Status of heavy element research using a gas-filled recoil separator at RIKEN

A gas-filled type of recoil separator for heavy element research was installed at an experimental hall of RIKEN Linear Accelerator facility to realize getting higher intensity of primary beam and long beam time. Performance of the separator was studied using target recoils and various nuclear reactions. The results show the high performance of the separator for heave element research. As an application of the GARIS, production and identification of an isotope of the 110th element ²⁷¹[110] have been performed using the ²⁰⁸Pb(⁶⁴Ni,1n)²⁷¹[110] reaction. Three decay chains coincide well both in decay times and energies with the ones reported by the group of SHIP experiment at GSI, Germany. Our results provide a confirmation of the synthesis of an isotope ²⁷¹[110] of element 110.     

Distributions of major-to-ultratrace elements among the particulate and dissolved fractions in natural water as studied by ICP-AES and ICP-MS after sequential fractionation.

In order to elucidate the distributions of the elements among the particulate and dissolved fractions in pond water, major-to-ultratrace elements in different sizes of particles as well as in the filtrate passed through the 0.05 microm filter were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The different sizes of particle samples (ca. 100-300 microg each) were collected on the membrane filters with pore sizes of 10, 3.0, 1.2, 0.4, 0.2 and 0.05 microm, respectively, by sequential fractionation. As a result, about 40 elements in different sizes of particles could be determined by ICP-AES and ICP-MS, after acid digestion using HNO3/HF/HClO4. Then, the fractional distribution factors of major-to-ultratrace elements among the particulate and dissolved fractions were estimated from the analytical results. The total contents of Al, Fe, Ti, REEs (rare earth elements), Bi, Pb and Ag in the particulate fractions (larger than 0.05 microm) were more than 80-90%, while those of Ca, Sr, Cs, W, Ba, Mn and Co in the dissolved fraction, which corresponded to the filtrate passed through the 0.05 microm membrane filter, were more than 80%. It was further found that the fractional distributions of Cu and Zn in the dissolved fraction were ca. 50%. In addition, the enrichment factors (EFs) of the elements in the particulate fractions with particle sizes of 3.0-10 microm and 0.05-0.2 microm were estimated to elucidate their geochemical characteristics in natural water.     

Large-volume injection electrothermal AAS combined with tungsten-treated pyrolytic graphite furnace: determination of cadmium in tap, snow and river water samples with phosphate modifier.

A large-volume (100 microl) injection-ETAAS with W-treated PG furnace combined with a phosphate modifier was applied to the determination of unpolluted levels of Cd in tap, snow and river-water samples. The limit of detection of 1.1 ng l(-1) was observed for a 4 w/v% NH4H2PO4 modifer. Matrix interference studies were tested for major ion species well found in fresh water. The direct determination of Cd in certified river water (12 +/- 2 ng l(-1)) was carried out and the observed value was in agreement with the certified one. The good recoveries of Cd added to real environmental water samples were also observed. This method was applied to the determination of Cd in unpolluted environmental water samples.     

Improved detectability with a polymer-based trapping device in rapid HPLC analysis for ultra-low levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in environmental samples.

A new high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed to detect ultra-low concentrations of bisphenol-A (BPA) (below 1 ng/L (ppt)) using column switching electrochemical detection (ECD). The results were superior to those obtained from manual pretreatment procedure with membrane stationary phase. BPA is inherently ubiquitous in the environment, including tools and solvents used for its analysis; to obtain meaningful results, therefore, the concentration of the overall BPA contamination must be below the detection limit for BPA using the analytical system. Therefore, purified water for preparing the standard BPA solution must be filtered with a hydrophobic membrane to suppress BPA background levels of contamination. In addition, we investigated methods for effectively preserving environmental water containing BPA. The addition of a small amount of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) provided good recovery even after overnight storage. By employing these precautionary measures and procedures to reduce BPA contamination from the analytical procedure, we could accurately determine l(-10) ppt of BPA in environmental water samples using a column switching HPLC system.     

How is chiral symmetry restored at finite density?

Taking into account pseudoscalar as well as scalar condensates, we reexamine the chiral restoration path on the chiral manifold. We shall see both condensates coherently produce a density wave at a certain density, which delays chiral restoration as density or temperature is increased.     

Irregular Behavior of Solutions for Fisher’s Equation

This paper is concerned with the irregular behavior of solutions for Fisher’s equation when initial data do not decay in a regular way at the spatial infinity. In the one-dimensional case, we show the existence of a solution whose profile and average speed are not convergent. In the higher-dimensional case, we show the existence of expanding fronts with arbitrarily prescribed profiles. We also show the existence of irregularly expanding fronts whose profile varies in time. Proofs are based on some estimate of the difference of two distinct solutions and a comparison technique. Dedicated to Professor Pavol Brunovsky on his 70th birthday.     

Infraglottic aspect of canine vocal fold vibration: Effect of increase of mean airflow rate and lengthening of vocal fold

The mucosal upheaval (MU), where the mucosal wave starts and propagates upward, appears only when the vocal fold vibrates. The location of the MU histologically and the effect of changes in mean air flow rate (MFR) and vocal fold length on occurrence of the MU were studied in twelve excised canine larynges. The lower surface of the vocal fold was marked to serve as a landmark for subsequent study. Cricothyroid approximation was performed to lengthen the vocal fold. After taking high-speed pictures or recording stroboscopic images from the tracheal side, a small cut wound was made at the mark. This wound served to compare the position of the MU with the histologically identified location of the mark. The larynx was then sectioned in the frontal plane. Before lengthening the vocal fold, the MU occurred on the area where the lamina propria became thinner and where the muscular layer neared the epithelial layer. After lengthening the vocal fold, the MU actually shifted medially compared with its original position. The subglottic area surrounded by the bilateral MUs became longer and thinner. Whether or not complete glottal closure during a vibratory cycle was achieved did not alter these findings. In contrast, with a fixed vocal fold length the MU appeared more laterally as MFR increased, but, based on the relation with the mark, its location on the vocal fold did not change from its original position before increase of MFR.     

Grow-up rate of solutions for a supercritical semilinear diffusion equation

We study solutions of the Cauchy problem for a supercritical semilinear parabolic equation which converge to a singular steady state from below as t→∞. We show that the grow-up rate of such solutions depends on the spatial decay rate of initial data.