We present experimental results in three areas. Solar cells with an efficiency of 19% have been fabricated with an absorber bandgap in the range of 1.1-1.2 eV. Properties of solar cells fabricated with and without an undoped ZnO layer were compared. The data show that high efficiency cells can be fabricated without using the high-resistivity or undoped ZnO layer. Properties of CIGS solar cells were fabricated from thin absorbers (1 {micro}m) deposited by the three-stage process and simultaneous co-deposition of all the elements. In both cases, solar cells with efficiencies of 16%-17% are obtained.

We report the deposition of improved hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe:H) films by the hot wire CVD (HWCVD) technique using a tantalum filament operating at a low temperature. We gauge the material quality of the a-SiGe:H films by comparing infrared, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), photocapacitance, and conductivity measurements to earlier results, and fabricate single-junction n-i-p solar cell devices using these i-layers.

By analogy to the different accretion states observed in black-hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs), it appears plausible that accretion disks in active galactic nuclei (AGN) undergo a state transition between a radiatively efficient and inefficient accretion flow. If the radiative efficiency changes at some critical accretion rate, there will be a change in the distribution of black hole masses and bolometric luminosities at the corresponding transition luminosity. To test this prediction, the author considers the joint distribution of AGN black hole masses and bolometric luminosities for a sample taken from the literature. The small number of objects with low Eddington-scaled accretion rates m < 0.01 and black hole masses M{sub BH} < 10{sup 9} M{sub {circle_dot}} constitutes tentative evidence for the existence of such a transition in AGN. Selection effects, in particular those associated with flux-limited samples, systematically exclude objects in particular regions of the (M{sub BH}, L{sub bol}) plane. Therefore, they require particular attention in the analysis of distributions of black hole mass, bolometric luminosity, and derived quantities like the accretion rate. The author suggests further observational tests of the BHXB-AGN unification scheme which are based on the jet domination of the energy output of BHXBs in the hard state, …

Better to understand the status of fusion research in the year 2003 we will first put the research in its historical context. Fusion power research, now beginning its sixth decade of continuous effort, is unique in the field of scientific research. Unique in its mixture of pure and applied research, unique in its long-term goal and its promise for the future, and unique in the degree that it has been guided and constrained by national and international governmental policy. Though fusion research's goal has from the start been precisely defined, namely, to obtain a net release of energy from controlled nuclear fusion reactions between light isotopes (in particular those of hydrogen and helium) the difficulty of the problem has spawned in the past a very wide variety of approaches to the problem. Some of these approaches have had massive international support for decades, some have been pursued only at a ''shoestring'' level by dedicated groups in small research laboratories or universities. In discussing the historical and present status of fusion research the implications of there being two distinctly different approaches to achieving net fusion power should be pointed out. The first, and oldest, approach is the use of strong magnetic …

The Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (RCS) provides a large and deep photometric catalog of galaxies in the z' and R{sub c} bands for 90 square degrees of sky, and supplemental V and B data have been obtained for 33.6 deg{sup 2}. They compile a photometric redshift catalog from these 4-band data by utilizing the empirical quadratic polynomial photometric redshift fitting technique in combination with CNOC2 and GOODS/HDF-N redshift data. The training set includes 4924 spectral redshifts. The resulting catalog contains more than one million galaxies with photometric redshifts < 1.5 and R{sub c} < 24, giving an rms scatter {delta}({Delta}z) < 0.06 within the redshift range 0.2 < z < 0.5 and {sigma}({Delta}z) < 0.11 for galaxies at 0.0 < z < 1.5. They describe the empirical quadratic polynomial photometric redshift fitting technique which they use to determine the relation between red-shift and photometry. A kd-tree algorithm is used to divide up the sample to improve the accuracy of the catalog. They also present a method for estimating the photometric redshift error for individual galaxies. They show that the redshift distribution of the sample is in excellent agreement with smaller and much deeper photometric and spectroscopic redshift surveys.

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This paper presents a personal account of the scientific and professional adventures of Bikash Sinha on the occasion of the celebration of his 60th birthday held in Calcutta on Feb 7, 2005.

Photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the compositional and electronic changes occurring in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films as a result of immersion in aqueous ammonia solution. We find that NH4OH-treated CIGS surfaces are preferentially etched of indium and gallium, resulting in the formation of a thin layer of a degenerate Cu-Se compound that we tentatively identify as Cu2Se. The work function of ammonia-treated samples is found to increase by 0.6 eV relative to as-grown CIGS thin films. The uniformity of chemical bath effects (etching & deposition) was found to be improved by the addition to the bath of a non-ionic surfactant. Initial device results show that the new surfactant-based chemical bath deposition (CBD) method may lead to better and thinner CdS buffer layers.

GaInNAs, potentially useful in a 4-junction GaInP2/GaAs/GaInNAs/Ge solar cell, suffers from very low minority-carrier collection lengths. To date, the currents available from GaInNAs solar cells are not high enough to increase the efficiency of a 3-junction device by adding this fourth junction. Here, we grow p-i-n GaInNAs solar cells by molecular-beam epitaxy with wide, intrinsic base layers and internal quantum efficiencies near 1.0. If similar 1.0-eV GaInNAs junctions can be successfully integrated into the 3-junction structure, the resulting 4-junction cell would have a higher efficiency.

Measurement of recombination and minority-carrier lifetimes has become a central activity in photovoltaic technology. The primary measurement techniques for silicon technologies are based on photoconductive decay (PCD) and microwave reflectance (mPCD). The measurement of the correct recombination lifetime depends on the carriers being confined to a given spatial region of a diagnostic structure. The internal electric fields separate the charges, and the measured value does not represent the real minority-carrier lifetime. In these cases, the measured quantity is a function of the true lifetime and the sample structure. Here, we examine these effects, both experimentally and theoretically, for the n+-p device structure common to terrestrial photovoltaics.

A Service Class Description (SCD) is an effective meta-data based approach for discovering Deep Web sources whose data exhibit some regular patterns. However, it is tedious and error prone to create an SCD description manually. Moreover, a manually created SCD is not adaptive to the frequent changes of Web sources. It requires its creator to identify all the possible input and output types of a service a priori. In many domains, it is impossible to exhaustively list all the possible input and output data types of a source in advance. In this paper, we describe machine learning approaches for automatic generation of the data types of an SCD. We propose two different approaches for learning data types of a class of Web sources. The Brute-Force Learner is able to generate data types that can achieve high recall, but with low precision. The Clustering-based Learner generates data types that have a high precision rate, but with a lower recall rate. We demonstrate the feasibility of these two learning-based solutions for automatic generation of data types for citation Web sources and presented a quantitative evaluation of these two solutions.

The production of supersonic jets of material via the interaction of a strong shock wave with a spatially localized density perturbation is a common feature of inertial confinement fusion and astrophysics. The behavior of two-dimensional (2D) supersonic jets has previously been investigated in detail [J. M. Foster et. al, Phys. Plasmas 9, 2251 (2002)]. In three-dimensions (3D), however, there are new aspects to the behavior of supersonic jets in compressible media. In this paper, the commissioning activities on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [J. A. Paisner et al., Laser Focus World 30, 75 (1994)] to enable hydrodynamic experiments will be presented as well as the results from the first series of hydrodynamic experiments. In these experiments, two of the first four beams of NIF are used to drive a 40 Mbar shock wave into millimeter scale aluminum targets backed by 100 mg/cc carbon aerogel foam. The remaining beams are delayed in time and are used to provide a point-projection x-ray backlighter source for diagnosing the three-dimensional structure of the jet evolution resulting from a variety of 2D and 3D features. Comparisons between data and simulations using several codes will be presented.

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We report on a direct measurement of two-dimensional potential distribution on the surface of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films using a nanoscale electrical characterization of scanning Kelvin probe microscopy both in air and in ultra-high vacuum. The potential measurement reveals a higher surface potential or a smaller work function on grain boundaries (GBs) of the film than on the grain surfaces. This demonstrates the existence of a local built-in potential on GBs, and the GB is positively charged. The role of the built-in potential in device performance was further examined and found to be positive, by tuning Ga content or bandgap of the film. With increasing Ga content, the potential drops sharply in a Ga range of 28%-38%. Comparing the change in the built-in potential to the theoretical and experimental photoconversion efficiencies, we conclude that the potential plays a significant role in the device conversion efficiency of NREL's three-stage Cu(In,Ga)Se2 device.

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) turbulence theory, often employed satisfactorily in astrophysical applications, has often focused on parameter ranges that imply nearly equal values of kinetic and magnetic energies and length scales. However, MHD flow may have disparity magnetic Prandtl number, dissimilar kinetic and magnetic Reynolds number, different kinetic and magnetic outer length scales, and strong anisotropy. Here a phenomenology for such ''non-equipartitioned'' MHD flow is discussed. Two conditions are proposed for a MHD flow to transition to strong turbulent flow, extensions of (1) Taylor's constant flux in an inertial range, and (2) Kolmogorov's scale separation between the large and small scale boundaries of an inertial range. For this analysis, the detailed information on turbulence structure is not needed. These two conditions for MHD transition are expected to provide consistent predictions and should be applicable to anisotropic MHD flows, after the length scales are replaced by their corresponding perpendicular components. Second, it is stressed that the dynamics and anisotropy of MHD fluctuations is controlled by the relative strength between the straining effects between eddies of similar size and the sweeping action by the large-eddies, or propagation effect of the large-scale magnetic fields, on the small scales, and analysis of this balance in principle …

The ASTM standard B 575 provides the requirements for the chemical composition of Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum (Ni-Cr-Mo) alloys such as Alloy 22 (N06022) and Alloy 686 (N06686). The compositions of each element are given in a range. For example, the content of Mo is specified from 12.5 to 14.5 weight percent for Alloy 22 and from 15.0 to 17.0 weight percent for Alloy 686. It was important to determine how the corrosion rate of welded plates of Alloy 22 using Alloy 686 weld filler metal would change if heats of these alloys were prepared using several variations in the composition of the elements even though still in the range specified in B 575. All the material used in this report were especially prepared at Allegheny Ludlum Co. Seven heats of plate were welded with seven heats of wire. Immersion corrosion tests were conducted in a boiling solution of sulfuric acid plus ferric sulfate (ASTM G 28 A) using both as-welded (ASW) coupons and solution heat-treated (SHT) coupons. Results show that the corrosion rate was not affected by the chemistry of the materials within the range of the standards.

The Kinetic Stabilizer (K-S) concept [1] represents a means for stabilizing axisymmetric mirror and tandem-mirror (T-M) magnetic fusion systems against MHD interchange instability modes. Magnetic fusion research has given us examples of axisymmetric mirror confinement devices in which radial transport rates approach the classical ''Spitzer'' level, i.e. situations in which turbulence if present at all, is at too low a level to adversely affect the radial transport [2,3,4]. If such a low-turbulence condition could be achieved in a T-M system it could lead to a fusion power system that would be simpler, smaller, and easier to develop than one based on closed-field confinement, e.g., the tokamak, where the transport is known to be dominated by turbulence. However, since conventional axisymmetric mirror systems suffer from the MHD interchange instability, the key to exploiting this new opportunity is to find a practical way to stabilize this mode. The K-S represents one avenue to achieving this goal. The starting point for the K-S concept is a theoretical analysis by Ryutov [5]. He showed that a MHD-unstable plasma contained in an axisymmetric mirror cell can be MHD-stabilized by the presence of a low-density plasma on the expanding field lines outside the mirrors. If this …

The anthrax letters event of 2001 has raised our awareness of the potential importance of non-biological measurements on samples of biological agents used in a terrorism incident. Such measurements include a variety of mass spectral, spectroscopic, and other instrumental techniques that are part of the current armamentarium of the modern materials analysis or analytical chemistry laboratory. They can provide morphological, trace element, isotopic, and other molecular ''fingerprints'' of the agent that may be key pieces of evidence, supplementing that obtained from genetic analysis or other biological properties. The generation and interpretation of such data represents a new domain of forensic science, closely aligned with other areas of ''microbial forensics''. This paper describes some major elements of the R&D agenda that will define this sub-field in the immediate future and provide the foundations for a coherent national capability. Data from chemical and physical analysis of BW materials can be useful to an investigation of a bio-terror event in two ways. First, it can be used to compare evidence samples collected at different locations where such incidents have occurred (e.g. between the powders in the New York and Washington letters in the Amerithrax investigation) or between the attack samples and those seized …

It is shown that, in a finite beta plasma, there may exist sheath driven modes whose amplitude decreases exponentially with the distance from the divertor plate. The modes are sensitive to the radial tilt of the divertor plate. The short-wavelength branch of the instability, with the cross-field wavelength Dof order of a few ion gyroradii, is present in the case of a ''positive'' tilt of the divertor plate, whereas the long-wavelength branch, with D of order of 10 or so gyroradii is unstable for the opposite sign of the tilt. The parallel e-folding length becomes less than the distance from the plate to the X point (thereby making the mode insensitive to the processes near the X-point and the upper scrape-off layer) at the plasma betas exceeding (2-3) {center_dot} 10{sup -4}. A detailed analysis of the dispersion relations is provided. The features of the modes that can be used for their experimental identification are discussed. It is pointed out that the analog of these modes may also exist in linear plasma devices with shaped end electrodes.

We investigated the effectiveness of glass-surface priming to promote enhanced adhesion of EVA laminates during damp-heat exposure at 85 C and 85% relative humidity. The primary objective was to develop advanced encapsulant formulations by incorporation of various primer formulations that exhibit improved adhesion during damp-heat exposure. Several primer formulations were identified that greatly enhanced the EVA adhesion strength, including to the extent that peeling could not be initiated, even for the laminates of the glass substrate/fast-cure EVA15295P/TPE backsheet (a Tedlar/polyester/EVA tri-laminate) that were exposed in a damp-heat test chamber for more than 750 h. The results show that a synergistic increase in the interfacial hydrophobicity, siloxane density, and cross-linking density are the key attributes to the improvement in the EVA adhesion strength.

It is a pleasure to be part of the SLAC Summer Institute again, not simply because it is one of the great traditions in our field, but because this is a moment of great promise for particle physics. I look forward to exploring many opportunities with you over the course of our two weeks together. My first task in talking about Nature's Greatest Puzzles, the title of this year's Summer Institute, is to deconstruct the premise a little bit.

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In this report I will give an experimental overview on nuclear stopping in hadron collisions, and relate observations to understanding of baryon transport. Baryon number transport is not only evidenced via net-proton distributions but also by the enhancement of strange baryons near mid-rapidity. Although the focus is on high-energy data obtained from pp and heavy ions from RHIC, relevant data from SPS and ISR will be considered. A discussion how the available data at higher energy relates and gives information on baryon junction, quark-diquark breaking will be made.