Neptunium estimation in the spent fuel dissolver solution by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy

This paper deals with the optimization of experimental conditions for the estimation of Np in spent fuel dissolver solution using 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (HTTA) as extractant. The quantitative extraction of Np from the dissolver solution employing 0.5 M HTTA/xylene was followed by its estimation by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) after stripping it from the organic phase with 8 M HNO₃. The reliability of the method was checked by standard addition technique. The method is precise and accurate yielding Np analytical recovery of 99 ± 1%.     

Is high electric field capable of selectively inducing a covalent-like bond between polar and non-polar molecular species?

It is demonstrated through the present ab initio theoretical investigation that an external electric field can bring about a phenomenal enhancement in the strength of the bond between water and carbon-dioxide molecules from a van der Waals type (binding energy ~0.085 eV), to strong covalent type (binding energy ~7.45 eV), resulting in an exotic molecular complex. The onset of this effect is characterized by an abrupt change in the dipole moment of the composite system at a particular field-value, concomitant with the O–C=O ? O=C–O resonance in the CO₂ moiety of the complex. This field-induced bond formation is further confirmed by the emergence of a characteristic intermolecular stretching mode (~317 cm^?1) in the vibrational response of the system. This exotic bond that exhibits a covalent-like character, which accompanied by a charge-transfer, renders the carbon atom a substantial negative charge.     

Anisotropic magnetic properties and superzone gap formation in CeGe single crystal

Single crystals of CeGe and its non-magnetic analog LaGe have been grown by the Czochralski method. The CeGe compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic FeB-type crystal structure with the space group Pnma (#62). The anisotropic magnetic properties have been investigated for well oriented single crystals by measuring the magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity and heat capacity. It has been found that CeGe orders antiferromagnetically at 10.5?K. Both transport and magnetic studies have revealed large anisotropy, reflecting the orthorhombic crystal structure. The magnetization data at 1.8?K reveal metamagnetic transitions along the [010] direction at 4.8 and 6.4?T and along the [100] direction at a critical field of 10.7?T, while the magnetization along the [001] direction increases linearly without any anomaly up to a field of 16?T. From the magnetic susceptibility and the magnetization measurements it has been found that the [010] direction is the easy axis of magnetization. The electrical resistivity along the three crystallographic directions exhibits an upturn at T(N), indicating superzone gap formation below T(N) in this compound. We have performed crystal electric field analysis on the magnetic susceptibility and the heat capacity data and found that the ground state is a doublet, and the energies of splitting from the ground state to the first and second excited doublet states were estimated to be 39 and 111?K, respectively.