Measurement of the electric quadrupole moments of 26–29Na

The nuclear electric quadrupole moments of the isotopes ²⁶Na, ²⁷Na, ²⁸Na and ²⁹Na were measured by -NMR spectroscopy in single crystals of LiNbO₃ and NaNO₃. High degrees of nuclear polarization were produced by optical pumping of the sodium atoms in a fast beam with a collinear laser beam. The polarized nuclei were implanted into the crystals and NMR signals were observed in the -decay asymmetries. Preparatory measurements also yielded improved values for the magnetic moments of ^27-31Na and confirmed the spin I=3/2 for ³¹Na. The results are discussed in comparison with large-basis shell model calculations. Received: 1 February 2000 / Accepted: 3 April 2000     

<Superscript>23</Superscript>Na and <Superscript>27</Superscript>Al NMR Study of Structure and Dynamics in Mordenite

Temperature dependencies of ²⁷Al and ²³Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and spin–lattice relaxations in mordenite have been studied in static and magic angle spinning regimes. Our data show that the spin–lattice relaxations of the ²³Na and ²⁷Al nuclei are mainly governed by interaction of nuclear quadrupole moments with electric field gradients of the crystal, modulated by translational motion of water molecules in the mordenite channels. At temperatures below 200 K, the dipolar interaction of nuclear spins with paramagnetic impurities becomes an important relaxation mechanism of the ²³Na and ²⁷Al nuclei.     

Hyperfine splitting and isotope shift in the atomic D2 line of 22,23Na and the quadrupole moment of 22Na

The hyperfine structure of the D₂ optical line in ²²Na and ²³Na has been investigated using high resolution laser spectroscopy of a well-collimated atomic beam. The hyperfine splitting constants A and B for the excited 3p ²P_3/2 level for both investigated sodium isotopes have been obtained. They are as follows: A(22) = 7.31(4) MHz, B(22) = 4.71(28) MHz, A(23) = 18.572(24) MHz, B(23) = 2.723(55) MHz. With this data, using the high precision MCHF calculations for the electric field gradient at the nucleus, the electric quadrupole moment of ²²Na has been deduced: Q_s(22) =+0.185(11) b. The sign of Q_s(22), determined for the first time, indicates a prolate nuclear deformation. A precise value of the isotope shift ^22,23Na in the D₂ line has also been obtained. Received: 26 February 1998 / Revised version: 25 June 1998     

Production of Nuclear Polarization of Na Isotopes at ISAC/TRIUMF and its Hyperfine Interaction

Hyperfine interactions of Na isotopes in single crystals have been studied using highly nuclear polarized ^{20,21,26,27,28}Na beams provided by ISAC/TRIUMF. The degree of polarization kept in the crystals, the spin-lattice relaxation times, the electric quadrupole coupling constants and the initial distribution of the populations were measured. Such knowledge is indispensable for the application of the hyperfine interactions in the study of precision measurements such as the nuclear structure through nuclear moments and the fundamental symmetries.     

Density-functional calculation of the quadrupole splitting in the <Superscript>23</Superscript>Na NMR spectrum of the ferric wheel Na@Fe<Subscript>6</Subscript>(tea)<Subscript>6</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript> for various broken-symmetry states of the Heisenberg spin model

The quadrupole splitting in the ²³Na nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of the hexanuclear ferric wheel Na@Fe₆(tea)₆ ⁺ has been computed via an evaluation of the electric-field gradient (EFG) at the Na nucleus in the framework of density-functional theory (DFT). The simulated spectrum is compared with experimental data. A total of 2⁶ = 64 Kohn-Sham determinants (a number that reduces to eight symmetry-unique determinants due to the high S₆ symmetry of the ferric wheel) with six localised high-spin Fe(III) centres (S = 5/2) could be optimised in a self-consistent manner, and the corresponding DFT energies of all of these (broken-symmetry) determinants coincide almost perfectly according to the Ising Hamiltonian solutions, especially when the energy is computed from the B3LYP functional. The EFG at the Na atom does not depend much on the specific Kohn-Sham determinant but depends on the geometry of the ferric wheel and on the basis set used in the DFT calculations (particularly with regard to the atomic functions on the Na atom).     

<Superscript>17</Superscript>O and<Superscript>23</Superscript>Na nuclear quadrupole double resonance of sodium formate and sodium acetate

The¹⁷O and²³Na nuclear quadrupole resonance spectra of powdered sodium formate and sodium acetate have been determined at room temperature by proton-¹⁷O and proton-²³Na double resonance. All¹⁷O sites have been found to be chemically equivalent. The nonzero value of the asymmetry parameter of the electric field gradient tensor at the¹⁷O site shows that the electron density distribution is not cylindrically symmetric around the C−O bond axis.     

Spin States of Iron(III) in Highly Saddled Dodecaphenylporphyrin Complexes

The alignment correlation term in the β-decay angular distribution from purely nuclear spin aligned ²⁰Na has been measured for the first time. The final objective is to test the G parity symmetry, one of the fundamental symmetry in the weak nucleon current. For artificial creation of the alignment, the knowledge of the hyperfine interaction of ²⁰Na implanted in a single-crystal ZnO was utilized. *Research Abroad, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science     

Monte Carlo simulations of the Lewis effect

Recent experiments measuring the thick-target yield curve of narrow resonances in (p, γ) reactions on²³Na,²⁶Mg and²⁷Al nuclei clearly show the Lewis effect. We have studied this effect theoretically on the basis of a Monte Carlo simulation of the nuclear and electronic energy loss curve in the target. We are able to reproduce the experimental data qualitatively. We discuss possible implications of precision measurements of the Lewis effect.     

Proton transitions in22Na(n,p)22Ne reaction

The nuclear reactions induced by thermal and 2 keV neutrons on²²Na radioactive nucleus were studied. For the thermal neutrons a more accurate value of²²Na (n,p)²²Ne reaction cross section was obtained. A weak proton transition to the²²Ne ground state was observed. The upper limits of cross sections for thermal neutron induced (n,∞) reaction and (n, p) reaction with 2 keV neut·rons are given.     

Proton-induced direct capture on 21Ne and 22Ne

The direct capture process in the reactions ²¹Ne(p, γ)²²Na and ²²Ne(p, γ)²³Na has been investigated at E_p = 0.3–1.6 MeV using neon gas enriched to 91 % in ²¹Ne and to 99 % in ²²Ne, respectively. The gas was recirculated in a differentially pumped gas target system of the extended-static and quasi-point supersonic jet type. For ²²Ne(p, γ)²³Na, the direct capture process has been observed to several final states in ²³Na up to E_x = 8.83 MeV excitation energy. The deduced spectroscopic factors C²S are in fair agreement with the corresponding values from stripping reactions. The capture transition into the ²³Na ground state exhibits broad structures, which resemble Ericson fluctuations. The data remove the previously reported discrepancies in C²S for the ²³Na ground state. The excitation functions for the ²¹Ne(p, γ)²²Na reaction are dominated by broad and intense resonances, which hampered the measurement of the direct capture process. The nuclear and astrophysical aspects of the results are discussed.     

β-Decay schemes of very neutron-rich sodium isotopes and their descendants

The γ-activities from the β-decay of Na isotopes up to ³⁴Na, formed in high-energy fragmentation and analysed through mass-spectrometry techniques, are observed as well as those from their Mg descendants. The I_γ, intensities, the β-delayed one- and two-neutron probabilities and the I_β intensities are measured. Decay schemes are proposed. We confirm, from the low location of the first 2⁺ level of ³²Mg, the occurrence of a nuclear deformation at $\text{Z ? 11, N ? 20}$.     

NMR studies of cation transport in the crystalline ion conductors MCF3SO3 (M = Li,Na) and Li7TaO6

In this contribution we present studies on the mechanism of ion transport in crystalline solid electrolytes employing a range of different solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. The first part is devoted to the elucidation of a possible correlation of cation transport and anion reorientation in the dynamically disordered rotor phases of alkali trifluoromethane sulfonates MCF₃SO₃ (M = Li, Na) employing ⁷Li, ¹³C, ¹⁷O and ²³Na NMR line shape analysis, whereas the second part focuses on the tracking of cation diffusion pathways in the hexaoxometalate Li₇TaO₆ utilizing ⁶Li 1D and 2D exchange MAS NMR approaches.     

Optical polarization of neutron-rich sodium isotopes and β-NMR measurements of quadrupole moments

The nuclear quadrupole moments of neutron-rich sodium isotopes are being investigated with the help of in-beam polarization by optical pumping in combination with-NMR techniques. First measurements have yielded the quadrupole splittings of NMR signals in the lattice of LiNbO₃ for the isotopes²⁶Na,²⁷Na and²⁸Na. Interaction constants and ratios of the electric quadrupole moments are derived. In view of future experiments,-decay asymmetries for the sequence of isotopes up to theN=20 neutron shell closure,^26–31Na, have been measured.     

Temperature calibration for high-temperature MAS NMR to 913 K: 63Cu MAS NMR of CuBr and CuI, and 23Na MAS NMR of NaNbO3

The solid-state phase transitions of CuBr, CuI and NaNbO₃ can be readily observed using ⁶³Cu and ²³Na high-temperature magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Temperature has large, linear effects on the peak maximum of ⁶³Cu in each solid phase of CuBr and CuI, and there is large jump in shift across each phase transition. The ²³Na MAS NMR peak intensities and the line widths in NaNbO₃ also clearly show its high-temperature transition to the cubic phase. These data can be used to calibrate high-temperature MAS NMR probes up to 913 K, which is two hundred degrees higher than the commonly-used temperature calibration based on the chemical shift of ²⁰⁷Pb in Pb(NO₃)₂.     

Ion implantation in III–V compounds

In this work we studied the effect of electron and proton irradiation on the depth distribution of sodium in commercial soda-lime glasses. Samples have been irradiated at different energies and fluences.

The ²³Na (ρ, α) ²⁰Ne nuclear reaction has been used to determine the sodium profiles. No detectable changes in the sodium concentration profiles have been introduced during the measurements, the proton fluences and doses needed in this type of analysis being very low.

The obtained results support the hypothesis that the driving force for Na diffusion is mainly connected to the build-up of an electric field whose direction is determined by the projectile charge, while Na mobility changes because of the local temperature increase due to the beam power dissipation.     

NMR studies of Na+-anion association effects in polymer electrolytes

²³Na nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) and siloxane based polymer electrolytes containing various sodium salts at a single nominal concentration are reported. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and electrical conductivity studies were carried out on the PPO materials. The NMR-determined mobile Na⁺ concentrations and DSC results provide evidence for ionic aggregation effects which, for some samples, result in salt precipitation at elevated temperatures. ²³Na chemical shifts observed in solid state NMR due to mobile Na⁺ ions are obtainable without the use of high resolution techniques, and exhibit strong dependences on anion and temperature. These results indicate that Na⁺-anion interactions influence ionic transport as well as the number of available carriers.     

Nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest with radioactive beams

The ARENAS³ facility, coupling the two cyclotrons of Louvain-la-Neuve, is intensively been used over the past years for cross-section measurements of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest. We will describe the characteristics of the available beams and the experiments going on using these beams. The ¹⁹Ne(p,γ)²⁰Na reaction, of considerable importance for the reaction flow between the CNO and the NeNa mass region in high-temperature hydrogen burning conditions, will be discussed in particular. The proposed low-energy resonance at 0.447 MeV has been measured in inverse kinematics using novel activation techniques. An upper limit (90% C.L.) of 18 meV is obtained for the strength of this first particle-unbound state of ²⁰Na together with preliminary values for the strength of the higher excited states.     

The reaction 26Mg(d, τ)25Na and the structure of 25Na

The nuclear structure of the nucleus ²⁵Na has been studied with the (d, τ) proton pick-up reaction on ²⁶Mg at a bombarding energy of 29 MeV with an energy resolution of 25 to 30 keV FWHM. Excited states in ²⁵Na have been measured up to excitation energies of 8 MeV. The experimental angular distributions show good agreement with the predictions from the standard distorted-wave Born-approximation theory (code DWUCK; non-local and finite range). However, the agreement is improved considerably if the procedure of Kunz, Rost and Johnson is applied which accounts approximately for strong couplings to inelastic channels in the initial and final (strongly deformed) nuclei. The influence of this treatment on the evaluation of spectroscopic factors has been investigated and was found to be particularly pronounced for l = 0 transitions. The measured spectroscopic factors are compared to those from other experimental work and from shell-model and Nilsson-model calculations.     

Nuclear depolarization of alkali beams during ionization on surfaces

The depolarization of atomic alkali beams (⁶Li,⁷Li,²³Na) during ionization on oxygen covered hot metal surfaces (Ir, Mo, Re, W) has been investigated. The polarization of the ionized beams was detected by a beam foil experiment. The temperature dependence of the observed depolarization is interpreted as due to a relaxation process caused by the interaction of the nuclear moments with fluctuating fields on the surface.     

Sodium-23 MAS NMR study on nuclear quadrupole interaction in Na1−xAgxNO2

Ag-impurity effects on the first- and second-order quadrupole interaction (QI) at ²³Na site in an isomorphic mixed system, Na_1−xAg_xNO₂ (x=0, 0.0084, 0.026, 0.079, 0.094, 0.16), have been investigated by employing ²³Na (I=3/2) magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) technique. The central transition (CT) and satellite transition (ST) are simultaneously observed with this system. From the spectral analysis, the quadrupole parameter and its distribution width are obtained as a function of Ag concentration. From the intensity loss of CT MAS centerband and of the envelope function of ST MAS sidebands due to impurities, the range of their influence on the second- and first-order QI is estimated. The estimated ranges contain the second and first neighbouring Na sites from the resonating ²³Na nucleus for the first- and second-order QI, respectively.