Spectropolarised ray-tracing simulations in densely packed particulate medium

Light scattering from particulate medium is simulated using the Monte Carlo ray-tracing technique. The medium is modelled as a randomly packed medium of ellipsoidal grains with stochastically rough surfaces, with an optional thin coating. Optical properties are modelled using a wavelength-dependent complex refractive index and taking Fresnelian reflections and refractions from the interfaces. The size and shape of the grains are assumed to be large and smooth enough for geometric optics to apply reasonably well.The ray-tracing technique uses parallel, weighted rays for computing simultaneously over a wide wavelength spectrum and a small roughness range, and scaling to obtain a large range of sizes and absorbities simultaneously. Polarisation is fully accounted for. The multiobservation technique is effectively used at each scattering point. The scattering from thinner sample layers is also received as a subresult.Simulations are run for a set of model samples to study the effects and sensitivities regarding the values of certain parameters. It has been found that the size and composition of the grains affect the scattering in a unique and invertible way. The shape of the grain causes similar significant effects that must certainly be taken into account if any accuracy is required, although inverting for the shape is difficult without further constraints. The packing density has a small but observable effect. Polarisation can be used to study the composition of low-albedo objects.     

Isotopic production cross sections of residues in reactions induced by relativistic heavy ions with protons and deuterons

The isotopic production cross sections of heavy residues in relativistic heavy-ion collisions have been investigated in inverse kinematics. The primary reaction products were fully identified in mass and atomic number prior to beta decay using the fragment separator FRS. The huge collection of data obtained helps in the understanding of the two main reaction mechanisms involved: fragmentation and fission. These data provide basic information for future radioactive ion beam facilities and for technical applications like intense neutron sources by means of spallation targets.     

Alpha decay of the new isotopes207, 208Ac

Two new neutron-deficient isotopes^207,208Ac have been produced in fusion reactions with 5.2–5.6 MeV/nucleon⁴⁰Ar ions on¹⁷⁵Lu and identified on the basis of genetic correlations. The fusion evaporation products were separated on-line using a gas-filled magnetic recoil separator. The alpha energy and half-life of²⁰⁸Ac were determined to be (7572±15) keV and (95 _?16 ⁺²⁴ ) ms, respectively. A new alpha line with a half-life of (25 _?5 ⁺⁹ ) ms and an energy of (7758±20) keV is assigned to the decay of an isomeric state in²⁰⁸Ac. Another new activity with a half-life of (22 _?9 ⁺⁴⁰ ) ms and an alpha energy of (7712±25) keV is assigned to²⁰⁷Ac.     

Alpha decay studies of neutron-deficient radium isotopes

Neutron-deficient isotopes of radium have been produced in the reactions³⁵Cl+¹⁷⁵Lu,⁴⁰Ar+^170,171Yb, and³⁶Ar+^170,171Yb and separated in-flight with a gas-filled recoil separator. The activities have been identified on the basis of correlated alpha decay chains. The alpha particle energy E_α and the half-life T_1/2 of an isomeric state of the new isotope,^203m Ra, have been determined to be (7615±20) keV and (33 _?10 ⁺²² ) ms, respectively. An assignment of another decay with E_α = (7577±20) keV and T_1/2=(1.1 _?0.5 ^+5.0 ) ms to^203g Ra is made on the basis of one observed three-decay chain. Tentative evidence for the production of the new isotope²⁰²Ra is also given. The values E_α = (7860±60) keV and T_1/2=(0.7 _?0.3 ^+3.3 ) ms were measured. Improved decay data have been obtained for²⁰⁴Ra. The results are E_α = (7484±10) keV and T_1/2=(59 _?9 ⁺¹² ) ms. Earlier findings concerning the decay of two states in²⁰⁵Ra and an isomer in²⁰⁷Ra have been confirmed. Approximate values for cross sections have been determined for²⁰²Ra, produced using the³⁶Ar+¹⁷⁰Yb reaction and for²⁰³Ra,²⁰⁴Ra, and²⁰⁵Ra using the³⁵Cl+¹⁷⁵Lu reaction. The results are 2 nb (²⁰²Ra), 4 nb (²⁰³Ra), 40 nb (²⁰⁴Ra), and 800 nb (²⁰⁵Ra).     

Mirror fermions,universality and the beam dump experiment

The electron deficiency observed in beam dump experiments is discussed within the mirror fermion model. We make a general study of the leptonic weak universality and show that only a 4% change in thee/μ-ratio due to non-universal vector/axial vector charged couplings is allowed. In the mirror fermion model this corresponds to the possibility that the electron-like mirror neutrinoN _e is very heavy. IfN _e is light enough to be produced, oscillation ofv _e into sterileN _e is possible. IfN _e is lighter than about 1 MeV, only a 6.5% decrease in thee/μ ratio is allowed, due to the constraints from reactor neutrino experiments. However, if \(m_{N_e } \) is between a couple of MeV's and 45 MeV, only one loose bound exists, allowing thee/μ ratio to decrease by 11%.     

Two isomers of Pd2(S2NC7H4)4

The dichloromethane solvates of the isomers tetrakis(μ‐1,3‐benzothiazole‐2‐thiolato)‐κ⁴N:S;κ⁴S:N‐dipalladium(II)(Pd—Pd), (I), and tetrakis(μ‐1,3‐benzothiazole‐2‐thiolato)‐κ⁶N:S;κ²S:N‐dipalladium(II)(Pd—Pd), (II), both [Pd₂(C₇H₄NS₂)₄]·CH₂Cl₂, have been synthesized in the presence of (o‐isopropylphenyl)diphenylphosphane and (o‐methylphenyl)diphenylphosphane. Both isomers form a lantern‐type structure, where isomer (I) displays a regular and symmetric coordination and isomer (II) an asymmetric and distorted structure. In (I), sitting on an centre of inversion, two 1,3‐benzothiazole‐2‐thiolate units are bonded by a Pd—N bond to one Pd atom and by a Pd—S bond to the other Pd atom, and the other two benzothiazolethiolate units are bonded to the same Pd atoms by, respectively, a Pd—S and a Pd—N bond. In (II), three benzothiazolethiolate units are bonded by a Pd—N bond to one Pd atom and by a Pd—S bond to the other Pd atom, and the fourth benzothiazolethiolate unit is bonded to the same Pd atoms by, respectively, a Pd—S bond and a Pd—N bond.     

The analysis of chromium, cobalt, iron, nickel, niobium, tantalum, titanium and zinc in cemented tungsten carbides with cobalt as a binder by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

 Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) was applied as a rapid routine method for the analysis of cemented tungsten carbides. Chromium, cobalt, iron, nickel, niobium, tantalum, titanium and zinc were selected as major, minor and trace constituents in the material investigated. In the first step, the sample was treated with hydrochloric and orthophosphoric acid. The second step consisted of the simultaneous addition of hydrofluoric and nitric acids. Cemented tungsten carbides dissolved completely, leaving only minor quantities of carbon in the solution. Multiple linear regression proved to be very effective in the search for interfering elements. Using simple acid based standards, all the elements investigated could be determined individually from the complicated matrix using an appropriate method of calculation. The method described was successfully applied to real type commercial samples. The advantages of the ICP-AES method in comparison with the XRF-method are discussed. Received: 15 February 1996/Revised: 22 April 1996/Accepted: 2 May 1996     

The role of MFC/NFC swelling in the rheological behavior and dewatering of high consistency furnishes

The influence of swelling on the rheological and dewatering properties of high consistency nanocellulose based furnishes is considered. Different consistencies of suspensions (1–4 %) and furnishes (5–15 %) were prepared made of two distinctly different grades of nanocellulose containing, micro fibrillated (MFC) and nanofibrillated (NFC) cellulose, and systematic comparison between the rheological and dewatering parameters was conducted. The characterization of the rheological and dewatering properties was performed with a stress controlled rheometer combined with an immobilization cell in parallel plate geometry, as well as with an independent gravimetric dewatering device. The surface charge of nanofibrillated cellulose was found to influence the rheological and dewatering properties of the evaluated suspensions and furnishes due to its impact on swelling and effectively bound water. Due to the complex behavior of the novel materials, the immobilization times were difficult to determine from the changes in the damping factor, as often used for coating colors. Instead, we propose a modified method for determination of immobilization times based on a rheological analysis adopting the rate of change in viscoelastic loss factor over time, d(tan δ = G′′/G′)/dt, describing the critical point(s) in the ratio of the viscous to elastic stress response moduli. With this approach we show that it is possible to characterize immobilization of these materials incorporating the concept of the combined physical interactions of the components and the non-removable bound water, without requiring a direct measure of the nanocellulose surface swelling. Based on the results, we hypothesize that fibrillar swelling impacts the dewatering of MFC and NFC suspensions, and furnishes containing them, by an interfiber pore connectivity blocking/sealing mechanism, which effectively defines the immobilization of the material matrix at the end point of free water extraction caused by the physical blocking imposed by the remaining bound water.     

Radiative transfer in stochastically inhomogeneous media

New radiative transfer theory is developed for stochastically inhomogeneous scattering media. The three-dimensional shapes and large scale (compared to the mean free path) structures of the media are modeled by stochastic interfaces separating regions of different scattering properties. The small scale fluctuations are characterized by a pair-correlation function. The radiative transfer equation is extended to include individual scattering and propagation probabilities of a ray for each subregion as well as the probability for a ray to cross the interface between two subregions. The propagation probability is found to depend on the entire preceding path of the ray; the present formulation accounts for the two previous scatterings. A new adding/doubling algorithm is developed to solve this problem numerically. Transmission through a cloud layer and backward scattering seem to be particularly sensitive to inhomogeneities.