Effect of vacuum arc ion beam treatment on the structure and mechanical properties of 30CrMnSiNi2A steel

The paper reports on a study of the structure and mechanical properties of 30CrMnSiNi2A high-strength steel irradiated with a Zr+ ion beam. The effect of irradiation on the steel was assessed by optical, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy as well as by X-ray di ITraction analysis of its irradiated and non-irradiated specimens 1 mm thick under static and cyclic tension, showing an increase in the fatigue life of the steel after irradiation. The deformation behavior and the mechanical properties of the specimens were compared, and the factors responsible for the increase in fatigue life were analyzed.     

Increasing the fatigue life of 12Cr1MoV steel by surface nanostructuring with a Zr<Superscript>+</Superscript> ion beam. Structure,properties, and fracture pattern

The paper presents the results of static and cyclic tensile tests and alternate cyclic bending tests of 12Cr1MoV specimens in the initial state and after surface nanostructuring with a Zr⁺ ion beam. Examination by optical and scanning electron microscopy and interference profilometry revealed differences in the formation of the deformation relief and in the character of cracking of the modified surface layer. The changes occurring in the modified surface layer were estimated by nanoindentation, X-ray analysis, and fractography. The nanostructure formed in the treated surface layer was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The difference in deformation is interpreted using the multiple cracking concept. The effect of substantial enhancement of fatigue strength is associated with retarded plastic deformation and fatigue crack propagation in the modified surface layer.     

Several features of the Ar<Superscript>+</Superscript>-ion irradiation of vanadium and its alloys

Changes in the surface properties of vanadium and its alloys irradiated by Ar⁺ ions with the energy 20 keV, to a dose of 10²² m⁻² at T _irr ≈ 700K have been studied. The radiation effect consists of material surface hardening, increasing the lattice parameters of the irradiated samples, and radiation erosion of the surface layers in the form of flaking. Features of radiation damage to the material’s surface irradiated by gas ions with high sputtering coefficients are discussed.     

Surface characteristics of V-Ga alloys after irradiation by Ar<Superscript>+</Superscript> and N<Superscript>+</Superscript> ions

V-5Ga-6Cr and V-5Ga-0.05Ce vanadium alloys irradiated by Ar⁺ and N⁺ ions with energies of 20 keV have been investigated. Irradiation by Ar⁺ and N⁺ ions leads to strengthening of the surface layers of samples. Their thicknesses exceed the projectile ranges of these ions (16.4 and 32.8 nm, respectively) in vanadium by more than two orders of magnitude. The experimentally determined penetration depth of argon ions is less that 70 nm. The sample side irradiated by Ar⁺ ions has a predominant orientation of crystallites in the (100) and (211) planes, while the unirradiated sample has a (110) surface. The lattice parameter of the irradiated sample does not differ from that of the initial sample. Possible mechanisms by which modified deep layers are formed during ion bombardment are discussed.     

Localized desvitrifiation in Er<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-doped strontium barium niobate glass by laser irradiation

Localized desvitrifiation in strontium barium niobate glass doped with Er³⁺ under laser irradiation has been carried out. The samples of this study have been fabricated by the melt quenching method and doped with 5% mol of Er³⁺. A 1.5-W cw Ar laser was focused on the sample to obtain desvitrifiation of the glass. Evidence of the changes induced by the Ar laser has been observed through the analysis of the photoluminescence of the Er³⁺ ions. The transitions corresponding to ²H_11/2→⁴I_15/2, ⁴S_3/2→⁴I_15/2 and ⁴F_9/2→⁴I_15/2 have been studied to analyze structure changes. Microluminescence measurements have been carried out to spatially select positions inside and outside the irradiated area. We have observed changes in the emission bands corresponding to these transitions. The emission bands from Er³⁺ ions in the irradiated zone show a resolved structure while they are broadened outside that area. These changes in the optical properties of the Er³⁺ ions indicate that the Ar-laser irradiation has produced a change in the local structure of the material. These results show that a localized desvitrifiation has been produced after the laser action and the transition from glass to glass ceramic has been completed.     

Polymerization of solid C<Subscript>60</Subscript> under C<Stack><Subscript>60</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> cluster ion bombardment

The structure transformation occurring in fullerene film under bombardment by 50 keV C₆₀⁺ cluster ions is reported. The Raman spectra of the irradiated C₆₀ films reveal a new peak rising at 1458 cm⁻¹ with an increase in the ion fluence. This feature of the Raman spectra suggests linear polymerization of solid C₆₀ induced by the cluster ion impacts. The aligned C₆₀ polymeric chains composing about 5–10 fullerene molecules have been distinguished on the film surface after the high-fluence irradiation using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The surface profiling analysis of the irradiated films has revealed pronounced sputtering during the treatment. The obtained results indicate that the C₆₀ polymerization occurs in a deep layer situated more than 40 nm below the film surface. The deep location of the C₆₀ polymeric phase indirectly confirms the dominant role of shock waves in the detected C₆₀ phase transformation.     

Swift ion beam irradiation on lithium niobate single crystals

Single crystals of lithium niobate were irradiated by 50 MeV Li³⁺ion irradiation at various ion fluences. The irradiated single crystals were subjected to various studies such as X-ray diffractometry, UV–VIS–NIR analysis and refractive index measurements. Atomic force microscopy patterns were recorded to study the surface changes after irradiation. Micro-Raman measurements were also recorded for irradiated specimens and the result of the measurements are discussed in detail.     

Measurement of the cross sections for the production of the isotopes <Superscript>74</Superscript>As, <Superscript>68</Superscript>Ge, <Superscript>65</Superscript>Zn,and <Superscript>60</Superscript>Co from natural and enriched germanium irradiated with 100-MeV protons

The cross sections for the production of the radioactive isotopes ⁷⁴As, ⁶⁸Ge, ⁶⁵Zn, and ⁶⁰Co in metallic germanium irradiated with 100-MeV protons were measured, the experiments being performed both with germanium of natural isotopic composition and germanium enriched in the isotope ⁷⁶Ge. The targets were irradiated with a proton beam at the facility for the production of radionuclides at the accelerator of the Institute for Nuclear Research (INR, Moscow). The data obtained will further be used to calculate the background of radioactive isotopes formed by nuclear cascades of cosmic-ray muons in new-generation experiments devoted to searches for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of ⁷⁶Ge at underground laboratories.     

Evolution of Phase Composition and Structure in Sapphire Implanted with <Superscript>64</Superscript>Zn<Superscript>+</Superscript> Ions and Heat-Treated in Oxygen

Single-crystal Al₂O₃ substrates are implanted with ⁶⁴Zn⁺ ions using doses of 5 × 10¹⁶ cm^–2 and an energy of 100 keV. The samples are annealed in oxygen with a stepwise increase in temperature from 400 to 1000°C. The changes on the surface and in the bulk of the sample are analyzed via scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy.     

Effects of Li<Superscript>+</Superscript> co-doping on the concentration quenching threshold and luminescence of GdVO<Subscript>4</Subscript>:Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript> nanophosphors

Europium ions (Eu³⁺) and Lithium ions (Li⁺) codoped gadolinium orthovanadate with a tetragonal phase had been successfully synthesized by an efficient hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photoluminescence (PL) were utilized to characterize the microstructure, morphology, and luminescent properties of as-prepared samples. The various concentrations (0～14 at.%) of Li ions were applied to investigate the effect of Li⁺ co-doping concentration on the crystalline structure, microstructure, and emission intensity of GdVO₄:Eu³⁺, Li⁺ nanophosphors. The results demonstrated that Li⁺ ion co-doping changes the lattice parameters in two different ways. Moreover, the optical photoluminescent property was obtained when the Li⁺ co-doping concentration is 10 at.%. The influence of Li⁺ co-doping on the concentration quenching effect of Eu³⁺ was discussed as well. The concentration quenching threshold of Eu³⁺ was increased distinguishably. The potential mechanism was proposed in this paper.     

Effects of the internuclear vector on the photoelectron angular distributions of H<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript>

We study the photoelectron angular distributions (PADs) of diatomic molecule H₂ ⁺ irradiated by intense laser fields using a nonperturbative scattering theory. We find that the internuclear vector may change the PADs. The PADs have qualitative changes with the increasing of the internuclear distance. The molecular orientation affect the symmetry of the PADs. When the internuclear vector is vertical or parallel to the laser polarization vector, the PADs are four-fold symmetric; for other case the PADs are two-fold symmetric. Due to the modulation effect resulting from the molecular multi-core nature, the size of the jet and the main lobe can be enlarged or reduced. The molecular modulation effect become obvious for large internuclear distance.     

Infrared absorption in gallium arsenide,produced by deep defect levels

When GaAs is irradiated by protons and rapid neutrons there appears a significant supplementary absorption beyond the long-wave edge of the basic band, produced bythe presence of deep defect levels in the irradiated specimens [1, 2], Until recently it was assumed that irradiation of gallium arsenide by electrons produced insignificant changes in the absorption spectrum [2]. However, a later study of the absorption spectra of specimens irradiated by electrons with E =1.5 MeV found an optical absorption band in the region of 1.0 eV [3].     

Acceleration of heavy multicharged ions up to 1 MeV from a cleaned solid target irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse with an intensity of 10<Superscript>16</Superscript> W/cm<Superscript>2</Superscript>

A noticeable increase in the charge and energy of ions accelerated from a solid tungsten target irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse with an intensity higher than 10¹⁶W/cm² has been found when the target surface is precleaned by a nanosecond laser pulse with an energy density of 3 J/cm². Tungsten ions with charges up to +29 and energies up to 1 MeV were detected in this case, while the charge and energy of tungsten ions from a target with an uncleaned surface do not exceed +3 and 12 keV, respectively.     

Theory of two-frequency excitation in<Superscript>14</Superscript>N NQR

A simple and effective technique for calculating the transient signals in three-level spin systems irradiated at one and two frequencies is described. All possible signals are presented and discussed. The application of the two-frequency excitation technique for the investigation of the inhomogeneity of the crystalline lattice is suggested.     

The challenge of correlations in hadronic production of <Emphasis Type="Italic">V</Emphasis><Superscript>0</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">V</Emphasis><Superscript>0</Superscript> pairs

The paper concerns the determination of the role of the γ-phase particles on the microstructure and properties of Co-Ni-Ga alloys. The studies cover the alloys of chemical composition which show two types of microstructure: single phase martensite BCT( Body Centred Tetragonal) lattice with c/a > 1(a), BCT + γ(b). The particle analysis was performed to determine the amount of the γ-phase in the studied alloys. The compression test on prism samples proved that the increase of the γ-phase volume fraction significantly improves the strength and plasticity of the alloys. Thus the presence of the γ-phase precipitates cause the decrease of the brittleness observed in the single phase martensitic alloys. TEM observations were performed for specimens before and after deformation to reveal the mechanism of the γ-phase deformation.     

Laser irradiation effects on the surface,structural and mechanical properties of Al–Cu alloy 2024

Laser irradiation effects on surface, structural and mechanical properties of Al–Cu–Mg alloy (Al–Cu alloy 2024) have been investigated. The specimens were irradiated for various fluences ranging from 3.8 to 5.5 J/cm² using an Excimer (KrF) laser (248 nm, 18 ns, 30 Hz) under vacuum environment. The surface and structural modifications of the irradiated targets have been investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD), respectively. SEM analysis reveals the formation of micro-sized craters along the growth of periodic surface structures (ripples) at their peripheries. The size of the craters initially increases and then decreases by increasing the laser fluence. XRD analysis shows an anomalous trend in the peak intensity and crystallite size of the specimen irradiated for various fluences. A universal tensile testing machine and Vickers microhardness tester were employed in order to investigate the mechanical properties of the irradiated targets. The changes in yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and microhardness were found to be anomalous with increasing laser fluences. The changes in the surface and structural properties of Al–Cu alloy 2024 after laser irradiation have been associated with the changes in mechanical properties.     

Lowest lying <Superscript>1</Superscript>D<Superscript>e</Superscript> resonance of H<Superscript>-</Superscript> in Debye plasma

Electron-hydrogen scattering has been investigated in Debye plasma environment employing the close-coupling approximation. Two models, viz., 6-state CCA and 9-state CCA have been used. Plasma screening has been taken into account via Debye-Hückel model potential. The lowest lying ¹D^e^1{\rm D}^{{\rm e}} auto-detaching resonance of the hydrogen negative ion has been successfully predicted for various plasma conditions. The resonant state changes to shape resonance for Debye scattering lengths less than a critical value.     

<Superscript>10</Superscript>B<Superscript>+</Superscript>-ion implantation into photoresist

100-keV ¹⁰B⁺ ions were implanted into photoresist in different directions at a fluence of 1×10¹⁴ cm^-2, and their depth distribution was determined by means of the neutron depth profiling technique. In no case were the projectile ions found to come to rest according to their predicted implantation profiles. Instead, they are always found to undergo considerable long-range migration. During the irradiation process this motion appears to be enhanced by the radiation damage, and during the subsequent annealing steps one deals with thermal diffusion. The implant redistribution is always found to be governed strongly by the self-created damage, insofar as both electronic and nuclear defects in the polymer act as trapping centers. The implant redistribution shows a pronounced directional dependence, essentially as a consequence of the spatial distribution of the electronic energy loss. The changes of the nuclear defect distribution during thermal annealing are studied by a specially developed tomographic method in three dimensions. PACS 61.72.Ww; 61.80.Jh; 61.41.+e; 66.30.-h; 66.30.Jt     

Investigation by Fluorescence Technique of the Quenching Effect of Co<Superscript>2+</Superscript> and Mn<Superscript>2+</Superscript> Transition Metals,on Naphthalene-Methyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin Host-Guest Inclusion Complex

Inclusion complex of naphthalene with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin in water has been formed. The aqueous solutions of the various amounts of Co²⁺ve Mn²⁺salts have been added to naphthalene-methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (NAP-Me-β-CD) inclusion complexes. Fluorescence properties of the naphthalene (NAP) compound have been utilized to observe the changes in fluorescence intensities. Stern-Volmer quenching constants and fluorescence quantum yields have been calculated. Characterization of the resulting complex by FT-IR and ¹H NMR technique has been determined. Fluorescence lifetime measurements have been made in the presence and absence of the quenching reagent and Gibbs free energy change has been calculated.     

Effect of high doses of N<Superscript>+</Superscript>, N<Superscript>+</Superscript> + Ni<Superscript>+</Superscript>, and Mo<Superscript>+</Superscript> + W<Superscript>+</Superscript> ions on the physicomechanical properties of TiNi

The surface layer of an equiatomic TiNi alloy, which exhibits the shape memory effect in the martensitic state, is modified with high-dose implantation of 65-keV N⁺ ions (the implantation dose is varied from 10¹⁷ to 10¹⁸ ions/cm²). TiNi samples are implanted by N⁺, Ni⁺-N⁺, and Mo⁺-W⁺ ions at a dose of 10¹⁷–10¹⁸ cm⁻² and studied by Rutherford backscattering, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (glancing geometry), and by measuring the nanohardness and the elastic modulus. A Ni⁺ concentration peak is detected between two maxima in the depth profile of the N⁺ ion concentration. X-ray diffraction (glancing geometry) of TiNi samples implanted by Ni⁺ and N⁺ ions shows the formation of the TiNi (B2), TiN, and Ni₃N phases. In the initial state, the elastic modulus of the samples is E = 56 GPa at a hardness of H = 2.13 ± 0.30 GPa (at a depth of 150 nm). After double implantation by Ni⁺-N⁺ and W⁺-Mo⁺ ions, the hardness of the TiNi samples is ∼2.78 ± 0.95 GPa at a depth of 150 nm and 4.95 ± 2.25 GPa at a depth of 50 nm; the elastic modulus is 59 GPa. Annealing of the samples at 550°C leads to an increase in the hardness to 4.44 ± 1.45 GPa and a sharp increase in the elastic modulus to 236 ± 39 GPa. A correlation between the elemental composition, microstructure, shape memory effect, and mechanical properties of the near-surface layer in TiNi is found.