Magnetic structure of TbNiAl4

Magnetisation and specific heat measurements, in the range 2 K to room temperature, demonstrate that three magnetic phases exist for the intermetallic compound TbNiAl₄. Powder neutron diffraction, also carried out over a wide temperature range, establishes that the intermediate magnetic phase is incommensurate, and confirms that the lowest temperature phase has a linear antiferromagnetic structure with a (0 1 0) propagation vector. The respective transition (Néel) temperatures, in zero applied magnetic field are 34.0 and 28.0 K.     

Recent Trends in Low-Temperature Nuclear Orientation and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance on Oriented Nuclei

Recent trends in Low-Temperature Nuclear Orientation (LTNO) and its site-selective derivative, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance on Oriented Nuclei (NMRON), are reviewed. Traditional areas of endeavour using elemental ferromagnetic hosts remain strong with significant improvements in methodology since last reviewed [1]; but there are new emphases emerging in solid-state physics and especially magnetism. Exotic single crystals hosts and MBE-grown multi-layers are gaining increased prominence as the principal focus of LTNO study. Increasingly, in off-line work and very recent on-line implantation into insulators [2], the radioactive probes are often chosen to be isoelectronic with an abundant chemical species within the host, rather than representing an extremely dilute, electronic impurity spy. Recent NMRON on a heavy rare earth, isoelectronic probe in an ordered rare earth halide opens up new dimensions. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rapid fusion method for determination of plutonium isotopes in large rice samples

A new rapid fusion method for the determination of plutonium in large rice samples has been developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (Aiken, SC, USA) that can be used to determine very low levels of plutonium isotopes in rice. The recent accident at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in March, 2011 reinforces the need to have rapid, reliable radiochemical analyses for radionuclides in environmental and food samples. Public concern regarding foods, particularly foods such as rice in Japan, highlights the need for analytical techniques that will allow very large sample aliquots of rice to be used for analysis so that very low levels of plutonium isotopes may be detected. The new method to determine plutonium isotopes in large rice samples utilizes a furnace ashing step, a rapid sodium hydroxide fusion method, a lanthanum fluoride matrix removal step, and a column separation process with TEVA Resin? cartridges. The method can be applied to rice sample aliquots as large as 5 kg. Plutonium isotopes can be determined using alpha spectrometry or inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The method showed high chemical recoveries and effective removal of interferences. The rapid fusion technique is a rugged sample digestion method that ensures that any refractory plutonium particles are effectively digested. The MDA for a 5 kg rice sample using alpha spectrometry is 7 × 10^?5 mBq g^?1. The method can easily be adapted for use by ICP-MS to allow detection of plutonium isotopic ratios.     

Photofunctional Nanomodulators for Bioexcitation

A single organism comprises diverse types of cells. To acquire a detailed understanding of the biological functions of each cell, comprehensive control and analysis of homeostatic processes at the single‐cell level are required. In this study, we develop a new type of light‐driven nanomodulator comprising dye‐functionalized carbon nanohorns (CNHs) that generate heat and reactive oxygen species under biologically transparent near‐infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. By exploiting the physicochemical properties of the nanohorns, cellular calcium ion flux and membrane currents were successfully controlled at the single‐cell level. In addition, the nanomodulator allows a remote bioexcitation of tissues during NIR laser exposure making this system a powerful tool for single‐cell analyses and innovative cell therapies.     

Extended homogeneous nanoripple formation during interaction of high-intensity few-cycle pulses with a moving silicon wafer

We report the study of extended nanoripple structures formed during the interaction of high-intensity 3.5 fs pulses with a moving silicon wafer. The optimization of laser intensity (8×10¹³ W?cm^?2) and sample moving velocity (1 mm?s^?1) allowed the formation of long strips (～5 mm) of homogeneous nanoripples along the whole area of laser ablation. The comparison of nanoripples produced on the silicon surfaces by few- and multi-cycle pulses is presented. We find that few-cycle pulses produce sharp and more homogenous structures than multi-cycle pulses.     

Observation of a new coherent transient in NMR -- nutational two-pulse stimulated echo in the angular distribution of \gamma-radiation from oriented nuclei

A new coherent transient in pulsed NMR, the two-pulse nutational stimulated echo, is reported for the ferromagnetic system ⁶⁰CoFe using resonant perturbations on the directional emission of anisotropic \gamma-radiation from thermally oriented nuclei. The new spin echo is a result of non-linear nuclear spin dynamics due to large Larmor inhomogeneity active during radiofrequency pulse application. It is made readily observable through the gross detuning between NMR radiofrequency excitation and gamma radiation detection, and inhomogeneity in the Rabi frequency caused by metallic skin-effect. The method of concatenation of perturbation factors in a statistical tensor formalism is quantitatively applied to successfully predict and then fit in detail the experimental time-domain data. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.