The Radiative Properties and Optical Constants of Liquid Metals [Dissertation]

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5643899

Havstad, Mark Alan ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Livermore, CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Measurements of the optical constants and thermal radiative properties of three metal; tungsten (in the solid phase) and uranium and aluminum (both in the liquid phase) have been made using a new instrument which includes two independent optical systems and surface control and analysis capability. The two optical systems, one for measuring the complex index of refraction by ellipsometry, the other for measuring the normal spectral emissivity by direct comparison to an integral blackbody cavity, operate over the wavelength range 0.4 to 10 μm with sample temperatures between 940 and 1630 K. The surface science capabilities of the instrument permit the preparation of high purity samples of known composition in-situ. The device includes two 5 KeV argon ion sputter guns, an ultra-high vacuum pumping system and an Auger spectrometer. The two sputter guns allow surface cleaning to occur while optical measurements are being made or while Auger spectroscopy is determining the surface composition of solid or liquid samples. The sensitivity of six techniques for determining the complex index of refraction of molten metals (including the ellipsometric method used here) is analyzed over the wavelength range of interest. It is shown that only methods measuring both the phase shift and the amplitude attenuation upon reflection provide adequate accuracy over the entire spectral range of interest here. Methods measuring only amplitude attenuation on reflection, such as polarized reflectivity measurements at multiple angles, are shown to be sensitive only in the visible or from the ultra-violet to the near infrared, with their sensitivity declining rapidly with increasing wavelength in the infrared. 197 refs., 115 figs., 12 tabs.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Livermore, CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5643899
• Report Number(s): UCRL-LR--107524; ON: DE91016874
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
440600 -- Optical Instrumentation-- (1990-)
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
ABSORPTIVITY
ACTINIDES
ALUMINIUM
BLACKBODY RADIATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ELLIPSOMETRY
EMISSIVITY
FLUIDS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEASURING METHODS
METALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
REFLECTIVITY
REFRACTION
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMAL RADIATION
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN
URANIUM