Status of the New Zealand tandem accelerator mass spectrometry facility

A tandem accelerator mass spectrometry system is being installed at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, and will become operational this year. Laboratories for ¹⁴C dating and low level radioactivity counting have been established here for several years, and the advent of the accelerator technique is expected to widen significantly the scope of investigations using these facilities, as well as open up new research possibilities. Oceanographic and atmospheric studies in particular are seen as fields where accelerator mass spectrometry can be fruitfully employed.The system being developed is similar to that at Zürich, and is based on a type EN tandem Van de Graaff, with magnetic and electrostatic beam analysis, and sequential acceleration of isotopes under computer control.Techniques have been developed for the conversion of carbonaceous material to graphite, for ¹⁴C dating, and the extraction of beryllium from sediments for ¹⁰Be measurements.     

Utilizing uncertainty factors in minimal risk levels derivation

While both 31P and 113Cd are present at locations of interest in many different macromolecular systems, heteronuclear-detected relaxation measurements on these nuclei have been restrained by limitations in either resolution or signal-to-noise ratio. We have developed heteroTOCSY-based methods to overcome both of these problems. Two-dimensional versions of these experiments were utilized to measure 31P T1 and T2 values in DNA oligonucleotides; the additional resolution offered by a second dimension allowed determination of these values for most of the 31P resonances in a DNA dodecamer. The results from the experiments indicated that there was little significant variation in T1 values for the different phosphates in the DNA dodecamer; however, the T2 values showed a clear pattern, with lower values in the interior of the sequence than at the ends of the helix. Furthermore, a significant correlation between 31P chemical shifts and T2 values was observed. One-dimensional, frequency-selective versions of these experiments were also developed for use on systems containing a smaller number of heteronuclear spins. These methods were applied to investigate the heteronuclear relaxation properties of 113Cd in 113Cd2LAC9(61), a Cys6Zn2 DNA-binding domain. Data from the experiments confirm biochemical evidence that more significant differences occur in the metal-protein interactions between the two metal-binding sites than has been previously identified for proteins containing this motif.     

Eine Cermet-Glasschmiermittelkombination für Reibpaarungen bei Arbeitstemperaturen von 650–1100°C

A cermet/lubricating glass-combination for friction pairs at working temperatures 650–1100°C The function and the efficency of technical plants are limited by the used materials and their behaviour under working conditions. At elevated temperatures, the corrosion and wear resistance and the thermal shock behaviour are as necessary as mechanical stability at high operating temperatures. Metals and ceramics often cannot meet the conditions. Dynamic applications may require lubricatings, metals surfaces may be too soft and not very oxidation-resistant. Metal-ceramic materials, -cerments-, use a combination of the properties of their microstructural parts. This paper shows a combination of a cermet and a lubricating glass with interesting aspects for high temperature operation.     

Fundamental mode size and bend sensitivity of graded and step-index single-mode fibers with zero-dispersion near 1.55 µm

Single-mode fibers, for near 1.55-μm operating system wavelength with triangular (alpha = 1), parabolic (alpha = 2), and step-index (alpha=infty) profiles were fabricated by the modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) technique. Optical transmission losses under zero-tension and with the basket weave under 10, 40, and 70 gm tensions were measured, respectively. Fundamental mode size was obtained as a function of wavelength by using the transverse offset technique. The triangular-profile fiber shows lower loss (≃0.25 dB/km at 1.55μm) under zero-tension and a larger spot size than the other fibers. However, the basket weave test showed the triangular-profile fiber incurred higher loss with tension than the other profiles.