原子团簇和原子核的相似性

原子团簇(或原子簇)和原子核内部粒子之间的相互作用是根本不同的,但都是含有一定数目的多粒子系统,存在着某些相似特性,如饱和性、壳结构、幻数与同位素效应、变形特性和复合团簇(核)过程等,这些相似性是核物理学家、原子物理学家以及化学家们共同关心的问题。 Both atomic clusters (microclusters) and nuclei are systems of the finite number ofparticles but with different interaction forces among the component particles, and have somesimilarities in their properties, such as saturation, shell structures, magic numbers, isotopic effect,deformation and compound clusters (nuclear) process, etc. The similarities rivet attention in manyscientific communities from nuclear, atomic and molecular, and condensed matter physics as well aschemistry.     

Hyperpolarized xenon nuclear spins detected by optical atomic magnetometry

We report the use of an atomic magnetometer based on nonlinear magneto-optical rotation with frequency-modulated light to detect nuclear magnetization of xenon gas. The magnetization of a spin-exchange-polarized xenon sample (1.7 c m(3) at a pressure of 5 bars, natural isotopic abundance, polarization 1% ), prepared remotely to the detection apparatus, is measured with an atomic sensor. An average magnetic field of approximately 10 nG induced by the xenon sample on the 10 cm diameter atomic sensor is detected with signal-to-noise ratio approximately 10 , limited by residual noise in the magnetic environment. The possibility of using modern atomic magnetometers as detectors of nuclear magnetic resonance and in magnetic resonance imaging is discussed. Atomic magnetometers appear to be ideally suited for emerging low-field and remote-detection magnetic resonance applications.     

Isotopic effect in extended x-ray-absorption fine structure of germanium

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure has been measured on two powdered samples of (70)Ge and (76)Ge as a function of temperature from 20 to 300 K. The effect of isotopic mass difference on the amplitude of relative atomic vibrations is neatly evidenced by the temperature dependence of the difference of Debye-Waller factors. The isotopic effect is also detected on the difference of nearest-neighbor average ineratomic distances, thanks to a resolution better than 10 fm.     

Bohr–Weisskopf effect: influence of the distributed nuclear magnetization on hfs

Nuclear magnetic moments provide a sensitive test of nuclear wave functions, in particular those of neutrons, which are not readily obtainable from other nuclear data. These are taking added importance by recent proposals to study parity non-conservation (PNC) effects in alkali atoms in isotopic series. By taking ratios of the PNC effects in pairs of isotopes, uncertainties in the atomic wave functions are largely cancelled out at the cost of knowledge of the change in the neutron wave function. The Bohr–Weisskopf effect (B–W) in the hyperfine structure interaction of atoms measures the influence of the spatial distribution of the nuclear magnetization, and thereby provides an additional constraint on the determination of the neutron wave function. The added great importance of B–W in the determination of QED effects from the hfs in hydrogen-like ions of heavy elements, as measured recently at GSI, is noted. The B–W experiments require precision measurements of the hfs interactions and, independently, of the nuclear magnetic moments. A novel atomic beam magnetic resonance (ABMR) method, combining rf and laser excitation, has been developed for a systematic study and initially applied to stable isotopes. Difficulties in adapting the experiment to the ISOLDE radioactive ion beam, which have now been surmounted, are discussed. A first radioactive beam measurement for this study, the precision hfs of ¹²⁶Cs, has been obtained recently. The result is 3629.515(∼0.001) MHz. The ability of ABMR to determine with high precision nuclear magnetic moments in free atoms is a desideratum for the extraction of QED effects from the hfs of the hydrogen-like ions. We also point out manifestations of B–W in condensed matter and atomic physics. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Precision mass measurements of neutron halo nuclei using the TITAN Penning trap

Precise atomic mass determinations play a key role in various fields of physics, including nuclear physics, testing of fundamental symmetries and constants and atomic physics. Recently, the TITAN Penning trap measured the masses of several neutron halos. These exotic systems have an extended, diluted, matter distribution that can be modelled by considering a nuclear core surrounded by a halo formed by one or more of loosely bound neutrons. Combined with laser spectroscopy measurements of isotopic shifts precise masses can be used to obtain reliable charge radii and two-neutron-seperation energies for these halo nuclei. It is shown that these results can be used as stringent tests of nuclear models and potentials providing an important metric for our understanding of the interactions in all nuclei.     

Laser isotope separation

This work describes the atomic route to laser isotope separation. This is a process which uses intense pulsed lasers to photoionize one isotopic species of a chemical element, after which these ions are extracted electromagnetically. The paper describes only the isotopic enrichment of uranium for nuclear fuel cycles. It makes brief mention of the traditional cascade processes used at present, and then turns to the atomic physics of laser photoionization. The principles of the laser isotope separation process, important spectroscopic experiments and considerations which determine the design of a plant are described. This review concentrates on the laser ionization process, few details of vaporization of uranium metal or the extraction of ions are given.     

Adsorbed state of nitrogen on ruthenium catalysts: TPD and isotopic study

The adsorbed state of nitrogen on Ru catalysts was studied by a TPD technique combined with an isotopic technique. (1) A molecular and an atomic species on Ru powder, (2) a molecular and three atomic species on Raney-Ru, and (3) two molecular and probably three atomic species on Raney-Ru/K were identified, respectively. Relations between the adsorbed states and those reactivities for an isotopic equilibration reaction of N₂ were discussed.     

Record of cycling operation of the natural nuclear reactor in the Oklo/Okelobondo area in Gabon

Using selective laser extraction technique combined with sensitive ion-counting mass spectrometry, we have analyzed the isotopic structure of fission noble gases in U-free La-Ce-Sr-Ca aluminous hydroxy phosphate associated with the 2 billion yr old Oklo natural nuclear reactor. In addition to elevated abundances of fission-produced Zr, Ce, and Sr, we discovered high (up to 0.03 cm(3) STP/g) concentrations of fission Xe and Kr, the largest ever observed in any natural material. The specific isotopic structure of xenon in this mineral defines a cycling operation for the reactor with 30-min active pulses separated by 2.5 h dormant periods. Thus, nature not only created conditions for self-sustained nuclear chain reactions, but also provided clues on how to retain nuclear wastes, including fission Xe and Kr, and prevent uncontrolled runaway chain reaction.     

Nuclear effects in atomic transitions

Atomic electrons are sensitive to the properties of the nucleus they are bound to, such as nuclear mass, charge distribution, spin, magnetisation distribution, or even excited level scheme. These nuclear parameters are reflected in the atomic transition energies. A very precise determination of atomic spectra may thus reveal information about the nucleus, otherwise hardly accessible via nuclear physics experiments. This work reviews theoretical and experimental aspects of the nuclear effects that can be identified in atomic structure data. An introduction to the theory of isotope shifts and hyperfine splitting of atomic spectra is given, together with an overview of the typical experimental techniques used in high-precision atomic spectroscopy. More exotic effects at the borderline between atomic and nuclear physics, such as parity violation in atomic transitions due to the weak interaction, or nuclear polarisation and nuclear excitation by electron capture, are also addressed.     

氢及其同位素宽区状态方程的核量子效应

应用大规模第一性原理分子动力学数值模拟方法,系统研究了氢及其同位素在极端条件下的分子解离规律及状态方程,并给出了参数化的解函数拟合公式。结合分子、原子流体量子振动的一阶修正,揭示了氢及其同位素的核量子效应,解析获得了氢、氘分子在温稠密区域分子解离规律的差别。由第一性原理状态方程给出了雨贡纽曲线,与气炮、化学炸药、磁驱动、高能激光等实验数据相符合,并详细讨论了由核量子效应导致的氢、氘雨贡纽曲线的同位素效应。     

Nuclear and atomic models

A theorem concerning fermion interaction is postulated and applied to the problems of atomic (electronic) and nuclear physics. Model building basedsolely upon the postulate thatadjacent like fermions must be singlet paired accounts for the closed shells ofboth nuclear and atomic structure. The implied antiferromagnetic FCC lattice of protons and neutrons in alternating layers has been found previously to be the lowest-energy solid configuration of nuclear matter (N=P) (Canuto and Chitre, 1974). The buildup of the FCC lattice from a central tetrahedron reproduces all of the shells and subshells of the isotropic harmonic oscillator, which of course is the basis for the shell model. In atomic structure, the singlet pairing of adjacent electrons implies closed-shell structures uniquely at the six noble gases and the three noble metals, Ni, Pd, and Pt. The basis for the postulate concerning fermions is found in terms of classical electrodynamics; it is a microscopic corollary of Biot-Savart's law that parallel currents attract whereas antiparallel currents repel.     

Isotope separation by laser deflection of an atomic beam

Separation of isotopes of barium has been accomplished by laser deflection of a single isotopic component of an atomic beam. With a tunable narrow linewidth dye laser, small differences in absorption frequency of different barium isotopes on the 6s^{2 1}S₀₋ 6s6p¹P₁ 5536 Å resonance were exploited to deflect atoms of a single isotopic component of an atomic beam through an angle large enough to physically separate them from the atomic beam. It is shown that the principal limitation on separation efficiency, the fraction of the desired isotopic component which can be separated, is determined by the branching ratio from the excited state into metastable states. In barium, repeated absorptions and emissions on the 5536 Å transition eventually result in decay from the 6s6p¹P₁ state to the metastable 6s5d¹D₂ state. This was observed to occur for all but 3% of the¹³⁸Ba atoms. As a result, the efficiency of separation was about 0.7 for the 8 mrad atomic beam divergence employed. (Throughput was nearly 1 mg/day. No attempt was made to maximize this value.) The isotopic purity of the separated atoms was measured to be in excess of 0.9, limited only by instrumental uncertainty. The effects of near resonant atomic scattering and excitation exchange on isotopic purity are considered. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Energy Research & Development Administration.     

Complex gamma-ray hologram: solution to twin images problem in atomic resolution imaging

A new technique for high fidelity three-dimensional imaging of atomic structure with gamma-ray holography is demonstrated. A complex hologram was constructed from holograms recorded for different values of the nuclear scattering amplitude on both sides of the (57)Fe M?ssbauer resonance. The holographic reconstruction was applied to this complex hologram resulting in a twin-image-free image of the bcc Fe local structure. The proposed procedure allows the removal of the twin images for all real space, making gamma-ray holography an unambiguous tool for atomic and magnetic structure imaging.     

氧化物纳米材料表面结构与性质的固体核磁共振波谱研究

氧化物纳米材料的多种应用与其表面结构和性质密切相关.近年来,固体核磁共振波谱在相关研究中提供了关键信息.本综述总结了近期发展的、以固体核磁共振波谱为主的两种表征氧化物纳米材料表面结构和性质的方法,包括表面选择的同位素标记¹⁷O核磁共振波谱与动态核极化表面增强核磁共振波谱,并对氧化物纳米材料的固体核磁共振波谱研究的发展趋势进行了展望.     

73Ge NMR spectra in germanium single crystals with different isotopic composition

We have studied the influence of isotopic disorder on the local deformations in Ge single crystals from both experimental and calculation points of view. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of⁷³Ge nuclei (the nuclear spin equals 9/2) in perfect single crystals of germanium with different isotopic content were measured at temperatures 80, 300 and 450 K. Abnormal broadening of the spectrum was found to occur when the magnetic field was aligned along the [111] axis of a crystal. The observed specific angular dependence of the quadrupole broadening was attributed to isotopic disorder among atoms of germanium sited around the⁷³Ge NMR probe. Local lattice deformations in germanium crystal lattice due to isotopic impurity atoms were calculated in the framework of the adiabatic bond charge model. The results obtained were applied to study random noncubic crystal field interactions with the nuclear quadrupole moments and corresponding effects in NMR spectra. Simulated second and fourth moments of resonance frequency distributions caused by the magnetic dipole-dipole and electric quadrupole interactions are used to analyze the lineshapes, theoretical predictions agree qualitatively with the experimental data.     

Ab initio molecular dynamics investigation of the structure and the noncollinear magnetism in liquid oxygen: occurrence of O4 molecular units

We modeled liquid oxygen using ab initio molecular dynamics in which both the atomic structure and the noncollinear magnetic structure evolve without constraints. The atomic structure shows preference for parallel alignment of first-neighbor molecules and is supported by an excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental nuclear structure factors. The magnetic structure shows short-range antiferromagnetic correlations in agreement with spin-polarized neutron diffraction data. The observed correlations primarily result from appropriate trajectories of colliding O2 molecules. The simulation provides evidence for the occurrence of long-living O4 molecular units.     

Fast-ion-beam laser probing of ion-source energy distributions and atomic structure

Collinear fast-ion-beam laser spectroscopy is a very high resolution probe for measuring ion-beam energy distributions and atomic structure parameters of interest in nuclear physics, atomic physics, and astrophysics. We have used offline 10-keV beams of atomic ions and a CW laser system to study the behavior of a Penning ion source and to measure hyperfine structure, isotope shifts, atomic lifetimes, spontaneous-emission branching fractions, oscillator strengths, and absolute wavelengths of a variety of atomic species from the lanthanide and transition-metal groups.     

X-ray fluorescence from the element with atomic number Z=120

An atomic clock based on x-ray fluorescence yields has been used to estimate the mean characteristic time for fusion followed by fission in reactions 238U + 64Ni at 6.6 MeV/A. Inner shell vacancies are created during the collisions in the electronic structure of the possibly formed Z=120 compound nuclei. The filling of these vacancies accompanied by a x-ray emission with energies characteristic of Z=120 can take place only if the atomic transitions occur before nuclear fission. Therefore, the x-ray yield characteristic of the united atom with 120 protons is strongly related to the fission time and to the vacancy lifetimes. K x rays from the element with Z=120 have been unambiguously identified from a coupled analysis of the involved nuclear reaction mechanisms and of the measured photon spectra. A minimum mean fission time τ(f)=2.5×10(-18) s has been deduced for Z=120 from the measured x-ray multiplicity.     

Neutron spallation source and the Dubna Cascade Code

Neutron multiplicity per incident proton,n/p, in collision of high energy proton beam with voluminous Pb and W targets has been estimated from the Dubna Cascade Code and compared with the available experimental data for the purpose of benchmarking of the code. Contributions of various atomic and nuclear processes for heat production and isotopic yield of secondary nuclei are also estimated to assess the heat and radioactivity conditions of the targets. Results obtained from the code show excellent agreement with the experimental data at beam energy,E < 12 GeV and differ maximum up to 25% at higher energy     

原子核质量精密测量的研究进展

原子核质量的精密测量是原子核物理学的重要课题之一,它对探索奇特原子核的结构和性质、重元素核合成之谜等均具有重大意义.文章简要介绍了原子核质量高精度测量的两个主要设备——储存环和潘宁阱,并回顾了近年来原子核质量精密测量在核结构、元素核合成、新同核异能素等领域中的研究亮点,探讨原子核质量测量的发展趋势.