Measurement of the p to s wave branching ratio of 187Re beta decay from beta environmental fine structure

The mixed occurrence of s-wave and p-wave contributions in a first forbidden unique Gamow-Teller beta decay has been investigated for the first time by measuring the beta environmental fine structure (BEFS) in a 187Re crystalline compound. The experiment has been carried out with an array of eight AgReO4 thermal detectors operating at a temperature of approximately 100 mK. A fit of the observed BEFS spectrum indicates the p-wave electron emission as the dominant channel. The complete understanding of the BEFS distortion of the 187Re beta decay spectrum is crucial for future experiments aiming at the precise calorimetric measurement of the antineutrino mass.     

Eigenvalue Asymptotics of the Stokes Operator for Fractal Domains

The leading asymptotic term for the function that counts theeigenvalues of the Stokes operator is determined for fairlygeneral underlying bounded domains. Moreover, the remainderis estimated in terms of the fractality of the boundary of thedomain. The results obtained resemble corresponding ones forthe Dirichlet Laplacian. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification:35P20.     

Not All Fluorescent Nanodiamonds Are Created Equal: A Comparative Study

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are vital to many emerging nanotechnological applications, from bioimaging and sensing to quantum nanophotonics. Yet, understanding and engineering the properties of fluorescent defects in nanodiamonds remain challenging. The most comprehensive study to date is presented, of the optical and physical properties of five different nanodiamond samples, in which fluorescent nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centers are created using different fabrication techniques. The FNDs' fluorescence spectra, lifetime, and spin relaxation time (T₁) are investigated via single‐particle confocal fluorescence microscopy and in ensemble measurements in solution (T₁ excepted). Particle sizes and shapes are determined using scanning electron microscopy and correlated with the optical results. Statistical tests are used to explore correlations between the properties of individual particles and also analyze average results to directly compare different fabrication techniques. Spectral unmixing is used to quantify the relative NV charge‐state (NV^? and NV⁰) contributions to the overall fluorescence. A strong variation is found and quantified in the properties of individual particles within all analyzed samples and significant differences between the different particle types. This study is an important contribution toward understanding the properties of NV centers in nanodiamonds. It motivates new approaches to the improved engineering of NV‐containing nanodiamonds for future applications.     

A flexible scintillation light apparatus for rare event searches

Compelling experimental evidences of neutrino oscillations and their implication that neutrinos are massive particles have given neutrinoless double beta decay ( \(\beta \beta 0\nu \) ) a central role in astroparticle physics. In fact, the discovery of this elusive decay would be a major breakthrough, unveiling that neutrino and antineutrino are the same particle and that the lepton number is not conserved. It would also impact our efforts to establish the absolute neutrino mass scale and, ultimately, understand elementary particle interaction unification. All current experimental programs to search for \(\beta \beta 0\nu \) are facing with the technical and financial challenge of increasing the experimental mass while maintaining incredibly low levels of spurious background. The new concept described in this paper could be the answer which combines all the features of an ideal experiment: energy resolution, low cost mass scalability, isotope choice flexibility and many powerful handles to make the background negligible. The proposed technology is based on the use of arrays of silicon detectors cooled to 120 K to optimize the collection of the scintillation light emitted by ultra-pure crystals. It is shown that with a 54 kg array of natural CaMoO \(_4\) scintillation detectors of this type it is possible to yield a competitive sensitivity on the half-life of the \(\beta \beta 0\nu \) of \(^{100}\) Mo as high as \(\sim \) \(10^{24}\)  years in only 1 year of data taking. The same array made of \(^{40}\) Ca \(^{\mathrm {nat}}\) MoO \(_4\) scintillation detectors (to get rid of the continuous background coming from the two neutrino double beta decay of \(^{48}\) Ca) will instead be capable of achieving the remarkable sensitivity of \(\sim \) \(10^{25}\)  years on the half-life of \(^{100}\) Mo \(\beta \beta 0\nu \) in only 1 year of measurement.     

Transfer measurements for the Ti+Ni systems at near barrier energies

Large enhancements have been observed in the sub-barrier fusion cross sections for Ti+Ni systems in our previous studies. Coupled channel calculations incorporating couplings to 2⁺ and 3⁻ states failed to explain these enhancements completely. A possibilty of transfer channels contributing to the residual enhancements had been suggested. In order to investigate the role of relevant transfer channels, measurements of one- and two-nucleon transfer were carried out for ^46,48Ti+⁶¹Ni systems. The present paper gives the results of these studies.     

Microcolumn preconcentration and gas chromatography-microwave induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (GC-MIP-AES) for mercury speciation in waters

A novel method for the direct determination of mercury species at the ng l^–1 level in natural waters is described. Methyl-, ethyl- and inorganic mercury are preconcentrated on a sulphhydryl cotton microcolumn incorporated in a flow injection system. Retained mercury species are then eluted with hydrochloric acid solution (3 mol/l) and subjected to phenylation before determination by gas chromatography-microwave induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Limits of detection for mercury species are 10 ng l^–1 for methyl- and ethyl-mercury and 16 ng l^–1 for inorganic mercury based on processing 200 ml of sample. Application of the methodology to waters of the Manchester Ship Canal revealed elevated levels of methylmercury and inorganic mercury.