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Results for “GOLD ISOTOPES”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Neutron transfer in the C 13 + Au 197 reaction from gold isotope residuals

Residual gold nuclei were produced in this paper via neutron transfer at multiple energies using a 130-MeV 13 C beam incident on a stacked-foil target consisting of alternating layers of 197 Au and 27 Al. Production cross sections, over an energy range of 56 to 129 MeV, for seven gold isotopes and two gold isomers were determined through activation analysis. By using the Wilczynski binary transfer model with a modified version of the recoil formula and a standard evaporation model, we were able to reproduce the isotopic production cross sections at high beam energy, with some disagreement at lower beam energies. Finally, this limiting angular momentum model does not predict the transfer of sufficient angular momentum to reproduce the observed isomeric populations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Recent advances and results from the solid radiochemistry nuclear diagnostic at the National Ignition Facility

The solid debris collection capability at the National Ignition Facility has been expanded to include a third line-of-sight assembly. The solid radiochemistry nuclear diagnostic measurement of the ratio of gold isotopes is dependent on the efficient collection of neutron-activated hohlraum debris by passive metal disks. As a result, the collection of target debris at this new location is more reliable in comparison to the historic locations, and it appears to be independent of collector surface ablation.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2014

β-decay and β-delayed Neutron Emission Measurements at GSI-FRS Beyond N=126, for r-process Nucleosynthesis

New measurements of very exotic nuclei in the neutron-rich region beyond N=126 have been performed at the GSI facility with the fragment separator (FRS). The aim of the experiment is to determine half-lives and β-delayed neutron emission branching ratios of isotopes of Hg, Tl and Pb in this region. This contribution summarizes final counting statistics for identification and for implantation, as well as the present status of the data analysis of the half-lives. In summary, isotopes of Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Po, At, Rn and Fr were clearly identified and several of them ({sup 208-211}Hg, {sup 211-215}Tl, {sup 214-218}Pb) were implanted with enough statistics to determine their half-lives. About half of them are expected to be neutron emitters, in such cases it will become possible to obtain the neutron emission probabilities, Pn.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Influence of dynamical parameters on pre-scission particles and fission probability in heavy-ion collisions

A stochastic approach to fission dynamics based on one- and three-dimensional Langevin equations was applied to calculate the fission probability and the pre-scission particle multiplicity. Evaporation of pre-scission light particles along Langevin fission trajectories from the ground state of the compound nucleus to its scission and fission probability have been calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation technique. To examine this approach we used {sup 19}F+{sup 181}Ta and {sup 16}O+{sup 197}Au systems. Our results show that the fission probability and pre-scission particle multiplicity in three dimensions is different from the one-dimensional Langevin approach. The theoretical results of pre-scission neutron, proton, and {alpha}-particle multiplicities and the fission probability for given systems based on this model are compared with available experimental data. The obtained results using three-dimensional calculations are in better agreement with experimental data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Upper limits for the existence of long-lived isotopes of roentgenium in natural gold

A sensitive search for isotopes of a superheavy element (SHE) in natural gold materials has been performed with accelerator mass spectrometry at the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator, which is based on a 3-MV tandem accelerator. Because the most likely SHE in gold is roentgenium (Rg, Z = 111), the search concentrated on Rg isotopes. Two different mass regions were explored: (i) For the neutron-deficient isotopes {sup 261}Rg and {sup 265}Rg, abundance limits in gold of 3x10{sup -16} were reached (no events observed). This is in stark contrast to the findings of Marinov et al.[Int. J. Mod. Phys. E 18, 621 (2009)], who reported positive identification of these isotopes with inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry in the (1-10)x10{sup -10} abundance range. (ii) Theoretical models of SHEs predict a region of increased stability around the proton and neutron shell closures of Z = 114 and N = 184. We therefore investigated eight heavy Rg isotopes, {sup A}Rg, A = 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, and 296. For six isotopes no events were observed, setting limits also in the 10{sup -16} abundance range. For {sup 291}Rg and {sup 294}Rg we observed two and nine events, respectively, which results in an abundance in the 10{sup -15} range. However, pileup of a particularly strong background in these cases makes a positive identification as Rg isotopes--even after pileup correction--unlikely.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Assessment of mercury exposure among small-scale gold miners using mercury stable isotopes

Total mercury (Hg) concentrations in hair and urine are often used as biomarkers of exposure to fish-derived methylmercury (MeHg) and gaseous elemental Hg, respectively. We used Hg stable isotopes to assess the validity of these biomarkers among small-scale gold mining populations in Ghana and Indonesia. Urine from Ghanaian miners displayed similar Δ{sup 199}Hg values to Hg derived from ore deposits (mean urine Δ{sup 199}Hg=0.01‰, n=6). This suggests that urine total Hg concentrations accurately reflect exposure to inorganic Hg among this population. Hair samples from Ghanaian miners displayed low positive Δ{sup 199}Hg values (0.23–0.55‰, n=6) and low percentages of total Hg as MeHg (7.6–29%, n=7). These data suggest that the majority of the Hg in these miners' hair samples is exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg and not fish-derived MeHg. Hair samples from Indonesian gold miners who eat fish daily displayed a wider range of positive Δ{sup 199}Hg values (0.21–1.32‰, n=5) and percentages of total Hg as MeHg (32–72%, n=4). This suggests that total Hg in the hair samples from Indonesian gold miners is likely a mixture of ingested fish MeHg and exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg. Based on data from both populations, we suggest that total Hg concentrations in hair samples from small-scale gold miners likely overestimate exposure to MeHg from fish consumption. - Highlights: • Mercury isotopes were measured in hair and urine from small-scale gold miners. • Mercury isotopes indicate that Hg in urine comes from mining activity. • Mercury isotopes suggest Hg in hair is a mixture of fish MeHg and inorganic Hg. • A large percentage of Hg in miner’s hair is released during amalgam burning and adsorbed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2010

Half-life of {sup 221}Fr in Si and Au at 4 K and at millikelvin temperatures

The half-life of the {alpha}-decaying nucleus {sup 221}Fr was determined in different environments, that is, embedded in Si at 4 K, and embedded in Au at 4 K and about 20 mK. No differences in half-life for these different conditions were observed within 0.1%. Furthermore, we quote a value for the absolute half-life of {sup 221}Fr of t{sub 1/2}=286.1(10) s that is of comparable precision to the most precise value available in the literature.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Production of new neutron-rich isotopes of heavy elements in fragmentation reactions of {sup 238}U projectiles at 1A GeV

The production of heavy neutron-rich nuclei has been investigated using cold-fragmentation reactions of {sup 238}U projectiles at relativistic energies. The experiment performed at the high-resolving-power magnetic spectrometer Fragment Separator at GSI made it possible to identify 40 new heavy neutron-rich nuclei: {sup 205}Pt, {sup 207-210}Au, {sup 211-216}Hg, {sup 214-217}Tl, {sup 215-220}Pb, {sup 219-224}Bi, {sup 223-227}Po, {sup 225-229}At, {sup 230,231}Rn, and {sup 233}Fr. The production cross sections of these nuclei were also determined and used to benchmark reaction codes that predict the production of nuclei far from stability.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Fission fragment mass distributions in reactions forming the {sup 213}Fr compound nucleus

The fission fragment mass angle correlations and mass ratio distributions have been investigated for the two systems {sup 16}O+{sup 197}Au and {sup 27}Al+{sup 186}W, leading to the same compound nucleus {sup 213}Fr around the Coulomb barrier energies. Systematic analysis of the variance of the mass distributions as a function of temperature and angular momentum suggests true compound nuclear fission for both the reactions, indicating the absence of nonequilibrium fission processes.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Counting the number of correlated pairs in a nucleus

We suggest that the number of correlated nucleon pairs in an arbitrary nucleus can be estimated by counting the number of proton-neutron, proton-proton, and neutron-neutron pairs residing in a relative S state. We present numerical calculations of those amounts for the nuclei {sup 4}He, {sup 9}Be, {sup 12}C, {sup 27}Al, {sup 40}Ca, {sup 48}Ca, {sup 56}Fe, {sup 63}Cu, {sup 108}Ag, and {sup 197}Au. The results are used to predict the values of the ratios of the per-nucleon electron-nucleus inelastic scattering cross section to the deuteron in the kinematic regime where correlations dominate.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Dynamics of strangeness production in heavy-ion collisions near threshold energies

Within the framework of the improved isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics (ImIQMD) model, the dynamics of strangeness (K{sup 0,+}, {Lambda}, and {Sigma}{sup -,0,+}) production in heavy-ion collisions near threshold energies is investigated systematically, with the strange particles considered to be produced mainly by inelastic collisions of baryon-baryon and pion-baryon. Collisions in the region of suprasaturation densities of the dense baryonic matter formed in heavy-ion collisions dominate the yields of strangeness production. Total multiplicities as functions of incident energies and collision centralities are calculated with the Skyrme parameter SLy6. The excitation function of strangeness production is analyzed and also compared with the KaoS data for K{sup +} production in the reactions {sup 12}C+{sup 12}C and {sup 197}Au+{sup 197}Au.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2005

Genesis Field Recovery

The Genesis mission returned to Earth on September 8, 2004 after a nearly flawless three-year mission to collect solar matter. The intent was to deploy a drogue chute and parafoil high over the Utah desert and to catch the fragile payload capsule in mid-air by helicopter. The capsule would then be opened in a clean-room constructed for that purpose at UTTR, and a nitrogen purge was to be installed before transporting the science canister to JSC. Unfortunately, both chutes failed to deploy, causing the capsule to fall to the desert floor at a speed of nearly 200 MPH. Still, Genesis represents a milestone in the US space program, comprising the first sample return since the Apollo Missions as well as the first return of materials exposed to the space environment outside of low Earth orbit and beyond the Earth s magnetosphere for an extended period. We have no other comparable materials in all of our collections on Earth. The goal of the Genesis Mission was to collect a representative sample of the composition of the solar wind and thus, the solar nebula from which our solar system originated. This was done by allowing the naturally accelerated species to implant shallowly in the surfaces of ultra-pure, ultra-clean collector materials. These collectors included single crystal silicon (FZ and CZ), sapphire, silicon carbide; those materials coated with aluminum, silicon, diamond like carbon, and gold; and isotopically enriched polycrystalline diamond and amorphous carbon. The majority of these materials were distributed on five collector arrays. Three of the materials were housed in an electrostatic concentrator designed to increase the flux of low-mass ions. There was also a two-inch diameter bulk metallic glass collector and a gold foil, polished aluminum, and molybdenum coated platinum foil collector. An excellent review of the Genesis collector materials is offered in reference [1].

McNamara, K. M.↗
DOE OSTI2010

Model ingredients and peak mass production in heavy-ion collisions

We simulate the central reactions of {sup 20}Ne+{sup 20}Ne, {sup 40}Ar+{sup 45}Sc, {sup 58}Ni+{sup 58}Ni, {sup 86}Kr+{sup 93}Nb, {sup 129}Xe+{sup 118}Sn, {sup 86}Kr+{sup 197}Au, and {sup 197}Au+{sup 197}Au at different incident energies for different equations of state, different binary cross sections, and different widths of Gaussians. A rise-and-fall behavior of the multiplicity of intermediate mass fragments (IMFs) is observed. The system size dependence of peak center-of-mass energy E{sub c.m.}{sup max} and peak IMF multiplicity <N{sub IMF}>{sup max} is also studied, where it is observed that E{sub c.m.}{sup max} follows a linear behavior and <N{sub IMF}>{sup max} shows a power-law dependence. A comparison between two clusterization methods, the minimum spanning tree and the minimum spanning tree method with binding energy check (MSTB), is also made. We find that the MSTB method reduces the <N{sub IMF}>{sup max}, especially in heavy systems. The power-law dependence is also observed for fragments of different sizes at E{sub c.m.}{sup max} and the power-law parameter {tau} is found to be close to unity in all cases except A{sup max}.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Constraining the high-density behavior of the nuclear equation of state from strangeness production in heavy-ion collisions

The dynamics of pions and strange particles in heavy-ion collisions in the region of 1A GeV energies is investigated by the lanzhou quantum molecular dynamics model for probing the nuclear equation of state at suprasaturation densities. The total multiplicities and the ratios obtained in {sup 197}Au+{sup 197}Au over {sup 12}C+{sup 12}C systems are calculated for selected Skyrme parameters SkP, SLy6, Ska, and SIII, which correspond to different modulus of incompressibility of symmetric nuclear matter and different cases of the stiffness of symmetry energy. A decreasing trend of the excitation functions of the ratios for strange particle production with increasing incident energy was observed. The available data of K{sup +} production measured by KaoS collaboration are described well with the parameter SkP, which results in a soft equation of state. The conclusions cannot be modified by an in-medium kaon-nucleon potential.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Calculation of proton total reaction cross sections for some target nuclei in incident energy range of 10-600 MeV

In this study, proton total reaction cross sections have been investigated for some isotopes such as {sup 12}C, {sup 27}Al, {sup 9}Be, {sup 16}O, {sup 181}Ta, {sup 197}Au, {sup 6}Li, and {sup 14}N by a proton beam up to 600 MeV. Calculation of the proton total cross sections has been carried out by the analytic expression formulated by M.A. Alvi by using Coulomb-modified Glauber theory with the Helm model nuclear form factor. The obtained results have been discussed and compared with the available experimental data and found to be in agreement with each other.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Ion Beam Facility at the University of Chile; Applications and Basic Research

The main characteristics of the ion beam facility based on a 3.75 MeV Van de Graaff accelerator at the University of Chile are described at this work. Current activities are mainly focused on the application of the Ion Beam Analysis techniques for environmental, archaeological, and material science analysis. For instance, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) is applied to measure thin gold film thickness which are used to determine their resistivity and other electrical properties. At this laboratory the Proton Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) and Proton Elastic Scattering Analysis (PESA) methodologies are extensively used for trace element analysis of urban aerosols (Santiago, Ciudad de Mexico). A similar study is being carried out at the Antarctica Peninsula. Characterization studies on obsidian and vitreous dacite samples using PIXE has been also perform allowing to match some of these artifacts with geological source sites in Chile.Basic physics research is being carried out by measuring low-energy cross section values for the reactions {sup 63}Cu(d,p){sup 64}Cu and {sup Nat}Zn(p,x){sup 67}Ga. Both radionuclide {sup 64}Cu and {sup 67}Ga are required for applications in medicine. Ongoing stopping power cross section measurements of proton and alphas on Pd, Cu, Bi and Mylar are briefly discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

CRDIAC: Coupled Reactor Depletion Instrument with Automated Control

When modeling the behavior of a nuclear reactor over time, it is important to understand how the isotopes in the reactor will change, or transmute, over that time. This is especially important in the reactor fuel itself. Many nuclear physics modeling codes model how particles interact in the system, but do not model this over time.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Nuclear Data Sheets for A=182

Nuclear spectroscopic information for known nuclides of mass number 182 (Lu,Hf,Ta,W,Re,Os,Ir,Pt,Au,Hg, Tl,Pb) with Z=71 to 82 and N=111 to 100 have been evaluated and presented together with adopted energies and J{pi} of levels in these nuclei. No excited state data are yet available for {sup 182}Lu, while only limited structure information is available for {sup 182}Pb and {sup 182}Tl. Rotational band structures are known for {sup 182}Hg and {sup 182}Au but spin-parity assignments remain largely tentative. The decays of {sup 182}Lu, {sup 182}Hg, {sup 182}Au and {sup 182}Tl are not well established. The {sup 182}Hf isotope is of geophysical and astrophysical interest. This evaluation supersedes previous full evaluations of A=182 published by 1988Fi05 and 1975Sc13, and a selected (mainly high-spin) update of A=182 published by 1995Si04.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗