Observation of diffusion through ion irradiated Makrofol KG

The features of the latent track in polycarbonate can be analysed by measuring the diffusion constant under ultra high vacuum conditions. Stacks of 30 μm Makrofol KG foils were irradiated with uranium ions of 11.4 MeV/u at the GSI Darmstadt, Germany. We used different fluences from 3·10¹⁰ to 5·10¹¹ ions/cm². The diffusion constant was determined by the time-lag-method [1]. A quadrupole mass filter was used to observe the diffusion of the gas. We measured the diffusion of argon through different foils of each stack at room temperature. In all cases also unirradiated foils were measured. The dependence of the permeability and the diffusion constant on the ion fluence and the energy loss of the ions will be given and indications on the size of latent ion tracks concerning gas diffusion will be discussed.     

Electrical characteristics of etched ion-tracks in polyimide filled with silver nanoparticles

Silicon ions, of energy 150?MeV and fluence ～10¹²?ions/cm², were used to register latent tracks in 40?µm thick polyimide samples. Different sizes of tracks were obtained by etching the ion irradiated polyimide samples, in chemical solutions, by varying the temperature and etching period. Silver nanoparticles were diffused into the etched tracks by immersing the polyimide samples in silver solution and then irradiating with 6.5?MeV electrons at different fluences varying from 1?×?10¹⁵ to 5?×?10¹⁵?cm^?2. Results of morphological and elemental analysis, carried out by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray. Analysis revealed that the conical tracks could be fully filled with silver nanoparticles at electron fluence of 5?×?10¹⁵?cm^?2. The minimum d. c. resistance of an array of tracks, filled with silver nanoparticles and measured across the polyimide film, was orders of magnitude higher as compared to that of silver wires of equivalent sizes connected in parallel. In addition, these silver nanoparticles filled tracks exhibited rectifying I–V behavior and frequency dependent a. c. resistance, characteristic of metal–polymer nano-composites. Possible mechanisms have been discussed, which can justify the asymmetric current–voltage characteristics in such nano-composites.     

Molecular dynamics study of structural damage in amorphous silica induced by swift heavy-ion radiation

In this paper, the radiation defects induced by the swift heavy ions and the recoil atoms in amorphous SiO₂ were studied. The energy of recoil atoms induced by the incident Au ions in SiO₂ was calculated by using Monte Carlo method. Results show that the average energies of recoils reach the maximum (200?eV for Si and 130?eV for O, respectively) when the incident energy of Au ion is 100?MeV. Using Tersoff/zbl potential with the newly built parameters, the defects formation processes in SiO₂ induced by the recoils were studied by using molecular dynamics method. The displacement threshold energies (E_d) for Si and O atoms are found to be 33.5 and 16.3?eV, respectively. Several types of under- and over-coordinated Si and O defects were analyzed. The results demonstrate that Si₃, Si₅, and O₁ are the mainly defects in SiO₂ after radiation. Besides, the size of cylindrical damage region produced by a single recoil atom was calculated. The calculation shows that the depth and the radius are up to 2.0 and 1.4?nm when the energy of recoils is 200?eV. Finally, it is estimated that the Au ion would induce a defected track with a diameter of 4?nm in SiO₂.     

On search and identification of tracks due to short-lived SHE nuclei in extraterrestrial crystals

The unique approach for search and unambiguous identification of short-lived (T_1/2=10³–10⁷ years) superheavy nuclei in cosmic-ray products of the recent nucleosynthesis in our Galaxy are discussed.It is based on: (a) the ability of non-conducting crystals to register and to store for many million years the tracks due to fast nuclei with atomic number Z20 (“fossil” tracks);(b) calibrations of the said crystals with accelerated heavy ions (20Z92) and on revealing the volume etchable track length (VETL) of the fast nuclei coming to rest inside crystals—both of fossil and “fresh” tracks—to determine the charge distribution of cosmic-ray nuclei tracks and(c) the so-called “four-zone” model of tracks in crystals (and also glasses) which provides not only the VETL track length dependence for 20Z92 nuclei but also demonstrates the regular annealing behavior of VETL of 20Z92 nuclei in a broad temperature interval.This approach was first applied in the early 1980s to investigate the “fossil” tracks due to 22Z92 cosmic-ray nuclei in olivine crystals from meteorites-pallasite Marjalahti and Eagle Station.The discovery of Th–U cosmic-ray nuclei tracks in 1980 was unambiguously confirmed by calibrations of the same crystals with ²³⁸U, ¹⁹⁷Au and ²⁰⁸Pb accelerated ions in the late 1980s. More than 1600 tracks due to cosmic-ray actinide nuclei were measured during the last two decades of the 20th century.Also, 11 anomalously long tracks (track length exceeds by a factor (1.6±0.1) the track length due to Th–U nuclei were measured. The detailed analysis shows that at least 5 of these tracks could not be attributed to the Th–U nuclei. It means that now we have a preliminary proof on the existence Z110 nuclei in cosmic-rays. The abundance is Z110/Th–U=(1–3)×10⁻³ in Z110 freshly formed cosmic-rays (time interval 10³–10⁷ years).The method proposed can provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for the discovery of Z110 nuclei in nature.     

Track structure in polyethylene terephthalate irradiated by heavy ions: Let dependence of track diameter

The structure of latent tracks in polyethylene terephthalate is studied using chemical etching combined with a conductometric technique. Geometrical parameters of the latent tracks for the range of the electronic energy loss (dE/dx) between 3 to 24 keV/nm are estimated. The dependence of the track core and track halo size on the energy loss is analyzed.     

串联电解池的创新实验

城市地下输电线路断开后,会与潮湿土壤中处于地上或地下的铁轨(管线)形成回路,加快铁轨(管线)腐蚀。该原理相当于将串联电解池的电解质溶液合并,两池中非连接电源的两电极合为一导体平放于连接电源的两极之间,形成一个特殊的串联电解池。基于以上内容,创新了实验。     

同步辐射X射线荧光对双柏恐龙化石的分析

首次使用同步辐射X射线荧光法（SXRF）测试了双柏县安龙堡的恐龙化石,在其截面上原位获得了Ca,Fe,Mn,Cu,Zn,As,Y和Sr等八种元素的分布图。测试结果表明,各种元素在化石中的分布是非均匀的,与一般的矿物岩石元素的分布不同。元素分布图表明,在双柏恐龙化石中未检测到As元素,与四川自贡恐龙由于As元素高的非正常死亡相比,双柏恐龙属正常死亡情形。在分布图中容易看出,化石中的Fe和Mn元素是共生的;Sr和Y两种元素也是共生的,显示化石在成岩过程中,所含Fe,Mn,Sr,Y的化合物胶体均为带异种电荷的颗粒,据此可推知当时这些元素所属化合物的可能形式。同步X射线荧光显微探测法研究恐龙化石元素分布具有原位、快速、准确、直观等优势,它可以将共生元素分离开来,这是XRD和等离子光谱等测试手段不能实现的。恐龙化石微量元素的分布,揭示了化石微区矿物结构的相关信息,这对于挖掘化石蕴涵的古地质特征,恢复古地理、古地质研究的潜力具有重要意义。     

VH-nuclei cosmic-ray tracks in chondrites as indicators for radiation-thermal history of the meteorite matter at the early stage of solar system primary body formation

VH-nuclei cosmic-ray track study in silicate mineral grains extracted from matrix and chondrules of no enriched by solar gas chondrites has been performed. A broad range of track densities, typical track density grouping and absence of track density gradients have been observed in these grains. The traces of low energy cosmic-ray VH-nuclei particles that were stored at the early pre-accretion history of the meteorite parent body formation have been established.     

TEM investigations of heavy ion latent tracks

High resolution observations of GeS single crystals with a 400 keV transmission electron microscope (TEM) were carried out. The GeS was irradiated at the UNICAC with heavy ions at several MeV/u specific energy. The imaging of the tracks revealed relatively large amorphous cores of elliptical cross section, oriented with respect to the crystal lattice.