The possibility to use ‘energy plus transmutation’ set-up for neutron production and transport benchmark studies

The set-up ‘energy plus transmutation’, consisting of a thick lead target and a natural uranium blanket, was irradiated by relativistic proton beams with the energy from 0.7 GeV up to 2 GeV. Neutron field was measured in different places of this set-up using different activation detectors. The possibilities of using the obtained data for benchmark studies are analyzed in this paper. Uncertainties of experimental data are shown and discussed. The experimental data are compared with results of simulation with MCNPX code.      

Improving detector signal processing with pulse height analysis in Mössbauer spectrometers

A plenty of different programming techniques and instrument solutions are used in the development of Mössbauer spectrometers. Each of them should provide a faster spectrum accumulation process, increased productivity of measurements, decreased nonlinearity of the velocity scale, etc. The well known virtual instrumentation programming method has been used to design a computer-based Mössbauer spectrometer. Hardware solution was based on two commercially-available PCI modules produced by National Instruments Co. Virtual Mössbauer spectrometer is implemented by the graphical programming language LabVIEW 7 Express. This design environment allows to emulate the multichannel analyzer on the digital oscilloscope platform. This is a novel method based on Waveform Peak Detection function which allows detailed analysis of the acquired signal. The optimal treatment of the detector signal from various detector types is achieved by mathematical processing only. As a result, the possibility of an increase of signal/noise ratio is presented.     

Three qubits in a symmetric environment: Dissipatively generated asymptotic entanglement

We study the asymptotic entanglement of three identical qubits under the action of a Markovian open system dynamics that does not distinguish them. We show that by adding a completely depolarized qubit to a special class of two-qubit states, by letting them reach the asymptotic state and by finally eliminating the added qubit, can provide more entanglement than by direct immersion of the two qubits within the same environment.     

A mathematical model of medial consonant identification by cochlear implant users

The multidimensional phoneme identification model is applied to consonant confusion matrices obtained from 28 postlingually deafened cochlear implant users. This model predicts consonant matrices based on these subjects' ability to discriminate a set of postulated spectral, temporal, and amplitude speech cues as presented to them by their device. The model produced confusion matrices that matched many aspects of individual subjects' consonant matrices, including information transfer for the voicing, manner, and place features, despite individual differences in age at implantation, implant experience, device and stimulation strategy used, as well as overall consonant identification level. The model was able to match the general pattern of errors between consonants, but not the full complexity of all consonant errors made by each individual. The present study represents an important first step in developing a model that can be used to test specific hypotheses about the mechanisms cochlear implant users employ to understand speech.     

Self-assembled chiral superstructures composed of rigid achiral molecules and molecular scale chiral induction by dopants

We explore the phase behavior of a rigid achiral bent-core model system. Nematic and smectic phases form at higher densities, whereas micelles and columns composed of chiral clusters of these molecules self-assemble at lower densities. No nucleation mechanism requiring transient chirality is possible in the formation of these chiral superstructures due to the rigid achiral nature of the substituents. We show the chiral micelles are minima of the potential energy surface using energy minimization and parallel tempering simulations. Chiral dopants were found to induce the system to adopt a consistent chiral twist direction, the first molecular scale computer simulation of this effect.     

AES and ELS study of titanium oxidation in high vacuum

In the present work, results of the interaction of O₂ with polycrystalline titanium using AES, and ELS techniques, are presented. Changes in the shapes of Ti(LMV) and Ti(LMM) transitions and in the Ti(LM)O(V)/Ti(LMV) and Ti(LMV) Ti(LMM) amplitude ratios as well as a shift of the 34 eV loss peak [Ti(3p level], are studied as function of the oxygen exposure.At O₂ pressures equal or less than 10^–6 Pa and exposure up to 2000 L(O₂) (weak oxidation), the Ti(LM)O(V)/Ti(LMV) and Ti(LMV)/Ti(LMM) ratios show three clearly distinct regions: (i) up to 20L there is a chemisorbed phase with the Ti(LMV)/Ti(LMM) ratio remaining constant and a fast linear increase in the Ti(LM)O(V)/Ti(LMM) ratio. (ii) At exposures higher than 20L the oxidation begins being characterized by a linear variation of the Ti(LM)O(V)/Ti(LMV) and Ti(LMV)/Ti(LMV) ratios, with positive and negative slopes, respectively. (iii) At 125L there is a change in both slopes but no stable value is achieved, despite the O(KLL)/Ti(LMM) ratio remains constant. Hence, it can be concluded that TiO is the final oxide obtained after that treatment, from features like the shape of the transitions and a maximum shift of 3eV of the Ti(3p) level, complemented with ESD experiments.On the other hand, experiments at pressures higher than 10^–4Pa with or without the surfaces at 900K (strong oxidation) indicate that the most likely final oxide is TiO₂.Work presented to the IXIVC-VICSS. Madrid (1983)