Raman spectroscopy study of damage induced in fluorapatite by swift heavy ion irradiations

Raman spectroscopy was used to study the radiation damage of fluorapatite single crystals and sinters. Krypton and iodine ion irradiations were performed at high energies (∼1 MeV amu⁻¹) for fluences ranging between 1 × 10¹¹ and 5 × 10¹³ cm⁻². Evolution of the symmetric stretching mode of the PO₄³⁻ tetrahedral building blocks (strongest Raman mode observed at 965 cm⁻¹) versus ion fluence was investigated. After irradiation, this peak decreases in intensity and a second broader peak appears at lower wavenumber. The well‐resolved peak has been assigned to the crystalline phase, and the broader one to the amorphous phase. The integrated intensity ratios of these two peaks versus fluence are in good agreement with the damage fractions determined by X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Fits of the amorphous fraction versus fluence show that the amorphization mechanisms is dominated by a single‐impact process for iodine ions and by a double‐impact process for krypton ions in the case of single crystals and sinters. For both irradiations, complete amorphization could not be obtained. The amorphous fraction saturates at a maximum value of 88% for sinters and 72% for single crystals. This is attributed to a recrystallization effect which is more important in single crystals than in sinters. For both types of samples, the crystalline peak shifts slightly to a lower wavenumber with fluence, and then shifts back to its initial value for an amorphous fraction larger than 60%. This feature is attributed to a stress relaxation, as shown in the XRD data, which is accompanied by a decrease of the crystalline peak full‐width at half‐maximum. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experiments with longitudinally polarized electrons in a storage ring using a siberian snake

We report on first measurements with polarized electrons stored in a medium-energy ring and with a polarized internal target. Polarized electrons were injected at 442 MeV (653 MeV), and a partial (full) Siberian snake was employed to preserve the polarization. Longitudinal polarization at the interaction point and polarization lifetime of the stored electrons were determined with laser backscattering. Spin observables were measured for electrodisintegration of polarized 3He, with simultaneous detection of scattered electrons, protons, neutrons, deuterons, and 3He nuclei, over a large phase space.     

Production of Upsilon(1S) mesons from chi(b) decays in p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt

We have reconstructed the radiative decays chi(b)(1P)-->Upsilon(1S)gamma and chi(b)(2P)-->Upsilon(1S)gamma in p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV, and measured the fraction of Upsilon(1S) mesons that originate from these decays. For Upsilon(1S) mesons with p(Upsilon)(T)>8.0 GeV/c, the fractions that come from chi(b)(1P) and chi(b)(2P) decays are [27.1+/-6.9(stat)+/-4. 4(syst)]% and [10.5+/-4.4(stat)+/-1.4(syst)]%, respectively. We have derived the fraction of directly produced Upsilon(1S) mesons to be [50.9+/-8.2(stat)+/-9.0(syst)]%.     

Preparation and characterization of azlactone functionalized polymer supports and their application as scavengers

A series of cross-linked porous copolymer supports based on N-(p-vinylbenzoyl)-2-methylalanine (VBM), styrene and divinylbenzene was prepared by aqueous suspension copolymerization in the presence of butan-2-ol used as porogen. The cross-linked copolymer beads were characterized by elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR and confocal Raman spectrometries. It was observed that the VBM incorporation was effective and homogeneous within the beads. Those VBM functionalized supports were converted into azlactone functionalized supports using acetic anhydride and their scavenging efficiency towards different amines was measured. It appeared that 90% of benzylamine was quenched after 5 h.     

New evidences of in situ laser irradiation effects on γ‐Fe2O3 nanoparticles: a Raman spectroscopic study

The nature of the physical mechanisms responsible for the structural modification of the γ‐Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles under laser irradiation has been investigated by Raman spectroscopy. In situ micro‐Raman measurements were carried out on as‐prepared γ‐Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles about 4 nm in size as a function of laser power and on annealed γ‐Fe₂O₃ particles. A baseline profile analysis clearly evidenced that the phase transition from maghemite into hematite is caused by local heating due to laser irradiation with an increase of grain size of nanoparticles. This increasing was clearly determined by X‐ray diffraction from 4 nm in nanoparticles up to more than 177 nm beyond 900 °C in a polycrystalline state. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dijet production by double pomeron exchange at the fermilab tevatron

We report the first observation of dijet events with a double Pomeron exchange topology produced in &pmacr;p collisions at sqrt[s] = 1800 GeV. The events are characterized by a leading antiproton, two jets in the central pseudorapidity region, and a large rapidity gap on the outgoing proton side. We present results on jet kinematics and production rates, compare them with corresponding results from single diffractive and inclusive dijet production, and test factorization.