Radon levels in underground workplaces – results of a nationwide survey in Italy

In Italy an extensive survey has been carried out with the aim to evaluate annual average radon concentration in underground workplaces.The survey covered 933 underground rooms located in 311 bank workplaces spread throughout in all Italian regions; at this scope the sampling was stratified random in order to be representative on national scale. The annual radon concentration was estimated by using passive radon dosemeters (NRPB/SSI type holder and CR-39 as detector): the devices were exposed for a period of about 3 months and 4 cycles were performed to cover a solar year. The radon levels in underground workplaces ranged from 27 to 4851 Bq/m³ with an overall mean value of 153 Bq/m³. As expected, radon distribution is not uniform throughout Italy: in several regions high radon annual averages have been found, confirming previous surveys.The analysis of data shows a high variability among regions and intra-region but low spread among rooms belonging to the same workplace.About 5% of underground workplaces displayed radon concentration exceeding 400 Bq/m³, and the 4.4% exceeds 500 Bq/m³, the national action level for the exposure to natural radioactivity in workplaces.     

A better understanding of the background of CR-39 detectors

The background of CR-39 detectors varies from batch to batch, from foil to foil in the same batch, from one side to another of the same foil and within the same foil surface. In spite of many efforts made in the past, little success has been achieved in producing detectors with a consistently low background. For this reason, new investigations have been undertaken with the specific scope in mind to improve the background of these detectors. The key strategy of these studies was to investigate whether the background tracks originate from the detector surface or from detector bulk, if not from both. From these systematic investigations it was possible to demonstrate that most of the background is due to defects present on the detector surface. For this reason, the simplest way to reduce the background is to carry out a heavy pre-etching prior to the use of the CR-39 detector. This procedure has been successfully exploited not only to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of CR-39-based radon dosimeters but also to carry out different radon measurements with the same CR-39 foil.     

Residual strain measurements in InGaAs metamorphic buffer layers on GaAs

This work deals with the strain relaxation mechanism in InGaAs metamorphic buffers (MBs) grown on GaAs substrates and overgrown by InAs quantum dots (QD). The residual strain is measured by using Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction, both in Reciprocal Space Map and in single ω-2θ scan modes (ω and θ being the incidence angles on the sample surface and on the scattering planes, respectively). By relating the GaAs-like longitudinal optical phonon frequency ω^LO of InGaAs MBs to the in-plane residual strain ε measured by means of photoreflectance (PR), the linear ε-vs.-ω^LO working curve is obtained. The results of Raman and XRD measurements, as well as those obtained by PR, are in a very satisfactory agreement. The respective advantages of the techniques are discussed. The measurements confirm that strain relaxation depends on the thickness t of the buffer layer following a ~t^-1/2 power law, that can be explained by an energy-balance model.     

Standardized methods for measuring radionuclides in drinking water

Summary In 2002 the Italian Standardisation Organisation (UNI) - Nuclear Energy Commission (UNICEN) - appointed a working group with the main task of writing a set of standards on drinking water measurements. To date two standards have been designed, namely, for total alpha- and beta-activity, and ²²²Rn. Further procedures are under development for measuring ²²⁶Ra and U isotopes, and gamma-emitting radionuclides in water. The paper gives an overview of these standards, both developed and under study, with special attention to the validation of the methods.     

Quantum dot nanostructures and molecular beam epitaxy

In order to fulfil the requirements of the information society there is a growing demand for nanoelectronic devices with new or largely improved performances; these devices are based on low-dimensional carrier systems, and in particular on zero-dimensional ones, that have peculiar properties as compared to the three- and two-dimensional counterparts.

In this paper we review and discuss the basic features of the Molecular Beam Epitaxy growth of quantum dots that are very interesting archetypes of zero-dimensional nanostructures; quantum dots can be obtained by the three-dimensional growth of self-assembled nanoislands that takes place during the preparation of structures based on highly lattice-mismatched materials. Aspects of the morphological, electronic and optical properties of quantum dots will be reviewed and it will be shown how the energy of confined levels for carriers is determined by design and growth parameters of nanostructures and how quantum dot emission wavelengths can be tuned in the windows of optoelectronic and photonic interest, such as that at 0.98, 1.31 and 1.55 μm. An overview of quantum dot devices will be given, with particular attention paid to the quantum dot laser, unarguably the most important application of quantum dots so far.