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Additive Manufacturing (AM) has opened new frontiers for the design of refractory high-entropy alloys (HEAs) for high-temperature applications. The thermal conductivity of the AM feedstock is among the most important thermo-physical properties that control the melting and solidification process. Despite its significance, there remains a notable gap in both computational and experimental research concerning the thermal conductivity of HEAs. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) to systematically investigate the alloying effects on the transport properties of Ti-Cr-Mo-W-V-Nb-Ta RHEAs, including electrical and thermal conductivities and the Seebeck coefficient. The relaxation time of charge carriers is a key underlying parameter determining thermal conductivity that is exceedingly challenging to predict from first principles alone, and we thus follow the approach by Mukherjee, Satsangi, and Singh [Chem Mater 32, 6507 (2022)] to optimize the relaxation time for RHEAs. We validated thermal conductivity predictions on elemental solids, binary and ternary alloys, and RHEAs and compared them against thermodynamic (CALPHAD) predictions and our experiments with good correlations. To understand observed trends in thermal conductivity, we assessed the phase stability, electronic structure, phonon, and intrinsic- and tensile strength of down-selected RHEAs. Our electronic structure and phonon results connect well with the observed compositional trends for thermal transport in RHEAs. Our DFT assessment and CALPHAD predictions provide a unique design guide for RHEAs with tailored thermal conductivity, a critical consideration for AM and thermal-management applications. 

Abstract Spectroscopic observations of nine cataclysmic variables that have been postulated to contain magnetic white dwarfs were obtained to further characterize their classifications, orbital parameters, inclinations, and/or accretion properties. Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data were also used when available. This information enables these systems to be useful in global population and evolution studies of close binaries. Radial velocity curves were constructed for eight of these systems, at various states of accretion. High-state spectra of ZTF0548+53 reveal strong Heiiemission, large radial velocity amplitudes, as well as cyclotron harmonics yielding a magnetic field strength of 50 MG, confirming this as a polar system. Analysis of TESS data reveals an orbital period of 92.1 minutes. High-state spectra of SDSS0837+38 determine a period of 3.18 hr, removing the ambiguity of periods found during the low state, and showing this is a regular polar and not a pre-polar system. The ZTF light curve of CSS0026+24 shows a total eclipse with a period of 122.9 minutes, and features indicative of two accretion poles. A new, remarkably large spin-to-orbit ratio is found for ZTF1631+69 (0.61), making it, along with 2011+60 (=Romanov V48), likely stream-accreting intermediate polars. ZTF data reveal the presence of ∼2 mag low states in ZTF1631+69, and along with McDonald Observatory 2.1 m and TESS light curves, confirm a grazing eclipse that is deepest at a narrow subset of beat phases. The TESS data on PTF12313+16 also indicate a partial eclipse. Analysis of ZTF data on SDSS1626+33 reveals a period of 3.17 hr and suggests the presence of a partial eclipse. 

Abstract Plasma-based accelerators use the strong electromagnetic fields that can be supported by plasmas to accelerate charged particles to high energies. Accelerating field structures in plasma can be generated by powerful laser pulses or charged particle beams. This research field has recently transitioned from involving a few small-scale efforts to the development of national and international networks of scientists supported by substantial investment in large-scale research infrastructure. In this New Journal of Physics 2020 Plasma Accelerator Roadmap, perspectives from experts in this field provide a summary overview of the field and insights into the research needs and developments for an international audience of scientists, including graduate students and researchers entering the field.