Preliminary characterization of semiconductor detectors in the soft X-ray range using synchrotron radiation from the VEPP-4 storage ring

A photodiode developed at the Ioffe Physico-Tech nical Institute (St. Petersburg) and referred to in the literature as the SPD has been preliminarily calibrated by the primary-detector-based method. The possibility of application of SPD photodiodes as radiometric detectors has been investigated. The AXUV-100 photodiode (IRD Inc., United States) was used as a primary detector. The radiation strength of both detectors has been tested. It was revealed that, being more radiation-resistant, the SPD had radiometry characteristics that were not worse than those of the AXUIV-100.     

Use of the helium medium for preparation of nano-sized powder materials by the example of industrial cement

Based on the phenomenon of the mechanodynamic diffusion of particles of the external medium in solids, a new in principle method has been proposed for the first time for producing nano-sized powder materials using industrial cement milled in a helium medium as an example. The temperature dependences of the extraction rate and the amount of helium in powders upon their heating in a temperature range of 20–1200°C have been obtained using mass spectrometry. It has been shown that milling of the cement powder of the M-400 brand using an MK-1 laboratory mill in helium leads to a considerable shift of its extraction curve towards lower temperatures compared with the air medium. The particle sizes of the powder milled in helium lie in a range of 5–10 nm, which is smaller than the powder size (～500 nm) after milling in the air medium by a factor of 100. The compression strength of cement samples obtained from the powders milled in helium increased by a factor of 2 compared with the strength of the samples from the initial material. The activation energies of helium extraction from the cement powders milled in helium and in air have been analyzed. The obtained results indicate a high efficiency of the method for producing nano-sized powder materials in the helium medium. The method can be used in the industrial scale based on the existing mill equipment with its minimal modernization.     

Content and Isotope Ratios of Noble Gases in Congelation Ice of Lake Vostok

Isotope ratios of noble gases (He, Ne, Ar) were studied in samples collected by degassing of cores of water frozen over a glacier of Lake Vostok. The gases were collected into glass retorts during three days of degassing of cores, which have just been extracted from the borehole. Within the error, the isotope ³He/⁴He ratios of 0.28 ± 0.08 R_A (R_A = 1.38 × 10^–6 is the ratio for air) correspond to those from [1]. The ⁴He/²⁰Ne and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios (12.4 ± 4.6 R_A and 1.0074 ± 0.0023 R_A, respectively) exceed their contents in air (⁴He/²⁰Ne_A = 0.29; ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar_A = 298.6) and may indicate some contribution of terrigenous gas to the gaseous balance of the lake, as well as the high content of ancient ground waters in the lake. The ³He/⁴He ratio of 0.28 R_A means low mantle ³He flux typical of continental platforms far from active rift zones.     

Effect of the implantation dose and annealing time on the luminescence properties of (113) defects in silicon implanted by oxygen ions

Physics of the Solid State - The photoluminescence properties of (113) defects formed in a silicon structure after the implantation by oxygen ions with an energy of 350 keV and doses of 1.7 ×...     

Errors in measurements of atomic masses

The methods of measuring the atomic masses of stable isotopes with high-resolution static and dynamic mass spectrometers are examined. The typical measurement errors characteristic of both classes of devices are indicated. The greatest difficulty arising in such experiments is taking account of the effect of stray electric fields on the parameters of the motion of two types of ions forming a mass doublet as well as determining and introducing corrections for the corresponding errors in the measured mass values. This effect could be especially important in measurements of wide mass doublets. A method similar to the one employed in direct measurements of the magnetic moment of the proton in terms of nuclear magnetons with a magnetic resonance mass spectrometer with a two-section ion source is suggested for taking into account the effect of the stray electric fields in atomic mass measurements. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 100–104 (February 1997)     

Inaccuracies in helium isotope measurements

The results of mass-spectrometric measurements of the helium isotope content in aluminum samples obtained at different times and under different conditions and also of the helium isotope content in iron-manganese concretions are presented. The measurement accuracy of the helium isotope content in aluminum depends on various measuring-technique-related factors: vacuum conditions, gas inleakage and escape in the mass analyzer and/or gas extraction system, the device memory effect as applied to any of the helium isotopes, preparation accuracy of reference samples, their persistence, etc. In the given case, the statistical processing of measurement data with different criteria indicates that the variances diverge considerably but does not discover the sources of divergence. To measure the helium isotope content in iron-manganese concretions, a powdered sample is placed in a metallic capsule, which is then thrown into a heated crucible in vacuum, where gases to be tested liberate. Our statistical analysis of measuring data confirms the supposition that, if the capsule is made of low-melting aluminum and the capsule with a fine powder is thrown into a heated crucible, the variance grows and measuring data are underestimated. This seems to be associated with rapid melting of the capsule, emission of fine particles of the sample out of the hot zone of the reactor, and their loss. When the capsule is made of nickel, a much higher melting material than aluminum, it does not melt and the test material is not ejected from the hot zone. That is what follows from the results of the statistical analysis in our opinion.     

Precision electromagnet for a mass spectrometer

A precision electromagnet generating a magnetic field with an induction ranging from 0.05 to 0.50 T is designed, manufactured, and studied. It is intended for a magnetic resonance mass spectrometer with a rated resolution of about 10⁶. The magnetic field inhomogeneity on a circular orbit with a diameter of 400 mm along which the ion beam moves is no more than ±1 × 10^?5 of induction B ₀ at the center of the magnetic gap. At any point of the orbit, the magnetic field is kept constant with an accuracy of higher than 10^?6 for several minutes, which is sufficient to record mass spectra.     

Cherenkov gamma-ray telescopes: Past,present, future. The ALEGRO project

A brief overview of the history of atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescopes is given. Topical problems of modern astrophysics and fundamental physics to be solved with these instruments are listed. The ALEGRO project of a low-threshold gamma-ray observatory is characterized in detail. The aim of this project is to examine cosmic gamma-ray sources (especially the rapidly variable gamma-ray sources, gamma-ray transients) with high statistics of detected photons in the energy range of 5–50 GeV.     

Investigation of the energy-saving process of cement dispersion in a helium atmosphere

The process of commercial cement grinding in a helium atmosphere has been investigated in comparison with the process in an air atmosphere. Raw material particles have been sorted by sizes. Curves of helium release from the raw material after its grinding in air and in helium in the temperature range T = 20–1200°C have been constructed and analyzed. The influence of the character of water molecule adsorption on raw material cement particles before and after grinding in air and in helium and on the shape of helium release curves has been revealed.