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At least 37 records · Page 2

Integrated separation scheme for measuring a suite of fission and activation products from a fresh mixed fission and activation product sample

Mixed fission and activation materials resulting from various nuclear processes and events contain a wide range of isotopes for analysis spanning almost the entire periodic table. In some applications such as environmental monitoring, nuclear waste management, and national security a very limited amount of material is available for analysis and characterization so an integrated analysis scheme is needed to measure multiple radionuclides from one sample. This work describes the production of a complex synthetic sample containing fission products, activation products, and irradiated soil and determines the percent recovery of select isotopes through the integrated chemical separation scheme. Results were determined using gamma energy analysis of separated fractions and demonstrate high yields of Ag (76 ± 6%), Au (94 ± 7%), Cd (59 ± 2%), Co (93 ± 5%), Cs (88 ± 3%), Fe (62 ± 1%), Mn (70 ± 7%), Np (65 ± 5%), Sr (73 ± 2%) and Zn (72 ± 3%). Lower yields (< 25%) were measured for Ga, Ir, Sc, and W. Based on the results of this experiment, a complex synthetic sample can be prepared with low atom/fission ratios and isotopes of interest accurately and precisely measured following an integrated chemical separation method.

activation product analysis↗

Reconstruction of Intensity From Covered Samples

The safe handling of activated samples requires containment and covering the sample to eliminate any potential for contamination. Subsequent characterization of the surface with x-rays ideally necessitates a thin film. While many films appear visually transparent, they are not necessarily x-ray transparent. Each film material has a unique beam attenuation and sometimes have amorphous peaks that can superimpose with those of the sample. To reconstruct the intensity of the underlying activated sample, the x-ray attenuation and signal due to the film needs to be removed from that of the sample. This requires the calculation of unique deconvolution parameters for the film. The development of a reconstruction procedure for a contained/covered sample is described.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Optimizing Materials to Boost the Valorization of CO 2 : Tuning Cobalt–Cobalt Interactions on In 2 O 3 -Based Photothermal Catalysts

The valorization of CO 2 is an important challenge within the current panorama, since this molecule is probably the main contributor to climate change. In this study, the synthesis of materials based on a nanostructured batonnet-type indium oxide is carried out. In them, different amounts of Co are introduced, varying between 2 and 8% mol. It is verified that the most active sample in the transformation of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide contains 6 mol %. of Co. This sample’s activity under dual excitation exceeds the thermal counterpart by more than 30%. After carrying out a complete physical and chemical characterization with the help of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and other techniques, it is shown that catalysts with amounts of cobalt equal to or below 4 mol % contain isolated single-atom species, while those with higher amounts of metal display a Co–Co interaction which triggers the evolution of the samples under reaction conditions. The optimum control of this Co–Co interaction and the nature of the final cobalt-containing species determine dual photothermal catalytic properties. In conclusion, this work establishes a structure–activity relationship to interpret the catalytic behavior of highly dispersed subnanometric cobalt species, and thus an avenue to optimize the photothermal valorization of carbon dioxide.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Radio observations of a hard X-ray selected sample of active galaxies

Radio observations of a hard X-ray selected sample of active galaxies obtained with the VLA and Parkes radio telescopes are discussed, and the ratio of the radio to X-ray flux density is used to determine the degree of radio-loudness of the galaxies. A continuous distribution of the degree of radio loudness is found amongst the sample galaxies, and no evidence for distinct radio-quiet and radio-loud populations is noted. The X-ray and radio luminosity is shown to be nonlinearly correlated, with the radio-loud objects all having high X-ray luminosity.

Unger, S. W.↗

Preparation and spectroscopic properties of rare-earth (RE) (RE = Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Tm)-activated K{sub 2}LnZr(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} (Ln = Y, La, Gd and Lu) phosphate in vacuum ultraviolet region

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► We report the VUV spectroscopic properties of rare-earth ions in K{sub 2}LnZr(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}. ► The O{sup 2−}-Eu{sup 3+} charge transfer bands at about 220 nm have been observed. ► The 4f–5d spin-allowed and spin-forbidden transitions of Tb{sup 3+} have been observed. ► There is energy transfer between the host and rare-earth activators. -- Abstract: Rare earth (RE = Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy and Tm)-activated K{sub 2}LnZr(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} (Ln = Y, La, Gd and Lu) have been synthesized by solid-state reaction method, and their vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) excitation luminescent characteristics have been investigated. The band in the wavelength range of 130–157 nm and the other one range from 155 to 216 nm with the maximum at about 187 nm in the VUV excitation spectra of these compounds are attributed to the host lattice absorption and O–Zr charge transfer transition, respectively. The charge transfer bands (CTB) of O{sup 2−}-Sm{sup 3+}, O{sup 2−}-Dy{sup 3+} and O{sup 2−}-Tm{sup 3+}, in Sm{sup 3+}, Dy{sup 3+} and Tm{sup 3+}-activated samples, have not been obviously observed probably because the 2p electrons of oxygen are tightly bound to the zirconium ion in the host lattice. For Eu{sup 3+}-activated samples, the relatively weak O{sup 2−}-Eu{sup 3+} CTB at about 220 nm is observed. And for Tb{sup 3+}-activated samples, the bands at 223 and 258 nm are related to the 4f-5d spin-allowed and spin-forbidden transitions of Tb{sup 3+}, respectively. It is observed that there is energy transfer between the host lattice and the luminescent activators (e.g. Eu{sup 3+}, Tb{sup 3+}). From the standpoint of luminescent efficiency, color purity and chemical stability, K{sub 2}GdZr(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}:Sm{sup 3+}, Eu{sup 3+}, Tb{sup 3+} are attractive candidates for novel yellow, red, green-emitting PDP phosphors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA): A Segue to the Next Era of Lunar Exploration and Sample Return Activities

In the fifty years since the first lunar samples were collected on Apollo 11, significant advancements have taken place in laboratory analysis, planetary science, and astromaterials curation. These advances are now being leveraged for the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) Program, which aims to study specially curated Apollo samples that have never been studied before. Since Apollo 17 in 1972, a great deal has been learned about the Moon, including the unique environments of the poles. Building upon Apollo and remote sensing studies since then, the Artemis Program aims to explore the cold environments near the lunar south pole while achieving the concurrent goals of landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. Recent developments for ANGSA have significantly accelerated our readiness for Artemis sample return, particularly in the area of cold sample studies. Four science teams were selected to study cold and/or volatile-bearing samples collected during the Apollo program. These samples have special storage and handling requirements that necessitate their processing in a -20°C environment that meets the Apollo materials and cleanliness requirements. NASA has recently undertaken the development and implementation of a cold sample processing facility to support ANGSA. A similar facility will be needed to process the cold, volatile-bearing samples planned to be returned by Artemis missions; therefore, ANGSA provides excellent preparation for Artemis’ future cold sample processing efforts. We will outline the goals of the ANGSA and Artemis programs, illustrating the complementary nature of the work for both. We will describe the efforts to date in designing, testing, and implementing a cold curation facility that meets the requirements of ANGSA and Apollo curation. We will then outline future work for that facility to reach operational readiness. Finally, we will present the sample collection and curation strategies for Artemis, showing how they overlap and build on ANGSA efforts. The development of cold curation at NASA represents a significant leap in the knowledge, experience, and technologies used in astromaterials curation, opening the door for new investigations of lunar volatiles, impacts, formation processes, prebiotic chemistry, and resource utilization, among many others.

Julie Mitchell↗

Does Collection Time Bias the Ecology of Cleanroom Air Samples?

Microbial monitoring of astromaterials collections has taken on increased importance with the return of biologically sensitive samples from the asteroids Ryugu and Bennu and the initiation of the Mars Sample Return Program. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi can alter the mineralogy and organic composition of our collections causing irreversible contamination of pristine samples and increasing the risk of false positives for life detection measurements. NASA has conducted routine microbial monitoring of its existing collections since 20181. Initial monitoring focused on surface samples collected with foam swabs. Although, airborne microbiology is often decoupled from surface microbiology in the built environment2 culture-based air sampling techniques like impactors were not compliant with existing contamination control requirements. Bringing organic rich media, gelatin or liquids into curation cleanrooms presents an unacceptable risk to pristine samples. In 2022 NASA purchased a materials complaint air sampler and began collecting air samples from the cleanrooms in addition to surface samples3. The new instrument uses an electret filter to collect samples that are suitable for cultivating organisms or for direct DNA sequencing. Preliminary DNA sequencing results appeared to indicate that longer sampling times biased the microbial community in favor of hearty, spore-forming bacteria3. We present the results of a study comparing overnight sampling (17 hours) to short (1 hour) sampling of unoccupied curation cleanrooms. The results will help us optimize our monitoring protocols and develop a more detailed inventory of the ecology of astromaterials curation cleanrooms. Methods: We analyzed 72 paired air samples from six different cleanrooms including the meteorite processing lab (ISO 7 equivalent, 16 samples), the lunar lab (ISO 6 equivalent, 10 samples), the stardust lab (ISO 5 equivalent 14 samples), the OSIRIS-REx lab (ISO 5 equivalent, 12 samples), the Hayabusa2 lab (ISO 5 equivalent, 14 samples), and the Genesis lab (ISO 4 equivalent, 6 samples). All the samples were collected with an InnovaPrep Bobcat air sampler operating at a sampling rate of 200 L/min. The sampler operates for 5 minutes out of every 20 minute period. Half of the samples were collected by filtering 3,000L (15 min. of active sampling) of air across an electret filter for one hour. The rest of the samples were collected by filtering approximately 51,000 L air across the filter overnight (~17 hours, 255 min. of active sampling). Cells were eluted from the filter using 6-7 ml of pressurized 0.15% tween 20 in PBS (phosphate buffered saline). This liquid was used to cultivate bacteria according to previously published methods1,4,5 and for DNA extraction and next generation sequencing. DNA was extracted with a Qiagen MagAttract PowerMicrobiome kit6. To identify bacteria and archaea, the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using Earth Microbiome primers for the V4 region 7. The amplified DNA was sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq using a V3 reagent kit. The resulting sequences were processed using DADA2 and QIIME2 as implemented on the EDGE bioinformatics platform8–10. Results: Only two of the 72 samples had no amplifiable DNA. Amplified DNA concentrations ranged from 2.67 – 0.272 ng/µl. The median concentration of amplified DNA for the 1 hour samples was 0.770 ± 0.368 ng/µl. The median concentration of amplified DNA for the overnight samples was 0.877 ± 0.434 ng/µl. On average the overnight samples had slightly more sequences (58,960 vs. 59,456) and ASV’s (amplicon sequence variants) (60 vs 64.5) than the one hour samples, but these differences are not statistically significant. The most abundant ASV in every sample mapped to the genus Cupravidus. ASV’s mapping to the genuses Bacillus, Schlegelella, Thermus, and Staphylococcus were also common. Discussion and Future Work: Alpha diversity statistics like Shannon Entropy and Faith Phylogenetic Diversity are used to describe the diversity of organisms in a single sample. If a longer sampling time was biasing the data, we would expect to see a change in these diversity statistics vs. sample time. However, we did not observe this in our data. The median Shannon entropy was slightly higher for the overnight samples (3.773 vs 3.611) as was the Faith Phylogenetic Diversity (4.042 vs 3.596), but both values were within a standard deviation of each other for the two sampling times (Fig. 1). It is unlikely, that the longer sampling time is introducing bias into our data. We do observe a significant decrease in diversity when comparing the air samples by lab. The Genesis lab (ISO 4 equivalent) has a lower median number of ASV’s (45.5) than the other labs (62). Median values for Shannon Entropy (3.717 vs. 3.430) and Faith Phylogenetic Diversity (3.796 vs. 3.548) are also lower for Genesis, but those values are with one standard deviation of each other for the different sampling times. This is consistent with previous culture-based results suggesting that the environment in cleanrooms tends to select for a core group of organisms capable of surviving under dry, low nutrient, conditions. The presence of the ASV’s mapping to Cupravidus and Thermus in our sequencing blanks and controls suggests that several of the most common organisms in our samples represent contaminants from the reagents used to perform the DNA extractions and sequencing. Further work is needed to identify these contaminants, remove them from our data and recalculate the diversity statistics. This is a systematic error. Therefore, we do not expect removing the sequencing contaminants to change our conclusions. Longer air sample collection times appear to result in slightly higher diversity and do not bias the results towards “hardy” bacteria like spore-formers. Based on these preliminary results we conclude that sampling at least 3,000 liters of air is sufficient to capture the microbial diversity of cleanrooms, and that air samples can also be collected overnight without negatively impacting diversity. These results allow us to be flexible when designing microbial monitoring plans so that they do not interfere with routine lab activity. References: 1. Regberg, A. B. et al. 49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2018). 2. The United States Pharmacopeial Convention. USP General Chapter <1116> (2013). 3. Regberg, A. B., et al. 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2023). 4. Regberg, A. B. et al. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference ( 2022). 5. Davis, R. E.,et al. 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2019). 6. Qiagen. MagAttract® PowerMicrobiome® DNA/RNA EP Kit Handbook. (2018). 7. Walters, W. et al. mSystems 1, (2015). 8. Callahan, B. J. et al. Nat. Methods 13, 581–583 (2016). 9. Hall, M. & Beiko, R. G. Microbiome Analysis: Methods and Protocols113–129 (Springer, 2018). 10. Philipson, C. et al. Bio-Protoc. 7, e2622 (2017).

A. B. Regberg↗

Study of the photodegradation of brilliant green on mechanically activated powders of zinc oxide

A study of the photocatalytic activity of commercial and mechanically activated zinc oxide powders has been carried out based on the example of the decomposition of Brilliant Green. The goal of this work was to study the effect of the grinding time (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 min) on the structure of zinc oxide and its photocatalytic activity under visible and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It has been found that, when UV radiation is used, the constant of the dye oxidation rate for samples activated for 1 min increases compared with unactivated powders, whereas further mechanical activation leads to a decrease in the photocatalytic activity. When using visible radiation, samples activated for 1 min showed the minimum photocatalytic activity and further mechanical activation led to an increase in the efficiency of photocatalysis.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Interplay between Intrinsic Thermal Stability and Expansion Properties of Functionalized UiO-67 Metal–Organic Frameworks

The UiO family of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been extensively studied for several applications owing to their high stability rendered by their robust secondary building units. The efficient design and use of these materials require a fundamental understanding of their thermal stability and its impact on chemical and structural functionality. In this work, we provide a detailed characterization of the intrinsic thermal behavior of the UiO-67 and functional analogues, UiO-67-NH 2 and UiO-67-CH 3 . Using in situ temperature-programmed X-ray diffraction, we find that distortion of the carboxylate group on the organic linker leads to negative thermal expansion (NTE) of the UiO-67 MOFs during heating. This NTE behavior is correlated with rich and reversible thermal changes observed in the MOF infrared spectral signature as samples are heated to the sample activation temperature (473 K). We find that in the absence of oxygen, activated UiO-67 samples show higher thermal stability compared to ambient or inert environments, with temperature-programmed desorption revealing an overall stability trend: UiO-67 > UiO-67- CH 3 > UiO-67-NH 2 . Two stages of change are observed during thermal treatment above 473 K, which are directly related to deformation of the inorganic node and the isotropic NTE behavior of these materials. Ultimately, these results provide a real-time interpretation of the fundamental thermoresponsive behavior of UiO-67 MOFs and offer a foundation for accurate interpretation of MOF interactions with guest molecules and their temperature dependence.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Nuclearity effects in supported, single-site Fe( ii ) hydrogenation pre-catalysts

Dimeric and monomeric supported single-site Fe(II) pre-catalysts on SiO 2 have been prepared via organometallic grafting and characterized with advanced spectroscopic techniques. Manipulation of the surface hydroxyl concentration on the support influences monomer/dimer formation. While both pre-catalysts are highly active in liquid-phase hydrogenation, the dimeric pre-catalyst is ~3× faster than the monomer. Here, preliminary XAS experiments on the H 2 -activated samples suggest the active species are isolated Fe(II) sites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Interference Terms for Xenon-135

Systems to measure radioxenon concentrations are continually being improved to provide greater sensitivity and precision. As the systems become more capable, additional terms need to be added to the calculations to account for small previously insignificant effects such as minor decay branches. Recently, additional terms present in the {sup 135}Xe decay were added to the calculations to account for the small (5.2%) fraction of decays that produce cesium K-shell x-rays with an average energy of 32 keV and the Compton scatter of the dominant 250-keV gamma ray. These events overlap with the regions of interest of {sup 133}Xe, {sup 131m}Xe, and {sup 133m}Xe. In typical field applications, the amount of expected {sup 135}Xe is low due to the short half-life (9.14 hours) therefore the small fraction that could be mis-categorized as other isotopes is insignificant in most cases. However, for much more active samples, such as those recently measured in calibration and testing samples with high activity, the amount of mis-categorization can be significant. The additions to the calculations use calibration values to estimate the amount of a possible interference of {sup 135}Xe in the other regions of interest, which are then subtracted out. The calibration values, which are ratios of counts in one region of interest to another, are obtained by measuring with single isotope gases during the calibration process.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Ventilation Control of Volatile Organic Compounds in New U.S. Homes: Results of a Controlled Field Study in Nine Residential Units

In order to optimize strategies to remove airborne contaminants in residences, it is necessary to determine how contaminant concentrations respond to changes in the air exchange rate. The impact of air exchange rate on the indoor concentrations of 39 target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was assessed by measuring air exchange rates and VOC concentrations at three ventilation settings in nine residences. Active sampling methods were used for VOC concentration measurements, and passive perfluorocarbon tracer gas emitters with active sampling were used to determine the overall air exchange rate corresponding to the VOC measurements at each ventilation setting. The concentration levels and emission rates of the target VOCs varied by as much as two orders of magnitude across sites. Aldehyde and terpene compounds were typically the chemical classes with highest concentrations, followed by alkanes, aromatics, and siloxanes. For each home, VOC concentrations tended to decrease as the air exchange rate was increased, however, measurement uncertainty was significant. The indoor concentration was inversely proportional to air exchange rate for most compounds. For a subset of compounds including formaldehyde, however, the indoor concentration exhibited a non-linear dependence on the timescale for air exchange.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Ventilation Control of Volatile Organic Compounds in New U.S. Homes: Results of a Controlled Field Study in Nine Residential Units

In order to optimize strategies to remove airborne contaminants in residences, it is necessary to determine how contaminant concentrations respond to changes in the air exchange rate. The impact of air exchange rate on the indoor concentrations of 39 target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was assessed by measuring air exchange rates and VOC concentrations at three ventilation settings in nine residences. Active sampling methods were used for VOC concentration measurements, and passive perfluorocarbon tracer gas emitters with active sampling were used to determine the overall air exchange rate corresponding to the VOC measurements at each ventilation setting. The concentration levels and emission rates of the target VOCs varied by as much as two orders of magnitude across sites. Aldehyde and terpene compounds were typically the chemical classes with highest concentrations, followed by alkanes, aromatics, and siloxanes. For each home, VOC concentrations tended to decrease as the air exchange rate was increased, however, measurement uncertainty was significant. The indoor concentration was inversely proportional to air exchange rate for most compounds. For a subset of compounds including formaldehyde, however, the indoor concentration exhibited a non-linear dependence on the timescale for air exchange

42 ENGINEERING↗

Measurement of Passive Uptake Rates for Volatile Organic Compounds on Commercial Thermal Desorption Tubes and the Effect of Ozone on Sampling

Diffusive or passive sampling methods using commercially filled axial-sampling thermal desorption tubes are widely used for measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air. The passive sampling method provides a robust, cost effective way to measure air quality with time-averaged concentrations spanning up to a week or more. Sampling rates for VOCs can be calculated using tube geometry and Fick’s Law for ideal diffusion behavior or measured experimentally. There is evidence that uptake rates deviate from ideal and may not be constant over time. Therefore, experimentally measured sampling rates are preferred. In this project, a calibration chamber with a continuous stirred tank reactor design and constant VOC source was combined with active sampling to generate a controlled dynamic calibration environment for passive samplers. The chamber air was augmented with a continuous source of 45 VOCs ranging from pentane to diethyl phthalate representing a variety of chemical classes and physiochemical properties. Both passive and active samples were collected on commercially filled Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes over an 11-day period and used to calculate passive sampling rates. A second experiment was designed to determine the impact of ozone on passive sampling by using the calibration chamber to passively load five terpenes on a set of Tenax tubes and then exposing the tubes to different ozone environments with and without ozone scrubbers attached to the tube inlet. During the sampling rate experiment, the measured diffusive uptake was constant for up to seven days for most of the VOCs tested but deviated from linearity for some of the more volatile compounds between seven and eleven days. In the ozone experiment, both exposed and unexposed tubes showed a similar decline in terpene mass over time indicating back diffusion when uncapped tubes were transferred to a clean environment but there was no indication of significant loss by ozone reaction.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

A catalog of X-ray measurements of selected samples of active galaxies and nuclei

X-ray fluxes or upper limits in the 2-10 keV energy band from the HEAO 1 A-2 experiment are given for well-defined samples of QSOs and of Seyfert galaxies of types 1, 1.5 and 2, and for a list of BL Lac objects (334 sources in total). All on-orbit X-ray measurements of these objects published between 1976 and 1986 from other experiments have also been cataloged.

Della Ceca, R.↗

Star Formation in the Local Universe from the CALIFA Sample. II. Activation and Quenching Mechanisms in Bulges, Bars, and Disks

We estimate the current extinction-corrected Hα star formation rate (SFR) of the different morphological components that shape galaxies (bulges, bars, and disks). We use a multicomponent photometric decomposition based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging to Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) datacubes for a sample of 219 galaxies. This analysis reveals an enhancement of the central SFR and specific SFR (sSFR = SFR/M {sub ⋆}) in barred galaxies. Along the main sequence, we find that more massive galaxies in total have undergone efficient suppression (quenching) of their star formation, in agreement with many studies. We discover that more massive disks have had their star formation quenched as well. We evaluate which mechanisms might be responsible for this quenching process. The presence of type 2 AGNs plays a role at damping the sSFR in bulges and less efficiently in disks. Also, the decrease in the sSFR of the disk component becomes more noticeable for stellar masses around 10{sup 10.5} M{sub ⊙}; for bulges, it is already present at ∼10{sup 9.5} M{sub ⊙}. The analysis of the line-of-sight stellar velocity dispersions (σ) for the bulge component and of the corresponding Faber–Jackson relation shows that AGNs tend to have slightly higher σ values than star-forming galaxies for the same mass. Finally, the impact of environment is evaluated by means of the projected galaxy density, Σ{sub 5}. We find that the SFR of both bulges and disks decreases in intermediate- to high-density environments. This work reflects the potential of combining IFS data with 2D multicomponent decompositions to shed light on the processes that regulate the SFR.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

On-chip polarimetry for high-throughput screening of nanoliter and smaller sample volumes

A polarimetry technique for measuring optical activity that is particularly suited for high throughput screening employs a chip or substrate (22) having one or more microfluidic channels (26) formed therein. A polarized laser beam (14) is directed onto optically active samples that are disposed in the channels. The incident laser beam interacts with the optically active molecules in the sample, which slightly alter the polarization of the laser beam as it passes multiple times through the sample. Interference fringe patterns (28) are generated by the interaction of the laser beam with the sample and the channel walls. A photodetector (34) is positioned to receive the interference fringe patterns and generate an output signal that is input to a computer or other analyzer (38) for analyzing the signal and determining the rotation of plane polarized light by optically active material in the channel from polarization rotation calculations.

Bornhop, Darryl J.↗

Isotope-Specific Analysis of Neutron-Irradiated Lithium Aluminate Ceramics by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

The effects of neutron irradiation on lithium aluminate targets and the permeation of tritium into surrounding components are primary concerns in the development of materials for use in tritium production. The high specific activity and volatility of the tritium in activated samples greatly increase the challenges of experimental analysis. This paper reports the determination of the chemical forms and quantities of H-3 and Li-6 in irradiated and non-irradiated LiAlO2 by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and demonstrates that measurements can be performed in a non-destructive, safe manner to obtain isotope-selective, quantitative information on highly hazardous materials.

Tritium, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance sp↗