Comparison of thermal ionization mass spectrometry and Multiple Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for cesium isotope ratio measurements

In the nuclear domain, precise and accurate isotopic composition determination of elements in spent nuclear fuels is mandatory to validate neutron calculation codes and for nuclear waste disposal. The present study presents the results obtained on Cs isotope ratio by mass spectrometric measurements. Natural cesium is monoisotopic (¹³³Cs) whereas cesium in spent fuels has 4 isotopes (¹³³Cs, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁵Cs, and ¹³⁷Cs). As no standard reference material is available to evaluate the accuracy of Cs isotopic measurements, a comparison of cesium isotopic composition in spent nuclear fuels has been performed between Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) and a new method involving Multiple Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) measurements. For TIMS measurements, isotopic fractionation has been evaluated by studying the behavior of cesium isotope ratios (¹³³Cs/¹³⁷Cs and ¹³⁵Cs/¹³⁷Cs) during the analyses. For MC-ICPMS measurements, the mass bias effects have been corrected with an external mass bias correction using elements (Eu and Sb) close to cesium masses. The results obtained by the two techniques show good agreement: relative difference on ¹³³Cs/¹³⁷Cs and ¹³⁵Cs/¹³⁷Cs ratios for two nuclear samples, analyzed after chemical separation, ranges from 0.2% to 0.5% depending on the choice of reference value for mass bias correction by MC-ICPMS. Finally the quantification of the ¹³⁵Cs/²³⁸U ratio by the isotope dilution technique is presented in the case of a MOx (mixed oxide) spent fuel sample. Evaluation of the global uncertainties shows that this ratio could be defined at an uncertainty of 0.5% (k = 2). The intercomparison between two independent mass spectrometric techniques is fundamental for the evaluation of uncertainty when no isotopic standard is available.     

Invited Lecture. Smectic A polymorphism from low to high molar mass systems

The polymorphism of smectic A phases in low molecular weight (L.M.W.) liquid crystals is associated with strong anomalies in the period defining the layers. The smectic A phases of liquid-crystalline comb-like polymers also have various modes of spacing. However, the behaviour of these polymer phases shows some peculiarities compared with L.M.W. compounds, especially due to the main chain which takes part in the smectic arrangement. To specify further the S_A polymorphism in high molar mass systems, the use of side chain polymers with partial fixation appears to be very promising: either taking advantage of better compatibility and lower viscosity in order to describe binary diagrams with L.M.W. mesogens, or through the partial insertions of long polar side groups known to generate anomalies of periodicity as for L.M.W. compounds.     

Brauer characters with cyclotomic field of values

It has been shown in an earlier paper [G. Navarro, Pham Huu Tiep, Rational Brauer characters, Math. Ann. 335 (2006) 675-686] that, for any odd prime p, every finite group of even order has a non-trivial rational-valued irreducible p-Brauer character. For p=2 this statement is no longer true. In this paper we determine the possible non-abelian composition factors of finite groups without non-trivial rational-valued irreducible 2-Brauer characters. We also prove that, if p≠q are primes, then any finite group of order divisible by q has a non-trivial irreducible p-Brauer character with values in the cyclotomic field Q(exp(2πi/q)).     

Über binäre trilineare Formen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

A multidomain integrated‐radial‐basis‐function collocation method for elliptic problems

This article is concerned with the use of integrated radial‐basis‐function networks (IRBFNs) and nonoverlapping domain decompositions (DDs) for numerically solving one‐ and two‐dimensional elliptic problems. A substructuring technique is adopted, where subproblems are discretized by means of one‐dimensional IRBFNs. A distinguishing feature of the present DD technique is that the continuity of the RBF solution across the interfaces is enforced with one order higher than with conventional DD techniques. Several test problems governed by second‐ and fourth‐order differential equations are considered to investigate the accuracy of the proposed technique. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2008     

Evidence of Substrate Melting of NiCr Particles on Stainless Steel Substrate by Experimental Observation and Simulations

Single NiCr splats were plasma-sprayed onto a polished stainless steel substrate held at room temperature. The splat-substrate interface was characterized by focused ion beam and transmission electron microscopy. The frequent observation of NiO particles, particularly in pores within the splat, and at the periphery of splat, suggests that the principal oxidation process occurs at the substrate surface, where the splats are exposed to a water vapor-rich environment. It was also observed that the splat adhered well in some locations where elemental-diffusion and jetting of the substrate occurred, suggestive of substrate melting. A three-dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate the impact of a splat onto a substrate. The simulation shows that the observation of the central pore in the splat and the phenomenon of substrate melting may occur. Based on these results, the effect of water release on oxide formation and splat morphology can be explained.