Physics Commons^™

Transistion Metal Chalcogenides And Phosphides For Energy Storage And Conversion Through Water Splitting, Kelsey Thompson

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

In contemporary society, there are many different ways that energy is used in daily life. From applications that require a high energy density to long-term storage in a stable manner, the requirements for energy usage are diverse. Therefore, the greater the number of uses a designed material exhibits, the more practical it may be for wide-scale manufacture. Two areas of particular interest for energy applications are fuel cells (to generate energy) and supercapacitors (to store energy). To provide cheaper and more durable alternatives for energy storage, electrodes containing CoMoO₄, NiMoO₄, CoMoS₄, NiMoS₄, …

A Theoretical Study Of Synchronous Proton Transfer In (Hf)N, (H2O) N, And (Hcl) N Where N = 3, 4, 5, Johnny Yang

Honors Theses

For (HF)_n, (H₂O)_n, and (HCl)_n (n = 3 − 5), we have rigorously characterized the structures for the minima and transition states for synchronous proton transfer (SPT) with the CCSD(T) method and aug-cc-pVTZ basis set. The electronic barrier heights (∆E^†) associated with these transition states have also been computed with the explicitly correlated CCSD(T)-F12 method and the aug-cc-pVQZ-F12 basis set (abbreviated aQZ-F12). (HCl)_n (n = 3 − 5) SPT transition states have not been previously identified to the best of our knowledge, and they have been found …

Determination Of The Rydberg Constant From The Emission Spectra Of H And He+, Kyle D. Shaffer

Ramifications

Abstract

In this experiment, the Rydberg constants for the hydrogen atom and He⁺ were determined by analysis of the emission spectra of Hand He, respectively, in comparison to the principal quantum numbers of each transition. Using both a hydrogen and then a helium atomic lamp attached to a 0.5 m grating spectrometer and a photomultiplier detector (PMT), a change in voltage detected by the PMT can be paired with a corresponding wavelength passing through the spectrometer from each emission peak in the visible to ultraviolet range. The peaks acquired from this change in voltage were analyzed to find their …

Vibration Overtone Hyperpolarizability Measured For H2 Using Electric Field Induced Second Harmonic Generation, Rachel Ellis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The vibrational contribution to the second hyperpolarizability (γ) of gas phase H2 was measured using electric field induced second harmonic generation. Measurements were made for the pure vibrational 3-0 Q(J) overtone transitions (v=0,J → v’=3,J for J = 0,1,2,3). Measured intensities were found to be 4-14% larger than ab initio calculations. The first chapter of this thesis provides an introduction to nonlinear optics, second harmonic generation, and the tensor nature of hyperpolarizabilities. The second chapter provides theoretical expressions for γ and relevant static and Raman polarizabilities. The third chapter covers the experimental design and electric field induced second harmonic generation. …

Studying Near-Critical And Super-Critical Fluids In Reduced Gravity, Christian Hawkins, Ana Oprisan, Carole Lecoutre-Chabot, Yves Garrabos, Daniel Beysens

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Critical and supercritical fluids have a variety of applications, from use as machine lubricants in high pressure or high temperature environments to the manufacturing of materials such as aerogel. The optical properties of fluids undergo rapid changes near the critical point resulting in a rapid increase in turbidity known as critical opalescence. These optical changes can be used to probe the universality of critical behavior. As a fluid approaches the critical point, the compressibility rapidly increases. In a gravitational field, this increase in compressibility leads to near-critical fluids stratifying by phase and density, making it difficult to observe the optical …

Semiclassically Modeling Hydrogen At Rydberg States Immersed In Electromagnetic Fields, Jaron Williams

Mathematics Senior Capstone Papers

Originally, closed-orbit theory was developed in order to analyze oscillations in the near ionization threshold (Rydberg) densities of states for atoms in strong external electric and magnetic fields. Oscillations in the density of states were ascribed to classical orbits that began and ended near the atom. In essence, observed outgoing waves following the classical path return and interfere with original outgoing waves, giving rise to oscillations. Elastic scattering from one closed orbit to another gives additional oscillations in the cross-section. This study examines how quantum theory can be properly used in combination with classical orbit theory in order to study …

A Gas Flow-Through System For Hydrogen Isotopic Separation With Metal-Organic Frameworks, Katharine Harp Rigdon

Honors Papers

In this thesis, we designed and built a gas flow-through system to study dynamic adsorption separation of hydrogen isotopes in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). MOFs are porous, crystalline materials composed of metal complexes connected by organic linkers. They have been proposed as a cheaper, more energy efficient approach to hydrogen isotope separation than current industrial methods. We have previously found evidence of a zero-point energy-based separation mechanism for hydrogen isotopes in two MOFs: Co-MOF-74 and Cu(I)-MFU-4l. This mechanism, chemical affinity quantum sieving (CAQS), has been extensively studied under static equilibrium conditions. The system in this work was developed so that CAQS …

On Laser-Induced Plasma Containing Hydrogen, Ghaneshwar Gautam

Doctoral Dissertations

Laser-induced micro-plasma dynamics are investigated in laboratory air, ultra-high-pure hydrogen gas, and hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixtures. The dissertation focuses on atomic spectroscopy of hydrogen in the visible region.

Line-of-sight measurements are analyzed to obtain spatial distributions of electron densities and excitation temperatures. The studies include evaluation of self-absorption phenomena. The plasma dynamics occur initially well above re-entry speeds and diminish to hypersonic and then supersonic expansions. Expansion velocities are measured that are above three hundred times the speed of sound in standard atmosphere. Optical breakdown is induced by using pulsed laser radiation. Emission spectra are collected by employing a spectrometer equipped …

Continuity Of Heavy Rydberg Behaviour In The Ungerade Ion-Pair States Of H2, Alexander M. Chartrand, Robert J. Donovan, Kenneth P. Lawley, Elizabeth Mccormack

Physics Faculty Research and Scholarship

Heavy Rydberg behaviour and absolute quantum defects are reported for resonances in the ungerade manifold of H₂ above the (1s, 3l) dissociation limit. The continuity of the vibrational progression of the B''B-bar state through the crossing with the 3p asymptote is demonstrated and a predominantly diabatic picture of the vibrational motion emerges, indicating that the ion-pair resonances possess little 6¹Σ_u⁺ state character.

Long-Range Interactions Of Hydrogen Atoms In Excited States. I. 2s-1s Interactions And Dirac-Δ Perturbations, Chandra Mani Adhikari, Vincent Debierre, Arthur N. Matveev, Nikolai N. Kolachevsky, Ulrich D. Jentschura

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The theory of the long-range interaction of metastable excited atomic states with ground-state atoms is analyzed. We show that the long-range interaction is essentially modified when quasidegenerate states are available for virtual transitions. A discrepancy in the literature regarding the van der Waals coefficient C₆ (2S ;1 S ) describing the interaction of metastable atomic hydrogen ( 2 S state) with a ground-state hydrogen atom is resolved. In the the van der Waals range a₀ ≪ R ≪ a₀ / α , where a₀ = ℏ / α m c is the Bohr radius and α …

Dft Investigations Of Hygrogen Storage Materials, Gang Wang

Dissertations

Hydrogen serves as a promising new energy source having no pollution and abundant on earth. However the most difficult problem of applying hydrogen is to store it effectively and safely, which is smartly resolved by attempting to keep hydrogen in some metal hydrides to reach a high hydrogen density in a safe way. There are several promising metal hydrides, the thermodynamic and chemical properties of which are to be investigated in this dissertation. Sodium alanate (NaAlH4) is one of the promising metal hydrides with high hydrogen storage capacity around 7.4 wt. % and relatively low decomposition temperature of around 100 …

Photon Beam Asymmetry Σ For Η And Η′ Photoproduction From The Proton, P. Collins, B. G. Ritchie, M. Dugger, A. V. Anisovich, M. Doring, E. Klempt, V. A. Nikonov, D. Rönchen, D. Sadasivan, A. Sarantsev, M. J. Amaryan, A. Klein

Physics Faculty Publications

Measurements of the linearly-polarized photon beam asymmetry Σ for photoproduction from the proton of η and η ′ mesons are reported. A linearly-polarized tagged photon beam produced by coherent bremsstrahlung was incident on a cryogenic hydrogen target within the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer. Results are presented for the γ p → η p reaction for incident photon energies from 1.070 to 1.876 GeV, and from 1.516 to 1.836 GeV for the γ p → η ′ p reaction. For γ p → η p , the data reported here considerably extend the range of measurements to higher energies, and are …

Dissociative Excitation Of H2 In An Rf Plasma, John Carlson

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is a widely used method for depositing thin films. In order to optimize the properties of the films, it is important to understand the plasma processes that occur during film growth. In this research we use optical emission spectroscopy in order to measure the spectral emission lines of a plasma produced with hydrogen gas. In conjunction with other measurements and modeling, these measurements can provide insight to the electron energy distribution of the plasma.

Observations Of The High Vibrational Levels Of The B′′B̄ 1Σu+ State Of H2, Alexander M. Chartrand, W. Duan, R. C. Ekey, Elizabeth Mccormack

Physics Faculty Research and Scholarship

Double-resonance laser spectroscopy via the E F ¹Σ_g⁺, v'=6, J'=0-2 state was used to probe the high vibrational levels of the B"B-bar ¹Σ_u⁺ state of molecular hydrogen. Resonantly-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectra were recorded by detecting ion production as a function of energy using a time of flight mass spectrometer. New measurements of energies for the v=51-66 levels for the B"B-bar state of H₂ are reported, which, taken with previous results, span the v=46-69 vibrational levels. Results for energy levels are compared to theoretical close-coupled calculations [L. Wolniewicz, T. …

Dft Investigations Of Hydrogen Storage Materials, Gang Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Hydrogen serves as a promising new energy source having no pollution and abundant on earth. However the most difficult problem of applying hydrogen is to store it effectively and safely, which is smartly resolved by attempting to keep hydrogen in some metal hydrides to reach a high hydrogen density in a safe way. There are several promising metal hydrides, the thermodynamic and chemical properties of which are to be investigated in this dissertation.

Sodium alanate (NaAlH₄) is one of the promising metal hydrides with high hydrogen storage capacity around 7.4 wt. % and relatively low decomposition temperature of …

Muonic Bound Systems, Virtual Particles, And Proton Radius, Ulrich D. Jentschura

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The proton radius puzzle questions the self-consistency of theory and experiment in light muonic and electronic bound systems. Here we summarize the current status of virtual particle models as well as Lorentz-violating models that have been proposed in order to explain the discrepancy. Highly charged one-electron ions and muonic bound systems have been used as probes of the strongest electromagnetic fields achievable in the laboratory. The average electric field seen by a muon orbiting a proton is comparable to hydrogenlike uranium and, notably, larger than the electric field in the most advanced strong-laser facilities. Effective interactions due to virtual annihilation …

Measurement Of The Formation Rate Of Muonic Hydrogen Molecules, V. A. Andreev, T. I. Banks, R. M. Carey, T. A. Case, S. M. Clayton, K. M. Crowe, J. Deutsch, J. Egger, S. J. Freedman, V. A. Ganzha, Tim Gorringe, F. E. Gray, D. W. Hertzog, M. Hildebrandt, P. Kammel, B. Kiburg, S. Knaack, P. A. Kravtsov, A. G. Krivshich, B. Lauss, K. R. Lynch, E. M. Maev, O. E. Maev, F. Mulhauser, C. Petitjean, G. E. Petrov, R. Prieels, G. N. Schapkin, G. G. Semenchuk, M. A. Soroka, Vladimir Tishchenko, A. A. Vasilyev, A. A. Vorobyov, M. E. Vznuzdaev, P. Winter

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Background: The rate λ_ppμ characterizes the formation of ppμ molecules in collisions of muonic pμ atoms with hydrogen. In measurements of the basic weak muon capture reaction on the proton to determine the pseudoscalar coupling g_P, capture occurs from both atomic and molecular states. Thus knowledge of λ_ppμ is required for a correct interpretation of these experiments.

Purpose: Recently the MuCap experiment has measured the capture rate Λ_S from the singlet pμ atom, employing a low-density active target to suppress ppμ formation [V. Andreev et al. (MuCap Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 012504 (2013) …

Nano-Structured Materials For Energy Storage Applications, Dongxue Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

"Hydrogen is a non-polluting and efficient energy carrier. One barrier to utilizing hydrogen is a reliable storage method. NaAlH₄ is the prototypical example of a complex metal hydride with high hydrogen storage capacities (~ 5.5 wt.%) and acceptable reaction temperatures of around 100⁰ when using catalyst. On decomposition of these complex hydrides, such as NaAlH₄, one is left with monohydride NaH. The kinetics of diffusion in the monohydrides is important because reversibility hinges on mass transport and the formation of [AlH₄]^- anions that must structurally coordinate with the alkali metal cation on hydrogen absorption. …

Long-Range Atom-Wall Interactions And Mixing Terms: Metastable Hydrogen, Ulrich D. Jentschura

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We investigate the interaction of metastable 2S hydrogen atoms with a perfectly conducting wall, including parity-breaking S-P mixing terms (with full account of retardation). The neighboring 2P_1/2 and 2P_3/2 levels are found to have a profound effect on the transition from the short-range, nonrelativistic regime, to the retarded form of the Casimir-Polder interaction. The corresponding P state admixtures to the metastable 2S state are calculated. We find the long-range asymptotics of the retarded Casimir-Polder potentials and mixing amplitudes for general excited states, including a fully quantum electrodynamic treatment of the dipole-quadrupole mixing term. The decay width of the …

Data Analysis Techniques, Differential Cross Sections, And Spin Density Matrix Elements For The Reaction ᵞp → Φp, K.P. Adhikari, D. Adikaram, M.J. Amaryan, A. Klein, S. Koirala, Clas Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

High-statistics measurements of differential cross sections and spin density matrix elements for the reaction ᵞp → ϕp have been made using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. We cover center-of-mass energies (√s) from 1.97 to 2.84 GeV, with an extensive coverage in the ϕ production angle. The high statistics of the data sample made it necessary to carefully account for the interplay between the ϕ natural lineshape and effects of the detector resolution, that are found to be comparable in magnitude. We study both the charged-(ϕ → K⁺ K^-) and neutral( ϕ → (K^O_SK …

Data Analysis Techniques, Differential Cross Sections, And Spin Density Matrix Elements For The Reaction 𝛾p → Φp, K. P. Adhikari, D. Adikaram, M. J. Amaryan, C. E. Hyde, S. Koirala, S. E. Kuhn, M. Mayer, I. Niculescu, Et Al., The Clas Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

High-statistics measurements of differential cross sections and spin density matrix elements for the reaction γp→ϕp have been made using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. We cover center-of-mass energies (√s) from 1.97 to 2.84 GeV, with an extensive coverage in the ϕ production angle. The high statistics of the data sample made it necessary to carefully account for the interplay between the ϕ natural lineshape and effects of the detector resolution, that are found to be comparable in magnitude. We study both the charged- (ϕ→K⁺K⁻) and neutral- (ϕ→K⁰_SK⁰_L) K^{→ …}

Possible Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism In Hydrogenated Carbon Nanotubes, Adam L. Friedman, Hyunkyung Chun, Yung Joon Jung, Don Heiman, Evan R. Glaser, Latika Menon

Yung Joon Jung

We find that ferromagnetism can be induced in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by introducing hydrogen. Multiwalled CNTs grown inside porous alumina templates contain a large density of defects resulting in significant hydrogen uptake when annealed at high temperatures. This hydrogen incorporation produces H-complex and adatom magnetism which generates a sizable ferromagnetic moment and a Curie temperature near TC=1000  K. We studied the conditions for the incorporation of hydrogen, the temperature-dependent magnetic behavior, and the dependence of the ferromagnetism on the size of the nanotubes.

Possible Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism In Hydrogenated Carbon Nanotubes, Adam L. Friedman, Hyunkyung Chun, Yung Joon Jung, Don Heiman, Evan R. Glaser, Latika Menon

Donald Heiman

We find that ferromagnetism can be induced in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by introducing hydrogen. Multiwalled CNTs grown inside porous alumina templates contain a large density of defects resulting in significant hydrogen uptake when annealed at high temperatures. This hydrogen incorporation produces H-complex and adatom magnetism which generates a sizable ferromagnetic moment and a Curie temperature near TC=1000  K. We studied the conditions for the incorporation of hydrogen, the temperature-dependent magnetic behavior, and the dependence of the ferromagnetism on the size of the nanotubes.

Possible Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism In Hydrogenated Carbon Nanotubes, Adam Friedman, Hyunkyung Chun, Yung Joon Jung, Don Heiman, Evan Glaser, Latika Menon

Latika Menon

We find that ferromagnetism can be induced in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by introducing hydrogen. Multiwalled CNTs grown inside porous alumina templates contain a large density of defects resulting in significant hydrogen uptake when annealed at high temperatures. This hydrogen incorporation produces H-complex and adatom magnetism which generates a sizable ferromagnetic moment and a Curie temperature near TC=1000  K. We studied the conditions for the incorporation of hydrogen, the temperature-dependent magnetic behavior, and the dependence of the ferromagnetism on the size of the nanotubes.

Low Energy (E, 2e) Study From The 1t₂ Orbital Of Ch₄, Shenyue Xu, Hari Chaluvadi, Xueguang Ren, Thomas Pfluger, Arne Senftleben, Chuangang Ning, Shuncheng Yan, Peng Zhang, Jie Yang, Xinwen Ma, Joachim Hermann Ullrich, Don H. Madison, Alexander Dorn

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Single ionization of the methane (CH₄) 1t₂ orbital by 54 eV electron impact has been studied experimentally and theoretically. The measured triple differential cross sections cover nearly a 4π solid angle for the emission of low energy electrons and a range of projectile scattering angles. Experimental data are compared with theoretical calculations from the distorted wave Born approximation and the molecular three-body distorted wave models. It is found that theory can give a proper description of the main features of experimental cross section only at smaller scattering angles. For larger scattering angles, significant discrepancies between experiment and …

Model Of The One-Dimensional Molecular Hydrogen Cation, Joseph Galamba

Honors Papers

The hydrogen molecule ion is the simplest molecule, consisting of only two protons and an electron. As such, understanding this problem is essential in order to extend quantum mechanical techniques to more complex molecules such as the next simplest hydrogen molecule. The non-ionized hydrogen molecule represents the simplest system with only axial symmetry exhibiting Pauli exclusion principle effects due to the two identical electrons (fermions) in the neutral molecule. Both molecules have been treated in great detail both experimentally and theoretically and the nature of their solutions and energies are well understood.

Dimensional scaling of the problem can provide insight …

Relativistic Reduced-Mass And Recoil Corrections To Vacuum Polarization In Muonic Hydrogen, Muonic Deuterium, And Muonic Helium Ions, Ulrich D. Jentschura

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The reduced-mass dependence of relativistic and radiative effects in simple muonic bound systems is investigated. The spin-dependent nuclear recoil correction of order (Zα)⁴μ³/m²_N is evaluated for muonic hydrogen and deuterium and muonic helium ions (μ is the reduced mass and m_N is the nuclear mass). Relativistic corrections to vacuum polarization of order α(Zα)⁴μ are calculated, with a full account of the reduced-mass dependence. The results shift theoretical predictions. The radiative-recoil correction to vacuum polarization of order α(Zα)⁵-ln²(Zα) μ²/m_N is obtained in leading logarithmic approximation. …

Hydrogen-Deuterium Isotope Shift: From The 1s-2s-Transition Frequency To The Proton-Deuteron Charge-Radius Difference, Ulrich D. Jentschura, Arthur N. Matveev, Christian G. Parthey, Janis Alnis, Randolf Pohl, Th H. Udem, Nikolai N. Kolachevsky, Theodor Wolfgang Hansch

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We analyze and review the theory of the hydrogen-deuterium isotope shift for the 1S-2S transition, which is one of the most accurately measured isotope shifts in any atomic system, in view of a recently improved experiment. A tabulation of all physical effects that contribute to the isotope shift is given. These include the Dirac binding energy, quantum electrodynamic effects, including recoil corrections, and the nuclear-size effect, including the pertaining relativistic and radiative corrections. From a comparison of the theoretical result Δf_th=670999566.90(66)(60)kHz (exclusive of the nonrelativistic nuclear-finite-size correction) and the experimental result Δf_expt=670994334605(15) Hz, we infer the …

Three-Body Dynamics In Single Ionization Of Atomic Hydrogen By 75 Kev Proton Impact, Ahmad Hasan, Michael Schulz, Aaron C. Laforge, Jason S. Alexander, M. F. Ciappina, M. A. Khakoo, Kisra Nayomal Egodapitiya

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Doubly differential cross sections for single ionization of atomic hydrogen by 75 keV proton impact have been measured and calculated as a function of the projectile scattering angle and energy loss. This pure three-body collision system represents a fundamental test case for the study of the reaction dynamics in few-body systems. A comparison between theory and experiment reveals that three-body dynamics is important at all scattering angles and that an accurate description of the role of the projectile-target-nucleus interaction remains a major challenge to theory.

Infrared Spectroscopy Of H2 Trapped In Metal Organic Frameworks, Jesse Bennett Hopkins

Honors Papers

In this thesis we examine the hydrogen storage properties of four different materials. Because of the global climate crisis and the growing realization that petroleum resources are limited, there has been a strong push to find alternative means of energy storage. At the forefront of this push is the hydrogen economy, the idea that hydrogen gas is a bountiful, clean, alternative means of energy storage. One step towards realizing the hydrogen economy is finding a practical means of hydrogen storage.

The conventional methods of hydrogen storage are in high-pressure gas cylinders or as a liquid. Both of these methods are …