Radiation damage produced in powder of α-(methylamino)isobutyric acid, α -aminoisobutyric acid methyl ester hydrochloride and diethylmalonic acid

The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of γ-irradiated powders of α-(methylamino)isobutyric acid – CH₃NHC(CH₃)₂COOH, α -aminoisobutyric acid methyl ester hydrochloride – NH₂(CH₃)₂CCOOCH₃ HCl, and diethylmalonic acid – (CH₃CH₂)₂C(COOH)₂ have been investigated at room temperature. It has been found that γ -irradiation produces the (CH₃)₂C˙COOH radical in the first, the (CH₃)₂C˙COOCH₃ radical in the second and the (CH₃CH₂)₂C˙COOH radical in the third compound. The spectra were computer-simulated. The g values and the hyperfine coupling constants of the unpaired electron with the environmental methyl, methylene protons and OH proton were determined. The results were found to be in good agreement with the existing literature data and theoretical predictions.     

Structural,Optical and Electrochromic Properties of WO_3 Thin Films Prepared by Chemical Spray Pyrolysis Versus Spin Coating Technique

In this study, Tungsten Oxide (WO₃) thin films were prepared by Chemical Spray Pyrolysis (CSP) and Spin Coating (SC) techniques and it was investigated effects of technique and parameter on the films. WO₃ thin films were deposited on ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) coated glasses. The structural, optical and electrochromic properties of the WO₃ thin films were characterized by XRD, SEM, UV, and CV measurements. The sharpest (200) peak was observed in the XRD spectra and optical band gaps were calculated around 2.6～3.1 eV via UV-Vis spectra for all of the samples. Micro fibrous reticulated surface (filamentous like) morphology for the films deposited by CSP technique and smooth surface morphology with high optical transmittance for the film deposited by SC Technique were obtained from SEM images. In addition to these results, it was revealed that all the samples exhibit good electrochromic performance.     

Magnetic field control of absorption coefficient and group index in an impurity doped quantum disc

The electronic properties and optical characteristics – absorption coefficient, refractive index and group index – in an impurity doped pseudo-harmonic quantum disc subjected to an applied magnetic field are investigated. Numerical calculations are performed using the exact diagonalization technique and the compact density-matrix formalism. It is found that the chosen structure could be switched between a lambda-type and a ladder-type configuration by a proper tailoring of the magnetic field strength. Furthermore, the absorption profile and the associated slow light frequency range can be controlled not only by varying the control field amplitude and its detuning but also by changing the impurity position and the magnetic field strength.     

Numerical simulation of partially coherent broadband optical imaging using the finite-difference time-domain method

Rigorous numerical modeling of optical systems has attracted interest in diverse research areas ranging from biophotonics to photolithography. We report the full-vector electromagnetic numerical simulation of a broadband optical imaging system with partially coherent and unpolarized illumination. The scattering of light from the sample is calculated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical method. Geometrical optics principles are applied to the scattered light to obtain the intensity distribution at the image plane. Multilayered object spaces are also supported by our algorithm. For the first time, numerical FDTD calculations are directly compared to and shown to agree well with broadband experimental microscopy results.     

Hyperfine interaction-dominated dynamics of nuclear spins in self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots

We measure the dynamics of nuclear spins in a single-electron charged self-assembled InGaAs quantum dot with negligible nuclear spin diffusion due to dipole-dipole interaction and identify two distinct mechanisms responsible for the decay of the Overhauser field. We attribute a temperature-independent decay lasting ～100 sec at 5 T to intradot diffusion induced by hyperfine-mediated indirect nuclear spin interaction. By repeated polarization of the nuclear spins, this diffusion induced partial decay can be suppressed. We also observe a gate voltage and temperature-dependent decay stemming from cotunneling mediated nuclear spin flips that can be prolonged to ～30 h by adjusting the gate voltage and lowering the temperature to ～200 mK. Our measurements indicate possibilities for exploring quantum dynamics of the central spin model.     

Spectral,electron microscopic and chemical investigations of gamma-induced purple color zonings in amethyst crystals from the Dursunbey-Balıkesir region of Turkey

Amethyst crystals on matrix specimens from the Dursunbey-Bal?kesir region in Turkey have five representative purple color zonings: dark purple, light purple, lilac, orchid, and violet. The purple color zonings have been analyzed with optical absorption spectra in the visible wavelength region, chemical full trace element analyses (inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy), and scanning electron microscopic images with high magnification. It can be proposed that the production of the purple color in amethyst crystals is due to three dominant absorption bands centered at 375, 530, and 675 nm, respectively. In addition, the purple color zonings are also due to four minor absorption bands centered at 435, 480, 620, and 760 nm. X-ray diffraction graphics of the investigated amethyst crystals indicate that these crystals are composed of a nearly pure alpha-quartz phase and do not include any moganite silica phase and/or other mineral implications. Trace element analyses of the amethyst crystals show five representative purple color zonings, suggesting that the absorption bands can be mainly attributed to extrinsic defects (chemical impurities). However, another important factor that influences all structural defects in amethyst is likely to be the gamma irradiation that exists during amethyst crystallization and its inclusion in host materials. This gamma irradiation originates from the large underlying intrusive granitoid body in the region of amethyst formation. Irradiation modifies the valence values of the impurity elements in the amethyst crystals. It is observed that the violet-colored amethyst crystals have the most stable and the least reversible coloration when exposed to strong light sources. This situation can be related to the higher impurity content of Fe (2.50 ppm), Co (3.1 ppm), Ni (38 ppm), Cu (17.9 ppm), Zn (10 ppm), Zr (3.9 ppm), and Mo (21.8 ppm).     

Ionic conductivity of PVdF-co-HFP/LiClO4 in terms of free volume defects probed by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

ABSTRACT

Polymers based on ionic conducting materials have important interest because of their potential applications in polymer electrolytes and membranes for fuel cell application. PVdF-co-HFP poly(viniliden-co-hexafluoropropylene) was chosen as a polymer matrix because of its high ionic conductivity and better mechanical properties. Polymer matrix composites were prepared with various amounts of LiClO₄ salt by a solution casting method. The sample-ionic conductivity measurements were recorded by AC impedance analyzer at different frequencies from 0.1?Hz to 20?MHz and at different temperatures from 273 to 373?K.

The changes of nanoscopic free volume and free volume fraction in these materials were investigated in terms of temperature from 273 to 373?K using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) and Simha-Somcynsky (SS) Hole Theory. The free volume had a bump at about 3% in weight percentage of the salt and there is a slight increase after 10%. The effects of weight percentages of LiClO₄ and temperature were investigated. The mechanism of the ac ionic conductivity was presented in terms of the free volume models, however thermo-occupancy function justifies the best accurate representation of the data.     

Radioactivity concentrations in topsoil samples from the Thrace region of Turkey and assessment of radiological hazard

The activity concentrations of gamma emitting radionuclides were measured in surface soil samples from the Thrace region. ²³²Th, ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs activities and physico-chemical parameters of the soil samples were determined in samples collected from 73 sampling stations. Radionuclide concentrations measured were compared with those found in the samples from other locations of Turkey and from different countries. The average activity concentrations of ²³²Th, ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs were found to be 24.71 ± 8.79, 22.30 ± 7.93, 32.09±12.44, 509.00±160.05, 32.74±29.24 Bq kg^?1, respectively. The mean value of the annual effective dose equivalent from the outdoor terrestrial gamma radiation was calculated as 57.2 μ Sv.     

Approximate Analytical Solutions of the Dirac Equation for Yukawa Potential Plus Tensor Interaction with Any κ-Value

Approximate analytical solutions of the Dirac equation are obtained for the Yukawa potential plus a tensor interaction with any κ-value for the cases having the Dirac equation pseudospin and spin symmetry. The potential describing tensor interaction has a Yukawa-like form. Closed forms of the energy eigenvalue equations and the spinor wave functions are computed by using the Nikiforov–Uvarov method. It is observed that the energy eigenvalue equations are consistent with the ones obtained before. Our numerical results are also listed to see the effect of the tensor interaction on the bound states.