Neutron activation analysis of iodine in soil

A simple pre-irradiation procedure for the separation of iodine from soil has been developed. A soil sample was heated in a quartz tube for 15 min at about 900 °C. The evaporated iodine was collected in activated charcoal, which was produced from phenol resin with low impurities. The charcoal, with sorbed iodine, was irradiated by neutrons and the¹²⁸I produced was measured. A successful elimination of the background radioactivity due to the matrix elements was possible with this separation procedure. The detection limit by this method for soil samples was about 0.1 mg/kg (dry). The method has been applied to analyze selected soil samples.     

Variational aspects of Faddeev calculations

We examine differences between³H binding energies obtained by solving the Faddeev equations using standard partial-wave expansion procedures and results from solving the Schrödinger equation by means of the coupled-rearrangement-channel variational method. Variational bounds generated from Faddeev solutions for several contemporary, realistic potential models are presented as a function of the number of partial waves retained in the potential expansion. We demonstrate that the Faddeev wave function yields an optimal variational bound for the partial-wave truncated potential from which it is generated, but it does not yield optimal bounds for the full Hamiltonian or when the potential is partial-wave truncated at a different level. Finally, qualitative differences between³H solutions for static models such as the AV14 and RSC potentials and for momentum-dependent models such as the Nijmegen soft-core and Paris potentials are explored, and comparison is made with solutions for the RSC/TM two-body-force plus three-body-force model.     

Universality in some classical Coulomb systems of restricted dimension

Coulomb systems in which the particles interact through thed-dimensional Coulomb potential but are confined in a flat manifold of dimensiond–1 are considered. The actual Coulomb potential acting is defined by particular boundary conditions involving a characteristic macroscopic distanceW in the direction perpendicular to the manifold: either it is periodic of periodW in that direction, or it vanishes on one ideal conductor wall parallel to the manifold at a distanceW from it, or it vanishes on two parallel walls at a distanceW from each other with the manifold equidistant from them. Under the assumptions that classical equilibrium statistical mechanics is applicable and that the system has the macroscopic properties of a conductor, it is shown that the suitably smoothed charge correlation function is universal, and that the free energy and the grand potential have universal dependences onW (universal means independent of the microscopic detail). The casesd=2 are discussed in detail, and the generic results are checked on an exactly solvable model. The cased=3 of a plane parallel to an ideal conductor is also explicitly worked out.Laboratoire associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-URA D0063.     

Sigma Models and Minimal Surfaces

Correspondence is established between sigma models, minimal surfaces and the Monge–Ampére equation. The Lax pairs of the minimality condition of the minimal surfaces and the Monge–Ampére equations are given. Existence of infinitely many nonlocal conservation laws is shown and some Bäcklund transformations are also given.     

On practical metrology and chemical analysis: etalons and traceability systems

 National measurement systems are infrastructures to ensure, for each nation, a consistent and internationally recognised basis for measurement. Such complex systems have historical, technical, legal, organisational and institutional aspects to connect scientific metrology with practical measurements. Underlying any valid measurement is a chain of comparisons linking the measurement to an accepted standard. The ways the links are forged and the etalons (measurement standards) to which they connect are defining characteristics of all measurement systems. This is often referred to as traceability which aims at basing measurements in common measurement units – a key issue for the integration of quantitative chemical analysis with the evolving physical and engineering measurement systems. Adequate traceability and metrological control make possible new technical capabilities and new levels of quality assurance and confidence by users in the accuracy and integrity of quantitative analytical results. Traceability for chemical measurements is difficult to achieve and harder to demonstrate. The supply of appropriate etalons is critical to the development of metrology systems for chemical analysis. An approach is suggested that involves the development of networks of specialised reference laboratories able to make matrix-independent reference measurements on submitted samples, which may then be used as reference materials by an originating laboratory using its practical measurement procedures. Received: 31 July 1995 Accepted: 19 August 1995     

Heat-treatment studies of molybdenum oxide-monohydrate

The dehydration of molybdic acid, MoO₃---H₂O, was studied by thermal analysis, X-ray diffractometry and FTIR spectroscopy. The results show that an intermediate phase, MoO₃-2/3H₂O is formed at 216 °C and the monoclinic form of MoO₃ is grown above 350 °C. The mechanism of dehydration and structural rearrangement were confirmed by the features of the infrared spectra showing formation of corner-shared MoO₆ octahedra.     

Existence of black hole solutions for the Einstein-Yang/Mills equations

This paper provides a rigorous proof of the existence of an infinite number of black hole solutions to the Einstein-Yang/Mills equations with gauge groupSU(2), for any event horizon. It is also demonstrated that the ADM mass of each solutions is finite, and that the corresponding Einstein metric tends to the associated Schwarzschild metric at a rate 1/r ², asr tends to infinity.Research supported in part by the NSF, Contract No. DMS-89-05205Research supported in part by the DE, Contract No. De-FG 02-88 EF 25065