Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5467536 | Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms | 2017 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
A series of enriched gadolinium (Gd, Z = 64) targets was prepared using the molecular plating process for nuclear physics experiments at the Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University. After irradiation with 48Ca and 45Sc projectiles at center-of-target energies of Ecot = 3.8-4.7 MeV/u, the molecular films displayed visible discoloration. The morphology of the films was examined and compared to the intact target surface. The thin films underwent a heavy-ion beam-induced density change as identified by scanning electron microscopy and α-particle energy loss measurements. The films became thinner and more homogenous, with the transformation occurring early on in the irradiation. This transformation is best described as a crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition induced by atomic displacement and destruction of structural order of the original film. The chemical composition of the thin films was surveyed using energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, with the results confirming the complex chemistry of the molecular films previously noted in other publications.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Authors
D.A. Mayorov, E.E. Tereshatov, T.A. Werke, M.M. Frey, C.M. III,