The decay of78Rb and the level scheme of78Kr

The level scheme of⁷⁸Kr has been studied with the techniques of γ ray spectroscopy: decay spectra of⁷⁸Rb produced by the reactions⁶⁴Zn(¹⁶O,pn) and⁶⁵Cu(¹⁶O,3n) have been measured; in-beam γγ coincidences have been taken during the irradiation of⁶⁴Zn with¹⁶O ions; and an angular distribution measurement of γ rays from the reaction⁶⁴Ni(¹⁶O, 2n)⁷⁸Kr has been performed. Fifteen excited states in⁷⁸Kr have been observed and spins have been proposed for most of these levels. A⁷⁸Rb decay with a half-life of 17.5 ± 2 min has been found in addition to the previously known 6.0 ±0.2 min decay.     

Energy loss spectra of xenon and krypton and their analysis by energy-dependent multichannel quantum defect theory

Oscillator strengths of xenon and krypton for transitions from the ground state to the optically allowed states forming the five resonance series were measured by means of high energy electron spectroscopy (HEEIS). The rather irregular behaviour of these oscillator strengths is analyzed with the aid of the known atomic level energies by means of the energy-dependent quantum defect theory. With the parameters obtained by the analysis of the energy loss measurement autoionized lines shapes and the asymmetry parameter for the photoionizationβ of Kr and Xe were calculated in excellent agreement with experimental data from the literature. The comparison of the parameters and their energy dependence for Kr and Xe gives indication that some properties change rather rapidly from Kr to Xe. The theory enables also to predict missing term levels of Kr.     

Detection of tobacco smoke deposition by hyperpolarized krypton-83 MRI

Despite the importance of the tobacco smoke particulate matter in the lungs to the etiology of pulmonary disease in cigarette smokers, little is currently known about the spatial distribution of particle deposition or the persistence of the resulting deposits in humans, and no satisfactory technique currently exists to directly observe tobacco smoke condensate in airways. In this proof-of-principle work, hyperpolarized (hp) 83Kr MRI and NMR spectroscopy are introduced as probes for tobacco smoke deposition in porous media. A reduction in the hp-83Kr longitudinal (T1) relaxation of up to 95% under near-ambient humidity, pressure and temperature conditions was observed when the krypton gas was brought into contact with surfaces that had been exposed to cigarette smoke. This smoke-induced acceleration of the 83Kr self-relaxation was observed for model glass surfaces that, in some experiments, were coated with bovine lung surfactant extract. However, a similar effect was not observed with hp-(129)Xe indicating that the 83Kr sensitivity to smoke deposition was not caused by paramagnetic species but rather by quadrupolar relaxation due to high adsorption affinity for the smoke deposits. The 83Kr T1 differences between smoke-treated and untreated surfaces were sufficient to produce a strong contrast in variable flip angle FLASH hp-83Kr MRI, suggesting that hp-83Kr may be a promising contrast agent for in vivo pulmonary MRI.     

High spin states of 83Sr

The reactions ⁸⁰Kr(α, n)⁸³Sr and ⁸²Kr(α, 3n)⁸³Sr were used to populate excited states of high spin in ⁸³Sr. The de-excitation of these states was studied by in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy. A number of new high-spin states have been observed. The results are discussed within the framework of the Coriolis-coupling model and the cluster-core coupling model.     

Emission from impurity molecular centres in binary solutions of inert crystals

The structure of impurity excitations in solid binary solutions XeKr, XeAr, KrAr has been studied using the luminescence vacuum u.v. spectroscopy. Emission from biatomic heteronuclear molecules of inert elements was separated. The existence of two excited states of heteronuclear molecules of different atomic configurations is predicted. The pair potential of inert element interaction in the excited and ground states are analysed and force constants found. The peculiarities of the heteronuclear molecule formation as a function of concentration and temperature for solid binary solutions of inert gases have been discussed.     

Electronically induced changes in structural properties of solid Kr

Excitation of the electron subsystem is shown to affect the structural properties of solid Kr at low temperatures. An electronically induced stable point defect formation has been observed. Experiments were performed under irradiation by electrons of subthreshold energy. Defects were detected by means of vacuum ultraviolet luminescence spectroscopy. The results obtained reveal an excited-state mechanism of defect formation when the defect is formed during the lifetime of the excited state. Self-trapping of excitons in the long-lived electronic state ³Σ⁺_u is shown to be a stimulating factor.     

Pulmonary MRI contrast using Surface Quadrupolar Relaxation (SQUARE) of hyperpolarized Kr

Hyperpolarized ⁸³Kr has previously been demonstrated to enable MRI contrast that is sensitive to the chemical composition of the surface in a porous model system. Methodological advances have lead to a substantial increase in the ⁸³Kr hyperpolarization and the resulting signal intensity. Using the improved methodology for spin exchange optical pumping of isotopically enriched ⁸³Kr, internal anatomical details of ex vivo rodent lung were resolved with hyperpolarized ⁸³Kr MRI after krypton inhalation. Different ⁸³Kr relaxation times were found between the main bronchi and the parenchymal regions in ex vivo rat lungs. The T₁ weighted hyperpolarized ⁸³Kr MRI provided a first demonstration of surface quadrupolar relaxation (SQUARE) pulmonary MRI contrast.     

Enhanced structural and electrical features of amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors via a heavy Kr gas process

We report the influence of a heavy Kr gas sputtering process on the electrical and structural features of amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs). Electrical observation revealed effective reduction of threshold voltage shifts by adapting a simple sputtering process with Kr gas during growth of a-IGZO TFTs. In addition, the application of Kr-gas resulted in a reduction of oxygen vacancies associated with defect sites in the a-IGZO active channel layer. Structural analyses including atomic force microscopy, X-ray reflectivity, Auger electron spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling were carried out, along with electrical bias stability tests that convincingly confirm progress of heavy Kr gas process-induced features.     

Effects of Kr post-bombardment on carbonitrides produced in a low carbon nitrogen-implanted steel

The effects of Kr post-bombardment on carbonitrides produced by N-implantation in a low carbon steel are studied by means of conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy, nuclear reaction analysis and Rutherford backscattering technique. The results show two main features: dissolution and reprecipitation of the produced carbonitrides and modification of the thermal behaviour of the precipitates. Recently we have performed similar experiments bombarding samples of the same steel with He and Ar. Comparison of the experiments shows that irradiation with Ar or Kr ions provides the best retention of carbonitrides at 450° C. On the other hand irradiation with Kr ions to the same dpa level is most effective in producing the dissolution and reprecipitation process.     

In-beam study of 80Kr; Quasiparticle excitations in nuclei around mass 80

The excited states in ⁸⁰Kr have been studied in the reactions ⁷⁷Se(α, n), ⁷⁸Se(α, 2n), ⁸⁰Se(α, 4n) and ⁶⁵Cu(¹⁸O, p2n) by using in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy. In addition to γγ-coincidences, excitation functions and angular distributions, linear polarization of γ-rays and conversion electrons were also measured. All together, 32 levels have been identified up to spin 14 at an excitation energy of 6.7 MeV in ⁸⁰Kr. For 21 of these levels the mean lifetime could be determined by Doppler shift methods and by the pulsed-beam γ-timing method. The B(E2) values of 30–60 W.u., derived for many transitions, indicate strong collectivity and the existence of several band structures is suggested. Above 2.5 MeV 2-quasiparticle (qp) excitations become important. The excitation energies of ⁸⁰Kr and its neighbours ^{77, 78, 79}Kr, ⁷⁷Br and ⁸¹Rb have been analysed in terms of the cranked shell model. In ^78,80Kr two-proton excitations have been found to be responsible for the observed band crossing. Quasiparticle excitations strongly influence the pairing and stabilize the deformation. The anomalies in the negative-parity bands of ⁸¹Rb and ⁷⁷Br are interpreted as a crossing of a 3qp and a 1qp band and the relatively low frequency of the crossing point is ascribed to the blocking effect.     

A theoretical and experimental investigation of long-pulse,electron-beam-produced rare gas plasmas

Visible emission spectroscopy (380-650 nm) has been performed on intense, electron beam (1 kA, 300 ns, 300 kV) produced Ar, Kr, and Xe plasmas at pressures ranging from 10 to 750 torr. Singly ionized and neutral lines dominated the spectra in all cases except argon, where only singly ionized lines occurred. The temperature of the plasma as determined by comparing line intensities was between 1 and 2 eV. A computer model for chemical kinetics of the electron-beam-produced plasmas in Ar, Kr, and Xe was formulated. The model predicts time, pressure, and temperature trends of the ions, neutrals, and electrons, which agree with trends found experimentally     

A study of the VUV emission from highly ionized krypton in a theta pinch plasma

The ionization rates of Kr(IX), (X), (XI), and (XII) have been measured using a fast 60-kV-60kJ theta pinch as a plasma source. The line emission from each ion stage has been identified and the time evolution observed. A coupled set of rate equations was used along with time- and space-resolved measurements of the electron density and temperature to model the plasma light emission. The ionization rates of Kunze were adjusted by multiplying the rate for each ion stage with a constant until the peak intensity of the calculated emission agreed with the time of the observed peak intensity. The constants required for best fit were 2.5, 0.15, 3.0, and 2.0 for Kr(IX), (X), (XI), and (XII), respectively. Two successive ionization stages, Kr(X) and Kr(XI), have shown the same time dependence and possible reasons for this observation are discussed. During the course of modeling the light emission, we have also found that the rate for the excitation from the 3dⁿ to the 3p⁵3dⁿ⁺¹ level in Kr(X) (n=9) and Kr(XI) (n=8) is a factor of 5 lower than predicted by the van Regemorter excitation rate equation.     

Der Zerfall des77Kr

⁷⁷Kr (T _1/2=1.2 h) was produced by bombarding⁷⁶Se with 48 MeV-α-particles. After irradiation the radioactive⁷⁷Kr gas was collected in glass ampoules filled with charcoal and cooled by liquid air. The decay of⁷⁷Kr has been investigated using Ge(Li)-counters and a Ge(Li)-Ge(Li)-coincidence circuit. 27 γ-transitions, 13 of them unknown up to the present, have been found and their relative intensities have been determined. A level scheme for⁷⁷Kr→⁷⁷Br having 14 levels is proposed. This accounts for all the observed γ-transitions.     

氪原子的近红外吸收光谱的研究

本文利用浓度调制的万法测量了氪原子在11870～12700 cm~(-1)波段的高分辨连续吸收光谱.在实验中,通过对氪气和氦气混合气体进行放电的方法制备氪原子.总共测量了120根氦原子吸收谱线,其中33根谱线是已被报道过的,45根新测量的谱线可以通过已知的氪原子能级进行标定,其它剩下的42根新测量的谱跃迁线根据已知的氪原子能级信息尚无法进行标定.本次实验中的这些未知的42根氪原子的跃迁谱线,可以推断氪原子有尚未被报道或测量过的原子能级存在.本文同时对如何用"Classification"计算软件分析未知氪原子谱线的可能存在的能级进行了演示.     

Mössaauer studies of83Kr implanted in semiconductors and metals

Mössbauer spectroscopy of the 9.4 keV transition in⁸³Kr has been performed using sources of⁸³Rb implanted in the group IV semiconductors diamond, silicon, germanium and tin and in the metals Cu, Ag, Au, Mo and W. From the line widths and isomer shifts information has been obtained on possible lattice sites of the impurities. In most cases a site with large isomer shift, thought to correspond to a compression of the krypton atom was observed. This site is interpreted to represent purely substitutional impurities. In Mo and W a well-defined vacancy release stage was observed, leading to a reduction of the isomer shift and a line broadening.     

Description of even-even Krypton isotopes by the Interacting Boson Approximation

Energy spectra andB(E2) values of the even-even Kr isotopes^74–82Kr have been analyzed in terms of the IBA-2 model of Otsuka, Arima and Iachello [6, 7]. We can reproduce the variation of collectivity along the isotope chain by means of a consistent set of 5 parameters, essentially only one of them has been varied with neutron number. The low lying 0 ₂ ⁺ states have been found to be strongly influenced by shell effects. Predictions are given for the not yet observed gamma bands of^74,76Kr.     

Investigation of prolate-oblate shape-coexistence in 74Kr

The atomic nucleus ⁷⁴Kr has been investigated using combined conversion-electron (CE) and γ-ray spectroscopy. In order to confirm the existence of the expected low-lying isomeric 0⁺ ₂ state, the possibility of an electric-monopole (E0) decay to the ground state was examined. The observation of an E0 transition at 508 keV allowed the determination of the mixing between coexisting prolate and oblate shapes. Received: 16 November 1998     

Quadrupole deformation of the self-conjugate nucleus 72Kr

We report on the first determination of the absolute B(E2;0+(1)-->2+(1)) excitation strength in the N=Z nucleus 72Kr. 72Kr is the heaviest N=Z nucleus for which this quantity has been measured and provides a benchmark in a region of the nuclear chart dominated by rapidly changing deformations and shapes mediated by the interplay of strongly oblate and prolate-driving orbitals. The deduced quadrupole deformation strength is in agreement with a variety of self-consistent models that predict an oblate shape for the ground state of 72Kr. Large-scale shell-model Monte Carlo calculations reproduce the experimental B(E2) value and link the result to the occupation of the deformation-driving g9/2 orbit.     

High pressure of solid noble gases in metals

The fact that noble gas ions implanted in metals with concentrations of a few percent precipitate at room temperature as solid bubbles under high pressure with a structure epitaxial with the host matrix (fcc or hcp) has been investigated recently. A brief survey of the results measured by transmission electron microscopy, glancing angle X-ray diffraction, energy-loss spectroscopy and positron annihilation is given. The main part of this paper deals with a study on⁸³Kr⁺ implanted in Al using Mössbauer spectroscopy. The results are as follows: the precipitates grow from 1.5 nm after implantation to 3.7 nm after 700 K annealing. The recoilless fractions can be fitted very well to a Debye model. On annealing. the characteristic Mössbauer temperature gradually decreases from 89 K to 64 K, the value for solid Kr at 1 bar. At the same time a decrease in the isomer shift is observed. Even after annealing at 700 K our experiments do not show melting in the temperature range 0–230 K.     

Spins and parities of low-lying states in 81Kr from the 80kr(d̄, p)81kr reaction and implications for a 81Br solar neutrino detector

The structure of ⁸¹Kr has been investigated via the ⁸⁰Kr(d?, p)⁸¹Kr reaction using an 11.0 MeV vector-polarized deuteron beam. Differential cross sections σ and vector analyzing powers A_y have been measured from 20° to 90° for 17 excited states below 3.0 MeV excitation energy. Comparisons of these distributions to DWBA calculations and empirical shapes were made to extract spectroscopic factors and values of spin and parity for these states. The significance of these measurements to the design of a bromine solar neutrino detector is discussed.