Blackett Memorial Lecture: the nuclear option—human factors in safety

The UK nuclear industry is currently undergoing a series of dramatic changes. Important, among many is the establishment of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) with an associated impact on service delivery. At the same time, the debate on the future of our energy supply in the UK is increasingly focused on the question of the nuclear option. Issues of safety and reliability are paramount for the nuclear industry given both the nature of the hazard and the associated public perceptions of the associated risks. This paper explores linked developments in human factors and the management of safety in the nuclear industry in the context of unprecedented change.     

Temperature sensors and optical sensors

The dependence of temperature on the fluorescence lifetime and fluorescence intensity ratio using Stark sublevels and thermally coupled (close lying) levels in triply ionized rare earth ions, doped into a variety of glasses and fibers, have been reviewed. Also, it is claimed that not only for the two closely lying levels of triply ionized rare earth ion of the same kind, but also for two different triply ionized rare earth ions, having their excited levels very close to each other, may be used to monitor the temperature. PACS 42.70.Ce     

Discontinuity in decision-making when objectives conflict: a military command decision case study

In previous work, we considered the representation of human decision-making processes in closed-form simulation models of conflict. An important element of this representation is the rapid planning process that embodies the processing of information for situation assessment to support a course of action decision (eg in a military headquarters). The application of this work is in support of operational analysis models for defence procurement and balance of investment. This paper describes the application of non-linear multi-attribute utility theory in conflict scenarios in order to extend the representation of the rapid planning process to account for a wider set of subjective attributes of the decision-maker. The results show, through examination of experimental data, that decision-making can be modelled through a particular class of utility functions. These utilities embody a geometry which allows us to classify the types of decision being made when there are conflicting objectives and when decision-makers adopt very different and subjective appraisals of constraints and beliefs in outcome. The experimental results help to demonstrate that the subjective nature of the situation assessment, and the personality, training, experience and history of the decision-maker are central to the functional representations. This paper presents a way to capture this deeper representation of human decision-making in a way that is potentially useful for quantitative modelling using the rapid planning process as a basis.     

The magnetic properties of Be-codoped GaMnN grown via molecular beam epitaxy

GaMnN and Be-codoped GaMnN were grown via molecular beam epitaxy using a single GaN precursor and their structural and magnetic properties were examined. X-ray diffraction and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements revealed that the grown layers are homogeneous without precipitates. The saturation magnetization of GaMnN has increased from ∼4 to ∼16 emu/cm³ via codoping of Be. The d–d exchange interaction between Mn atoms was discussed for the ferromagnetism of GaMnN.     

Towards a fully optimised organic LED device: Analysis of surface synthesis using coupling reactions by ToF-SIMS

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and polarisation-modulation reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (PM-RAIRS) have been used to monitor the surface synthesis of self-assembled aromatic π-conjugated molecular wires on gold substrates as a step towards a novel structure for organic electroluminescent devices (OLEDs). The wires have been synthesised using a series of Schiff's base coupling reactions in solution on a self-assembled monolayer of an aromatic thiolate anchor. ToF-SIMS and PM-RAIRS measurements have demonstrated that: (i) the anchor molecules self-assemble at the gold surface, (ii) the anchor molecules selectively react through imino coupling reactions with additional wire units with high efficiency and (iii) the wire-like structure is predominantly orientated normal to the surface.     

Modeling of environmentally significant interfaces: Two case studies

When some parameters cannot be easily measured experimentally, mathematical models can often be used to deconvolute or interpret data collected on complex systems, such as those characteristic of many environmental problems. These models can help quantify the contributions of various physical or chemical phenomena that contribute to the overall behavior, thereby enabling the scientist to control and manipulate these phenomena, and thus to optimize the performance of the material or device. In the first case study presented here, a model is used to test the hypothesis that oxygen interactions with hydrogen on the catalyst particles of solid oxide fuel cell anodes can sometimes occur a finite distance away from the triple phase boundary (TPB), so that such reactions are not restricted to the TPB as normally assumed. The model may help explain a discrepancy between the observed structure of SOFCs and their performance. The second case study develops a simple physical model that allows engineers to design and control the sizes and shapes of mesopores in silica thin films. Such pore design can be useful for enhancing the selectivity and reactivity of environmental sensors and catalysts. This paper demonstrates the mutually beneficial interactions between experiment and modeling in the solution of a wide range of problems.     

Effects of ground-state correlations on 2νββ decay rates and limitations of the QRPA approach

Half-lives of the 2νββ decay are calculated in the proton-neutron QRPA for⁷⁶Ge,⁸²Se,¹⁰⁰Mo,^128,130Te,¹³⁶Xe and¹⁵⁰Nd. The strength of the particle-particle interaction, which plays a decisive role for a reliable evaluation of the half-lives, is determined from a QRPA calculation of singleβ ⁺ decays. The 2ν decay rates calculated with the interaction strength fitted in this way are strongly suppressed and found to be consistent with the existing experimental data. Effects of the ground-state correlations on the suppression are investigated. On the other hand, the present calculation indicates limitations of the QRPA approach.