New approaches inμ + SR studies on critical phenomena in Ni

The critical phenomena in Ni are probed by pulsedSR method under longitudinal- and zero external magnetic fields. The sample magnetization around the critical temperature is confirmed simultaneously by bulk magnetization measurement in situ, disappearance of transverseSR signal and recovery of asymmetry under longitudinal field. At the same time, the ratio of the ⁺ hyperfine field to the bulk magnetization in the ferromagnetic phase below the critical temperature is determined from the observables obtained only in the present experiment. The zero- and low-field longitudinal relaxation rate of muon does not diverge in approaching toT _c in the paramagnetic region, but seems to reach a saturation value.This work is supported by the Grand-in-Aid of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.     

Top-gathering pillar array of hybrid organic–inorganic material by means of self-organization

Two-dimensional (2D) pillar arrays with submicrometer to micrometer repetitions have been fabricated from hybrid organic–inorganic material by mask lithography or multi-beam interference lithography. The type of array structure depends on structural parameters such as the pillar height, diameter and distance between neighboring pillars. Two kinds of periodic arrays, 2D arrays and ‘top-gathering’ arrays, can be obtained by controlling the structural parameters. In the top-gathering arrays, the pillars are gathered at the top by means of self-organization, and ‘top-gathering’ units composed of four pillars can be formed. PACS 68.35.Gy; 81.20.Fw; 82.50.-m     

Analysis of atomic arrangement in magnetic Fe–Pt nanoparticles

The order parameter S of Fe–Pt nanoparticles is estimated from X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The total intensity of a diffraction peak is obtained by Rietveld analysis as well as simply integrating the intensity. The Rietveld analysis is found to provide a plausible value of S even for a sample showing an XRD pattern with broad and overlapped peaks. Another order parameter Q, which is obtained from Mössbauer spectra, is introduced, and it is confirmed that Q is equivalent to the probability of Fe atoms being in the L1₀-type atomic arrangement. The coercivity of Fe–Pt nanoparticles is directly proportional to Q, while it vanishes at S=0.4, indicating that the magnetic property of Fe–Pt nanoparticles has a closer relationship to Q than S.     

A possible way to promote antihydrogen formation via metastable antiprotonic helium atoms

A new way to promote antihydrogen formation via the recently discovered long-lived metastable states of antiprotonic helium atoms is discussed. Recombination processes such ase ^– ¯pHe⁺⁺ +e ⁺ e ^– e ⁺ ¯p + He⁰ are possible in this respect.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. P. Kienle on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Study of γ d → π + π − d Reaction in an Energy Region of 0.67 ≤ E γ ≤ 1.08 GeV

Double charged pion photoproductions from the deuteron have been studied at Research Center for Electron Photon Science (ELPH), Tohoku University. Tagged photon beams in an energy range of 0.67 ≤ E _γ ≤ 1.08 GeV were impinged on the liquid deuteron target. Produced charged particles were observed with the Neutral Kaon Spectrometer2 (NKS2). The γ d → π ⁺ π ^? d process was clearly separated among the three charged tracks. We obtained the photon energy dependence of the normalized yields of this process.     

Phase rotation scheme of laser-produced ions for reduction of the energy spread

In order to widely spread out particle beams utilized in cancer therapy, laser-produced ions are developed as the injection beam for an ion synchrotron dedicated for cancer therapy. Such a laser ion source is expected to contribute largely to the realization of compactness of the size and low cost of the cancer therapy accelerator. The energy spectrum of the laser-produced ions, however, has no peak, but their intensities decrease exponentially according to the increase of the energy. For the purpose of modifying such a situation, we have proposed a scheme to rotate the beam in the longitudinal phase space with the use of the RF electric field, which is phase-adjusted with the pulse laser. We aim for a reduction of the energy spread of ± 5% selected by an energy analyzer and slits to ±1% by such phase rotation. For this purpose, a quarter wavelength resonator with two gaps with the same resonant frequency as the source laser has already been fabricated, together with its RF power source. The above phase rotation system and its recent experimental realization are presented.     

Laser spectroscopy of trapped 7Be and 10Be at a prototype slow RI-beam facility of RIKEN

A next-generation slow radioactive nuclear ion beam facility (SLOWRI) which provides slow, high-purity and small emittance ion beams of all elements is being build as one of the principal facilities at the RIKEN RI-beam factory (RIBF). High energy radioactive ion beams from the projectile fragment separator BigRIPS are thermalized in a large gas catcher cell. The thermalized ions in the gas cell are guided and extracted to a vacuum environment by a combination of dc electric fields and inhomogeneous rf fields (rf carpet ion guide). From there the slow ion beam is delivered via a mass separator and a switchyard to various devices: such as an ion trap, a collinear fast beam apparatus, and a multi-reflection time of flight mass spectrometer. In the R&D works at the present RIKEN facility, an overall efficiency of 5% for a 100A MeV ⁸Li ion beam from the present projectile fragment separator RIPS was achieved and the dependence of the efficiency on the ion beam intensity was investigated. Recently our first spectroscopy experiment at the prototype SLOWI was performed on Be isotopes. Energetic ions of ¹⁰Be and ⁷Be from the RIPS were trapped and laser cooled in a linear rf trap and the specific mass shifts of these isotopes were measured for the first time.     

Is the neutral Knoevenagel reaction initiated by the carbanion formation?

The title reactions were studied by means of the density functional theory calculations. A base promoted reaction (called here ‘B’) was traced in a model composed of benzaldehyde, malononitrile, and (H₂O)₁₁. A neutral model (‘N’) of Ph‐CHO, H₂C(CN)₂ and (H₂O)₁₂ was also examined in line with a reported clean reaction. It was found that the ion pair of HC(CN) and H₃O⁺ is generated at the first step for N. For B, there are five elementary processes, and for N, four ones were obtained. By RB3LY/6‐311 + G** SCRF = PCM//RB3LYP/6‐31(+)G* energy calculations, the rate determining steps for both B and N reactions are the second proton removal, TS5(B) and TS3(N), respectively. In both B and N, the neutral species Ph(HO)HC‐CH(CN)₂ is the key intermediate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Autoresonant excitation of antiproton plasmas

We demonstrate controllable excitation of the center-of-mass longitudinal motion of a thermal antiproton plasma using a swept-frequency autoresonant drive. When the plasma is cold, dense, and highly collective in nature, we observe that the entire system behaves as a single-particle nonlinear oscillator, as predicted by a recent theory. In contrast, only a fraction of the antiprotons in a warm plasma can be similarly excited. Antihydrogen was produced and trapped by using this technique to drive antiprotons into a positron plasma, thereby initiating atomic recombination.     

Polarized neutron reflectometer SUIREN at JRR-3

Recent status of the neutron reflectometer SUIREN is presented. Since its startup in 2006, SUIREN has been the only neutron reflectometer in Japan for magnetic samples with high magnetic field sample environment, and used for investigations of magnetic films, solid-liquid interfaces and other solid thin films. SUIREN provides monochromatic neutron beam of 3.93 Å for vertically placed sample surface. Polarized beam is also available together with a 1 T electromagnet for sample. Beam intensity at the sample position in the unpolarized mode is for beam collimation of Δθ=0.08. Reflectivity can be explored down to 10^-6.