Dose assessment of bremsstrahlung induced by beta-emitting radioisotopes of uranium-238 series and lead in human tissues

In the natural uranium-238 decay series, pure beta isotopes such as ²³⁴Th, ²³⁴Pa, ²¹⁴Pb, ²¹⁴Bi, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Bi are released. The few lead isotopes such as ²¹¹Pb, ²¹²Pb, ²¹³Pb and ²¹⁵Pb are good beta emitters. In certain nuclear reactions of reactor these isotopes are released. These beta isotopes have maximum beta energies, which induce the bremsstrahlung radiation. The bremsstrahlung component of these beta isotopes has been traditionally ignored in dosimetry calculations. The shapes of bremsstrahlung spectra are a basic ingredient in the understanding and quantification of beta-ray dosimetry. The bremsstrahlung spectra produced by these high-energy isotopes such as ²³⁴Th, ²³⁴Pa, ²¹⁴Pb, ²¹⁴Bi, ²¹⁰Pb, ²¹⁰Bi, ²¹¹Pb, ²¹²Pb, ²¹³Pb and ²¹⁵Pb in bone, muscle and teeth are studied, and the computed spectral distributions are presented. The spectral shapes are primarily responsible for variations in the shapes of depth–dose distributions. They are intended to provide a quick and convenient reference for spectral shapes and to give an indication of the wide variation in these shapes. The evaluated beta bremsstrahlung dose as a function distance for the studied nuclides is also presented. The efficiency, intensity and dose rate of bremsstrahlung induced by beta isotopes of natural uranium-238 decay series and beta-emitting lead isotopes in human tissues such as brain, breast, heart, kidney, liver, muscle, pancreas and bone have also been studied in the present investigation. The values of bremsstrahlung dosimetric parameters are low for pancreas, but they are high for bone. For all studied tissues these parameters are high for ²³⁴Pa, but low for ²¹⁰Pb.     

Preparation of Naturally 13C-Rich Free Fatty Acids (FFA) from Corn Oil and their Application in Metabolic Studies of Lactating Cows

Abstract

When the ¹³C/¹²C ratios in lactose and milk fat of normally fed healthy cows are compared to ¹³C/¹²C in feed a metabolic depletion of ¹³C in the milk constituents becomes obvious.

Due to a carbon isotope effect in the decarboxylation step of pyruvate to Acetyl-Co-A resulting in a ¹³C depleted acetate, depot fat and milk fat are especially reduced in ¹³C relative to ¹²C.

Under pathophysiological conditions after longer fasting periods or in ketosis, long chain fatty acids from depot fat are metabolized and their ¹³C depleted carbon atoms enter the citric acid cycle via Acetyl-Co-A. Then the intermediary products of this cycle become ¹³C depleted too and with a drain on the oxalacetate pool by gluconeogenesis ¹³C depleted carbon atoms are channeled into lactose.

This hypothesis is apt to explain a ¹³C/¹²C decrease in lactose of ketotic cows relative to healthy controls. It is supported by the observation that ¹³C-rich fatty acids from corn oil dosed orally to a ketotic cow increase the ¹³C/¹²C ratios in lactose. So a crossing-over of carbon atoms from long chain fatty acids into glucose and lactose seems highly probable.     

The sub-Coulomb 12C + 12C resonances in a microscopic 12C+12C,α+20Ne, 8Be+16O cluster basis

The low-J resonances in the Coulomb barrier region of the ¹² C+¹²C system are investigated in the framework of a microscopic cluster model basis including ¹²C+¹²C, α+ ²⁰Ne, and su8 Be+ ¹⁶O fragment decompositions. Calculations are carried out in an orthogonality condition model approximation in which Pauli-forbidden components are properly excluded from the basis but in which the interaction among cluster fragments is approximated by a local potential, obtained from a gaussian NN interaction by a folding procedure leading to both spherical and Q · Q terms. Only minor adjustments of overall strength and fall-off parameters are introduced to gain a consistent picture of the low-energy spectrum in the separate rearrangement channels. The basis includes cluster relative motion excitations with oscillator quanta from 12 to 20 and is not quite rich enough to give a detailed quantitative comparison between theory and experiment. Predicted excitation energies are too high by ~ 3 MeV and predicted ¹²C partial widths are too small to indicate a well-developed surface-peaked molecular character; but it does appear possible to identify a 5 MeV region as the potential seat of the 0⁺, 2⁺, 4⁺ resonances. The number and approximate spacing of the resonance fine structure components are in agreement with experiment.     

Coulomb forces in the three-body problem with application to direct nuclear reactions

Faddeev equations are considered in the case of three charged particles interacting with both separable nuclear two-body interactions and also including Coulomb forces. Modified Faddeev equations with Coulomb Green's functions are introduced. The three-body amplitudes are given into pure Coulomb and distorted-Coulomb amplitudes. Introducing a decomposition in the angular momentum states, a set of three-body integral equations is obtained. The effect of pure coulomb amplitudes is studied in direct nuclear reactions and found to give a large contribution to the cross sections. The three-body integral equations obtained are applied for direct nuclear reactions. The angular distributions for¹²C(⁶Li,d)¹⁶O,¹⁶O(⁶Li,d)²⁰Ne, and¹²C(⁶Li,α)¹⁴N transfer reactions are calculated as well as for the⁶Li elastic scattering on¹²C. From the good agreement between the theoretically calculated and experimental data, better spectroscopic factors are extracted. The effect of including Coulomb forces in the three-body problem is found to improve the results by about 16.26%.     

The competition between different degrees of freedom in the structure of the quintet states of negative parity of some even-even Sn isotopes

Levels 2⁺, 3⁻, 1⁻, 2⁻, 3⁻¹, 5⁻ are interpreted as eigenvalues of a boson expanded Hamiltonian containing a shell model term, pairing, and quadrupole-quadrupole and octupole-octupole interaction. The expansion is performed in terms of standard RPA noncollective phonons and the so-called correlated phonons which are related to the RPA collective phonons by a canonical transformation whose parameters are determined so that the energy of the ground state is minimum. The noncollective degrees of freedom are included via an effective Hamiltonian depending on energy. Formalism is applied to ¹¹⁴Sn, ¹¹⁶Sn, and ¹¹⁸Sn. Also, transition probabilities and quadrupole moments are calculated. Results are compared with experimental data as well as with the previous theoretical calculations.     

Low-temperature electrolytic coloration and spectral property of ammonium alum crystals

Ammonium alum crystals are colored electrolytically using a pointed cathode and a flat anode at low temperatures and under various voltages. SO₃^?, SO₂^? and O₃^? hole-trapped centers are produced in colored ammonium alum crystals. Characteristic absorption bands of SO₃^?, SO₂^? and O₃^? hole-trapped centers are observed in absorption spectra of colored ammonium alum crystals. Production and conversion of hole-trapped centers are explained. Current–time curves for electrolytic coloration of ammonium alum crystal and their relationship with electrolytic coloration process are given.     

Spin distributions in the vibrational excitations of closed-shell nuclei

Self-consistent Hartree-Fock and RPA calculations with the Skyrme-type interaction SGII are used for a systematic investigation of the 1⁺ and the triplet 0^?, 1^?, 2^? states in ⁴⁰Ca and ²⁰⁸Pb. Response functions to spin-dependent multipole operators are calculated and the particle-hole structure of the spin-dependent collective states is studied. Collective spin-dependent 0^? and 1^? states above the giant dipole resonance as well as a collective spin-independent 2^? state (twist mode) are identified. Transition spin and current densities are calculated for the collective excitations and found to be useful for the study of these excitation modes.     

Semiclassical analysis of α-transfer reactions

Semiclassical concepts are used to gain insight into α-transfer reactions. These reactions, interpreted as one-step direct reactions on the basis of DWBA analyses, are treated in analogy with single nucleon transfer reactions for which it is known that semiclassical methods are successful. In this case however the probability of transfer appears to be greatest at a distance of closest approach which is larger than the grazing distance by the order of the α-particle radius. This increase in the effective “grazing” distance is interpreted as a manifestation of the α-particle size at the time of transfer. Angular distributions are calculated semiclassically for the reactions ²⁰⁸Pb(¹⁶O, ¹²C)²¹²Po at 93 MeV and ⁴⁰Ca(¹²C, ⁸Be)⁴⁴Ti at 45 MeV lab energy. They are seen to give a reasonable fit to experiment. Partial wave amplitudes for transfer are also studied.     

Determination of Separated Plutonium,Americium and Curium in Environmental Samples by Sequential Extraction Techniques

A simple, reliable and practical radiochemical method for sequential isolation and determination of plutonium, americium and curium in a wide variety of environmental samples including soils, river sediments and water was developed. The isotopes determined are: ²³⁸Pu, ^239,240Pu, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴²Cm and ²⁴⁴Cm. The methods involve leaching of soil or sedimental samples with concentrated nitric acid using a pressure digestion technique. Subsequent concentration and separation of nuclides of interest from major matrix elements and other interfering alpha-emitters are carried out by coprecipitation with ferric hydroxide and solvent extractions. Sources suitable for alpha-spectrometry are prepared by electrodeposition from acidic ammonium chloride solution. ²⁴²Pu and ²⁴³Am are used as tracer isotopes of plutonium and americium-curium elements, respectively. Some results of analysis of soils, sediments and water are given. The alpha peaks from ²³⁸Pu, ^239,240Pu and ²⁴²Pu as well as ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴⁴Cm, ²⁴²Cm and ²⁴³Am are well resolved. The entire analytical procedures for plutonium, americium and curium are completed in less than sixteen hours.     

Ω− non-leptonic decays

Non-leptonic decay rates for Ω^? are calculated in a model where strong interactions introduce new ΔI = 1/2 operators in the effective hamiltonian. Both Ω^?→Ξ^0,?π^?,0 and Ω^?→Λ⁰K^? are predicted to be nearly parity conserving. ΔI = 1/2 contributions are found to dominate the sum of the pionic rates, while ΔI = 3/2 contributions are non-negligible in each of them. Rough agreement in magnitude with experimental data is obtained.     

Rotational band of 12C + 12C gross-structure resonances and its representation by a double-minimum optical potential

A detailed phase shift analysis of ¹²C + ¹²C elastic data from E_cm = 5.5 to 33 MeV has revealed a pronounced sequence of gross structure resonances. They appear to form a rotational band from l = 0 to at least 16ħ, and are the dominant structural feature of the ¹²C + ¹²C reaction. The resonances are parametrized by a Breit-Wigner analysis and are simulated by shape-resonances in an optical potential with a secondary minimum at large radius. They are discussed in terms of shape-isometric doorway states in ²⁴Mg.     

Electromagnetic decay of excited 0+ states in 64, 66, 68Zn

The E0 and E2 transitions depopulating the excited 0⁺ states in ^64,66,68Zn are investigated. Several methods of γ-ray, conversion-electron and internal-pair spectrometry are employed, including a new time measurement technique. A total of 5 E0 transitions are observed and the monopole strengths ρ²(0_i⁺ → 0_i⁺) for most of them are extracted. The results and the nature of the excited 0⁺ states are discussed in terms of several nuclear models.     

Self-consistent field description of high spin states in rare earth nuclei

The Hartree-Fock-Begoliubov cranking equations are solved for ^{168, 170}Yb and ¹⁷⁴Hf. Deformation and pairing properties are both obtained with a G-matrix derived from the Reid soft-core potential. The high spin anomalies are attributed to the disappearance of the neutron pair gap in ¹⁶⁸Yb, the realignment of an $\text{i}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>13</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$. neutron pair in ¹⁷⁰Yb, and a combination of these two mechanisms in ¹⁷⁴Hf. Two bands intersecting at high spin are found for ¹⁷⁴Hf.     

Cross sections for resonance production in the reaction πp → pπππ at 16 GeV/c, as obtained by a maximum likelihood fit: Aachen-Berlin-Bonn-CERN-Heidelberg Collaboration

Cross sections for resonance production in the reactions π^±p → pπ^±π⁺π⁻ at 16 GeV/c are determined by a maximum likelihood fit, making use of the measurements of all individual events. The reactions are described by a simple parametrization based on an incoherent superposition of amplitudes for quasi two-body and quasi three-body processes and a non-resonant backgroud. In this way the reflections are accounted for in a consistent way. Thus cross sections are obtained for Δ⁺⁺, Δ⁰, ρ⁰ and f⁰ production which do not suffer from the uncertainties of background subtraction typical of the usual technique of fitting individual mass distributions.     

Up-conversion photoluminescence characteristics of Yb3+:Er3+:Tm3+ co-doped borosilicate glasses

Yb3+:Er3+:Tm3+ co-doped borosilicate glasses are prepared.Their strong up-conversion photoluminescence spectra in a range from ultra-violet to near-infrared,which are excited by a 978-nm laser diode,are measured,and the mechanisms of energy transfer among Yb3+,Er3+ and Tm3+ ions are discussed.The results show that there is an unexpected wavelength at 900-nm emission from Yb3+ Stark splitting levels to pump Tm3+ ions and there exists an optimum pump power.The concentration of the Tm3+ dopant gives rise to a prominent effect on the intensity of visible and near-infrared emissions for the Yb3+:Er3+:Tm3+ co-doped borosilicate glasses.     

Effects of ground-state correlations on 2νββ decay rates and limitations of the QRPA approach

Half-lives of the 2νββ decay are calculated in the proton-neutron QRPA for⁷⁶Ge,⁸²Se,¹⁰⁰Mo,^128,130Te,¹³⁶Xe and¹⁵⁰Nd. The strength of the particle-particle interaction, which plays a decisive role for a reliable evaluation of the half-lives, is determined from a QRPA calculation of singleβ ⁺ decays. The 2ν decay rates calculated with the interaction strength fitted in this way are strongly suppressed and found to be consistent with the existing experimental data. Effects of the ground-state correlations on the suppression are investigated. On the other hand, the present calculation indicates limitations of the QRPA approach.     

Production and decay of the π−π−π+ system in the reaction π−d → dπ−π−π+ at 9 GeV/c

In this paper we present a study of the reaction π^?d → π^?π^?π⁺d at 9 GeV/c. The mass spectra are in fair agreement with the predictions of a reggeized pion-exchange Deck model. However, the s-channel azimuthal angular distribution indicates a ?-exchange Deck contribution. The results of the partial-wave analysis of the (3π)^? system are compared with those obtained in a hydrogen target: the J^P = 2⁺ contribution is very small (at most 1.5 ± 1.2)% in our data, which are dominated by J^P = 1⁺ for low mass, whereas the J^P = 0^?, 1⁺, 2^? have comparable importance in the higher mass region.     

The (12C, 8Be) reaction on 12C, 16O, 24,26Mg, 40,48Ca, 54Fe AND 58Ni between 50 and 65 MeV bombarding energy

Absolute cross sections have been measured for the (¹²C, ⁸Be_g.s.) reaction from the target nuclei ¹²C, ¹⁶O, ²⁴Mg, ²⁶Mg, ⁴⁰Ca, ⁴⁸Ca, ⁵⁴Fe and ⁵⁸Ni at various energies between 50 and 65 MeV bombarding energy (lab) using a highly efficient detection system for ⁸Be. The results are presented in form of particle spectra and angular distributions. Except for the lightest target nuclei ¹²C and ¹⁶O, the cross sections decrease rapidly with angle and a one-step direct reaction mechanism is indicated. Satisfactory agreement of the data is obtained with DWBA calculations, using the finite range computer code LOLA of DeVries which treats recoil effects exactly. The spectroscopic factors extracted for the (¹²C, ⁸Be) reaction are close to those obtained from (⁶Li, d), (⁷Li, t) and (¹⁶O, ¹²C) reactions. The selective excitation of the same final states in all of these reactions, as far as data are available, and the close agreement of the spectroscopic factors are interpreted as evidence for a rather simple α-transfer in these reactions in contrast to a more complicated transfer of four nucleons.     

Isovector correlations and pion single charge exchange reactions in light nuclei

The reactions ⁷Li(π⁺, π⁰)⁷Be(g.s.), ⁷Li(π⁺, π⁰)⁷Be1(429keV) and ¹³C(π⁺, π⁰)¹³N(g.s.) are treated in DWIA, including corrections arising from two-step processes in which an intermediate state is reached in the course of the charge exchange. The distortions are introduced by means of a first-order optical potential; no special assumptions of extreme high energy limits are made. The closure sum over intermediate states in the two-step charge exchange mechanism leads to an isovector two-particle correlation function whose properties for p-shell nuclei are discussed in detail. Consequences of the introduction of effective transition operators for the single-step mechanism, with and without spin-flip, and for the two-step contribution are discussed, as are the allowable modifications in nuclear shell radii consistent with present knowledge of Coulomb energies. Comparison is made with experiment — in the case of the separated ⁷Be states, for the first time — and with other theoretical approaches.     

Transfer reactions of B with Ta

Excitation functions and mean recoil ranges are reported for the formation of ¹⁸²Os, ¹⁸³Re, ¹⁸²Re, ¹⁸¹Re and ¹⁸²Ta in ^{10, 11}B interactions with ¹⁸¹Ta. The stacked foil technique was used. The results are indicative of formation through a transfer reaction. We have considered a nucleon group transfer mechanism in a surface interaction followed by de-excitation via nucleon emission from the excited intermediate. Thus the energy dependence of recoils and cross sections of single nucleon and multinucleon transfer products have been calculated and found in good agreement with experimental results.