Direct observations of the leaching of a simulated nuclear waste glass in a radiation environment

The durability of the media proposed for the containment of commercial nuclear waste will be affected not only by the differences in groundwater composition that they might encounter but also by the changes that their own irradiation fields will make to these solutions. Experimental results that question the ability of current leaching experiments to predict the stability of nuclear waste composites are presented.     

A high statistics measurement of the Lambda(+)(c) lifetime

A high statistics measurement of the Lambda(+)(c) lifetime from the Fermilab fixed-target FOCUS photoproduction experiment is presented. We describe the analysis technique with particular attention to the determination of the systematic uncertainty. The measured value of 204.6 +/- 3.4 (stat) +/- 2.5 (syst) fs from 8034 +/- 122 Lambda(+)(c)-->pK(-)pi(+) decays represents a significant improvement over the present world average.     

In-beam spectroscopy of 253, 254No

In-beam conversion electron spectroscopy experiments have been performed on the transfermium nuclei ^{253, 254}No using the conversion electron spectrometer SACRED in nearly collinear geometry in conjunction with the gas-filled separator RITU at the University of Jyv?skyl?. The experimental setup is discussed and the spectra are compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The implications for the ground-state configuration of ²⁵³No are discussed. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: rdh@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk RID="b" ID="b"Present address: GANIL, F-14021 Caen, France. RID="c" ID="c"Permanent address: IReS Strasbourg, IN2P3-CNRS, F-67037-Strasbourg, France. RID="d" ID="d"Present address: CEA/DIF DCRE/SDE/LDN F-91680 Bruyeres-le-Chatel. RID="e" ID="e"Present address: Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury WA4 4AD, UK. RID="f" ID="f"Permanent address: IPN Lyon, IN2P3-CNRS, F-69037 Lyon, France.     

Formation of paramagnetic mononuclear iron nitrosyl complexes from diamagnetic di- and tetranuclear iron-sulphur nitrosyls: characterisation by EPR spectroscopy and study of thiolate and nitrosyl ligand exchange reactions

The diamagnetic Roussin esters Fe₂(SR)₂(NO)₄ readily underwent exchange with thiols R′SH to yield Fe₂(SR′)₂(NO)₄: the exchange was faster in polar, coordinating solvents where paramagnetic, mononuclear complexes of types [Fe(NO)₂(solvent)₂]⁺ and Fe(NO) ₂(SR)(solvent) were formed. With the corresponding thiolate anions RS^-, the esters Fe₂(SR)₂(NO)₄ formed the mononuclear complexes [Fe(SR)₂(NO)₂]^-, which were fully characterised by EPR spectroscopy for R = H, Me, Et, i-Pr, t-Bu and PhCH₂: assignments of hyperfine couplings were confirmed by use of ¹⁵N. With Fe₂(SR)₂(NO)₄ and a different set of thiolate anion, R′S ^-, in excess, thiol exchange occurred to give [Fe(SR′)₂(NO)₂]^-. A mechanism for formation of Fe₂(SR′)₂(NO)₄ from Fe₂(SR)₂(NO)₄ has been proposed. The paramagnetic mononuclear complexes [Fe(SR)₂(NO)₂] were also readily formed from the diamagnetic clusters [Fe₄S₃(NO)₇]^- and Fe₄S₄(NO)₄, together with [Fe(SR)₃(NO)]^-, and additionally from [Fe(CO)₃NO]^-. [Fe(SMe)₂(NO)₂]^-. was found to be a precursor of isolable Fe₂(SMe)₂(NO)₄, and [Fe(SH)₂ (NO)₂]^- to be the common precursor of both Roussin′s red anion [Fe₂S₂(NO)₄]^- and Roussin's black anion [Fe₄S₃ (NO)₇]^- interconvertible by appropriate adjustment of pH. The nitrosyl groups in these complexes were freely labile, and mononitrosyliron and dinitrosyliron fragments were readily interconvertible: FE(NO) fragments were favoured by the dimethyldithiocarbamate ligand (Me₂NCS ₂) and Fe(NO)₂ fragments by thiolate ligands, RS^-, regardless of the origin of the Fe(NO)_x(x = 1,2) fragment: both mono- and dinitrosyliron complexes persisted with [(i-PrO)₂S₂]^- as ligand. Isotopic labelling showed the occurrence of rapid exchange of nitrogen between nitrosyl ligands and added nitrite in Fe(NO)(S₂CNMe₂)₂ and [Fe(SR)₂(NO)₂]^-     

Mechanical relaxations in polyamides

Dynamic mechanical measurements were carried out as a function of temperature (?100 to + 180°C) and frequency (3.5 to 110 cps) for a series of aliphatic terpolyamides, nylon 6 and nylon 12. Effect of crosslinking with toluene diisocyanate, of absorbed water, and of frequency are used to estimate the statistical segment length associated with the α′ relaxation. The effects of variations in the aliphatic chain length in the repeating unit on the temperature of the α′ relaxation are examined by means of copolymer rules with a view to explaining the reported insensitivity of the glass transition temperature of these polymers to changes in (CH₂)/(amide) group ratio. From the estimated length of the segmental motion associated with the α′ relaxation it is inferred that in a series of polyamides of the type nylon X or nylon X,Y (where X or Y = 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.) there should be a relatively small change in the temperature of the α′ transition for those polyamides having X or Y less than about 45. Experiments which are intended to establish the position of the crystalline α–γ transition are discussed.     

Kinetic temperatures and electron densities in the plasma of a side view Grimm-type glow discharge

A special source in which the Grimm-type plasma is viewed side-on for spectroscopic measurements was constructed. The kinetic gas temperatures and electron densities were derived from the line profiles of Ar I 415.8 nm and He I 447.1 nm respectively.     

Wannier functions with a simple model potential

Wannier functions for the two lowest bands are calculated for a one-dimensional two Fourier component potential. These functions show the general behavior predicted by Kohn.     

The sign of Fe3+OCr3+ superexchange determined from Fe57 hyperfine field measurements

The sign of the super-transferred hyperfine field at an impurity site is shown to depend on the sign of the impurity-host superexchange interaction. This fact is used to determine that the Fe³⁺OCr³⁺ superexchange in YCrO₃ is antiferromagnetic.