A versatile data acquisition system for time resolved X-ray scattering using gas proportional detectors with delay line readout

A data acquisition system for time resolved X-ray scattering experiments using linear, quadrant or area gas proportional detectors with delay line readout based on commercially available hardware (National Instruments) is described. The system can easily be configured for recording data from point detectors (e.g. photomultipliers and photodiodes) and/or ancillary data only. Applications involving measurements with two different types of time to digital converters illustrate the features and performances of the system.     

Feasibility study of absolute activity measurement with metallic magnetic microcalorimeters

We report on a feasibility study on precise determination of mass-specific activity of low-energy emitting radioisotopes. Conventional methods of activity measurement suffer from source self-absorption and a strong decrease in detection efficiency for low-energy electrons and photons. We propose a new method based on metallic magnetic microcalorimeters with the source embedded in the detector target in a 4π geometry. First results with a ⁵⁵Fe source show that electrons and photons are detected with a detection efficiency close to unity and with little loss of energy for electrons. The aim of this study is to provide standards of activity with very low uncertainties in the framework of radiation metrology.     

Using ion implantation to adjust the transition temperature of superconducting films

We summarize a continuing investigation into using ion implantation to alter the transition temperature of superconducting thin films. The primary motivation for the work presented here was to study the feasibility of using magnetic ion doping to replace the bi-layer T_c control process currently used for certain cryogenic detector applications at National Institute for Standards and Technology. The results from work with various ion species implanted into aluminum, molybdenum, titanium and tungsten host films are presented.     

Fine Purification of Monoisotopic Silanes 28SiH4 , 29SiH4 , and 30SiH4 via Distillation

High-purity isotopically enriched (99.98% ²⁸Si, 99.57% ²⁹Si, and 99.83% ³⁰Si) silane samples are prepared for the first time. The total hydrocarbon content of the samples is no higher than 0.1–0.3 ppm. The concentration of electroactive impurities in the silicon prepared from the purified monoisotopic silane is below 10¹⁵ cm^–3.     

Preparation and Properties of Er- and Yb-Activated TeO2–WO3 Glasses

TeO₂–WO₃ glasses coactivated with Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ are prepared. The effect of Yb content on the efficiency of Er photoluminescence (PL) in the visible and IR spectral regions is studied. The highest PL efficiency is achieved at an Er : Yb atomic ratio of 1 : 1. The PL lifetime for the Er^{3+ 4} I _13/2 level is determined to be 7–9 ms.     

Surface Activation of Diamond Particles in the Process of Chemical Coppering

The effect of the composition of sensitizing–activating solutions on the activation efficiency and the chemical coppering of diamond powders is studied. The results demonstrate that stabilizing additives improve the stability of the solutions, influence the average coppering rate, and play a key role in determining the morphology and quality of the resultant coatings. The most effective stabilizing additive is synthamid-10, which ensures the deposition of high-quality copper coatings.     

Modeling and Analysis of a Long Thin Conducting Stripline

A long thin conducting stripline embedded in a dielectric and centered between two large conducting plates, i.e., the stripline environment, is considered. The stripline is modeled as infinitely long, infinitely thin, and perfectly conducting by first considering a stripline of finite length, thickness, and conductivity in a dielectric layer. Starting from Maxwell's equations and assuming that the current on the stripline is a propagating wave in length direction, asymptotic expressions for the fields inside and in the neighbourhood of the stripline are deduced. These expressions are used to model the stripline in the stripline environment, which leads to a boundary-value problem for the electric potential. This problem is solved by two different approaches, leading to integral equations for the current and for an auxiliary function describing the electric potential. A relation between the current and the auxiliary function is deduced, which is used to obtain asymptotic expressions for current and impedance. Results are compared with a numerical solution of the integral equation for the current and with results in literature.     

On energy arguments applied to the hydrodynamic impact force

The hydrodynamic impact problem is investigated within the framework of potential-flow theory. The vertical load acting on the rigid body is derived based on either momentum or energy conservation, and using the concept of added mass together with a homogeneous Dirichlet condition for the potential on the free surface as usually done to model an impact problem. It is demonstrated that the use of this simplified dynamic free-surface condition, instead of the fully nonlinear one, has a direct influence on the computation of the loads. In particular, the equivalence of momentum and energy analysis is in general not recovered. The situation is then highlighted by performing an asymptotic analysis of the two-dimensional blunt-body asymmetric impact problem. The asymptotic solution is given explicitly and validated through comparisons with experimental results. The energy distribution is then studied. It is shown that the contradiction between momentum and energy analysis can be removed, provided that the flux of energy through the jets is taken into account in the energy balance. If the simplified free-surface condition is indeed valid in the far-field, nonlinear terms must be retained near the body, in the spray-root domains. To leading order, the energy distribution during the gravity-free inertia stage does not depend on the blunt-body shape. The general analysis based on momentum or energy conservation suggests that this result also applies for arbitrary body shape as soon as a homogeneous Dirichlet condition can be applied as a dynamical free-surface boundary condition. In this case, and for a constant vertical impact velocity, half the work performed by the body would seem to be transferred to the fluid as kinetic energy within the spray.