A rapid dissolution procedure to aid initial nuclear forensics investigations of chemically refractory compounds and particles prior to gamma spectrometry

A rapid and effective preparative procedure has been evaluated for the accurate determination of low-energy (40–200 keV) gamma-emitting radionuclides (²¹⁰Pb, ²³⁴Th, ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁵U) in uranium ores and uranium ore concentrates (UOCs) using high-resolution gamma ray spectrometry. The measurement of low-energy gamma photons is complicated in heterogeneous samples containing high-density mineral phases and in such situations activity concentrations will be underestimated. This is because attenuation corrections, calculated based on sample mean density, do not properly correct where dense grains are dispersed within a less dense matrix (analogous to a nugget effect). The current method overcomes these problems using a lithium tetraborate fusion that readily dissolves all components including high-density, self-attenuating minerals/compounds. This is the ideal method for dissolving complex, non-volatile components in soils, rocks, mineral concentrates, and other materials where density reduction is required. Lithium borate fusion avoids the need for theoretical efficiency corrections or measurement of matrix matched calibration standards. The resulting homogeneous quenched glass produced can be quickly dissolved in nitric acid producing low-density solutions that can be counted by gamma spectrometry. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated using uranium-bearing Certified Reference Materials and provides accurate activity concentration determinations compared to the underestimated activity concentrations derived from direct measurements of a bulk sample. The procedure offers an effective solution for initial nuclear forensic studies where complex refractory minerals or matrices exist. It is also significantly faster, safer and simpler than alternative approaches.     

激光惯性约束聚变靶制备技术研究进展

在实验室实现聚变反应释放的能量大于点燃聚变反应所需能量的阈值是当今世界ICF研究的主要目标,实现这一目标仍需要深入研究一系列的关键物理问题。在ICF研究中,制靶能力的发展与提升至关重要,靶的质量是实验成功的核心要素之一。本文介绍了国际ICF靶制备工作近年来在新型烧蚀层材料靶丸、新型靶丸支撑技术、优化黑腔材料与构型以及减小燃料填充管直径等方面取得的一系列进展,并结合ICF物理需求,简要阐述了ICF靶的发展趋势。     

Quantum numbers of the pentaquark states ${{\rm{P}}}_{{\rm{c}}}^{+}$ via symmetry analysis

We investigate the quantum numbers of the pentaquark states ${{\rm{P}}}_{{\rm{c}}}^{+}$, which are composed of 4 (three flavors) quarks and an antiquark, by analyzing their inherent nodal structure in this paper. Assuming that the four quarks form a tetrahedron or a square, and the antiquark is at the ground state, we determine the nodeless structure of the states with orbital angular moment L≤3, and in turn, the accessible low-lying states. Since the inherent nodal structure depends only on the inherent geometric symmetry, we propose the quantum numbers J^P of the low-lying pentaquark states ${{\rm{P}}}_{c}^{+}$ may be ${\tfrac{3}{2}}^{-}$, ${\tfrac{5}{2}}^{-}$, ${\tfrac{3}{2}}^{+}$and ${\tfrac{5}{2}}^{+}$, independent of dynamical models.     

靶丸支撑膜对ICF内爆性能影响的模拟研究

使用二维多群辐射扩散流体力学程序LARED-S，模拟研究靶丸支撑膜在惯性约束聚变氘氘（DD）气体靶内爆过程中的扰动演化过程及其对内爆性能的影响.二维模拟表明：靶丸支撑膜显著降低DD气体靶内爆的中子产额，二维模拟产额为一维结果的55.2%.内爆性能下降的主要物理机制是支撑膜使靶壳生成大幅度的尖钉深入DD气体区，使烧蚀层与DD气体之间物质界面处的电子热传导漏失功率显著增大，导致DD核反应速率显著降低，中子反应速率峰值时刻（bang-time时刻）提前.相比一维理想内爆的模拟结果，支撑膜引入的扰动显著降低bang-time时刻DD气体压强与内爆动能转化为DD气体内能的效率，壳层剩余动能相应大幅增加.     

循环流化床粉煤灰可控制备高纯F型八面沸石研究

利用粉煤灰制备沸石分子筛是其高值化利用的重要方向之一.以循环流化床粉煤灰为原料,采用酸浸预处理-氢氧化钠碱熔活化-水热晶化法制备F型八面沸石,并用于吸附亚甲基蓝.考察酸浸温度、碱熔温度及碱灰质量比对粉煤灰结构的影响及碱熔温度、碱灰质量比、液固比及晶化时间对沸石的结构和形貌的影响.通过XRD和SEM对粉煤灰沸石的晶体结构和形貌进行表征.结果表明,利用循环流化床粉煤灰制备高纯F型八面沸石适宜条件为碱熔温度550℃,碱灰质量比1.5:1,液固比12 mL/g,晶体导向剂用量10;,晶化温度100℃,晶化时间20 h.其比表面积高达357 m2/g,且对亚甲基蓝的饱和吸附量高达178 mg/g.     

Dynamics of polydisperse hard-spheres under strong confinement

We use molecular simulation to probe the connection between local structure and the unusual re-entrant dynamics observed for polydisperse hard-sphere liquids confined in thin slit pores. The local structure is characterised by calculating 2-D bond-orientational order parameters associated with square and hexatic order for particles in the layer adjacent to the confining walls. When the wall separation is commensurate with the average particle size, the particles primarily exhibit local hexatic order, whereas local square order increases in prevalence for incommensurate geometries. The relaxation time extracted from the ensemble-averaged mean-square displacement increases exponentially with the static correlation length associated with hexatic local order in strongly confined commensurate geometries, in agreement with theoretical predictions for dynamical slowing. Square order, by contrast, is not associated with a growing length scale for either commensurate or incommensurate geometries, indicating that it is strongly geometrically frustrated. Our results suggest that the influence of bond-orientational order on dynamical slowing may be altered by changing the extent of confinement.     

Numerical Simulation of the Distribution Function and Free Energy of a Single Wormlike Polymer Confined between Hard Walls

We focus on the distribution and free energy of a wormlike polymer confined between two parallel hard walls.The variation in the distribution and free energy of the wormlike chain as the spacing between the walls decreases(or as the total contour length of the wormlike chain increases or as the persistence length of the chain increases)is simulated.The main reason for these changes is a degradation of the long wormlike chain into a Gaussian long chain under weak confinement.     

La distribution on the crater surface of W-1%La2O3 produced by a single laser pulse

The W-1%La₂O₃ alloy has been irradiated by a single laser pulse (λ = 1064 nm) to simulate transient thermal loads of high energy occurring in a tokamak under operative conditions. A zone with a diameter of ~2 mm, namely, much larger than the focal spot, results to be affected by the pulse, and a crater of about 300 μm is observed in its center. La₂O₃ particles are not present inside the crater. The change of surface morphology is accompanied by elemental redistribution. Multipoint XPS analysis evidenced that the concentration of La is very low in the crater and increases moving toward the border of the affected zone while that of W shows an opposite trend. The composition changes involve only the outmost 5 nm of the sample: through depth profiling, no differences of chemical composition were detected deeper in the alloy between the center and external border of the affected area.     

Heavy-Atom Tunneling in Semibullvalenes: How Driving Force,Substituents, and Environment Influence the Tunneling Rates

The Cope rearrangement of selectively deuterated isotopomers of 1,5-dimethylsemibullvalene 2 a and 3,7-dicyano-1,5-dimethylsemibullvalene 2 b were studied in cryogenic matrices. In both semibullvalenes the Cope rearrangement is governed by heavy-atom tunneling. The driving force for the rearrangements is the small difference in the zero-point vibrational energies of the isotopomers. To evaluate the effect of the driving force on the tunneling probability in 2 a and 2 b , two different pairs of isotopomers were studied for each of the semibullvalenes. The reaction rates for the rearrangement of 2 b in cryogenic matrices were found to be smaller than the ones of 2 a under similar conditions, whereas differences in the driving force do not influence the rates. Small curvature tunneling (SCT) calculations suggest that the reduced tunneling rate of 2 b compared to that of 2 a results from a change in the shape of the potential energy barrier. The tunneling probability of the semibullvalenes strongly depends on the matrix environment; however, for 2 a in a qualitatively different way than for 2 b .     

An Ultra-Microporous Metal–Organic Framework with Exceptional Xe Capacity

Molecular confinement plays a significant effect on trapped gas and solvent molecules. A fundamental understanding of gas adsorption within the porous confinement provides information necessary to design a material with improved selectivity. In this regard, metal–organic framework (MOF) adsorbents are ideal candidate materials to study confinement effects for weakly interacting gas molecules, such as noble gases. Among the noble gases, xenon (Xe) has practical applications in the medical, automotive and aerospace industries. In this Communication, we report an ultra-microporous nickel-isonicotinate MOF with exceptional Xe uptake and selectivity compared to all benchmark MOF and porous organic cage materials. The selectivity arises because of the near perfect fit of the atomic Xe inside the porous confinement. Notably, at low partial pressure, the Ni–MOF interacts very strongly with Xe compared to the closely related Krypton gas (Kr) and more polarizable CO₂. Further ¹²⁹Xe NMR suggests a broad isotropic chemical shift due to the reduced motion as a result of confinement.