An artificially structured boundary (ASB) produces a short-range, static electromagnetic field that can reflect charged particles. In the work presented, an ASB is considered to consist of a spatially periodic arrangement of electrostatically plugged magnetic cusps. When used to create an enclosed volume, an ASB may confine a non-neutral plasma that is effectively free of applied electromagnetic fields, provided the spatial period of the ASB-applied field is much smaller than any one dimension of the confinement volume. As envisioned, a non-neutral positron plasma could be confined by an ASB along its edge, and the space-charge of the positron plasma would serve to confine an antiproton plasma. If the conditions of the two-species plasma are suitable, production of antihydrogen via three-body recombination for antimatter gravity studies may be possible. A classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) simulation suite has been developed in C++ to efficiently simulate charged particle interactions with user defined electromagnetic fields. The code has been used to explore several ASB configurations, and a concept for a cylindrically symmetric ASB trap that employs a picket-fence magnetic field has been developed. Particle-in-cell (PIC) modeling has been utilized to investigate the confinement of non-neutral and partially neutralized positron plasmas in the trap.

Magnetic plasma expulsion uses a magnetic field distortion to redirect incident charged particles around a certain area for the purposes of shielding. Computational studies are carried out and for certain values of magnetic field, magnetic plasma expulsion is found to effectively shield a sizable area. There are however many plasma behaviors and interactions that must be considered. Applications to a new cryogenic antimatter trap design are discussed.

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is showing great potential as an atomic analytical technique. With its ability to rapidly analyze all forms of matter, with little-to-no sample preparation, LIBS has many advantages over conventional atomic emission spectroscopy techniques. With the maturation of the technologies that make LIBS possible, there has been a growing movement to implement LIBS in portable analyzers for field applications. In particular, LIBS has long been considered the front-runner in the drive for stand-off detection of trace deposits of explosives. Thus there is a need for a better understanding of the relevant processes that are responsible for the LIBS signature and their relationships to the different system parameters that are helping to improve LIBS as a sensing technology. This study explores the use of LIBS as a method to detect random trace amounts of specific organic materials deposited on organic or non-metallic surfaces. This requirement forces the limitation of single-shot signal analysis. This study is both experimental and theoretical, with a sizeable component addressing data analysis using principal components analysis to reduce the dimensionality of the data, and quadratic discriminant analysis to classify the data. In addition, the alternative approach of ‘target factor analysis’ was employed to improve detection of organic residues on organic substrates. Finally, a new method of characterizing the laser-induced plasma of organics, which should lead to improved data collection and analysis, is introduced. The comparison between modeled and experimental measurements of plasma temperatures and electronic density is discussed in order to improve the present models of low-temperature laser induced plasmas.

A comprehensive investigation was reported into the synthesis, characterization and photoluminescence properties of calcium metaniobates and associated alkali earth alloy systems. Previous studies have shown that calcium metaniobate exhibits a strong self-activated blue luminescence at room temperature in stark contrast to the pyroniobates which are known to exhibit a temperature dependent luminescence that quenches above 100 K. The mechanism of this behavior has been studied by measuring the spectral characteristics of the photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectra on the crystalline and morphological properties of the powders as determined from x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. By correlating the synthesis parameters with the physical, chemical and optical properties of calcium metaniobate, the optimum conditions for efficient blue-visible emission and chemical stability under vacuum ultraviolate (VUV) radiation has been determined. These materials have the potential to replace Barium Magnesium Aluminate, which is currently used as the blue phosphor in plasma displays.

The chamber walls in inertial fusion reactors must be protected from the photons and ions resulting from the target explosions. One way this can be accomplished is through a sacrificial liquid wall composed of either liquid jets or thin liquid films. The x-rays produced by the exploding targets deposit their energy in a thin liquid layer on the wall surface or in the surface of liquid jets arrayed to protect the wall. The partially vaporized liquid film/jet forms a protective cloud that expands toward the incoming ionic debris which arrives shortly (a few s) thereafter. The charged particles deposit their energy in the vapor shield and the unvaporized liquid, thereby leading to further evaporation. Re-condensation of the vapor cloud and radiative cooling of the expanding plasma allow the energy deposited in the liquid to be recovered prior to the next target explosion (100ms). Chamber clearing prior to the next explosion represents a major challenge for all liquid protection systems, inasmuch as any remaining liquid droplets may interfere with beam propagation and/or target injection. Therefore, the primary objective of this research is to experimentally examine the interaction between liquid droplets and low- temperature, low-pressure plasmas under conditions similar to those expected following inertial fusion target explosions and the subsequent expansion. The data obtained in this research will be useful in validating mechanistic chamber-clearing models to assure successful beam propagation and target injection for the subsequent explosion.

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CNPq / Os aços inoxidáveis são amplamente utilizados nas indústrias químicas, petroquímicas, nucleares, de geração de energia, biomédica e de processamento de alimentos. Em geral os aços inoxidáveis apresentam boa resistência à corrosão, entretanto a aplicabilidade destes aços pode ser restringida pela dureza ou pela resistência a corrosão. Usualmente os aços de alta resistência e dureza apresentam elevados teores de carbono, apresentando uma estrutura martensítica, com consequente redução da resistência à corrosão. Por outro lado os aços com maior resistência a corrosão apresentam menor dureza e consequente menor resistência ao desgaste. Diversas soluções têm sido implementadas no sentido de melhorar a resistência a corrosão e ao desgaste simultaneamente desses materiais. Dentre estas a adição de nitrogênio na superfície através da nitretação a plasma, implantação iônica, tratamento térmico de solubilização após nitretação a plasma (SHTPN – Solution Heat Treatment after Plasma Nitriding). Este trabalho tem como objetivo determinar os parâmetros de SHTPN que possibilite obter martensita de nitrogênio na superfície do aço AISI 409, bem como, a avaliação de sua resistência à corrosão. Foi possível verificar uma melhora na resistência à corrosão das condições tratadas por SHTPN, assim como um aumento na resistência mecânica, avaliado pelo perfil de dureza da camada superficial tratada. / Stainless steels are widely used on chemical, petrochemical, nuclear, energy generation, biomedical and food processing industries. In general, stainless steels present good corrosion resistance. However, the application of these materials can be restrained by the hardness and the corrosion resistance. Usually, high strength steels present high carbon content and martensitic structure, what can consequently cause a reduction on corrosion resistance. On the other hand, high corrosion resistance steels present low hardness and weak wear properties. Thereby, many solutions have been made to improve simultaneously wear properties and corrosion resistance of these materials, specially related to the introduction of nitrogen on the surface, through plasma nitriding, ion implantation and SHTPN (Solution Heat Treatment after Plasma Nitriding) processes. The aim of this paper is to determine SHTPN parameters that can form nitrogen martensite on the surface of AISI 409 stailess steel, as well as the evaluation of its corrosion resistance. It was verified an improve on corrosion resistance conditions of SHTPN treated samples. Aditionally, there was an improve on mechanical resistance showed by hardness profiles.

Os aços inoxidáveis martensíticos são amplamente utilizados em aplicações biomédicas devido a sua excelente resistência a corrosão e boas propriedades mecânicas. Entretanto, em aplicações como brocas para a implantodontia, seu desempenho é insatisfatório. Nesta aplicação usualmente utiliza-se de revestimentos como DLC para melhorar a resistência a corrosão, a resistência ao desgaste, bem como, diminuir o coeficiente de atrito broca-osso. Diversos trabalhos na literatura mostram que a nitretação a baixas temperaturas produz camadas superficiais de alta dureza e alta resistência à corrosão. Sabe-se também que o aumento da dureza do substrato melhora o suporte para a adesão do revestimento como o DLC. Estes tratamentos são conhecidos como duplex. Neste trabalho estudou-se o efeito da nitretação a baixa temperatura na resistência à corrosão e dureza de aços inoxidáveis martensiticos do tipo ASTM 420F, bem como, a influência na dureza e resistência à corrosão do tratamento duplex nitretação e DLC. Foram escolhidos cinco parâmetros de nitretação a baixa temperatura, em tempos diferentes para avaliar o comportamento na dureza e resistência à corrosão. O parâmetro que teve o melhor desempenho, atingindo maior dureza e proporcionando uma melhor resistência à corrosão entre os demais, foi a 380°C por 6 horas. Nessa condição, a dureza média de topo foi de 894 HV (1Kgf) e não apresentou corrosão na camada nitretada com revestimento DLC. Pode-se esperar que aplicado essas condições em uma broca cirúrgica, dentro de sua condição de procedimentos cirúrgicos, o desgaste da ferramenta seja menor, uma vez que a sua superfície tem maior dureza do que usualmente comercializada, e mantendo sua resistência à corrosão em ambientes agressivos em que são expostas. / Martensitics stainless steels are used in biomedical applications because of that yours excellent corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties. However, in applications such as drills for implant their performance has been unsatisfactory. This application is usually used how DLC coatings to improve corrosion resistance, wear resistance and to decrease the coefficient of drill bone friction. Several studies in the literature show that nitriding at low temperatures produce surface layers of high hardness and high resistance to corrosion. It is also known that increasing the hardness of the substrate it improves the adhesion of the coating as DLC. These treatments are known as duplex. In this work were studied the effect of low temperature nitriding on the corrosion resistance and hardness of martensitic stainless steel type ASTM 420F, as well as the influence on the hardness and corrosion resistance of nitriding and DLC duplex treatment. Five parameters of nitriding at low temperature, at different times to evaluate the behavior in the hardness and corrosion resistance were chosen. The parameter that had the best performance providing a higher hardness and better corrosion resistance was at 380°C for 6 hours. The average hardness of the drill top was 894 HV (1 Kgf) and not showed corrosion in duplex layer. It can be expected to apply these conditions in a surgical drill, in the tool wear will be less, since the surface has a higher hardness than usually marketed and the drill maintained the resistance to corrosion in aggressive environment that they are exposited.

A Penning-type surface-plasma negative hydrogen (H^-) ion source has been delivering beam at the ISIS pulsed spallation neutron and muon facility for over thirty years. It is one of the most powerful and well-renowned H^- sources in the world. Although long-term experience has allowed the source to be operated reliably and set up in a repeatable way, it is treated as something of a 'black box': the detailed plasma physics of why it works has always been unclear. A vacuum Vessel for Extraction and Source Plasma Analyses (VESPA) has been developed to understand the ISIS ion source plasma and improve the beam extracted from it. The VESPA ion source is operated in a completely new regime whereby the analysing sector dipole magnet housed inside a refrigerated 'cold box', presently used on ISIS, is replaced by an on-axis extraction system. The new extraction system incorporates a novel einzel lens with an elliptical aperture. This is the first demonstration of an elliptical einzel being used to focus an asymmetric H^- ion beam. With the dipole magnet removed, the ion source has been shown to produce 85 mA of H^- beam current at normal settings; of which 80 mA is transported through the new einzel lens system, with a normalised RMS emittance of 0.2 π mm mrad. Optical emission spectroscopy measurements have shown a plasma density of 10¹⁹ m^–3, an H₂ dissociation rate of 70%, an almost constant electron temperature of 3.5 eV and an atomic temperature which linearly increases above the electron temperature. In support of these principal measurements, rigorous particle tracking, electrostatic and thermal simulations were performed. In addition, a suite of new equipment was manufactured by the author. This includes a fast pressure gauge, a temperature controller, a high voltage einzel lens circuit, a fast beam chopper and a caesium detection system.

Submitted by Pedro Silva Filho (pfsilva@ipen.br) on 2017-11-22T18:22:46Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-22T18:22:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / A liga Ti-6Al-4V é uma das ligas de titânio mais suas aplicações estruturais em temperaturas elevadas são limitadas devido a sua afinidade pelo oxigênio. Um tratamento superficial que melhore a resistência à oxidação desta liga permitindo a substituição de peças que atualmente são produzidas com superligas de Ni por este material, poderia reduzir significativamente o peso destes componentes. O objetivo deste trabalho é melhorar a resistência à fluência desta liga utilizando nitretação por plasma. Para homogeneizar a microestrutura do material, foi realizado um tratamento térmico a 1050ºC por 30 minutos para obtenção da microestrutura de Widmanstätten que foi a que apresentou melhor resistência à fluência no material sem tratamento. A nitretação foi realizada variando parâmetros de processo como tempo, temperatura e mistura de gases na atmosfera. A partir dos resultados obtidos, a mistura de gás de Ar:N2:H2 (0,49:0,49:0,03) a 700°C por 4 horas foi a condição escolhida. A caracterização da camada nitretada foi realizada por técnicas de microscopia ótica e eletrônica de varredura, além de difração de raios X. As fases da amostra nitretada detectadas por DRX foram o ε-Ti2N e δ-TiN, além das fases α e β da matriz. A espessura da camada nitretada foi de cerca de 1 μm. Os ensaios de tração a quente foram realizados em temperaturas entre 500°C e 700°C no material com e sem nitretação e mostraram um aumento na resistência da liga nitretada de até 29% nos limites de escoamento e resistência. Os ensaios de fluência foram realizados variando a temperatura também entre 500 e 700ºC e tensão aplicada entre 125 e 319 MPa. O resultado foi um aumento na resistência à fluência do material nitretado. Isto foi evidenciado pela diminuição da taxa de fluência secundária e também pelo aumento do tempo de ruptura do material. / Tese (Doutorado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP