sup -1} or 400-1100 m{sup 2}g{sup -1}) and very low electrical resistivity ({le}40 m{Omega}). Ions are removed from the electrolyte by the electric field and electrosorbed onto the carbon aerogel. It is concluded that carbon aerogel CDI may be an energy-efficient alternative to electrodialysis and reverse osmosis for desalination of brackish water ({le}5000 ppM). The intrinsic energy required by this process is about QV/2, where Q is the stored electrical charge and V is the voltage between the electrodes, plus losses. Estimated requirement for desalination of a 2000 ppM feed is -0.53-2.5 Wh/gal{sup -1} (0.5-2.4 kJ L{sup -1}), depending on voltage, flow rate, cell dimensions, aerogel density, recovery ratio, etc. This assumes that 50-70% of the stored electrical energy is reclaimed during regeneration (electrical discharge). Though the energy requirement for desalination of sea water is also low, this application will be much more difficult. Additional work will be required for desalination of streams that contain more than 5000 ppM total dissolved solids (2000 ppM will require electrochemical cells with extremely tight, demanding tolerances). At this present time, the process is best suited for streams with dilute impurities, as recently demonstrated during a field test at LLNL Treatment Facility C.
Synthesis and characterization of novel WO{sub 3} loaded Ag¢ZnO and its photocatalytic activity
Subash, B.; Krishnakumar, B.; Pandiyan, V.; Swaminathan, M.; Shanthi, M.
Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ? A novel WO{sub 3} loaded Ag¢ZnO was prepared by a simple solvothermal method. ? æAgÆ traps the electron from both ZnO and WO{sub 3} reducing electro¢hole recombination. ? WO{sub 3}¢Ag¢ZnO is more efficient than Ag¢ZnO, WO{sub 3}¢ZnO, Ag¢WO{sub 3} and undoped catalysts. ? WO{sub 3}¢Ag¢ZnO material will be much useful for the treatment of dye effluents. -- Abstract: A novel WO{sub 3} loaded Ag¢ZnO photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by a simple solvothermal method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images, energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), photoluminescence spectra (PL), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET) surface area measurements. The photocatalytic activity of WO{sub 3}¢Ag¢ZnO was investigated for the degradation of RR 120 and RO 4 dyes in aqueous solution using UV-A light. WO{sub 3}¢Ag¢ZnO is found to be more efficient than Ag¢ZnO, WO{sub 3}¢ZnO, Ag¢WO{sub 3}, commercial ZnO, prepared ZnO, TiO{sub 2}-P25 and TiO{sub 2} (Merck) at neutral pH for the mineralization of dyes. First time we have reported that novel WO{sub 3} loaded Ag¢ZnO has been found to be very efficient for two azo dyes removal when compared to commercially available catalyst (Degussa P25, ZnO (Merck) and TiO{sub 2} (Merck)). The mineralization of dyes has been confirmed by chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements. A mechanism of degradation has been proposed for the higher efficiency of WO{sub 3}¢Ag¢ZnO.
Enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of NiS/TiO{sub 2} composite catalysts using sunset yellow, an azo dye under day light illumination
Rajamanickam, D.; Dhatshanamurthi, P.; Shanthi, M.
Highlights: Ģ NiS/TiO{sub 2} was successfully synthesized by sol¢gel method. Ģ This new method of preparation gives a homogeneous dispersion of NiS on TiO{sub 2}. Ģ Degradation activity of NiS/TiO{sub 2} is found to be more efficient than other catalysts. Ģ Addition of oxidants enhances the degradation efficiency significantly. Ģ COD measurements reveal the complete mineralization of dye molecules. Ģ The catalyst is found to be reusable. - Abstract: To improve the solar light induced photocatalytic application performances of TiO{sub 2}, in this study, the NiS modified TiO{sub 2} composite photocatalysts with various ratios of NiS to TiO{sub 2} were prepared by sol¢gel method. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution scanning electron microscope (HR-SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), energy dispersive spectra (EDS), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), photoluminescence spectra (PL), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (B¢E¢T) surface area measurement methods. The photocatalytic activity of NiS/TiO{sub 2} was investigated for the degradation of sunset yellow (SY) in aqueous solution using solar light. The NiS/TiO{sub 2} is found to be more efficient than prepared TiO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}¢P25 at pH 7 for the mineralization of SY. The effects of operational parameters such as the amount of photocatalyst, dye concentration and initial pH on photo mineralization of SY have been analyzed. The degradation was strongly enhanced in the presence of oxidants such as H{sub 3}K{sub 5}O{sub 18}S{sub 4} (Oxone), KIO{sub 4}, and KBrO{sub 3}. The mineralization of SY has been identified by COD measurements. The catalyst is found to be reusable.
Synthesis of WO{sub 3} nanoparticles by citric acid-assisted precipitation and evaluation of their photocatalytic properties
Sßnchez-MartĒnez, D.; MartĒnez-de la Cruz, A.; L¾pez-Cuķllar, E.
Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ? WO{sub 3} nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple citric acid-assisted precipitation. ? WO{sub 3} photocatalyst was able to the partial mineralization of rhB, IC and MO. ? WO{sub 3} can be considered as a photocatalyst active under visible light irradiation. -- Abstract: WO{sub 3} nanoparticles were synthesized by citric acid-assisted precipitation method using a 1:1.5 molar ratio of ammonium paratungstate hydrate (H{sub 42}N{sub 10}O{sub 42}W{sub 12}ĘxH{sub 2}O):citric acid (C{sub 6}H{sub 8}O{sub 7}). The formation of monoclinic crystal structure of WO{sub 3} at different temperatures was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The characterization of the samples synthesized was complemented by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer¢Emmitt¢Teller surface area (BET) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). According to the thermal treatment followed during the synthesis of WO{sub 3}, the morphology of the nanoparticles formed was characterized by rectangular and ovoid shapes. The photocatalytic activity of WO{sub 3} obtained under different experimental conditions was evaluated in the degradation of rhodamine B (rhB), indigo carmine (IC), methyl orange (MO), and Congo red (CR) in aqueous solution under UV and UV¢vis radiation. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed in the sample obtained by thermal treatment at 700 ░C. In general, the sequence of degradation of the organic dyes was: indigo carmine (IC) > rhodamine B (rhB) > methyl orange (MO) > Congo red (CR). The mineralization degree of organic dyes by WO{sub 3} photocatalysts was determined by total organic carbon analysis (TOC) reaching percentages of mineralization of 82% (rhB), 85% (IC), 28% (MO), and 7% (CR) for 96 h of lamp irradiation.
Synthesis of mesoporous Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/CeO{sub 2} microsphere for photocatalytic degradation of Orange II dye
Hsieh, Shu-Han; Manivel, Arumugam; Lee, Gang-Juan; Wu, Jerry J.
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: Ģ Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/CeO{sub 2} microspheres were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal procedure. Ģ Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/CeO{sub 2} microspheres were used to remove wastewater pollutant containing azo dye. Ģ The activity of Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/CeO{sub 2} is synergically enhanced compared to its pristine forms. - Abstract: We report on the visible-light responsive porous assembly of Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/CeO{sub 2} microspheres, which were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal reaction between Bi(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}Ę5H{sub 2}O and Ce(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}Ę6H{sub 2}O in the presence of ethylene glycol and ethanol. Systematic structural (X-ray diffraction (XRD)), morphological (field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM)), BET surface area and diffuse reflectance spectral (DRS) analyses were carried out to characterize the formed product. The effects of experimental parameters on the microstructural and morphological behavior of Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/CeO{sub 2} composites were discussed. The semiconductor material as obtained was evaluated as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for the photolytic degradation of an azo dye in water and the degradation was found to follow pseudo-first-order rate kinetics. The study compares the rate constants of the new hybrid catalyst to a pristine Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} and CeO{sub 2}, which has excellent catalytic properties under visible light irradiation for the degradation of Orange II dye.
Highly efficient visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity of Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterojunction photocatalysts
Chaiwichian, Saranyoo; Inceesungvorn, Burapat; Wetchakun, Khatcharin; Phanichphant, Sukon; Kangwansupamonkon, Wiyong; Wetchakun, Natda
Highlights: Ģ Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterojunction photocatalysts were obtained using hydrothermal method. Ģ Physicochemical properties played a significant role on photocatalytic efficiency. Ģ Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterogeneous structures were greatly enhanced for degradation of MB. Ģ A tentative mechanism of charge transfer process in MB degradation was proposed. - Abstract: The Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized by hydrothermal method. Physical properties of the heterojunction photocatalyst samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The XRD results indicated that BiVO{sub 4} retain monoclinic and tetragonal structures, while Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} presented as orthorhombic structure. The Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) adsorption¢desorption of nitrogen gas for specific surface area determination at the temperature of liquid nitrogen was performed on all samples. UV¢vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV¢vis DRS) were used to identify the absorption range and band gap energy of the heterojunction photocatalysts. The photocatalytic performance of Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterojunction photocatalysts was studied via the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The results indicated that the heterojunction photocatalyst at 0.5:0.5 mole ratio of Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}:BiVO{sub 4} shows the highest photocatalytic activity.
New synthesis of excellent visible-light TiO{sub 2-x}N{sub x} photocatalyst using a very simple method
Li Danzhen Huang Hanjie; Chen Xu; Chen Zhixin; Li Wenjuan; Ye Dong; Fu Xianzhi
An excellent visible-light-responsive (from 400 to 550 nm) TiO{sub 2-x}N{sub x} photocatalyst was prepared by a simple wet method. Hydrazine was used as a new nitrogen resource in this paper. Self-made amorphous titanium dioxide precursor powders were dipped into hydrazine hydrate, and calcined at low temperature (110 deg. C) in the air. The TiO{sub 2-x}N{sub x} was successfully synthesized, following by spontaneous combustion. The photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrometer (DRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Analysis of XPS indicated that N atoms were incorporated into the lattice of the titania crystal during the combustion of hydrazine on the surface of TiO{sub 2}. Ethylene was selected as a target pollutant under visible-light excitation to evaluate the activity of this photocatalyst. The newly prepared TiO{sub 2-x}N{sub x} photocatalyst with strong photocatalytic activity and high photochemical stability under visible-light irradiation was firstly demonstrated in the experiment. - Graphical abstract: The excellent visible-light-responsive (from 400 to 550 nm) TiO{sub 2-x}N{sub x} photocatalyst was prepared by a simple wet method. Hydrazine was used as a new nitrogen resource in this paper. In the experiment, a strong photocatalytic activity with high photochemical stability under visible-light irradiation was demonstrated.
Self-assembled ultra small ZnO nanocrystals for dye-sensitized solar cell application
Patra, Astam K.; Dutta, Arghya; Bhaumik, Asim
We demonstrate a facile chemical approach to produce self-assembled ultra-small mesoporous zinc oxide nanocrystals using sodium salicylate (SS) as a template under hydrothermal conditions. These ZnO nanomaterials have been successfully fabricated as a photoanode for the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) in the presence of N719 dye and iodine¢triiodide electrolyte. The structural features, crystallinity, purity, mesophase and morphology of the nanostructure ZnO are investigated by several characterization tools. N{sub 2} sorption analysis revealed high surface areas (203 m{sup 2} g{sup ?1}) and narrow pore size distributions (5.1¢5.4 nm) for different samples. The mesoporous structure and strong photoluminescence facilitates the high dye loading at the mesoscopic void spaces and light harvesting in DSSC. By utilizing this ultra-small ZnO photoelectrode with film thickness of about 7 ?m in the DSSC with an open-circuit voltage (V{sub OC}) of 0.74 V, short-circuit current density (J{sub SC}) of 3.83 mA cm{sup ?2} and an overall power conversion efficiency of 1.12% has been achieved. - Graphical abstract: Ultra-small ZnO nanocrystals have been synthesized with sodium salicylate as a template and using it as a photoanode in a dye-sensitized solar cell 1.12% power conversion efficiency has been observed. - Highlights: Ģ Synthesis of self-assembled ultra-small mesoporous ZnO nanocrystals by using sodium salicylate as a template. Ģ Mesoporous ZnO materials have high BET surface areas and void space. Ģ ZnO nanoparticles serve as a photoanode for the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Ģ Using ZnO nanocrystals as photoelectrode power conversion efficiency of 1.12% has been achieved.
Remediation of AMD using natural and waste material
Basir, Nur Athirah Mohamad; Yaacob, Wan Zuhairi Wan
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is highly acidic, sulphate rich and frequently carries a high transition metal and heavy metal burden. These AMD's eventually migrate into streams and rivers and impact negatively on the quality of these water bodies. So it is dire necessary to treat this AMD. Various materials such as ladle furnace slag (LFS), bentonite, zeolite, active carbon and kaolinite are currently available to remove heavy metals from contaminated water. All these materials are capable to rise up the pH value and adsorb heavy metals. The process is divided into two stages; screening test and tank experiment. Screening test is conduct by using Batch Equilibrium Test (BET), X-Ray Fluorescene (XRF) identification also Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) characteristic. The results showed that all the concentration of heavy metal are decreasing extremely and pH value rise up except for kaolinite. From screening test only ladle furnace slag, bentonite, zeolite and active carbon are chosen for the tank experiment. Tank experiment design with 18cm (H) X 15cm (L) X 15cm (H) was made by silica glass. All these treatment materials were stirred in the tank for 30 days. Initial pH for all tanks is 2.4 and after 30 days is changing into 6.11, 3.91, 2.98 and 2.71 for LFS, bentonite, active carbon as well as zeolite respectively. LFS is the best material for absorption of Zn, Mn and Cu in the synthetic solution. Meanwhile, bentonite is the best absorbent for Ni, Fe and Cd. The conclusion shows that LFS might have big potentials to control AMD pollution base on neutralize pH resulting in a great improvement in the quality of the water.
The effects of the mechanical¢chemical stabilization process for municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash on the chemical reactions in cement paste
Chen, Cheng-Gang; Sun, Chang-Jung; Gau, Sue-Huai; Wu, Ching-Wei; Chen, Yu-Lun
Highlights: ? Milling extracted MSWI fly ash. ? Increasing specific surface area, destruction of the crystalline texture, and increasing the amount of amorphous materials. ? Increasing heavy metal stability. ? Inducing pozzolanic reactions and increasing the early and later strength of the cement paste. - Abstract: A water extraction process can remove the soluble salts present in municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash, which will help to increase the stability of the synthetic materials produced from the MSWI fly ash. A milling process can be used to stabilize the heavy metals found in the extracted MSWI fly ash (EA) leading to the formation of a non-hazardous material. This milled extracted MSWI fly ash (MEA) was added to an ordinary Portland cement (OPC) paste to induce pozzolanic reactions. The experimental parameters included the milling time (96 h), water to binder ratios (0.38, 0.45, and 0.55), and curing time (1, 3, 7 and 28 days). The analysis procedures included inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP/AES), BET, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. The results of the analyses indicate that the milling process helped to stabilize the heavy metals in the MEA, with an increase in the specific surface area of about 50 times over that of OPC. The addition of the MEA to the OPC paste decreased the amount of Ca(OH){sub 2} and led to the generation of calcium¢silicate¢hydrates (C¢S¢H) which in turned increased the amount of gel pores and middle sized pores in the cement. Furthermore, a comparison shows an increase in the early and later strength over that of OPC paste without the addition of the milled extracted ash. In other words, the milling process could stabilize the heavy metals in the MEA and had an activating effect on the MEA, allowing it to partly substitute OPC in OPC paste.
Ranking low cost sorbents for mercury capture from simulated flue gases
H. Revata Seneviratne; Cedric Charpenteau; Anthe George; Marcos Millan; Denis R. Dugwell; Rafael Kandiyoti
Coal fired utility boilers are the largest anthropogenic source of mercury release to the atmosphere, and mercury abatement legislation is already in place in the USA. The present study aimed to rank low cost mercury sorbents (char and activated carbon from the pyrolysis of scrap tire rubber and two coal fly ashes from UK power plants) against Norit Darco HgTM for mercury retention by using a novel bench-scale reactor. In this scheme, a fixed sorbent bed was tested for mercury capture efficiency from a simulated flue gas stream. Experiments with a gas stream of only mercury and nitrogen showed that while the coal ashes were the most effective in mercury capture, char from the pyrolysis of scrap tire rubber was as effective as the commercial sorbent Norit Darco HgTM. Tests conducted at 150{sup o}C, with a simulated flue gas mix that included N{sub 2}, NO, NO{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, SO{sub 2} and HCl, showed that all the sorbents captured approximately 100% of the mercury in the gas stream. The introduction of NO and NO{sub 2} was found to significantly improve the mercury capture, possibly by reactions between NOx and the mercury. Since the sorbents' efficiency decreased with increasing test temperature, physical sorption could be the initial step in the mercury capture process. As the sorbents were only exposed to 64 ng of mercury in the gas stream, the mercury loadings on the samples were significantly less than their equilibrium capacities. The larger capacities of the activated carbons due to their more microporous structure were therefore not utilized. Although the sorbents have been characterized by BET surface area analysis and XRD analysis, further analysis is needed in order to obtain a more conclusive correlation of how the characteristics of the different sorbents correlate with the observed variations in mercury capture ability. 34 refs., 8 figs., 6 tabs.
Copper- and silver-zirconia aerogels: Preparation, structural properties and catalytic behavior in methanol synthesis from carbon dioxide
Koeppel, R.A.; Stoecker, C.; Baiker, A. [Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology, Zuerich (Switzerland). Lab. of Technical Chemistry] [Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology, Zuerich (Switzerland). Lab. of Technical Chemistry
Copper- and silver-zirconia aerogels containing 10 at% IB metal were prepared from tetra-n-butoxy zirconium(IV) and IB metal acetates using the solution sol-gel method and ensuring high-temperature (HT) and low-temperature (LT) supercritical drying, respectively. The influence of preparation parameters and calcination on the structural and catalytic properties of the aerogels for the synthesis of methanol from carbon dioxide and hydrogen was investigated. After calcination in air at 573 K, the catalysts had BET surface areas in the range of 100--143 m{sup 2}/g (Cu/ZrO{sub 2}) and 77--125 m{sup 2}/g (Ag/ZrO{sub 2}), respectively. Due to the reductive alcoholic atmosphere during high-temperature supercritical drying, metallic copper and silver existed in all raw HT-aerogels. The mean size of the copper crystallites wa/s 30 nm. The silver crystallite size for the HT-aerogel prepared with nitric acid was 10 nm, whereas for samples prepared with acetic acid it was 5--7 nm. Calcination in air at 573 K led to the formation of highly dispersed amorphous copper oxide and silver. Comparing the catalytic behavior of the calcined copper-zirconia aerogels with corresponding xerogels prepared by coprecipitation revealed highest activity for the LT-aerogel, whereas the HT-aerogels were least active. In contrast, similar catalytic behavior was observed for the differently dried silver-zirconia samples. Generally, CO{sub 2}-conversion of the copper-zirconia samples. Generally, CO{sub 2}-conversion of the copper-zirconia aerogels was markedly higher than that of the corresponding silver-zirconia aerogels, whereas methanol selectivity was similar.
Visible light driven photocatalysis and antibacterial activity of AgVO{sub 3} and Ag/AgVO{sub 3} nanowires
Singh, Anamika; Dutta, Dimple P.; Ballal, A.; Tyagi, A.K.; Fulekar, M.H.
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: Ģ Ag/AgVO{sub 3} and pure AgVO{sub 3} nanowires synthesized by sonochemical process. Ģ Characterization done using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX and BET analysis. Ģ Visible light degradation of RhB by Ag/AgVO{sub 3} within 45 min. Ģ Antibacterial activity of Ag/AgVO{sub 3} demonstrated. - Abstract: Ag/AgVO{sub 3} nanowires and AgVO{sub 3} nanorods were synthesized in aqueous media via a facile sonochemical route. The as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy together with an energy dispersion X-ray spectrum analysis, transmission electron microscopy and UV¢vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The results revealed that inert atmosphere promotes the formation of Ag/AgVO{sub 3} nanowires. The photocatalytic studies revealed that the Ag/AgVO{sub 3} nanowires exhibited complete photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B within 45 min under visible light irradiation. The antibacterial activity of Ag/AgVO{sub 3} nanowires was tested against Escherechia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The minimum growth inhibitory concentration value was found to be 50 and 10 folds lower than for the antibiotic ciprofloxacin for E. coli and B. subtilis, respectively. The antibacterial properties of the ?-AgVO{sub 3} nanorods prove that in case of the Ag dispersed Ag/AgVO{sub 3} nanowires, the enhanced antibacterial action is also due to contribution from the AgVO{sub 3} support.
The characteristic of carbon-coated LiFePO{sub 4} as cathode material for lithium ion battery synthesized by sol-gel process in one step heating and varied pH
Triwibowo, J.; Yuniarti, E.; Suharyadi, E.
This research has been done on the synthesis of carbon coated LiFePO{sub 4} through sol-gel process. Carbon layer serves for improving electronic conductivity, while the variation of pH in the sol-gel process is intended to obtain the morphology of the material that may improve battery performance. LiFePO{sub 4}/C precursors are Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, NH{sub 4}H{sub 2}PO{sub 4} and FeC{sub 2}O{sub 4}.H{sub 2}O and citric acid. In the synthesis process, consisting of a colloidal suspension FeC{sub 2}O{sub 4}.H{sub 2}O and distilled water mixed with a colloidal suspension consisting of NH{sub 4}H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}, Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, and distilled water. Variations addition of citric acid is used to control the pH of the gel formed by mixing two colloidal suspensions. Sol in this study had a pH of 5, 5.4 and 5.8. The obtained wet gel is further dried in the oven and then sintered at a temperature 700░C for 10 hours. The resulting material is further characterized by XRD to determine the phases formed. The resulting powder morphology is observed through SEM. Specific surface area of the powder was tested by BET, while the electronic conductivity characterized with EIS.
Diversity waves in collapse-driven population dynamics
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Maslov, Sergei; Sneppen, Kim
Populations of species in ecosystems are often constrained by availability of resources within their environment. In effect this means that a growth of one population, needs to be balanced by comparable reduction in populations of others. In neutral models of biodiversity all populations are assumed to change incrementally due to stochastic births and deaths of individuals. Here we propose and model another redistribution mechanism driven by abrupt and severe collapses of the entire population of a single species freeing up resources for the remaining ones. This mechanism may be relevant e.g. for communities of bacteria, with strain-specific collapses caused e.g.more┬Ā┬╗ by invading bacteriophages, or for other ecosystems where infectious diseases play an important role. The emergent dynamics of our system is cyclic ŌĆśŌĆśdiversity wavesŌĆÖŌĆÖ triggered by collapses of globally dominating populations. The population diversity peaks at the beginning of each wave and exponentially decreases afterwards. Species abundances are characterized by a bimodal time-aggregated distribution with the lower peak formed by populations of recently collapsed or newly introduced species while the upper peak - species that has not yet collapsed in the current wave. In most waves both upper and lower peaks are composed of several smaller peaks. This self-organized hierarchical peak structure has a long-term memory transmitted across several waves. It gives rise to a scale-free tail of the time-aggregated population distribution with a universal exponent of 1.7. We show that diversity wave dynamics is robust with respect to variations in the rules of our model such as diffusion between multiple environments, species-specific growth and extinction rates, and bet-hedging strategies.┬½┬Āless
Compilation of requests for nuclear data
Not Available
The purpose of this compilation is to summarize the current needs of US Nuclear Energy programs and other applied technolgies for nuclear data. It is the result of a biennial review in which the Department of Energy (DOE) and contractors, Department of Defense Laboratories and contractors, and other interested groups have been asked to review and revise their requests for nuclear data. It was felt that the evaluators of cross section data and the users of these evaluations should be involved in the review of the data requests to make this compilation more useful. This request list is ordered by target nucleus (Isotope) and then reaction type (Quantity). Each request is assigned a unique identifying number. The first two digits of this number give the year the request was initiated. All requests for a given Isotope and Quantity are grouped (or blocked) together. The requests in a block are followed by any status comments. Each request has a unique Isotope, Quantity and Requester. The requester is identified by laboratory, last name, and sponsoring US government agency, e.g., BET, DEI, DNR. All requesters, together with their addresses and phone numbers, are given in appendix B. A list of the evaluators responsible for ENDF/B-V evaluations with their affiliation appears in appendix C. All requests must give the energy (or range of energy) for the incident particle when appropriate. The accuracy needed in percent is also given. The error quoted is assumed to be 1-sigma at each measured point in the energy range requested unless a comment specifies otherwise. Sometimes a range of accuracy indicated by two values is given or some statement is given in the free text comments. An incident particle energy resolution in percent is sometimes given. (WHK)
Synthesis, Structure Determination, and Hydrogen Sorption Studies of New Metal-Organic Frameworks Using Triazole and Naphthalenedicarboxylic Acid
Park,H.; Britten, J.; Mueller, U.; Lee, J.; Li, J.; Parise, J.
Two new metal-organic framework compounds were synthesized under solvothermal conditions using Zn{sup 2+} ion, 1,2,4-triazole (TRZ), and 1,4- and 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acids (NDC): Zn{sub 4}(TRZ){sub 4}(1,4-NDC){sub 2}-2DMF-2H{sub 2}O (1) and Zn{sub 4}(TRZ){sub 4}(2,6-NDC){sub 2}-2DMF-4H{sub 2}O (2). Their crystal structures were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Structure 1 crystallizes in the P2{sub 1}/n space group with a = 13.609(2) {angstrom}, b = 27.181(5){angstrom}, c = 13.617(3) {angstrom}, {beta} = 92.46(1){sup o}, V = 5032.4(16) {angstrom}{sup 3}, and Z = 4. Structure 2 crystallizes in orthorhombic Pna2{sub 2} space group with a = 30.978(6) {angstrom}, b = 12.620(3) {angstrom}, c = 13.339(3) {angstrom}, V = 5215(2) {angstrom}{sup 3}, and Z = 4. Both structures are analogues of the previously reported Zn{sub 4}(TRZ){sub 4}(1,4-BDC){sub 2}-16H{sub 2}O where the layers of Zn-triazole moieties are pillared by aromatic dicarboxylates to create 3-D open frameworks. Nitrogen sorption studies revealed that these structures have Brunaer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas of 362.1-584.1 m{sup 2}/g. Hydrogen sorption experiments showed they can store 0.84-1.09 wt % H{sub 2} at 77 K and 1 atm. Although they do not contain large pores or surface areas, they possess the hydrogen sorption capacities comparable to those of highly porous metal-organic frameworks.
Solar photocatalytic activities of porous Nb-doped TiO{sub 2} microspheres by coupling with tungsten oxide
Kou, Yanqiang; Yang, Jikai; Li, Bing; Fu, Shencheng
Highlights: Ģ Nb-TiO{sub 2}/WO{sub 3} was prepared by USP method combined impregnation method. Ģ Nb-doping extend the spectral absorption of TiO{sub 2} into visible spectrum. Ģ Nb-TiO{sub 2}/WO{sub 3} has a similar optical band gap as Nb-TiO{sub 2}. Ģ PL spectra indicate WO{sub 3} can accept the photoexcited electrons from Nb-TiO{sub 2}. Ģ Nb-TiO{sub 2}/WO{sub 3} shows higher activity than TiO{sub 2} and Nb-TiO{sub 2} under solar light. - Abstract: Nb doped TiO{sub 2} microspheres modified with WO{sub 3} (Nb-TiO{sub 2}/WO{sub 3}) was prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method combined with impregnation method. The microspheres were characterized with SEM, TEM, XRD, BET, photoluminescence and UV¢vis absorption spectra. The Nb-doping was observed to extend the spectral absorption of TiO{sub 2} into visible spectrum, and the absorption onset was red-shifted for about 88 nm compared to pristine TiO{sub 2} microspheres. Nb-TiO{sub 2}/WO{sub 3} microspheres do not display a red-shifted absorption edge compared with Nb doped TiO{sub 2} microspheres. Under solar irradiation, Nb-TiO{sub 2}/WO{sub 3} microspheres showed higher photocatalytic activity for methylene blue degradation compared with that of pure TiO{sub 2} microspheres and Nb doped TiO{sub 2} microspheres, which could be ascribed to the extended light absorption range and the suppression of electron-hole pair recombination.
A novel 3D structure composed of strings of hierarchical TiO{sub 2} spheres formed on TiO{sub 2} nanobelts with high photocatalytic properties
Jiang, Yongjian; Li, Meicheng; Song, Dandan; Li, Xiaodan; Yu, Yue
A novel hierarchical titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) composite nanostructure with strings of anatase TiO{sub 2} hierarchical micro-spheres and rutile nanobelts framework (TiO{sub 2} HSN) is successfully synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. Particularly, the strings of hierarchical spheres are assembled by very thin TiO{sub 2} nanosheets, which are composed of highly crystallized anatase nanocrystals. Meanwhile, the HSN has a large surface area of 191 m{sup 2}/g, which is about 3 times larger than Degussa P25. More importantly, the photocatalytic activity of HSN and P25 were evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation decomposition of methyl orange (MO) under UV light illumination, and the TiO{sub 2} HSN shows enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with Degussa P25, as result of its continuous hierarchical structures, special conductive channel and large specific surface area. With these features, the hierarchical TiO{sub 2} may have more potential applications in the fields of dye-sensitized solar cells and lithium ion batteries. -- Graphical abstract: Novel TiO{sub 2} with anatase micro-spheres and rutile nanobelts is synthesized. Enhanced photocatalysis is attributed to hierarchical structures (3D spheres), conductive channel (1D nanobelts) and large specific surface area (2D nanosheet). Highlights: ŌĆó The novel TiO{sub 2} nanostructure (HSN) is fabricated for the first time. ŌĆó HSN is composed of strings of anatase hierarchical spheres and rutile nanobelt. ŌĆó HSN presents a larger S{sub BET} of 191 m{sup 2}/g, 3 times larger than the Degussa P25 (59 m{sup 2}/g). ŌĆó HSN owns three kinds of dimensional TiO{sub 2} (1D, 2D and 3D) simultaneously. ŌĆó HSN exhibits better photocatalytic performance compared with Degussa P25.
Structural and electrical properties of TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles synthesized by hydrothermal method
Vlazan, P.; Ursu, D.H.; Irina-Moisescu, C.; Miron, I.; Sfirloaga, P.; Rusu, E.
TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method in two stages: first stage is the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles and second stage the obtained ZnO nanoparticles are encapsulated in TiO{sub 2}. The obtained ZnO, TiO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer, Emmett, Teller and resistance measurements. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of both, TiO{sub 2} and ZnO phases in TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles. According to transmission electron microscopy images, ZnO nanoparticles have hexagonal shapes, TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles have a spherical shape, and TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles present agglomerates and the shape of particles is not well defined. The activation energy of TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles was about 101 meV. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: ŌĆó TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method. ŌĆó TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles were investigated by means of XRD, TEM and BET. ŌĆó Electrical properties of TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles were investigated. ŌĆó The activation energy of TiO{sub 2}/ZnO coreŌĆōshell nanoparticles was about E{sub a} = 101 meV.
Nanocrystalline Sm{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3ŌłÆ╬┤} synthesized using a chelating route for use in IT-SOFC cathodes: Microstructure, surface chemistry and electrical conductivity
Scurtu, Rares; Somacescu, Simona; Calderon-Moreno, Jose Maria; Culita, Daniela; Bulimestru, Ion; Popa, Nelea; Gulea, Aurelian; Osiceanu, Petre
Nanocrystalline Sm{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3ŌłÆ╬┤} powders were synthesized by a chelating route using different polyfunctional H{sub x}APC acids (APC=aminopolycarboxylate; x=3, 4, 5). Different homologous aminopolycarboxylic acids, namely nitrilotriacetic (H{sub 3}nta), ethylenediaminetetraacetic (H{sub 4}edta), 1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetracetic (H{sub 4}cdta) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic (H{sub 5}dtpa) acid, were used as chelating agents to combine Sm, Sr, Co elements into a perovskite structure. The effects of the chelating agents on the crystalline structure, porosity, surface chemistry and electrical properties were investigated. The electrical properties of the perovskite-type materials emphasized that their conductivities in the temperature range of interest (600ŌĆō800 ┬░C) depend on the nature of the precursors as well as on the presence of a residual Co oxide phase as shown by XRD and XPS analysis. The surface chemistry and the surface stoichiometries were determined by XPS revealing a complex chemical behavior of Sr that exhibits a peculiar ŌĆ£surface phaseŌĆØ and ŌĆ£bulk phaseŌĆØ chemistry within the detected volume (<10 nm). - Graphical abstract: Synthesis of nanocrystalline Sm{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3ŌłÆ╬┤} powders by a chelating route and the investigation of the microstructure, surface chemistry and electrical properties. Display Omitted - Highlights: ŌĆó Nanocrystalline Sm{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3ŌłÆ╬┤} obtained by a chelating synthesis route. ŌĆó Cubic perovskite structures with crystallite sizes Ōł╝23┬▒2 nm. ŌĆó The porous nature revealed by N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption (BET). ŌĆó The surface chemistry and the surface stoichiometries highlighted by XPS. ŌĆó A complex chemical behavior of Sr exhibits a peculiar ŌĆ£surface phaseŌĆØ and ŌĆ£bulk phaseŌĆØ chemistry.
The effect of Cu/Zn molar ratio on CO{sub 2} hydrogenation over Cu/ZnO/ZrO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst
Shaharun, Salina E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; Shaharun, Maizatul S. E-mail: email@example.com; Taha, Mohd F.; Mohamad, Dasmawati
Catalytic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) to methanol is an attractive way to recycle and utilize CO{sub 2}. A series of Cu/ZnO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZrO{sub 2} catalysts (CZAZ) containing different molar ratios of Cu/Zn were prepared by the co-precipitation method and investigated in a stirred slurry autoclave system. The catalysts were characterized by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), field emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive analysis (FESEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption. Higher surface area, SA{sub BET} values (42.6¢59.9 m{sup 2}/g) are recorded at low (1) and high (5) Cu/Zn ratios with the minimum value of 35.71 m{sup 2}/g found for a Cu/Zn of 3. The reducibility of the metal oxides formed after calcination of catalyst samples was also affected due to change in metal-support interaction. At a low reaction temperature of 443 K, total gas pressure of 3.0 MPa and 0.1 g/mL of the CZAZ catalyst, the selectivity to methanol decreased as the Cu/Zn molar ratio increased, and the maximum selectivity of 67.73 was achieved at Cu/Zn molar ratio of 1. With a reaction time of 3h, the best performing catalyst was CZAZ75 with Cu/Zn molar ratio of 5 giving methanol yield of 79.30%.
HST/COS OBSERVATIONS OF THE QUASAR HE 2347-4342: PROBING THE EPOCH OF He II PATCHY REIONIZATION AT REDSHIFTS z = 2.4-2.9
Shull, J. Michael; France, Kevin; Danforth, Charles W.; Smith, Britton [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Tumlinson, Jason, E-mail: email@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
We report ultraviolet spectra of the high-redshift (z{sub em} {approx} 2.9) quasar, HE 2347 - 4342, taken by the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. Spectra in the G130M (medium resolution, 1135-1440 A) and G140L (low resolution, 1030-2000 A) gratings exhibit patchy Gunn-Peterson absorption in the 303.78 A Ly{alpha} line of He II between z = 2.39-2.87 (G140L) and z = 2.74-2.90 (G130M). With COS, we obtain better spectral resolution, higher signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), and better determined backgrounds than previous studies, with sensitivity to abundance fractions x{sub He{sub II}} {approx} 0.01 in filaments of the cosmic web. The He II optical depths from COS are higher than those with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer and range from {tau}{sub He{sub II}} {<=} 0.02 to {tau}{sub He{sub II}} {>=} 5, with a slow recovery in mean optical depth to ({tau}{sub He{sub II}}) {<=} 2 at z < 2.7. The He II/H I optical-depth ratio varies ({eta}{approx} 10-100 for 2.4 < z < 2.73 and {eta} = 5-500 for 2.75 < z < 2.89) on scales {Delta}z {approx}< 0.01 (10.8 Mpc in comoving radial distance at z = 2.8), with numerous flux-transmission windows between 1135 and 1186 A. The He II absorption extends to 1186.26 A (z = 2.905), including associated absorbers with z{sub abs} {approx} z{sub QSO} and minimal 'proximity effect' of flux transmission at the He II edge. We propose a QSO systemic redshift z{sub QSO} = 2.904 {+-} 0.002, some {Delta}z = 0.019 higher than that derived from O I {lambda}1302 emission. Three long troughs (4-10 A or 25-60 Mpc comoving distance) of strong He II absorption between z = 2.75and2.90 are uncharacteristic of the intergalactic medium if He II reionized at z{sub r} {approx} 3. Contrary to recent indirect estimates (z{sub r} = 3.2 {+-} 0.2) from H I optical depths, the epoch of He II reionization may extend to z {approx}< 2.7.
HD/H{sub 2} AS A PROBE OF THE ROLES OF GAS, DUST, LIGHT, METALLICITY, AND COSMIC RAYS IN PROMOTING THE GROWTH OF MOLECULAR HYDROGEN IN THE DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM
Liszt, H. S.
We modeled recent observations of UV absorption of HD and H{sub 2} in the Milky Way and toward damped/subdamped Ly╬▒ systems at z = 0.18 and z >1.7. N(HD)/N(H{sub 2}) ratios reflect the separate self-shieldings of HD and H{sub 2} and the coupling introduced by deuteration chemistry. Locally, observations are explained by diffuse molecular gas with 16 cm{sup ŌĆō3} Ōē▓ n(H) Ōē▓ 128 cm{sup ŌĆō3} if the cosmic-ray ionization rate per H nucleus ╬Č {sub H}┬Ā=2 ├Ś 10{sup ŌĆō16} s{sup ŌĆō1}, as inferred from H{sub 3} {sup +} and OH{sup +}. The dominant influence on N(HD)/N(H{sub 2}) is the cosmic-ray ionization rate with a much weaker downward dependence on n(H) at solar metallicity, but dust extinction can drive N(HD) higher as with N(H{sub 2}). At z > 1.7, N(HD) is comparable to the Galaxy but with 10 times smaller N(H{sub 2}) and somewhat smaller N(H{sub 2})/N(H I). Comparison of our Galaxy with the Magellanic Clouds shows that smaller H{sub 2}/H is expected at subsolar metallicity, and we show by modeling that HD/H{sub 2} increases with density at low metallicity, opposite to the Milky Way. Observations of HD would be explained with higher n(H) at low metallicity, but high-z systems have high HD/H{sub 2} at metallicity 0.04 Ōē▓ Z Ōē▓ 2 solar. In parallel, we trace dust extinction and self-shielding effects. The abrupt H{sub 2} transition to H{sub 2}/H Ōēł 1%-10% occurs mostly from self-shielding, although it is assisted by extinction for n(H) Ōē▓ 16 cm{sup ŌĆō3}. Interior H{sub 2} fractions are substantially increased by dust extinction below Ōē▓ 32 cm{sup ŌĆō3}. At smaller n(H), ╬Č {sub H}, small increases in H{sub 2} triggered by dust extinction can trigger abrupt increases in N(HD)
Reduction of metastasis, cell invasion, and adhesion in mouse osteosarcoma by YM529/ONO-5920-induced blockade of the Ras/MEK/ERK and Ras/PI3K/Akt pathway
Tsubaki, Masanobu; Satou, Takao; Itoh, Tatsuki; Imano, Motohiro; Ogaki, Mitsuhiko; Yanae, Masashi; Depeartment of Pharmacy, Sakai Hospital, Kinki University School of Medicine, Sakai, Osaka 590-0132 ; Nishida, Shozo
Osteosarcoma is one of the most common primary malignant bone tumors in children and adolescents. Some patients continue to have a poor prognosis, because of the metastatic disease. YM529/ONO-5920 is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate that has been used for the treatment of osteoporosis. YM529/ONO-5920 has recently been reported to induce apoptosis in various tumors including osteosarcoma. However, the mode of metastasis suppression in osteosarcoma by YM529/ONO-5920 is unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether YM529/ONO-5920 inhibited tumor cell migration, invasion, adhesion, or metastasis in the LM8 mouse osteosarcoma cell line. We found that YM529/ONO-5920 significantly inhibited metastasis, cell migration, invasion, and adhesion at concentrations that did not have antiproliferative effects on LM8 cells. YM529/ONO-5920 also inhibited the mRNA expression and protein activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In addition, YM529/ONO-5920 suppressed phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and the serine/threonine protein kinase B (Akt) by the inhibition of Ras prenylation. Moreover, U0126, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) 1/2 inhibitor, and LY294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, also inhibited LM8 cell migration, invasion, adhesion, and metastasis, as well as the mRNA expression and protein activities of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, and MT1-MMP. The results indicated that YM529/ONO-5920 suppressed the Ras/MEK/ERK and Ras/PI3K/Akt pathways, thereby inhibiting LM8 cell migration, invasion, adhesion, and metastasis. These findings suggest that YM529/ONO-5920 has potential clinical applications for the treatment of tumor cell metastasis in osteosarcoma. -- Highlights: ? We investigated whether YM529/ONO-5920 inhibited tumor metastasis in osteosarcoma. ? YM529/ONO-5920 inhibited metastasis, cell migration, invasion, and adhesion. ? YM529/ONO-5920 suppressed Ras signalings. ? YM529/ONO-5920 has potential clinical applications for the treatment in osteosarcoma.
Jorgenson, Regina A.; Wolfe, Arthur M.; Prochaska, J. Xavier
We probe the physical conditions in high-redshift galaxies, specifically, the damped Ly{alpha} systems (DLAs) using neutral carbon (C I) fine structure lines and molecular hydrogen (H{sub 2}). We report five new detections of C I and analyze the C I in an additional two DLAs with previously published data. We also present one new detection of H{sub 2} in a DLA. We present a new method of analysis that simultaneously constrains both the volume density and the temperature of the gas, as opposed to previous studies that a priori assumed a gas temperature. We use only the column density of C I measured in the fine structure states and the assumption of ionization equilibrium in order to constrain the physical conditions in the gas. We present a sample of 11 C I velocity components in six DLAs and compare their properties to those derived by the global C II* technique. The resulting median values for this sample are (n(H I)) = 69 cm{sup -3}, (T) = 50 K, and (log(P/k)) = 3.86 cm{sup -3} K, with standard deviations, {sigma}{sub n(H{sub i})} = 134 cm{sup -3}, {sigma}{sub T} = 52 K, and {sigma}{sub log(P/k)} = 3.68 cm{sup -3} K. This can be compared with the integrated median values for the same DLAs: (n(H I)) = 2.8 cm{sup -3}, (T) = 139 K, and (log(P/k)) = 2.57 cm{sup -3} K, with standard deviations {sigma}{sub n(H{sub i})} = 3.0 cm{sup -3}, {sigma}{sub T} = 43 K, and {sigma}{sub log(P/k)} = 0.22 cm{sup -3} K. Interestingly, the pressures measured in these high-redshift C I clouds are similar to those found in the Milky Way. We conclude that the C I gas is tracing a higher-density, higher-pressure region, possibly indicative of post-shock gas or a photodissociation region on the edge of a molecular cloud. We speculate that these clouds may be direct probes of the precursor sites of star formation in normal galaxies at high redshift.
DOE/EPRI Electricity Storage Handbook in Collaboration with NRECA.
Huff, Georgianne; Huff, Georgianne; Akhil, Abbas Ali; Akhil, Abbas Ali; Kaun, Benjamin C; Kaun, Benjamin C; Rastler, Dan M.; Rastler, Dan M.; Chen, Stella Bingqing; Chen, Stella Bingqing; Cotter, Andrew L.; Cotter, Andrew L.; Bradshaw, Dale T.; Bradshaw, Dale T.; Gauntlett, William D.; Gauntlett, William D.; Currier, Aileen B.; Currier, Aileen B.
Th e Electricity Storage Handbook (Handbook) is a how - to guide for utility and rural cooperative engineers, planners , and decision makers to plan and implement energy storage projects . The H andbook also serves as an information resource for investors and venture capitalists , providing the latest develo pments in technologies and tools to guide their evaluation s of energy storage opportunities . It includes a comprehensive database of the cost of current storage systems in a wide variety of electric utility and customer services, along with interconnection schematics . A list of significant past and present energy storage projects is provided for a practical perspective . Th is Handbook, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute in collaboration with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Associ ation , is published in electronic form at www.sandia.gov/ess . This Handbook is best viewed online. iii Rev. 1, September 2014 DOE/EPRI Electricity Storage Handbook in Collaboration with NRECA Revision Log Comments, inquiries, corrections, and suggestions can be submitted via the website www.sandia.gov/ess/ , beginning August 1 , 2013. REVISION LOG Rev . Number Date Purpose of Revision Document Number Name or Org. Rev. 0 July 2013 Update and revise the 2003 EPRI - DOE Handbook of Energy Storage for Transmission and Distribution Applications to provide how - to information for various stakeholders. SAND2013 - 5131 DOE (SNL), EPRI, NRECA Rev. 1 Sept. 2014 Chapter 2: * Added information highlighting thermal storage solution. Chapter 3: * Added subchapter highlighting tools available to use to evaluate a Storage solution from a model ing and simulation standpoint. * Added new Subsections 3.3.1 through 3.3.6 . Chapter 4: * With respect to the "AC battery" system: o Added a reference to the patent #4,894,764. o Added a picture of an AC battery . * Added information about KIUC and the RFI and RFP. Appendix A: * Added information regarding ES models and tools. Appendix B: * Expanded on three energy and power cost components. o Calculation of the sum of the energy and power components. o How these costs are highly system dependent and do not scale linear ly. * Expanded on d eri vation of the Total Plant Cost (TPC) and referenced costs that are components of the TPC. * Added explanation of equipment costs . Appendix F: * Added introductory text. Appendix G: * Added reference to AC battery patent . * Removed Hawaii battery projects information. SAND201 5 - XXXX iv Rev. 1, September 201
Finkelstein, Steven L.; Pawlik, Andreas H.; Papovich, Casey; Ryan, Russell E.; Ferguson, Henry C.; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Grogin, Norman A.; Dickinson, Mark; Finlator, Kristian; Giavalisco, Mauro; Cooray, Asantha; Dunlop, James S.; Faber, Sandy M.; Kocevski, Dale D.
We present measurements of the specific ultraviolet luminosity density from a sample of 483 galaxies at 6 {approx}< z {approx}< 8. These galaxies were selected from new deep near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope imaging from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey, Hubble UltraDeep Field 2009, and Wide Field Camera 3 Early Release Science programs. We investigate the contribution to reionization from galaxies that we observe directly, thus sidestepping the uncertainties inherent in complementary studies that have invoked assumptions regarding the intrinsic shape or the faint-end cutoff of the galaxy ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function. Due to our larger survey volume, wider wavelength coverage, and updated assumptions about the clumping of gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM), we find that the observable population of galaxies can sustain a fully reionized IGM at z = 6, if the average ionizing photon escape fraction (f {sub esc}) is {approx}30%. Our result contrasts with a number of previous studies that have measured UV luminosity densities at these redshifts that vary by a factor of five, with many concluding that galaxies could not complete reionization by z = 6 unless a large population of galaxies fainter than the detection limit were invoked, or extremely high values of f {sub esc} were present. The specific UV luminosity density from our observed galaxy samples at z = 7 and 8 is not sufficient to maintain a fully reionized IGM unless f {sub esc} > 50%. We examine the contribution from galaxies in different luminosity ranges and find that the sub-L* galaxies we detect are stronger contributors to the ionizing photon budget than the L > L* population, unless f {sub esc} is luminosity dependent. Combining our observations with constraints on the emission rate of ionizing photons from Ly{alpha} forest observations at z = 6, we find that we can constrain f {sub esc} < 34% (2{sigma}) if the observed galaxies are the only contributors to reionization, or <13% (2{sigma}) if the luminosity function extends to a limiting magnitude of M {sub UV} = -13. These escape fractions are sufficient to sustain an ionized IGM by z = 6. Current constraints on the high-redshift galaxy population imply that the volume ionized fraction of the IGM, while consistent with unity at z {<=} 6, appears to drop at redshifts not much higher than 7, consistent with a number of complementary reionization probes. If faint galaxies dominated the ionizing photon budget at z = 6-7, future extremely deep observations with the James Webb Space Telescope will probe deep enough to directly observe them, providing an indirect constraint on the global ionizing photon escape fraction.
The SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: Overview and early data
DOE Public Access Gateway for Energy & Science Beta (PAGES Beta)
Kyle S. Dawson
In a six-year program started in 2014 July, the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) will conduct novel cosmological observations using the BOSS spectrograph at Apache Point Observatory. These observations will be conducted simultaneously with the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS) designed for variability studies and the Spectroscopic Identification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS) program designed for studies of X-ray sources. In particular, eBOSS will measure with percent-level precision the distance-redshift relation with baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the clustering of matter. eBOSS will use four different tracers of the underlying matter density field to vastly expand the volume covered bymore┬Ā┬╗ BOSS and map the large-scale-structures over the relatively unconstrained redshift range 0.6 < z < 2.2. Using more than 250,000 new, spectroscopically confirmed luminous red galaxies at a median redshift z = 0.72, we project that eBOSS will yield measurements of the angular diameter distance dA(z) to an accuracy of 1.2% and measurements of H(z) to 2.1% when combined with the z > 0.6 sample of BOSS galaxies. With ~195,000 new emission line galaxy redshifts, we expect BAO measurements of dA(z) to an accuracy of 3.1% and H(z) to 4.7% at an effective redshift of z = 0.87. A sample of more than 500,000 spectroscopically confirmed quasars will provide the first BAO distance measurements over the redshift range 0.9 < z < 2.2, with expected precision of 2.8% and 4.2% on dA(z) and H(z), respectively. Finally, with 60,000 new quasars and re-observation of 60,000 BOSS quasars, we will obtain new Ly╬▒ forest measurements at redshifts z > 2.1; these new data will enhance the precision of dA(z) and H(z) at z > 2.1 by a factor of 1.44 relative to BOSS. Furthermore, eBOSS will provide improved tests of General Relativity on cosmological scales through redshift-space distortion measurements, improved tests for non-Gaussianity in the primordial density field, and new constraints on the summed mass of all neutrino species. Lastly, we provide an overview of the cosmological goals, spectroscopic target sample, demonstration of spectral quality from early data, and projected cosmological constraints from eBOSS.┬½┬Āless
CO AND H{sub 2} ABSORPTION IN THE AA TAURI CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK
France, Kevin; Burgh, Eric B.; Schindhelm, Eric; Brown, Alexander; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Yang, Hao; Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Abgrall, Herve; Roueff, Evelyne; Brown, Joanna M.
The direct study of molecular gas in inner protoplanetary disks is complicated by uncertainties in the spatial distribution of the gas, the time variability of the source, and the comparison of observations across a wide range of wavelengths. Some of these challenges can be mitigated with far-ultraviolet spectroscopy. Using new observations obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, we measure column densities and rovibrational temperatures for CO and H{sub 2} observed on the line of sight through the AA Tauri circumstellar disk. CO A - X absorption bands are observed against the far-UV continuum. The CO absorption is characterized by log{sub 10}(N({sup 12}CO)) = 17.5 {+-} 0.5 cm{sup -2} and T{sub rot}(CO) = 500{sup +500}{sub -200} K, although this rotational temperature may underestimate the local kinetic temperature of the CO-bearing gas. We also detect {sup 13}CO in absorption with an isotopic ratio of {approx}20. We do not observe H{sub 2} absorption against the continuum; however, hot H{sub 2} (v > 0) is detected in absorption against the Ly{alpha} emission line. We measure the column densities in eight individual rovibrational states, determining a total log{sub 10}(N(H{sub 2})) = 17.9{sup +0.6}{sub -0.3} cm{sup -2} with a thermal temperature of T(H{sub 2}) = 2500{sup +800}{sub -700} K. The high temperature of the molecules, the relatively small H{sub 2} column density, and the high inclination of the AA Tauri disk suggest that the absorbing gas resides in an inner disk atmosphere. If the H{sub 2} and CO are cospatial within a molecular layer {approx}0.6 AU thick, this region is characterized by
Strong chromatic microlensing in HE0047¢1756 and SDSS1155+6346
Rojas, K.; Motta, V.; Mediavilla, E.; Jimķnez-Vicente, J.; Mu±oz, J. A. E-mail: email@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
We use spectra of the double-lensed quasars HE0047¢1756 and SDSS1155+6346 to study their unresolved structure through the impact of microlensing. There is no significant evidence of microlensing in the emission line profiles except for the Ly? line of SDSS1155+6346, which shows strong differences in the shapes for images A and B. However, the continuum of the B image spectrum in SDSS1155+6346 is strongly contaminated by the lens galaxy, and these differences should be considered with caution. Using the flux ratios of the emission lines for image pairs as a baseline to remove macro-magnification and extinction, we have detected strong chromatic microlensing in the continuum measured by CASTLES (www.cfa.harvard.edu/castles/) in both lens systems, with amplitudes 0.09(?16000) ? |?m| ? 0.8(?5439) for HE0047¢1756, and 0.2(?16000) ? |?m| ? 0.8(?5439) for SDSS1155+6346. Using magnification maps to simulate microlensing and modeling the accretion disk as a Gaussian source (I ? exp(¢R {sup 2}/2r {sub s}{sup 2})) of size r {sub s} ? ? {sup p}, we find r {sub s} = 2.5{sub ?1.4}{sup +3.0} ?(M/0.3M{sub ?}) lt-day and p = 2.3 ▒ 0.8 at the rest frame for ? = 2045 for HE0047¢1756 (log prior) and r {sub s} = 5.5{sub ?3.3}{sup +8.2} ?(M/0.3M{sub ?}) lt-day and p = 1.5 ▒ 0.6 at the rest frame of ? = 1398 for SDSS1155+6346 (log prior). Contrary to other studied lens systems, the chromaticity detected in HE0047¢1756 and SDSS1155+6346 is large enough to fulfill the thin disk prediction. The inferred sizes, however, are very large compared to the predictions of this model, especially in the case of SDSS1155+6346.
Gnedin, Nickolay Y. [Particle Astrophysics Center, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Kravtsov, Andrey V., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, E-mail: email@example.com [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States)
We present results of self-consistent, high-resolution cosmological simulations of galaxy formation at z {approx} 3. The simulations employ a recently developed recipe for star formation based on the local abundance of molecular hydrogen, which is tracked self-consistently during the course of simulation. The phenomenological H{sub 2} formation model accounts for the effects of dissociating UV radiation of stars in each galaxy, as well as self-shielding and shielding of H{sub 2} by dust, and therefore allows us to explore effects of lower metallicities and higher UV fluxes prevalent in high-redshift galaxies on their star formation. We compare stellar masses, metallicities, and star formation rates of the simulated galaxies to available observations of the Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and find a reasonable agreement. We find that the Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relation exhibited by our simulated galaxies at z {approx} 3 is substantially steeper and has a lower amplitude than the z = 0 relation at {Sigma}{sub H} {approx_lt} 100 M{sub o-dot} pc{sup -2}. The predicted relation, however, is consistent with existing observational constraints for the z {approx} 3 damped Ly{alpha} and LBGs. Our tests show that the main reason for the difference from the local KS relation is lower metallicity of the interstellar medium in high-redshift galaxies. We discuss several implications of the metallicity-dependence of the KS relation for galaxy evolution and interpretation of observations. In particular, we show that the observed size of high-redshift exponential disks depends sensitively on their KS relation. Our results also suggest that significantly reduced star formation efficiency at low gas surface densities can lead to strong suppression of star formation in low-mass high-redshift galaxies and long gas consumption time scales over most of the disks in large galaxies. The longer gas consumption time scales could make disks more resilient to major and minor mergers and could help explain the prevalence of the thin stellar disks in the local universe.
Functional Toll-like receptor 4 expressed in lactotrophs mediates LPS-induced proliferation in experimental pituitary hyperplasia
Sabatino, MarĒa Eugenia; Sosa, Liliana del Valle; Petiti, Juan Pablo; Mukdsi, Jorge Humberto; Mascanfroni, Ivßn DarĒo; Pellizas, Claudia Gabriela; Gutiķrrez, Silvina; Torres, Alicia Inķs; De Paul, Ana LucĒa
Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been characterized for its ability to recognize bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Considering that infections or inflammatory processes might contribute to the progression of pituitary tumors, we analyzed the TLR4 functional role by evaluating the LPS effect on lactotroph proliferation in primary cultures from experimental pituitary tumors, and examined the involvement of PI3K-Akt and NF-?B activation in this effect. In addition, the role of 17?-estradiol as a possible modulator of LPS-induced PRL cell proliferation was further investigated. In estrogen-induced hyperplasic pituitaries, LPS triggered lactotroph cell proliferation. However, endotoxin failed to increase the number of lactotrophs taking up BrdU in normal pituitaries. Moreover, incubation with anti-TLR4 antibody significantly reduced LPS-induced lactotroph proliferation, suggesting a functional role of this receptor. As a sign of TLR4 activation, an LPS challenge increased IL-6 release in normal and tumoral cells. By flow cytometry, TLR4 baseline expression was revealed at the plasma membrane of tumoral lactotrophs, without changes noted in the percentage of double PRL/TLR4 positive cells after LPS stimulus. Increases in TLR4 intracellular expression were detected as well as rises in CD14, p-Akt and NF-?B after an LPS challenge, as assessed by western blotting. The TLR4/PRL and PRL/NF-?B co-localization was also corroborated by immunofluorescence and the involvement of PI3K/Akt signaling in lactotroph proliferation and IL-6 release was revealed through the PI3K inhibitor Ly-294002. In addition, 17?-estradiol attenuated the LPS-evoked increase in tumoral lactotroph proliferation and IL-6 release. Collectively these results demonstrate the presence of functional TLR4 in lactotrophs from estrogen-induced hyperplasic pituitaries, which responded to the proliferative stimulation and IL-6 release induced by LPS through TLR4/CD14, with a contribution of the PI3K-Akt and NF-?B signaling pathways. - Highlights: Ģ In hyperplastic pituitaries, LPS triggered the lactotroph cell proliferation and IL-6 release. Ģ Functional Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is expressed at the plasma membrane of tumoral lactotrophs. Ģ Increases in TLR4 and CD14 intracellular expression levels were detected after an LPS challenge. Ģ The proliferative stimulation and IL-6 release involved the PI3K-Akt pathway and NF-?B activation. Ģ 17?-estradiol attenuated the LPS-evoked tumoral lactotroph proliferation and IL-6 secretion.
Search for [C II] emission in z = 6.5-11 star-forming galaxies
Gonzßlez-L¾pez, Jorge; Infante, Leopoldo; Riechers, Dominik A. E-mail: email@example.com; and others
We present the search for the [C II] emission line in three z > 6.5 Ly? emitters (LAEs) and one J-dropout galaxy using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy and the Plateau de Bure Interferometer. We observed three bright z ? 6.5-7 LAEs discovered in the Subaru Deep Field (SDF) and the multiple imaged lensed z ? 11 galaxy candidate found behind the galaxy cluster MACSJ0647.7+7015. For the LAEs IOK-1 (z = 6.965), SDF J132415.7+273058 (z = 6.541), and SDF J132408.3+271543 (z = 6.554) we find upper limits for the [C II] line luminosity of <2.05, <4.52, and <10.56 ū 10{sup 8} L {sub ?}, respectively. We find upper limits to the far-IR (FIR) luminosity of the galaxies using a spectral energy distribution template of the local galaxy NGC 6946 and taking into account the effects of the cosmic microwave background on the millimeter observations. For IOK-1, SDF J132415.7+273058, and SDF J132408.3+271543 we find upper limits for the FIR luminosity of <2.33, 3.79, and 7.72 ū 10{sup 11} L {sub ?}, respectively. For the lensed galaxy MACS0647-JD, one of the highest-redshift galaxy candidates to date with z{sub ph}=10.7{sub ?0.4}{sup +0.6}, we put an upper limit in the [C II] emission of <1.36 ū 10{sup 8} ū (?/15){sup ¢1} L {sub ?} and an upper limit in the FIR luminosity of <6.1 ū 10{sup 10} ū (?/15){sup ¢1} L {sub ?} (where ? is the magnification factor). We explore the different conditions relevant for the search for [C II] emission in high-redshift galaxies as well as the difficulties for future observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope (CCAT).
Kacprzak, Glenn G.; Cooke, Jeff; Martin, Crystal L.; Ho, Stephanie H.; Bouchķ, Nicolas; LeReun, Audrey; Schroetter, Ilane; Churchill, Christopher W.; Klimek, Elizabeth
We present the first observation of a galaxy (z = 0.2) that exhibits metal-line absorption back-illuminated by the galaxy (down-the-barrel) and transversely by a background quasar at a projected distance of 58 kpc. Both absorption systems, traced by Mg II, are blueshifted relative to the galaxy systemic velocity. The quasar sight line, which resides almost directly along the projected minor axis of the galaxy, probes Mg I and Mg II absorption obtained from the Keck/Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer as well as Ly?, Si II, and Si III absorption obtained from the Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. For the first time, we combine two independent models used to quantify the outflow properties for down-the-barrel and transverse absorption. We find that the modeled down-the-barrel deprojected outflow velocities range between V {sub dtb} = 45-255 km s{sup ¢1}. The transverse bi-conical outflow model, assuming constant-velocity flows perpendicular to the disk, requires wind velocities V {sub outflow} = 40-80 km s{sup ¢1} to reproduce the transverse Mg II absorption kinematics, which is consistent with the range of V {sub dtb}. The galaxy has a metallicity, derived from H? and N II, of [O/H] = ¢0.21 ▒ 0.08, whereas the transverse absorption has [X/H] = ¢1.12 ▒ 0.02. The galaxy star formation rate is constrained between 4.6-15 M {sub ?} yr{sup ¢1} while the estimated outflow rate ranges between 1.6-4.2 M {sub ?} yr{sup ¢1} and yields a wind loading factor ranging between 0.1-0.9. The galaxy and gas metallicities, the galaxy-quasar sight-line geometry, and the down-the-barrel and transverse modeled outflow velocities collectively suggest that the transverse gas originates from ongoing outflowing material from the galaxy. The ?1 dex decrease in metallicity from the base of the outflow to the outer halo suggests metal dilution of the gas by the time it reached 58 kpc.
The Citizen Cyberscience Lectures - 1) Mobile phones and Africa: a success story 2) Citizen Problem Solving
Mobile phones and Africa: a success story Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Mo Ibrahim Foundation Citizen Problem Solving Dr. Alpheus Bingham, InnoCentive The Citizen Cyberscience Lectures are hosted by the partners of the Citizen Cyberscience Centre, CERN, The UN Institute of Training and Research and the University of Geneva. The goal of the Lectures is to provide an inspirational forum for participants from the various international organizations and academic institutions in Geneva to explore how information technology is enabling greater citizen participation in tackling global development challenges as well as global scientific research. The first Citizen Cyberscience Lectures will welcome two speakers who have both made major innovative contributions in this area. Dr. Mo Ibrahim, founder of Celtel International, one of Africa?s most successful mobile network operators, will talk about ?Mobile phones and Africa: a success story?. Dr. Alpheus Bingham, founder of InnoCentive, a Web-based community that solves industrial R&D; challenges, will discuss ?Citizen Problem Solving?. The Citizen Cyberscience Lectures are open and free of charge. Participants from outside CERN must register by sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.com BEFORE the 23rd october to be able to access CERN. THE LECTURES Mobile phones and Africa: a success story Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Mo Ibrahim Foundation Abstract The introduction of mobile phones into Africa changed the continent, enabling business and the commercial sector, creating directly and indirectly, millions of jobs. It enriched the social lives of many people. Surprisingly, it supported the emerging civil society and advanced the course of democracy Bio Dr Mo Ibrahim is a global expert in mobile communications with a distinguished academic and business career. In 1998, Dr Ibrahim founded Celtel International to build and operate mobile networks in Africa. Celtel became one of Africa?s most successful companies with operations in 15 countries, covering more than a third of the continent?s population and investing more than US$750 million in Africa. The company was sold to MTC Kuwait in 2005 for $3.4billion. In 2006 Dr Ibrahim established the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to support great African leadership. The Foundation focuses on two major initiatives to stimulate debate around, and improve the quality of, governance in Africa. The Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership recognises and celebrates excellence; and the Ibrahim Index of African Governance provides civil society with a comprehensive and quantifiable tool to promote government accountability. Dr Ibrahim is also Founding Chairman of Satya Capital Ltd, an investment company focused on opportunities in Africa. Dr Ibrahim has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of Birmingham and De Montfort University, Leicester as well as an Honorary Fellowship Award from the London Business School. He has also received the Chairman?s Award for Lifetime Achievement from the GSM Association in 2007 and the Economists Innovation Award 2007 for Social & Economic Innovation. In 2008 Dr Ibrahim was presented with the BNP Paribas Prize for Philanthropy, and also listed by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Citizen Problem Solving Dr. Alpheus Bingham, InnoCentive Abstract American playwright Damien Runyon (Guys and Dolls) once remarked, "the race is not always to the swift, nor the victory to the strong -- but that IS how you bet." Not only does a system of race handicapping follow from this logic, but the whole notion of expertise and technical qualifications. Such 'credentials' allow one to 'bet' on who might most likely solve a difficult challenge, whether as consultant, contractor or employee. Of course, the approach would differ if one were allowed to bet AFTER the race. When such systems came into broad use, i.e., chat rooms, usenets, innocentive, etc., and were subsequently studied, it was often found that the greatest probability of solution lies in the "long tail" of the function rather than in the head representing formally vetted 'experts.' Insight into a problem is often the intersection of training, experience, metaphor and provocation (think Archimedes). Examples of "citizens" outside a targeted field of expertise providing uniques solutions will illustrate the principles involved. Bio Dr. Alph Bingham is a pioneer in the field of open innovation and an advocate of collaborative approaches to research and development. He is co-founder, and former president and chief executive officer of InnoCentive Inc., a Web-based community that matches companies facing R&D; challenges with scientists who propose solutions. Through InnoCentive, a platform that leverages the ability to connect to a whole planet of people through the Internet, organizations can access individuals ? problem solvers ? who might never have been found. Alph spent more than 25 years with Eli Lilly and Company, and offers deep experience in pharmaceutical research and development, research acquisitions and collaborations, and R&D; strategic planning. During his career he was instrumental in creating and developing Eli Lilly's portfolio management process as well as establishing the divisions of Research Acquisitions, the Office of Alliance Management and e.Lilly, a business innovation unit, from which various other ventures were spun out that create the advantages of open and networked organizational structures, including: InnoCentive, YourEncore, Inc., Coalesix, Inc., Maaguzi, Inc., Indigo Biosystems, Seriosity, Chorus and Collaborative Drug Discovery, Inc. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of InnoCentive, Inc., and Collaborative Drug Discovery, Inc.; the advisory boards of the Center for Collective Intelligence (MIT), and the Business Innovation Factory, as well as a member of the board of trustees of the Bankinter Foundation for Innovation in Madrid. He has lectured extensively at both national and international events and serves as a Visiting Scholar at the National Center for Supercomputing Application at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He is also the former chairman of the Board of Editors of the Research Technology Management Journal. Dr. Bingham was the recipient of the Economist's Fourth Annual Innovation Summit "Business Process Award" for InnoCentive. He was also named as one of Project Management Institute's "Power 50" leaders in October 2005. Dr. Bingham received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Stanford University.
Engineered Nano-scale Ceramic Supports for PEM Fuel Cells. Tech Team Meeting Presentaion
Brosha, Eric L.; Elbaz Alon, Lior; Henson, Neil J.; Rockward, Tommy; Roy, Aaron; Serov, Alexey; Ward, Timothy
Catalyst support durability is currently a technical barrier for commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, especially for transportation applications. Degradation and corrosion of the conventional carbon supports leads to losses in active catalyst surface area and, consequently, reduced performance. As a result, the goal of this work is to develop support materials that interact strongly with Pt, yet sustain bulk-like catalytic activities with very highly dispersed particles. Ceramic materials that are prepared using conventional solid-state methods have large grain sizes and low surface areas that can only be minimally ameliorated through grinding and ball milling. Other synthesis routes to produce ceramic materials must be investigated and utilized in order to obtain desired surface areas. In this work, several different synthesis methods are being utilized to prepare electronically conductive ceramic boride, nitride, and oxide materials with high surface areas and have the potential for use as PEMFC catalyst supports. Polymer-assisted deposition (PAD) and aerosol-through plasma (A-T-P) torch are among several methods used to obtain ceramic materials with surface areas that are equal to, or exceed Vulcan XC-72R supports. Cubic Mo-based ceramic phases have been prepared with average XRD-determined crystallite sizes as low as 1.6 nm (from full profile, XRD fitting) and a BET surface area exceeding 200 m{sup 2}/g. Additionally, black, sub-stoichiometric TiO{sub 2-x}, have been prepared with an average crystallite size in the 4 nm range and surface areas exceeding 250 m{sup 2}/gr. Pt disposition using an incipient wetness approach produced materials with activity for hydrogen redox reactions and ORR. Cyclic voltammetry data will be shown for a variety of potential Pt/ceramic catalysts. Initial experiments indicate enhanced Pt metal-support interactions as well. Plane wave periodic density functional calculations (VASP) are being used to predict the thermodynamic and activation barriers for fundamental electrode processes occurring at platinum surfaces supported on thin films of the ceramic support materials. The results of this work will be used in order to optimize support properties.
Mineral-Surfactant Interactions for Minimum Reagents Precipitation and Adsorption for Improved Oil Recovery
P. Somasundaran
Chemical EOR can be an effective method for increasing oil recovery and reducing the amount of produced water; however, reservoir fluids are chemically complex and may react adversely to the polymers and surfactants injected into the reservoir. While a major goal is to alter rock wettability and interfacial tension between oil and water, rock-fluid and fluid-fluid interactions must be understood and controlled to minimize reagent loss, maximize recovery and mitigate costly failures. The overall objective of this project was to elucidate the mechanisms of interactions between polymers/surfactants and the mineral surfaces responsible for determining the chemical loss due to adsorption and precipitation in EOR processes. The role of dissolved inorganic species that are dependent on the mineralogy is investigated with respect to their effects on adsorption. Adsorption, wettability and interfacial tension are studied with the aim to control chemical losses, the ultimate goal being to devise schemes to develop guidelines for surfactant and polymer selection in EOR. The adsorption behavior of mixed polymer/surfactant and surfactant/surfactant systems on typical reservoir minerals (quartz, alumina, calcite, dolomite, kaolinite, gypsum, pyrite, etc.) was correlated to their molecular structures, intermolecular interactions and the solution conditions such as pH and/or salinity. Predictive models as well as general guidelines for the use of polymer/surfactant surfactant/surfactant system in EOR have been developed The following tasks have been completed under the scope of the project: (1) Mineral characterization, in terms of SEM, BET, size, surface charge, and point zero charge. (2) Study of the interactions among typical reservoir minerals (quartz, alumina, calcite, dolomite, kaolinite, gypsum, pyrite, etc.) and surfactants and/or polymers in terms of adsorption properties that include both macroscopic (adsorption density, wettability) and microscopic (orientation/conformation of the adsorbed layers), as well as precipitation/abstraction characteristics. (3) Investigation of the role of dissolved species, especially multivalent ions, on interactions between reservoir minerals and surfactants and/or polymers leading to surfactant precipitation or activated adsorption. (4) Solution behavior tests--surface tension, interaction, ultra filtration, and other tests. (5) Surfactant-mineral interactions relative to adsorption, wettability, and electrophoresis. (6) Work on the effects of multivalent ions, pH, temperature, salinity, and mixing ratio on the adsorption. Developments of adsorption models to explain interactions between surfactants/polymers/minerals. (7) General guidelines for the use of certain surfactants, polymers and their mixtures in micelle flooding processes.
Mesoporous Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanostructured material synthesized by one-step soft-templating: A magnetic study
Poyraz, Altug S.; Kuo, Chung-Hao; Li, Nan; Hines, William A. Perry, David M.; Suib, Steven L.
A combined magnetization and zero-field {sup 59}Co spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study has been carried out on one member of a recently developed class of highly ordered mesoporous nanostructured materials, mesoporous Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} (designated UCT-8, University of Connecticut, mesoporous materials). The material was synthesized using one-step soft-templating by an inverse micelles packing approach. Characterization of UCT-8 by powder x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy reveals that the mesostructure consists of random close-packed Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles ??12?nm in diameter. The N{sub 2} sorption isotherm for UCT-8, which is type IV with a type H1 hysteresis loop, yields a 134 m{sup 2}/g BET surface area and a 7.7?nm BJH desorption pore diameter. The effect of heat treatment on the structure is discussed. The antiferromagnetic Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles have a Nķel temperature T{sub N}?=?27?K, somewhat lower than the bulk. A fit to the Curie-Weiss law over the temperature range 75?K???T???300?K yields an effective magnetic moment of ?{sub eff}?=?4.36??{sub B} for the Co{sup 2+} ions, indicative of some orbital contribution, and a Curie-Weiss temperature ??=??93.5?K, consistent with antiferromagnetic ordering. The inter-sublattice and intra-sublattice exchange constants for the Co{sup 2+} ions are J{sub 1}/k{sub B}?=?(?)4.75?K and J{sub 2}/k{sub B}?=?(?)0.87?K, respectively, both corresponding to antiferromagnetic coupling. The presence of uncompensated surface spins is observed below T{sub N} with shifts in the hysteresis loops, i.e., an exchange-bias effect. The {sup 59}Co NMR spectrum for UCT-8, which is attributed to Co{sup 2+} ions at the tetrahedral A sites, is asymmetrically broadened with a peak at ?55?MHz (T?=?4.2?K). Since there is cubic symmetry at the A-sites, the broadening is indicative of a magnetic field distribution due to the uncompensated surface spins. The spectrum is consistent with antiferromagnetically ordered particles that are nanometer in size and single domain.
Kinetic Model Development for the Combustion of Particulate Matter from Conventional and Soy Methyl Ester Diesel Fuels
Strzelec, Andrea
The primary objective of this research has been to investigate how the oxidation characteristics of diesel particulate matter (PM) are affected by blending soy-based biodiesel fuel with conventional ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel. PM produced in a light duty engine from different biodiesel-conventional fuel blends was subjected to a range of physical and chemical measurements in order to better understand the mechanisms by which fuel-related changes to oxidation reactivity are brought about. These observations were then incorporated into a kinetic model to predict PM oxidation. Nanostructure of the fixed carbon was investigated by HR-TEM and showed that particulates from biodiesel had a more open structure than particulates generated from conventional diesel fuel, which was confirmed by BET surface area measurements. Surface area evolution with extent of oxidation reaction was measured for PM from ULSD and biodiesel. Biodiesel particulate has a significantly larger surface area for the first 40% of conversion, at which point the samples become quite similar. Oxidation characteristics of nascent PM and the fixed carbon portion were measured by temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) and it was noted that increased biodiesel blending lowered the light-off temperature as well as the temperature where the peak rate of oxidation occurred. A shift in the oxidation profiles of all fuels was seen when the mobile carbon fraction was removed, leaving only the fixed carbon, however the trend in temperature advantage of the biofuel blending remained. The mobile carbon fraction was measured by temperature programmed desorption found to generally increase with increasing biodiesel blend level. The relative change in the light-off temperatures for the nascent and fixed carbon samples was found to be related to the fraction of mobile carbon. Effective Arrhenius parameters for fixed carbon oxidation were directly measured with isothermal, differential oxidation experiments. Normalizing the reaction rate to the total carbon surface area available for reaction allowed for the definition of a single reaction rate with constant activation energy (112.5 {+-} 5.8 kJ/mol) for the oxidation of PM, independent of its fuel source. A kinetic model incorporating the surface area dependence of fixed carbon oxidation rate and the impact of the mobile carbon fraction was constructed and validated against experimental data.
CTAB-assisted ultrasonic synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties of WO{sub 3}
Sßnchez-MartĒnez, D. Gomez-Solis, C.; Torres-Martinez, Leticia M.
Highlights: Ģ WO{sub 3} 2D nanostructures were synthesized by ultrasound method assisted with CTAB. Ģ WO{sub 3} morphology was mainly of rectangular nanoplates with a thickness of ?50 nm. Ģ The highest surface area value of WO{sub 3} was obtained to lowest concentration of CTAB. Ģ WO{sub 3} activity was attributed to morphology, surface area and the addition of CTAB. Ģ WO{sub 3} nanoplates were able to causing almost complete mineralization of rhB and IC. - Abstract: WO{sub 3} 2D nanostructures have been prepared by ultrasound synthesis method assisted with CTAB using different molar ratios. The formation of monoclinic crystal structure of WO{sub 3} was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The characterization of the WO{sub 3} samples was complemented by analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which revealed morphology mainly of rectangular nanoplates with a thickness of around 50 nm and length of 100¢500 nm. Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to confirm the elimination of the CTAB in the synthesized samples. The specific surface area was determinate by the BET method and by means of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) it was determinate the band-gap energy (E{sub g}) of the WO{sub 3} samples. The photocatalytic activity of the WO{sub 3} oxide was evaluated in the degradation reactions of rhodamine B (rhB) and indigo carmine (IC) under Xenon lamp irradiation. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed in the samples containing low concentration of CTAB with morphology of rectangular nanoplates and with higher surface area value than commercial WO{sub 3}. Photodegradation of rhB and IC were followed by means of UV¢vis absorption spectra. The mineralization degree of organic dyes by WO{sub 3} photocatalyst was determined by total organic carbon analysis (TOC) reaching percentages of mineralization of 92% for rhB and 50% for IC after 96 h of lamp irradiation.
Effect of calcination temperature on structural and photocatalyst properties of nanofibers prepared from low-cost natural ilmenite mineral by simple hydrothermal method
Simpraditpan, Athapon; Wirunmongkol, Thanakorn; Pavasupree, Sorapong; Pecharapa, Wisanu
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: Ģ Nanofibers were prepared from low-cost ilmenite mineral via simple hydrothermal. Ģ High photocatalyst nanofibers were prepared via post heat treatment method. Ģ The nanofibers calcined at 100¢700 ░C for 2 h maintained nanofiber structure. Ģ The calcined nanofibers at 400 ░C showed the highest photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: Titanate nanofibers were synthesized via the hydrothermal method (120 ░C for 72 h) using natural ilmenite mineral (FeTiO{sub 3}) as the starting material. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescent (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET) for specific surface area. The nanofibers were 20¢90 nm in diameter and 2¢7 ?m in length. The as-synthesized nanofibers calcined at 300¢400 ░C showed TiO{sub 2} (B) whereas the nanofibers calcined at 500 ░C revealed a mixture of two phases of TiO{sub 2} (B) and anatase. The nanofibers calcined at high temperature of 600¢1000 ░C showed a mixture of tri-crystalline of anatase, rutile, and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The rutile phase increased with increasing calcination temperature. The nanofibers calcined at 300¢700 ░C maintained their structure while the morphology of the nanofibers calcined at 800¢1000 ░C transformed into submicron rod-like structure. This increase of calcination temperature led to the phase transformation from thermodynamically metastable anatase to the most stable form of rutile phase. The crystallite size of prepared samples increased with increasing calcination temperature. Interestingly, with increasing calcination temperature, the absorption edge of the prepared samples shows an obvious shift to visible light region due to the change of crystallite phase and increased crystallite size. Therefore, the band gap energy of the prepared samples became narrower with increasing calcination temperature. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of the nanofibers calcined at 400 ░C for 2 h was found to be not merely higher than those of the commercially available TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles powders (P-25, JRC-01, and JRC-03) but also the highest of all the samples in this study.
Nature of Catalytic Active Sites Present on the Surface of Advanced Bulk Tantalum Mixed Oxide Photocatalysts
Phivilay, Somphonh; Puretzky, Alexander A; Domen, Kazunari Domen; Wachs, Israel
The most active photocatalyst system for water splitting under UV irradiation (270 nm) is the promoted 0.2%NiO/NaTaO3:2%La photocatalyst with optimized photonic efficiency (P.E.) of 56%, but fundamental issues about the nature of the surface catalytic active sites and their involvement in the photocatalytic process still need to be clarified. This is the first study to apply cutting edge surface spectroscopic analyses to determine the surface nature of tantalum mixed oxide photocatalysts. Surface analysis with HR-XPS (1-3nm) and HS-LEIS (0.3nm) spectroscopy indicates that the NiO and La2O3 promoters are concentrated in the surface region of the bulk NaTaO3 phase. The La2O3 is concentrated on the NaTaO3 outermost surface layers while NiO is distributed throughout the NaTaO3 surface region (1-3nm). Raman and UV-vis spectroscopy revealed that the bulk molecular and electronic structures, respectively, of NaTaO3 were not modified by the addition of the La2O3 and NiO promoters, with La2O3 resulting in a slightly more ordered structure. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy reveals that the addition of La2O3 and NiO produces a greater number of electron traps resulting in the suppression of the recombination of excited electrons/holes. In contrast to earlier reports, the La2O3 is only a textural promoter (increasing the BET surface area ~7x by stabilizing smaller NaTaO3 particles), but causes a ~3x decrease in the specific photocatalytic TORs ( mol H2/m2/h) rate because surface La2O3 blocks exposed catalytic active NaTaO3 sites. The NiO promoter was found to be a potent electronic promoter that enhances the NaTaO3 surface normalized TORs by a factor of ~10-50 and TOF by a factor of ~10. The level of NiO promotion is the same in the absence and presence of La2O3 demonstrating that there is no promotional synergistic interaction between the NiO and La2O3 promoters. This study demonstrates the important contributions of the photocatalyst surface properties to the fundamental molecular/electronic structure-photoactivity relationships of promoted NaTaO3 photocatalysts that were previously not appreciated in the literature.
Synthesis, characterization and electrochemical performance of Al-substituted LiŌééMnOŌéā
Dhital, Chetan; Huq, Ashfia; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans; Manivannan, Ayyakkannu; Torres-Castro, Loraine; Shojan, Jifi; Julien, Christian M.; Katiyar, Ram S.
Li2MnO3 is known to be electrochemically inactive due to Mn in tetravalent oxidation state. Several compositions such as Li2MnO3 , Li1.5Al0.17MnO3, Li1.0Al0.33MnO3 and Li0.5Al0.5MnO3 were synthesized by a solŌĆōgel Pechini method. All the samples were characterized with x-ray diffraction, Raman, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Tap density and BET analyzer. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated the presence of monoclinic phase for pristine Li2MnO3and mixed monoclinic/spinel phases (Li2 - xMn1 - yAlx + yO3 + z) for Al-substituted Li2MnO3compounds. The Al substitution seems to occur both at Li and Mn sites, which could explain the presence of spinel phase. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for Mn 2p orbital reveals a significant decrease in binding energy for Li1.0Al0.33MnO3 and Li0.5Al0.5MnO3 compounds. Cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge cycles and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were also performed. A discharge capacity of 24 mAh g-1 for Li2MnO3, 68 mAh g-1 for Li1.5Al0.17MnO3, 58 mAh g-1 for Li1.0Al0.33MnO3 and 74 mAh g-1 for Li0.5Al0.5MnO3 were obtained. As a result, aluminum substitutions increased the formation of spinel phase which is responsible for cycling.
Vanadium oxide based nanostructured materials for catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of propane : effect of heterometallic centers on the catalyst performance.
Khan, M. I.; Deb, S.; Aydemir, K.; Alwarthan, A. A.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Miller, J. T.; Marshall, C. L.
Catalytic properties of a series of new class of catalysts materials-[Co{sub 3}(H{sub 2}O){sub 12}V{sub 18}O{sub 42} (XO{sub 4})].24H{sub 2}O (VNM-Co), [Fe{sub 3}(H{sub 2}O){sub 12}V{sub 18}O{sub 42}(XO{sub 4})].24H{sub 2}O (VNM-Fe) (X = V, S) and [H{sub 6}Mn{sub 3}(H{sub 2}O){sub 12}V{sub 18}O{sub 42}(VO{sub 4})].30H{sub 2}O for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane is studied. The open-framework nanostructures in these novel materials consist of three-dimensional arrays of {l_brace}V{sub 18}O{sub 42}(XO{sub 4}){r_brace} (X = V, S) clusters interconnected by {l_brace}-O-M-O-{r_brace} (M = Mn, Fe, Co) linkers. The effect of change in the heterometallic center M (M = Mn, Co, Fe) of the linkers on the catalyst performance was studied. The catalyst material with Co in the linker showed the best performance in terms of propane conversion and selectivity at 350 C. The material containing Fe was most active but least selective and Mn containing catalyst was least active. The catalysts were characterized by Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR), BET surface area measurement, Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy, and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. TPR results show that all three catalysts are easily reducible and therefore are active at relatively low temperature. In situ X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) studies revealed that the oxidation state of Co(II) remained unchanged up to 425 C (even after pretreatment). The reduction of Co(II) into metallic form starts at 425 C and this process is completed at 600 C.
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Magnesium Based Coordination Networks in Different Solvents
Banerjee, Debasis; Finkelstein, Jeffrey; Smirnov, A.; Forster, Paul M.; Borkowski, Lauren A.; Teat, Simon J.; Parise, John B.
Three magnesium based metal-organic frameworks, Mg{sub 3}(3,5-PDC){sub 3}(DMF){sub 3} {center_dot} DMF [1], Mg(3,5-PDC)(H{sub 2}O) {center_dot} (H{sub 2}O) [3], and Mg4(3,5-PDC)4(DMF){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} {center_dot} 2DMF {center_dot} 4.5H{sub 2}O [4], and a 2-D coordination polymer, [Mg(3,5-PDC)(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}] [2] [PDC = pyridinedicarboxylate], were synthesized using a combination of DMF, methanol, ethanol, and water. Compound 1 [space group P2{sub 1}/n, a = 12.3475(5) {angstrom}, b = 11.1929(5) {angstrom}, c = 28.6734(12) {angstrom}, {beta} = 98.8160(10){sup o}, V = 3916.0(3) {angstrom}{sup 3}] consists of a combination of isolated and corner-sharing magnesium octahedra connected by the organic linkers to form a 3-D network with a 12.2 {angstrom} x 4.6 {angstrom} 1-D channel. The channel contains coordinated and free DMF molecules. In compound 2 [space group C2/c, a = 9.964(5) {angstrom}, b = 12.0694(6) {angstrom}, c = 7.2763(4) {angstrom}, {beta} = 106.4970(6){sup o}, V = 836.70(6) {angstrom}{sup 3}], PDC connects isolated seven coordinated magnesium polyhedra into a layered structure. Compound 3 [space group P6{sub 1}22, a = 11.479(1) {angstrom}, c = 14.735(3) {angstrom}, V = 1681.7(4) {angstrom}{sup 3}] (previously reported) contains isolated magnesium octahedra connected by the organic linker with each other forming a 3D network. Compound 4 [space group P2{sub 1}/c, a = 13.7442(14) {angstrom}, b = 14.2887(15) {angstrom}, c = 14.1178(14) {angstrom}, {beta} = 104.912(2){sup o}, V = 2679.2(5) {angstrom}{sup 3}] also exhibits a 3D network based on isolated magnesium octahedra with square cavities containing both disordered DMF and water molecules. The structural topologies originate due to the variable coordination ability of solvent molecules with the metal center. Water molecules coordinate with the magnesium metal centers preferably over other polar solvents (DMF, methanol, ethanol) used to synthesize the coordination networks. Despite testing multiple desolvation routes, we were unable to measure BET surface areas greater than 51.9 m{sup 2}/g for compound 1.
Functionalization/passivation of porous graphitic carbon with di-tert-amylperoxide
Jensen, David S.; Gupta, Vipul; Olsen, Rebecca E.; Miller, Alex T.; Davis, Robert C.; Ess, Daniel; Zhu, Zihua; Vail, Michael A.; Dadson, Andrew; Linford, Matthew R.
Porous graphitic carbon (PGC) particles were functionalized/passivated in situ in packed beds at elevated temperature with neat di-tert-amylperoxide (DTAP) in a column oven. The performance of these particles for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was assayed before and after this chemistry with the following analytes: benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, n-propyl benzene, n-butyl benzene, p-xylene, phenol, 4-methylphenol, phenetole, 3,5-xylenol, and anisole. After the first functionalization/passivation, the retention factors, k, of these compounds decreased by about 5% and the number of theoretical plates (N) increased by ca. 15%. These values of k then remained roughly constant after a second functionalization/ passivation but a further increase in N was noticed. In addition, after each of the reactions, the peak asymmetries decreased by ca. 15%, for a total of ca. 30%. The columns were then subjected twice to methanol at 100 C for 5 h at 1 mL/min. After these stability tests, the values of k remained roughly constant, the number of plates increased, which is favorable, and the asymmetries rose and then declined, where they remained below the initial values for the unfunctionalized columns. Functionalized and unfunctionalized particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and BET measurements, which showed no difference between the functionalized and unfunctionalized materials, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), where ToF-SIMS suggested some chemical differences between the functionalized and unfunctionalized materials. In particular ToF-SIMS suggested that the expected five-carbon fragments from DTAP exist at higher concentrations on DTAP-functionalized PGC. First principle calculations on model graphitic surfaces suggest that the first addition of a DTAP radical to the surface proceeds in an approximately isothermal or slightly favorable fashion, but that subsequent DTAP additions are then increasingly thermodynamically favorable. Thus, this analysis suggests that the direct functionalization/passivation of PGC with DTAP is plausible. Chemometric analyses of the chromatographic and ToF-SIMS data are also presented.
Manos Mavrikakis; James A. Dumesic; Amit A. Gokhale; Rahul P. Nabar; Calvin H. Bartholomew; Hu Zou; Brian Critchfield
Efforts during this first year focused on four areas: (1) searching/summarizing published FTS mechanistic and kinetic studies of FTS reactions on iron catalysts; (2) construction of mass spectrometer-TPD and Berty CSTR reactor systems; (3) preparation and characterization of unsupported iron and alumina-supported iron catalysts at various iron loadings (4) Determination of thermochemical parameters such as binding energies of reactive intermediates, heat of FTS elementary reaction steps, and kinetic parameters such as activation energies, and frequency factors of FTS elementary reaction steps on a number of model surfaces. Literature describing mechanistic and kinetic studies of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on iron catalysts was compiled in a draft review. Construction of the mass spectrometer-TPD system is 90% complete and of a Berty CSTR reactor system 98% complete. Three unsupported iron catalysts and three alumina-supported iron catalysts were prepared by nonaqueous-evaporative deposition (NED) or aqueous impregnation (AI) and characterized by chemisorption, BET, extent-of-reduction, XRD, and TEM methods. These catalysts, covering a wide range of dispersions and metal loadings, are well-reduced and relatively thermally stable up to 500-600 C in H{sub 2}, thus ideal for kinetic and mechanistic studies. The alumina-supported iron catalysts will be used for kinetic and mechanistic studies. In the coming year, adsorption/desorption properties, rates of elementary steps, and global reaction rates will be measured for these catalysts, with and without promoters, providing a database for understanding effects of dispersion, metal loading, and support on elementary kinetic parameters and for validation of computational models that incorporate effects of surface structure and promoters. Furthermore, using state-of-the-art self-consistent Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods, we have extensively studied the thermochemistry and kinetics of various elementary steps on three different model surfaces: (1) Fe(110), (2) Fe(110) modified by subsurface C, and (3) Fe surface modified with Pt adatoms. These studies have yielded valuable insights into the reactivity of Fe surfaces for FTS, and provided accurate estimates for the effect of Fe modifiers such as subsurface C and surface Pt.
Kuila, Debasish; Ilias, Shamsuddin
In steam reforming reactions (SRRs) of alkanes and alcohols to produce H{sub 2}, noble metals such as platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) are extensively used as catalyst. These metals are expensive; so, to reduce noble-metal loading, bi-metallic nanocatalysts containing non-noble metals in MCM-41 (Mobil Composition of Material No. 41, a mesoporous material) as a support material with high-surface area were synthesized using one-pot hydrothermal procedure with a surfactant such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a template. Bi-metallic nanocatalysts of Pd-Ni and Pd-Co with varying metal loadings in MCM-41 were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), N{sub 2} adsorption, and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The BET surface area of MCM-41 (~1000 m{sup 2}/g) containing metal nanoparticles decreases with the increase in metal loading. The FTIR studies confirm strong interaction between Si-O-M (M = Pd, Ni, Co) units and successful inclusion of metal into the mesoporous silica matrix. The catalyst activities were examined in steam reforming of methanol (SRM) reactions to produce hydrogen. Reference tests using catalysts containing individual metals (Pd, Ni and Co) were also performed to investigate the effect of the bimetallic system on the catalytic behavior in the SRM reactions. The bimetallic system remarkably improves the hydrogen selectivity, methanol conversion and stability of the catalyst. The results are consistent with a synergistic behavior for the Pd-Ni-bimetallic system. The performance, durability and thermal stability of the Pd-Ni/MCM-41 and Pd-Co/MCM-41 suggest that these materials may be promising catalysts for hydrogen production from biofuels. A part of this work for synthesis and characterization of Pd-Ni-MCM-41 and its activity for SRM reactions has been published (ŌĆ£Development of Mesoporous Silica Encapsulated Pd-Ni Nanocatalyst for Hydrogen ProductionŌĆØ in ŌĆ£Production and Purification of Ultraclean Transportation FuelsŌĆØ; Hu, Y., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2011.)
Effect of ZrO{sub 2}-doping of nanosized Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/MgO system on its structural, surface and catalytic properties
Hassan, Neveen A.; El-Molla, Sahar A.; Mohamed, Ghada M.; Fagal, Gehan A.
Highlights: ? Preparation and characterization nano-sized ZrO{sub 2}-doped Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/MgO system. ? Pure and doped solids calcined at 500 and 700 ░C are mesoporous adsorbents. ? ZrO{sub 2}-doping increased the lattice constant ōaö of MgO lattice to an extent proportional to the amount of ZrO{sub 2} added. ? The catalytic activity in H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decomposition was found to increase as a function of dopant concentration. -- Abstract: Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/MgO system was prepared by wet impregnation method followed by treatment with different amounts of Zr-dopant salt then heating at 500 and 700 ░C. The dopant concentrations were 0.48, 0.95 and 1.4 mol% ZrO{sub 2}. Pure and variously doped solids were characterized using XRD, N{sub 2}-adsorption isotherms carried out at ?196 ░C and catalytic decomposition of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} in aqueous solution at 25¢35 ░C. The results revealed that the nanosized MgO phase was only detected in the diffractograms of pure and doped solids calcined at 500 ░C. Heating pure and doped solids at 700 ░C produced nanosized MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} phase together with MgO phase. Pure and ZrO{sub 2}-doped solids calcined at 500 and 700 ░C are mesoporous adsorbents. The doping process brought about a measurable decrease in the S{sub BET} of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/MgO system with subsequent increase in its catalytic activity. The catalytic activity of the investigated system toward H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decomposition, expressed as reaction rate constant per unit surface area was found to increase as a function of dopant concentration. The maximum increase in the reaction rate constant per unit surface area measured for the reaction carried out at 30 ░C attained 125% for the heavily doped samples. This significant increase was based on the catalytic activity of pure catalyst sample measured under the same conditions.
Effect of La{sub 2}O{sub 3}-treatment on textural and solid-solid interactions in ferric/cobaltic oxides system
Fagal, Gehan A.; Badawy, Abdelrahman A.; Hassan, Neven A.; El-Shobaky, Gamil A.
Pure and La{sub 2}O{sub 3}-containing (0.75-3.0 mol%) Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} solids were prepared by thermal treatment of their carbonates at 500-700 Degree-Sign C. The produced solids were characterized using XRD, HRTEM, EDX and nitrogen adsorption at -196 Degree-Sign C. The results revealed that pure solids calcined at 600 and 700 Degree-Sign C consisted of nanosized CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} phase, while pure mixed solids calcined at 500 Degree-Sign C consisted of trace amount of CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and unreacted Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} phases. The presence of 0.75 mol% La{sub 2}O{sub 3} enhanced solid-solid interaction between Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} at 500 Degree-Sign C yielding CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. The ferrite phase existed also in all mixed oxides upon treated with La{sub 2}O{sub 3} besides LaCoO{sub 3} phase. LaCoO{sub 3} existed as a major phase in all mixed oxides treated with 3 mol% La{sub 2}O{sub 3}. La{sub 2}O{sub 3}-treatment modified the crystallite size of all phases present to an extent dependent on calcination temperature and amount of La{sub 2}O{sub 3} content. This treatment decreased effectively the S{sub BET} of all mixed solids. - Graphical Abstract: TEM photographs of pure mixed oxides calcined at 500 Degree-Sign C. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cobalt ferrite exhibit chemical stability, low electric loss and high coercivity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cobalt ferrite is used in microwave devices, computer memories and magnetic storage. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Solid-solid interactions in ferric/cobaltic oxides system were investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer La{sub 2}O{sub 3}-treatment modified surface compositions of the system investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer All phases present in various solids existed as nanosized solids.
Tungsten carbide/porous carbon composite as superior support for platinum catalyst toward methanol electro-oxidation
Jiang, Liming; Fu, Honggang; Wang, Lei; Mu, Guang; Jiang, Baojiang; Zhou, Wei; Wang, Ruihong
Graphical abstract: The WC nanoparticles are well dispersed in the carbon matrix. The size of WC nanoparticles is about 30 nm. It can be concluded that tungsten carbide and carbon composite was successfully prepared by the present synthesis conditions. - Highlights: Ģ The WC/PC composite with high specific surface area was prepared by a simple way. Ģ The Pt/WC/PC catalyst has superior performance toward methanol electro-oxidation. Ģ The current density for methanol electro-oxidation is as high as 595.93 A g{sup ?1} Pt. Ģ The Pt/WC/PC catalyst shows better durability and stronger CO electro-oxidation. Ģ The performance of Pt/WC/PC is superior to the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. - Abstract: Tungsten carbide/porous carbon (WC/PC) composites have been successfully synthesized through a surfactant assisted evaporation-induced-assembly method, followed by a thermal treatment process. In particular, WC/PC-35-1000 composite with tungsten content of 35% synthesized at the carbonized temperature of 1000 ░C, exhibited a specific surface area (S{sub BET}) of 457.92 m{sup 2} g{sup ?1}. After loading Pt nanoparticles (NPs), the obtained Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst exhibits the highest unit mass electroactivity (595.93 A g{sup ?1} Pt) toward methanol electro-oxidation, which is about 2.6 times as that of the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. Furthermore, the Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst displays much stronger resistance to CO poisoning and better durability toward methanol electrooxidation compared with the commercial Pt/C (JM) catalyst. The high electrocatalytic activity, strong poison-resistivity and good stability of Pt/WC/PC-35-1000 catalyst are attributed to the porous structures and high specific surface area of WC/PC support could facilitate the rapid mass transportation. Moreover, synergistic effect between WC and Pt NPs is favorable to the higher catalytic performance.
Calibration of a Neutron Hydroprobe for Moisture Measurements in Small-Diameter Steel-Cased Boreholes
Ward, Anderson L.; Wittman, Richard S.
Computation of soil moisture content from thermalized neutron counts for the T-Farm Interim cover requires a calibration relationship but none exists for 2-in tubes. A number of calibration options are available for the neutron probe, including vendor calibration, field calibration, but none of these methods were deemed appropriate for the configuration of interest. The objective of this work was to develop a calibration relation for converting neutron counts measured in 2-in access tubes to soil water content. The calibration method chosen for this study was a computational approach using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP). Model calibration was performed using field measurements in the Hanford calibration models with 6-in access tubes, in air and in the probe shield. The bet-fit model relating known water content to measured neutron counts was an exponential model that was essentially equivalent to that currently being used for 6-in steel cased wells. The MCNP simulations successfully predicted the neutron count rate for the neutron shield and the three calibration models for which data were collected in the field. However, predictions for air were about 65% lower than the measured counts . This discrepancy can be attributed to uncertainties in the configuration used for the air measurements. MCNP-simulated counts for the physical models were essentially equal to the measured counts with values. Accurate prediction of the response in 6-in casings in the three calibration models was motivation to predict the response in 2-in access tubes. Simulations were performed for six of the seven calibration models as well as 4 virtual models with the entire set covering a moisture range of 0 to 40%. Predicted counts for the calibration models with 2-in access tubes were 40 to 50% higher than in the 6-inch tubes. Predicted counts for water were about 60% higher in the 2-in tube than in the 6-in tube. The discrepancy between the 2-in and 6-in tube can be attributed to the smaller air gap between the probe and the 2-in access tube. The best-fit model relating volumetric water content to count ratio (CR) is of the form e^A x CR^B with A=0.3596 ▒ 0.0216 and B=0.4629 ▒ 0.0629 and r^2= 0.9998. It is recommended that the calibration function based on the count ratio, rather than raw counts, be used to avoid the effects of electronic noise in the probe that may arise due to the conditions at the time of measurement. These results suggest that the MCNP code can be used to extend calibrations for the neutron probe to different conditions including access tube size as well as composition without the need to construct additional physical models.
Development of a new generation of waste form for entrapment and immobilization of highly volatile and soluble radionuclides.
Rodriguez, Mark Andrew; Bencoe, Denise Nora; Brinker, C. Jeffrey; Murphy, Andrew Wilson; Holt, Kathleen Caroline; Turnham, Rigney; Kruichak, Jessica Nicole; Tellez, Hernesto; Miller, Andy; Xiong, Yongliang; Pohl, Phillip Isabio; Ockwig, Nathan W.; Wang, Yifeng; Gao, Huizhen
The United States is now re-assessing its nuclear waste disposal policy and re-evaluating the option of moving away from the current once-through open fuel cycle to a closed fuel cycle. In a closed fuel cycle, used fuels will be reprocessed and useful components such as uranium or transuranics will be recovered for reuse. During this process, a variety of waste streams will be generated. Immobilizing these waste streams into appropriate waste forms for either interim storage or long-term disposal is technically challenging. Highly volatile or soluble radionuclides such as iodine ({sup 129}I) and technetium ({sup 99}Tc) are particularly problematic, because both have long half-lives and can exist as gaseous or anionic species that are highly soluble and poorly sorbed by natural materials. Under the support of Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Laboratory-Directed Research & Development (LDRD), we have developed a suite of inorganic nanocomposite materials (SNL-NCP) that can effectively entrap various radionuclides, especially for {sup 129}I and {sup 99}Tc. In particular, these materials have high sorption capabilities for iodine gas. After the sorption of radionuclides, these materials can be directly converted into nanostructured waste forms. This new generation of waste forms incorporates radionuclides as nano-scale inclusions in a host matrix and thus effectively relaxes the constraint of crystal structure on waste loadings. Therefore, the new waste forms have an unprecedented flexibility to accommodate a wide range of radionuclides with high waste loadings and low leaching rates. Specifically, we have developed a general route for synthesizing nanoporous metal oxides from inexpensive inorganic precursors. More than 300 materials have been synthesized and characterized with x-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area measurements, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The sorption capabilities of the synthesized materials have been quantified by using stable isotopes I and Re as analogs to {sup 129}I and {sup 99}Tc. The results have confirmed our original finding that nanoporous Al oxide and its derivatives have high I sorption capabilities due to the combined effects of surface chemistry and nanopore confinement. We have developed a suite of techniques for the fixation of radionuclides in metal oxide nanopores. The key to this fixation is to chemically convert a target radionuclide into a less volatile or soluble form. We have developed a technique to convert a radionuclide-loaded nanoporous material into a durable glass-ceramic waste form through calcination. We have shown that mixing a radionuclide-loaded getter material with a Na-silicate solution can effectively seal the nanopores in the material, thus enhancing radionuclide retention during waste form formation. Our leaching tests have demonstrated the existence of an optimal vitrification temperature for the enhancement of waste form durability. Our work also indicates that silver may not be needed for I immobilization and encapsulation.
Surface phase of TiO{sub 2} modified with La{sub 2}O{sub 3} and its effect on the photocatalytic H{sub 2} evolution
Zhang, Yangyang [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Liaoning Shihua University, Liaoning, 113001 (China); Zhang, Jing, E-mail: email@example.com [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Liaoning Shihua University, Liaoning, 113001 (China); Xu, Qian [State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, Liaoning (China); Yan, Song; Zhao, Shanlin; Luo, Genxiang [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Liaoning Shihua University, Liaoning, 113001 (China); Li, Can, E-mail: email@example.com [State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, Liaoning (China)
Graphical abstract: The La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2}-900 ░C (or La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ti(OH){sub 4}-900 ░C), with surface anatase phase, show the similar photocatalytic activity. The presence of the surface anatase phase is important for high photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} modified with La{sub 2}O{sub 3} (La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ti(OH){sub 4}-900 ░C or La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ti(OH){sub 4}-900 ░C){sub .} - Highlights: Ģ Loading La{sub 2}O{sub 3} on anatase TiO{sub 2} is an effective method for stabilizing the anatase phases both in the surface and in the bulk region. Ģ The high crystallinity of the surface anatase phase is important for high photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} modified with La{sub 2}O{sub 3.} - Abstract: TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles modified with La{sub 2}O{sub 3} were prepared by an impregnation method using anatase TiO{sub 2} support (La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2}) or amorphous Ti(OH){sub 4} support (La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ti(OH){sub 4}). The bulk and surface crystalline phases of La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} (or La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ti(OH){sub 4}) have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and UV Raman spectroscopy. Besides, morphology and particle size of La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} and La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ti(OH){sub 4} samples have been determined by TEM (transmission electron microscope) and Brunauer¢Emmett¢Teller (BET), respectively. It is found that the phase transformation and increase of the particle size of TiO{sub 2} can be more effectively inhibited in the La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} than in the La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ti(OH){sub 4}. Photocatalytic experiments indicated that the La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} (or La{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Ti(OH){sub 4}) samples with surface anatase phase have the similar overall photocatalytic activities. Moreover, it is found that the high crystallinity of surface anatase phase is benefit for the high photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} modified with La{sub 2}O{sub 3}.
Catalyzed Ceramic Burner Material
Barnes, Amy S., Dr.
Catalyzed combustion offers the advantages of increased fuel efficiency, decreased emissions (both NOx and CO), and an expanded operating range. These performance improvements are related to the ability of the catalyst to stabilize a flame at or within the burner media and to combust fuel at much lower temperatures. This technology has a diverse set of applications in industrial and commercial heating, including boilers for the paper, food and chemical industries. However, wide spread adoption of catalyzed combustion has been limited by the high cost of precious metals needed for the catalyst materials. The primary objective of this project was the development of an innovative catalyzed burner media for commercial and small industrial boiler applications that drastically reduce the unit cost of the catalyzed media without sacrificing the benefits associated with catalyzed combustion. The scope of this program was to identify both the optimum substrate material as well as the best performing catalyst construction to meet or exceed industry standards for durability, cost, energy efficiency, and emissions. It was anticipated that commercial implementation of this technology would result in significant energy savings and reduced emissions. Based on demonstrated achievements, there is a potential to reduce NOx emissions by 40,000 TPY and natural gas consumption by 8.9 TBtu in industries that heavily utilize natural gas for process heating. These industries include food manufacturing, polymer processing, and pulp and paper manufacturing. Initial evaluation of commercial solutions and upcoming EPA regulations suggests that small to midsized boilers in industrial and commercial markets could possibly see the greatest benefit from this technology. While out of scope for the current program, an extension of this technology could also be applied to catalytic oxidation for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Considerable progress has been made over the course of the grant period in accomplishing these objectives. Our work in the area of Pd-based, methane oxidation catalysts has led to the development of highly active catalysts with relatively low loadings of Pd metal using proprietary coating methods. The thermal stability of these Pd-based catalysts were characterized using SEM and BET analyses, further demonstrating that certain catalyst supports offer enhanced stability toward both PdO decomposition and/or thermal sintering/growth of Pd particles. When applied to commercially available fiber mesh substrates (both metallic and ceramic) and tested in an open-air burner, these catalyst-support chemistries showed modest improvements in the NOx emissions and radiant output compared to uncatalyzed substrates. More significant, though, was the performance of the catalyst-support chemistries on novel media substrates. These substrates were developed to overcome the limitations that are present with commercially available substrate designs and increase the gas-catalyst contact time. When catalyzed, these substrates demonstrated a 65-75% reduction in NOx emissions across the firing range when tested in an open air burner. In testing in a residential boiler, this translated into NOx emissions of <15 ppm over the 15-150 kBtu/hr firing range.
Atomic-Scale Design of Iron Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts; A Combined Computational Chemistry, Experimental, and Microkinetic Modeling Approach
Manos Mavrikakis; James Dumesic; Rahul Nabar; Calvin Bartholonew; Hu Zou; Uchenna Paul
This work focuses on (1) searching/summarizing published Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) mechanistic and kinetic studies of FTS reactions on iron catalysts; (2) preparation and characterization of unsupported iron catalysts with/without potassium/platinum promoters; (3) measurement of H{sub 2} and CO adsorption/dissociation kinetics on iron catalysts using transient methods; (3) analysis of the transient rate data to calculate kinetic parameters of early elementary steps in FTS; (4) construction of a microkinetic model of FTS on iron, and (5) validation of the model from collection of steady-state rate data for FTS on iron catalysts. Three unsupported iron catalysts and three alumina-supported iron catalysts were prepared by non-aqueous-evaporative deposition (NED) or aqueous impregnation (AI) and characterized by chemisorption, BET, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), extent-of-reduction, XRD, and TEM methods. These catalysts, covering a wide range of dispersions and metal loadings, are well-reduced and relatively thermally stable up to 500-600 C in H{sub 2} and thus ideal for kinetic and mechanistic studies. Kinetic parameters for CO adsorption, CO dissociation, and surface carbon hydrogenation on these catalysts were determined from temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of CO and temperature programmed surface hydrogenation (TPSR), temperature-programmed hydrogenation (TPH), and isothermal, transient hydrogenation (ITH). A microkinetic model was constructed for the early steps in FTS on polycrystalline iron from the kinetic parameters of elementary steps determined experimentally in this work and from literature values. Steady-state rate data were collected in a Berty reactor and used for validation of the microkinetic model. These rate data were fitted to 'smart' Langmuir-Hinshelwood rate expressions derived from a sequence of elementary steps and using a combination of fitted steady-state parameters and parameters specified from the transient measurements. The results provide a platform for further development of microkinetic models of FTS on Fe and a basis for more precise modeling of FTS activity of Fe catalysts. Calculations using periodic, self-consistent Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods were performed on various realistic models of industrial, Fe-based FTS catalysts. Close-packed, most stable Fe(110) facet was analyzed and subsequently carbide formation was found to be facile leading to the choice of the FeC(110) model representing a Fe facet with a sub-surface C atom. The Pt adatom (Fe{sup Pt}(110)) was found to be the most stable model for our studies into Pt promotion and finally the role of steps was elucidated by recourse to the defected Fe(211) facet. Binding Energies(BEs), preferred adsorption sites and geometries for all FTS relevant stable species and intermediates were evaluated on each model catalyst facet. A mechanistic model (comprising of 32 elementary steps involving 19 species) was constructed and each elementary step therein was fully characterized with respect to its thermochemistry and kinetics. Kinetic calculations involved evaluation of the Minimum Energy Pathways (MEPs) and activation energies (barriers) for each step. Vibrational frequencies were evaluated for the preferred adsorption configuration of each species with the aim of evaluating entropy-changes, pre exponential factors and serving as a useful connection with experimental surface science techniques. Comparative analysis among these four facets revealed important trends in their relative behavior and roles in FTS catalysis. Overall the First Principles Calculations afforded us a new insight into FTS catalysis on Fe and modified-Fe catalysts.
Fission Product Sorptivity in Graphite
Tompson, Jr., Robert V.; Loyalka, Sudarshan; Ghosh, Tushar; Viswanath, Dabir; Walton, Kyle; Haffner, Robert
Both adsorption and absorption (sorption) of fission product (FP) gases on/into graphite are issues of interest in very high temperature reactors (VHTRs). In the original proposal, we proposed to use packed beds of graphite particles to measure sorption at a variety of temperatures and to use an electrodynamic balance (EDB) to measure sorption onto single graphite particles (a few ?m in diameter) at room temperature. The use of packed beds at elevated temperature is not an issue. However, the TPOC requested revision of this initial proposal to included single particle measurements at elevated temperatures up to 1100 ░C. To accommodate the desire of NEUP to extend the single particle EDB measurements to elevated temperatures it was necessary to significantly revise the plan and the budget. These revisions were approved. In the EDB method, we levitate a single graphite particle (the size, surface characteristics, morphology, purity, and composition of the particle can be varied) or agglomerate in the balance and measure the sorption of species by observing the changes in mass. This process involves the use of an electron stepping technique to measure the total charge on a particle which, in conjunction with the measured suspension voltages for the particle, allows for determinations of mass and, hence, of mass changes which then correspond to measurements of sorption. Accommodating elevated temperatures with this type of system required a significant system redesign and required additional time that ultimately was not available. These constraints also meant that the grant had to focus on fewer species as a result. Overall, the extension of the original proposed single particle work to elevated temperatures added greatly to the complexity of the proposed project and added greatly to the time that would eventually be required as well. This means that the bulk of the experimental progress was made using the packed bed sorption systems. Only being able to recruit one graduate student meant that data acquisition with the packed bed systems ended up competing for the graduate studentÆs available time with the electrodynamic balance redesign and assembly portions of the project. This competition for available time was eventually mitigated to some extent by the later recruitment of an undergraduate student to help with data collection using the packed bed system. It was only the recruitment of the second student that allowed the single particle balance design and construction efforts to proceed as far as they did during the project period. It should be added that some significant time was also spent by the graduate student cataloging previous work involving graphite. This eventually resulted in a review paper being submitted and accepted (ōAdsorption of Iodine on Graphite in High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Systems: A Review,ö Kyle L. Walton, Tushar K. Ghosh, Dabir S. Viswanath, Sudarshan K. Loyalka, Robert V. Tompson). Our specific revised objectives in this project were as follows: Experimentally obtain isotherms of Iodine for reactor grade IG-110 samples of graphite particles over a range of temperatures and pressures using an EDB and a temperature controlled EDB; Experimentally obtain isotherms of Iodine for reactor grade IG-110 samples of graphite particles over a range of temperatures and pressures using a packed column bed apparatus; Explore the effect that charge has on the adsorption isotherms of iodine by varying the charges on and the voltages used to suspend the microscopic particles in the EDB; and To interpret these results in terms of the existing models (Langmuir, BET, Freundlich, and others) which we will modify as necessary to include charge related effects.
Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO: An efficient visible-light-sensitized composite with its application in photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B
Liu, Wei; School of Chemistry and Material Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000 ; Wang, Mingliang; Xu, Chunxiang; Chen, Shifu; Fu, Xianliang
Graphical abstract: The free OH radicals generated in the VB of ZnO play the primary role in the visible-light photocatalytic degradation of RhB in Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO system. The accumulated electrons in the CB of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} can be transferred to O{sub 2} adsorbed on the surface of the composite semiconductors and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} yields. H{sub 2}O{sub 2} reacts with electrons in succession to produce active ĘOH to some extent. Display Omitted Highlights: ? Efficient visible-light-sensitized Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO composites were successfully prepared. ? Effect of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} content on the catalytic activity of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO is studied in detail. ? Rate constant of RhB degradation over Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}(3.0 wt.%)/ZnO is 3 times that of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}. ? The active species in RhB degradation are examined by adding a series of scavengers. ? Visible light degradation mechanism of RhB over Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO is systematically studied. -- Abstract: The efficient visible-light-sensitized Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO composites with various weight percents of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} were prepared by a facile ball milling method. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, DRS, SEM, EDS, XPS, and BET specific area. The ĘOH radicals produced during the photocatalytic reaction was detected by the TA¢PL technique. The photocatalytic property of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. Significantly, the results revealed that the photocatalytic activity of the composites was much higher than that of pure Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} and ZnO. The rate constant of RhB degradation over Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}(3.0 wt.%)/ZnO is 3 times that of single-phase Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}. The optimal percentage of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} in the composite is 3.0 wt.%. It is proposed that the ĘOH radicals produced in the valence band of ZnO play the leading role in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B by Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO systems under visible light irradiation.
QER- Comment of Liberty Goodwin
Broader source: Energy.gov [DOE]
As suggested by Sen. Jack Reed, below and attached are my comments on energy policy for now and the future: ***************************************************************************** AN OUTLINE FOR PRACTICAL & FRUITFUL ENERGY DEVELOPMENT WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SENSIBLE PUBLIC INVESTMENT (Thoughts on intelligent action for energy that is abundant, affordable, associated with many jobs and economic health in New England and the nation) ** CLINGING TO OUTMODED & DESTRUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES ŌĆō WE DON'T NEED TO ARGUE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE TO SEE THE WAY FORWARD 1. Fossil fuels and nuclear have clear and present dangers and damaging effects, on human and environmental health. This includes the uncontestable pollution involved in production and use, and the risks of greater disasters, along with concerns about toxic waste that can contaminate our water and more. 2. Renewable sources offer a vast number of possibilities for energy production for a variety of uses. To not explore them is wasteful. To stick to same-old, same-old is foolish, and will leave us at the rear of the pack re: future energy development. **SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL ŌĆō LESS RISKY ŌĆō MORE PRODUCTIVE ŌĆō MORE LOCAL 1 Solyndra is the bad apple that makes the point. Because something costs millions, or even billions of dollars doesn't mean it is the way to achieve huge results. The only thing that is huge about propping up mega-corporations is the risk. 2 Making the money available in far smaller amounts to a variety of solar efforts is both less risky and more promising ŌĆō gives more chance of positive results. And, to anyone who can do the math ŌĆō millions of small installations is as productive as one giant. 3 Smaller projects tend to be more labor-intensive ŌĆō and offer local employment in a bunch of different places, benefiting the economies of all. **BENEFICIAL INNOVATION IS NOT BORN IN A CORPORATE THINK TANK, BUT IN THE MINDS OF INDIVIDUAL GENIUSES. 1. History tells us that great inventions have been developed by unknowns working in garages, bike shops, etc. We need to look beyond the elite in corporate money tanks and prestigious academia to find the gems in our own backyards. 2. One such, Paul Klinkman, has at least 50 inventions on hand, is developing several, has one patent and a few more in process, most related to alternative energy production. 3. The point is that we would find many like him ŌĆō if we would only look. 4. Also, we should be seeking not just new technologies, but new business models. Check out the example from our greenhouse flyer, below. **SAVVY INVESTORS DON'T PUT THE BULK OF THEIR FORTUNES IN JUST A COUPLE OF STOCKS. THEY SPREAD THE RISK BY DIVERSIFYING. LET US BE LIKEWISE SMART IN USE OF PUBLIC MONEY 1 "Renewable energy" is not just about electricity, or even that and hot water. It is not even just those and wind, and certainly more than "solar panels". 2 We need to explore and use the many different types of alternatives, just as we do in most other aspects of our society. 3 Taking the kind of money that was allocated to Solyndra (or even to 38 Studios here in Rhode Island, and instead investing it in even 10 small projects, is a much wiser choice than betting it on another big boondoggle. **WHAT TO DO? PUT OUR MONEY INTO SUPPORT FOR WIDESPREAD USE OF CURRENT "GREEN" ENERGY TECHNOLOGY, AND EVALUATION & DEVELOPMENT OF NEW, TRULY INNOVATIVE OPTIONS 1 Make renewable energy credits available for all solar, wind and other technologies that show promise for meeting our energy needs. 2 Consider setting up an Important Innovations Center like the one described on the other side. TWO EXAMPLES OF NEW & EXCITING RESEARCH & BUSINESS MODELS A. PROPOSED NEW KSD NON-PROFIT IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS CENTER PURPOSES **Provide a place where small inventors can get help in evaluating and developing their ideas. **Provide a place which will focus specifically on inventions that have the potential to benefit the world and its people. **Provide a place which will especially focus on solutions to energy needs ŌĆō and to environmental pollution and other damage. **Provide a place to enable people interested in doing good rather than getting rich to network and cooperate on accomplishing this kind of change in our world. MEANS **Invite ideas to be submitted and considered. **Focus on those inventors who don't have a large corporation or prestigious university behind them. **Vet the submissions for both efficacy and social value. **Locate funding sources that will support such work. **Locate local and regional businesses interested in marketing and/or manufacturing new and beneficial designs and products. **Connect resources with inventors and their ideas. **Support projects that utilize such innovations for good. WHAT NOT TO DO: Turn these to large multi-national corporations to exploit for their own gain. ****************************************************************************** **** B. THE UNIQUE KSD BUSINESS MODEL FOR SOLAR GREENHOUSE DEVELOPMENT **Provide a KSD design package kit that will allow farmers & other handy people to build their own greenhouses **Include expert consultation & tech support to assist them throughout the process of building.. **Train able local people as helpers to do the on-site assistance in various parts of the country. **Provide training to locally owned small businesses such as sheet metal shops to manufacture desired parts, such as the solar concentrating collectors. **Work to develop a network of local resources that could market, manufacture & install greenhouses. Some might also produce & sell biofuel from algae. **Include non-profit organizations, as partners that could raise money from selling the kits & subsidize or give units to community gardens, food banks, etc.) **Develop a residential version that could provide gardening & sun space, as well as supplementary heat to an adjacent house. ****************************************************************************** ********* SUBMITTED BY: LIBERTY GOODWIN, CO-OWNER, (WITH PAUL KLINKMAN) KLINKMAN SOLAR DESIGN (KSD), P.O. Box 40572, Providence, RI 02940, Tel. 401-351-9193, E-Mail: email@example.com, Website: www.klinkmansolar.com ******************************************************************************
New Carbon-Based Porous Materials with Increased Heats of Adsorption for Hydrogen Storage
Snurr, Randall Q.; Hupp, Joseph T.; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Nguyen, SonBinh T.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are a promising alternative to internal combustion engines that burn gasoline. A significant challenge in developing fuel cell vehicles is to store enough hydrogen on-board to allow the same driving range as current vehicles. One option for storing hydrogen on vehicles is to use tanks filled with porous materials that act as ŌĆ£spongesŌĆØ to take up large quantities of hydrogen without the need for extremely high pressures. The materials must meet many requirements to make this possible. This project aimed to develop two related classes of porous materials to meet these requirements. All materials were synthesized from molecular constituents in a building-block approach, which allows for the creation of an incredibly wide variety of materials in a tailorable fashion. The materials have extremely high surface areas, to provide many locations for hydrogen to adsorb. In addition, they were designed to contain cations that create large electric fields to bind hydrogen strongly but not too strongly. Molecular modeling played a key role as a guide to experiment throughout the project. A major accomplishment of the project was the development of a material with record hydrogen uptake at cryogenic temperatures. Although the ultimate goal was materials that adsorb large quantities of hydrogen at room temperature, this achievement at cryogenic temperatures is an important step in the right direction. In addition, there is significant interest in applications at these temperatures. The hydrogen uptake, measured independently at NREL was 8.0 wt %. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest validated excess hydrogen uptake reported to date at 77 K. This material was originally sketched on paper based on a hypothesis that extended framework struts would yield materials with excellent hydrogen storage properties. However, before starting the synthesis, we used molecular modeling to assess the performance of the material for hydrogen uptake. Only after modeling suggested record-breaking hydrogen uptake at 77 K did we proceed to synthesize, characterize, and test the material, ultimately yielding experimental results that agreed closely with predictions that were made before the material was synthesized. We also synthesized, characterized, and computationally simulated the behavior of two new materials displaying the highest experimental BrunauerŌłÆEmmettŌłÆTeller (BET) surface areas of any porous materials reported to date (Ōł╝7000 m2/g). Key to evacuating the initially solvent-filled materials without pore collapse, and thereby accessing the ultrahigh areas, was the use of a supercritical CO2 activation technique developed by our team. In our efforts to increase the hydrogen binding energy, we developed the first examples of ŌĆ£zwitterionicŌĆØ metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The two structures feature zwitterionic characteristics arising from N-heterocyclic azolium groups in the linkers and negatively charged Zn2(CO2)5 nodes. These groups interact strongly with the H2 quadrupole. High initial isosteric heats of adsorption for hydrogen were measured at low H2 loading. Simulations were used to determine the H2 binding sites, and results were compared with inelastic neutron scattering. In addition to MOFs, the project produced a variety of related materials known as porous organic frameworks (POFs), including robust catechol-functionalized POFs with tunable porosities and degrees of functionalization. Post-synthesis metalation was readily carried out with a wide range of metal precursors (CuII, MgII, and MnII salts and complexes), resulting in metalated POFs with enhanced heats of hydrogen adsorption compared to the starting nonmetalated materials. Isosteric heats of adsorption as high as 9.6 kJ/mol were observed, compared to typical values around 5 kJ/mol in unfunctionalized MOFs and POFs. Modeling played an important role throughout the project. For example, we used molecular simulations to determine that the optimal isosteric heat of adsorption (Qst) for maximum hydrogen delivery using MOFs is approximately 20 kJ/mol. If the heat of adsorption is too low, little hydrogen is adsorbed. If the heat of adsorption is too high, it is difficult to recover the hydrogen at the desorption pressure. The results supported the major premise of this project that increasing Qst for MOFs with large surface areas is required to attain current hydrogen storage targets in terms of deliverable capacity.
MULTIFUNCTIONAL (NOx/CO/O2) SOLID-STATE SENSORS FOR COAL COMBUSTION CONTROL
Eric D. Wachsman
We have made great progress in both developing solid state sensors for coal combustion control and understanding the mechanism by which they operate. We have fabricated and tested numerous sensors and identified the role electrode microstructure plays in sensor response. We have developed both p-type (La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}) and n-type (WO{sub 3}) semiconducting NO{sub x} sensing electrodes. We have demonstrated their respective sensing behavior (sensitivities and cross-sensitivities), related this behavior to their gas adsorption/desorption behavior and catalytic activity, and in so doing verified that our proposed Differential Electrode Equilibria is a more comprehensive sensing mechanism. These investigations and their results are summarized below. The composition and microstructure of the sensing electrode is the key parameters that influence the sensing performance. We investigated the effect of electrode microstructure on the NO{sub x} sensitivity and response time using a La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}-based potentiometric sensor. Temperature dependence, cross-sensitivity and selectivities of a La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}- and WO{sub 3}-based potentiometric NO{sub x} sensor were investigated both in N{sub 2} and in a simulated exhaust gas. We performed temperature programmed reaction (TPR) and desorption (TPD) experiments to determine the reaction and adsorption characteristics of O{sub 2}, NO{sub x}, CO, CO{sub 2}, and their mixtures on the electrodes, and related the results to sensor performance. In order to optimize the sensor electrode microstructure, powders were prepared using four different powder synthesis routes, resulting in different particle size distributions and BET surface areas. Different sintering conditions were also applied. The microstructure of electrodes, synthesized with the same composition, has a dramatic effect on both sensitivity and response time of potentiometric NO sensors, showing that large surface areas generate a porous morphology with smaller grain size, and that smaller grain size results in a sharper response and faster response time. The relative responses of the La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}-based sensor under varied concentrations of NO, NO{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2} and O{sub 2} were studied. The results showed a very high sensitivity to NO, CO, and NO{sub 2} at 450 C in 3% O{sub 2}, whereas the response to O{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} gases was negligible. The NO response at 400-500 C agreed with the NO adsorption behavior. The high NO{sub 2} sensitivity at 450 C was probably related to heterogeneous catalytic activity of La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}. The adsorption of NO was not affected by the change of O{sub 2} concentration and thus the sensor showed selective detection of NO over O{sub 2}. However, the NO sensitivity was strongly influenced by the existence of CO, H{sub 2}O, NO{sub 2}, and CO{sub 2}, as the adsorption behavior of NO was influenced by these gases. The WO{sub 3}-based sensor was able to selectively detect NO in the presence of CO{sub 2} in 3% O{sub 2} at 650 C. The NO sensitivity, however, was affected by the variation of the NO{sub 2}, CO, and H{sub 2}O concentration. No gas-solid reactions were observed using TPR in the NO-containing gas mixture, indicating that the NO response was not obtained by the conventionally accepted mixed-potential mechanism. At the same condition, the sensor had high sensitivity to {approx}10 ppm NO{sub 2} and selectivity in the presence of CO, CO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}O, showing it to be applicable to the monitoring of NO{sub 2}. A lot different sensing properties of NO in simulated exhaust gas suggested the occurrence of gas composition change by the gas-phase and gas-solid reactions, and strong adsorption of water on the electrodes. The NO{sub 2} sensitivity in simulated exhaust gas was modified by O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O, but not by CO and CO{sub 2}. A positive voltage response was obtained for NO{sub 2}, but negative for NO at 650 C with the n-type semiconducting WO{sub 3}-based sensor. In contrast, the opposite response direction for NO{sub x} was observed at 450 C with t