Materials science in space
2021-2025: Euro Material Ageing: SESAME. ESA initiative for exposing new materials to space conditions for the later evaluation of space-defects. We investigate Si-nanowire systems, and Pd-and Pt-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). PI: Antonia Neels
Topic
- The SESAME program allows the direct exposure of novel materials to the space environment. The evaluation of the impact of the space environment such as high temperature gradients, cosmic radiation, vacuum conditions, microgravity and their combination, gives us the possibility to evaluate the eventual change of atomic structure of materials including the mobility of defects.
Study of:
- Space impact on structural order and disorder of materials: defects and defect dynamics
- Changes in microstructure: phases, strain, micro- and macroscopic defects
- Changes in mechanical properties: stiffness, resilience, fatigue
Aim:
- Generating of understanding of materials behavior in space conditions and the integration of the findings in industrial processes for novel parts in space applications
Publications
- "Lattice Strain and Defects Analysis in Nanostructured Semiconductor Materials and Devices by High-Resolution X-Ray Diffraction: Theoretical and Practical Aspects" S. Dolabella, A. Borzi, A. Dommann, A. Neels. Review article. Small Methods, 2022, 6(2), 2100932 1-31.
- "Real and Q space traveling: multi-dimensional distribution maps of strain (ε044) and crystal lattice tilt of suspended monolithic silicon nanowire structures" S. Dolabella, R. Frison, G. A. Chahine, C. Richter, T. Schulli, Z. Tasdemir, E. Alaca, Y. Leblebici, A. Dommann, A. Neels, J. Appl. Cryst. 53, 2020, 58-68
- "Additive Manufacturing of a Precious Bulk Metallic Glass" N. Sohrabi, J. Jhabvala, G. Kurtuldu, R. Frison, A. Parrilli, M. Stoica, A. Neels, J. F. Löffler, R. E. Logé, Applied Materials Today, 2021, 24, 101080.