A Gaussian-sum filter for vertex reconstruction

A vertex reconstruction algorithm that is based on the Gaussian-sum filter (GSF) was developed and implemented in the framework of the CMS reconstruction program. While linear least-square estimators are optimal in case all observation errors are Gaussian distributed, the GSF offers a better treatment of non-Gaussian distributions of track parameter errors when these are modeled by Gaussian mixtures. The algorithm has been verified and evaluated with simulated data. The results are compared to the Kalman filter and to an adaptive vertex estimator.     

Summary of “IAEA intercomparison of IBA software”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has sponsored a formal intercomparison exercise for the seven depth profiling ion beam analysis codes, which are: GISA, RUMP, RBX, DEPTH, DataFurnace, SIMNRA and MCERD. This intercomparison is published in Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B [N.P. Barradas, K. Arstila, G. Battistig, M. Bianconi, N. Dytlewski, C. Jeynes, E. Kótai, G. Lulli, M. Mayer, E. Rauhala, E. Szilágyi, M. Thompson, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 262 (2007) 281-303] and summarised here. The codes implement all known physical effects and they are all evaluated. We demonstrate that there is agreement between codes often better than 0.1%; and also detailed agreement with real spectra, showing in particular that the SRIM 2003 stopping powers for Si are correct to 0.6% for 1.5 MeV He. For the case of heavy ion elastic recoil detection (HI-ERD) the single scattering codes performed poorly for scattered particles, although recoiled particles were calculated correctly.     

Ion beam analysis of rare earth nitride thin films

We report compositional measurements on highly disordered GdN, DyN, ErN and SmN thin films, grown using ion-assisted deposition and capped with GaN AlN and Al, grown using the same technique. Ion beam analysis technique of RBS, PIXE and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) were used to determine the composition of the capped films ex situ, and show that GaN and AlN protects the GdN, DyN and SmN films from oxidation over a timescale of at least a few days. NRA depth profiles indicate that oxygen is incorporated into the films during deposition and is located at the GaN/GdN interface. The ion beam analysis measurements showed that stoichiometric ratios can be obtained and oxygen impurities are significantly reduced by varying the film deposition parameters. The successful protection of the rare earth (RE) nitride films from oxidation allows for a reliable analysis of the RE films in the as-deposited state.     

Protective Si-Al-O-Y glass coatings on stainless steel in situ prepared by combustion flame spraying

Surface treatments are a common solution for reducing wear and friction, as well as for increasing oxidation and corrosion resistances. Two refractory glass compositions in the SiO₂-Al₂O₃-Y₂O₃ system have been in situ deposited on AISI 304 stainless steel substrates by combustion flame spraying, with an oxyacetylene torch. Both compositions, 66SiO₂-22Al₂O₃-12Y₂O₃ mol.% (G) and 50SiO₂-30Al₂O₃-20Y₂O₃ mol.% (D), were formulated in the glass forming area; however, G is situated in the pure glass zone and D in a zone of glass formation where partial crystallizations occur. As-sprayed coatings had a thickness of 150-240 μm and were of glassy nature, although in D composition formation of Y₃Al₅O₁₂ and Y₂Si₂O₇ phases was observed. The influence of the Si/Al/Y ratios on the microstructure and properties of the coatings has been studied by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microhardness indentation tests. Properties of these coatings were compared to the bulk properties of the same composition glasses finding direct relationships between them.     

Novel plating solution for electroless deposition of gold film onto glass surface

In this paper, a simple and environmentally friendly electroless plating solution of chloroauric acid (HAuCl₄) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) for depositing gold film onto (3-aminopropyl)-trimethoxysilane (APTMS) -coated glass surface has been developed. APTMS as an adhesive reagent was used to attach the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the glass substrate. These AuNPs could be regarded as the preferential nucleation or catalytic sites for gold electroless reduction, which accelerated the reduction of Au³⁺ on the glass surface and effectively prevented the formation of gold metal in the bulk solution. During the gold plating process, H₂O₂ as the reducing agent was thermodynamically capable of reducing Au³⁺ ions from the HAuCl₄ precursor to gold atoms, which deposited onto the glass surface and finally formed the continuous gold film. The resulting gold film was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively.     

Simulation of the spectra and determination of the optical constants of online low-emission glass from visible to mid-infrared region

Online low emissivity glass (Low-E glass) is a promising glass product. Simulation of the spectra and determination of the optical constants of online Low-E glass are of practical interest for many applications such as product design, adjustment of coating process and comparison of samples produced using different methods. The online Low-E glass investigated here has two layers of films on 6 mm thick float glass substrate, which include the functional layer (the upper layer) and the transition layer (the lower layer). In this paper, the relation between transmittance and the parameters used in the model in the visible and near-infrared region was derived, so was the relation between reflectance and the parameters used in the model in the infrared region. The parameters used in the model were obtained by fitting the measured and simulated spectra. From the obtained parameters, the optical constants of the functional layer of online Low-E glass in the visible region and the infrared region were obtained, respectively. The sheet resistance and the infrared reflectance of Low-E glass were also calculated from the obtained fitting parameters. The simulated results are well consistent with the experimental ones.     

Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/TiNi multilayered heterostructures on Si substrates for smart systems

Ferroelectric/shape memory alloy thin film multilayered heterostructures possess both sensing and actuating functions and are considered to be smart. In this article, Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ (PZT) ferroelectric thin films and Ti-riched TiNi shape memory alloy thin films have been deposited on Si and SiO₂/Si substrates in the 400-600 °C temperature range by pulsed laser deposition technique. Deposition processing, microstructure and surface morphology of these films are described. The TiNi films deposited at 500 °C had an austenitic B2 structure with preferred (110) orientation. The surfaces of the films were very smooth with the root-mean-square roughness on a unit cell level. The structure of the TiNi films had a significant influence on that of the subsequently deposited PZT films. The single B2 austenite phase of the TiNi favored the growth of perovskite PZT films. The PZT/TiNi heterostructures with the PZT and TiNi films respectively deposited at 600 and 500 °C exhibited a polarization-electric field hysteresis behavior with a leakage current of about 2 × 10^− 6 A/cm².     

Interpretation of Oxygen K pre-edge peak in complex oxides

A controversial pre-edge peak has often been observed at the O K-edge in absorption spectra from complex oxides. We study this feature in both K(2)O-SiO(2) glass and MgAl(2)O(4) spinel crystals. Our time-resolved energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) results indicate that the pre-edge peak is due to radiation damage, rather than from any intrinsic feature of the material. It is assigned to the pi* peak due to the O-O interaction.     

On one extremal problem of adaptive machine learning for detection of anomalies

An adaptive algorithm to solve a wide range of problems of unsupervised learning by constructing a sequence of interrelated extremal principles was proposed. The least squares method with a priori defined weights used as a starting point enabled determination of the “center” of learning sample. Next, a natural passage from the least squares method to more flexible extremal principle enabling adaptive determination of both the “center” and weights of the learning sample events was performed. Finally, a universal extremal principle enabling determination of the scaling coefficient of the membership function in addition to the “center” and weights was constructed.     

10 MeV Au ion irradiation effects in an MgO-HfO2 ceramic-ceramic (CERCER) composite

Room temperature ion irradiation damage studies were performed on a ceramic composite intended to emulate a dispersion nuclear fuel. The composite is composed of 90-mole% MgO and 10-mole% HfO₂. The as-synthesized composite was found to consist of Mg₂Hf₅O₁₂ (and some residual HfO₂) particles embedded in an MgO matrix. X-ray diffraction revealed that nearly all of the initial HfO₂ reacted with some MgO to form Mg₂Hf₅O₁₂. Ion irradiations were performed using 10 MeV Au³⁺ ions at room temperature over a fluence range of 5 × 10¹⁶-5 × 10²⁰ Au/m². Irradiated samples were characterized using both grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the latter using both selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) and micro-diffraction (μD) on samples prepared in cross-sectional geometry. Both GIXRD and TEM electron diffraction measurements on a specimen irradiated to a fluence of 5 × 10²⁰ Au/cm², revealed that the initial rhombohedral Mg₂Hf₅O₁₂ phase was transformed into a cubic-Mg₂Hf₅O₁₂ phase. Finally, it is important to note that at the highest ion fluence used in this investigation (5 × 10²⁰ Au/m²), both the MgO matrix and the Mg₂Hf₅O₁₂ second phase remained crystalline.