Short-range order in amorphous ferromagnetic Fe-B alloys

Amorphous and quenched crystalline Fe-B alloys in the composition range of 4–25 at % B were prepared by melt spinning and investigated by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy at T = 87 K. The states of iron atoms in the α-Fe phases, including iron atoms having boron atoms in the nearest coordination sphere, and in the orthorhombic (o) and tetragonal (T) Fe₂B phases are detected in the microcrystalline alloys. The short-range order and the local atomic structure of the amorphous Fe-B alloys are determined. The amorphous alloys consist of microregions (clusters) with short-range order of the t- and o-Fe₂B and α-Fe types. The dependence of the content of various types of clusters on the alloy composition is quantitatively estimated.     

The <Superscript>57</Superscript>Fe hyperfine interactions in the iron-bearing phases in some LL ordinary chondrites

The study of several LL ordinary chondrites such as NWA 6286 LL6, NWA 7857 LL6 and Chelyabinsk LL5 fragments with different lithology was carried out using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersion spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy with a high velocity resolution at 295 K. Small variations in the ⁵⁷Fe hyperfine parameters were revealed for the M1 and M2 sites in olivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene as well as for α-Fe(Ni, Co), α ₂-Fe(Ni, Co) and γ-Fe(Ni, Co) phases, and for troilite in different samples of studied LL ordinary chondrites.     

NMR study of rapidly quenched crystalline and amorphous Fe-B alloys

Amorphous and microcrystalline Fe-B alloys (4–25 at % B) obtained by rapid quenching of the melt were studied using the pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of ¹¹B nuclei at 4.2 K. Alloy samples were prepared from both a natural isotope mixture and a mixture of the ⁵⁶Fe and ¹¹B isotopes. The NMR spectra were measured as a function of the boron content. The maximum hyperfine fields at the ¹¹B nuclei sites are 25–29 kOe and overlap the values of the hyperfine fields at the ¹¹B nuclei sites in the tetragonal and orthorhombic Fe₃B phases and also in the α-Fe phase containing boron as a substitutional impurity. The short-range order and local atomic structure of the amorphous Fe-B alloys were determined. The amorphous alloys are found to consist of microregions (clusters) with a short-range order similar to that in the tetragonal or orthorhombic Fe₃B phase or the α-Fe phase.     

New data on the mechanism of decay of the giant dipole resonance in the <Superscript>58</Superscript>Ni nucleus

New data on the mechanism of decay of the giant dipole resonance in the ⁵⁸Ni nucleus are obtained from an analysis of the experimental cross sections for the photonucleon reactions ⁵⁸Ni(γ, p_i)⁵⁷Co and ⁵⁸Ni(γ, n_i)⁵⁷Ni. The method used in this analysis takes into account both the energy spread of the dipole strength concentrated in various isospin components of the giant dipole resonance and the spread of the spectroscopic strength of the populated nucleon-hole states over the levels of the final nuclei. The entire body of experimental spectroscopic information about the levels of the final nuclei ⁵⁷Co and ⁵⁷Ni is employed. It is found that the probability of the semidirect mechanism of decay of the giant dipole resonance in the ⁵⁷Ni nucleus lies in the range 0.16–0.3. The probability of semidirect processes is much higher in the (γ, n) channel (0.28–0.62) than in the (γ, p) channel (0.07–0.17).     

Structure of the local environment and hyperfine interactions of <Superscript>57</Superscript>Fe probe atoms in DyNiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> nickelate

The local structure of DyNiO₃ nickelate at both sides of the insulator (T < T _im) ? metal (T > T _im) phase transition was studied by probe ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The character of change in the hyperfine parameters of probe iron atoms specifically near the phase-transition temperature (T ≈ T _im) was analyzed.     

Search for superheavy hydrogen isotopes <Superscript>4,5</Superscript>H in reactions of pion absorption by <Superscript>10,11</Superscript>B nuclei

The results of searching for production of superheavy hydrogen isotopes ^4,5H in reactions of absorption of stopped π^? mesons by ^10,11B nuclei are reported. A peak near 3 MeV was observed in the missing mass spectra measured in the reactions ^10,11B(π^?, t⁴He)X, ¹⁰B(π^?, d⁴He)X, and ¹⁰B(π^?, t³He)X. A structure caused by two ⁵H states with the resonance energies E _R = 5.2 and 10.4 MeV was observed in the missing mass spectra measured in the reactions ¹¹B(π^?, d⁴He)X, ¹¹B(π^?, t³He)X, and ¹⁰B(π^?, d³He)X.     

Formation of lithium-like boron and nitrogen ions in the <Superscript>4</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis><Subscript>5/2</Subscript> state in gaseous media

We experimentally determined the fraction of α_v of lithium-like boron B²⁺ and nitrogen N⁴⁺ ions in the ⁴ P _5/2 state having a velocity of 3.6 au that are formed upon capture of two (α₂) electrons by hydrogen-like B⁴⁺ and N⁶⁺ ions and upon capture of one (α₁) electron by helium-like (1s2s)^1,3 S metastable B³⁺ and N⁵⁺ ions in gaseous media (H₂, He, N₂, Ar), as well as upon passage through a celluloid film. In light-element media (H₂, He), α₂ increases proportional to the target thickness T _g and reaches a maximum at T _g ≈ 10¹⁶ atom/cm² (for B ions, α₂ ≈ 0.2 in H₂ and α₂ ≈ 0.4 in He). For boron and nitrogen ions passing through thin layers of heavier gases (N₂, Ne), α₂ depends considerably more weakly on T _g , and, in Ar, becomes practically constant. It is assumed that, since hydrogen and helium do not contain electrons with parallel spins, autoionizing lithium-like ions are formed as a result of successive (one by one) capture of electrons, whereas, in the heavier gases, simultaneous capture of two electrons predominates. At T _g ～ 10¹⁵ atom/cm², the fraction α₁ of boron ions is the highest in He, ～0.15, and the lowest in Ar, ～0.07, being in qualitative agreement with calculations.     

Theoretical study of photoionization of the isoelectronic sequence Rb<Superscript>+</Superscript>, Sr<Superscript>2+</Superscript>, and Y<Superscript>3+</Superscript>

The photoionization cross sections for the 4p shell of ions of the Kr isoelectronic sequence Rb⁺, Sr²⁺, and Y³⁺ are calculated. The configuration interaction theory and the perturbation theory are used to describe the many-electron effects. The relativistic effects are taken into account in the Pauli-Fock approximation. The calculated resonance structure of photoionization cross sections for the 4p shell in the region below the 4s threshold associated with the autoionization of the 4s-np singly excited states and the 4p4p-nln′l′ doubly excited states reproduces the results of recent measurements of total photoabsorption cross sections for the Rb⁺, Sr²⁺, and Y³⁺ ions. It is found that, as the nuclear charge in the isoelectronic sequence increases, the ratio between the direct and correlation parts of amplitudes of the 4s-(n/?)p transition changes and, as the consequence, the minimum of the photoionization cross section of the 4s shell shifts from the continuous spectrum to the region of states of discrete spectrum. This accounts for the strong changes in the shape of the 4s-np resonances in the photoionization cross sections for the 4p shell of Rb⁺, Sr²⁺, and Y³⁺, as well as the distinction between the shapes of the 4s-6p _1/2 mirror resonance in the partial 4p _1/2 and 4p _3/2 photoionization cross sections for the Y³⁺ ion which do not suppress each other in the total photoionization cross section, as is the case for similar resonances in Rb⁺ and Sr²⁺.     

Investigating the Double Beta Decay of <Superscript>58</Superscript>Ni

Double beta decay (β + EC, EC/EC) of ⁵⁸Ni is investigated at France’s Modane Underground Laboratory (4800 m water equivalent) using the OBELIX ultralow-background HPGe detector with a sensitive volume of 600 cm³ and a natural nickel sample of ~68% 58Ni with a mass of ~21.7 kg. After preliminary analysis of the experimental data accumulated over ~144 days, new experimental limits are obtained for the 2νβ⁺EC decay of ⁵⁸Ni to the 0⁺ ground state and the 2 ₁ ⁺ , 811 keV excited state of ⁵⁸Fe, and for the 2νEC/EC decay of ⁵⁸Ni to the 2 ₁ ⁺ , 811 keV and 2 ₂ ⁺ , 1675 keV excited states of ⁵⁸Fe. The limits are T_1/2(β⁺EC,0→0⁺) > 1.7 × 10²² yr, T_1/2(β⁺EC,0→2 ₁ ⁺ ) > 2.3 × 10²² yr, T_1/2(EC/EC,0→2 ₁ ⁺ ) > 3.3 × 10²² yr, and T_1/2(EC/EC,0→2 ₂ ⁺ ) > 3.4 × 10²² yr. Experimental limit T_1/2(0νEC/EC–res, 1918 keV > 4.1 × 10²² yr is obtained for resonant neutrinoless radiative EC/EC decay with an energy of 1918.3 keV. All limits are at 90% CL.     

Line shape of <Superscript>57</Superscript>Co sources exhibiting self absorption

The effect of selfabsorption in Mössbauer sources is studied in detail. Spectra were measured using an old ⁵⁷ C o/R h source of 74M B q activity with an original activity of ca. 3.7G B q and a 0.15G B q ⁵⁷ C o/α ? F e source magnetized by an in-plane magnetic field of 0.2 T. The ⁵⁷ C o/α ? F e source of a thickness of 25 μ was used both from the active and the inactive side giving cause to very different selfabsorption effects. The absorber was a single crystal of ferrous ammonium sulphate hexahydrate (FAS). Its absorption properties were taken over from a detailed study (Bull et al., Hyperfine Interact. 94(1–3), 1; Spiering et al. 2). FAS (space group P21/c) crystallizes as flat plates containing the (\(\overline {2}\)01) plane. The γ-direction was orthogonal to the crystal plate. The ⁵⁷ C o atoms of the ⁵⁷ C o/R h source were assumed to be homogeneously distributed over a 6μ thick Rh foil and to follow a one dimensional diffusion profile in the 25 μ Fe-foil. The diffusion length was fitted to 10 μ. The theory follows the Blume-Kistner equations for forward scattering (Blume and Kistner, Phys. Rev. 171, 417, 3) by integrating over the source sampled up to 128 layers.     

Band interaction in <Superscript>162</Superscript>Dy, <Superscript>168</Superscript>Er,and <Superscript>172</Superscript>Yb

Coriolis interaction between levels of two rotational bands in ¹⁷²Yb with K ^π = 2⁺ and 3⁺ and in ¹⁶⁸Er between levels with K ^π = 0^?, 1^?, and 2^? is studied. The values of the interaction parameters are obtained. The mutual influence of two bands in ¹⁶²Dy with ΔK = 2, K _i ^π = 0 ₂ ⁺ and 2 ₁ ⁺ due to Coriolis interaction is demonstrated.     

Charge Distribution and Hyperfine Interactions in the CuFeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Multiferroic According to <Superscript>63,65</Superscript>Cu NMR Data

For the first time, the CuFeO₂ single crystal has been studied by ^63,65Cu nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The measurements have been carried out in the temperature range of T = 100?350 K in the magnetic field H = 117 kOe applied along different crystallographic directions. The components of the electric field gradient tensor and the hyperfine coupling constants are determined. It is shown that electrons of copper 4s and 3d orbitals are involved in the spin polarization transfer Fe → Cu. The occupancies of these orbitals are estimated.     

Total strength of the magnetic dipole resonance in <Superscript>27</Superscript>Al

The γ decay of the resonance-like structure observed in the ²⁶Mg(pγ)²⁷ Al reaction in the energy range E _p = 0.8–3.0 MeV of accelerated protons has been investigated. The M1 resonance on the ground and excited states of ²⁷Al with E* = 844 and 1014 keV is identified. The total strength of the M1 resonance on the ground state of this nucleus is determined. The position and total strength of this resonance are explained taking into account pairing forces.     

Neutron single-particle structure of <Superscript>48</Superscript>Ca, <Superscript>50</Superscript>Ti, <Superscript>52</Superscript>Cr, <Superscript>54</Superscript>Fe,and <Superscript>56</Superscript>Ni nuclei

The change in the neutron single-particle structure of (1f?2p)-shell magic nuclei near the Fermi energy with an increase in the number of protons in the 1f _7/2 subshell from 0 for ⁴⁸Ca to 8 for ⁵⁶Ni has been investigated. Good agreement of the experimental and estimated values of the single-particle energies E _nlj of the bound states of neutrons in these nuclei with the results of calculations within the dispersive optical model is obtained.     

<Superscript>53</Superscript>Cr, <Superscript>17</Superscript>O and <Superscript>14</Superscript>N nuclear quadrupole resonance in ammonium dichromate

The ⁵³Cr resonance frequency in ammonium dichromate has been detected at 4202 kHz giving a Qcc of 8404 kHz (assuming η= 0). Calculations suggest that the value of the ⁵³Cr quadrupole moment is about 84 mB lower that the currently accepted value. The resonance frequencies of two ¹⁷O nuclei have also been detected giving Qcc = 2800, 2890 kHz and η = 0.726, 0.780 respectively. The value for coupling and asymmetry parameter for ¹⁴N has been refined using zero field NQR giving a value Qcc = 78.8 kHz and η= 0.645 the asymmetry value being considerably lower than the value previous reported.     

Adiabatic elastic moduli in ZnSe : Mn<Superscript>2+</Superscript> and ZnSe : V<Superscript>2+</Superscript> crystals

The temperature dependences of the elastic moduli C ₄₄ (C ₁₁ ? C ₁₂)/2 and C _l = (C ₁₁ + C ₁₂ + 2C ₄₄)/2 of ZnSe : V²⁺ (impurity concentration, 6 × 10¹⁸ cm^?3) and ZnSe : Mn²⁺ (9.4 × 10²⁰ cm^?3) are measured in the temperature range 1.4–100.0 K at frequencies of 52 and 156 MHz. The temperature dependences of the adiabatic elastic moduli are derived. It is established that softening of the symmetry modules is observed only in the crystal with an impurity having orbitally degenerate states.     

Search for resonant absorption of solar axions emitted in an <Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis>1 transition in <Superscript>57</Superscript>Fe nuclei

The resonant absorption of solar axions by ⁵⁷Fe nuclei, which is accompanied by the excitation of the first excited nuclear level: A + ⁵⁷Fe → ⁵⁷Fe* → ⁵⁷Fe + γ(14.4 keV), is sought. To seek 14.4-keV photons, a Si(Li) detector and an enriched ⁵⁷Fe target are used. The detector and target are placed in a low-background setup equipped with passive and active shieldings. As a result, a new upper limit m _A ≤ 360 eV (at 90% C.L.) has been determined for the axion mass.     

Data on photoneutron reactions from various experiments for <Superscript>133</Superscript>Cs, <Superscript>138</Superscript>Ba and <Superscript>209</Superscript>Bi nuclei

Basic methods for determining cross sections for photoneutron partial reactions are examined. They are obtained directly in experiments with quasimonoeneregetic annihilation photons or from the cross section for the (γ, xn) = (γ, 1n) + 2(γ, 2n) + 3(γ, 3n) +... neutron-yield reaction in experiments with bremsstrahlung photons by introducing corrections based on statistical nuclear-reaction theory. The difference in the conditions of these experiments, which leads to discrepancies between their results because of sizable systematic errors, is analyzed. Physical criteria are used to study the reliability of data on the photodisintegration of ¹³³Cs, ¹³⁸Ba, and ²⁰⁹Bi nuclei. The cross sections for partial and total reactions satisfying the reliability criteria are evaluated within the experimental–theoretical method (σ^eval(γ, in) = F_i^theor × σ^expt(γ, xn)) on the basis of the experimental cross sections σ^expt(γ, xn) and the results of the calculations within the combined model of photonuclear reactions.     

Spectroscopy of the <Superscript>5</Superscript>H superheavy hydrogen isotope

The formation of the ⁵H superheavy hydrogen isotope was experimentally sought in the reactions induced by stopped π^? mesons absorbed by ⁹Be nuclei. Peaks in missing-mass spectra were observed in two reaction channels, ⁹Be(π^?, pt)X and ⁹Be(π^?, dd)X, and were attributed to the ⁵H resonance states. The lowest state has parameters Er=5.5±0.2 MeV and Г=5.4±0.5 MeV [E_r is the resonance energy measured from the (triton + two neutrons) threshold]. Therefore, ⁵H is bound more weakly than ⁴H. Excited states of ⁵H were also observed. All three resonance levels (E_1r=10.6±0.3 MeV, Г_1r=6.8±0.5 MeV; E_2r=18.5±0.4 MeV, Г_2r=4.8±1.3 MeV; E_3r=26.7±0.4 MeV, Г_3r=3.6±1.3 MeV) can decay into five free nucleons.