Aus der Praxis Bestimmung der relativen Deuteriumhäufigkeit im Wasser mittels Dichtemessung

The track autoradiography according to the reaction ³He(n, p)³H has been used in both optical and electron microscopic investigations for the direct local nondestructive and quantitative analysis of the implanted He distribution in the material. The technique of the track autoradiogram replica production on a CN-85 detector is described for the tracks ca. 0.1 μm long. The autoradiograms of helium distribution are compared with the metallographic data on the welds of several steel grades. The track autoradiography has been applied to the determination of the helium evolution rate from the samples heated to 1200 K.     

Observations of fission-tracks in zircons by atomic force microscope

The fission-track (FT) method is a dating technique based on the observation of damage (tracks) by spontaneous fission of ²³⁸U left in a mineral. The date is calculated from the track density and the uranium concentration in the mineral. This is possible because the number of tracks is a function of uranium concentration and time since the start of track accumulation. Usually, the number of tracks is counted under an optical microscope after etching (chemical expansion of a track). However, as FT density per unit area rises, it becomes difficult to count the number of tracks. This is due to the fact that FTs overlap one another and are unable to be readily distinguished. This research examines the potential of atomic force microscope (AFM) for FT dating using zircons, which are likely to show higher FT density than other minerals due to their high U concentrations.To obtain an AFM image for a sample prepared for FT dating, removing the static electricity of the sample is essential to avoid an unexpected movement of the cantilever. A grain should be wider than about 30 μm to bring the cantilever on the mineral surface. Polishing with a fine grained compound is very important. There is not much difference in sharpness between images by AC mode (scanning with vibrating cantilever at a constant cycle) and Contact mode (scanning with the cantilever always in close contact with the surface). To confirm how tracks can be identified with the AFM, an AFM image was compared with an image obtained with the optical microscope. When change in the number of tracks and their shapes were observed through stepwise etching, the track expanded as the etching time increased. In addition, the etching rate was slower for large tracks than those for small tracks. This implied that the AFM can be used to observe etching of zircons with different degrees of nuclear fission damage. A track that could not be seen with the optical microscope due to insufficient etching could be observed by AFM methods, indicating the possibility of FT dating with high track densities using AFM after relatively short etching periods.     

Plastics as nuclear track detectors for thermal neutron dosimetry

An attempt is made to determine the response of CR-39 and cellulose nitrate plastic track detectors subjected to thermal neutrons. The α-particles are produced from (n, α) reactions in lithium tetraborate convertor placed in contact with different plastics and are recorded in the detectors. The corrected track density gives a fluence sensitivity and dose sensitivity of the order of 10^?4 tracks per neutron and 10² tracks/cm² mrem respectively. A linear relationship is observed between track density and neutron fluence.     

Получение изотопа С13 методом ректиФикации окиси углерода

A prompt activation technique – detection of the α-particles with surface barrier silicon and solid state track detectors, detection of the γ rays with (GeLi) detector – based on the ¹⁰B(n, α)⁷Li nuclear reaction was applied for boron determination using a time-of-flight technique on the IBR-30 pulsing reactor. The method was used for measurement of the boron concentration and distribution in bean and maize leaves.     

Boron determination in tourmaline by neutron induced radiography

The technique of neutron induced radiography has been applied to determine the boron concentration and its spatial distribution in mineral tourmaline collected from Swat Tourmaline Granite, Northern Pakistan. The technique involves the simultaneous irradiation of sample and a standard fixed on a track detector with thermal neutrons and the counting of alpha and ⁷Li tracks produced in the detector from the nuclear reaction ¹⁰B(n,)⁷Li. Boron concentration is determined by comparing the ⁷Li and alpha particle tracks density with that of a standard of known boron concentration. Boron concentration in tourmaline has been found to be (3.40±0.01)% in this study which is on the upper side within the normal range (2.5–3.8)% reported in the world. The presence of somewhat higher concentration of boron in tourmaline indicates that the Swat Tourmaline Granite was generated as a late stage hydrothermal activity during the Himalayan Orogeny.     

Environmental neutron measurements with solid state track recorders

Abstract

The suitability of using ¹⁰B and ⁵LiF in contact with cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) for the measurement of slow neutron densities has been investigated. The upper energy threshold of clear Diacel cellulose nitrate (CN) and of the CAB have also been measured. The CAB in good contact with thick ¹⁰B or ⁵LiF sources offers good promise for the detection of slow neutrons. For the actual CAB samples used, the CAB-¹⁰B combination had an efficiency of ～1.3 × 10^?2 tracks per thermal neutron incident in a 2π solid angle. The corresponding number for the CAB⁶-Li combination is ～5.6 × 10^?3 tracks per thermal neutron.     

Originalarbeiten: Study of Boron Transport in Plants with a Microradiographic Method

The process of passive transport of borate and tetraborate ions was studied in the root of carrot and in the tuber of potato with a quantitative microradiographic method. The boron concentration profiles developing within the plants were determined after various diffusion times, by utilization of the ¹⁰B(n, α) ⁷Li nuclear reaction. A polycarbonate nuclear track detector registered the ⁷Li nuclei and the alpha-particles. The differential equation of linear diffusion combined with convection was used to describe the concentration profiles within the plants. The diffusion coefficients were determined by means of a computer programme.     

The cosmic ray boron and carbon isotopic composition measured in nuclear emulsions

A study is made of the isotopic composition of primary cosmic ray boron and carbon in the energy interval 135–390 MeV/n. The quotients¹¹B/(¹⁰B +¹¹B) = 0.61 ±0.12 and¹³C/(¹²C +¹³C) = 0.06 ±0.04, valid at the top of the atmosphere, are obtained from photometric measurements on tracks found in an Ilford G5 emulsion stack exposed to the radiation.     

Paramagnetic centers in boron and aluminum borides

The electron spin resonance spectra of crystalline and amorphous boron and aluminum dode-caboride samples have been recorded on a Q-band spectrometer. The parameters of the spectra have been determined, and the concentration of paramagnetic centers has been estimated. It has been found that the concentration of the paramagnetic centers in amorphous boron is high and exceeds the corresponding value in crystals by two orders of magnitude. The spectra of boron powders enriched in ¹¹B and ¹⁰B isotopes have been measured. It has been established that the difference between the hyperfine interactions of the unpaired electron with the ¹¹B and ¹⁰B nuclei manifests itself as a change in the width of the structureless electron spin resonance spectra.     

On search and identification of tracks due to short-lived SHE nuclei in extraterrestrial crystals

The unique approach for search and unambiguous identification of short-lived (T_1/2=10³–10⁷ years) superheavy nuclei in cosmic-ray products of the recent nucleosynthesis in our Galaxy are discussed.It is based on: (a) the ability of non-conducting crystals to register and to store for many million years the tracks due to fast nuclei with atomic number Z20 (“fossil” tracks);(b) calibrations of the said crystals with accelerated heavy ions (20Z92) and on revealing the volume etchable track length (VETL) of the fast nuclei coming to rest inside crystals—both of fossil and “fresh” tracks—to determine the charge distribution of cosmic-ray nuclei tracks and(c) the so-called “four-zone” model of tracks in crystals (and also glasses) which provides not only the VETL track length dependence for 20Z92 nuclei but also demonstrates the regular annealing behavior of VETL of 20Z92 nuclei in a broad temperature interval.This approach was first applied in the early 1980s to investigate the “fossil” tracks due to 22Z92 cosmic-ray nuclei in olivine crystals from meteorites-pallasite Marjalahti and Eagle Station.The discovery of Th–U cosmic-ray nuclei tracks in 1980 was unambiguously confirmed by calibrations of the same crystals with ²³⁸U, ¹⁹⁷Au and ²⁰⁸Pb accelerated ions in the late 1980s. More than 1600 tracks due to cosmic-ray actinide nuclei were measured during the last two decades of the 20th century.Also, 11 anomalously long tracks (track length exceeds by a factor (1.6±0.1) the track length due to Th–U nuclei were measured. The detailed analysis shows that at least 5 of these tracks could not be attributed to the Th–U nuclei. It means that now we have a preliminary proof on the existence Z110 nuclei in cosmic-rays. The abundance is Z110/Th–U=(1–3)×10⁻³ in Z110 freshly formed cosmic-rays (time interval 10³–10⁷ years).The method proposed can provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for the discovery of Z110 nuclei in nature.     

Nanoscale order in GaAs:(B, Sb)

Nanoscale order caused by self-assembling of 1B4Sb and 4B10Sb clusters in GaAs:(B, Sb) is described. Self-assembling occurs in wide ranges of temperature and impurity concentration. Co-doping with boron and Sb isoelectronic impurities transforms GaAs into GaAs-rich B_xGa_1−xSb_yAs_1−y quaternary alloy. The self-assembling conditions are obtained from 0 to 800 °C with boron and Sb concentrations from x=1×10^–5 to x=2×10^–4 and from y=5×10^–4 to y=0.01, respectively. If Sb content is much larger than that of boron almost all boron atoms are in 1B4Sb clusters up to 800 °C and other boron impurities are isolated. If boron content is nearly equal or larger than that of Sb the formation of 4B10Sb clusters is preferential.     

Annealing of 54 132 Xe-ion tracks in Lexan and Makrofol plastic track detectors

Samples of Lexan and Makrofol-E polycarbonate plastic track detectors were exposed to 1·1 MeV/N ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ions to investigate the thermal track fading properties of these plastics. The experimental results show that there is no effect of annealing on the bulk etch rate while the track etch rate decreases with annealing. The track diameter decreases with increase in annealing time and temperature. It is also observed that the track density is reduced as a result of annealing. The experiments reveal that the track lengths are, in general, decreased by the application of heat and that the oblique tracks are less stable than the vertical tracks. The decrease in diameter of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ion tracks in Makrofol-E due to heat treatment is faster than that of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ion tracks in Lexan.     

Neutron radiography applied to the microorganisms detection

This work aims to present a new method of microorganism detection in several culture medium, such as potable water and corporal fluids. After the steps of processes of growth in culture medium, separation and resuspension in a boron based lid solution, the microorganisms are deposited in lines detectors and at last submitted to a thermal neutrons beam (≅2.2×10⁵ n/cm².s). The latent tracks registered by the alpha particles coming from the B(n,α)Li reaction are analyzed by an optical microscope, allowing the detection of microorganisms existence.     

The loss of boron in ultra-shallow boron implanted Si under heavy ion irradiation

Heavy ion impact has been known to cause a loss of light elements from the near-surface region of the irradiated sample. One of the possible approaches to a better understanding of the processes responsible for the release of specific elements is to irradiate shallow-implanted samples, which exhibit a well-known depth distribution of the implanted species. In this work, the samples studied were produced by implantation of Si<1 0 0>wafers with ¹¹B at implantation energies of 250 and 500 eV and fluence of 1.0×10¹⁵ atoms/cm ². Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis was applied to monitor the remnant boron fluence in the sample. Irradiation of the samples by a 14.2 MeV ¹⁹F ⁴⁺ beam resulted in a slow decrease of boron remnant fluence with initial loss rates of the order of 0.05 B atom per impact ion. Under irradiation with 12 MeV ³²S ³⁺ ions, the remnant boron fluence in Si decreased exponentially with a much faster loss rate of boron and became constant after a certain heavy ion irradiation dose. A simple model, which assumes a finite desorption range and corresponding depletion of the near-surface region, was used to describe the observations. The depletion depths under the given irradiation conditions were calculated from the measured data.     

Anisotropic etching of charged-particle tracks in crystals

It is well-known that highly-energetic heavily charged particles arising both from the fissioning of heavy elements and from cosmic and solar radiations leave tracks which have been found in glasses and crystal-line minerals recovered from lunar and meteoritic material. It has been shown that an appropriate analysis of these tracks can provide informationabout periods since solidification and the thermal and dynamic history of the specimen, as well as insight into the nature and temporal variation of the cosmic ray flux.^1-2 An understanding of the track registration characteristics of crystals is clearly an important pre-requisite to an appropriate interpretation of the natural tracks. ^3-6 This letter describes briefly some observations we have recently made on one particular aspect of this-the anisotropy in track distributions which seems to result from the inherently anisotropic structure of crystals. This effect seems so far to have received little attention.     

Implantation site of boron in heavily doped silicon: A β-NMR study

Using β-NMR with¹²B as nuclear probes the temperature dependence of the lattice-site occupation of boron implanted into heavily doped silicon is studied. In p-type material the unperturbed substitutional fraction of¹²B increases from 10% at 300 K to ≃40 % at 950 K. In n-type material this fraction starting from 20% at 300 K approaches the saturation value of ≃80 % at 600 K already. This behaviour suggests that the site of implanted boron in silicon is controlled by the Fermi level.     

On search and identification of relatively short-lived superheavy nuclei (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis> ≥ 110) by fossil track studies of meteoritic and lunar olivine crystals

The main goal of the present work is the search for and identification of relatively stable nuclei of superheavy elements (SHE) (Z>110) in galactic matter by fossil track study of nonconducting crystals from the surface of meteorites and rocks from the lunar regolith. Nuclei of SHE are thought to be the products of nucleosynthesis in explosive processes in our Galaxy (supernova r-process nucleosynthesis and, especially, neutron-star formation, etc.). When accelerated to relativistic energies in the Galaxy, they can produce extended trails of damage in nonconducting extraterrestrial crystals. The lifetime of such SHE in galactic cosmic rays will range from 10³ to 10⁷ yr to be registered in extraterrestrial crystals. To search for and to identify the superheavy nuclei in the galactic cosmic rays, it was proposed to use the ability of nonconducting extraterrestrial crystals such as olivines, pyroxenes, and feldspars to detect and to store for many millions of years the trails of damage produced by fast Z≥23 nuclei coming to rest in the crystalline lattice. The track lengths of fast Z≥23 nuclei are directly proportional to Z² of these nuclei. The nuclei of SHE produce, when coming to rest in a crystal volume, tracks that are a factor of 1.6–1.8 longer than the tracks due to cosmic-ray Th and U nuclei. To identify the tracks due to superheavy nuclei, calibrations of the same crystals were performed with accelerated Au, Pb, and U nuclei. For visualization of these tracks inside the crystal volume, proper controlled annealing and chemical etching procedures were developed. Since 1980, fossil tracks due to Th and U nuclei have observed and unambiguously identified (1988) by subsequent calibrations of the olivine crystals with accelerated U, Au, and Pb ions. The number of tracks of Th and U nuclei measured in olivine crystals totaled more than 1600, as compared with the prior 30 events. The other approach to identifying SHE in nature is to search for tracks in phosphate crystals from spontaneous fission of Z ≥ 110 nuclei; these produce two-prong and three-prong fission fragment tracks and differ significantly from the tracks from spontaneous fission of ²³⁸U and ²⁴⁴Pu nuclei. Extraterrestrial phosphate crystals of lunar and meteoritic origin will be investigated. Such SHE nuclei can survive in crystals of extraterrestrial rocks and produce spontaneous fission tracks, if the lifetime is more than 5×10⁷ yr.     

Strong dopant dependence of implantation defect accumulation and amorphisation in highly doped silicon

A very strong influence of the dopant material in highly doped silicon on the defect accumulation rate has been found. A boron concentration of 2 at% shifts the amorphisation dose for 80 keV Ne⁺ ions by a factor of more than 10 to about 3 × 10¹⁶ cm^-2 at a RT implantation.     

Influence of annealing on the concentration profiles of boron implantations in silicon

The influence of annealing on the concentration profiles of boron implanted into silicon with does of 10¹⁴ ions/cm² up to 10¹⁶ ions/cm² and an energy of 70 keV was studied. The concentration profiles were measured with Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The broadening of the concentration profiles during annealing can be described as a superposition of effects resulting from a relatively immobile and a mobile boron fraction. The properties of the immobile boron fraction were studied by measuring the influence of a boron implantation on the distribution of a homogeneous boron background dope. From these experiments it was concluded that the immobile boron fraction consists of boron precipitates. The properties of the mobile fraction were studied from concentration profiles that were obtained after annealing during different periods at the same temperature. It was found that during the initial stage of the annealing process a fast broadening of the profile occurs; this was assumed to be due to an interstitial type boron diffusion. After prolonged annealing the much slower substitutional type diffusion prevails, due to trapping of the interstitial boron atoms by vacancies. The reliability of the SIMS method, as applied to profile measurements, was checked for the high boron doses used in this investigation. Excessive boron precipitates, obtained after annealing of a high dose, such as 10¹⁶ ions/cm² at about 1000°C, appear to give some increase of the ion yield.     

Recrystallization of amorphous nanotracks and uniform layers generated by swift-ion-beam irradiation in lithium niobate

The thermal annealing of amorphous tracks of nanometer-size diameter generated in lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) by Bromine ions at 45 MeV, i.e., in the electronic stopping regime, has been investigated by RBS/C spectrometry in the temperature range from 250°C to 350°C. Relatively low fluences have been used (<10¹² cm⁻²) to produce isolated tracks. However, the possible effect of track overlapping has been investigated by varying the fluence between 3×10¹¹ cm⁻² and 10¹² cm⁻². The annealing process follows a two-step kinetics. In a first stage (I) the track radius decreases linearly with the annealing time. It obeys an Arrhenius-type dependence on annealing temperature with activation energy around 1.5 eV. The second stage (II) operates after the track radius has decreased down to around 2.5 nm and shows a much lower radial velocity. The data for stage I appear consistent with a solid-phase epitaxial process that yields a constant recrystallization rate at the amorphous-crystalline boundary. HRTEM has been used to monitor the existence and the size of the annealed isolated tracks in the second stage. On the other hand, the thermal annealing of homogeneous (buried) amorphous layers has been investigated within the same temperature range, on samples irradiated with Fluorine at 20 MeV and fluences of ∼10¹⁴ cm⁻². Optical techniques are very suitable for this case and have been used to monitor the recrystallization of the layers. The annealing process induces a displacement of the crystalline-amorphous boundary that is also linear with annealing time, and the recrystallization rates are consistent with those measured for tracks. The comparison of these data with those previously obtained for the heavily damaged (amorphous) layers produced by elastic nuclear collisions is summarily discussed.