[en] The physics of the dHvA effect is discussed and it is shown how it can be used to determine the Fermi surface geometry, the Fermi velocities and the local scattering rates. Dingle temperature measurements are discribed and discussed. Furthermore the way in which the samples were prepared is described. Also discussed are some aspects of the metallurgical behavior of hydrogen in copper which are relevant to the sample preparation such as solubility, diffusion, precipitation, and trapping at impurities. The experimental results are presented, and the local scattering rates are determined from the results. These are then compared with lifetimes from previously reported measurements on substitutional impurities in noble metals. The experimental results are found to be in excellent agreement with a recent calculation of the scattering rates for hydrogen in copper by Huisman and Weiss. The data is also analysed in terms of phase shifts using the Greens function theory of Holtzworth and Lee for scattering from interstitials. (HPOE)

[en] The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) started plasma operations in February 1999, In the first extended period of experiments, NSTX achieved high current, inner wall limited, double null, and single null plasma discharges, initial Coaxial Helicity Injection, and High Harmonic Fast Wave results. As expected, discharge reproducibility and performance were strongly affected by wall condition. In this paper, the authors describe the internal geometry, and initial plasma discharge, impurity control, wall conditioning, erosion, and deposition results

[en] Tritium retention at displacement damage will increase the tritium inventory in tungsten plasma-facing components in fusion reactors. However, the quantity retained strongly depends on the temperature of the material during exposure to the plasma. Here we examine how the temperature dependence of the various physical processes affects hydrogen isotope retention at damage in tungsten. Processes considered here are diffusion, precipitation of molecular D₂ in internal voids, binding at traps and annealing of displacement damage. A conceptual model is presented which incorporates the effect of precipitation on D permeation and trapping. The model predicts that D retention at damage should be highest in a temperature range from about 200 °C to 400 °C. D retention is lower at T < 200 °C due to slow permeation, and lower at T > 500 °C due to weak binding to the traps. (topical issue article)

[en] We have used ion channeling to examine the lattice configuration of hydrogen in Mg doped wurtzite GaN grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Hydrogen is introduced by exposure to hydrogen gas or electron cyclotron resonance plasmas and by ion implantation. A density functional approach including lattice relaxation was used to calculate total energies for various locations and charge states of hydrogen in the wurtzite Mg doped GaN lattice. Results of channeling measurements are compared with channeling simulations for hydrogen at lattice locations predicted by the density functional theory. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

[en] Transient reactions among irradiation defects, dopants, impurities, and carriers in pulse-neutron-irradiated Si were modeled taking into account the clustering of the primal defects in recoil cascades. Continuum equations describing the diffusion, field drift, and reactions of relevant species were numerically solved for a submicrometer spherical volume, within which the starting radial distributions of defects could be varied in accord with the degree of clustering. The radial profiles corresponding to neutron irradiation were chosen through pair-correlation-function analysis of vacancy and interstitial distributions obtained from the binary-collision code MARLOWE, using a spectrum of primary recoil energies computed for a fast-burst fission reactor. Model predictions of transient behavior were compared with a variety of experimental results from irradiated bulk Si, solar cells, and bipolar-junction transistors. The influence of defect clustering during neutron bombardment was further distinguished through contrast with electron irradiation, where the primal point defects are more uniformly dispersed

[en] Recent upgrades to the NSTX facility have led to improved plasma performance. Using 5MW of neutral beam injection, plasmas with toroidal β_T (= 2μ₀< p>/B_T² where B_T is the vacuum toroidal field at the plasma geometric center) > 30% have been achieved with normalized β_N (=β_TaB_I/I_p) ∼ 6% · m · T/MA. The highest β discharge exceeded the calculated no-wall β limit for several wall times. The stored energy has reached 390kJ at higher toroidal field (0.55T) corresponding to β_T ∼ 20% and β_N = 5.4. Long pulse (∼1s) high β_p (∼1.5) discharges have also been obtained at higher B_φ (0.5T) with up to 6MW NBI power. The highest energy confinement times, up to 120ms, were observed during H-mode operation which is now routine. Confinement times of ∼ 1.5 times ITER98pby2 for several τ_E are observed during both H-Mode and non-H-Mode discharges. Calculations indicate that many NSTX discharges have very good ion confinement, approaching neoclassical levels. High Harmonic Fast Wave current drive has been demonstrated by comparing discharges with waves launched parallel and anti-parallel to the plasma current.

[en] The diffusion and release of H and its uptake from the gas phase are modeled for Mg-doped, wurtzite GaN using formation energies and vibration frequencies from the density-function theory. Comparison is made with rates of deuterium release and uptake measured by nuclear-reaction analysis of deuterium concentration. Good agreement is found when account is taken of a surface permeation barrier

[en] Formation energies and vibration frequencies for H in wurtzite GaN were calculated from density-functional theory and used to predict equilibrium state occupancies and solid solubilities at elevated temperatures for p-type, intrinsic, and n-type material. The solubility of deuterium (D) was measured in p-type, Mg-doped GaN at 600, 700, and 800^oC as a function of D₂ pressure and compared with theory. Agreement was obtained by reducing the H formation energies 0.22 eV from ab initio theoretical values. The predicted stretch-mode frequency for H bound to the Mg acceptor lies 5% above an observed infrared absorption attributed to this complex. More limited solubility measurements were carried out for nominally undoped material rendered n-type by donors provisionally identified as O impurities, and results agree well with theory after the aforementioned adjustment of formation energies. It is concluded that currently recognized H states and physical processes can account for the equilibrium, elevated-temperature behavior of H examined in this work

[en] We have been exploring the use of small-angle neutron scattering and the method of contrast variation to give a new look at a very old problem: reinforcement of elastomers by carbon black in durable rubber products. Carbon black has a hierarchy of structures consisting of particles covalently bound into aggregates, which in turn associate by weak interactions into agglomerates. We found that in one carbon black, HSA, the aggregates are rodlike, containing an average of 4-6 particles. The aggregates have an outer graphitic shell and an inner core of lower density carbon. The core is continuous throughout the carbon black aggregate. Contrast variation of swollen HSA-polyisoprene gels shows that the HSA is completely embedded in polyisoprene and that the agglomerates are formed predominantly by end on associations of the rodlike aggregates. The surface structure of the carbon black appears smooth over length scales above about 10 angstrom. Further studies using production carbon blacks suggest that these structural characteristics are generally present in commercial rubber composites

[en] As part of our work on the, structure of composite materials we have been exploring the use of small-angle neutron scattering using the method of contrast variation to dissect the component form, structure and distribution. This approach has resulted in a new look at very old problem reinforcement of elastomers by carbon black. Using this approach we studied an experimental high surface area (HSA) carbon black and a gel of ''HSA-bound'' rubber in cyclohexane/deuterocyclohexane mixtures. HSA in cyclohexane is found to be short rodlike particle aggregates. The aggregates have a shell-core structure with a high density graphitic outer shell and an inner core of lower density amorphous carbon. The core is continuous throughout the carbon black aggregate, making the aggregate a stiff, integral unit. Contrast variation of swollen composite gels shows that there are two length scales in the gel structure. Above 10 Angstrom, scattering from carbon black predominates, and below 10 Angstrom the scattering is from both carbon black and the elastomer. The HSA in the composite is completely embedded in polyisoprene. An estimate of the carbon black structure factor shows strong exclusion of neighboring aggregates, probably from excluded volume effects. The surface structure of the carbon black is unaltered by the interactions with elastomer and appears smooth over length scales above about 10 Angstrom. These results show that contrast variation can provide information on composite structure that is not available by other means. This information relates to the reinforcement mechanism of elastomers by carbon blacks