A comparison of different recombination methods in mixed radiation fields at high energy accelerators

Recombination chambers and different recombination methods have been used for dosimetry of mixed radiation fields at high-energy accelerators for over 40 years. This paper gives a short overview of 11 selected recombination methods used for the determination of H*(10) in mixed radiation fields at high-energy accelerators. A new correction factor is proposed, mainly in order to take into account the dependence of the chamber sensitivity on radiation quality. This factor depends only on the measurable index of radiation quality and can be determined for a particular chamber during the calibration in a reference field of neutron radiation. A comparison of the results obtained at high-energy accelerators showed that all the methods gave the same values of H(10), within a specified accuracy of about 20%, so all of them are suitable for monitoring complex mixed radiation fields at workplaces.     

One-step synthesis of silver nanoparticles at the air-water interface using different methods

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized in a one-step process at the air-AgNO(3) aqueous solution interface under Langmuir monolayers of 5,10,15,20-tetra-4-oxy(2-stearic acid) phenyl porphyrin (TSPP) at room temperature by using different methods including UV-light irradiation, ambient light irradiation, and formaldehyde gas reduction. It was found that parallel aligned one-dimensional (1D) chains composed of discrete silver nanoparticles with the size of 3-5?nm were formed under UV-light irradiation for a short time, while large areas of uniform silver spherical nanoparticles were formed under natural daylight illumination for several days or by formaldehyde gas treatment for several hours. The average size of the spherical nanoparticles ranges from 6.88 ± 0.46 to 11.10 ± 1.47?nm, depending on the experimental conditions. The 1D chains formed under UV-light irradiation result from the templating effect of parallel aligned linear supramolecular arrays formed by TSPP at the air-water interface, and rapid nucleation and growth of the nanoparticles. The formation of the uniform silver nanoparticles under daylight illumination or by formaldehyde gas treatment, however, should be ascribed to a kinetically controlled growth process of the nanoparticles.     

Analysis of Monte Carlo methods applied to blackbody and lower emissivity cavities

Monte Carlo methods are often applied to the calculation of the apparent emissivities of blackbody cavities. However, for cavities with complex as well as some commonly encountered geometries, the emission Monte Carlo method experiences problems of convergence. The emission and absorption Monte Carlo methods are compared on the basis of ease of implementation and convergence speed when applied to blackbody sources. A new method to determine solution convergence compatible with both methods is developed, and the convergence speeds of the two methods are compared through the application of both methods to a right-circular cylinder cavity. It is shown that the absorption method converges faster and is easier to implement than the emission method when applied to most blackbody and lower emissivity cavities.     

Self-citations at the meso and individual levels: effects of different calculation methods

This paper focuses on the study of self-citations at the meso and micro (individual) levels, on the basis of an analysis of the production (1994–2004) of individual researchers working at the Spanish CSIC in the areas of Biology and Biomedicine and Material Sciences. Two different types of self-citations are described: author self-citations (citations received from the author him/herself) and co-author self-citations (citations received from the researchers’ co-authors but without his/her participation). Self-citations do not play a decisive role in the high citation scores of documents either at the individual or at the meso level, which are mainly due to external citations. At micro-level, the percentage of self-citations does not change by professional rank or age, but differences in the relative weight of author and co-author self-citations have been found. The percentage of co-author self-citations tends to decrease with age and professional rank while the percentage of author self-citations shows the opposite trend. Suppressing author self-citations from citation counts to prevent overblown self-citation practices may result in a higher reduction of citation numbers of old scientists and, particularly, of those in the highest categories. Author and co-author self-citations provide valuable information on the scientific communication process, but external citations are the most relevant for evaluative purposes. As a final recommendation, studies considering self-citations at the individual level should make clear whether author or total self-citations are used as these can affect researchers differently.     

Comparative analysis of two methods for synthesis of fullerenes at different helium pressures

Abstract

The results of the effect of helium pressure in the chamber on the amount and composition of the produced fullerenes (C₆₀, C₇₀, etc.) synthesized in the arc plasma with graphite electrodes are presented. The findings obtained when the arc is powered by a direct (DC) and alternating (AC) currents of low frequency were compared in the same chamber with the electrodes located at the same angle to each other. These two methods are drastically different. The complete conversion of graphite into fullerene soot in AC occurs, but a part of the graphite is converted into a cathode deposit that does not contain fullerenes in DC, the relative amount of which increases when decreasing the helium pressure in the chamber. The highest fullerene content in fullerene soot of 10.2?wt.% is produced at a pressure of 127.5?kPa in AC arc, but in DC arc, the highest content of fullerenes in fullerene soot of 8.3?wt.% is produced at a pressure of 33.3?kPa.     

Diffusive relaxation of stress concentrations at grain boundary cavities in elevated temperature creep

This work deals with certain aspects of elevated temperatures creep cavitation of grain boundaries under cyclic and rapidly applied loading. The response of partially damaged materials (where damage is represented as crack-like cavities on the grain boundaries) following load alterations at temperatures in the vicinity of 0.5 T_m or higher is analyzed. The interaction between grain boundary diffusion and elastic deformation is important in alleviating local stress concentrations under these conditions. The stress levels considered are assumed to be low enough that plastic deformation is significant. Diffusive processes contribute to high temperature creep rupture by material redistribution from the void surfaces to the grain boundaries, and any non-uniform matter accommodation along the grain boundaries is accomplished by elastic deformation under the conditions assumed. The same material redistribution mechanism dominates in the stress relaxation process. The analysis of the stress and displacement fields is based on consideration of the coupled elasticity-diffusion boundary value problem, which leads to an integral equation. On the basis of the solution obtained, the detailed analysis of the process under cyclic, step and ramp loadings is given. For suddenly applied loading the results demonstrate that the elastic stress concentration is effectively relaxed by diffusion after t = 0.05τ where $\text{τ ≈}\text{L}{}^3\text{DE}$, L is half of the distance between adjacent tips of neighboring cracks along the grain boundary, E is Young's modulus, and D is diffusion parameter relating volumetric flux along the grain boundary to the stress gradient. By t = 0.25τ the stress distribution becomes essentially identical to that calculated for rigid grains, i.e. diffusion has become the dominant process and elastic deformability of the adjoining grains is then irrelevant.     

Photoabsorption convection in cavities

An economical finite-difference system is given for solving problems in convection caused by absorption of radiation. Threshold effects are predicted and examined in detail.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 19, No. 6, pp. 1012–1020, December, 1970.     

Lennard-Jones fluids in cavities

Static and dynamic properties of Lennard-Jones particles in spherical cavities of molecular dimension are studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The local density is a function of the radial coordinate; a layered density profile is reproduced by the iterative solution of an approximate BGY equation. The pair correlation function exhibits a broadened first-neighbor peak and a second-neighbor peak which is shifted inward from its location in the homogeneous fluid. The viscosity, as measured by the relaxation of a rotor in the cavity, is a function of the cavity radius and may actually decrease as the cavity radius decreases. This qualitative trend is reversed when the smooth cavity is replaced by a cavity with rough, molecular walls.Paper presented at the Tenth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 20–23, 1988, Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.A.     

Prediction of crack initiation at blunt notches and cavities - size effects

Crack initiation at corners, V-notches and other situations such as interfaces breaking a free surface (delamination initiation) cannot be correctly predicted by the usual brittle fracture criteria (either Griffith or maximum stress). They give contradictory results and neither one nor the other agrees with the experiments. An additional characteristic length is required to define a satisfying criterion giving rise to the so-called “Finite fracture mechanics”. The crack is supposed to jump this length which depends both on the material properties and the local geometry of the structure; it is not a material parameter. In most cases this crack increment is small. The size effect arises with the interaction between the crack increment and another length characterising a microstructure such as a pore diameter, a notch root radius or an interface layer thickness. The remote load at failure depends on the actual value of this microstructure parameter whereas it was not expected in all cases. Assuming that the two interacting lengths remain small compared to the size of the global structure, an asymptotic procedure allows bringing into evidence the change in the apparent resistance of the structure due to this phenomenon. Results are compared with experiments in various domains: polymers, ceramics and rocks.     

Metrological characterization of X-ray diffraction methods at different acquisition geometries for determination of crystallite size in nano-scale materials

Crystallite size values were determined by X-ray diffraction methods for 183 powder samples. The tested size range was from a few to about several hundred nanometers. Crystallite size was calculated with direct use of the Scherrer equation, the Williamson–Hall method and the Rietveld procedure via the application of a series of commercial and free software. The results were statistically treated to estimate the significance of the difference in size resulting from these methods. We also estimated effect of acquisition conditions (Bragg–Brentano, parallel-beam geometry, step size, counting time) and data processing on the calculated crystallite size values. On the basis of the obtained results it is possible to conclude that direct use of the Scherrer equation, Williamson–Hall method and the Rietveld refinement employed by a series of software (EVA, PCW and TOPAS respectively) yield very close results for crystallite sizes less than 60 nm for parallel beam geometry and less than 100 nm for Bragg–Brentano geometry. However, we found that despite the fact that the differences between the crystallite sizes, which were calculated by various methods, are small by absolute values, they are statistically significant in some cases. The values of crystallite size determined from XRD were compared with those obtained by imaging in a transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopes (SEM). It was found that there was a good correlation in size only for crystallites smaller than 50 – 60 nm.     

不同加载速率下PD3钢轨疲劳裂纹扩展行为研究

以往的研究已经证明加载速率会对铁磁性材料的力学行为和周围压磁磁场产生影响,为了进一步研究历史加载速率对后续压磁磁场演变规律的作用,对Q345工程结构钢进行了一系列循环拉伸试验,采用磁通仪对试件压磁磁场进行在线监测,研究试件在经历不同的历史加载速率后,其压磁磁场的演变规律。结果表明：加载速率历史是影响压磁磁场演变的重要因素之一。     

不同民族流动育龄妇女的避孕状况分析

了解乌鲁木齐市流动育龄妇女的避孕状况,为今后开展避孕方法知情选择优质服务提供参考。采用分层-整群-随机抽样的方法,对18~50岁符合条件的对象进行问卷调查,主要包括人口学特征、避孕措施的使用情况等。采用卡方检验和多因素Logistic回归方法进行统计分析。本次调查的106 568例流动育龄妇女中,避孕方法使用比例为92.78%,避孕方法的选择依次为宫内节育器(65.74%)、药物(23.17%,包括口服避孕药、皮下埋植剂、避孕针等含药避孕方法)、避孕套(9.06%)、绝育术(2.03%)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示民族、学历、职业、婚姻状况和性生活频率对避孕方法的使用有影响。应根据不同民族的情况和流动育龄妇女的人口学特征,提供有针对性和个性化的避孕方法知情选择指导和服务。     

Lasing threshold reduction in grating-tuned cavities

A new geometry for grating-tuned cavities that reduces optical losses from the gratings, lowers the lasing threshold, and enhances the laser output is described and tested. We achieved these enhancements by feeding back into the cavity light that is normally lost through grating reflections. The new geometry is tested on two grazing-incidence dye laser cavities: one that resembles a Littman -Metcalf design and demonstrates the essential principle of the new arrangement, and one that introduces modifications necessary to allow single-longitudinal-mode operation without mode hopping over a tuning range of ~15 cm-1 .     

Cobalt nanoparticles prepared by three different methods

This work aimed to study cobalt nanoparticles (Co-NPs) preparation using three different methods in order to evaluate the effect of synthesis variables that can influence the nanoparticle size distribution and particle shape. The synthesised nanoparticles were characterised by Transmission Electron Microscopy. The first synthesis employed decomposition of Co₂(CO)₈, at high temperatures. This procedure resulted in spherical nanoparticles with low size distribution. The size of Co-NPs could be tuned by modification of precursor/surfactant, nevertheless the stirring and injection time influenced the size distribution. Using polyol process, at high temperatures, it was produced undefined-shape nanoparticles. This result suggests that the solution composition, i.e. the amount of trioctylphosphine and oleic acid was not suitable to control both size and shape of nanoparticles. Finally, the method based on reduction with NaBH₄ resulted spherical nanoparticles with tiny sizes, indicating that in this case a variation on amount of reductant would be more efficient on the particle size control than a variation in concentration of oleic acid. These results indicated that, for each method, a different variable exists for the control of the distribution size and the shape of the formed particles.     

Comparison of different methods for shielding design in computed tomography

The purpose of this work is to compare different methods for shielding calculation in computed tomography (CT). The BIR-IPEM (British Institute of Radiology and Institute of Physics in Engineering in Medicine) and NCRP (National Council on Radiation Protection) method were used for shielding thickness calculation. Scattered dose levels and calculated barrier thickness were also compared with those obtained by scatter dose measurements in the vicinity of a dedicated CT unit. Minimal requirement for protective barriers based on BIR-IPEM method ranged between 1.1 and 1.4 mm of lead demonstrating underestimation of up to 20 % and overestimation of up to 30 % when compared with thicknesses based on measured dose levels. For NCRP method, calculated thicknesses were 33 % higher (27-42 %). BIR-IPEM methodology-based results were comparable with values based on scattered dose measurements, while results obtained using NCRP methodology demonstrated an overestimation of the minimal required barrier thickness.     

Differences in characteristics of pellets prepared by different pelletization methods

Pellets are currently a very popular dosage form for oral application. They can be prepared by several pelletization techniques. Extrusion/spheronization, commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry, and modern agglomeration in a rotoprocessor were the methods chosen for pellet preparation in our study. Theophylline (in 10% to 65% concentration) was the model drug, lactose monohydrate was used as filler, microcrystalline cellulose Avicel® PH 101 was thespheronization enhancer, and the wetting agent was purified water. Both techniques led to the formation of pellets of appropriate shape and mechanical properties. Pellets of a higher density, hardness, lower friability, and slightly slower dissolution profiles were obtained by extrusion/spheronization. This method of pelletization also led to production of particles with narrower size distribution and bigger yield of pellets with the requested size.