Determination of trace elements in bottled water in Greece by instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analyses

Summary Four different bottled water brands sold in Greece in the winter of 2001-2002 were analyzed for a wide range of chemical elements, using neutron activation analysis (NAA). The elements Na and Br were determined instrumentally (INAA), whereas the other metals and trace elements radiochemically (RNAA). The results indicated that the mean level of all the elements determined in the samples were well within the European Union (EU) directive on drinking water and accomplish the drinking water standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).     

Determination of the gamma self-attenuation correction factors using intensity ratios

Summary The possible correlation between the self-attenuation correction in gamma-spectrometric assay of uranyl nitrate samples and spectral line intensity ratios was investigated experimentally and simulated numerically using MCNP code. The characteristic gamma- and X-lines of uranium were measured using a low energy Ge gamma-spectrometer. The simulation results agreed with the experimental data and showed obvious correlation between the self-attenuation correction and the intensity ratios [(185.7 keV)/(143.8 keV), (98.44 keV)/(185.7 keV) and (185.7 keV)/(63.23 keV)]. This correlation greatly simplifies the determination of the self-attenuation correction and reduces the troublesome traditional procedures used to determine this coefficient.     

High-quality hydroxyapatite coating on biocompatible materials by laser-assisted laser ablation method

A new method for high-quality hydroxyapatite (HAp) coating is developed, the laser-assisted laser ablation method. In this method, two lasers are used. One is used for ablation of a HAp target. The other, the assist laser, is used to irradiate a Ti substrate surface. The effects of the assist laser irradiation are to anneal the HAp coating and to improve its adhesive strength to the Ti substrate. The quality of the HAp coating depends on the delay time of the assist-laser irradiation. HAp coatings obtained at a delay time of 10 microseconds or more are more amorphous. It was confirmed that the amorphous part of a coating dissolves in simulated body fluid, while the crystalline part does not. The value of the Ca/P ratio in a coating obtained at a delay time of a few microseconds is close to the stoichiometric value. PACS 81.16.Mk     

蒙特卡罗哈密顿新方案及其检验

蒙特卡罗哈密顿方法(MCH)是研究量子理论的数值模拟新方法, 其优点是可求出超出基态的能谱和波函数. 旧MCH方案需要自由粒子的信息, 较难推广应用于格点规范理论. 本文提出克服这个困难的新方案. 首先介绍这一方案的思想, 并以1维量子力学模型V(x)=μ²x²+λx⁴(其中μ²< 0,λ>0)为例说明实现这一新方案的具体计算步骤和方法.     

Chemical Reactivity of Tetrasulfur Tetranitride: Synthesis,Physical Properties,and Structural Characterization of the Amorphous Phase Cu7S4N4

Tetrasulfur tetranitride, S₄N₄, reacts with elemental Cu within inert solvents to a black‐blue material of approximate composition Cu₇S₄N₄ which is totally amorphous to X‐rays and which cannot be made crystalline by either thermal treatment or electron radiation. Cu₇S₄N₄ explodes if heated above 234 °C or when subjected to mechanical shock to eventually yield copper(I) sulfide; this together with the characteristic infrared spectrum of Cu₇S₄N₄ indicates the presence of molecular S₄N₄ units inside the amorphous phase. The metastable nature of Cu₇S₄N₄ is also mirrored by electron microscopy which furthermore allows the structural characterization of its degradation products. Based on experimental EXAFS data offering characteristic Cu—N and Cu—S distances, a theoretical crystalline approximant of Cu₇S₄N₄ was suggested and structurally optimized by density‐functional total‐energy calculations including periodic boundary conditions. This model incorporates a central S₄N₄ unit bonded to three shells of Cu atoms of different functionalities; in addition, a partial rupture of the S₄N₄ unit is likely to allow for a lowering of the total energy of the metastable phase. The latter observation supports the impossibility to make Cu₇S₄N₄ crystallize using ₄N₄ crystallize using whatever kind of measures.     

A Complete Classification of Curvature Collineations of Cylindrically Symmetric Static Metrics

Curvature collineations are symmetry directions for the Riemann tensor, as isometries are for the metric tensor and Ricci collineations are for the Ricci tensor. Complete listings of many metrics possessing some minimal symmetry have been given for a number of symmetry groups for the latter two symmetries. It is shown that a claimed complete listing of cylindrically symmetric static metrics by their curvature collineations [1] was actually incomplete and is completed here. It turns out that in this complete list, unlike the previous claim, there are curvature collineations that are distinct from the set of isometries and of Ricci collineations. The physical interpretation of some of the metrics obtained is given.     

Quantitative measurement of tip-sample forces by dynamic force spectroscopy in ambient conditions

We introduce a dynamic force spectroscopy technique enabling the quantitative measurement of conservative and dissipative tip-sample forces in ambient conditions. In difference to the commonly detected force-vs-distance curves dynamic force microscopy allows to measure the full range of tip-sample forces without hysteresis effects caused by a jump-to-contact. The approach is based on the specific behavior of a self-driven cantilever (frequency-modulation technique). Experimental applications on different samples (Fischer-sample, silicon wafer) are presented.