Laser vaporization: A versatile method for studying metal clusters

Vaporizing solid samples of metals and semiconductors with a YAG Laser is a method well suited for producing molecules and clusters of those materials. The clusters are examined by either laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) or mass spectroscopic methods. The technique is valuable for both gas phase and matrix studies. The method is described and some applications, studying either the structure of small metal molecules or their reactions, are reviewed, with emphasis on our recent results from the LIF studies of LiBe, Al₂ and the reaction of Al with oxygen, yielding A1₂O. For larger clusters, Ion Cyclotron Resonance is an extremely valuable method, as we demonstrate by its application to the reactions of small charged silicon clusters with strong oxidising agents.     

A high-current electron beam ion trap as an on-line charge breeder for the high precision mass measurement TITAN experiment

The precision of atomic mass measurements in a Penning trap is directly proportional to the charge state q of the ion and, hence, can be increased by using highly charged ions (HCI). For this reason, charge breeding with an electron beam ion trap (EBIT) is employed at TRIUMF’s Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN) on-line facility in Vancouver, Canada. By bombarding the injected and trapped singly charged ions with an intense beam of electrons, the charge state of the ions is rapidly increased inside the EBIT. To be compatible with the on-line requirements of short-lived isotopes, very high electron beam current densities are needed. The TITAN EBIT includes a 6 Tesla superconducting magnet and is designed to have electron beam currents and energies of up to 5 A and 60 keV, respectively. Once operational at full capacity, most species can be bred into a He-like configuration within tens of ms. Subsequently, the HCI are extracted, pass a Wien filter to reduce isobaric contamination, are cooled, and injected into a precision Penning trap for mass measurement. We will present the first results and current status of the TITAN EBIT, which has recently been moved to TRIUMF after assembly and commissioning at the Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany.     

3D molecular imaging SIMS

Thin monolayer and bilayer films of spin cast poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), poly(lactic) acid (PLA) and PLA doped with several pharmaceuticals have been analyzed by dynamic SIMS using SF₅⁺ polyatomic primary ion bombardment. Each of these systems exhibited minimal primary beam-induced degradation under cluster ion bombardment allowing molecular depth profiles to be obtained through the film. By combing secondary ion imaging with depth profiling, three-dimensional molecular image depth profiles have been obtained from these systems. In another approach, bevel cross-sections are cut in the samples with the SF₅⁺ primary ion beam to produce a laterally magnified cross-section of the sample that does not contain the beam-induced damage that would be induced by conventional focussed ion beam (FIB) cross-sectioning. The bevel surface can then be examined using cluster SIMS imaging or other appropriate microanalysis technique.     

Modification of magnetic anisotropy in metallic glasses using high-energy ion beam irradiation

Heavy ion irradiation in the electronic stopping power region induces macroscopic dimensional change in metallic glasses and introduces magnetic anisotropy in some magnetic materials. The present work is on the irradiation study of ferromagnetic metallic glasses, where both dimensional change and modification of magnetic anisotropy are expected. Magnetic anisotropy was measured using Mössbauer spectroscopy of virgin and irradiated Fe₄₀Ni₄₀B₂₀ and Fe₄₀Ni₃₈Mo₄B₁₈ metallic glass ribbons. 90 MeV ¹²⁷I beam was used for the irradiations. Irradiation doses were 5×10¹³ and 7.5×10¹³ ions/cm². The relative intensity ratios D ₂₃ of the second and third lines of the Mössbauer spectra were measured to determine the magnetic anisotropy. The virgin samples of both the materials display in-plane magnetic anisotropy, i.e., the spins are oriented parallel to the ribbon plane. Irradiation is found to cause reduction in magnetic anisotropy. Near-complete randomization of magnetic moments is observed at high irradiation doses. Correlation is found between the residual stresses introduced by ion irradiation and the change in magnetic anisotropy.     

反应离子镀光学薄膜的微观结构分析

用反应离子镀方法制备了ＴｉＯ２单层膜及ＴｉＯ２／ＳｉＯ２多层膜，用透射电子显微镜分别观察了由反应离子镀方法及传统蒸镀法二种不同工艺制得的ＴｉＯ２单层膜及ＴｉＯ２／ＳｉＯ２多层膜的断面结构，并对ＴｉＯ２单层膜进行了喇曼分析和卢瑟福背散射分析。     

示差半微分循环伏安法研究琥珀酰胆碱在水/硝基苯界面的传递行为

研究了油/水界面电解的示差半微分循环伏安行为。在0.01mol/L LiCl(w)-0.01mol/L TBATCIPB(nb)体系“电位窗”比TBATPB(nb)向正方向扩展约50mV,残余电流基本消除,使“电位窗”内的平台向左右拓宽约50mV。算得界面电容约为16μF/cm~2。考察了琥珀酰胆碱离子在w/nb界面的传递伏安特性,结果与一般半微分循环伏安法相似。但峰形改善,检测限降低一个数量级(1×10~(-6)mol/L),相对标准偏差在5％以内,可用于定量测定琥珀酰胆碱。     

Collective mechanism for nuclear stopping and transverse flow in heavy-ion collisions

The role of filamentation instability of quark-gluon plasma, in explaining collective phenomena in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, has been analyzed. Using equations of SU(2) two fluid color hydrodynamics it is shown that this instability can significantly enhance nuclear stopping and might contribute to collective sideward flows.     

19F+27Al深部非弹性碰撞产物的角分布

完成了19F+27Al深部非弹性碰撞产物的角分布测量.初步分析了反应产B,C,N,O,F,Ne,Na,Mg和Al的实验室系角分布,展现出深部非弹性反应机制的特点,显示了反应系统随时间的演化过程. Angular distributions of fragments produced in the deep inelastic collision of~(19)F+~(27)Al have been measured for incident energy of 114 MeV at θ_(lab)= 9~(o), 24~(o), 40~(o), 55~(o), 70~(o) and 85~(o). Angular distributions of dissipative products B, C, N, O, F, Ne, Na, Mg and Al are analyzed to provide an evolution process of the intermediate dinuclear system formed in the reaction.     

Ion chromatography–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry determination of arsenic species in marine samples

Arsenic speciation analysis in marine samples was performed using ion chromatography (IC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) detection. The separation of eight arsenic species, viz. arsenite, monomethyl arsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenate, arsenobetaine, tetramethylarsine oxide, arsenocholine and tetramethylarsonium ion was achieved on a Dionex AS4A (weaker anion exchange column) by using a nitric acid pH gradient eluent (pH 3.3 to 1.3). The entire separation was accomplished in 12 min. The detection limits for the eight arsenic species by IC–ICP‐MS were in the range 0.03–1.6 µ g l^?1, based on 3σ of the blank response (n = 6). The repeatability and day‐to‐day reproducibility were calculated to be less than 10% (residual standard deviation) for all eight species. The method was validated by analyzing a certified reference material (DORM‐2, dogfish muscle) and then successfully applied to several marine samples, e.g. oyster, fish muscle, shrimp and marine algae. The low power microwave digestion was employed for the extraction of arsenic from seafood products. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.