Some polishing experiments on copper in a hyperbolic cell

Some polishing experiments have been carried out on copper anodes in a hyperbolic cell designed by Gilmont and Walton, using orthophosphoric acid as the electrolyte. The results obtained have been compared to those obtained in similar experiments in a Hull cell. It has been found that very similar bands of different reflectivity and polishes are found to form in both the cells. These bands shift with time and a study of such displacements has been made. The results are briefly discussed.     

Determination of Moisture Content in Coke with <Superscript>239</Superscript>Pu–Be Neutron Source and BGO Scintillation Gamma Detector

A series of experiments has been conducted at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in order to study the possibility of determining the moisture content of coke using a standard neutron source. The proposed method is based on a measurement of the spectrum of prompt γ rays emitted when samples are irradiated by fast and/or thermal neutrons. The moisture content is determined from the area of the peaks of characteristic γ rays produced in the radiative capture of thermal neutrons by the proton (E_γ = 2.223 MeV) and inelastic scattering of fast neutrons by ¹⁶O (E_γ = 6.109 MeV). The ²³⁹Pu–Be neutron source (〈E _n 〉 ~ 4.5 MeV) with an intensity of ~5 × 10⁶ n/s was used to irradiate the samples under study. A scintillation detector based on a BGO crystal was used to register the characteristic γ radiation from the inelastic fast neutron scattering and slow (thermal) neutron capture. This paper presents the results of humidity measurement in the range of 2–50% [1, 2].     

Elemental Analysis of Engine Parts of the Proton Rocket Carrier with Resonance Neutrons

At the JINR Laboratory of Nuclear Physics, neutron–nucleus interactions are investigated for fundamental and applied purposes using the IREN pulsed neutron source. The applied research includes an elemental analysis of constituent materials of various devices. This paper describes the elemental-analysis techniques employed and reports the measurement of palladium abundances in the engine components of the Proton rocket carrier. The elemental-analysis technique involving resonance neutrons, currently implemented with the Romashka apparatus, is shown to be sensitive to palladium abundances at a level of 2 mg/g for samples with masses on the order of 60 g. Further developing the method will boost its sensitivity and allow for elemental analyses of larger samples and their assemblies.     

Size effect study in magnetoelectric BiFeO3 system

In this paper, we report for the first time finite size effects on Néel temperature (T _N) of magnetoelectric BiFeO₃ system. Novel wet chemical route has been developed to produce fine particles of BiFeO₃ with controlled size and size distribution. Unlike other oxide systems, lattice volume contraction has been observed with decrease in particle size. The decrease in T _N is co-related to unit cell volume contraction occurring with reduction in particle size.     

Investigation of Inelastic Neutron Scattering on 27Al Nuclei

The results obtained by measuring the angular and energy distributions of gamma rays produced in reactions induced by the inelastic scattering of 14.1-MeV neutrons on ²⁷Al nuclei are presented. The respective measurements were performed by the tagged-neutron method in a beam from the ING-27 compact neutron generator. The angular distributions were obtained for gamma rays emitted from the 844-keV 1/2⁺, 1015-keV 3/2⁺, 2212-keV 7/2⁺, and 3004-keV 9/2⁺ states of ²⁷ Al nuclei.

     

Current status of research on <Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis> invariance in neutron-nuclear reactions

In this work, the current state of research on T invariance in neutron-nuclear reactions is considered. The promising character of investigations in this field related to possible enhancement of T-invariance violation in compound states of medium and heavy nuclei is underlined. Progress in preparation of experimental tests of T invariance using three-and five-vector correlations in cross sections of interaction of polarized neutrons with aligned nuclei is described in detail. T-invariance tests in reactions of radiative neutron capture and in coherent scattering of polarized neutrons on crystals are also considered.     

Polarisation and polishing studies on copper in a Hull cell

In continuation of our previous work,^1–2 the effects of polishing time, sp. gr. of the electrolyte, addition of EDTA, electrolyte level, etc., on the position, size and shape of the variously polished bands obtained in a Hull cell have now been studied. I–V measurement when carried out showed that total cell voltage increases regularly with total cell current, thereby affording no explanation for the variously polished bands. However, with a specially designed probe electrode,³ it has been possible to study the current distribution as existing during polarisation at different points of the anode surface and thus offer some explanation for the appearance of variously polished bands which could not be interpreted earlier in terms of electrode potentials.     

Angular distribution of 4.43-MeV γ-rays produced in inelastic scattering of 14.1-MeV neutrons by <Superscript>12</Superscript>C nuclei

The work is devoted to measuring the angular distribution of 4.43-MeV γ-rays produced in inelastic scattering of 14.1-MeV neutrons by ¹²C nuclei. A portable ING-27 neutron generator (designed and fabricated at VNIIA, Moscow) with a built-in 64-pixel silicon α-detector was used as a source of tagged neutrons. The γ-rays of characteristic nuclear radiation from ¹²C were detected with a spectrometric system that consisted of 22 γ-detectors based on NaI(Tl) crystals arranged around the carbon target. The measured angular distribution of 4.43-MeV γ-rays is analyzed and compared with the results of other published experimental works.