Mössbauer study of tektites

Room temperature ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy has been used to investigate the structural and oxidation state of Fe in tektites from different strewn fields. Spectra have been analyzed in terms of two quadrupole splitting distributions corresponding to Fe^3?+? and Fe^2?+?. All tektites show similar distribution of quadrupole splitting. Each distribution has one peak. The Fe^2?+? sites show a narrow region of Mössbauer line shift (δ) and quadrupole splitting (ε), δ?= 1.02–1.10 mm/s and ε?= 0.85–1.00 mm/s relative to α-Fe. These values have been assigned to intermediate coordination between tetrahedral and octahedral. The Fe^3?+? sites show wider regions of hyperfine parameters: δ?= 0.25–0.45 mm/s and ε?= 0.65–0.90 mm/s. The Fe^3?+?/Fe^2?+? ratio was found to be 0.05–0.15.     

Kaonic atoms measurements at the DAΦNE accelerator

Radioactive ⁵⁷Mn⁺(T _1/2?= 1.5 min) ions have been implanted at the ISOLDE facility at CERN with 60 keV energy to fluences <10¹²/cm² into p-type Si_1???x Ge _x (x < 0.1) single crystals held at 300–600 K. The implantation and annealing processes result in the majority of the implanted Mn ions occupying substitutional lattice sites. In the subsequent ⁵⁷Mn nuclear β ^???-decay to the 14.4 keV Mössbauer state of ⁵⁷Fe (T _1/2?= 100 ns), an average recoil energy of 40 eV is imparted to the ⁵⁷Fe daughter atoms which results in a large fraction being expelled into tetrahedral interstitial sites and the creation of a vacancy. The remainder occupies substitutional sites. This technique of recoil production of ^57m Fe_I thus allows for the study of the diffusion characteristics of interstitial Fe. From the temperature dependent line broadening, the activation energies have been determined and decrease with increasing Ge concentration which contributes significantly to the increase of the jump frequency. A similar result has been obtained in n-type SiGe but there the values for the activation energies were much higher.     

Mössbauer investigation of iron uptake in wheat

Iron uptake and distribution in wheat roots were studied with ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. Plants were grown both in iron sufficient and in iron deficient nutrient solutions. Mössbauer spectra of the frozen iron sufficient roots exhibited three iron(III) components with the typical average Mössbauer parameters of δ?= 0.50 mm s^???1, Δ?= 0.43 mm s^???1, δ?= 0.50 mm s^???1, Δ?= 0.75 mm s^???1 and δ?= 0.50 mm s^???1, Δ?= 1.20 mm s^???1 at 80 K. These doublets are very similar to those obtained earlier for cucumber [0], which allows us to suppose that iron is stored in a very similar way in different plants. No ferrous iron could be identified in any case, not even in the iron deficient roots, which confirms the mechanism proposed for iron uptake in the graminaceous plants.     

Mößbauereffekt in FeCl2, FeSO4 und FeSO4 · 7 H2O

Mößbauereffect measurements were performed with FeCl₂, FeSO₄ and FeSO₄ · 7 H₂O in the temperature range between 5 and 300 ?K. The quadrupole splittings at 5 ?K were determined to be (1.300±0.027) mm/sec, (3.650±0.053) mm/sec, and (3.350±0.053) mm/sec respectively. From the temperature dependence of the quadrupole splittings it follows that in FeCl₂ the energy of the excited 3d-electron-level isδ=150 cm^?1, in FeSO₄ δ ₁=360 cm^?1 andδ ₂=1680 cm^?1 and in FeSO₄ · 7 H₂Oδ ₁=480 cm^?1 andδ ₂=1300 cm^?1. The magnitudes of the magnetic field at the iron nucleus at 5 ?K are (202±8) kOe for FeSO₄ and (0±4) kOe for FeCl₂.     

Conversion electron Mössbauer study of amorphous FeSi thin films

Amorphous FeSi films deposited at 77 K and at room temperature were studied by CEMS. The CEMS reflection spectra for bulk FeSi show quadrupole splittings, ΔE_S, larger by ～ 0.04 mm sec^?1 than ΔE_B - the ones shown by transmission spectra.For amorphous FeSi films ΔE was found (a) to decrease with the thickness of the film, and (b) to be by 25% larger for an amorphous film than for a crystallized one (of the same thickness).The crystallization was found to start at 240°C for a 300 Å thick film.     

NMR spin echoes and quadrupole effects in nickel single crystals

NMR spin echo measurements of naturally abundant⁶¹Ni have been performed with Néel-type nickel single crystals at 4.2 K. The NMR excitation condition could properly be chosen in order to get signals either from nuclei situated within magnetic domains or within domain walls. In both cases a quadrupole splitting of the NMR line could be observed. By applying an external magnetic field, the direction of the domain magnetization could be varied with respect to the fcc crystal lattice. From the variation of the quadrupole splitting with the crystallographic direction, the tensor of the electric field gradient (EFG) has been derived. The quadrupole splittings and the corresponding field gradients in the principal axis system of the EFG are: Δv_Q kHz, Δv_Q kHz, Δv_Q kHz, V_<111>=(6.6±0.5)·10¹⁸ V/m², V_<110>=4.6±0.5)·10¹⁸ V/m², V_<112>=(2.0±0.5)·10¹⁸ V/m².     

Hyperfine interaction of Eu impurities implanted in nickel

Radioactive¹⁵¹Dy ions were implanted at room temperature into a polycrystalline nickel foil to a total dose of 2.10¹⁴ at/cm². Mössbauer spectroscopy was performed on the 21.54 keV transition of¹⁵¹Eu occuring in the decay of¹⁵¹Gd. The results show that Eu is trivalent in this host and that the large majority of the Eu atoms is located on substitutional lattice sites. The low-temperature magnetic hyperfine field was determined as B_hf=75.1(7) T. From this value the magnitude of the exchange field acting on the Eu³⁺ spin could be derived: B_ex=?49(7) T. The temperature dependence of the hyperfine field suggests that the spinorbit coupling acting in the Eu³⁺ core is about 15% lower than in insulating compounds.     

Polarization of 23Ne, 24m,25Al and 28P produced through single nucleon pickup and charge-exchange reactions at 100 AMeV

We measured the polarization of the $\upbeta $ -emitting ²³Ne (I ^π ?= 5/2^?+?, T _1/2?= 37.24 s) and ²⁵Al(I ^π ?= 5/2^?+?, T _1/2?= 7.18 s) produced through the one nucleon pickup reactions and ^24mAl(I ^π ?= 1^?+?, T _1/2?= 131 ms, E _ex?= 426 keV) and ²⁸P(I ^π ?= 3^?+?, T _1/2?= 270 ms) produced through charge-exchange reactions in the intermediate energy heavy ion collisions. We compared them with those from the projectile fragmentation process. The larger polarization seems to persistently be positive throughout the momentum distribution, and sharper momentum distributions suggest that nuclear friction mechanism is responsible for the polarization phenomena.     

Beta decay energies and nuclear masses of148Ba,148La and151Pr

Theβ-decay energy of the neutron-rich isotopes¹⁴⁸Ba,¹⁴⁸La and¹⁵¹Pr has been measured at the Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL). The¹⁴⁸Ba- and¹⁴⁸La-nuclei were produced using a high-temperature ion source at the OSTIS separator of this institute, whereas samples of¹⁵¹Pr were obtained from the thermal fission of²³⁹Pu, used as a target in the mass separator LOHENGRIN. At both instruments,βγ-coincidences were measured with a plastic scintillator telescope and a Ge(I)-detector, together withβ-singles andγ-singles spectra. Theβ-spectra emitted in coincidence with 44γ-lines in the decay of these nuclei have been evaluated. From their endpoint energies, the followingQ _β -values have been obtained:Q _β (¹⁴⁸Ba)=5115±60keV;Q _β (¹⁴⁸La)=7255±55 keV;Q _β (¹⁵¹Pr)=4170±75 keV. Using these results, the nuclear massesA of these nuclei can be calculated with a relative error ΔA/A?5·10^?7. In addition, the two-neutron separation energies and the mass excesses have been derived; the results are compared with recent predictions of theoretical mass calculations.     

Die Isotopieverschiebung von151Eu,152Eu,153Eu,154Eu und die Kernmomente der radioaktiven Isotope152Eu und154Eu

The isotope shift of the stable¹⁵¹Eu,¹⁵³Eu, and the radioactive¹⁵²Eu,¹⁵⁴Eu isotopes and the hyperfine splitting of the¹⁵²Eu isotope was investigated using a digital recording Fabry-Perot-spectrometer. From isotope shift measurements on the line λ 5 765 Å (4f ⁷ 6s 6p z⁶P_7/2-4f ⁷ 6s² a⁸S_7/2) the relative isotope shift was derived:¹⁵¹Eu:0;¹⁵²Eu: 0.923(8);¹⁵³Eu: 1;¹⁵⁴Eu: 1.197(8). The results show that there is a strong increase in the change of the mean square nuclear charge radius δ〈r²〉 when only one neutron is added to the 88 neutrons of the¹⁵¹Eu nucleus, whereas the change of δ〈r²〉 between¹⁵²Eu and¹⁵³Eu is of the same order of magnitude as that between¹⁵³Eu and¹⁵⁴Eu. From the hyperfine splitting of the radioactive isotope¹⁵²Eu in the line δ 6865 Å (4f ⁷ 6s 6p z ¹⁰ P _9/2-4f ⁷ 6s² a⁸S_7/2) the sign of the magnetic dipole moment μ_I(¹⁵²Eu) was found to be negative, and with this result and earlier experimental data the signs of the nuclear quadrupole momentsQ(¹⁵²Eu) andQ (¹⁵⁴Eu) could be determined to be positive.     

Invisible gold in Colombian auriferous soils

Optic microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS), Electron microprobe analysis (EPMA) and secondary ions mass spectroscopy (SIMS) were used to study Colombian auriferous soils. The auriferous samples, collected from El Diamante mine, located in Guachavez-Nariño (Colombia), were prepared by means of polished thin sections and polished sections for EPMA and SIMS. Petrography analysis was made using an optical microscope with a vision camera, registering the presence, in different percentages, of the following phases: pyrite, quartz, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena. By XRD analysis, the same phases were detected and their respective cell parameters calculated. By MS, the presence of two types of pyrite was detected and the hyperfine parameters are: δ ₁ = 0.280 ± 0.01 mm/s and ΔQ ₁ = 0.642 ± 0.01 mm/s, δ ₂ = 0.379 ± 0.01 mm/s and ΔQ ₂ = 0.613 ± 0.01 mm/s. For two of the samples MS detected also the arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite presence. The mean composition of the detected gold regions, established by EPMA, indicated 73% Au and 27% Ag (electrum type). Multiple regions of approximately 200 × 200 μm of area in each mineral sample were analyzed by SIMS registering the presence of “invisible gold” associated mainly with the pyrite and occasionally with the arsenopyrite.     

Quadrupole interactions in EuMO3 (M = Co,Cr, Mn,Fe and Sc) studied with 151Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy

The ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer effect has been used to study the quadrupole interactions in the orthorhombic perovskite series EuMO₃ (M = Co, Cr, Mn, Fe and Sc). It is shown that the quadrupole coupling constant eV_zzQ_g at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures is negative and lies in the range ?9.3–?5.8 mm sec^?1. Its weak temperature dependence is caused by the presence of low lying excited states in Eu³⁺. It is shown experimentally that for Eu³⁺ ions the hyperfine magnetic field from 4f electrons induced by the external magnetic field is of opposite sign and almost equal to the external magnetic field.     

Electric field gradient at 12 N implanted into ZnO

The nuclear quadrupole interaction of short-lived β-emitter ¹²N(I?=?1, T _1/2?=?11 ms) implanted into a ZnO single crystal has been studied by means of the β-NMR method. We have observed a quadrupole splitting of ¹²N in ZnO at room temperature, from which the electric field gradient (EFG) q?=?+?(8.6 ±1.1) ×10¹⁹ V/m² was deduced assuming axially symmetric EFG with respect to the crystalline c axis. A first principle calculation does not reproduce the data under assumption of the lattice location of ¹²N at the oxygen substitutional site.     

Spectroscopic quadrupole moment of holmium from pionic X-ray measurement

From the observed quadrupole splitting of the 5g-4f X-ray transition in π-¹⁶⁵Ho we determine the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of ¹⁶⁵Ho to be Q = 3.47±0.11 b. The strong interaction shift and the width of the 4f level are found to be ?₀ = 0.35±0.08 keV and Γ₀ = 0.21±0.04 keV, respectively.     

Electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole moments of the first excited 2+ states of186Os and188Os

The spectroscopic quadrupole moments and the magnetic dipole moments of the lowest 2⁺ states in¹⁸⁶Os (137 keV) and¹⁸⁸Os (155 keV) have been determined by Mößbauer transmission experiments. The electric quadrupole momentsQ ₂₊(Os 186)=? (1.80±0.22) b andQ ₂₊(Os 188)=?(1.81±0.24) b as well as their ratioQ ₂₊(Os 188)/Q ₂₊(Os 186)=1.00±0.07 within the limits of error agree withB(E2) data, if a comparison on the basis of the rotational model is made. For the g-factors and their ratio g₂₊(Os 186)=0.281±0.008, g₂₊(Os 188)=0.305±0.015 andg ₂₊(Os 188)/g ₂₊(Os 186)=1.08±0.05 was obtained. All results are compared with recent model calculations.     

Neutron diffraction and Mössbauer study on FeGa x Cr2−x S4

Ga doped sulphur spinel FeGa _x Cr_2?x S₄ (x = 0.1 and 0.3) have been studied with X-ray, neutron diffraction, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Rietveld refinement of X-ray, neutron diffraction, and Mössbauer spectroscopy lead to the conclusion that the samples are in inverse spinel type, where most Ga ions are present at octahedral site (B). The neutron diffractions on FeGa _x Cr_2?x S₄ (x = 0.1) above 10 K show long range interaction behaviors and reveal a ferrimagnetic ordering, with the magnetic moment of Fe²⁺(?3.45 μ_B) aligned antiparallel to Cr³⁺ (+2.89 μ_B) at 10 K. Fe ions migrate from the tetrahedral (A) site to the octahedral (B) site with an increase in Ga substitutions. The electric quadrupole splittings of the A and B sites in Mössbauer spectra give direct evidence that Ga ions stimulate an asymmetric charge distribution of Fe ions in the A site.     

Dimeric Fe (II, III) complex of quinoneoxime as functional model of PAP enzyme: Mössbauer, magneto-structural and DNA cleavage studies

Purple acid phosphatase, (PAP), is known to contain dinuclear Fe₂ ^?+?2,?+?3 site with characteristic Fe^?+?3 ← Tyr ligand to metal charge transfer in coordination. Phthiocoloxime (3-methyl-2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone-1-oxime) ligand L, mimics (His/Tyr) ligation with controlled and unique charge transfers resulting in valence tautomeric coordination with mixed valent diiron site in model compound Fe-1: [μ-OH-Fe₂ ^?+?2,?+?3 (o-NQ_CH3ox) (o-NSQ_CH3ox)₂ (CAT) H₂O]. Fe-2: [Fe^?+?3(o-NQ_CH3ox) (p-NQ_CH3ox)₂]₂ a molecularly associated dimer of phthiocoloxime synthesized for comparison of charge transfer. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer studies was used to quantitize unusual valences due to ligand in dimeric Fe-1 and Fe-2 complexes which are supported by EPR and SQUID studies. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra for Fe-1 at 300 K indicates the presence of two quadrupole split asymmetric doublets due to the differences in local coordination geometries of [Fe^?+?3]_A and [Fe^?+?2]_B sites. The hyperfine interaction parameters are δ _A = 0.152, (ΔE _Q)_A = 0.598 mm/s with overlapping doublet at δ _B = 0.410 and (ΔE _Q)_B = 0.468 mm/s. Due to molecular association tendency of ligand, dimer Fe-2 possesses 100% Fe^?+?3(h.s.) hexacoordinated configuration with isomer shift δ = 0.408 mm/s. Slightly distorted octahedral symmetry created by NQ_CH3ox ligand surrounding Fe^?+?3(h.s.) state generates small field gradient indicated by quadrupole split ΔE _Q = 0.213 mm/s. Decrease of isomer shifts together with variation of quadrupole splits with temperature in Fe-1 dimer compared to Fe-2 is result of charge transfers in [Fe₂ ^?+?2,?+?3 SQ] complexes. EPR spectrum of Fe-1 shows two strong signals at g ₁ = 4.17 and g ₂ = 2.01 indicative of S = 3/2 spin state with an intermediate spin of Fe^?+?3(h.s.) configuration. SQUID data of $\chi _m^{{\rm corr}} \mbox{.T}$ were best fitted by using HDVV spin pair model S = 2, 3/2 resulting in antiferromagnetic exchange (J = ?13.5 cm^???1 with an agreement factor of R = 1.89 × 10^???5). The lower J value of antiferromagnetic exchange leads to Fe⁺³μ-(OH) Fe^?+?2 bridging in Fe-1 dimer instead of μ-oxo bridge. The intermolecular association through H-bonds may lead to weakly coupled antiferromagnetic interaction between two Fe-2 molecules having Fe^?+?3(h.s.) centers. Using S = 5/2, 5/2 spin pair model we obtained best-fitted parameters such as J = ?12.4 cm^???1, g = 2.3 with R = 3.58 × 10^???5. Synthetic strategy results in non-equivalent iron sites in Fe-1 dimer analogues to PAP enzyme hence its reconstitution results in pUC-19 DNA cleavage activity, as physiological functionality of APase. It is compared with nuclease activity of Fe-2 RAPase.     

Static electric quadrupole interaction of Ce and Pb ions in lead titanate

The static electric quadrupole interaction of¹⁴⁰Ce and²⁰⁴Pb has been studied in polycrystalline PbTiO₃ at the lead site with the time-differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) method. The interaction frequencies areω _Q(2083 keV;¹⁴⁰Ce)=2.11 (17) MHz andω _Q(1274keV;²⁰⁴Pb)=3.60(3) MHz. The results are compared with the electric field gradient calculated in a point charge model. Under the assumption that the covalent contributions for Ce and Pb are equal, one can derive the quadrupole moment of the 1274 keV state of²⁰⁴Pb to be ¦Q¦=0.68 b.     

151Eu Mössbauer Spectroscopy in La0.38Eu0.29Ca0.33MnO3

Electrical conductivity with and without magnetic field, d.c. magnetization and ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer studies were carried out in La_0.38Eu_0.29Ca_0.33MnO₃ perovskite manganite system. An insulating ground state is found throughout the temperature range with charge ordered (CO) state emerging at T _CO ～ 140 K, where as an external magnetic field of 6 T induces metal-insulator transition at ～120 K. D.C. magnetization measurements show the antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition occurring at T _N ≈ 48 K. The temperature dependent ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer measurements showed that the substituted Eu replaces La³⁺ in the 3+ charge state and a small magnetic moment gets induced at the Eu nucleus at low temperatures. The anomalous variation of the f- factor with temperature occurring around T _N and T _CO corroborates the occurrence of antiferromagnetic (AFM) and charge ordering (CO) transition, respectively.     

The quadrupole moment of the 66 keV, 5/2− state of73As

⁷³Se was produced by proton irradiation of polycrystalline arsenic. The quadrupole interaction of the 66 keV, 5/2^? state in the daughter isotope⁷³As with the electric field gradient in the noncubic arsenic lattice was observed at room temperature by means of theγ-γ perturbed angular correlation technique. The measured angular correlation pattern is characterized by a quadrupole coupling constantv _Q =51.6 (1.3) MHz. By use of the known electric field gradient on regular lattice sites, a value of ¦Q¦=0.356(12)b is derived for the quadrupole moment of the 66 keV, 5/2^? state of⁷³As.