Applying Systems Engineering in a Renewable Energy Research and Development Environment: Preprint (open access)

Applying Systems Engineering in a Renewable Energy Research and Development Environment: Preprint

This paper examines lessons learned in systems engineering research and development at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and explores new ideas for future process enhancements.
Date: April 1, 2010
Creator: Snyder, N. & Antkowiak, M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Self-consistent solution for proximity effect and Josephson current in ballistic graphene SNS Josephson junctions (open access)

Self-consistent solution for proximity effect and Josephson current in ballistic graphene SNS Josephson junctions

We use a tight-binding Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) formalism to self-consistently calculate the proximity effect, Josephson current, and local density of states in ballistic graphene SNS Josephson junctions. Both short and long junctions, with respect to the superconducting coherence length, are considered, as well as different doping levels of the graphene. We show that self-consistency does not notably change the current-phase relationship derived earlier for short junctions using the non-selfconsistent Dirac-BdG formalism but predict a significantly increased critical current with a stronger junction length dependence. In addition, we show that in junctions with no Fermi level mismatch between the N and S regions superconductivity persists even in the longest junctions we can investigate, indicating a diverging Ginzburg-Landau superconducting coherence length in the normal region.
Date: April 6, 2010
Creator: Black-Schaffer, Annica M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Myriad phases of the Checkerboard Hubbard Model (open access)

Myriad phases of the Checkerboard Hubbard Model

The zero-temperature phase diagram of the checkerboard Hubbard model is obtained in the solvable limit in which it consists of weakly coupled square plaquettes. As a function of the on-site Coulomb repulsion U and the density of holes per site, x, we demonstrate the existence of at least 16 distinct phases. For instance, at zero doping, the ground state is a novel d-wave Mott insulator (d-Mott), which is not adiabatically continuable to a band insulator; by doping the d-Mott state with holes, depending on the magnitude of U, it gives way to a d-wave superconducting state, a two-flavor spin-1/2 Fermi liquid (FL), or a spin-3/2 FL.
Date: April 6, 2010
Creator: Yao, Hong
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electrospun Silicon Nanowires as Lithium Anodes (open access)

Electrospun Silicon Nanowires as Lithium Anodes

None
Date: April 1, 2010
Creator: Schulz, Doug; Hoey, Justin; Smith, Jeremiah; Wu, Xiangfa; Akhatov, Iskander; Pederson, Larry et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Finite temperature spin-dynamics and phase transitions in spin-orbital models (open access)

Finite temperature spin-dynamics and phase transitions in spin-orbital models

We study finite temperature properties of a generic spin-orbital model relevant to transition metal compounds, having coupled quantum Heisenberg-spin and Ising-orbital degrees of freedom. The model system undergoes a phase transition, consistent with that of a 2D Ising model, to an orbitally ordered state at a temperature set by short-range magnetic order. At low temperatures the orbital degrees of freedom freeze-out and the model maps onto a quantum Heisenberg model. The onset of orbital excitations causes a rapid scrambling of the spin spectral weight away from coherent spin-waves, which leads to a sharp increase in uniform magnetic susceptibility just below the phase transition, reminiscent of the observed behavior in the Fe-pnictide materials.
Date: April 29, 2010
Creator: Chen, C. C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dynamical Layer Decoupling in a Stripe-ordered, High T_c Superconductor (open access)

Dynamical Layer Decoupling in a Stripe-ordered, High T_c Superconductor

In the stripe-ordered state of a strongly-correlated two-dimensional electronic system, under a set of special circumstances, the superconducting condensate, like the magnetic order, can occur at a non-zero wave-vector corresponding to a spatial period double that of the charge order. In this case, the Josephson coupling between near neighbor planes, especially in a crystal with the special structure of La{sub 2-x}Ba{sub x}CuO{sub 4}, vanishes identically. We propose that this is the underlying cause of the dynamical decoupling of the layers recently observed in transport measurements at x = 1/8.
Date: April 6, 2010
Creator: Berg, E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tunneling density of states as a function of thickness in superconductor/ strong ferromagnet bilayers (open access)

Tunneling density of states as a function of thickness in superconductor/ strong ferromagnet bilayers

We have made an experimental study of the tunneling density of states (DOS) in strong ferromagnetic thin films (CoFe) in proximity with a thick superconducting film (Nb) as a function of d{sub F}, the ferromagnetic thickness. Remarkably, we find that as d{sub F} increases, the superconducting DOS exhibits a scaling behavior in which the deviations from the normal-state conductance have a universal shape that decreases exponentially in amplitude with characteristic length d* {approx} 0.4 nm. We do not see oscillations in the DOS as a function of d{sub F}, as expected from predictions based on the Usadel equations, although an oscillation in T{sub c}(d{sub F}) has been seen in the same materials.
Date: April 29, 2010
Creator: Reymond, S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Doping evolution of the electronic structure in the single-layer cuprates Bi2Sr2&#8722xLaxCuO6 delta: Comparison with other single-layer cuprates (open access)

Doping evolution of the electronic structure in the single-layer cuprates Bi2Sr2&#8722xLaxCuO6 delta: Comparison with other single-layer cuprates

We have performed angle-resolved photoemission and core-level x-ray photoemission studies of the single-layer cuprate Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2-x}La{sub x}CuO{sub 6+{delta}} (Bi2201) and revealed the doping evolution of the electronic structure from the lightly-doped to optimally-doped regions. We have observed the formation of the dispersive quasi-particle band, evolution of the Fermi 'arc' into the Fermi surface and the shift of the chemical potential with hole doping as in other cuprates. The doping evolution in Bi2201 is similar to that in Ca{sub 2-x}Na{sub x}CuO{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} (Na-CCOC), where a rapid chemical potential shift toward the lower Hubbard band of the parent insulator has been observed, but is quite different from that in La{sub 2-x}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4} (LSCO), where the chemical potential does not shift, yet the dispersive band and the Fermi arc/surface are formed around the Fermi level already in the lightly-doped region. The (underlying) Fermi surface shape and band dispersions are quantitatively analyzed using tightbinding fit, and the deduced next-nearest-neighbor hopping integral t also confirm the similarity to Na-CCOC and the difference from LSCO.
Date: April 30, 2010
Creator: Hashimoto, M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Southern Sky Survey with Fermi LAT and ASKAP (open access)

A Southern Sky Survey with Fermi LAT and ASKAP

We present the prospects for a future joint gamma-ray and radio survey of southern hemisphere sources using the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the upcoming Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope. ASKAP is a next generation radio telescope designed to perform surveys at GHz frequencies at a much higher survey speed than previous radio telescopes, and is scheduled to start engineering observations in 2011. The survey capabilities of both Fermi LAT and ASKAP are described, and the planned science surveys for ASKAP are summarized. We give some expected details of the Variable and Slow Transient (VAST) survey using ASKAP, which will search for transients on timescales from 5 seconds to years. Some observational properties of faint and transient sources seen at gamma-ray and radio wavelengths are summarized, and prospects and strategies for using ASKAP survey data for LAT source counterpart identification are summarized.
Date: April 29, 2010
Creator: Cameron, Robert A. & /SLAC /KIPAC, Menlo Park
System: The UNT Digital Library
Origin of charge density at LaAlO3-on-SrTiO3 heterointerfacespossibility of intrinsic doping (open access)

Origin of charge density at LaAlO3-on-SrTiO3 heterointerfacespossibility of intrinsic doping

As discovered by Ohtomo et al., a large sheet charge density with high mobility exists at the interface between SrTiO{sub 3} and LaAlO{sub 3}. Based on transport, spectroscopic and oxygen-annealing experiments, we conclude that extrinsic defects in the form of oxygen vacancies introduced by the pulsed laser deposition process used by all researchers to date to make these samples is the source of the large carrier densities. Annealing experiments show a limiting carrier density. We also present a model that explains the high mobility based on carrier redistribution due to an increased dielectric constant.
Date: April 29, 2010
Creator: Siemons, W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Characterizing Hydrogen Storage Media: Understanding the Interior Pore Structure of a Cu3BTC2 Metal-Organic Framework Infiltrated with NaAlH4 (open access)

Characterizing Hydrogen Storage Media: Understanding the Interior Pore Structure of a Cu3BTC2 Metal-Organic Framework Infiltrated with NaAlH4

Preliminary results support the nano-confinement of sodium alanate within the pores of a Cu{sub 3}BTC{sub 2} MOF substrate. Increased {sup 1}H and {sup 27}Al NMR T{sub 1} relaxation rates indicate a close proximity of infiltrated sodium alante to the paramagnetic Cu{sup 2+} ions on the BTC paddlewheel units. This is in support of the theory that an interaction due to the electronegative framework with the sodium alanate facilitates thermodynamically-favorable hydrogen adsorption and desorption. Further studies can elucidate the local electronic environment of the sodium ions, further supporting a charge-transfer mechanism as the driving force for thermodynamically-favorable hydrogen adsorption and desorption.
Date: April 15, 2010
Creator: Kirmiz, A; Bhakta, R K; Allendorf, M D; Majzoub, E H; Behrens, R & Herberg, J
System: The UNT Digital Library
Normal State Spectral Lineshapes of Nodal Quasiparticles in Single Layer Bi2201 Superconductor (open access)

Normal State Spectral Lineshapes of Nodal Quasiparticles in Single Layer Bi2201 Superconductor

A detailed study of the normal state photoemission lineshapes and quasiparticle dispersion for the single layer Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2-x}La{sub x}CuO{sub 6+{delta}}(Bi2201) superconductor is presented. We report the first experimental evidence of a double peak structure and a dip of spectral intensity in the energy distribution curves (EDCs) along the nodal direction. The double peak structure is well identified in the normal state, up to ten times the critical temperature. As a result of the same self-energy effect, a strong mass renormalization of the quasiparticle dispersion, i.e. kink, and an increase of the quasiparticle lifetime in the normal state are also observed. Our results provide unambiguous evidence on the existence of bosonic excitation in the normal state, and support a picture where nodal quasiparticles are strongly coupled to the lattice.
Date: April 30, 2010
Creator: Lanzara, A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Evaluation of Atmospheric-pressure Plasma for the Cost-Effective Deposition of Antireflection Coatings (open access)

An Evaluation of Atmospheric-pressure Plasma for the Cost-Effective Deposition of Antireflection Coatings

Atmospheric-pressure plasma deposition (APPD) has previously been used to deposit various functional materials including polymeric surface modification layers, transparent conducting oxides, and photo catalytic materials. For many plasma polymerized coatings, reaction occurs via free radical mechanism where the high energy electrons from the plasma activate the olefinic carbon-carbon double bonds - a typical functional group in such precursors. The precursors for such systems are typically inexpensive and readily available and have been used in vacuum PECVD previously. The objectives are to investigate: (1) the effect of plasma power, gas composition and substrate temperature on the Si-based film properties using triethylsilane(TES) as the precursor; and (2) the chemical, mechanical, and optical properties of several experimental matrices based on Design of Experiment (DOE) principals. A simple APPD route has been utilized to deposit Si based films from an inexpensive precursor - Triethylsilane (TES). Preliminary results indicates formation of Si-C & Si-O and Si-O, Si-C & Si-N bonds with oxygen and nitrogen plasmas respectively. N{sub 2}-O{sub 2} plasma showed mixed trend; however oxygen remains a significant portion of all films, despite attempts to minimize exposure to atmosphere. SiN, SiC, and SiO ratios can be modified by the reaction conditions resulting in differing film …
Date: April 1, 2010
Creator: Sailer, Rob; Srinivasan, Guruvenket; Johnson, Kyle W. & Schulz, Douglas L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Tony Thomas-Inspired Guide to INSPIRE (open access)

A Tony Thomas-Inspired Guide to INSPIRE

The SPIRES database was created in the late 1960s to catalogue the high energy physics preprints received by the SLAC Library. In the early 1990s it became the first database on the web and the first website outside of Europe. Although indispensible to the HEP community, its aging software infrastructure is becoming a serious liability. In a joint project involving CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, a new database, INSPIRE, is being created to replace SPIRES using CERN's modern, open-source Invenio database software. INSPIRE will maintain the content and functionality of SPIRES plus many new features. I describe this evolution from the birth of SPIRES to the current day, noting that the career of Tony Thomas spans this timeline.
Date: April 1, 2010
Creator: O'Connell, Heath B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Measurement of Z gamma Production in pbar{p} Collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV (open access)

Measurement of Z gamma Production in pbar{p} Collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV

The production rate and kinematics of photons produced in association with Z bosons are studied using 2 fb{sup -1} of p{bar p} collision data collected at the Collider Detector at Fermilab. The cross section for p{bar p} {yields} {ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}{gamma} + X (where the leptons {ell} are either muons or electrons with dilepton mass M{sub {ell}{ell}} > 40 GeV/c{sup 2}, and where the photon has transverse energy E{sub T}{sup {gamma}} > 7 GeV and is well separated from the leptons) is 4.6 {+-} 0.2 (stat) {+-} 0.3 (syst) {+-} 0.3 (lum) pb, which is consistent with standard model expectations. We use the photon ET distribution from Z{gamma} events where the Z has decayed to {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -}, e{sup +}e{sup -}, or {nu}{bar {nu}} to set limits on anomalous (non-standard-model) trilinear couplings between photons and Z bosons.
Date: April 1, 2010
Creator: Aaltonen, T.; Adelman, J.; Alvarez Gonzalez, B.; Amerio, S.; Amidei, D.; Anastassov, A. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Theory of quantum metal to superconductor transitions in highly conducting systems (open access)

Theory of quantum metal to superconductor transitions in highly conducting systems

We derive the theory of the quantum (zero temperature) superconductor to metal transition in disordered materials when the resistance of the normal metal near criticality is small compared to the quantum of resistivity. This can occur most readily in situations in which 'Anderson's theorem' does not apply. We explicitly study the transition in superconductor-metal composites, in an swave superconducting film in the presence of a magnetic field, and in a low temperature disordered d-wave superconductor. Near the point of the transition, the distribution of the superconducting order parameter is highly inhomogeneous. To describe this situation we employ a procedure which is similar to that introduced by Mott for description of the temperature dependence of the variable range hopping conduction. As the system approaches the point of the transition from the metal to the superconductor, the conductivity of the system diverges, and the Wiedemann-Franz law is violated. In the case of d-wave (or other exotic) superconductors we predict the existence of (at least) two sequential transitions as a function of increasing disorder: a d-wave to s-wave, and then an s-wave to metal transition.
Date: April 6, 2010
Creator: Spivak, B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Quantum Phase Extraction in Isospectral Electronic Nanostructures (open access)

Quantum Phase Extraction in Isospectral Electronic Nanostructures

Quantum phase is not a direct observable and is usually determined by interferometric methods. We present a method to map complete electron wave functions, including internal quantum phase information, from measured single-state probability densities. We harness the mathematical discovery of drum-like manifolds bearing different shapes but identical resonances, and construct quantum isospectral nanostructures possessing matching electronic structure but divergent physical structure. Quantum measurement (scanning tunneling microscopy) of these 'quantum drums' [degenerate two-dimensional electron states on the Cu(111) surface confined by individually positioned CO molecules] reveals that isospectrality provides an extra topological degree of freedom enabling robust quantum state transplantation and phase extraction.
Date: April 28, 2010
Creator: Moon, Christopher
System: The UNT Digital Library
Quasi-zero dimensional CuB2O4: a resonant inelastic X-ray scattering case study (open access)

Quasi-zero dimensional CuB2O4: a resonant inelastic X-ray scattering case study

We explore the general phenomenology of resonant inelastic scattering (RIXS) using CuB{sub 2}O{sub 4}, a network of CuO{sub 4} plaquettes electronically isolated by B{sup +3} ions. Spectra show a small number of well-separated features, and we exploit the simple electronic structure to explore RIXS phenomenology by developing a calculation which allows for intermediate-state effects ignored in standard approaches. These effects are found to be non-negligible and good correspondence between our model and experiment leads to a simple picture of such phenomenology as the genesis of d {yields} d excitations at the K edge and intermediate-state interference effects.
Date: April 29, 2010
Creator: Hancock, J.N.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Introduction to Extra Dimensions (open access)

Introduction to Extra Dimensions

Extra dimensions provide a very useful tool in addressing a number of the fundamental problems faced by the Standard Model. The following provides a very basic introduction to this very broad subject area as given at the VIII School of the Gravitational and Mathematical Physics Division of the Mexican Physical Society in December 2009. Some prospects for extra dimensional searches at the 7 TeV LHC with {approx}1 fb{sup -1} of integrated luminosity are provided.
Date: April 29, 2010
Creator: Rizzo, Thomas G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Semi autonomous mine detection system (open access)

Semi autonomous mine detection system

CMMAD is a risk reduction effort for the AMDS program. As part of CMMAD, multiple instances of semi autonomous robotic mine detection systems were created. Each instance consists of a robotic vehicle equipped with sensors required for navigation and marking, a countermine sensors and a number of integrated software packages which provide for real time processing of the countermine sensor data as well as integrated control of the robotic vehicle, the sensor actuator and the sensor. These systems were used to investigate critical interest functions (CIF) related to countermine robotic systems. To address the autonomy CIF, the INL developed RIK was extended to allow for interaction with a mine sensor processing code (MSPC). In limited field testing this system performed well in detecting, marking and avoiding both AT and AP mines. Based on the results of the CMMAD investigation we conclude that autonomous robotic mine detection is feasible. In addition, CMMAD contributed critical technical advances with regard to sensing, data processing and sensor manipulation, which will advance the performance of future fieldable systems. As a result, no substantial technical barriers exist which preclude – from an autonomous robotic perspective – the rapid development and deployment of fieldable systems.
Date: April 1, 2010
Creator: Few, Douglas; Versteeg, Roelof & Herman, Herman
System: The UNT Digital Library
Limits on tau lepton flavor violating decays in three charged leptons (open access)

Limits on tau lepton flavor violating decays in three charged leptons

A search for the neutrinoless, lepton-flavor violating decay of the {tau} lepton into three charged leptons has been performed using an integrated luminosity of 468 fb{sup -1} collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II collider. In all six decay modes considered, the numbers of events found in data are compatible with the background expectations. Upper limits on the branching fractions are set in the range (1.8-3.3) x 10{sup -8} at 90% confidence level.
Date: April 29, 2010
Creator: Cervelli, Alberto
System: The UNT Digital Library
AdS/QCD, LIight-Front Holography, and the Non-perturbative Running Coupling (open access)

AdS/QCD, LIight-Front Holography, and the Non-perturbative Running Coupling

The combination of Anti-de Sitter space (AdS) methods with light-front (LF) holography provides a remarkably accurate first approximation for the spectra and wavefunctions of meson and baryon light-quark bound states. The resulting bound-state Hamiltonian equation of motion in QCD leads to relativistic light-front wave equations in terms of an invariant impact variable {zeta} which measures the separation of the quark and gluonic constituents within the hadron at equal light-front time. These equations of motion in physical space-time are equivalent to the equations of motion which describe the propagation of spin-J modes in anti-de Sitter (AdS) space. The eigenvalues give the hadronic spectrum, and the eigenmodes represent the probability distributions of the hadronic constituents at a given scale. A positive-sign confining dilaton background modifying AdS space gives a very good account of meson and baryon spectroscopy and form factors. The light-front holographic mapping of this model also leads to a non-perturbative effective coupling {alpha}{sub s}{sup Ads} (Q{sup 2}) which agrees with the effective charge defined by the Bjorken sum rule and lattice simulations. It displays a transition from perturbative to nonperturbative conformal regimes at a momentum scale {approx} 1 GeV. The resulting {beta}-function appears to capture the essential characteristics of the …
Date: April 29, 2010
Creator: Brodsky, Stanley J.; de Teramond, Guy & Deur, Alexandre
System: The UNT Digital Library
Small Wind Turbine Testing Results from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Preprint (open access)

Small Wind Turbine Testing Results from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Preprint

In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) began testing small wind turbines (SWTs) through the Independent Testing project. Using competitive solicitation, five SWTs were selected for testing at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). NREL's NWTC is accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to conduct duration, power performance, safety and function, power quality, and noise tests to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. Results of the tests conducted on each of the SWTs are or will be available to the public on the NREL website. The results could be used by their manufacturers in the certification of the turbines or state agencies to decide which turbines are eligible for state incentives.
Date: April 1, 2010
Creator: Bowen, A.; Huskey, A.; Link, H.; Sinclair, K.; Forsyth, T.; Jager, D. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Direct-Drive Inertial Fusion Research at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics: A Review (open access)

Direct-Drive Inertial Fusion Research at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics: A Review

This paper reviews the status of direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). LLE's goal is to demonstrate direct-drive ignition on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) by 2014. Baseline "all-DT" NIF direct-drive ignition target designs have been developed that have a predicted gain of 45 (1-D) at a NIF drive energy of ~1.6 MJ. Significantly higher gains are calculated for targets that include a DT-wicked foam ablator. This paper also reviews the results of both warm fuel and initial cryogenic-fuel spherical target implosion experiments carried out on the OMEGA UV laser. The results of these experiments and design calculations increase confidence that the NIF direct-drive ICF ignition goal will be achieved.
Date: April 16, 2010
Creator: McCrory, R. L.; Meyerhofer, D. D.; Loucks, S. J.; Skupsky, S.; Bahr, R. E.; Betti, R. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library