Optical absorption of isotopically enriched Li2B4O7 single crystals irradiated by thermal neutrons

Induced absorption spectra in the range 200–900 nm at 77 and 290 K for Li₂B₄O₇ single crystals, isotopically Li and B enriched are presented after irradiation of these crystals by thermal neutrons with fluence 1.8×10¹⁶ cm⁻². The dependence of induced absorption spectra on the isotope composition was revealed: for ⁶Li₂¹⁰B₄O₇ and ⁷Li₂¹⁰B₄O₇ crystals intensive band in the region of 280–294 nm was observed. Under substitution of ⁷Li isotope by ⁶Li in the lithium tetraborate lattice no changes in the absorption spectra were observed. The nuclear reaction ¹⁰B(n,)⁷Li is proposed to be the main mechanism of formation of the radiation defects.     

Reversible H2 passivation of Si ≡ Si3 interface defects in (1 1 1)Si/SiO2

K-band electron spin resonance (ESR) at 4.3 K has revealed the dipole-dipole (DD) interaction effects between [1 1 1]P_b centers (^*Si ≡ Si₃ defects with unpaired sp³ hybrid [1 1 1]) at the 2 dimensional (1 1 1)Si/SiO₂ interface. This has been enabled by the perfectly reversible H₂ passivation of P_b, which affects the defect's spin state. Sequential hydrogenation at 253–353°C and degassing treatments in high vacuum at 743–835°C allowed to vary the P_b density in the range 5 × 10¹⁰ < [P_b] (1.14 ± 0.06) × 10¹³ cm^-2. With increasing [P_b] fine structure doublets are clearly resolved. It is found that (1 1 1)Si/SiO₂ interfaces, dry thermally grown at ≈920°C, naturally comprise a ^*Si ≡ Si₃ defect density — passivated or not — of 1.14 × 10¹³ cm^-2.     

The C(Li, t)O reaction at 20 MeV

States in ¹⁶O op to an excitation energy of 16.9 MeV were observed from the ¹³C(⁶Li, t)¹⁶O reaction at 20 MeV. Differential cross sections were obtained from θ_lab = 15° to 105° for the triton groups corresponding to the states in ¹⁶O at 6.13, 6.92, 7.12, 8.87, 9.85, 10.35 and 11.09 MeV.     

固体核磁共振技术在锂/钠离子电池碳负极中的应用及研究进展

碳负极材料作为锂/钠离子电池的传统负极材料一直获得广泛的推广和应用,但其仍存在充电时间长、库伦效率低等问题,研究碳负极材料充放电机理是解决这些问题的关键.固体核磁共振（NMR）技术是一种研究固体材料中目标原子所处化学环境以及材料内部结构变化的有效手段.通过测定锂/钠离子电池中⁶Li、⁷Li和²³Na高速魔角旋转（MAS）条件下的固体NMR谱图,能够清晰获得锂/钠离子电池碳负极脱/嵌过程中的结构变化,以及碳原子与Li/Na的配位情况,从而为碳负极材料的设计及其电化学性能的提升提供充分的理论依据.本文综述了近年来固体NMR技术在锂/钠离子电池碳负极材料研究中的应用以及相关研究进展.     

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.     

Identification of the Li ground state

The proton-stripping reaction from a ¹¹Be radioactive beam incident on a beryllium target demonstrates that only (7±3)% of the ⁹Li residues in the reaction are in coincidence with the 2.7 MeV γ-ray corresponding to the ⁹Li first excited state. This implies that the previously observed low-energy neutrons from the decay of the unbound nucleus ¹⁰Li represent a direct l=0 transition to the ⁹Li ground state. Consequently, neutron-unbound ¹⁰Li is proven to have the same parity inversion as occurs in the case of ¹¹Be with a  intruder state below the natural parity state.     

Synthesis and physical behaviour of In2S3 films

In₂S₃ layers have been grown by close-spaced evaporation of pre-synthesized In₂S₃ powder from its constituent elements. The layers were deposited on glass substrates at temperatures in the range, 200–350 °C. The effect of substrate temperature on composition, structure, morphology, electrical and optical properties of the as-grown indium sulfide films has been studied. The synthesized powder exhibited cubic structure with a grain size of 63.92 nm and S/In ratio of 1.01. The films grown at 200 °C were amorphous in nature while its crystallinity increased with the increase of substrate temperature to 300 °C. The films exhibited pure tetragonal β-In₂S₃ phase at the substrate temperature of 350 °C. The surface morphological analysis revealed that the films grown at 300 °C had an average roughness of 1.43 nm. These films showed a S/In ratio of 0.98 and a lower electrical resistivity of 1.28 × 10³ Ω cm. The optical band gap was found to be direct and the layers grown at 300 °C showed a higher optical transmittance of 78% and an energy band gap of 2.49 eV.     

Oxidation and annealing of thin FeTi layers covered with Pd

The hydrogen storage material FeTi has the disadvantage to lose its sorption capacity in contact with impurities such as O₂ and H₂O. A possibility to overcome this problem is to coat it with an anti-corrosive layer which is permeable for hydrogen. In this study we prepared FeTi layers covered with a (4 or 20 nm) thin Pd layer. We used ion beam and sputter profiling techniques, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and scanning probe techniques to investigate the response of these bi-layers upon annealing up to 300°C in vacuum, air and 10⁻⁵ mbar O₂. The layered structure remains intact up to 150°C. At 200°C in air and O₂, Fe and (some) Ti move towards the Pd surface where they form oxide regions. At higher temperatures thicker oxide regions, presumably along the Pd grains, are formed. These processes are more pronounced for the case of 4 nm Pd. A model is presented to explain the observed phenomena. We conclude that up to 150°C 4 nm of Pd is sufficient to act as a protective layer. For a temperature of 200°C, 20 nm Pd may still provide sufficient protection against oxidation.     

基于核磁共振技术探讨有机硅电解质物化特性

有机硅化合物是电解质材料研究的热点之一,其物理化学特性是衡量电池性能的重要参数.本文采用多种核磁共振（NMR）技术（包括¹H NMR、¹³C NMR、DOSY、⁷Li NMR、¹⁹F NMR）对有机硅化合物CN（CH₂）₂SiCH₃（OCH₂CH₂OCH₃）₂（BNS）的结构,电解液（LiPF₆/BNS）的溶剂化效应、扩散系数和热稳定性四个方面进行了分析评价,发现BNS和LiPF₆之间具有溶剂化效应;BNS的氰基（CN）和醚键（-O-）基团可与Li⁺形成络合物,且氰基配位能力优于醚键,络合键的形成促进了LiPF₆的离解和扩散,同时也提高了LiPF₆/BNS的热稳定性,证明高温下LiPF₆的分解是电解液失败的主要原因.该研究为开发新型电解质化合物及促进其性能提升提供了理论依据.     

Coherent and incoherent η-photoproduction from nuclei

Elastic and inelastic η-photoproduction from complex nuclei is studied in a distorted-wave impulse approximation (DWIA) framework. The elementary operator is obtained by using a dynamical model which employs the reactions πN→πN, πN→ππN and π⁻p→ηn to fix the hadronic vertex as well as the isobar propagators and the process γN→πN to constrain the electromagnetic vertex. The nuclear structure input for the inelastic transitions has been extracted from electron-scattering form factors. The η final-state interaction has been included via a simple optical potential using the ηN t-matrix as an input. We find that coherent η-production is dominated by the D₁₃(1520) isobar while spin-flip transitions to excited nuclear states are sensitive to the S₁₁(1535) resonance. Predictions are given for coherent production on ⁴He, ¹²C and ⁴⁰Ca, as well as incoherent production on ⁶Li, ¹⁰B and ¹²C.     

Stray-field imaging of quadrupolar nuclei of half integer spin in solids

A report is presented on the observation of Hahn echoes from the following quadrupolar nuclei of half integer spin (I) in polycrystalline solids in the large static magnetic field gradient (37.5 T/m) which exists in the fringe field of a superconducting solenoid: ⁷Li, ²³Na, ¹¹B, ⁶⁵Cu (I = 3/2); ²⁷Al (I = 5/2); ⁵¹V, ⁵⁹Co (I = 7/2); and ¹¹⁵In (I = 9/2). ²³Na echo-trains from NaCl (with non-selective excitation) and from Na₂SO₄ (with selective excitation) are compared quantitatively for two different RF pulse sequences: 90_x-(τ-90_y-τ-echo-)_n and 90_x-(τ-90_x-τ-echo-)_n. The signals obtained from RF pulses corresponding to non-selective 90 ° pulses were shown to be quantitative, whereas in the selective case smaller signals were obtained since only the central transition contributed. The loss of signal from this cause can be distinguished from small signals resulting from low density of nuclei by use of the second sequence. A ⁷Li image obtained from LiF in a cylindrical glass-vial is shown.     

Optical pumping of the 2p3sP0 State of Ne (I = 3/2): g factor and metastability exchange cross section

A C.W. multi-mode dye laser is used to obtain by optical pumping an orientation of the 2p⁵ 3s³P₀ (F = 3/2) state of ²¹Ne. A magnetic resonance experiment leads to the measurement of the g factor g (³P₀) = 3.027 (8) × 10⁻⁴ to be compared with the theoretical prediction (3.025(6) × 10⁻⁴). One obtains also the metastability exchange cross section σ(³P₀) = 18.4 ± 4 Ų for collisions between metastable (³P₀) Ne atoms and ground state Ne atoms. This result is compared with other measurements and theoretical evaluation.     

Defect versus nanocrystal luminescence emitted from room temperature and hot-implanted SiO2 layers

Silicon nanocrystals have been synthesized in SiO₂ matrix using Si ion implantation. Si ions were implanted into 300-nm-thick SiO₂ films grown on crystalline Si at energies of 30–55 keV, and with doses of 5×10¹⁵, 3×10¹⁶, and 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻². Implanted samples were subsequently annealed in an N₂ ambient at 500–1100°C during various periods. Photoluminescence spectra for the sample implanted with 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻² at 55 keV show that red luminescence (750 nm) related to Si-nanocrystals clearly increases with annealing temperature and time in intensity, and that weak orange luminescence (600 nm) is observed after annealing at low temperatures of 500°C and 800°C. The luminescence around 600 nm becomes very intense when a thin SiO₂ sample is implanted at a substrate temperature of 400°C with an energy of 30 keV and a low dose of 5×10¹⁵ cm⁻². It vanishes after annealing at 800°C for 30 min. We conclude that this luminescence observed around 600 nm is caused by some radiative defects formed in Si-implanted SiO₂.     

Isothermal desorption of hydrogen from polycrystalline diamond films

The kinetics of isothermal H₂ desorption from polycrystalline diamond are studied in real time. The surface H coverage (θ_H) is measured by mass analyzing the recoiled H₊ ion signal during the desorption. We find that the H₂ desorption is 1st order in θ_H with an activation energy of 69 ± 6 kcal/mol and a prefactor of 10^{10.5 ± 0.9} s⁻¹. We suggest that formation of a C---C π-bond on the clean surface plays a key role in H₂ desorption from diamond, a view consistent with previous theoretical calculations of H₂ desorption from diamond.     

High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy of ΛLi

We report on the first observation of hypernuclear γ transitions using germanium detectors. Using a large-acceptance Ge detector system, we observed two γ transitions in _Λ⁷Li, the spin-flip transition at 689±4keV and the transition at 2050±2 keV (preliminary). The strength of the ΛN spin-spin interaction is derived from the energy of the former transition. As for the latter transition, B(E2) was measured to be 3.9±0.6±0.4 e²fm⁴ (preliminary), which indicates a shrinkage of the nuclear size of _Λ⁷Li from ⁶Li and confirms “glue-like role” of Λ.     

A study of the Li(p,n)Be reaction by the neutron threshold technique

The reaction ⁶Li(p,n)⁶Be has been studied by slow-neutron detection, with particular attention to the ⁶Be ground state threshold. The detector response was calculated by a Monte Carlo technique and verified with a measurement of the ⁷Li(,n)¹⁰B threshold. An analysis of the shape of the ⁶Be threshold indicated that both s- and p-wave neutrons contribute significantly to the reaction. The results depend on what mode of decay is assumed for the ground state of ⁶Be. If a two-stage process is assumed, with either an alpha particle and an unbound diproton or ⁵Li and a proton as intermediate state, the width is found to be 95±28 keV and the Q-value obtained for the ⁶Li(p,n)⁶Be reaction is −5074±13 keV. It was not possible to detertmine which process is predominant. No higher thresholds in the slow neutron yield up to 4 MeV of excitation in ⁶Be were observed. The data above the ground state threshold are consistent with a broad excited state of ⁶Be or with the occurrence of other neutron-producing reactions.     

Magnetic moment of the Δ (1232) resonance

The reaction γp → π^°γ′p has been measured with the TAPS BaF₂ calorimeter at the Mainz Microtron accelerator facility MAMI for energies between √2 = 1221–1331 MeV. Cross sections differential in angle and energy have been determined for the photon γ′ in three bins of the excitation energy. This reaction channel provides access to the magnetic dipole moment of the Δ⁺(1232) resonance and, for the first time, a value of μ_Δ+ = (2.7^+1.0_−1.3(stat) ± 1.5(syst) ± (theor)) π_N has been extracted.     

Escape of charged particles at stopping annihilation of antiprotons in the heavy nuclei of nuclear photoemulsion

“Rare” annihilation channels for antiprotons stopping on heavy (Ag, Br) nuclei of photoemulsion, have been sought; 4872 stops of antiprotons on photoemulsion nuclei are analysed. Events of formation and decay of the hyperfragment _Λ⁴H, escape of ⁸He and ⁸Li nuclei, one-prong stars with the mean range 79.5±5.1 μm of secondary slow “b” particles are found among the annihilation stars at capture on nuclei (Ag, Br). The lower limits for the production probability of _Λ⁴H and ⁸He, ⁸Li nuclei per antiproton stopping in the nuclei (Ag, Br) are

W_Λ⁴H2×10⁻⁴ and W_⁸He,⁸Li=(1.3±0.6)×10⁻³.

The branching ratio for the production of one-prong stars with the secondary “b” particles is at least (1.3±0.6)×10⁻³. Possible mechanisms for a production of these events in annihilation processes are considered.     

Measurements of interaction cross sections and radii of He isotopes

Secondary beams of ³He, ⁴He, ⁶He, and ⁸He were produced through the projectile fragmentation of an 800 MeV/nucleon ¹¹B primary beam. Interaction cross sections (σ_I) of all He isotopes of 790 MeV/nucleon on Be, C, and Al targets were measured by a transmission-type experiment. The interaction nuclear radii of He isotopes R_I(He) = (σ_I/π)^1/2 − R _I(T) where R_I(T) is the radius of the target nucleus, have been deduced to be R_I(³He) = 1.59 ± 0.06 fm, R_I(⁴He) = 1.40 ± 0.05 fm, R_I(⁶He) = 2.21 ± 0.06 fm, and R_I(⁸He) = 2.52 ± 0.06 fm.     

Hydrogen distribution in oxynitride/oxide structures

Silicon oxynitride films with five different O/N ratios were deposited with low pressure chemical vapor deposition on a silicon substrate covered with an oxide. The films were subjected to subsequent post-deposition anneals in N₂ and H₂ at 1000°C, and a H plasma at 300°C to obtain information about the hydrogen chemistry. The overall film compositions were determined with elastic recoil detection. The resonant reaction ¹⁵N(¹H, γ)¹²C was used to obtain hydrogen depth profiles. The hydrogen depth profiles are characterized by a value for the bulk concentration and width of the interfacial region. We found that the stability of the hydrogen in the bulk has a maximum for O/N ≈ 0.32. From the measured interfacial widths we deduced that for low values of O/N the stability of hydrogen in the interfacial region is relatively large. For intermediate values of O/N the stability of the hydrogen in the bulk and the interfacial region do not differ significantly, while for high O/N a relatively low stability of the interfacial hydrogen is observed. The O/N dependence of the stability of the interfacial hydrogen is consistent with the bulk stability if we assume that the interfacial oxynitride is oxygen enriched as compared to the bulk oxygen concentration.