No description available.

Generation and migration of helium and other point defects under irradiation causes ferritic steels based on the Fe-Cr system to age and fail. This is motivation to study point defect migration and the He equation of state using atomistic simulations due to the steels' use in future reactors. A new potential for the Fe-Cr-He system developed by collaborators at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was validated using published experimental data. The results for the He equation of state agree well with experimental data. The activation energies for the migration of He- and Fe-interstitials in varying compositions of Fe-Cr lattices agree well with prior work. This research did not find a strong correlation between lattice ordering and interstitial migration energy

L’étude des défauts ponctuels (lacunes, impuretés) et des complexes (cavités, joints de grains, etc.) est un domaine important de la physique du solide. Les propriétés physiques et chimiques des matériaux (élasticité, plasticité, fragilité, etc.) sont très souvent corrélées à la présence de ces défauts. Les techniques expérimentales ne sont cependant pas toujours en mesure de fournir une compréhension suffisante de ceux-ci. Dans ce cas-là, les simulations numériques et la modélisation à l’échelle atomique sont des outils utiles pour interpréter les résultats expérimentaux. Mon travail de thèse se situe dans ce cadre. Le manuscrit comporte 4 principales parties. Dans la première et la deuxième partie, nous présentons les principes de la DFT et la méthodologie utilisée dans cette thèse. La troisième partie de ce manuscrit résume l’étude théorique par DFT de la formation, la migration et la diffusion de différentes configurations de multi-lacunes Vn(n=1-15) dans le fer cubique centré. Les configurations de Vn les plus stables y sont décrites en détail : les énergies de formation, de liaison et de piégeage. La migration de différentes multilacunes est discutée en détail d’un point de vue énergétique et configurationnelle. Dans la dernière partie, nous nous intéressons à l’absorption du soufre dans différents sites (interstitiel et substitutionnel) du massif de Ni et sa ségrégation vers les surfaces Ni (100) et Ni (111). L’étude du soufre en volume permet de clarifie sa position en solution solide. Nous discutons des interactions soufre-soufre et avec le métal de base. La ségrégation et l’absorption sur des surfaces libres du nickel est aussi abordée en détail. / The study of point defects (vacancies, impurity) and complex defects (cavities, grain boundary etc.) is a major challenge for solid state physics. The physical and chemical properties of materials (such elasticity, plasticity, embrittlement etc.) are correlated to the presence of these defects. The experimental study is not always able to bring sufficient information about them. In this way computational simulations and the modeling on the atomic level is efficient to interpret the experimental results and to obtain new informations. This PhD work consists also in a theoretical study of defects in metals. This manuscript is organized in four main parts. In the first and second part, we present the theoretical principles and the methodology used in this work. In the third part, we report a long discussion on the study of formation, migration and diffusion of multivacancies Vn in the bcc-iron system. The main objective of this study is to identify and to analyze most stable configurations of multivacancies for different sizes of Vn (n=1-15) in Fe. The migration is also investigated. In the last part, we present a study of S atoms in nickel. The different sites (interstitial and substitutional sites) in solid solution of nickel-fcc and the segregation of sulfur on and in the Ni(100) and Ni(111) surfaces are discussed. The study of sulfur in the bulk shows that the atoms S occupy the substitutional sites. The S-S and S-Ni interactions are also presented. We conclude by a discussion on the segregation and the adsorption on free surfaces.

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第17579号 / 工博第3738号 / 新制||工||1570(附属図書館) / 30345 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科電子工学専攻 / (主査)教授 木本 恒暢, 教授 髙岡 義寛, 准教授 船戸 充 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

No description available.

Parameters of Heine and Abarenkov potential has been computed in this paper for twenty two hexagonal closed pack (hcp) crystals. From the minimization of structure dependent energy of the pure crystal the inter-relation between the two parameters of the potential is first determined. Calculation uses pseudopotential technique with nine different exchange and correlation functions and either only available experimental value of vacancy formation energy (E1vF) or that obtained from an empirical relation based on other experimental parameters (Melting temperature, cohesive energy or activation energy) as tool. The variation of E1vF with parameter A of HAP and different exchange and correlation functions (ECF) show sharp fall in E1vF near very small value of A after which it shows constancy for all hcp crystals. Comparison is made with parameter of Ashcroft model also. For Aschroft this variation is almost flat showing averageness while for Heine and Abarenkov sharp variations are there from one hcp crystal to other.

No description available.

Parameters of Heine and Abarenkov model potential (HAP) have been computed in this paper for sixteen body centered cubic (bcc) closed pack crystals. From the minimization of structure dependent energy of the pure crystal the inter-relation between the two parameters is first determined. Calculation uses pseudopotential technique with nine different exchange and correlation functions (ECF) and either only available experimental value of vacancy formation energy (VFE) or that obtained from an empirical relation based on other experimental parameters (Melting temperature, cohesive energy or activation energy) as tool. The variation of VFE with one parameter of HAP and different ECF show sharp fall in VFE near very small value of it after which it shows constancy for all bcc crystals. Comparison is made with parameter of Ashcroft model also. For increase in valency this parameter of HAP increases and show distinct different curves.

Gewebezellen sammeln ständig Informationen über die mechanischen Eigenschaften ihrer Umgebung, indem sie aktiv an dieser ziehen. Diese Kräfte werden an Zell-Matrix-Kontakten übertragen, die als Mechanosensoren fungieren. Jüngste Experimente mit Zellen auf elastischen Substraten zeigen, dass Zellen sehr empfindlich auf Veränderungen der effektiven Steifigkeit ihrer Umgebung reagieren, die zu einer Reorganisation des Zytoskeletts führen können. In dieser Arbeit wird ein theoretisches Model entwickelt, um die Selbstorganisation von Zellen in weichen Materialien vorherzusagen. Obwohl das Zellverhalten durch komplexe regulatorische Vorgänge in der Zelle gesteuert wird, scheint die typische Antwort von Zellen auf mechanische Reize eine einfache Präferenz für große effektive Steifigkeit der Umgebung zu sein, möglicherweise weil in einer steiferen Umgebung Kräfte an den Kontakten effektiver aufgebaut werden können. Der Begriff Steifigkeit umfasst dabei sowohl Effekte, die durch größere Härte als auch durch elastische Verzerrungsfelder in der Umgebung verursacht werden. Diese Beobachtung kann man als ein Extremalprinzip in der Elastizitätstheorie formulieren. Indem man das zelluläre Kraftmuster spezifiziert, mit dem Zellen mit ihrer Umgebung wechselwirken, und die Umgebung selbst als linear elastisches Material modelliert, kann damit die optimale Orientierung und Position von Zellen vorhergesagt werden. Es werden mehrere praktisch relevante Beispiele für Zellorganisation theoretisch betrachtet: Zellen in externen Spannungsfeldern und Zellen in der Nähe von Grenzflächen für verschiedene Geometrien und Randbedingungen des elastischen Mediums. Dafür werden die entsprechenden elastischen Randwertprobleme in Vollraum, Halbraum und Kugel exakt gelöst. Die Vorhersagen des Models stimmen hervorragend mit experimentellen Befunden für Fibroblastzellen überein, sowohl auf elastischen Substraten als auch in physiologischen Hydrogelen. Mechanisch aktive Zellen wie Fibroblasten können auch elastisch miteinander wechselwirken. Es werden daher optimale Strukturen als Funktion von Materialeigenschaften und Zelldichte bzw. der Geometrie der Zellpositionen berechnet. Schließlich wird mit Hilfe von Monte Carlo Simulationen der Einfluss stochastischer Störungen auf die Strukturbildung untersucht. Das vorliegende Model trägt nicht nur zu einem besseren Verständnis von vielen physiologischen Situationen bei, sondern könnte in Zukunft auch für biomedizinische Anwendungen benutzt werden, um zum Beispiel Protokolle für künstliche Gewebe im Bezug auf Substratgeometrie, Randbedingungen, Materialeigenschaften oder Zelldichte zu optimieren. / Adherent cells constantly collect information about the mechanical properties of their extracellular environment by actively pulling on it through cell-matrix contacts, which act as mechanosensors. In recent years, the sophisticated use of elastic substrates has shown that cells respond very sensitively to changes in effective stiffness in their environment, which results in a reorganization of the cytoskeleton in response to mechanical input. We develop a theoretical model to predict cellular self-organization in soft materials on a coarse grained level. Although cell organization in principle results from complex regulatory events inside the cell, the typical response to mechanical input seems to be a simple preference for large effective stiffness, possibly because force is more efficiently generated in a stiffer environment. The term effective stiffness comprises effects of both rigidity and prestrain in the environment. This observation can be turned into an optimization principle in elasticity theory. By specifying the cellular probing force pattern and by modeling the environment as a linear elastic medium, one can predict preferred cell orientation and position. Various examples for cell organization, which are of large practical interest, are considered theoretically: cells in external strain fields and cells close to boundaries or interfaces for different sample geometries and boundary conditions. For this purpose the elastic equations are solved exactly for an infinite space, an elastic half space and the elastic sphere. The predictions of the model are in excellent agreement with experiments for fibroblast cells, both on elastic substrates and in hydrogels. Mechanically active cells like fibroblasts could also interact elastically with each other. We calculate the optimal structures on elastic substrates as a function of material properties, cell density and the geometry of cell positioning, respectively, that allows each cell to maximize the effective stiffness in its environment due to the traction of all the other cells. Finally, we apply Monte Carlo simulations to study the effect of noise on cellular structure formation. The model not only contributes to a better understanding of many physiological situations. In the future it could also be used for biomedical applications to optimize protocols for artificial tissues with respect to sample geometry, boundary condition, material properties or cell density.

This thesis details research performed in modeling, simulation, and rational design of porous SOFC cathodes via development, extension, and use of the key tools to aid in the fundamental understanding and engineering design of cathode materials. Phenomenological modeling of triple phase boundary (TPB) reactions and surface transport on La₁₋ₓSrₓMnO₃ (LSM) was conducted, providing insight into the role of the bulk versus surface oxygen reduction pathway and the role of sheet resistance in thin-film patterned electrode measurements. In response to observation of sheet resistance deactivation, a modeling study was conducted to design thin-film patterned electrodes with respect to sheet resistance. Additionally, this thesis outlines the application of phenomenological chemical kinetics to describe and explain the performance and stability enhancements resulting from surface modification of La₁₋ₓSrₓCo₁₋yFeyO₃₋delta (LSCF) with a conformal LSM coating. The analysis was performed in close coordination with electrochemical experiments and transmission electron microscopy. Finally, the thesis describes conformal modeling of porous cathode microstructures using chemical kinetics and transport models. A novel application of conservative point defect ensembles was developed to allow simulations with complicated chemical surface kinetics to be efficiently coupled with bulk transport within the porous structure. The finite element method was employed to simulate electrochemical response conformal to sintered porous ceramic structures using actual 3D microstructural reconstructions obtained using x-ray microtomography. Mesh refinement, linear, and nonlinear reaction rate kinetics were employed to study the bulk versus surface oxygen reduction pathways and the effect of near-TPB nanostructure.