Nov 8, 2010 ... Ihring Mission 11, the radiationdosimetry measurement system functioned normally and provided data on the Earth's trapped radiation belts ...
This manual is a guide to the services provided by the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program (IDP), which is operated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.( ) for the U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office, Office of River Protection and their Hanford Site contractors. The manual describes the roles of and relationships between the IDP and the radiation protection programs of the Hanford Site contractors. Recommendations and guidance are also provided for consideration in implementing bioassay monitoring and internal dosimetry elements of radiation protection programs.
By using EPR measurements of radiation-induced radicals it is possible to utilize human fingernails to estimate radiation dose after-the-fact. One of the potentially limiting factors in this...Full Text Available
This book examines the applications of Monte Carlo (MC) calculations in therapeutic nuclear medicine, from basic principles to computer implementations of software packages and their applications in radiationdosimetry and treatment planning. It is written for nuclear medicine physicists and physicians as well as radiation oncologists, and can serve as a supplementary text for medical imaging, radiationdosimetry and nuclear engineering graduate courses in science, medical and engineering faculties. With chapters is written by recognised authorities in that particular field, the book covers the entire range of MC applications in therapeutic medical and health physics, from its use in imaging prior to therapy to dose distribution modelling targeted radiotherapy. The contributions discuss the fundamental concepts of radiationdosimetry, ...
Pilot-plant irradiation began in Hungary in 1969 with the construction of a high-activity multi-purpose /sup 60/Co facility. Technologies for radiation sterilization, food handling, plastics irradiation as well as chemical dosimetry, semiconductor instrumental dosimetry, computer-based construction and control methods have been developed. Our chlorobenzene dose-meter system is used in Hungary and abroad; as a result of an IAEA-organized dosimetric intercomparison the system was adopted as a reference system. The institute has developed into a basic institute for the reconstruction and re-load of old ..gamma..-facilities as well as it serves for the planning, construction and launching of new ones in Hungary.
Tritium dose management is an important aspect of the radiation protection program at CANDU type reactor sites. This paper describes the bioassay and dosimetry of tritium at CANDU reactor sites, especially for Wolsung Nuclear Power Plant. It presents a compilation of information drawn from published papers, technical reports, international and national guidelines as well as practical experience both in Korean and Canadian CANDU Nuclear Power Plants. The implementation of this program would provide a technical basis for calculations and records should be of acceptable quality and should meet overall radiation protection program objectives.
This document is the report of a task group of the Radiation Therapy Committee of the AAPM and has been prepared primarily to advise hospital physicists involved in external beam treatment of patients with pelvic malignancies who have high atomic number (Z) hip prostheses. The purpose of the report is to make the radiation oncology community aware of the problems arising from the presence of these devices in the radiation beam, to quantify the dose perturbations they cause, and, finally, to provide recommendations for treatment planning and delivery. Some of the data and recommendations are also applicable to patients having implanted high-Z prosthetic devices such as pins, humeral head replacements. The scientific understanding and methodology of clinical dosimetry for these situations is still incomplete. This report is intended to reflect the current state of scientific understanding and technical ...
Thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetry was used to measure dose effects on the raw stock material of borosilicate container glass from different geographical locations. Effects were studied at times up to 60 days post-irradiation at doses from 0.15 to 20 Gy. The minimum detectable dose using this technique was estimated to be 0.15 Gy which is roughly equivalent to a 24 hr irradiation 1 cm from a 50 ng source of 60Co. Two peaks were identified in the TL glow curve, a relatively unstable peak around 125 C and a more stable peak around 225 C. Differences in TL glow curve shape and intensity were also observed for the glasses from different geographical origins. We investigate radiation induced defects in glass to further develop the technique of intrinsic dosimetry - the measurement of the total absorbed dose received by the walls of a container holding radioactive material. Intrinsic dosimetry is intended to ...
Alanine/EPR Dosimetry system is classified as a reference-standard dosimeter which used to calibrate radiation environments and to calibrate routine dosimeters in absorbed dose range of 1 to 105 Gy. Characteristics of Alanine/EPR dosimetry system are better suitable than routinely used personnel dosimeters for the long term radiation measurement in harsh condition of Nuclear power plant : This system is not significantly affected by temperature and humidity and also has low fading rate. About 1 year ago, Alanine and Lithium compound dosimeters were installed at Wolsung unit 1 for the environment monitoring as a part of equipment qualification program. 35 positions which are most severe and representative cable positions were chosen for radiation and temperature monitoring. The recovered alanine dosimeter in the period of maintenance was measured by E-scan alanine analyzer system, ...
Alanine/EPR Dosimetry system is classified as a reference-standard dosimeter which used to calibrate radiation environments and to calibrate routine dosimeters in absorbed dose range of 1 to 105 Gy. Characteristics of Alanine/EPR dosimetry system are better suitable than routinely used personnel dosimeters for the long term radiation measurement in harsh condition of Nuclear power plant : This system is not significantly affected by temperature and humidity and also has low fading rate. About 1 year ago, Alanine and Lithium compound dosimeters were installed at Wolsung unit 1 for the environment monitoring as a part of equipment qualification program. 35 positions which are most severe and representative cable positions were chosen for radiation and temperature monitoring. The recovered alanine dosimeter in the period of maintenance was measured by E-scan alanine analyzer system, ...
The radiation dose to a series of adult and paediatric patients undergoing cardiac catheterisations and adults having percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty has been measured/determined directly using lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosemeters and indirectly using an air ionisation chamber which indicated exposure-area product. Somatic and genetic risks are estimated from the dosimetry results. It is suggested that the magnitude of the radiation hazard is negligible compared with other clinical hazards associated with these procedures. (author).
DOE installations possessing sufficient quantities of fissile material to potentially constitute a critical mass, such that the excessive exposure of personnel to radiation from a nuclear accident is possible, are required to provide nuclear accident dosimetry services. This document describes the personal nuclear accident dosimeter (PNAD) used by SNL and prescribes methodologies to initially screen, and to process PNAD results. In addition, this report describes PNAD dosimetry results obtained during the Nuclear Accident Dosimeter Intercomparison Study (NAD23), held during 12-16 June 1995, at Los Alamos National Laboratories. Biases for reported neutron doses ranged from -6% to +36% with an average bias of +12%.
Much theoretical and experimental efforts have been expended in recent years to study those atomic processes which are specially relevant to understanding high temperature laboratory plasmas. For magnetically confined fusion plasmas, the temperature range of interest spans from the hundreds of eV at plasma edges to 10 keV at the center of the plasma, where most of the impurity ions are nearly fully ionized. These highly stripped ions interact strongly with electrons in the plasma, leading to further excitation and ionization of the ions, as well as electron capture. Radiations are emitted during these processes, which easily escape to plasma container walls, thus cooling the plasma. One of the dominant modes of radiation emission has been identified with dielectronic recombination. This paper reviews ...
Passive dosimeters for personal and area radiation monitor in space have been developed mainly for dosimetry in low-earth-orbit (LEO) radiation environments of Space Shuttles and the International Space Station. The responses of several dosimeters have been evaluated by heavy ions and also its variation for individual dosimeter element. (author)
Simulations and experiments have been carried out to explore using a plastic scintillator as a dosimetry probe in the vicinity of a pulsed bremsstrahlung source in the range 4 to 20 MeV. Taking advantage of the tissue-equivalent properties of this detector in conjunction with the use of a fast digital signal processor near real-time dosimetry was shown to be possible. The importance of accounting for a broad energy electron beam in bremsstrahlung production, and photon scattering and build-up, in correctly interpreting dosimetry results at long stand-off distances is highlighted by comparing real world experiments with ideal geometry simulations. Close agreement was found between absorbed energy calculations based upon spectroscopic techniques and calculations based upon signal integration, showing a ratio between 10 MeV absorbed dose to 12 MeV absorbed dose of 0.66 at a distance of 91.4 m from the accelerator. This is ...
This works evaluates by punctuation the performance in conventional Brazilian industries radiation protection area which make use of small industrial gauges and industrial radiography. It proposes, procedures for industry self-evaluation, besides a new radiation protection plans pattern for the small industrial gauges area. The data source where inspection reports of DosimetryRadiation Protection Institute/Nuclear Energy Commission conventional Brazilian industries' radiation protection plans, beyond visitation to the inspection place. The performance evaluation has been realized both in the administrative and operational aspects of the industries. About of 60% of the industries have a satisfactory register control which does not happen to the operational control. The performance evaluation advantage is that industries may self-evaluate, foreseeing ...
The optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) radiation dosimeter technically surveys a wide dynamic measurement range and a high sensitivity. Optical fiber dosimeters provide capability for remote monitoring of the radiation in the locations which are difficult-to-access and hazardous. In addition, optical fiber dosimeters are immune to electrical and radio-frequency interference. In this paper, a novel remote optical fiber radiation dosimeter is described. The optical fiber dosimeter takes advantage of the charge trapping materials CaS:Ce, Sm that exhibit OSL. The measuring range of the dosimeter is from 0.1 to 100 Gy. The equipment is relatively simple and small in size, and has low power consumption. This device is suitable for measuring the space radiation dose and also can be used in high radiation dose condition and other dangerous radiation occasions. ...
The dosimetry for radiotherapy involving neutrons is very complicated, owing to the complexity of secondary radiation components, whose contributions to the total absorbed dose have to be discriminated, owing to the different radiobiological effects. In order to separate thermal neutrons and photons, LiF dosimeters are mostly utilized. containing different percentage of Li, like as TLD-700, TLD-100 and TLD-600, but many problems arise. In the response of TLD-700 exposed to neutron-gamma mixed fields with high neutron flux, the contribution of thermal neutrons to the Tl emission is high. Moreover. TLD-100 and TLD-600 may undergo radiation damage, and great care has to be taken in order to obtain reliable results. Other TLDs showing lower sensitivity to neutrons are proposed and experimented for such high-flux neutron fields. The faced problems and various proposed solutions are here described. (Author)
The technical complexity of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) requires modification of the standard physical and dosimetric methods used in external electron beam therapy. At the National Cancer Institute, a number of technical innovations have been integrated into ongoing clinical studies of IORT. These include: (1) an electron beam applicator system that is significantly different from other IORT systems and includes customized squircle applicators; (2) peripheral dose shields; (3) a modified surgical table replacing the standard radiation treatment couch; and (4) routine use of multiple IORT fields that necessitates field matching. The IORT applicator system and related devices and techniques are dosimetrically characterized in detail both for use in the IORT program and in order to illustrate many useful facets of electron dosimetry.
The use of linear accelerators in radiotherapy is of great importance in Medicine, and according to international recommendations the electron beam dosimetry has to be performed using plane-parallel ionization chambers, previously calibrated in standard gamma radiation fields at accredited laboratories. In this work, calibration methods of plane-parallel ionization chambers used in dosimetry procedures of high energy electron beams of clinical accelerators were presented, tested and intercompared. The experiments were carried out using gamma radiation beams of {sup 60} Co at the Calibration Laboratory of Clinical Dosemeters at IPEN and electron beams od 4 to 16 MeV at the Radiotherapy Department of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo. A method was chosen to be established at IPEN. Proposals of the calibration procedure, calibration certificate and data sheets are presented. (author)
The ionization, excitation, and radiative recombination rates for highly stripped ions are cal- culated with Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian electron distribution functions of the type Cmexp(-vm/wm) (2<=m<=5) as encountered in laser-heated plasmas and certain types of turbulent plasmas. The direct-radiative-recombination rates are found to decrease by at most 30% as m is increased from 2 to 5. On the other hand, the ionization and excitation rates are found to be strongly reduced if the transition energy ? exceeds twice the local temperature kBTe. The effect of this on the distribution of energy levels and degrees of ionization in laser-produced plasmas could be important.
The hot uniform aluminium plasma was produced by irradiating thin aluminium dotted foil smoothly with the 9th 0.53 ?m laser on Shenguang II laser facility. The emitted spectrum was measured from the front and tangential direction of the target with two crystal spectrometers, and the quantitative spectrum from the front of the target was obtained. The state of laser- produced plasma was simulated with the radiation hydrodynamics code MULTI-1D, and the emitted spectrum was calculated with the spectrum code of Collision-Radiation model under the simulated plasma state. The experimental spectrum accords with the simulated one. (authors)
The physics of density limit phenomena in toroidal helical plasmas based on an analytic point model of toroidal plasmas is discussed. The combined mechanism of the transport and radiation loss of energy is analyzed, and the achievable density is derived. A scaling law of the density limit is discussed. The dependence of the critical density on the heating power, magnetic field, plasma size and safety factor in the case of L-mode energy confinement is explained. The dynamic evolution of the plasma energy and radiation loss is discussed. Assuming a simple model of density evolution, of a sudden loss of density if the temperature becomes lower than critical value, then a limit cycle oscillation is shown to occur. A condition that divides the limit cycle oscillation and the complete radiation collapse is discussed. This model seems to explain ...
A set of eight questions was put to advanced nuclear medicine physicians-in-training participating in a continuing assessment exercise in practical therapeutic nuclear oncology. Using the particular example of {sup 131}I-MIBG treatment of neuroblastoma in children, the questions were directed to the rationale of therapy and the contribution of other forms of treatment to toxic effects. The best answer to the questions are reproduced together with an introduction by the examiner, Dr. H. Turner. tabs.
Present-day requirements for radiotherapy equipment are considered. The recently developed linacs of LUE-5, LUE-25, LUE-15MM models, as well as a newly designed unified series of medical linacs of LUER-5M, LUER-20M, LUER-40M models are described in brief. The main scientific and technical problems that were solved during their construction, namely, development of accelerating structures, a radiation head, dosimetry equipment, a programming unit, a magnetic mirror etc. are described.
Spontaneous radiation emitted from relativistic electrons undergoing betatron motion in a plasma-focusing channel is analyzed, and applications to plasma wake-field accelerator experiments and to the ion-channel laser (ICL) are discussed. Important similarities and differences between a free electron laser (FEL) and an ICL are delineated. It is shown that the frequency of spontaneous radiation is a strong function of the betatron strength parameter a(beta), which plays a role similar to that of the wiggler strength parameter in a conventional FEL. For a(beta) > or approximately 1, radiation is emitted in numerous harmonics. Furthermore, a(beta) is proportional to the amplitude of the betatron orbit, which varies for every electron in the beam. The radiation spectrum emitted from an electron beam is calculated by averaging the single-electron spectrum over the ...
The book presents a very good account of all aspects of protection from ionizing radiation. The quantities and units are given and defined used in nuclear physics and dosimetry. The effects of ionizing radiation on cells and on man are described. The principles are presented of radiation protection including limits and valid regulations and decrees. Also discussed is internal irradiation and its modelling. A great part of the book is devoted to aspects of monitoring persons, the living and working environment and to the determination of internal contamination. The system of radiation protection in Czechoslovakia is described and some practical questions are discussed of protection during radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy, in the nuclear fuel cycle, in the operation of nuclear power installations and in crack detection. In conclusion a survey is given of the population exposure from ...
It was developed a new formulation of macro aggregates of Samarium 153 ({sup 153} Sm-MH) for the arthropaties treatment. The radio pharmaceutic was prepared by reaction of Samarium 153 chloride (SmCl{sub 3}) in aqueous environment with sodium boron hydride in NaOH 0.5 N. The microscopic analysis shown that the particles have an average size of 4% m (range 1-14 {mu} m). The velocity of sedimentation was 0.008 cm/min with high stability in vitro in human serum. The biological studies in healthy rabbits, shown that the complex is retained inside the articulation still eight days after of the administration of the radiopharmaceutical. Likewise, it is presented the data of absorbed dose in the different target organs, which was determined by thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) through the use of a REMCAL phantom (radiation equivalent manikin calibration). (Author)
Dose dependences of conductivity at a temperature of 78 K for InSb and InAs single crystals under reactor fast neutron, 50 MeV proton and 80 MeV alpha particle irradiation up to fluence of 10{sup 17} cm{sup -2} are considered. Special attention is given to non-trivial, but little known semi-conductor characteristics in terms of {sigma}(F) dependence at large fluences, and also to the versatility of such dependence for all semiconductors. The behaviour of semiconductor materials conductivity dependence on fluence presented here may be used for semiconductor dosemeters characterisitic variation forecasting under large fluence measurements and in radiation emergency dosimetry. (author).
The atomic explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki made the name radiation itself become a nightmare. Notwithstanding this, radiation continued to serve the mankind specially in diagnosis of several human diseases and in the treatment of intractable malignancies. With their latest research tools biologists have now shown a significant shift in the earlier paradigm; even the concept that radiation initiates cancer appears to be no longer tenable. On the contrary, selective radiation doses inhibit growth of cancer cells and radiation in combination with many chemotherapeutic drugs, radiosensitizing chemicals and/or hyperthermia, is emerging as a new modality for cancer treatment which offers high therapeutic advantages. In addition, the deleterious effects of radiation can now be strategically counter poised by the use of many drugs and chemicals. This has been ...
During one year more than 40,000 items of information on radiation exposure of personnel involved in the handling of radiation sources and more than 5,000,000 items on irradiation of other people are collected in the authors' laboratory. Considerable progress in assessment of mean annual gonad dose of genetically sifnificant dose was attained by means of an algorithm for a personal computer. This simple and inexpensive system has led to a higher accuracy in the application of protective measures. (author).
It needs accurate estimation of radiation level for verifying machinery and cable in Nuclear Power Plant. Therefore, in this study, we used ESR(Electron Spin Resonance) system for estimate dose of Alanine dosimeter. Alanine/ESR dosimetry, already known as a dosimetric method in medical and industrial field, was applied to estimate dose quantity at cable locations within a nuclear power plant as a part of equipment qualification program. Alanine/ESR dosimetry of absorbed dose range is 1 - 100 KGy. The alanine dosimeter is not significantly affected by temperature and fading is limited to 1% per year. The alanine dosimeters were fixed on the targeted cable or nearest position to measure dose quantity to get accurate value. Alanine dosimeters were scanned by commercially used two different ESR systems, e-scan and EMX series for alanine dosimeters. To estimate more accurate dose, two environmental correction factors, ...
The most striking achievement in magnetic fusion experiments during last few years was the discovery of plasma detachment from material targets, a much needed effect for plasmas with high power fusion parameters. Due to the very low heat loads on the targets observed in these regimes and potentially low erosion of the targets, detached regimes look attractive from the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) design point of view. Thus the author has experimental proof for the possibility for a co-existence of fusion relevant hot plasma in the core and a low temperature partly ionized plasma at the edge of magnetic fusion device. Although somewhat similar behavior of edge plasma was considered theoretically even before plasma detachment was found experimentally, it was not clear in the beginning how these theoretical and experimental findings would ...
The in situ assembly states of the glucose transport carrier protein in the plasma membrane and in the intracellular (microsomal) storage pool of rat adipocytes were assessed by studying radiation-induced inactivation of the D-glucose-sensitive cytochalasin B binding activities. High energy radiation inactivated the glucose-sensitive cytochalasin B binding of each of these membrane preparations by reducing the total number of the binding sites without affecting the dissociation constant. The reduction in total number of binding sites was analyzed as a function of radiation dose based on target theory, from which a radiation-sensitive mass (target size) was calculated. When the plasma membranes of insulin-treated adipocytes were used, a target size of approximately 58,000 daltons was obtained. For adipocyte microsomal membranes, we obtained target sizes of ...
The total bolometrically measured plasmaradiation losses on the RF heating power were found. The results of measurements demonstrate a nonmonotonic dependence of radiation losses on RF power. Namely, at low RF power levels (80...170 kW) the total radiation losses raised with increasing the RF power. However, the total radiation losses decreased sharply when RF power exceeded 200 kW (down to ?20 kW at 240 kW of RF power). Simultaneously, the intensity of impurity lines fell down significantly, whereas the average electron temperature (found from ECE measurement) increased. The authors consider that screening properties of periphery plasma give reasons for above experimental facts.
Electromagnetic effects excited by intense relativistic electron beams in plasmas are investigated using a two-dimensional particle code. The simulations with dense beams show large magnetic fields excited by the Weibel instability as well as sizeable electromagnetic radiation over a significant range of frequencies. The possible relevance of beam plasma instabilities to the laser acceleration of particles is briefly discussed. 6 refs., 4 figs.
Despite high local control rate in Ewing's sarcoma the exact indication of radiation therapy is still controversial as well as the choice of the target volume and the optimal dose of radiation. The importance of the quality of radiotherapy has been stressed in recently published data and has shown a significant impact on long term local control with adequate radiation therapy. The dramatic improvement of precision allowed by the conformal therapy and three dimensional dosimetry allow to expect a decrease of late effects expected for second malignancies. However, late sequelae and radio-induced osteosarcoma still remain the major side effects after radiotherapy. The authors discuss the results of the main trials on Ewing's sarcoma on the choice of dose and target volume. Surgery is still the preferred choice for small tumors if the foreseen outcome is identical. (authors). 28 refs.
During fluoroscopy the examiner is usually protected by a radiation-reducing body shield, leaving the thyroid unprotected. The fact that the thyroid is located in a region of the neck usually covered by the shirt collar led to the idea of designing a tie with lead core, providing easy and ''decorative'' reduction of the radiation dose. Sonographic examinations were carried out in 20 volunteers (10 men, 10 women) to determine the size of the gland and its coverage by such a tie. The reduction of the surface and organ dose was assessed using film dosimetry with scattered radiation, the body of the examiner being simulated by an Alderson phantom. On average 88% of the thyroid gland surface area was covered. Surface dose was reduced to 1%, and organ dose to 10% of the value without the protection tie. (Author).
During fluoroscopy the examiner is usually protected by a radiation-reducing body shield, leaving the thyroid unprotected. The fact that the thyroid is located in a region of the neck usually covered by the shirt collar led to the idea of designing a tie with lead core, providing easy and ''decorative'' reduction of the radiation dose. Sonographic examinations were carried out in 20 volunteers (10 men, 10 women) to determine the size of the gland and its coverage by such a tie. The reduction of the surface and organ dose was assessed using film dosimetry with scattered radiation, the body of the examiner being simulated by an Alderson phantom. On average 88% of the thyroid gland surface area was covered. Surface dose was reduced to 1%, and organ dose to 10% of the value without the protection tie. (Author).
A Pulsed RadiationDosimetry System designed to measure radiation produced by particle accelerators is described. The problems associated with total-dose measurement of irregular shaped pulses of ionizing radiation have been simplified. The system responds to extremely narrow pulses of charged particles or X-rays using a pin diode as the detector. Direct readout of dose in rads (Si) is displayed on a 3-1/2 digit digital panel meter. The system will operate in either the multiple-pulse or single-pulse mode. The multiple-pulse mode would be useful in monitoring or tuning a linear accelerator. In the single-pulse mode the system will automatically display total dose of a transient event in real time and hold that measurement indefinitely or until the next measurement is made. The system features an automatic reset in either mode.
In this study, a miniature fiber-optic radiation detector has been developed using a water-equivalent organic scintillator for electron beam therapy dosimetry. Usually, two kinds of light signals such as fluorescent and Cherenkov lights are generated in a fiber-optic radiation detector when a high-energy electron beam is irradiated. The fluorescent light signal is produced in the scintillator and is transmitted through a plastic optical fiber to a remote light-measuring device such as a PMT or a photodiode. The Cherenkov light could be also produced in the plastic optical fiber itself and be detected by a light-measuring device. Therefore, it could cause problems or limit the accuracy of the detection of a fluorescent light signal that is proportional to dose. The objectives of this study are to measure, characterize and eliminate Cherenkov light generated in a plastic optical fiber used as a component of a fiber-optic ...
In simulations with high radiated power fractions, it is possible to produce the drop in ion current to the divertor targets typical of detached plasmas. Despite the fact that these experiments are performed on beryllium target tiles, radiation from deuterium and beryllium cannot account for the measured power losses. The neutral deuterium levels in the SOL in these plasmas are higher than the model predicts. This may be due to leakage from the divertor or to additional wall sources related to the non-steady nature of these plasmas. In contrast, a surprisingly high level of carbon is present in these discharges; higher even than would be predicted are the divertor target tiles pure carbon. This level may well be large enough to produce the measured radiation. (authors). 6 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
The opportunity of use self-maintained plasma-beam discharge in an extended pulsing plasma diode of low pressure for making powerful sources of the soft X-rays is investigated. Conditions of formation of the self-maintained plasma-beam discharge are determined. The mode of making of dense high-temperature plasma on the basis of stannum ions in the discharge is shown. The stannum ions are used as a working element of a radiation sources at pulsing power of electron beam P?10...100 MW. Results of the examination on formation of the dense (np?1016 cm3), small sizes (le?100 eV in conditions of working material evaporation from the anode are given. The total contribution of energy to the discharge has made W < 20 J.
A high sensitivity, high bandwidth, two-color interferometer (1064 and 532 nm) has been tested on the Hawk pulsed power generator at the Naval Research Laboratory. The phase resolution is 10"-"5 waves with a rise time of 3 ns, a new capability for diagnosing plasmas, and neutrals in pulsed power experiments. The two-color feature is used to distinguish phase shifts from free (plasma) electrons and bound (neutral and ion) electrons. Simultaneous electron and neutral density measurements were demonstrated in a plasma opening switch (POS) experiment. The ability to measure small phase shifts with fast rise time were demonstrated in a plasma filled diode experiment. The high sensitivity and vibration isolation enable neutral gas distribution measurements from supersonic nozzles used in plasmaradiation source experiments. Examples of these measurements and future ...
Gel dosimetry is a new dosimetry method applied in radiation therapy. Gel dosimeters consist of a radiation sensitive gel, which can integrate absorbed doses from several radiation sources or beams. The dose to the gel can be evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a procedure that is the focus of the present thesis. A robust tool for the evaluation of the nonuniformity in MRI has been developed, the Deviation Image method. Unlike previously presented methods, the Deviation Image method includes all nonuniformity variations across a phantom surface and is insensitive to stochastic noise. Methods for the estimation of stochastic noise were analyzed in terms of sensitivity to nonuniformities. A method that averages the stochastic noise level over five regions over the phantom surface, and a method that assesses the stochastic noise level from the background, were found to be ...
New values of the factors required to convert the reading of a radiation dosemeter calibrated in terms of air kerma (or exposure) into absorbed dose to water for medium-energy x-radiation were given in a code of practice published by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1987. These are not considered to possess sufficient support from other sources. It is therefore recommended that the F-factors given or codes of practice should continue to be used. Values of backscatter factors for low-energy x-radiation (below 140 kV) in Supplement 17 of the British Journal of Radiology appear to be inaccurate. New values based on Monte Carlo calculations, and supported by new experimental data, are given for use in radiotherapy. (author).
New values of the factors required to convert the reading of a radiation dosemeter calibrated in terms of air kerma (or exposure) into absorbed dose to water for medium-energy x-radiation were given in a code of practice published by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1987. These are not considered to possess sufficient support from other sources. It is therefore recommended that the F-factors given or codes of practice should continue to be used. Values of backscatter factors for low-energy x-radiation (below 140 kV) in Supplement 17 of the British Journal of Radiology appear to be inaccurate. New values based on Monte Carlo calculations, and supported by new experimental data, are given for use in radiotherapy. (author).
The estimation of radiation dose to man from either external or internal exposure to radionuclides requires a knowledge of the energies and intensities of the atomic and nuclear radiations emitted during the radioactive decay process. The availability of evaluated decay data for the large number of radionuclides of interest is thus of fundamental importance for radiationdosimetry. This handbook contains a compilation of decay data for approximately 500 radionuclides. These data constitute an evaluated data file constructed for use in the radiological assessment activities of the Technology Assessments Section of the Health and Safety Research Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The radionuclides selected for this handbook include those occurring naturally in the environment, those of potential importance in routine or accidental releases from the nuclear fuel cycle, those of current interest in ...
When evaluating the risks of oncogenesis and cancer mortality following exposure to the radiations of the atomic bombs (A-bombs), the medical X-ray doses received by the A-bomb survivors must also be estimated and considered. Using a human phantom, dosimetry was performed to estimate the X-ray doses received by A-bomb survivors during medical examinations at the Radiation Effects Foundation (RERF) as part of the long-term follow-up on the Adult Health Study (AHS). These examinations have been estimated to represent nearly 45% of the survivors' cumulative medical irradiation dose. Doses to the salivary glands, thyroid gland, lung, breast, stomach and colon were measured using thermoluminescent dosemeters. The results, which are reported here, will aid in estimating organ doses received by individual AHS participants. (Author).
When evaluating the risks of oncogenesis and cancer mortality following exposure to the radiations of the atomic bombs (A-bombs), the medical X-ray doses received by the A-bomb survivors must also be estimated and considered. Using a human phantom, dosimetry was performed to estimate the X-ray doses received by A-bomb survivors during medical examinations at the Radiation Effects Foundation (RERF) as part of the long-term follow-up on the Adult Health Study (AHS). These examinations have been estimated to represent nearly 45% of the survivors' cumulative medical irradiation dose. Doses to the salivary glands, thyroid gland, lung, breast, stomach and colon were measured using thermoluminescent dosemeters. The results, which are reported here, will aid in estimating organ doses received by individual AHS participants. (Author).
The optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) radiation dosimeter technically surveys a wide dynamic measurement range and a high sensitivity. Optical fiber dosimeters provide capability for remote monitoring of the radiation in the locations which are difficult-to-access and hazardous. In addition, optical fiber dosimeters are immune to electrical and radio-frequency interference. In this paper, a novel remote optical fiber radiation dosimeter is described. The optical fiber dosimeter takes advantage of the charge trapping materials CaS:Ce, Sm that exhibit OSL. The measuring range of the dosimeter is from 0.1 to 100 Gy. The equipment is relatively simple and small in size, and has low power consumption. This device is suitable for measuring the space radiation dose and also can be used in high radiation dose condition and other dangerous radiation occasions. ...
Ionising radiation induces stable free radicals in chicken bones and in the shell of chicken eggs which can be detected, by the electrons spin resonance (ESR) technique, well beyond the shelf-life of the food and can be used for dosimetry. The method usually adopted to evaluate ``a posteriori`` the dose given during the ionising radiation treatment of food, is the dose additive method. To assess the dose, the ESR signal amplitude of the irradiated food (bone or egg shell in the present case) is measured and then the dose-effect relationship is obtained by re-irradiating the sample with some additive doses (usually of 1 kGy). The dose-effect curve is back-extrapolated and the initial given dose determined. At the Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS), Rome, Italy, a research programme was approved two years ago aimed to, (1) study new methodological approaches for ESR dose assessment, and (2) analyse the factors which may ...
Preliminary experiments have been performed to investigate the effects of radiative cooling on plasma jets. Thin (3 um - 5 um) conical shells were irradiated with an intense laser, driving jets with velocities > 100 km/s. Through use of different target materials - aluminium, copper and gold - the degree of radiative losses was altered, and their importance for jet collimation investigated. A number of temporally resoved optical diagnostics was used, providing information about the jet evolution. Gold jets were seen to be narrower than those from copper targets, while aluminium targets produced the least collimated flows.
For over 50 years, electron beams have been an important modality for providing an accurate dose of radiation to superficial cancers and disease and for limiting the dose to underlying normal tissues and structures. This review looks at many of the important contributions of physics and dosimetry to the development and utilization of electron beam therapy, including electron treatment machines, dose specification and calibration, dose measurement, electron transport calculations, treatment and treatment-planning tools, and clinical utilization, including special procedures. Also, future changes in the practice of electron therapy resulting from challenges to its utilization and from potential future technology are discussed. (review)
This report summarizes the major activities and accomplishments of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Advanced Radiotherapy Research Program for calendar year 2001. Applications of supportive research and development, as well as technology deployment in the fields of chemistry, radiation physics and dosimetry, and neutron source design and demonstration are described. Contributions in the fields of physics and biophysics include development of advanced patient treatment planning software, feasibility studies of accelerator neutron source technology for Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT), and completion of major modifications to the research reactor at Washington State University to produce an epithermal-neutron beam for NCT research applications.
This report summarizes the major activities and accomplishments of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Advanced Radiotherapy Research Program for calendar year 2001. Applications of supportive research and development, as well as technology deployment in the fields of chemistry, radiation physics and dosimetry, and neutron source design and demonstration are described. Contributions in the fields of physics and biophysics include development of advanced patient treatment planning software, feasibility studies of accelerator neutron source technology for Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT), and completion of major modifications to the research reactor at Washington State University to produce an epithermal-neutron beam for NCT research applications.
Processing of food with ionizing radiation is a method suitable to enhance shelf-life and hygienic quality. Up to a dose of 10 kGy the method is considered wholesome. In many countries the practical use of food irradiation is increasing, however, in the Federal Republic of Germany the process is strictly forbidden. Applications and methods for radiation processing of food are compiled, limits and prospects are explained, and advantages and disadvantages are compared with traditional methods. Identification of irradiated foods and dosimetry and process control for radiation processing of food are areas where further research is needed. Continuous processing of particulate foods in bulk is an application where electron accelerators might be profitable. Beam parameters and velocity distribution of food particles in the treatment area can be matched for an effective result. Thus, dose distribution can be ...
One requirement of a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) radiator is to efficiently emit photons at high temperatures to TPV cells for conversion to electric power. Because many candidate radiator materials with adequate structural properties display low emissivity, coatings or other surface modifications are required for enhancement of emissivity. Six plasma sprayed coatings and one textured surface demonstrated adequate thermal stability and emittance values of 0.8 or greater. Promising attributes of modified surfaces are identified.
Summaries are included of research contracts which expired prior to Dec. 31, 1960. The contracts were concerned with investigations of: electrophysiological responses of biological systems in nerve cells to irradiation with small doses of ionizing radiations; the mode of the protective action of certain sulfhydryl compounds against radiation effects on the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid, using tritium-labeled thymidine; development of a bubble chamber method of monitoring and dosimetry for Low fast neutron fluxes; effects of incorporated radioisotopes on the stability of genetic materials; interrelation of root and leaf absorption of radioisotopes in herbaceous plants; uptake of radioactive wastes by lowland rice from soils contaminated by irrigation water, and decontamination of the rice; and comparison between mutation rates induced by acute and chronic gamma irradiations. (B.O.G.)
Three electronic personal dosimeters (EPD-N) manufactured by Siemens, serial numbers 0635, 0658, and 0683, were tested at the Radiation Calibration Laboratory for an evaluation of their response to neutron, gamma and x-ray radiation. Designed to provide real-time neutron and photon dosimetry, the EPD-N is capable of estimating and displaying neutron and gamma dose components separately for a range of energies from 50 keV to 7 MeV for photon and 0.025 eV to > 10 MeV for neutron. All tests were conducted using the factory calibrations. A technical representative of the manufacturer indicated that site-specific calibrations are required as factory settings are calibrated for the lowest neutron energy limit of 0.025 eV. This raises concerns about the reliability of these devices in measuring neutrons when calibrations are made for a specific site radiological characterization then used at another site.
In 16 female patients wick colpourethrocystography was performed directly successively with large-size films as well as medium-size films (intensifier fluorography). The area exposure products were measured by a dosemeter closely attached to the diaphragm and separately for radiography and fluorography, resp. Surface doses as well as organ doses were calculated according to Rosenstein. The average radiatin doses of the active bone marrow were 6.03 mGy for examination with large-size films and 1.27 mGy for fluorography; the average gonadal doses were 7.45 mGy and 1.56 mGy, resp. The portion of fluoroscopy in radiation exposure amounted to 14.8% in large-size film examination, but was 74.0% in medium-size examination. Thus the comparative results revealed a significant reduction of the patient's radiation dose by application of intensifier fluorography in colpourethrocystography.
To develop a work in an area with high radiation, it requires of a detailed knowledge of the surroundings work, a communication and effective vision, a near dosimetric control. In a work where the spaces variables and reduced accesses exist, noise that hinders the communication, defendant operative condition, radiation field and taking of decision, it is necessary to have tools that allow a total control of the environment to make opportune and effective decisions, there where the task is developed. Under this elementary concept, it was developed in the Laguna Verde Central a project that it allowed a mechanism, interactive of control in spaces complex; to see, to hear, to speak, to measure. This concept takes to the creation of an equipped system with closed circuit of television, wireless communication systems, tele dosimetry wireless systems, VHS and DVD recording equipment, uninterrupted energy units. The system ...
The Doublet III device is operating with an extensive system of plasma limiters and wall protective armor. Operations with up to 8MW of neutral beam power and 1.5MA plasma current are planned. Design and operational performance of the following systems are discussed: 1. Water-cooled graphite moveable limiter. 2. Water-cooled graphite fixed limiter and neutral beam wall armor. 3. Radiatively cooled Inconel divertor plates.
The magnetically controlled plasma opening switch (MCPOS) is an advanced plasma opening switch that utilizes magnetic fields to improve operation. Magnetic fields always dominate terawatt, pulsed power plasma opening switches. For that reason, the MCPOS uses controlled applied magnetic fields with magnitude comparable to the self-magnetic field of the storage inductor. One applied field holds the plasma in place while energy accumulates in the storage inductor, then another applied field pushes the plasma away from the cathode to allow energy to flow downstream. Over a ten month period, an MCPOS was designed, built, and tested on DECADE Module 2 at Physics International. The peak drive current was 1.8 MA in 250 ns. The output parameters were up to 1 MA into an electron beam load. The radiation temporal pulse width averaged 60 nanoseconds full-width at ...
Electron beams as a source of directed energy are under study at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). An intense 10-kA, 50-MeV, 50-ns full-width half-maximum, pulsed electron beam is generated by the prototype Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA) at the Laboratory's Site 300. Whenever the electron beam is stopped in materials, intense radiation is generated. Estimates based on available data in the literature show that for materials such as lead, photon radiation (x ray, gamma, bremsstrahlung) levels can be as large as 10"4 roentgens per pulse at 1 m in the zero-degree direction (i.e., the electron-beam direction). Neutrons, which are emitted isotropically, are produced at a level of 10"1"3 n/m"2 per pulse. Depending upon the number of pulses and the shielding geometry, the accumulated dose is potentially lethal to personnel and potentially damaging to instrumentation that may be used for diagnostics. To provide shielding for ...
Hazardous UV-radiation and short-wavelength visible (blue) light is emitted by the high temperature plasma above the welding-keyhole. Ozone and NO_x is produced due to UV-induced photodissociation of oxygen and high temperature gas-phase reactions. Spectral measurements of the plasma emission show that the allowed dose for UV-radiation and blue light exposure per work day can be exceeded in as short as a few seconds. Similarly, measurements and models of the ozone and NO_x concentration show that the maximum workplace concentrations might be reached quickly if no appropriate exhaust and filter system is installed. (author)
We have observed EUV spectra from the Large Helical Device (LHD) at the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS). We measured spectra of impurity ions; carbon, iron, xenon, tin and tungsten ions. In some cases, the plasma evolution was stable and a steady discharge was obtained, but sometimes the plasma underwent radiation collapse and rapid cooling. For carbon and iron spectra, we studied plasma diagnostics by intensity ratios of spectral lines. For other spectra of higher Z element, xenon, tin and tungsten, we studied mainly on line identifications comparing with theoretical calculations and experimental data. Related atomic data for these researches will be also discussed. (author)
The opportunity of exposure to high-energy radiation up to GeV is increasing as in civilian aircrafts and at particle accelerators. The transport of such energetic particle is still difficult to describe precisely and thus verification by measurement using a well characterized instrument is indispensable for reliable dosimetry. However, no reference calibration field has been established for the high-energy range. We thus propose to use a facility at the summit of Mt. Fuji (3776 m in altitude; N35.36o, E138.73o), the highest place in Japan, for characterization of radiation instruments that are possibly used in high-energy radiation fields. For demonstration of the effectiveness, two moderator-type neutron monitors (NCN1 and WENDI-II) having different energy response functions were employed for cosmic-ray neutron measurements in the summer of 2009. In comparison with numerically simulated values, it was ...
High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for treating a cervix carcinoma has become popular, because it eliminates many of the problems associated with conventional brachytherapy. In order to improve the clinical effectiveness with HDR brachytherapy, a dose calculation algorithm, optimization procedures, and image registrations need to be verified by comparing the dose distributions from a planning computer and those from a humanoid phantom. In this study, the humanoid phantom was fabricated in order to verify the absolute doses and the relative dose distributions. The measured doses from the humanoid phantom were then compared with the treatment planning system for the dose verification. The humanoid phantom needs to be designed such that the dose distributions can be quantitatively evaluated thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips with a dimension of 1/8 and film dosimetry with a spatial resolution of <1 mm used to measure the radiation ...
The basic idea is to implement Thomson scattering with free electron laser (FEL) radiation at near-solid density plasmas as a diagnostic method which allows the determination of plasma temperatures and densities in the warm dense matter (WDM) regime (free electron density of n{sub e} = 10{sup 21}-10{sup 26} cm{sup -3} with temperatures of several eV). The WDM regime [1] at near-solid density (n{sub e} = 10{sup 21}-10{sup 22} cm{sup -3}) is of special interest because, it is where the transition from an ideal plasma to a degenerate, strongly coupled plasma occurs. A systematic understanding of this largely unknown WDM domain is crucial for the modeling and understanding of contemporary plasma experiments, like laser shock-wave or Z-pinch experiments as well as for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments as the plasma evolution follows ...
Collisional-Radiative numerical models are commonly used to design or interpret experiments in atomic physics of laser-created plasmas, including X-ray laser studies. We describe our new code containing several options: average ion, more or less detailed configurations. It consists of an atomic data base coupled to subroutines evaluating ionic populations and emission and absorption coefficients. Numerical results are given to illustrate the capabilities of the code and to compare different models and types of approximation.
Based on a collisional-radiative model, an atomic-kinetic calculation of the gains on the 41.8-nm transitions of Pd-like xenon was performed for the plasma produced due to the interaction of a femtosecond laser pulse with gaseous xenon. The gains g(z,{tau}) averaged over the spatial and temporal coordinates were compared with the known gains which had been measured experimentally in Xe{sup 8+}. The amplification was shown to occur under the conditions of ionisation of the working ions, and the time of output radiation saturation depends on the time of Xe{sup 8+} transformation to higher-ionised ions. Our theoretical investigation enables determining the optimal pump parameters, at which the product of the gain g by the active medium length L is about 20, which exceeds the experimental gL value. (active media)
Based on a collisional-radiative model, an atomic-kinetic calculation of the gains on the 41.8-nm transitions of Pd-like xenon was performed for the plasma produced due to the interaction of a femtosecond laser pulse with gaseous xenon. The gains g(z,?) averaged over the spatial and temporal coordinates were compared with the known gains which had been measured experimentally in Xe8+. The amplification was shown to occur under the conditions of ionisation of the working ions, and the time of output radiation saturation depends on the time of Xe8+ transformation to higher-ionised ions. Our theoretical investigation enables determining the optimal pump parameters, at which the product of the gain g by the active medium length L is about 20, which exceeds the experimental gL value. (active media)
A miniature device is described for measuring integral potential alpha energy concentration of radon daughter products (Csub(Rn)) for personnel and stationary dosimetry. The measuring apparatus consists of an air sampler, filters and TLD detectors. CaSO_4:Dy-teflon pellets were used as the detectors which registrate #gamma# radiation as well. The TLD-effect dependence on the potential alpha energy, as well as the fading of the detectors at 20-60 deg C after 170 hrs operation are presentd. The fading up to 40 deg C has been found to be negligible. The dosimeter may be used to measure Csub(Rh) starting with the 10"5 MeVxh/1 threshold, the accuracy being not worse than +-30%.
The distribution of the central benzodiazepine receptor specific ligand iodine-123 iomazenil was investigated in seven human adults from whole-body scans, blood samples and urine collected up to 24 h after injection. Using 12 source organs, the MIRD method was applied to calculate the absorbed radiation dose of the radioligand in various organs. The urinary bladder wall (0.15 mGy/MBq), lower large intestinal wall (0.071 mGy/MBq) testes (0.044 mGy/MBq) and upper large intestined wall (0.038 mGy/MBq) received the highest absorbed doses. The average effective dose equivalent of "1"2"3I-IBZM for adults was estimated to be 0.033 mSv/MBq. (orig.).
The radiolytic reduction of the Ce4+ in a 0.8N sulfuric acid was examined, with the objective of measuring large radiation doses. the ceric sulphate dosimeter was tested in the range from 1 to 20kGy. The 0.01 M sodium oxalate solution was chosen instead of the arsenious oxide solution (used in the conventional method), in order to obtain a less expensive dosimetric system than that normally use for routine chemical dosimetry. The absorption spectrum of the Ce"4"+ solution presents an absorption peak at 370 nm; the obtained molar extinction coefficients of Ce"4"+ and Ce"3"+ were 5670 and 2.7 M"-"1 cm"-"1 respectively. The purpose of this work was to establish a simple, reliable and inexpensive routine chemical dosimetric system for high doses.
We developed a new TLD array for precise dose measurement and verification of the spatial dose distribution in small radiation targets. It consists of a hemicylindrical, tissue-equivalent rod made of polystyrene with 17 parallel moulds for an exact positioning of each TLD. The spatial resolution of the TLD array was evaluated using the Leskell spherical phantom. Dose planning was performed with KULA 4.4 under stereotactic conditions on axial CT images. In the Leksell gamma unit the TLD array was irradiated with a maximal dose of 10 Gy with an unplugged 14 mm collimator. The doses delivered to the TLDs were rechecked by diode detector and film dosimetry and compared to the computer-generated dose profile. We found excellent agreement of our measured values, even at the critical penumbra decline. For the 14 mm and 18 mm collimator and for the 11 mm collimator combination we compared the measured and calculated data at full width at half maximum. ...
Megavoltage photon intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is typically used in the treatment of prostate cancer at our institution. Approximately 1% to 2% of patients with prostate cancer have hip prostheses. The presence of the prosthesis usually complicates the planning process because of dose perturbation around the prosthesis, radiation attenuation through the prosthesis, and the introduction of computed tomography artifacts in the planning volume. In addition, hip prostheses are typically made of materials of high atomic number, which add uncertainty to the dosimetry of the prostate and critical organs in the planning volume. When the prosthesis is bilateral, treatment planning is further complicated because only a limited number of beam angles can be used to avoid the prostheses. In this case study, we will report the observed advantages of using noncoplanar beams in the delivery of IMRT to a prostate cancer ...
Large-scale field tracer experiments have been conducted on Ulchin and Wolsung nuclear sites for the purpose of validating FADAS and of analyzing the environmental characteristics around the nuclear site. The most influential factor in atmospheric dispersion is the meteorological condition. During the experiment, meteorological data were measured on the release point and the selected positions among sampling points. Once radioactive materials are released to the atmosphere, members of public may be exposed through the environmental media such as air, soil and foods. Therefore, to protect the public, adequate countermeasures should be taken at due time for those exposure pathways. Both processes of justification and optimization are applied to a countermeasure simultaneously for decision-making. The work scope of biological research for the radiation protection had contained the search of biological microanalytic methods for the assessment of health effect by ...
This monograph provides basic notions and principles in dosimetry and radiation protection in compliance with two fundamental works: IAEA Safety Series No.115 - International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources - and Publication no. 60 of International Commission on Radiological Protection. After the review of quantities and units necessary in radiation protection, the book presents the new values of dose limits as well as the values of 'radiation weighting factor', 'tissue weighting factor' and 'conversion factor intake-dose' (committed effective dose per unit intake) by ingestion and inhalation for 30 most important radionuclides. The new values of dose limits, lower than the old values, are a challenge for the radiation protection, especially of the 'public' where the ...
High interelectrode voltage peaks have been observed simultaneously with the emission of hard X-ray bursts from a flash X-ray tube. The magnitude of the voltage peaks may exceed twice the initial charging voltage. It has also been observed that the discharge emits bursts of X-and P-band microwaves radiation which are coincident with the emission of the hard X-ray bursts. The results indicate that the microwaves and X-rays have a common origin in discharge plasma movements and an acceleration model for electrons in the plasma is presented as one possible explanation of the observed phenomena.
Alpha particle confinement is necessary for ignition of a D-T tokamak fusion plasma and for first wall protection. Due to high radiation backgrounds and temperatures, scintillators and semiconductor detectors may not be used to study alpha particles which are lost to the first wall during the D-T programs on JET and ITER. An alternative method of charged particle spectrometry capable of operation in these harsh environments, is proposed: it consists of thin foils of electrically isolated conductors with the flux of alpha particles determined by the positive current flowing from the foils. 2 refs., 3 figs.
We present a collisional-radiative approach of the theoretical analysis of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plasmas. This model, which relies on an optimized effective potential atomic structure code, was used to simulate a pure aluminum plasma. The description of aluminum involved a set of 220 atomic levels representative of three different stages of ionization (Al{sup 0}, Al{sup +} and Al{sup ++}). The calculations were carried for stationary plasmas, with input parameters (n{sub e} and T{sub e}) ranging respectively between 10{sup 13-18} cm{sup -3} and 0.3-2 eV. A comparison of our atomic data with some existing databases is made. The code was mainly developed to address the validity of the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) assumption. For usual LIBS plasma parameters, we did not reveal a sizeable discrepancy of the radiative equilibrium of the ...
We present a collisional-radiative approach of the theoretical analysis of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plasmas. This model, which relies on an optimized effective potential atomic structure code, was used to simulate a pure aluminum plasma. The description of aluminum involved a set of 220 atomic levels representative of three different stages of ionization (Al0, Al+ and Al++). The calculations were carried for stationary plasmas, with input parameters (ne and Te) ranging respectively between 1013-18 cm-3 and 0.3-2 eV. A comparison of our atomic data with some existing databases is made. The code was mainly developed to address the validity of the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) assumption. For usual LIBS plasma parameters, we did not reveal a sizeable discrepancy of the radiative equilibrium of the plasma towards LTE. ...
In 1999, the plasma parameters of reversed shear (RS) plasmas had been extended in 1) DT-equivalent fusion power gain Q_D_T"e"q - 0.5 (n_D(0)#tau#_ET_i(0) - 4x10"2"0 m"-"3#centre dot#keV#centre dot#s) for 0.8 s and 2) full non-inductive current drive with 80% of the bootstrap current fraction. Physics of the internal transport barriers (ITBs) in RS plasmas, including the energy transport and the formation of ITB, were extensively studied. A nearly full current drive (92% non-inductively) was obtained with negative ion based neutral beam (NNB) injection (360 keV, 3.4 MW) in a high #beta#_p H-mode plasma (I_p=1.5 MA, B_T=3.7 T, q_9_5=4.2) with high plasma performance (#beta#_N=2.4 and H_8_9=2.56). Rise in the central electron temperature (T_e - 9 keV) resulted in the current drive efficiency #eta#_C_D of NNB reached 1.3x10"1"9 A/W/m"2, the highest for the neutral beam current drive. ...
The fundamental recommendations of the ICRP issued in its publication of 1990 stipulate the general principle of performance of dose measurements at regular intervals in the field of diagnostic radiology, for the purpose of equipment performance checking and optimization of radiological protection. In response to this requirement, the Federal Ministry, in cooperation with experts and the competent supervising authorities, has issued an order to install dose-area-product meters in angiographic examination systems, imaging systems and fluoroscopic screen devices primarily used for examining infants and children up to the age of 12. This is done in response to reported cases of adverse effects of radiation exposure and the high priority given to radiological protection in the examination of infants and children. In 1992, an expert group was convened to discuss and elaborate instructions for including dose-area product measurement in the dosimetry ...
The US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsors an extensive research program to improve the methods, dosimeters, and instruments available to DOE facilities for measuring neutron dose and assessing its effects on the work force. The Total Dose Meter was recently developed for measuring in real time the adsorbed dose of mixed neutron and gamma radiation and for calculating the dose equivalent. The Field Neutron Spectrometer was developed to provide a portable instrument for determining neutron spectra in the workplace for flux-to-dose equivalent conversion and quality factor calculation. The Combination Thermoluminescence/Track Etch Dosimeter (TLD/TED) was developed to extend the effective neutron energy range of the conventional TLDs to improve detection of fast-energy neutrons. An Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimeter is presently being developed for application to gamma, neutron, and beta radiation. An Effective Dose Equivalent System is ...
Advanced modality of high-precision radiotherapy fulfilled by a composition of large numbers of small field beams called 'beamlets' can be achieved via nonuniform intensity fluencies. In case of radiation measurements and calculations with narrow high-energy photon beams, however, an accurate two-dimensional dosimetry is a challenging task due to dosimetrically unfavorable phenomena such as dramatic changes of the dose at the field boundaries, dis-equilibrium of the electrons resulting from larger detector volume, and non-uniformity between the detector and the phantom materials. Meanwhile, with the advantages of high spatial resolution and wide range of absorbed doses, there is a growing demand of GAFCHROMICat..EBT film to confirm delivered dose distribution. Especially, the effects from the material differences between the phantom and the film can be minimized in the heterogeneous condition since the GAFCHROMICat..EBT film is composed of ...
The aetiology of childhood leukaemia remains generally unknown, although exposure to moderate and high levels of ionising radiation, such as was experienced during the atomic bombings of Japan or from radiotherapy, is an established cause. Risk models based primarily upon studies of the Japanese A-bomb survivors imply that low-level exposure to ionising radiation, including to ubiquitous natural background radiation, also raises the risk of childhood leukaemia. In a recent paper (Wakeford et al 2009 Leukaemia 23 770-6) we estimated the proportion of childhood leukaemia incidence in Great Britain attributable to natural background radiation to be about 20%. In this paper we employ the two sets of published leukaemia risk models used previously, but use recently published revised estimates of natural background radiation doses received by the red bone marrow of British children to ...
Etching of SiO_2 rods has been obtained with a dc torch with argon as the process gas in an air environment at atmospheric pressure; the high temperature of the plasma jet causes vaporization of the exposed area. The apparatus and torch operative parameters have been set up to obtain a depth etch rate of up to 0.6 mm min"-"1 corresponding to 0.826 g min"-"1. An enthalpy probe has been employed to monitor the plasma conditions before the thermal plasma etching process and from the experimental etch rate a surface rod temperature of T_s_u_r = 2057 K has been derived. Etching has been obtained with uniformity over the entire exposed area with peak to peak differences below 1%. The plasma to rod heat transfer has been simulated using a commercial CFD code Fluent (copyright). The model consists of a non-steady two-dimensional simulation for a compressible turbulent fluid, with an adapted grid calculation. ...
Recent developments in solid-state radio frequency (RF) power technologies allow for the practical consideration of RF heated plasmas for space propulsion. These technologies permit the use of any electrical power source, de-couple the power and propellant sources, and allow for the effcient use of both the propellant mass and power. Effcient use of the propellant is obtained by expelling the rocket exhaust at the highest possible velocity, which can be orders of magnitude higher than those achieved in chemical rockets. Handling the hot plasma exhaust requires the use of magnetic nozzles, and the basic physics of ion detachment from the magnetic eld is discussed. The plasma can be generated by RF using helicon waves to heat electrons. Further direct heating of the ions helps to reduce the line radiation losses, and the magnetic geometry is tailored to allow ion cyclotron resonance heating. RF eld and ...
Alternatives for developing chronic exposure limits for noncancer effects of trichloroethylene (TCE) were evaluated. These alternatives were organized within a framework for dose-response assessment--exposure:dosimetry...Full Text Available
The absorbed dose delivered to the patient in brachytherapy is directly proportional to the source strength in terms of the reference air-kerma rate (RAKR). Verification of this quantity by the hospitals is widely recognized as an important part of a quality assurance program. An external audit was performed on behalf of the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory at the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). The aim was to investigate how accurately the source-strength in 192Ir brachytherapy is determined at Swedish hospitals. The SSI reference well-type ion chamber and calibrated equipment were used to measure the RAKR of an 192Ir source in each of the 14 Swedish afterloading units. Comparisons with values determined by vendors and hospitals were made. Agreement in values of RAKR as determined by SSI, hospitals and vendors were in all cases within the +-3% uncertainty (at a coverage factor of k=2), typically guaranteed by the vendors. ...
The importance of cellular dosimetry in both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine is becoming increasingly recognized. Experimental range-energy relations for electrons and alpha particles, along with derived geometric reduction factors, are used to calculate cellular absorbed fractions for these radiations. The resulting absorbed fractions are employed to calculate cellular S-values for several radionuclides. Cellular absorbed fractions for monoenergetic electron sources with energies ranging from 0.1 keV to 1 MeV, distributed uniformly in the source region, are calculated for several target {l_arrow} source combinations including cell{l_arrow}cell, cell{l_arrow}cell surface, nucleus{l_arrow}nucleus, nucleus {l_arrow}cytoplasm and nucleus {l_arrow}cell surface. Similar data are also provided for monoenergetic alpha particle sources with energies ranging from 3 to 10 MeV. S-values are also conveniently tabulated for {sup 32}P, {sup 35}S, ...
The status of neutron activation cross sections for some threshold reactions important for reactor materials dosimetry is reviewed. An attempt is made to understand and explain discrepancies between integral and differential data, using recent available experimental results. The importance of standard and benchmark neutron fields for testing differential data for reactor dosimetry is emphasized and the Interlaboratory Reaction Rate (ILRR) program, as well as a similar program pursued by the IAEA, are briefly described.
An analysis is presented of the electron temperature in a linear device which includes the effect of thermal conduction, heat flux limit, radiation, and end plugs. It is found that the thermal conduction and the heat flux limit are dominant in the initial phase of cooling, while the later phase is almost completely controlled by radiation that spatially homogenizes the temperature distribution. In the case of bremsstrahlung, within the frame of the present model, the temperature decays to zero in a finite time. This process takes the form of a cooling wave that moves from the ends of the column to the center. Impurities cause a milder, exponential decay, which is still much faster than the algebraic conduction decay. The thermal effectiveness of the end plugs is described by a convective transfer coefficient h/sub p/. Its scaling law (in terms of the coupled plamsa-plug system) reveals that a very high plug-plasma density ...
The spectral energy-dependence of the radiation-induced ESR signal has been studied in ovine cortical bone. Crushed bone samples were irradiated using photon beams with effective energies in the range from 0.06 to 6 MeV, and electron beams with mean energies in the range from 2 to 10 MeV. The photon and electron data were normalized to a dose to bone of 50 Gy and the results are reported as response relative to the ESR signal for photon irradiation at 1.25 MeV ("6"0Co). The photon irradiation results show that the ESR response is greatest at low energies with a relative value of 1.2 at 0.06 MeV. The relative response decreases, as the energy increases, to approximately 0.85 in the region of 2 to 3 MeV. These variations in the relative ESR responses are significantly less than the ESR energy-dependent responses reported in the literature for human tooth enamel and synthetic hydroxyapatite. An explanation for this difference is offered. For electron beam ...
A book has been written to introduce the physical aspects of the radiotherapy electron beam by presenting a summary of the developments in this field. The first chapter is a brief introduction to the technology of medical accelerators with emphasis on the electron beam production facilities. Chapter 2 describes the interaction processes at the atomic level once the electron beam enters the medium. Chapter 3 is concerned with the various properties of the electron beam purely from the clinical point of view. The electron beam algorithms and models for distribution calculations are covered in Chapter 4 with inclusion of age diffusion and multiple scattering approaches. The factors affecting the beam distribution in a patient, with inhomogeneities, surface irregularities, backscattering etc. are discussed in Chapter 5. The last two chapters are devoted to electron beam dosimetry including various dosimetric methods, specification and measurement of beam energy, ...
The aim of this work is the evaluation of biodistribution and radiationdosimetry of a cocaine analog, the N-(3-iodo-prop-2E-enyl)-2beta-carbo-methoxy-3beta-(4-methyl-phenyl) nor-tropane (PE2I), labeled with carbon 11 ([{sup 11}C]PE2I). The [{sup 11}C]PE2I is a selective radioligand for imaging neuronal dopamine transporter (DAT) with positron emission tomography (PET). The DAT is a membrane-bound pre synaptically located protein that regulates the concentration of dopamine at nerve terminals. DAT radioligands are often used to evaluate the progression of Parkinson's disease or the efficiency of neuro-protective therapeutics and, typically, these studies required several successive PET scans. (author)
In less than a decade computed tomography (CT scanning) had a profound impact on diagnostic radiology. Radiology of the orbit is no exception. As early as 1973, reports published in the radiological literature indicated that this new noninvasive imaging method was a highly effective way of demonstrating intraorbital mass lesions. As CT scanners became widely available, computed tomography became a significant adjunct to ophthalmological diagnosis. Today the main indications for CT scanning of the orbit are: (1) suspected mass lesions, most frequently presenting as exophthalmos, (2) orbital trauma, including foreign bodies, (3) some congenital anomalies, and (4) suspicion of extension into the orbit of extraorbital disease processes. Along with ultrasonography, another new noninvasive imaging technique, CT has replaced a number of more invasive and often less effective diagnostic methods, such as orbital pneumography, venography, and arteriography as major imaging techniques in orbital ...
The current primary standards at NPL for the measurement of absorbed dose to water in high energy photon and electron beams are graphite calorimeters. However, the quantity of interest in radiationdosimetry is absorbed dose to water. Therefore, a new absorbed dose to water standard based on water calorimetry has been developed for use in high energy photon and electron beams. The calorimeter operates at 4 deg C, with temperature control being provided by liquid cooling. The sealed glass inner vessel of the calorimeter was designed to minimise the effect of non-water materials on the measurement of absorbed dose. The temperature sensing thermistor probes were designed and constructed so that glass is the only material in contact with high purity water inside the vessel. Initial measurements of absorbed dose to water made in 6, 10, and 19 MV photons, and 16 MeV electrons agreed, within the measurement uncertainties of approximately 1.5% (95% ...
We present the design of a diagnostic system to measure electron cyclotron absorption at the second harmonic E-mode resonance in the JET pumped divertor plasma. The diagnostic will measure transmission as a function of frequency along one or more sightlines from which the spatial profile of the n_eT_e product will be deduced. The divertor is briefly described, and the electron cyclotron resonance physics relevant to this measurement is reviewed. The problems of measuring transmission using an oversized transmission system are discussed and the chosen measurement technique, a swept frequency interferometer using a coherent radiation source, is described. A prototype of the instrument has been assembled to test the measurement technique. Some data demonstrating the instrument's characteristics are presented. The nonresonant losses, which may affect the interpretation of the measurement, are also discussed. (orig.).
Full text: Institute for Nuclear Research, Pitesti-Mioveni, Romania in direct cooperation with the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Magurele, Bucharest studied and prepared for coating more than 1000 tiles made of Inconel with 7-9 #mu#m of beryllium for nuclear fusion applications at JET, Culham, UK. The principles of manufacturing processes using thermal evaporation and plasma ignited in pure metal vapors as well as by Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) method and the properties of the Ni and Be coatings are presented. The prepared beryllium layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. (authors)
The quality insurance in radiotherapy in the frame of highly complex technical process as Intensity modulated radiotherapy (I.M.R.T.) needs independent control of the delivered dose to the patient. Actually, up to now, most of the radiotherapy treatments rely only on computed dosimetry through a rather complicated series of linked simulation tool. This dosimetry approach requires also qualified treatment means based on cautious quality insurance procedures. However, erroneous parameters could be difficult to detect and systematical errors could happen leading to radiotherapy accidents. In this context, in vivo dosimetry has a critical role of final control of the delivered dose. As many beam incidences and ports are used for any photon therapy treatment, external control could be very tedious and time consuming. Therefore, innovations are needed for in vivo dosimetry to provide ergonomic and efficient ...
According to ICRP 60 and European-Directive 96/29, Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and Technical Enriched Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) have to take the radiation protection of the general population as well as of workers into account. The German radiation protection regulations stress that particularly. In connection with these regulations, various measurement programs have been and still are performed to investigate the relevant exposure paths. One of these programs is the determination of the intake of natural occurring radionuclides of the uranium decay series in individuals of the public, in exposed regions and houses and also at NORM workplaces by excretion analysis. Excretion analysis surveillance is one of the common tools for internal dosimetry. Sources of primordial radionuclides could be the ingestion of foodstuff and water and the incorporation of (mostly airborne) pollution ...
Personnel radiation monitoring is essential to the operation of any nuclear facility and work in this area continues to strive for an accurate determination of personnel dose. In particular recent attention has been focused upon the need to improve the accuracy of neutron dosimetry, mainly because of their high Relative Biological Effectiveness. In this work the feasibility of using the NE-213 liquid scintillation detector as an efficient neutron/..gamma.. ray radiation monitor is demonstrated. Derivative method spectrum unfolding used in MATXUF for on-line analysis of fast neutron spectra has also been applied to real time ..gamma.. spectrum unfolding (MATXUF2), making possible simultaneous on-line monitoring of both fast neutrons and gammas. To eliminate the negative fluxes in the unfolded ..gamma.. spectra created by the photopeak-Compton edge combination in the plateau portion of the knee response, correcting equations ...
Personnel radiation monitoring is essential to the operation of any nuclear facility and work in this area continues to strive for an accurate determination of personnel dose. In particular recent attention has been focused upon the need to improve the accuracy of neutron dosimetry, mainly because of their high Relative Biological Effectiveness. In this work the feasibility of using the NE-213 liquid scintillation detector as an efficient neutron/#gamma# ray radiation monitor is demonstrated. Derivative method spectrum unfolding used in MATXUF for on-line analysis of fast neutron spectra has also been applied to real time #gamma# spectrum unfolding (MATXUF2), making possible simultaneous on-line monitoring of both fast neutrons and gammas. To eliminate the negative fluxes in the unfolded #gamma# spectra created by the photopeak-Compton edge combination in the plateau portion of the knee response, correcting equations using ...
Personnel radiation monitoring is essential to the operation of any nuclear facility and work in this area continues to strive for an accurate determination of personnel dose. In particular recent attention has been focused upon the need to improve the accuracy of neutron dosimetry, mainly because of their high Relative Biological Effectiveness. In this work the feasibility of using the NE-213 liquid scintillation detector as an efficient neutron/gamma ray radiation monitor is demonstrated. Derivative method spectrum unfolding used in MATXUF for on-line analysis of fast neutron spectra has also been applied to real time gamma spectrum unfolding (MATXUF2), making possible simultaneous on-line monitoring of both fast neutrons and gammas. To eliminate the negative fluxes in the unfolded gamma spectra created by the photopeak-compton edge combination in the plateau portion of the knee response, correcting equations using a ...
The macroscopic rotation of plasma in a toroidal containment device is an important feature of the equilibrium. Toroidal and polidal rotation in the high-beta tokamak Torus II is measured experimentally by examining the Doppler shift of the 4685.75 A He II line emitted from the plasma. The toroidal flow at an average velocity of 1.6 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sec, a small fraction of the ion thermal speed, moves in the same direction as the toroidal-plasma current. The poloidal flow follows the ion diamagnetic current direction, also at an average speed of 1.6 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sec. In view of certain ordering parameters, the toroidal flow is compared with predictions from neoclassical theory in the collisional, Pfirsch-Schluter regime. The poloidal motion, however, results from an E x B drift in a positive radial electric field, approaching a stable ambipolar state. This radial electric field is determined from theory by using the ...
The macroscopic rotation of plasma in a toroidal containment device is an important feature of the equilibrium. Toroidal and poloidal rotation in the high beta tokamak Torus II is measured experimentally by examining the Doppler shift of the 4685.75 A He II line emitted from the plasma. The toroidal flow at an average velocity of 1.6 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sec, a small fraction of the ion thermal speed, moves in the same direction as the toroidal plasma current. The poloidal flow follows the ion diamagnetic current direction, also at an average speed of 1.6 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sec. In view of certain ordering parameters, the toroidal flow is compared with predictions from neoclassical theory in the collosional, Pfirsch-Schluter regime. The poloidal motion, however results from an E x B drift in a positive radial electric field, approaching a stable ambipolar state. This radial electric field is determined from theory by using the ...
The aim of this paper is offering a critical review of Calibration-Free Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS), the approach of multi-elemental quantitative analysis of LIBS spectra, based on the measurement of line intensities and plasma properties (plasma electron density and temperature) and on the assumption of a Boltzmann population of excited levels, which does not require the use of calibration curves or matrix-matched standards. The first part of this review focuses on the applications of the CF-LIBS method. Quantitative results reported in the literature, obtained in the analysis of various materials and in a wide range of experimental conditions, are summarized, with a special emphasis on the departure from nominal composition values. The second part is a discussion of the simplifying assumptions which lie at the basis of the CF-LIBS algorithm (stoichiometric ablation and complete atomization, thermal equilibrium, homogeneous ...
The aim of this paper is offering a critical review of Calibration-Free Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS), the approach of multi-elemental quantitative analysis of LIBS spectra, based on the measurement of line intensities and plasma properties (plasma electron density and temperature) and on the assumption of a Boltzmann population of excited levels, which does not require the use of calibration curves or matrix-matched standards. The first part of this review focuses on the applications of the CF-LIBS method. Quantitative results reported in the literature, obtained in the analysis of various materials and in a wide range of experimental conditions, are summarized, with a special emphasis on the departure from nominal composition values. The second part is a discussion of the simplifying assumptions which lie at the basis of the CF-LIBS algorithm (stoichiometric ablation and complete atomization, thermal equilibrium, homogeneous ...
TlGaSe_2 compound belongs to group of layered semiconductors of A"3B"3C_2"6-type. Photoelectric and optical properties of TlGaSe_2 single crystals were investigated in detail. Influence of gamma-, electron and neutron radiation on photoelectric properties of TlGaSe_2 single crystals is investigated too. The present work deals with experimental results relative to X-ray dosimetric characteristics of TlGaSe_2 crystals at 300 K. X-ray conductivity and X-ray dosimetric characteristic measurements are carried out in low load resistance regime. The source of X-ray radiation is the installation of X-ray diffraction analysis (URS-55a) with the BCV-2(Cu). Intensity of X-ray radiation (E) is regulated by measurement with current variation in tube at each given value of X-ray radiation dose E (R/min) are measured by crystal dosimeter DRGZ-02. X-ray conductivity coefficients K_#sigma# characterising X-ray ...
A new double-null, slotted divertor configuration will be installed for the DIII-D Radiative Divertor Program at General Atomics in late 1996. Four cryocondensation pumps, three new and one existing, will be part of this new divertor. The purpose of the pumps is to provide plasma density control and to limit the impurities entering the plasma core by providing pumping at each divertor strike point. The three new pumps are based on the design of the existing pump, installed in 1992 as part of the Advanced Divertor Program. The pump continues to operate successfully. The new pumps require geometry modifications to the original design. Therefore, extensive modal and dynamic analyses were performed to determine the behavior of these pumps and their helium and nitrogen feed lines during disruption events. Thermal and fluid analyses were also performed to characterize the helium two-phase flow regime in the pumps and their ...
A new double-null, slotted divertor configuration will be installed for the DIII-D Radiative Divertor Program at General Atomics in late 1996. Four cryocondensation pumps, three new and one existing, will be part of this new divertor. The purpose of the pumps is to provide plasma density control and to limit the impurities entering the plasma core by providing pumping at each divertor strike point. The three new pumps are based on the design of the existing pump, installed in 1992 as part of the Advanced Divertor Program. The new pumps require geometry modifications to the original design. Therefore, extensive modal and dynamic analyses were performed to determine the behavior of these pumps and their helium and nitrogen feed lines during disruption events. Thermal and fluid analyses were also performed to characterize the helium two-phase flow regime in the pumps and their feedlines. A flow testing program was completed to ...
A new double-null, slotted divertor configuration will be installed for the DIII-D Radiative Divertor Program at General Atomics in late 1996. Four cryocondensation pumps, three new and one existing, will be part of this new divertor. The purpose of the pumps is to provide plasma density control and to limit the impurities entering the plasma core by providing pumping at each divertor strike point. The three new pumps are based on the design of the existing pump, installed in 1992 as part of the Advanced Divertor Program. The pump continues to operate successfully. The new pumps require geometry modifications to the original design. Therefore, extensive modal and dynamic analyses were performed to determine the behavior of these pumps and their helium and nitrogen feed lines during disruption events. Thermal and fluid analyses were also performed to characterize the helium two-phase flow regime in the pumps and their ...
We describe a panoramic stigmatic spectrograph comprising a grazing-incidence toroidal mirror and a large-aperture free-standing transmission diffraction grating (5000 lines mm-1 ). Two spectrograph versions were constructed, with grazing angles of 7.6 and 40 and the short-wavelength spectral limits near 4 and 1.5 nm. The spectrograph aberrations were studied by numerical ray tracing. The spectrograph was used to record line and quasi-continuous spectra (1.5 - 30 nm) of multiply charged ions in a plasma generated by the second-harmonic pulses of an yttrium aluminate laser (Q = 0.15 J, ? = 5 ns, ? = 0.54 ?m, repetition rate = 0.5 Hz). In combination with a laser-produced plasmaradiation source, the arrangement was used to characterise soft x-ray optical components and to generate collimated beams of polarised radiation in the 14 - 20 nm range. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)
Tl(InS_2)_1_-_x(FeSe_2)_x single crystals (where x=0; 0.001; 0.005; 0.01 and 0.015) were grown by the Bridgman-Stockbarger method. Obtained single crystals were crystallized in monoclinic structure. The present paper deals with experimental results relative to X-ray dosimetric characteristics of the Tl(InS_2)_1_-_x(FeSe_2)_x solid solutions at 300 K. Installation URS-55a was the source of radiation. X-ray radiation dose (E) falling on the crystals is measured by the crystalline X-ray dosimeter DRGZ-02. The value of X-ray conductivity coefficient K_#sigma# characterising X-ray sensitivity is defined as K_#sigma#= (#sigma#_E-#sigma#_0)/E#sigma#_0. where #sigma#_E is conductivity under the effect of X-ray radiation by intensity E, #sigma#_0 is conductivity in the lack of radiation. Comparing X-ray dosimetric characteristics of TlInS_2 and Tl(InS_2)_1_-_x(FeSe_2)_x crystals notes that because of partial ...
A high-density gas jet supersonic nozzle is reported in this paper. The jitter and actuation time of the nozzle is determined by the pin discharge and laser spark radiation respectively. The jitter time of the nozzle is within 10 ?s with the backing pressure as high as 25 bar. With a nanosecond laser pulse focused on the gas jet about 1 mm below the nozzle, the actuation time is calculated to be about 15 ms by detecting the laser produced spark radiation, which reveals the existence of the gas jet and the relative gas density evolving with time. Consequently the gas density is estimated to be well above 1019 cm-3, compared with theoretical simulations from the nozzle parameters.
The process of radiation induced electron capture by protons or deuterons producing new ultra low momentum neutrons and neutrinos may be theoretically described within the standard field theoretical model of electroweak interactions. For protons or deuterons in the neighborhoods of surfaces of condensed matter metallic hydride cathodes, such conversions are determined in part by the collective plasma modes of the participating charged particles, e.g. electrons and protons. The radiation energy required for such low energy nuclear reactions may be supplied by the applied voltage required to push a strong charged current across a metallic hydride surface employed as a cathode within a chemical cell. The electroweak rates of the resulting ultra low momentum neutron production are computed from these considerations.
The proposal made in this paper refers to a free electron laser FEL with small-period electromagnet undulator in SASE regime and a FEL transverse optical klystron in the amplifier regime. The relativistic electron beam source for this FEL is the 7 MeV electron linac of the National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Physics Radiation (NILPRP) in Bucharest. The paper presents the main features of the design and performance of both FELs and discusses the improvements which must be made to the accelerator in order to use it as a free electron source concerning the injection system of electrons and formation of accelerated electron beam. The findings show that this FEL can be employed as a coherent radiation source in the IR range. (author)
The development and occurrence of new electron accelerators and applications are according to the human society development law, as a whole. The period of economic standstill is generating an intense creative activity in the domain of science and engineering which also resulting in great achievements in the field of electron accelerators. This paper presents the basic principle of the electron beam applications and the accelerators required characteristics for their present and potential applications in the domains: radiation sources, diagnostics, radiation processing, energetics, environment, defense and basic sciences. All these are correlated to the new generation of accelerators which, for the acceleration process, may employ electromagnetic fields generated by standard sources, atomic lasers, free electron lasers, Cerenkov effect, Smith - Purcell effect, electron beams, plasma, excited atoms into a crystal or other ...
The history of the Czech Institute of Plasma Physics is highlighted. The article is structured as follows: Cyclic accelerators; Interaction of an external high-frequency field and high-temperature plasma - the tokamak; Interaction of an external high-frequency field and high-temperature plasma - pulse plasma systems; Low-temperature plasma - plasma technologies and new materials; Laser plasma - PALS; Optical diagnosis; and Teaching, conferences and international cooperation. (P.A.)
INAA (instrumental neutron activation analysis) analyses have been made of subsamples of each OSL (Optically stimulated luminescence) sample, for dosimetry ...
Dosimetry parameters such as deposition, clearance, retention, and translocation and dissolution of inhaled particles in and to different lung compartments may be important for the persistence of particles...Full Text Available
VACUTAINER PPT plasma preparation tubes were evaluated to determine the effects of various handling and shipping conditions on plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load determinations. Plasmas...Full Text Available
Many thermoluminescent materials has been developed and used for photon personal dosimetry but no one has all desired characteristics alone. These characteristics include robustness, high sensitivity, energy photon independence, large range of photon energy detection, good reproducibility, small fading and simple glow curve with peaks above 150 deg C. Calcium Sulfate Dysprosium doped (CaSO{sub 4}:Dy) phosphor Thermoluminescent Dosimeter (TLD) has been used by many laboratories, mainly in Brazil and India. Another interesting phosphor is Calcium Fluoride (CaF{sub 2}). These phosphor advantages begin to be more required and its disadvantages have became more apparent, in a global market more and more competitive. These phosphors are used in environmental and area monitoring, once they present more sensibility than other phosphors, like LiF:Mg. Theirs mainly disadvantage is a strong energetic dependence response, which must be corrected for theirs application in the ...
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is committed to conducting its operations in an environmentally safe and sound manner. It is mandatory that activities at SNL/California comply with all applicable environmental statutes, regulations, and standards. Moreover, SNL/California continuously strives to reduce risks to employees, the public, and the environment to the lowest levels reasonably possible. To help verify effective protection of public safety and preservation of the environment, SNL/California maintains an extensive, ongoing environmental monitoring program. This program monitors all significant effluents and the environment at the SNL/California site perimeter. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) performs off-site external radiation monitoring for both sites. These monitoring efforts ensure that emission controls are effective in preventing contamination of the environment. As part of SNL/California`s Environmental Monitoring Program, an ...
The DOE-Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the replacement of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Health Physics Instrumentation Laboratory at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The purpose of this project is to replace the existing Health Physics Instrumentation Laboratory (HPIL) with a new facility to provide a safe environment for maintaining and calibrating radiation detection instruments used at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The existing HPIL facility provides portable health physics monitoring instrumentation and direct reading dosimetry procurement, maintenance and calibration of radiation detection instruments, and research and development support-services to the INEL and others. However, the existing facility was not originally designed for laboratory activities and does not provide an adequate, safe environment for calibration ...
Reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels are subjected to neutron irradiation at a temperature of about 290 deg C. This radiation exposure alters the mechanical properties, leading to a shift of the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature toward higher temperatures and to a diminution of the rupture energy as determined by Charpy V-notch tests. This radiation embrittlement is one of the important aging factors of nuclear power plants. U.S. NRC recommended the basic requirements for the determination of the pressure vessel fluence by regulatory guide DG-1025 in order to reduce the uncertainty in the determination of neutron fluence calculation and measurements. The determination of the pressure vessel fluence is based on both calculations and measurements. The fluence prediction is made with a calculation and the measurements are used to qualify the calculational methodology. Because of the importance and the difficulty of these calculations, the ...
The patients studied were referred for routine abscess localization with indium-111 labelled autologous leukocytes. One series (n=15) was studied at 1 day after reinjection of labelled cells and a second series (n=9) was studied between 4 hours and 4 days after reinjection of labelled cells. The leukocytes were isolated by a gravity sedimentation method and labelled with In-111 oxinate according to Roevekamp and co-workers. The labelled cell suspension administered to the patient contained between 11 and 15 MegaBq (300-400 microCi). The indium-111 concentration in the liver and spleen was quantitated using a scintillation camera and an on-line computer system. Phantom studies were carried out to obtain conversion factors from geometric mean counts to MegaBq of activity for both liver and spleen. Once determined, the amount of activity in liver and spleen was corrected for physical decay of In-111 and expressed as a percentage of the administered activity. Additionally in the 2nd series ...
International standards and guidelines for calibrating high-dose dosimetry systems to be used in industrial radiation processing recommend that dose-rate effects on dosimeters be evaluated under conditions of use. This is important when the irradiation relies on high-current electron accelerators, which usually provide very high dose-rates. However, most dosimeter calibration facilities use low-intensity gamma radiation or low-current electron accelerators, which deliver comparatively low dose-rates. Because of issues of thermal conductivity and response, portable calorimeters cannot be practically used with high-current accelerators, where product conveyor speeds under an electron beam can exceed several meters per second and the calorimeter is not suitable for use with product handling systems. As an alternative, Monte Carlo calculations can give theoretical estimates of the absorbed dose in materials with flat or complex ...
About 210 abstracts by Ukrainian and foreign authors submitted to the 11-th International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion and 2-nd Alushta International Workshop on the Role of Electric Fields in Plasma Confinement in Stellarators and Tokamaks have been considered by Conference Program Committee members. All the abstracts have been divided into 9 groups: Magnetic confinement systems (stellarators, tokamaks, alternative conceptions); plasma heating and current drive; ITER and fusion reactor aspects; basic plasma physics; space plasma; plasma dynamics and plasma-wall interaction; plasma electronics; low temperature plasma and plasma technologies; plasma diagnostics.
The fundamental recommendations of the ICRP issued in its publication of 1990 stipulate the general principle of performance of dose measurements at regular intervals in the field of diagnostic radiology, for the purpose of equipment performance checking and optimization of radiological protection. In response to this requirement, the Federal Ministry, in cooperation with experts and the competent supervising authorities, has issued an order to install dose-area-product meters in angiographic examination systems, imaging systems and fluoroscopic screen devices primarily used for examining infants and children up to the age of 12. This is done in response to reported cases of adverse effects of radiation exposure and the high priority given to radiological protection in the examination of infants and children. In 1992, an expert group was convened to discuss and elaborate instructions for including dose-area product measurement in the dosimetry ...
The expanding plasma produced when an intense pulse of laser radiation is focused in vacuum onto a solid target has been used as a source of highly stripped ions for collision cross-section measurements. Usable fluxes of carbon nuclei at energies of a few hundred eV/charge have been obtained by irradiation of graphite with pulses of CO"2 laser radiation at a focused power density of 3 x 10_1_0 W/cm_2. Bombardment of aluminum and iron targets at comparable power levels have yielded ions of maximum charges of 9 and 16 respectively. A time-of-flight apparatus has been constructed to utilize the laser source for measurement of electron capture cross sections for highly stripped ions in gases at energies in the few hundred eV/charge range. Apertures collimate an ion beam from the plasma blowoff, and an electrostatic analyzer selects ions from the expanding plasma which have the same ...
This paper (paper I) presents the first part of results obtained with the PF-1000 facility for the first time at its upper energy limit (?1 MJ). Special attention is paid here to plasma ('pinch') dynamics, which was investigated in relation to its electro-technical and radiation (especially neutron) characteristics with the help of a number of diagnostics, both time-integrated and with nanosecond temporal resolution. In these methods we utilized a Rogowski coil for the routine electro-technical measurements, visual multi-frame and streak cameras, soft x-ray pin-hole multi-frame cameras, PIN-diode assembly and PM tubes with scintillators for soft and hard x-rays as well as for neutron investigations together with a set of activation counters. In particular, the temporal cross correlation of different phenomena taking place during the discharge was investigated. The pinch's longevity appears to be 10-15 times larger than the ideal ...
Recent results of experimental and theoretical investigations, carried out in the Institute of plasma Physics of the NSC KIPT, are presented in the report. The main problems of discussion are as follows: plasma confinement and heating in stellarators and electromagnetic traps; powerful quasi-steady-state plasma accelerators (QSPA); experiments relevant for ITER; fusion Plasma theory; methods of high temperature plasma diagnostics; plasma technology. The main prospects on the IPP investigators are discussed also.
This report summarizes the activities and major accomplishments for the Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Radiotherapy Research Program for calendar year 2004. Topics covered include boron analysis in biological samples, computational dosimetry and treatment planning software development, medical neutron source development and characterization, and collaborative dosimetry studies at the RA-1 facility in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In situ assembly states of rat adipocyte glucose transport protein in plasma membrane (PM) and in microsomal pool (MM) were assessed by measuring target size (TS) of D glucose-sensitive, cytochalasin B binding activity. High energy radiation inactivated the binding in both PM and MM by reducing the total capacity of the binding (B/sub T/) without affecting the dissociation constant (K/sub D/). The reduction in B/sub T/ as a function of radiation dose was analyzed based on classical target theory, from which TS was calculated. TS in the PM of insulin-treated adipocytes was 58 KDa. TS in the MM of noninsulin-treated and insulin-treated adipocytes were 112 and 109 KDa, respectively. With MM, however, inactivation data showed anomalously low radiation sensitivities at low radiation doses showing a shoulder in the semilog plots, which may be due to an interaction with a ...
Radiation inactivation and sedimentation equilibrium analysis were used to determine the functional and physical size of the chicken hepatic membrane receptor that binds N-acetylglucosamine-terminated glycoproteins. Purified plasma membranes from chicken liver were irradiated with high energy electrons and assayed for 125I-agalactoorosomucoid binding. Increasing the dose of ionizing radiation resulted in a monoexponential decay in binding activity due to a progressive loss of binding sites. The molecular mass of the chicken lectin, determined in situ by target analysis, was 69,000 +/- 9,000 Da. When the same irradiated membranes were solubilized in Brij 58 and assayed, the binding protein exhibited a target size of 62,000 +/- 4,000 Da; in Triton X-100, the functional size of the receptor was 85,000 +/- 10,000 Da. Sedimentation equilibrium measurements of the purified binding protein yielded a lower limit molecular weight of ...
This work describes the radon in soil gas measurements performed during the last two years in cooperation between the Laboratory of Applied Nuclear Physics of the Federal University of Technology (UTFPR), the Nuclear Technology Development Center (CDTN) and the Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD) from the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN). Following previously concluded measurements of radon concentration in dwellings and the measurements of 222Rn activity in drinking water collected at artesian bores of Curitiba urban area, present step of activities has been dedicated to measurements of radon concentration in soil gas. Experimental setup was based on the Professional Radon Monitor (ALPHA GUARD) connected to specially developed for such measurements Soil Gas Probe through the air pump and filter system. After the Probe was inserted, the ground has been tamped down around the probe, to prevent air from moving ...
Iron is one of the main constituents of stainless steel which is used as a structural material in nuclear reactors. In fast and conceptual fusion and fusion-fission hybrid systems the primary energy range of neutron interaction lies between 1 and 20 MeV which opens up several reaction channels. The reaction cross-sections in this energy range are important for dosimetry, radiation damage, neutronics and safety studies of nuclear reactors. Keeping this in view Nuclear Data Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency has sponsored a Research Co-ordination Programme on Methods for the Calculation of Fast Neutron Nuclear Data for Structural Elements. Under this programme we propose to study (n,n'), (n,2n), (n,3n), (n,p), (n,np), (n,pn), (n,#alpha#), (n,n#alpha#), (n,#alpha#n) and (n,#gamma#) reaction cross-sections. Besides these, total, elastic and discrete level inelastic scattering cross-sections, angular distributions of neutron ...
Brachytherapy refers to short distance treatment of cancer with radiation from small, encapsulated radionuclide sources. This type of treatment is given by placing sources directly into or near the volume to be treated. The dose is then delivered continuously, either over a short period of time (temporary implants) or over the lifetime of the source to a complete decay (permanent implants). This technique is extensively used in the treatments of gynecological, breast, prostate, head and neck, and other soft tissue cancers. The clinical outcomes of this treatment depend on accurate dosimetry and dose delivery. The patient is generally considered to be water equivalent. So the treatment planning system software generally is based on measured or calculated dose distributions in homogenous water medium. In real situation, the treatment volume is not homogenous water medium, but it is a heterogeneous medium consisting of bone, soft tissue, lung, air ...
Full text: Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of individual sand-sized grains of quartz has advanced significantly over the past decade opening up new vistas in luminescence geochronology. Today, single-grain OSL dating can be used to constrain the burial ages of many deposits, including fluvial sediments, glaciofluvial material and archaeological sediments. It also provides a means of examining the stratigraphic integrity of archaeological sites where sediment mixing might have occurred. An OSL age is calculated by dividing the burial dose (the dose absorbed by the grain since it was last exposed to sunlight) by the environmental dose rate (the rate of supply of ionizing radiation to the grain over the period of burial). To obtain reliable OSL ages, therefore, an accurate estimate of the dose rate is required for each sample. Here we describe our OSL dating campaign at Vindija Cave, a key archaeological site in central Europe that contains a 12 m-thick ...
Several short-lived, high-energy beta emitters are being proposed as the radionuclide components for molecular-targeted potential cancer therapeutic agents. The laboratory mice used to determine the efficacy of these new agents have organs that are relatively small compared to the ranges of these high-energy particles. The dosimetry model developed by Hui et al. was extended to provide realistic beta-dose estimates for organs in mice that received therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals containing 90Y, 188Re, 166Ho, 149Pm, 64Cu, and 177 Lu. Major organs in this model included the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, heart, stomach, small and large bowel, thyroid, pancreas, bone, marrow, carcass, and a 0.025-g tumor. The study as reported in this paper verifies their results for 90Y and extends them by using their organ geometry factors combined with newly calculated organ self-absorbed fractions from PEREGRINE and MCNP. PEREGRINE and MCNP agree to within 8% for the worst-case ...
By the use of thermoluminescence (TL) technique we have investigated the effects of gamma irradiation on the TL response of pulverised natural zircon (ZrSiO{sub 4}) crystals from the Jos Plateau area of Nigeria. Samples of the mineral that have been previously annealed were artificially irradiated to moderate gamma doses ranging from 0.7 to 4.9 Gy using {sup 60}Co gamma-source of the CERD. The natural TL glow curve of the sample showed a broad peak around 250 deg. C, the peak was however, found to be completely erased following heat treatment for 2 h at 400 deg. C. The TL glow curves of the artificially irradiated samples showed two overlapping glow peaks at about 112 deg. C (peak I) and at 156 deg. C (peak II) within the dose range utilised. We note that the natural TL peak appears to be different from the two observed in the artificially irradiated sample. The TL response with dose was investigated for the two glow peaks found in the artificially irradiated sample and in both cases, ...
By the use of thermoluminescence (TL) technique we have investigated the effects of gamma irradiation on the TL response of pulverised natural zircon (ZrSiO_4) crystals from the Jos Plateau area of Nigeria. Samples of the mineral that have been previously annealed were artificially irradiated to moderate gamma doses ranging from 0.7 to 4.9 Gy using "6"0Co gamma-source of the CERD. The natural TL glow curve of the sample showed a broad peak around 250 deg. C, the peak was however, found to be completely erased following heat treatment for 2 h at 400 deg. C. The TL glow curves of the artificially irradiated samples showed two overlapping glow peaks at about 112 deg. C (peak I) and at 156 deg. C (peak II) within the dose range utilised. We note that the natural TL peak appears to be different from the two observed in the artificially irradiated sample. The TL response with dose was investigated for the two glow peaks found in the artificially irradiated sample and in both cases, in the ...
Faced with increasing indications for the use of iodine-131 labelled lipiodol in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it appears essential to develop an individualized dosimetrY so we can predict the potential effectiveness of this treatment and adjust the activity to be injected. We developed a dosimetric protocol based on imagery and dedicated to calculation of the tumoral dose during the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma by iodine-131 labelled lipiodol. This concept was developed on a SPECT- CT gantry, and integrates corrections for the phenomena of attenuation, diffusion and dead time. The dose is calculated according to the formalism proposed by the Medical Internal Radiation Dose Committee (MIRD). This protocol was applied to a series of 41 patients in the framework of a retrospective study. The results obtained in terms of biodistribution are compatible with previously published data. The total biological response rate is ...
Energy and angular double differential cross-section data of fragments by tens of MeV neutron or proton are important to evaluate dosimetry and radiation effect in devices or instruments, since fragments cause a large local ionization. Up to now, experimental data of the fragment production are very scarce due to experimental difficulties of fragment detection. A bragg curve spectrometer (BCS) for fragment measurement is a gridded-ionization chamber that identify fragments on the basis of the difference of Bragg peak value. The BCS was fabricated to adopt for fragment measurement in neutron-induced reactions and tested with a charged-particle beam and then applied to a neutron field successfully. The structure of BCS is a cylindrical gridded ionization chamber, and filled with a Ar + 10% CH{sub 4} gas at a pressure of 2.7 x 10{sup 4} Pa. To confirm the performance of BCS, the following tests were performed: 1) the saturation property by using ...
Brachytherapy is used for treating certain types of cancer by inserting radioactive sources into tumours. CDTN/CNEN is developing brachytherapy seeds to be used mainly in prostate cancer treatment. Dose calculations play a very significant role in the characterization of the developed seeds. The current state-of-the-art of computation dosimetry relies on Monte Carlo methods using, for instance, MCNP codes. However, deterministic calculations have some advantages, as, for example, short computer time to find solutions. This paper presents a software developed to calculate doses in a two-dimensional space surrounding the seed, using a deterministic algorithm. The analysed seeds consist of capsules similar to IMC6711 (OncoSeed), that are commercially available. The exposure rates and absorbed doses are computed using the Sievert integral and the Meisberger third order polynomial, respectively. The software also allows the isodose visualization at the surface plan. The ...
This report results from a contract tasking Eindhoven University of Technology as follows: The contractor will investigate the plasma treatment of surfaces and plasma enhanced deposition using EUT's cascade arc source as the basis for this effort.
The major activities of the various Institute's departments are highlighted. The following departments are included: (i) Tokamak; (ii) Pulse plasma systems; (iii) Thermal plasma; (iv) Materials engineering; (v) Laser plasma; and (vi) Optical diagnosis. (P.A.)
Results are described of a study and of the characteristics of sources of a non-equilibrium gas-discharge plasma. The plasma generators considered include glow, high frequency, and arc discharge generators. Thermodynamic, ionic, and electronic processes occurring in the plasmas are evaluated.
In areas where radiation dose monitoring has not been performed, it is essential to use material available in the environment be able to rapidly assess doses to individuals for immediate emergency medical care or for general estimation of the radiological consequences. It was shown that certain types of telephone cards containing microchips have the potential to be used as individual radiation dosimeters in emergency situations to detect doses over 250 mGy by luminescence measurements. In order to understand the dosimetric properties of chip cards, the components obtained from INFINIEON Company at various stages of production were used for luminescence measurements. It is found that the protecting layer used above the chips so called 'globe top' is the main source of radiation induced signal in chip cards. The globe top produced by INFINIEON at that stage is found to contain SiO2 and Epoxy. In order to improve the ...
Dust particles in a plasma are charged negatively and are subject to various types of forces, including a drag force by plasma particles and a force due to the collective nature of a plasma. Dust particles are found in a sheath in laboratories balanced by the gravitational force and the electric force, while dust particles in space are ubiquitous, including planetary magnetospheres and interstellar space. Because of the novel nature of a complex system involving plasma particles and dust particles in a collective way, the dusty plasma is often called a complex plasma. The complex plasma is characterized by two distinctly different scales in time and in space. The plasma with electrons, ions and neutrals is characterized by the collective motion with a fast time scale and a short wavelength, while the dust particles move ...
Excitation of the HF electric field in the local plasma resonance region (LPRR) of inhomogeneous plasma by pumping electric field or modulated electron beam results to appearance of the ponderomotive force that presses plasma out of this region. Density cavity is formed in the LPRR due to this field. Further dynamics in this region depends on the plasma properties. For plasma with hot electrons ion-acoustic pulses run away from the cavity. at the local density maximum the new peak of electric field is excited. It results to the formation of new density cavity, etc. For isothermal plasma the density jump is formed.
New non-stationary non-contracted form of the erosive radially-slotted discharge as a thin round sheet with the current of the azimuth direction have been discovered, its existence beings stipulated by a radial transport-wave fluxes. Characteristic features of this discharge is self-confinement of the discharge current magnitude, corresponding decrease of the current pulse duration and occurrence of an energy and substance ejection with rather unusual properties. Measurements of kinetics of the discharge current, the plasmaradiation intensity and an electrical probe signal, as well as the transmission electron microscope investigations of characteristic aerodisperse aggregates arising the erosive phase, have been carried out. The probe signal duration was about 10 times greater than that of the current; its kinetics was complicated suggesting existence in the slot of two components with fundamentally different properties and states of the ...
The multi-faceted research effort of the EBIT (Electron Beam Ion Trap) program in N-Division of the Physics and Space Technology Department at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) continues to contribute significant results to the physical sciences from studies with low energy very highly charged heavy ions. The EBIT program attracts a number of collaborators from the US and abroad for the different projects. The collaborations are partly carried out through participating graduate students demonstrating the excellent educational capabilities at the LLNL EBIT facilities. Moreover, participants from Historically Black Colleges and Universities are engaged in the EBIT project. This report describes EBIT work for 1995 in atomic structure measurements and radiative transition probabilities, spectral diagnostics for laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, ion/surface interaction studies, electron-ion interactions studies, retrap and ion ...
An embodiment of a mercury-free fluorescent lamp combines a low pressure rare gas discharges with a phosphor having a quantum efficiency grater than one. The choice of the rare gas depends on a number of factors, one of which is the resonance transition energy. Less demand is placed the quantum efficiency of the phosphor for a lower energy resonance photon. Xenon has the lowest energy resonance transition of the stable rare gases at 8.5 eV (147 nm) and thus is a good candidate to study. The usefulness of a xenon-based discharge depends on the radiant emittance of the discharge at the resonance wavelength of 147 nm. The radiant emittance from a low pressure xenon positive column discharge is measured using two independent techniques. The first relies on the measurement of the resonance level density using absorption techniques. The effective decay rate of the resonance level is calculated using radiation trapping theory. The product of this density and trapped decay ...
To date, no single passive detector has been found that measures dose equivalent from ionizing radiation exposure in low-Earth orbit. We have developed the I.S.S. Passive Dosimetry System (P.D.S.), utilizing a combination of TLD in the form of the self-contained Pille TLD system and stacks of CR-39 plastic nuclear track detector (P.N.T.D.) oriented in three mutually orthogonal directions, to measure total dose and dose equivalent aboard the International Space Station (I.S.S.). The Pille TLD system, consisting on an on board reader and a large number of Ca{sub 2}SO{sub 4}:Dy TLD cells, is used to measure absorbed dose. The Pille TLD cells are read out and annealed by the I.S.S. crew on orbit, such that dose information for any time period or condition, e.g. for E.V.A. or following a solar particle event, is immediately available. Near-tissue equivalent CR-39 P.N.T.D. provides Let spectrum, dose, and dose equivalent from charged particles of ...
Fusion energy is one of only a few truly long-term energy options. Since its inception in the 1950s, the vision of the fusion energy research program has been to develop a viable means of harnessing the virtually unlimited energy stored in the nuclei of light atoms--the primary fuel deuterium is present as one part in 6,500 of all hydrogen. This vision grew out of the recognition that the immense power radiated by the sun is fueled by nuclear fusion in its hot core. Such high temperatures are a prerequisite for driving significant fusion reactions. The fascinating fourth state of matter at high temperatures is known as plasma. It is only in this fourth state of matter that the nuclei of two light atoms can fuse, releasing the excess energy that was needed to separately bind each of the original two nuclei. Because the nuclei of atoms carry a net positive electric charge, they repel each other. Hydrogenic nuclei, such as deuterium and tritium, ...
Full text: Thermoluminescence (TL) is a phenomenon of light emission caused by heating a pre-irradiated material. When ionizing radiation hits a TL material, electrons are freed from some atoms and moved in the material, leaving behind 'holes' of positive charge. Subsequently when the TL material is heated, the electrons and the 'holes' re-combine, and release the extra energy in the form of light. The light intensity can be measured, and related to the amount of energy initially absorbed through exposure to the ionizing radiation. In nineteen sixties thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) became popular for dosimetric applications in view of their small size, sensitivity and accuracy. Consequently, in early seventies, several countries started adopting of TLD for personnel monitoring. The idea of introducing TLD to replace the then prevalent film dosimeter for personnel monitoring in India was mooted and successfully implemented by Dr. K G Vohra. ...
Advances in laboratory animal imaging have provided new resources for noninvasive biomedical research. Among these technologies is microcomputed tomography (microCT) which is widely used to obtain high...Full Text Available
A high-purity, intense, fast-neutron source has been developed at our laboratory. We describe two inexpensive, straightforward methods of determining the total number of neutrons produced and we review precautions to be taken in applying these methods. (orig.).
Revised neutron fluence and damage values are reported for the MOTA-2A experiment in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). This revision corrects an error with processing of the {sup 235}U(n,f) reaction. Net corrections are on the order of 5%.
Abstracts of research projects are presented in the following areas: measurements and special facilities; cellular and subcellular studies; physiology; behavior; environmental effects; modeling, scaling and dosimetry; and high voltage direct current. (ACR)
This report describes a neutron fluence assessment performed for the Kori Unit 3 pressure vessel beltline region based on the guidance specified in Regulatory Guide 1.190. In this assessment, maximum fast neutron exposures expressed in terms of fast neutron fluence (E>1 MeV) and iron atom displacements (dpa) were established for the beltline region of the pressure vessel. After Cycle 16 of reactor operation, 2nd Ex-Vessel Neutron Dosimetry Program was instituted at Kori Unit 3 to provide continuous monitoring of the beltline region of the reactor vessel. The use of the Ex-Vessel Neutron Dosimetry Program coupled with available surveillance capsule measurements provides a plant specific data base that enables the evaluation of the vessel exposure and the uncertainty associated with that exposure over the service life of the unit. Ex-Vessel Neutron Dosimetry has been evaluated at the conclusion of Cycle 17
Purposes1. To determine the optimal pelvic nodal clinical target volume for post-operative treatment of endometrial cancer. 2. To compare the DVH of different treatment planning...Full Text Available
There is increasing concern for the potential adverse health effects of human exposures to chemical mixtures. To better understand the complex interactions of chemicals within a mixture, it is essential...Full Text Available
During Phase 2 of our study of the CIXS conceptual design we have tackled additional important issues that are unique to the ITER environment. These include the thermal control of the crystal and detector enclosures located in an environment with a 100-250 C ambient temperature, tritium containment, and the range of crystal and detector movement based on the need for spectral adjustments and the desire to make measurements of colder plasmas. In addressing these issues we have selected a ''Dewar''-type enclosure for the crystals and detectors. Applying realistic view factors for radiant heat and making allowance for conduction we have made engineering studies of this enclosure and showed that the cooling requirements can be solved and the temperature can be kept sufficiently constant without compromising the specification parameters of the CIXS. We have chosen a minimum 3 mm combined thickness of the six beryllium windows needed in a Dewar-type enclosure and showed ...
Theoretical analysis of the electric field bifurcation is made for the LHD plasma. For given shapes of plasma profiles, a region of bifurcation is obtained in a space of the plasma parameters. In this region of plasma parameters, the electric field domain interface is predicted to appear in the plasma column. The reduction of turbulent transport is expected to occur in the vicinity of the interface, inducing a internal transport barrier. Within this simple model, the plasma with internal barriers is predicted to be realized for the parameters of T{sub e}(0) {approx} 2 keV and n(0) {approx_equal} 10{sup 18} m{sup -3}. (author)
PulsPlasma nitriding is now one of the established nitriding methods. This article describes PulsPlasma nitriding procedures and the boundary conditions necessary. The special features of PulsPlasma technology compared to DC plasma systems are illustrated. In addition, the process benefits of material treatment using a plasma are examined, as is system type. The article concludes with typical applications of PulsPlasma technology for treatment of stainless steel, cold-working steel, hot-working steel and sintered steel. (orig.)
The plasma cladding waveguide, which is a cylindrical dielectric core surrounded by a plasma cladding, is developed, and the guided modes and their characteristics of this waveguide are displayed through the present detailed theoretical research. The conditions of the single mode existing in the plasma cladding waveguide have been given, and the defined forbidden gap of frequency is discussed. It is found that the usage characteristics of the plasma cladding waveguide vary strongly with plasma frequency, and changing the plasma parameters can control the propagation mode. This paper focuses on exhibiting the basic characteristics and the potential applications of this new type of waveguide.
Experimentally it is shown that a movable grounded metallic plate placed inside a multi-dipole magnetic cage can vary the diffused plasma parameters such as density, plasma potential and electron temperature. Plasma is solely produced in the source section of a double plasma device by a dc hot filament discharge and a low-density plasma is produced in the target section by local ionization of neutral gas by the high energetic electrons coming from the source section. A grounded movable stainless steel plate is inserted in the target section of the device. The floating potential of the plate also changes depending on the position of the plate inside the magnetic cage.
Indoor radon is a potential health hazard for the general public, especially in buildings with poor ventilation. A variety of dosemeters have been developed and used in surveys of radon concentration measurements. In this article the passive dosemeters which are based on solid state nuclear track detectors are reviewed. The principle of passive dosimetry and the factors affecting their performance are discussed. The characteristics of SSNTD materials in relation to their behaviour under different environmental conditions are tabulated and discussed. Results of radon surveys from selected studies are also presented. (Author).
The recent definition of a postulated thermal shock accident followed promptly by system repressurization, termed an overcooling or pressurized thermal shock accident, has set a large analysis and research effort into motion. The essential elements are concerned with defining the accident transients, evaluating the instrumentation and controls that cause the postulated accidents, and evaluating the metallurgical and structural mechanics aspects of the reactor vessel with respect to its failure potential. This paper poses the question faced by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the vessel steel embrittlement, annealing, and surveillance dosimetry facets of this postulated accident and provides information on our plans for study of this problem as well as current status.
Building on the concepts of MIRD methods described by Webber, Watson and others at this Symposium on the Dosimetry of Administered Radionuclides, we will now consider how to apply these principles to several experimentally based open-quote macroclose quotes and multicellular models. Specifically, methods to calculate absorbed dose using different types of particulate emission (alpha, beta) with a variety of antibody carriers (IgG, F(ab')_2, Fab) for radioimmunotherapy (RIT) will be reviewed. Additionally, a discussion of direct measurement methods at the multicellular level will reveal the problems of tumor absorbed dose heterogeneity when applied to animal and clinical studies.
Background: The difficulty of directly measuring cellular dose is a significant obstacle to application of target tissue dosimetry for nanoparticle and microparticle toxicity assessment. As a consequence, the target tissue paradigm for dosimetry and hazard assessment of nanoparticles has largely been ignored in favor of using metrics of exposure (e.g. ?g particle/mL culture medium, particle surface area/mL, particle number/mL). We have developed a computational model of solution particokinetics (sedimentation, diffusion) and dosimetry for non-interacting spherical particles and their agglomerates in monolayer cell culture systems. Particle transport to cells is calculated by simultaneous solution of Stokes Law (sedimentation) and the Stokes-Einstein equation (diffusion). Results: The In vitro Sedimentation, Diffusion and Dosimetry model (ISDD) was tested against measured transport rates or cellular ...
Comparison of dosimetry measured in a noncylindrical Rando-Alderson phantom by two-field, four-field, and six-field total-skin electron-beam therapy (TSEBT) techniques with our dual-field rotational (DFR) technique reveals a superior dosimetry for the latter. Our technique of dual-field rotational DFR-TSEBT is described in detail, and its advantages and indications for the primary management of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) are discussed.
The aim of this thesis is the study of new systems devoted to the real time neutron spectrometry and dosimetry. The microelectronics technologies have been used to research a micro system integrating sensor and data processing in real time. The multi range sensor is based on many pair of semiconductor diodes placed face to face and covered by lithium fluoride. The sensor has been designed and its behavior has been simulated. Its operating in reference neutrons beams has been analyzed. (A.L.B.)
This is the 1st revision of the INIS/ETDE Joint Thesaurus. It contains 20 953 valid descriptors and 8 600 forbidden terms. It was last updated in December 2003. The Joint Thesaurus contains the controlled terminology for indexing all information within the subject scope of both INIS (International Nuclear Information System) and ETDE (Energy Technology Data Exchange) information systems. The terminology is intended for use in subject description for input or retrieval of information in those systems. The thesaurus is a terminological control device used in translating from the natural language of documents, indexers or users into a more constrained system language It is also a controlled and dynamic vocabulary of semantically and generically related terms which covers a specific domain of knowledge. The domain of knowledge covered by this Thesaurus includes physics (in particular, plasma physics, atomic and molecular physics, and especially nuclear and high-energy ...
Plasma nitriding of a Ti substrate is carried out under a low ambient pressure below 3kPa, and a plasma torch is prepared on a trial basis which is provided with a supersonic expansion nozzle considered to expand plasma jet optimally and to be effective for suppressing the occurrence of shock wave. The system used for the study is provided with a specimen holder having the function of adjusting the distance between the nozzle outlet and the substrate inside the vacuum chamber which is provided with a plasma torch in the flange member. The plasma torch is so structured that a supersonic expansion nozzle can be installed at the tip of the plasma torch. In this process wherein plasma jet is employed, hard nitrided layer can be formed by plasma irradiation for a short time even under such low pressure as less than 3kPa by ...
Experiments of plasma nitriding of titanium are carried out by two plasma sources. One is a microwave discharge plasma source under several Torr, and the other is a nitrogen arc jet generated under atmospheric pressure followed by rapid expansion into a gas wind tunnel. The relationship between the surface density of nitrogen atoms in the #alpha#-Ti and various plasma parameters is systematically studied. For the microwave nitrogen plasma, it is found that the effect of the vibration temperature is the most essential for the surface nitriding, whereas the effect of electron temperature, density and rotation temperature is less remarkable. It is also found that the higher vibration temperature of the microwave discharge nitrogen plasma makes the target temperature higher, and consequently, the surface density of atomic nitrogen remarkably increased. However, the ...
Iodized oil has been used as a contrast agent in lymphangiography. One of the commercially available compounds is Lipidol Ultra-fluid(LUF) which contains 38% iodine by weight. Nakakuma et al(1979) reported that LUF was selectively retained in the hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma when injected directly into the ligated hepatic artery. Since that time, it has been widely utilized in the detection as well as the therapeutic attempts of hepatocellular carcinoma, where it has been mixed with chemotherapeutic agents or labeled with radioactive I-131. Like all significant advances, the mechanism of lipid retention within the hepatocellular carcinoma is not clearly understood, and also there is a lack of information about the biodistribution and kinetics of I-131 Lipiodol. The apparent safety of this technique require confirmation. The present study was aimed to assess the biodistribution and kinetics of intraarterially injected I-131 Lipiodol and the histologic changes in canine livers. ...
The most important results of theoretical and experimental studies of plasmas, which have been achieved at the IPJ in Swierk and IPPLM in Warsaw recently, are presented. Studies of physical phenomena in PF discharges, development of diagnostic techniques and research on new plasma technologies, as performed at IPJ, have been summarized. Studies of dense magnetized plasmas, investigation of physics and applications of laser-produced plasmas; and research on the development of advanced diagnostic techniques for the EUROATOM fusion program, as performed at IPPLM, are also described.
In order to consider some procedures to prevent errors in radiotherapy based in learned lessons of accidental expositions and in accordance with information contained in international reports elaborated by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and of the data base availability by the European group Radiation Oncology Safety Information System (ROSIS) on the events, a research of the occurred errors was performed. For the evaluation of the incidents a data base based in the ROSIS and added plus a parameter was created 'type of error'. All the stored data make possible the evaluation of the 839 incidents in terms of frequency of the type of error, the process of detention, the number of reached patients and the degree of severity. Of the 50 types of found errors, the type of error more frequently was 'incorrect treatment coordinate', confirmed with the data of literature and representing 28,96 por cent of the total of the ...
For the step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique, the combination of high dose rate, multiple beam segments and low dose per segment can lead to significant differences between the planned dose and the dose delivered to the patient. In this technique, a dose delivery inaccuracy known as the 'overshoot' effect is caused by the dose servo control system. This typically occurs in the first and last beam segments and causes an over- and underdose, respectively. Some dose positional error in the segment sequence is also possible there. Commercial ionization chambers (RK-type) and radiographic Kodak films were used for the measurements. The reported results were obtained using the Pinnacle{sup 3}-V6.2 treatment planning system and a Varian Clinac 21 EX linear accelerator equipped with a 120-leaf Millennium MLC. The dose inaccuracy measurements were based on the comparison of the dose and profiles for reference fields and ...
Radio frequency (RF) plasma nitriding using different input plasma processing powers (250-600 W) improves the surface of titanium by forming hard phases of TiN, Ti{sub 2}N, and Ti (N) into the surface. The characteristics of the compound layer have been investigated by optical microscopy, microhardness measurements, and X-ray diffraction. The effect of plasma power on the sample temperature, electron temperature, and plasma density was studied using Langmuir double probe. The measured surface hardness value of the compound layer is 2190 HV 0.1 for treated sample at plasma power 500 W. The compound thickness continuously increases as the plasma power increases. The highest nitriding rate of 5.88 {mu}m{sup 2}/s was recorded when the input plasma power was adjusted at 550 W. This high nitriding rate of treated titanium samples is ascribed to ...
Radio frequency (RF) plasma nitriding using different input plasma processing powers (250-600 W) improves the surface of titanium by forming hard phases of TiN, Ti_2N, and Ti (N) into the surface. The characteristics of the compound layer have been investigated by optical microscopy, microhardness measurements, and X-ray diffraction. The effect of plasma power on the sample temperature, electron temperature, and plasma density was studied using Langmuir double probe. The measured surface hardness value of the compound layer is 2190 HV 0.1 for treated sample at plasma power 500 W. The compound thickness continuously increases as the plasma power increases. The highest nitriding rate of 5.88 #mu#m"2/s was recorded when the input plasma power was adjusted at 550 W. This high nitriding rate of treated titanium samples is ascribed to the high ...
The plasma protein binding of phenytoin was investigated in 100 epileptic patients, using equilibrium dialysis at 37 degrees C. The unbound fractions of phenytoin in plasma formed a skewed distribution,...Full Text Available
Plasma nitriding as a diffusion process is the oldest plasma-assisted process for the surface treatment of metals. Although the use of this process in industry is already well developed and established there are still several scientific questions in the basic understanding of the process and consequently some problems and limits concerning its upscaling for industrial use. Therefore it is necessary to get reproducible results for different geometries of workpieces and for different workload sizes. Correlations between different plasma and treatment parameters, especially in big plants, have to be considered. To understand the process handling using some simple but impressive models the difficulties of treating single parts or mixed workloads are explained. For profitable applications of plasma nitriding plants, some guidelines for the use and selection of a suitable process and a device are given. By ...
A new miniature high-frequency (HF) plasma source intended for bio-medical applications is studied using nitrogen/oxygen mixture at atmospheric pressure. This plasma source can be used as an element of a plasma source array for applications in dermatology and surgery. Nitric oxide and ozone which are produced in this plasma source are well-known agents for proliferation of the cells, inhalation therapy for newborn infants, disinfection of wounds and blood ozonation. Using optical emission spectroscopy, microphotography and numerical simulation, the gas temperature in the active plasma region and plasma parameters (electron density and electron distribution function) are determined for varied nitrogen/oxygen flows. The influence of the gas flows on the plasma conditions is studied. Ozone and nitric oxide concentrations in the effluent of the ...
Fasting plasma concentrations of magnesium were measured by neutron activation analysis in 30 non-diabetics and 87 diabetics (55 non-insulin-treated, 32 insulin treated). Plasma concentrations of magnesium...Full Text Available
Prof. Kodi Husimi was the director of the Institute of Plasma Physics of Nagoya University during 12 years from the beginning of the institute establishment in 1961. His main contribution on promotion of plasma physics and fusion research at the Institute is summarized. (author)
1 The plasma protein binding of theophylline was determined after addition of [14C]-theophylline (15 micrograms/ml) to plasma from 24 healthy drug-free volunteers and equilibrium dialysis for 2 h at...Full Text Available
High power and particle deposition on target materials are encountered in many applications including magnetic and inertial fusion devices, nuclear and high energy physics applications, and laser and discharge produced plasma devices. Surface and structural damage to plasma-facing components due to the frequent loss of plasma confinement remains a serious problem for the Tokamak reactor concept. The deposited plasma energy causes significant surface erosion, possible structural failure, and frequent plasma contamination.
The bibliography contains citations concerning plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) and equipment. PIII is a new technique to implant plasma ions into materials for surface modification and treatment. Topics include plasma nitriding, semiconductor doping, ion energy distribution, ion dose, pulsed plasma, metal plasma, and defect passivation. References also review applications in semiconductor device and integrated circuit manufacture, silicon material fabrication, aerospace bearings, carbon coatings on metals, and ceramic coatings. (Contains 50-250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.) (Copyright NERAC, Inc. 1995)
In the present paper we propose a model of physical phenomena behind the front face of the electrodes in an impulse plasma accelerator. The model is based on the results of recent experimental observations and measurements. It correlates plasma dynamics with mechanism of phenomena in a column of pinching plasma. On the contrary to the previous model the current one suggests the series of relatively short pulses of metallic ions from the erosion of electrode material. Till now the pinch was treated rather as a nearly continuous source of metallic plasma, feeding the process with ions from the erosion of electrode material. (author)
We studied the optimum plasma conditions that are required for efficient high-order harmonic generation in platinum plume. Harmonics up to the 49th order (?=16.32 nm) are analyzed under various conditions of laser-plasma interaction. Time-resolved ultraviolet spectra of platinum plasma at both optimum and nonoptimum conditions of harmonic generation are presented. We calculated the ionization states of the plasma, free electron density, and singly charged ion density at different prepulse intensities and compared them with experimental results.
The influence of motion of ions and electron temperature on nonlinear one-dimensional plasma waves with velocity close to the speed of light in vacuum investigated. It is shown that although the wavebreaking field weakly depends on mass of ions, the nonlinear relativistic wavelength essentially changes. The nonlinearity leads to the increase of the strong plasma wavelength, while the motion of ions leads to the decrease of the wavelength. Both hydrodynamic approach and kinetic one, based on Vlasov-Poisson equations, are used to investigate the relativistic strong plasma waves in a warm plasma. The existence of relativistic solitons in a thermal plasma is predicted.
In terms of the kinetic theory of the interaction between the high-power short-time laser pulses with plasma based on the propagator plotting for the plasma particle distribution functions one studied the generation of the hot electrons and of the fast ions as the relativistic femtosecond laser pulses travelled through the supercritical density plasma. One performed calculations based on the various values of the laser pulse intensity, types of the multiple-charged ions, the plasma inhomogeneity degree. One studied the acceleration mechanisms both of the plasma electrons and ions
The paper presents experimental investigations of main features of plasma surface interaction and energy transfer to the material surface in dependence on plasma heat loads. The experiments were performed with QSPA repetitive plasma pulses of the duration of 0.25 ms and the energy density up to 2.5 MJ/m2. Surface morphology of the targets exposed to QSPA plasma screams is analyzed. Relative contribution of the Lorentz force and plasma pressure gradient to the resulting surface profile is discussed. development of cracking on the tungsten surface and swelling of the surface are found to be in strong dependence on initial temperature of the target.
Radiation-induced enteritis is a well-recognized sequel of therapeutic irradiation. Therefore we examined the radioprotective properties of Punica granatum peel extract (PPE) on the oxidative damage in the ileum. Rats were exposed to a single whole-body X-ray irradiation of 800 cGy. Irradiated rats were pretreated orally with saline or PPE (50 mg/kg/day) for 10 days before irradiation and the following 10 days, while control rats received saline or PPE but no irradiation. Then plasma and ileum samples were obtained. Irradiation caused a decrease in glutathione and total antioxidant capacity, which was accompanied by increases in malondialdehyde levels, myeloperoxidase activity, collagen content of the tissue with a concomitant increase 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (an index of oxidative DNA damage). Similarly, pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-?, IL-1? and IL-6) and lactate dehydrogenase were elevated in irradiated groups as compared to control. ...
Correlation between mechanical stress and hydrogen effects on radiation damage in polycide-gate MOS capacitors was investigated as a function of gate-oxide thickness. The compressive stress magnitude was altered by varying the silicide (TiSi/sub 2/ or WSi/sub 2/) thickness in the polycide-gate electrode, and hydrogen introduction into gate-SiO/sub 2/ film was carried out by diffusion from plasma-deposited silicon-nitride passivation film (SiN-Cap). In a MOS capacitor without passivation film (No-Cap sample), it was found that compressive stress on gate-SiO/sub 2/ reduces both positive charge build-up (..delta..Qot) and interface-trap generation (..delta..Dit). Radiation induced shift, ..delta..Qot exhibits a smaller stress effect as compared with ..delta..Dit. As gate-SiO/sub 2/ thickness decreases, the stress effect on ..delta..Qot increases, while this effect on ..delta..Dit remains nearly constant. This compressive ...
It is known that a high-power laser propagating through an underdense plasma can acquire a minimum spot size due to relativistic self-focusing. Beyond the focus, the nonlinear refraction starts weakening, and the spot size of the laser increases, showing periodic self-focusing/ defocusing behavior with the distance of propagation. To overcome the defocusing, we propose the introduction of a localized upward plasma density ramp. In the presence of an upward ramp of plasma density, the laser beam obtains a minimum spot size and maintains it with only a mild ripple. For suitable parameters of the laser and the plasma, we have deduced conditions for the self-focusing. This kind of plasma density ramp may be observed in a gas-jet plasma experiment and resembles a plasma lens.
It is shown that plasma viscosity does not influence the magnetic island rotation directly. Nevertheless, it leads to nonstationarity of the plasma velocity. This nonstationarity is the reason of the viscosity effect on island rotation. (author)
A nonneutral /sup 7/Li/sup +/ ion plasma is described in which ion Langmuir waves are observed for the first time. The properties of these waves near the Brillouin density limit are investigated.
The DITE (Divertor Injection Tokamak Experiment) program has been undertaken to demonstrate the feasibility of impurity control by the use of a diverter in an injection-heated toroidal plasma configuration. Rather than behaving in accordance with neoclassical toroidal containment theory, the plasma is subject to various instabilities, particularly the resistive fluid MHD types, follows the empirical scaling of energy confinement time with plasma parameters observed in other plasma devices. DITE experiments have, however, extended the range of current and density. Impurities arising from plasma interactions with the vacuum vessel surface are controlled by the bundle divertor, which diverts a portion of plasma and power in the plasma scrape-off layer into a separate target chamber where impurities can be removed. Auxiliary ...
The properties of polycrystalline (Ti, Al)N coatings deposited on non-nitrided, classically plasma-nitrided and low pressure plasma-nitrided AISI H11 steel samples were investigated. The plasma deposition and low pressure plasma nitriding were performed in a Z700-LH magnetron sputter ion plating unit, while a separate unit was used for plasma nitriding of specimens at a pressure of several millibars. The (Ti, Al)N coating was deposited onto all the samples using the same equipment as for the plasma deposition and low pressure plasma nitriding. For the characterization of the composite structures, the following methods were used: scratch test, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, scanning tunnelling microscopy and microhardness testing. It was found that plasma nitriding prior to coating deposition ...
Context. The high energies of protostellar jets, implied by recent observations of X-rays from such flows, came very much as a surprise. Inferred shock velocities are considerably higher than what was previously known, hence putting even larger energy demands on the driving sources of the jets. The statistics of X-ray emitting jets are still poor, yet a few cases exist which seem to imply a correlation between the presence of HeI 1.0830 mu emission and X-ray radiation in a given source. Aims. This tentative correlation needs confirmation and explanation. If the jet regions of HeI 1.0830 mu emission are closely associated with those producing X-rays, high resolution infared spectroscopy can be used to observationally study the velocity fields in the hot plasma regions of the jets. This would provide the necessary evidence to test and further develop theoretical models of intermediately fast (> 500 - 1500 km/s) interstellar shock waves. ...
Since the first round of conceptual fusion reactor designs in 1973 - 1974, there has been considerable progress in design improvement. Two recent tokamak designs of the Wisconsin and Culham groups, with increased plasma beta and wall loading (power density), lead to more compact reactors with easier maintenance. The Reference Theta-Pinch Reactor has undergone considerable upgrading in the design of the first wall insulator and blanket. In addition, a conceptual homopolar energy storage and transfer system has been designed. In the case of the mirror reactor, there are design changes toward improved modular construction and ease of handling, as well as improved direct converters. Conceptual designs of toroidal-multiple-mirror, liner-compression, and reverse-field pinch reactors are also discussed. A design is presented of a toroidal multiple-mirror reactor that combines the advantages of steady-state operation and high-aspect ratio. The liner-compression reactor ...
Current bioartificial extra-corporeal systems are bioreactors where cells are separated from the surrounding media by porous polymeric membranes. The present work focuses on the design of membranes that allow the differential diffusion of plasma metabolites and proteins such as immunoglobulin (IgG). This design will improve catabolites removal and reduce possible immune response and virus infection. We demonstrate the feasibility to synthesize the hydrogels confined to the macroporous structure of membranes by radiation-induced in situ polymerization. The hollow-fiber membranes were soaked in aqueous monomeric solution, rinsed and irradiated while submerged in oil. This procedure confined the hydrogel to the void internal volume of the pores of the membrane. Hydrogels of polyacrylamide and polyHEMA were synthesized this way by irradiation at 10 kGy. Hydraulic permeability and diffusion of glucose, albumin and IgG were measured in these ...
We present the initial results of an observational study into the variation of the dominant length-scale of quiet solar emission: supergranulation. This length-scale reflects the radiative energy in the plasma of the upper solar chromosphere and transition region at the magnetic network boundaries forming as a result of the relentless interaction of magnetic fields and convective motions of the Sun's interior. We demonstrate that a net difference of ~0.5Mm in the supergranular emission length-scale occurs when comparing observations cycle 22/23 and cycle 23/24 minima. This variation in scale is reproduced in the datasets of multiple space- and ground-based instruments and using different diagnostic measures. By means of extension, we consider the variation of the supergranular length-scale over multiple solar minima by analyzing a subset of the Mt Wilson Solar Observatory (MWO) Ca II K image record. The observations and analysis presented ...
We present the general properties of the far-ultraviolet (FUV; 1370-1720A) continuum background over most of the sky, obtained with the Spectroscopy of Plasma Evolution from Astrophysical Radiation instrument (SPEAR, also known as FIMS), flown aboard the STSAT-1 satellite mission. We find that the diffuse FUV continuum intensity is well correlated with N_{HI}, 100 $\\mu$m, and H-alpha intensities but anti-correlated with soft X-ray. The strongest correlation is with the H-alpha emission, and the correlation of the diffuse background with the direct stellar flux is weaker than the correlation with other parameters. The continuum spectra are relatively flat. However, a weak softening of the FUV spectra toward some sight lines, mostly at high Galactic latitudes, is found not only in direct-stellar but also in diffuse background spectra. The diffuse background is relatively softer that the direct stellar spectrum. We also find that the diffuse FUV ...
The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) now under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use the 25-MV tandem accelerator for the acceleration of radioactive ion beams to energies appropriate for research in nuclear physics; negative ion beams are, therefore, required for injection into the tandem accelerator. Because charge exchange is an efficient means for converting initially positive ion beams to negative ion beams, both positive and negative ion sources are viable options for use at the facility; the choice of the type of ion source will depend on the overall efficiency for generating the radioactive species of interest. A high-temperature version of the CERN-ISOLDE positive ion source has been selected and a modified version of the source designed and fabricated for initial use at the HRIBF because of its low emittance, relatively high ionization efficiencies and species versatility, and because it has been engineered for remote installation, removal ...
The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) now under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use the 25-MV tandem accelerator for the acceleration of radioactive ion beams to energies appropriate for research in nuclear physics; negative ion beams are, therefore, required for injection into the tandem accelerator. Because charge exchange is an efficient means for converting initially positive ion beams to negative ion beams, both positive and negative ion sources are viable options for use at the facility; the choice of the type of ion source will depend on the overall efficiency for generating the radioactive species of interest. A high-temperature version of the CERN-ISOLDE positive ion source has been selected and a modified version of the source designed and fabricated for initial use at the HRIBF because of its low emittance, relatively high ionization efficiencies and species versatility, and because it has been engineered for remote installation, removal ...
A cross-flow atmospheric plasma jet with distilled water or analyte solution nebulization has been investigated. The plasma gas flows perpendicularly to the RF powered electrode (11.21 MHz) and a grounded electrode was added for plasma stabilization. The working parameters of the plasma generator can be controlled in order to maximize either the plasma power (75 W) or the voltage on the RF powered electrode (plasma power, 40 W). The plasma gas, pure argon (0.4 l min-1) or a mixture of argon (0.3-0.4 l min-1) and helium (0-0.2 l min-1), was also used for liquid nebulization. Optical emission of the plasma, collected in the normal viewing mode, was used for plasma diagnostics and for evaluating its excitation capabilities. The influence of helium content in the mixed-gas plasma on ...
This is the second revision of the ETDE/INIS Joint Thesaurus, including all updates up to September 2006. It contains 21 147 valid descriptors and 9 114 forbidden terms. The Joint Thesaurus contains the controlled terminology for indexing all information within the subject scopes of the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) and the Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE). The terminology is intended for use in subject descriptions for input or retrieval of information in these systems. The thesaurus is a terminological control device used in translating from the natural language of documents, indexers or users into a more constrained system language It is also a controlled and dynamic vocabulary of semantically and generically related terms which covers a specific domain of knowledge. The basic terminology in this thesaurus goes back to the 1969 edition of the EURATOM Thesaurus. The structure subsequently given to that terminology was the result of a systematic study performed ...
In this article, the results of low-current gas-discharge plasma generator investigations carried out by a group of scientists from the Kazan' Aviation Institute are presented. When considered necessary, the results are compared with the data obtained by other authors. The basic configurations and theoretical calculation peculiarities of plasma generators are described. The electrical, thermal and energy characteristics of discharges in gas flows, as well as summarised empirical formulae and experimental data necessary for calculations and design of plasma devices are presented. (author)
A new multipellet long-pulse plasma fueling system is in operation on JET. In the initial experimental phase, a variety of plasma density profile shapes have been produced with peak to average values ranging up to 2.5 and peak plasma density up to 1.2 )times) 10/sup 20/m/sup )minus/3). 7 refs., 4 figs
The analysis of plasma density oscillations and ExB rotation of U-3M torsatron plasma was performed by UHR correlation reflectometry during the transport barrier formation. The connections between these characteristics and the phenomenon of inner and edge transport barrier formation were determined experimentally at the different values of HF power and plasma density.
Carbon fibre composite (CFC) was irradiated by hot plasma streams at plasma gun facility MK-200UG. The CFC targets were tested by plasma loads relevant to Edge Localized Modes (ELM) and mitigated disruptions in ITER. Onset condition of CFC evaporation and properties of evaporated carbon were studied by use of infrared pyrometry and visible spectroscopy.
The beams in electron linear colliders can be converted to nearly monochromatic photon beams by means of Compton backscattering of laser photons. The electron beams must then be diverted from the interaction point by some means, the best of which seems to be a plasma lens. This paper describes the constraints on the plasma lens in this application and shows how the ablation of solid hydrogen pellets might be able to produce plasmas to satisfy these constraints. ((orig.)).
Comparison of plasma density increase was carried out in outer and inner channels of the interferometer in T-11M tokamak. There were two cases of gas puffing: by outer valve or upper one. Amplitude of difference of the plasma density increase consisted of 9% near the outer valve. Perturbation of the electric potential e?1/Te can have similar value. This perturbation can lead to appearance of the additional losses.
Low pressure plasmas have some promising advantages for nitriding The separation of plasma generation from the workpiece overcomes several of the major drawbacks of conventional plasma nitriding and also allows independent control of ion flux and energy This opens the possibility of nitriding at lower temperatures so that the process can be extended to a wider range of materials and applications. Copyright (1999) Materials Australia
Based on the nonlinear dispersion relation of electromagnetic wave in relativistic plasma, the nonlinear controlling equation for linearly polarized mode is obtained using Karpman's method. The modulation instability of intense laser pulse propagating through relativistic plasma is analyzed and the modulation instability growth rate as a function of perturbation wave number for laser beam propagating through relativistic plasma is given. (authors)
The spontaneous evolution from ultracold Rydberg atoms to plasma is investigated in a caesium MOT by using the method of field ionization. The plasma transferred from atoms in different Rydberg states (n=22-32) are obtained experimentally. Dependence of the threshold time of evolving to plasma and the threshold number of initial Rydberg atoms on the principal quantum number of initial Rydberg states is studied. The experimental results are in agreement with hot-cold Rydberg-Rydberg atom collision ionization theory. (authors)
One of several methods to build YSZ electrolyte of SOFC is plasma spraying. This system heats particle to a melting point and then pushing them into target and forming a deposition. This paper presents heating studies of YSZ particle in plasma jet. By simple model it is shown that the required time such those YSZ particle with grain size of 50 ?m to be melt is around 12 x 10-4 second. (author)
The results of experiments received on the plasma focus (PF) device with energy stored equal 4 kJ are represented. Photos of the current plasma sheath (CPS), pre-pinch, sphere-like plasma formations are produced with help of the electron-optical converter contained a gated micro-channel plate (MCP) and the CCD-camera imaging system in the visible region. The redial velocity of the CPS is about 107 cm/s. Neon plasma electron density measured with help of the interferograms in the visible region and the spectra in the soft X-ray region is equals to 3?1018 cm-3. Electron temperature is equal to about 200 eV. Discharge integral photos were obtained with help of the soft X-ray pinhole camera. Pictures with 2 ?s resolution of the plasma luminescence above PF anode region were made by CCD-camera.
A detailed study has been performed for estimating the orbital energies, positions and shifts of the Lyman lines of C5+, Al12+ and Ar17+ under strongly coupled plasma with a view to understand such line positions and shifts obtained in laser produced plasma experiments. The effect of strongly coupled plasma has been treated within the Ion Sphere (IS) model. Both non-relativistic and relativistic methods have been used for estimating the spectral properties. Theoretical estimates with IS model of the plasma are in conformity with the results of laser plasma experiments on these highly stripped ions. The experimental data for the systems have also been compared with the theoretical estimates using Debye screening model of the plasma with spatial confinements which gives additional restrictions to the wave functions at finite boundaries.
A computer-based beam dosimetry measurement system for boron neutron capture therapy provides accurate, sensitive, and rapid readout and recording of all beam dose components, epithermal and thermal neutron flux, and gamma-ray dose rate. This dosimetric system includes input from the characterization of the epithermal neutron beam developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, actual BPA pharmacokinetic data from a specific human subject being irradiated, output of MacNCTPLAN, a treatment planning system developed by the authors group, and input from the five on-line beam detectors. The purpose of this system and associated readout systems is to ensure that the desired dose is delivered to the subject within acceptable dose tolerances, e.g., {+-}5% of the target dose, and that any perturbations in the neutron beam that may occur during irradiation can be rapidly evaluated and the appropriate measures taken.
A computer-based beam dosimetry measurement system for boron neutron capture therapy provides accurate, sensitive, and rapid readout and recording of all beam dose components, epithermal and thermal neutron flux, and gamma-ray dose rate. This dosimetric system includes input from the characterization of the epithermal neutron beam developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, actual BPA pharmacokinetic data from a specific human subject being irradiated, output of MacNCTPLAN, a treatment planning system developed by the authors group, and input from the five on-line beam detectors. The purpose of this system and associated readout systems is to ensure that the desired dose is delivered to the subject within acceptable dose tolerances, e.g., #+-#5% of the target dose, and that any perturbations in the neutron beam that may occur during irradiation can be rapidly evaluated and the appropriate measures taken.
A tissue-equivalent dosimetry system has been developed for use in absorbed dose determinations with physical models of Reference Man. The dosimeter used was a thermo-luminescent dosimeter (TLD) powder which was mixed with a 'tissue-equivalent' material and modeled to closely approximate an organ's geometry and absorption properties. A separation procedure was developed by which the TLD powder was washed and the 'tissue-equivalent' material, a wax, was dissolved and extracted following the irradiation of the model. The procedure was tested to determine losses of powder, homogeneity of the powder's distribution throughout the wax, the effects of the separation procedure upon the powder and the statistical behavior of the procedure. The results of these tests established the feasibility of the procedure. A full-scale model of the pancreas was tested and the results supported the validity of the technique. (author)
The UTST (University of Tokyo Spherical Tokamak) device was constructed for the purpose of exploring the formation of ultra-high beta ST (Spherical Tokamak) plasma using the double null plasma merging method. When two plasmas merge together to form a single plasma, magnetic field lines reconnect, and the magnetic field energy is converted to the plasma kinetic energy, increasing the plasma beta. The merging start-up has been demonstrated in the TS-3/4, START and MAST devices using coils inside the vacuum vessel and TS-3 plasma obtained 50% beta. In order to demonstrate the start-up in a more reactor relevant situation, UTST has all poloidal field coils outside the vacuum vessel. The first plasma experiment on the UTST was performed from December, 2007. In the result, the plasma obtained 10 kA by ...
Low pressure silane plasmas are known for their ability to synthesize silicon nanoparticles via gas phase nucleation. While in the past this particle formation has often been considered from the viewpoint of a contamination problem in semiconductor processing, we here describe a silane low pressure plasma that enables the synthesis of highly oriented, cubic-shaped silicon nanocrystals with a rather monodisperse size distribution. These silicon nanocubes have successfully been used in the manufacture of single nanoparticle vertical transistors. We discuss the advantages of this new paradigm of building nanoelectronic devices. The plasma synthesis process is characterized in more detail than in prior work. The particle nucleation, growth and shape evolution are studied. Results indicate that the process provides two spatially distinct zones: a diffuse plasma for particle growth and a constricted ...
The possibility of surface modification of high-speed steel cutting tool by means of vacuum-plasma treatment including ion nitriding in gas plasma followed by the deposition of wear resistant (Ti, Al)N coatings in metal-gas plasma of a vacuum arc discharge is studied. The regularities of nitrided layer formation and the structure of these layers under various operation conditions of cutting tool are investigated. Optimum conditions of vacuum-plasma treatment providing the best wear resistance of cutting are determined
Thomson scattering is the process in which a low-energy photon scatters from a free electron. When a laser pulse propagates through a plasma, the spectrum of the scattered light due to the Thomson scattering is proportional to the power spectrum of the electron density fluctuations, i.e., dynamic form factor, from which various plasma parameters can be inferred, such as electron temperature and plasma flow velocity. After years of development. Thomson scattering has now become a powerful diagnostic tool of plasma physics. (authors)
The paper presents results of experimental research on the interaction of a pulsed plasma-ion stream with a tungsten (W) target. The pulsed hydrogen plasma was produced within the RPI-IBIS (Multi-Rod Plasma Injector) facility at IPJ in Swierk. Measurements were carried out by means of optical spectroscopy and corpuscular diagnostic techniques. For experiments with the W-target the operational conditions (so-called PID mode) were chosen when a clean hydrogen plasma stream was generated. Attention was paid to the identification of WI and WII spectral lines.
An experiment of a plasma torch on a production foundry cupola is reported. The test runs were conducted on a hot blast cupola, the blast temperature in the absence of plasma being 400 C. With the torch, the temperature of the blast was increased to 1000 C. The experiment was conducted for the manufacture of car engines with a 2.5 MW transportable plasma system. The cupola was boosted with a 4 MW torch and results included an increase in production of 45 percent, a decrease in coke rate and no more new iron in the loads. The plasma torch and hot air cupola furnace are described.
A study is made into microhardness and structure of coatings on various system steels (37G2S, 25Kh5M, R6M5), obtained by ion nitriding in a low pressure (10"-"1 Pa) arc discharge plasma. A comparison of properties is accomplished for steels nitrided in an arc gas discharge and in a furnace. It is stated that ion-plasma nitriding in an arc gas plasma generator is an efficient method of alloy steels hardening which allows changing the structure and increasing the hardness of a surface layer up to rather great depth
This paper presents the first results of a study of plasma nitriding in various regions of a d.c. glow discharge, i.e. on the cathode, on the anode, and on a substrate isolated from the cathode and anode (at plasma potential). The results obtained reveal differences in the growth kinetics and surface morphology of the nitriding layers, depending on the region where the nitriding process took place. The aim of this work was to study the role of low temperature plasma in the plasma nitriding process. The processes were carried out in an apparatus for plasma treatment with a hot anode. (orig.)
The measurement of electron densities using interferometry and refraction measurements in plasmas with cross-sections where the electron density contours are concentric ellipses is examined. Transforms are found for both interferometrically deduced optical path-length differences and refraction angle data obtained from elliptical cross-section plasmas. The transformed data can be inverted to give electron densities using standard techniques developed for circular cross-section plasmas. Refraction of light in elliptical cross-section plasmas is examined using numerical ray tracing.
Currentless plasma in Uragan-3M (U-3M) is produced and heated by absorption of RF power in the region of Alfven waves (AW). The process of plasma heating was explained in (2) as a result of Cherenkov absorption of energy of the fast (EM) and slow (kinetic Alfven) waves by electrons and turbulent ion heating due to excitation of short wave ion Bernstein waves (IBW). In this report we present results of studies of plasma density fluctuations showing existence of a narrow bands near the frequencies of ? ? n?ci (n=1,2,3).
Electrostatic plasma simulation code for 2D rectangular geometry is presented. Main distinguishing feature of the code is its orientation on the beam-plasma interaction. The code and its graphical interface were developed using MATLAB programming language. Simulation results of inhomogeneous plasma interaction with modulated electron beams of different width are compared. In case of wide beam the front of Langmuir waves generated in point of local plasma resonance is planar and in case of thin beam (or ribbon beam) the front has approximately half-circular form.
Abstract The authors provide a survey of how images are used in radiation therapy to improve the precision of radiation therapy plans, and delivery of radiation treatment. In contrast...Full Text Available
... radiation during clinical therapy and exposures due to radiation accidents or attacks, in which the doses are uncontrolled ... only be used off-label in victims of radiation accidents or attacks. The idea...
In vacuum arcs of interest for ion deposition, in which a magnetic filter is used, significant plasma rotation about the filter axis can develop. In the present work we present experimental evidence and simplified models to interpret relatively fast rotation of plasma generated in a pulsed vacuum arc with a straight magnetic filter and with a magnetic field strength in the range 52-430 G. The plasma rotation is produced in the first part of the filter (the driving region) where either the expanding or the contracting plasma encounters a mainly axial magnetic field. In the next part of the filter (the rotation region) a quasi-equilibrium is achieved and the plasma does not evolve further significantly. A rigid-rotor type of equilibrium is considered to model the rotation region, with experimentally obtained parameters, and a simple model is employed in the driving region to quantify ...
The paper presents the investigations of plasma streams generated by pulsed plasma gun 'Prosvet' operated with different gases: krypton (m=84) and helium (m=4). Contour parameters of working gas spectral lines (full intensities and half-widths) are used for determination of spatial distributions of the electron density and temperature. Temporal distributions of the spectral lines intensities (both neutrals and ions of working gas), impurity spectral lines and continuum intensities are analyzed. Plasma stream velocity was estimated by time-of-flight method between two monochromators (MUM) connected with photo-multiplier. longitudinal distributions of the plasma pressure for different time moments and varied distances from the accelerator output have been used for investigation of the plasma stream dynamics and study the plasma compression in the focus region for ...
In this work, the silicon oxynitride layer was studied as a tunneling layer for non-volatile memory application by fabricating low temperature polysilicon thin film transistors on glass. Silicon wafers were oxynitrided by only nitrous oxide plasma under different radio frequency powers and plasma treatment times. Plasma oxynitridation was performed in RF plasma using inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition. The X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy was employed to analyze the atomic concentration ratio of nitrogen/oxygen in oxynitride layer. The oxynitrided layer formed under radio frequency power of 150 W and substrate temperature of 623 K was found to contain the atomic concentration ratio of nitrogen/oxygen as high as 1.57. The advantage of high nitrogen concentration in silicon oxide layer formed by using nitrous oxide plasma was investigated by ...
In this work, the silicon oxynitride layer was studied as a tunneling layer for non-volatile memory application by fabricating low temperature polysilicon thin film transistors on glass. Silicon wafers were oxynitrided by only nitrous oxide plasma under different radio frequency powers and plasma treatment times. Plasma oxynitridation was performed in RF plasma using inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition. The X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy was employed to analyze the atomic concentration ratio of nitrogen/oxygen in oxynitride layer. The oxynitrided layer formed under radio frequency power of 150 W and substrate temperature of 623 K was found to contain the atomic concentration ratio of nitrogen/oxygen as high as 1.57. The advantage of high nitrogen concentration in silicon oxide layer formed by using nitrous oxide plasma was investigated by ...
Fiber optic metrology developed at the CEA LIST laboratories involves fiber Bragg grating sensors, distributed Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry and optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry. Recent activities in optical fiber sensing are reviewed from laboratory experiments to field trials.
Thermoluminescence (TL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dosimetry were used to measure dose effects in borosilicate glass with time, from 10 minutes to #approx#60 days following exposure to a dose of up to 10,000 Rad. TL and EPR results were consistent and performed similarly, with both techniques capable of achieving an estimated limit of detection of between 50-100 Rad. Three peaks were identified in the TL glow curve at roughly 110 C, 205 C, and 225 C. The intensity of the 205 C peak was the dominant peak over the time period of this study. The stability of all of the peaks with time since irradiation increased with their corresponding temperature and little or no variation was observed in the glow curve response to a specified total dose attained at different dose rates. The intensity of the 205 C peak decreased logarithmically with time regardless of total dose. Based upon a conservative limit of detection of 330 Rad, a 10,000 Rad dose would still be ...
Electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry of irradiated chicken legs is based on the additive dose or the calibration curve methods. In both cases the practical assumption is made that the behaviour of the chicken bone does not depend on factors such as temperature during irradiation, storage conditions and dose rate. So the aim of the present work was to investigate to what extent the above mentioned factors could influence the post-irradiation dose assessment using the ESR technique. (author).
This report summarizes the activities and major accomplishments for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Advanced Radiotherapy Research Program for calendar year 2002. Topics covered include computational dosimetry and treatment planning software development, medical neutron source development and characterization, and boron analytical chemistry.
This report summarizes the activities and major accomplishments for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Advanced Radiotherapy Research Program for calendar year 2002. Topics covered include computational dosimetry and treatment planning software development, medical neutron source development and characterization, and boron analytical chemistry.
A short synopsis of each project is given covering the following main areas of research and development: Atmospheric sciences; Biotechnology; Chemical and instrumentation analysis; Computer and information science; Design and manufacture engineering; Ecological science; Electronics and sensors; Experimental technology; Health protection and dosimetry; Hydrologic and geologic science; Marine sciences; Materials science; Nuclear science and engineering; Process science and engineering; Sociotechnical systems analysis; Statistics and applied mathematics; and Thermal and energy systems.
The study compares the doses absorbed by the dentomaxillary area in spiral CT and panoramic examinations. The dose measurements demonstrate that patients receive smaller doses with panoramic radiography than with spiral CT with Dentascan. After following for some variations from instrumental differences, they are in substantial agreement with literature data. Further investigations are needed considering the radiobiological risk related to the growing spread of Dentascan examinations.
The aim of this study is to compare the dosimetry results that are obtained by using Convolution, Superposition and Fast Superposition algorithms in Conventional Radiotherapy, Three-Dimensional Conformal...Full Text Available
Helical tomotherapy presented many unique dosimetric challenges and solutions during the initial commissioning process, and some of them are presented. The dose calculation algorithm is convolution/superposition based. This requires that the energy fluence spectrum and magnitude be quantified. The methodology for doing so is described. Aspects of the energy fluence characterization that are unique to tomotherapy are highlighted. Many beam characteristics can be measured automatically by an included megavoltage computed tomography imaging system. This greatly improves data collection efficiency.
The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) reactor characterization by the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) includes extensive neutronic measurements during startup and initial operation. To aid in the handling and counting of the thousands of passive dosimeters used as part of this effort, an automated dosimetry specimen handling, positioning, and counting system was designed and developed by Westinghouse Hanford for the Department of Energy.
The theory of neutron moderation and spectroscopy are briefly reviewed, and moderators that are useful for Bonner sphere spectrometers are discussed. The choice of the neutron detector for a Bonner sphere spectrometer is examined. Spectral deconvolution methods are briefly reviewed, including derivative, parametric, quadrature, and Monte Carlo methods. Calibration is then discussed. (LEW)
Topics of this proceedings are: DNA damage and repair; Space research; Cell and tissue radiobiology; Treatment planning 1: The role of clinical RBEs; Treatment planning 2: Dose optimization and inverse planning; Dosimetry; Clinical results of particle therapy and new techniques; Status reports and future developments. Separate abstracts were prepared for 79 chapters. (orig./SR)
The properties of AlN make this material very attractive for optical, electronic, and tribological application. Also, if the AlN could be formed on the Al surface to enhance its surface properties, Al could be applied for the lightening of machine parts. However, a dense oxide film exists on the surface of Al, which prevents the formation of the Al nitride even during plasma nitriding and plasma coating process. In this study, plasma nitriding has been tried to form an AlN layer on Al after the surface activation processes. During the plasma nitriding, the density of the nitrogen ions was amplified by means of controlling the power of the Al substrates. The film thickness, microstructural features and the mechanical properties such as hardness and wear properties of the AlN layer were examined as a function of the process parameters of pretreatment and plasma nitriding
This study was the analyse the relationship between properties of ion nitrided Fe sintered material and parameters of plasma nitriding process. Pure fe sintered materials (relative density : 92%) were fabricated by hot-pressing and nitrided under pulsed DC plasma for 4 hours. The large number of parameters in plasma diffusion treatment allows close control of the process so that surface layers with defined microstructures and properties can be obtained. The number of micropores in nitriding layer can be reduced in pulsed DC plasma by reducing the plasma power and by varying the gas mixture. The phase constitution of compound layer of nitrided Fe sintered material were influenced by gas mixture (N{sub 2} : H{sub 2}) and pulsed ratio (pulse on/off time ratio)
This study was the analyse the relationship between properties of ion nitrided Fe sintered material and parameters of plasma nitriding process. Pure fe sintered materials (relative density : 92%) were fabricated by hot-pressing and nitrided under pulsed DC plasma for 4 hours. The large number of parameters in plasma diffusion treatment allows close control of the process so that surface layers with defined microstructures and properties can be obtained. The number of micropores in nitriding layer can be reduced in pulsed DC plasma by reducing the plasma power and by varying the gas mixture. The phase constitution of compound layer of nitrided Fe sintered material were influenced by gas mixture (N_2 : H_2) and pulsed ratio (pulse on/off time ratio).
The concept of the self-focusing plasma lens in various beam-plasma interaction regimes is reviewed. We found that in order for current neutralization to occur, it is only necessary to attain the condition {ital k}{sub {ital p}}{sigma}{sub {ital x}}{approx_gt}1, and not {ital k}{sub {ital p}}{sigma}{sub {ital y}}{approx_gt}1, for flat beams. This helps to substantially reduce the required plasma density for beamstrahlung suppression. We also report on a recent calculation on the detector backgrounds induced by a plasma lens. It is shown that these backgrounds are within the tolerance of all major components in a NLC-like detector. Finally, one other potential application of plasma lens for {gamma}{gamma} colliders is discussed.{copyright}{ital American Institute of Physics.}
The concept of the self-focusing plasma lens in various beam-plasma interaction regimes is reviewed. We found that in order for current neutralization to occur, it is only necessary to attain the condition k_p#sigma#_x approx-gt 1, and not k_p#sigma#_y approx-gt 1, for flat beams. This helps to substantially reduce the required plasma density for beamstrahlung suppression. We also report on a recent calculation on the detector backgrounds induced by a plasma lens. It is shown that these backgrounds are within the tolerance of all major components in a NLC-like detector. Finally, one other potential application of plasma lens for #gamma##gamma# colliders is discussed.copyright American Institute of Physics.
In this paper a novel method is presented, based on the use of plasma processing, to suppress the transient enhanced diffusion of boron implanted in silicon. We found for silicon samples processed with plasma and subsequently boron implanted that the anomalous diffusion of the dopant atoms at the beginning of the annealing process is almost completely suppressed. This phenomenon is interpreted in terms of capture of the ion beam generated interstitials by the dislocations induced by the plasma processing. At room temperature the dislocations are observed to grow in size after the boron implant, attesting their efficiency as trapping centres for interstitials. Moreover, varying the plasma process conditions we can establish a general relation between the presence of the trapping centres induced by the plasma processing and the suppression of the transient diffusion.
It is a traditional method to diagnose electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasma source, using a single probe to measure the current-voltage curve of the plasma, based on which and theoretic formula the plasma density can be computed. The article adopts a Langmuir probe having a role of emission electrons to measure two different current-voltage curves with and without emission. It is ease to get the plasma potential via the inflexion of the two curves and compute directly various physical quantities by the assistant computer, such as electron temperature, electron/ion density, plasma potential etc. The deviation is about percent 1.8 between the measurement results by traditional and the new method, but the latter has higher efficiency. (authors)
An estimation method of plasma density based on surface plasmons theory for surface-wave plasmas is proposed. The number of standing-wave is obtained directly from the discharge image, and the propagation constant is calculated with the trim size of the apparatus in this methods, then plasma density can be determined with the value of 9.1 x 1017 m-3. Plasma density is measured using a Langmuir probe, the value is 8.1 x 1017 m-3 which is very close to the predicted value of surface plasmons theory. Numerical simulation is used to check the number of standing-wave by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method also. All results are compatible both of theoretical analysis and experimental measurement. (authors)
A new method of plasma treatment for powder particles was investigated. A glass bottle horizontally held on a rotating system was used for the treatment. The outside of the bottle was covered by the grounded metal net, and the rod electrode was provided at the center of the bottle, which was connected to an ac high voltage source. Powder particles were placed in the bottle with stainless steel beads of large diameter and the plasma was generated between two electrodes and while the bottle was rotating. Using this system, powder particles were uniformly plasma-treated without coagulation. After 40 seconds treatment with plasma of 0.55 W in Ar gas, the charge to mass ratio for polyethylene powder particles having 160 {mu}m mean diameter generated by stainless before treatment. (author)
This chapter consists of some points including an introduction, the basic parts of mass spectroscope device, sample introduction into the inductively coupled plasma, pneumatic nebuliser, ultrasonic nebuliser, dry gas cloud system, laser ablation unit, inductively coupled plasma-ion source, extraction of ions from ion source, mass analysis, quad-polar mass spectrometer, dual assembly mass spectrometer, mass spectrometer by calculation of time of flight, ion interferences and the ability of resolution, ion counter, working conditions of inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscope device, efficiency of ion transportation in an inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscope device and applications of analysis using mass spectroscope of induced plasma including nuclear, industrial, geological, environmental and archaeological applications, measurement of isotopes ratio and applications in ...
The case of spontaneous radiation of channeled ultrarelativistic particles is considered when the dipolarity condition is not satisfied. The change of the particle longitudinal velocity affecting the maximum radiation frequency is included. The angular and frequency characteristics of the radiation for superhigh energies are studied for the first time. It is shown that there is an optimum energy at which the radiation density is maximum. The influence of the angle at which electrons enter a crystal and of the beam divergence on the radiation is investigated. The problem of quasichanneled particle radiation and also the radiation in axis-plane transitions are considered. (author).
Systematics of neutron capture radiative width were studied in the target element range from Th to Cm. Reduced radiative widths were analyzed with a simple radiative width formula based on E1 transition. Average radiative width is presented with the standard deviation of 15%. (author)
This research project aimed to determine the factors for the transfer of the elements silver (Ag), cerium (Ce), cobalt (Co), chrome (Cr), gallium (Ga), lanthanum (La), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), radium (Ra), ruthenium (Ru), antimony (sb), thorium (Th), titanium (Ti) and uranium (U) from food into the mother's milk. This factors will be used as a basic to check and derive activity values for the contamination of food and for radiation protection at working places of suckling women. For this purpose 19 mothers collected samples daily (2-8 weeks), using the duplicate method, of all the food they consumed as well as of their milk. After microwave-assisted digestion the element contents were analysed by mass-spectroscopy with inductive coupled plasma (ICP-MS). The results of the mothers who participate for more than 5 weeks were used to make a time lapse between the intake and transfer of the elements in the mothers milk visible. ...
When a plasma becomes contaminated by foreign particles, generically referred to as dust, the result is called a dusty plasma. At the present time there is a great deal of interest in dusty plasmas because of their roles in terrestrial and extra-terrestrial processes - semiconductor processing, high temperature fusion experiments, stellar formation and the rings of Saturn. This thesis is concerned with the role of dust in processing type plasmas. In the following experiments, artificial dust is introduced into a parallel electrode plasma chamber. Ions and electrons in the plasma charge the dust particles and they become suspended in the plasma due to the balancing of electric and gravitational forces. By illuminating the suspended dust with laser light and using an extremely high speed camera fitted with a macro lens to look at the scattered ...
By means of an audio frequency plasma polymerisation ultra-thin gradient plasma polymer layers were deposited on zinc and zinc-coated iron. The aim was to generate an interfacial polymeric layer which bonds to an oxidised metal as well as to a subsequently applied organic coating and acts as an interfacial barrier layer for ions and water. Surface modifications were done in an in situ plasma cell with infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). The zinc surface was first activated by an oxygen plasma to provide a freshly oxidised and contamination free oxide surface. The intermediate stages of the surface reactions could be revealed. Carbon dioxide molecules as oxidation products adsorbed on the growing zinc oxide and were desorbed at a later stage. An organosilicon plasma polymer was deposited directly on top of the oxide layer from a hexamethyldisilane (HMDS) ...
The present invention relates to a method of recycling polymeric waste products into monomers and high value forms of carbon by pyrolytic conversion using an induction coupled RF plasma heated reactor.
Abstract in english We present a detailed derivation of the effective dielectric constant to be used in the dispersion relation for electrostatic waves in the case of a plasma immersed in a inhomogeneous magnetic field, with inhomogeneity perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field.
The Ti-6Al-4V alloy was treated by inductively coupled rf plasma nitriding. The effects of plasma-processing time in the range of 5-35 min on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the plasma-nitrided Ti-6Al-4V samples were studied. The plasma power input was adjusted at 450 W and pure N{sub 2} gas was introduced to establish a treatment pressure of 8.0-8.4 x 10{sup -2} mbar. The characteristics of the nitrided layers have been investigated by microhardness testing, surface roughness measurements, optical microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The results show that the surface microhardness increases as the plasma-processing time increases to reach 2000 HV0.1 at a plasma-processing time of 35 min. A high nitriding rate of 2.81 {mu}m{sup 2} s{sup -1} at a plasma-processing time of 25 min was achieved. The formation of the hard phases ...
The Ti-6Al-4V alloy was treated by inductively coupled rf plasma nitriding. The effects of plasma-processing time in the range of 5-35 min on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the plasma-nitrided Ti-6Al-4V samples were studied. The plasma power input was adjusted at 450 W and pure N_2 gas was introduced to establish a treatment pressure of 8.0-8.4 x 10"-"2 mbar. The characteristics of the nitrided layers have been investigated by microhardness testing, surface roughness measurements, optical microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The results show that the surface microhardness increases as the plasma-processing time increases to reach 2000 HV0.1 at a plasma-processing time of 35 min. A high nitriding rate of 2.81 #mu#m"2 s"-"1 at a plasma-processing time of 25 min was achieved. The formation of the hard phases TiN, Ti_2N, and ...
A 750 J plasma coaxial accelerator is used to produce plasma using air at 0.2 torr pressure and 8 kv charging voltage. The discharge current and voltage traces showed that the total circuit inductance was about 1750 ?H. The experimental results showed that the plasma sheath reached the muzzle after 6 ?s with velocity equal to 4 cm/?s, after then it decreased, while the simulation model showed that the plasma sheath reaches the muzzle with velocity of 3 cm/?s and after one microsecond it increases to reach about 4 cm/?s after 12 ?s then it decreased. The plasma temperature measurements showed that the plasma sheath reached the muzzle with temperature of about 9 eV and increase to reach about 12 eV after 8.5 ?s then after it decrease. The simulation model showed that the plasma temperature at the muzzle is about 10.5 eV and continue to ...
The stability of prothrombin and factor VII was studied using accelerated degradation tests in three preparations of freeze-dried pooled normal plasmas. In a previous report (Brozović, Gurd,...Full Text Available
A number of studies have indicated that plasma membrane calcium ATPases (PMCAs) are expressed in the brain and spinal cord and could play important roles not only in the maintenance of cellular calcium...Full Text Available
The effects of homologous plasma HDL and VHDL fractions on established atherosclerotic lesions were studied in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Atherosclerosis was induced by feeding the animals a 0.5% cholesterol-rich...Full Text Available
Using plasma glutathione S-transferase measurements hepatocellular integrity was assessed in groups of hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients before and after treatment. Ten of 14 hyperthyroid patients...Full Text Available
As for surface treatment of steel, the ion nitriding method has a lot of advantages and is practically used, while the plasma nitriding is known as a method which is faster in nitriding than the ion nitriding method. However, there are few reports and many unclear points on the plasma nitriding method. In this study, the plasma nitriding of pure iron and SUS304 is conducted using r.f. nitrogen plasma glow discharge to examine composition of the nitrided layers, microstructures, nitriding rate, etc. Moreover, by exposing the specimen once nitrided to H2 plasma, a phenomenon that nitrogen comes out of the specimen surface is examined. It is found from the result that the nitrided layer is divided into a compound layer and a diffusion layer in order from the surface, that in case of pure iron, the compound layer grows predominantly at a low temperature, and the diffusion layer grows ...
Plasma nitriding in glow discharge is a process of modifying surface properties of a material by which surface hardness, corrosion resistance, fatigue strength etc. of a material can be improved
1 Measuring total plasma levels of disopyramide (DP) and the main metabolite mono-N-dealkyldisopyramide (MND) in patients on maintenance therapy with DP has shown concentrations of MND comparable with...Full Text Available
A dielectric liquid having entrained bubbles of gas or vapor is subjected to an electric field applied between spaced electrodes (112, 116) which generates microdischarges (and thus plasma) within the bubbles, allowing modification of the properties of th...
The Plasma Science Committee (PLSC) of the National Research Council (NRC) is charged with monitoring the health of the field of plasma science in the United States and identifies and examines both broad and specific issues affecting the field. Regular meetings, teleconferences, briefings from agencies and the scientific community, the formation of study panels to prepare reports, and special symposia are among the mechanisms used by the PLSC to meet its charge. During July 1992, the PLSC sponsored a workshop on nonneutral plasmas in traps. Although no written report on the workshop results, was prepared for public distribution, a summary of highlights was provided to the OPST Subpanel on Nonneutral Plasmas. The PLSC also continued its follow-up briefings and discussions on the results of the results of the report Plasma Processing of materials. Scientific and Technological ...
The Plasma Science Committee (PLSC) of the National Research Council (NRC) is charged with monitoring the health of the field of plasma science in the United States and identifies and examines both broad and specific issues affecting the field. Regular meetings, teleconferences, briefings from agencies and the scientific community, the formation of study panels to prepare reports, and special symposia are among the mechanisms used by the PLSC to meet its charge. During July 1992, the PLSC sponsored a workshop on nonneutral plasmas in traps. Although no written report on the workshop results, was prepared for public distribution, a summary of highlights was provided to the OPST Subpanel on Nonneutral Plasmas. The PLSC also continued its follow-up briefings and discussions on the results of the results of the report Plasma Processing of materials. Scientific and Technological ...
Plasma exchange (PE) is currently being used to treat a variety of disorders involving immune complexes, such as polyarteritis nodosa. This procedure removes endogenous toxic components that accumulate...Full Text Available
Copper deficiency lowers brain copper and iron during development. The reduced iron content could be due to hypoferremia. Experiments were conducted to evaluate plasma iron and “ferroxidase”...Full Text Available
For supersonic plasma flow velocities, instead of the usual shelf-step profile seen for subsonic flow, an overdense bump and cavity is observed. The profile is stable for long times even for moderate power microwaves.
BackgroundHerpes simplex virus (HSV) suppressive therapy reduces genital and plasma HIV-1 RNA over periods up to three months but the longer-term effect is unknown.Full Text Available
In whole-cell recording, the conductance of the plasma membrane of protoplasts isolated from mesophyll cells of leaves of oat (Avena sativa) was greater for inward than outward current....Full Text Available
An in vitro assay for curative antibody present in plasma of mice cured of Trypanosoma musculi is described. The assay involves the addition of plasma to a sample of infected blood, followed by hourly...Full Text Available
In this paper, we report on a series of experiments designed to study the influence of plasma nitriding on the mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steel. Plasma nitriding experiments were conducted on AISI 304L steel in a temperature range of 375-475 C using pulsed-DC plasma with different N{sub 2}-H{sub 2} gas mixtures and treatment times. Firstly the formation and the microstructure of the modified layer will be highlighted followed by the results of hardness measurement, adhesion testing, wear resistance and fatigue life tests. The modified surface was analyzed directly after plasma nitriding as well as using a depth profiling method. The microhardness after plasma nitriding is increased up to 19 GPa, that is a factor of five higher compared to the untreated material (3.3 GPa). The adhesion is examined by Rockwell indentation and scratch test. No delamination of the ...
The present article studies the electret state of polymers when moving through an alternating-current corona discharge plasma and investigates means for the determination of the transition of the polymeric material from the initial state of the electret when the corona-displaying voltage is increased.
Eight of 100 normotensive children who had pyelonephritic scarring secondary to urinary infection and vesicoureteric reflux were found in an earlier study to have increased plasma renin activity (PRA)....Full Text Available
During antibiotic drug development, media are frequently spiked with either serum/plasma or protein supplements to evaluate the effect of protein binding. Usually, previously reported serum or plasma...Full Text Available
A photon-induced x-ray fluorescence method allowing the simultaneous determination of iron, copper, zinc, bromine and rubidium in human blood and blood plasma samples is described. The method is reliable and has a good sensitivity for a wide range of elements. (author).
In this work, the Calibration-Free approach for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) was applied for the first time to radially resolved spectra emitted by a laser-induced plasma. The radial profiles of plasma temperature and electron number density were used to calculate the local relative concentration of the elements of interest. We analyzed a set of profiles of the local spectral emission coefficient obtained previously by means of spatial deconvolution of the spectra from a copper-based alloy (Cu 93, Fe 5, Mn 1, Ni 1 wt.%) laser-induced plasma. A spatially integrated spectrum of the same plasma was also analyzed for comparison purpose. The relative abundance of the minor components Fe, Mn and Ni was calculated. The results obtained from the central region of the plasma were closer to the nominal concentrations than those obtained from the spatially integrated ...
In this work, the Calibration-Free approach for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) was applied for the first time to radially resolved spectra emitted by a laser-induced plasma. The radial profiles of plasma temperature and electron number density were used to calculate the local relative concentration of the elements of interest. We analyzed a set of profiles of the local spectral emission coefficient obtained previously by means of spatial deconvolution of the spectra from a copper-based alloy (Cu 93, Fe 5, Mn 1, Ni 1 wt.%) laser-induced plasma. A spatially integrated spectrum of the same plasma was also analyzed for comparison purpose. The relative abundance of the minor components Fe, Mn and Ni was calculated. The results obtained from the central region of the plasma were closer to the nominal concentrations than those obtained from the spatially integrated ...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:For treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), Plasma Kinetic loop Resection of the Prostate (PKRP) is an alternative to conventional monopolar...Full Text Available
Computational fluid dynamics are applied to the study of three-dimensional fluid flow in a dense medium plasma reactor (DMPR) under different operating conditions. Reaction mechanisms and rates for the removal of methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) in a DMPR are developed from experimental data to determine the plasma volume, the rate of interphase mass transfer and the photolysis rate of MTBE via UV emission from the plasma. The simulations utilize the plasma volume determined from the kinetic data to show that the volume of fluid in contact with the plasma in the DMPR only constitutes a maximum of approximately 10% of the fluid intended to be cycled through the plasma tubules. The simulations also predict appreciable pressure gradients on the surface of the pin electrodes, resulting in a small discharge area located away from the region in which the electric field ...
This paper reports on the electron current to a Langmuir probe in a moving high-pressure plasma. The plasma is an atmospheric-pressure propane flame, and the probe's speed relative to the plasma is varied from 10 to 30 ms"-"1. The current is linearly dependent on the speed and appears to be comprised of two components - one driven by diffusion and the other by convection. A model is devised which can be used to measure the electron density. By comparing the density computed from this model to that measured from the ion current, it has been possible to measure the electron mobility in the flame gases. The value obtained here is in good agreement with theoretical calculations found in the literature.
Recent results of the experiments at GOL-3 facility are presented. Plasma with a density of 1014...1016 cm-3 is confined in a 12-meter-long solenoid, which comprises 55 corrugation cells with mirror ratio Bmax/B min=4.8/3.2 T. The plasma is heated up to 2...4 keV temperature by a high power relativistic electron beam (?1 MeV, ? 330 kA, ?8?s, ?120 kJ) injected through one of the ends. Mechanism of experimentally observed fast ion heating, issued of plasma stability and confinement are discussed.
The sheath plasma characteristics changing with the negative bias applied to the substrate during electron cyclotron resonance plasma nitriding are studied. The sheath characteristics obtained by a Langmuir single probe and an ion energy analyzer show that when the negative bias applied to the substrate is increasing, the most probable energy of ions in the sheath and the full width of half maximum of ions energy distribution increase, the thickness of the sheath also increases, whereas the saturation current of ion decreases. It has been found from the optical emission spectrum that there are strong lines of N_2 and N_2"+. Based on the experiment results the mechanism of plasma nitriding is discussed
Surface probe and laser-induced fluorescence measurements in ISX-B and EBT-S have made significant contributions to the understanding of plasma edge characteristics and plasma-surface interactions in these devices. Where comparison is possible, these techniques have led to results which are consistent with plasma diagnostics. Charge-exchange neutral sputtering and self-ion sputtering have been identified as the dominent heavy impurity release mechanisms in ISX-B and EBT-S, respectively.
Atmospheric pressure plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition system is built. The electrical and optical characteristics of the APPECVD system is given. The system is used to deposit conductive polymers and nano composites onto glass and metal surfaces. The morphological, optical, chemical and electrical characteristics of deposited surfaces are investigated using SEM, AFM four probe deposition purposes. The photovoltaic applications of plasma deposited polymers and nonconsumption are compared with deposited with electrochemical methods show different results. The electrical, chemical and morphological structures of the samples will be given.
Closing and breaking of current in microsecond megaampere plasma opening switches are considered. Conductivity current scaling in the switch due to plasma acceleration by a magnetic piston is discussed and compared with experimental data. Two ways of determining the width of a current channel are taken up. This channel results from the diffusion of the magnetic field in the plane of the piston followed by the convective ejection of the field frozen in the accelerated plasma flow behind the shock wave into the bridge. Based on experimental data, a scaling law for the voltage on the switch according to the switch parameters is derived. The problem of reverse closing, which limits the efficiency of storage energy extraction into the load, is considered
Non-thermal plasma treatment is a promising technique for the destruction of volatile organic compounds in waste gas. A relatively unexplored technique is the atmospheric negative dc multi-pin-to-plate glow discharge. This paper reports experimental results of allyl alcohol degradation and ozone production in this type of plasma. A new model was developed to describe these processes quantitatively. The model contains a detailed chemical degradation scheme, and describes the physics of the plasma by assuming that the fraction of electrons that takes part in chemical reactions is an exponential function of the reduced field. The model captured the experimental kinetic data to less than 2 ppm standard deviation.
Measurements of the expansion rate of pure-electron plasmas have been performed on the Electron Diffusion Gauge (EDG) device at background helium gas pressures in the 5 x 10(superscript -8) Torr to 1 x 10(superscript -5) Torr range, where plasma expansion due to electron-neutral collisions dominates over plasma expansion due to trap asymmetries. It is found that the expansion rate, defined as the time rate of change of the particles' mean-square radius, scales approximately linearly with pressure and inversely as the square of the magnetic field strength in this regime, in agreement with classical predictions.
A clear and reproducible transition to a regime with an improved particle confinement is routinely observed on the CASTOR tokamak, if the biasing electrode is inserted deep enough into the plasma (r/a?0.5) and biased up to +250 V. The steepening of the radial profiles of the plasma density and potential demonstrate the formation of a transport barrier just inside the last closed flux surface. Fast relaxations of the edge plasma parameters, with a frequency of about 10 kHz, are observed when the average radial electric field within the barrier prevails values of about 20 kV/m. A detailed analysis of the spatial-temporal behaviour of these relaxations is presented.
We develop a new cavity with a mode similar to TE13 to produce microwave plasma, named APMPS II, which is able to produce a mass of air plasma with diameter of around 6 cm, equipped with about 3 kW input power under one atmosphere. The plasma seems to be homogeneous without significant filamentous discharge as observed by common camera device. We present the theory of this cavity, show the distribution of electric field of several planes inside the cavity and give some experimental results. (authors)
Properties of the multi-species electromagnetic Weibel and electrostatic two-stream instabilities are investigated for an intense ion beam propagating through background plasma. Assuming that the background plasma electrons provide complete charge and current neutralization, detailed linear stability properties are calculated within the framework of a macroscopic cold-fluid model for a wide range of system parameters.
Surface deposition probe techniques have been shown to be an effective means of determining the characteristics of the plasma edge region of magnetic confinement devices. Experimental results on ISX-B and EBT-S have led to a consistent picture of the edge plasma and the dominant impurity introduction mechanisms. This picture is supported by numerous other measurements and emphasizes the importance of concentrating several techniques on the complex problems of plasma fusion.
Complimentary spectroscopic, microscopic and electrochemical studies were performed to characterise the barrier properties as well as the interface structure of model iron substrates covered with thin plasma polymer films. Cathodic plasma polymers were deposited which show high barrier properties. The metal surface was pre-treated by a reducing or oxidising plasma. This allowed the adjustment of the oxidation state of the interface layer. The interface structure was characterised by means of X-ray photoelectron sputter profiles, infrared spectroscopy and the application of a Kelvin probe. The investigations show that the measured Voltapotential on the plasma polymer surface can be correlated with the oxidation state of the interface. Reducing plasmas lead to an almost oxide free surface. After deposition of the plasma polymer, this reduced state of the oxide is ...
Three dimensional rotatory modes of oscillations in a one-dimensional chain of rodlike charged particles or dust grains in a plasma are investigated. The dispersion characteristics of the modes are analyzed. The stability of different equilibrium orientations of the rods, phase transitions between the different equilibria, and a critical dependence on the relative strength of the confining potential are analyzed. The relations of these processes with liquid crystals, nanotubing, and plasma coating are discussed.
An intermetallic compound Sm[sub 2]Fe[sub 17]N[sub x] was synthesized by plasma nitriding of Sm[sub 2]Fe[sub 17] in a stream of N[sub 2]-H[sub 2] mixed gas. The reaction proceeded at a lower temperature (around 423 K) than that of the conventional thermal technique, but not at room temperature. This is discussed on the basis of the difference between the reaction mechanisms of plasma and thermal nitridings. (orig.)
We have investigated the effect of plasma nitriding and plasma nitrocarburizing on the microstructure and properties of electroplated chromium. Plasma nitriding and plasma nitrocarburizing are applied to 15-100 [mu]m thick electroplated hard chromium coatings to increase both the wear and the corrosion resistance. The properties of the plasma-modified hard chromium layers are characterized by measuring the wear resistance with a Taber wear tester and the corrosion resistance with a salt spray fog test. Cyclic voltammetry is performed in a standard electrochemical cell using a 0.5 M H[sub 2]SO[sub 4] solution acidified to pH 0.3. The compound layer after plasma nitriding consists of CrN and Cr[sub 2]N with a maximum hardness of about 1100 HK[sub 0.01]. After plasma nitrocarburizing, Cr[sub 3]C[sub 2] and Cr[sub 7]C[sub 3] are formed. After ...
Field reversed configuration (FRC) is a prospective high ? magnetic system for high efficiency D- 3He fusion reactor. Self-consistent FRC plasma profiles and static electric field for reactor calculations are discussed in framework of the model including flow equilibrium and collisionless transport equations. The extrapolations to reactor regimes of plasma confinement scaling laws are considered.
The qualitative technique of the analysis of the efficiency of the RF plasma production is presented in which the solution of boundary problem for Maxwell's equations is only necessary. The analysis of the character of the plasma production process with the crankshaft antenna in Uragan-2M stellarator is carried out. The discussion of the calculations results is presented.
The importance of neutron measurements both as a succinct measure of the progress to fusion ignition using the magnetic confinement route and also as a diagnostic of plasma conditions is discussed. The various neutron diagnostic systems that have been or are being constructed by AERE Harwell for JET are described. The properties to be measured by such diagnostics are clearly identified and some results obtained with the installed diagnostics during d-d plasmas are presented.
Plasma confinement by permanent magnets has been studied. An analytic formula for the field of a single bar magnet has been obtained. Generalization to various configurations of multidipole fields has also been found. Any two-dimensional field may now be completely described by a simple function of complex variables in closed form. Vector potential has also been obtained by integrating over a prescribed Riemann surface. The confinement of plasma by multidipole fields then becomes obvious through conservation principles.
A two-beam spectroscopy (TBS) system is evaluated theoretically and experimentally. This new spectroscopic technique uses correlations between components of emitted light separated by a small difference in angle of propagation. It is thus a non-perturbing plasma diagnostic which is shown to provide local (as opposed to line-of-sight averaged) information about fluctuations in the density of light sources within a plasma - information not obtainable by the usual spectroscopic methods. The present design is an improvement on earlier systems proposed in a thesis by Rostler.
The thermo-chemical treatments of steels with plasma is normally carried out in low-pressure ionized gaseous atmospheres. Among the treatments used most often are: nitruration, carburization and boronized. A plasma can also generate at atmospheric pressure. One way to produce it is with an electrochemical cell that works at a relatively high inter-electrode voltage and under conditions of heavy gas generation. This type of plasma is known as electrolytic plasma. This work studies the feasibility of using electrolytic plasma for the surface processing of steels. Two processes were selected: boronized and nitruration., for the hardening of two types of steel: one with low carbon (1020) and one with low alloy (4140). In the case of the nitruration, the 1020 steel was first aluminized. The electrolytes were aqueous solutions of borax for the boronizing and urea for the nitruration. The ...
The fundamental ionisation process of negative surface ionisation is described and two applications are discussed. One is in the so called surface-plasma sources which enable the production of intense negative ion beams. The second application is in the passive diagnosis of the charge exchange of neutrals emitted from hydrogen plasmas.
Objective: To develop a computerized method of internal dose estimation on radiation protection. Methods: Based on MIRD mathematic model of the organs and by means of the programming language of MS Visual Basic 6.0, a computer program of dose estimation in internal radiation was developed for radiation protection. Results: The computerized method of dose estimation for internal radiation was completed. Conclusions: This computerized method is very convenient for internal radiation dose estimation of several aspects. It can also be used in radiation accident. (authors)
Non-thermal (low-temperature) physical plasma is under intensive study as an alternative approach to control superficial wound and skin infections when the effectiveness of chemical agents is weak due to natural pathogen or biofilm resistance. The purpose of this study was to test the individual susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria to non-thermal argon plasma and to measure the effectiveness of plasma treatments against bacteria in biofilms and on wound surfaces. Overall, Gram-negative bacteria were more susceptible to plasma treatment than Gram-positive bacteria. For the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cenocepacia and Escherichia coli, there were no survivors among the initial 10(5) c.f.u. after a 5 min plasma treatment. The susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria was species- and strain-specific. Streptococcus pyogenes was the most resistant with 17?% ...
German translation of the publication 'The evaluation of risks from radiation' published in 1965 by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. In a survey, genetic and somatic risks from radiation are presented and explained. (HP).
This book gives an overview of the entire field of radiation protection with the subject areas radioactivity, X-rays, UV radiation, laser beams and high-frequency electromagnetic fields. It deals graphically with the most important physical notions, the incidence, origin, properties and biological effects of types of radiation, administrative and practical protection measures and the code of rules governing them. Apart from fundamentals of radiation protection the emphasis on the following: natural radiation exposure, radiation exposure to radon, disaster relief plans in the environment of nuclear plant, the precautionary radiation protection system evolved after Chernobyl, radiation exposure through UV radiation devices, radio, RF communication, radar, microwave ovens and high-voltage transmission ...
The authors address the question of the limitations on voltage and current transfer to loads in magnetic storage systems utilizing microsecond conduction time plasma opening switches. They propose that the limitation of performance results from neutral atoms that are not entrained into the ionized material that is driven by the magnetic field of the rising generator current. Evidence in support of this proposition is gathered from experiments performed on the Ace-4 and Hawk generators. They set forth a theory to describe the effect of neutrals on the electrical performance of plasma opening switches. The neutral gas is assumed to be present in the region between the moving plasma mass and the generator, primarily in the region in which the plasma is injected initially. The essential elements of the theory are a weak photoionization source to seed the gas with a low concentration of electrons, and joule ...
We have studied the features of formation and the possible stationary structures of a self-consistent magnetic field in a relativistic collisionless plasma, which are characteristic of a simple geometry of the Weibel instability that is well known in the nonrelativistic case. The universal condition is established, the growth rate is determined, and the criteria of saturation of the Weibel instability are analyzed for a broad class of anisotropic particle distribution functions (for definiteness, in application to an electron-positron plasma). A nonlinear equation of the Grad-Shafranov type describing the potential current structures is derived and its solutions are analytically studied. Special attention is paid to spatially harmonic, nonlinear current configurations with parameters determined by the properties of the initial homogeneous plasma subject to the Weibel instability. It is demonstrated that the magnetic field ...
To clarify the mechanism of plasma nitriding, the authors examined the optical microstructure, the hardness, the precipitation, and the concentration of dissolved nitrogen in Fe-18Cr-9Ni nitrided using plasma in the range of 723-823 K. Compared with ammonia-gas nitriding, the features of plasma nitriding are the formation of small chromium-nitride precipitates (CrN), the absence of an externally nitrided layer, the high concentration of dissolved nitrogen, and the high hardness (HV = 1,200). The diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in the present alloy was determined using the growth rate of the internally nitrided layer, based on calculations used in internal oxidation. Plasma- and gas-nitriding were also compared with respect to the growth rate of the nitrided layer.
Plasma nitriding was applied to improve the surface performance of titanium bipolar plate. XRD and SEM results showed a titanium nitride layer was formed after nitridation. In comparison with pure titanium, the interfacial contact resistance of plasma nitrided titanium was reduced to some extent by the nitridation treatment. However, high corrosion current was observed under electrochemical tests in 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} + 5 ppm HF. Both the electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance of the surface of plasma nitriding titanium did not reach the level of graphite. Some more improvements are expected in the plasma nitriding process or another surface modification on pure titanium. (author)
In this paper we study theoretically a pulsed corona discharge plasma in air at atmospheric pressure. A self consistent one-dimensional model, using a flux-corrected transport numerical scheme, is presented to achieve it. The charged particle kinetics in this model are described by one-dimensional continuity equations coupled with Poisson's equations. The spatio-temporal local field, charge density variations and the velocity profile of an ionizing front are calculated to describe the dynamical behavior of corona discharge plasmas. The simulation results of a wire-in-cylinder corona discharge plasma explain the physical mechanisms of discharge processes. These results may also be apply to obtain the optimizing parameters for designing the plasma reactor.
The present conference discusses plasma-assisted surface coating/modification processes, the applications to date of ion nitriding, the effects of nitrogen on metal surfaces, ion nitriding mechanisms in Cr, Al and Cr + Al-containing 1040 steel, ion nitriding of Al and its alloys, life enhancement for forging dies, novel anode plasma nitriding developments, and a comparative study of the pulsed and dc ion-nitriding behavior in specimens with blind holes. Also discussed are the influence of heating method on ion nitriding, surface hardening of marage steels by ion nitriding without core hardness reduction, plasma nitriding of nodular cast iron sput gears, NbN composites for superconductors, the carburization of tungsten in a glow discharge methane plasma, economic considerations concerning plasma nitriding, and the corrosion properties obtained by ion nitriding.
Interest in the tribological properties of plasma nitriding has increased substantially over the past years because plasma nitriding provides a high nitride depth and improved hard facing. The present study examines the tribological properties of AISI H11 plasma nitrided, hot-worked steel. Different nitriding temperatures and durations were considered. Characterization of the composite structures was investigated with wear tests, x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microhardness tests. The depth profile of the nitrided zone was measured using the nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) technique. Plasma nitriding affected the microhardness, wear properties, and morphology considerably. Increase in process temperature increased the nitride zone depth.
We report on the formation of current blocking regions by O2 plasma treatment to reduce current crowding at the active region above the p-type electrodes of GaN-based vertical light emitting diodes (LEDs). The forward voltage and reverse current (at -5 V) of the plasma-treated LEDs slightly increase with increasing aging time. The output power (at 350 mA) of the plasma-treated LEDs is enhanced by 26% as compared to that of reference LEDs and is comparable to that of LEDs with SiO2 current blocking layers. It is shown that the output power (at 700 mA) of the plasma-treated LEDs is degraded by less than 2% of the initial value after 500 h.
The combined process of low temperature plasma nitriding and TiN film deposition was realized on the plasma-assisted vacuum arc plating set. The process of plasma nitriding can be done below 200 degree C. The low temperature plasma nitriding and TiN film deposition was realized on the same device. By the SEM analysis of the plating structure, low hardness grads from the substrate to the film was obtained, and it was found that the mixed nitride plating formed at the interface between the substrate and the film. The quantitative measurement of substrate-film adherence showed that the adherence was improved notably by using the process. The adherence between film and substrate can reach to 59.6 MPa without the bias voltage supplying
In this work AISI 1045 steel were duplex treated via plasma nitriding of chromized layer. Samples were pack chromized by using a powder mixture consisting of ferrochromium, ammonium chloride and alumina at 1273K for 5h. The samples were then plasma-nitrided for 5h at 803K and 823K, in a gas mixture of 75%N2+25%H2. The treated specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Vickers micro-hardness test. The thickness of chromized layer before nitriding was about 8mm and it was increased after plasma nitriding. According to XRD analysis, the chromized layer was composed of chromium and iron carbides. Plasma nitriding of chromized layer resulted in the formation of chromium and iron nitrides and carbides. The hardness of the duplex layer...
We present and characterize a very efficient optical device that employs the plasma mirror technique to increase the contrast of high-power laser systems. Contrast improvements higher than 104 with 50% transmission are shown to be routinely achieved on a typical 10 TW laser system when the pulse is reflected on two consecutive plasma mirrors. Used at the end of the laser system, this double plasma mirror preserves the spatial profile of the initial beam, is unaffected by shot-to-shot fluctuations, and is suitable for most high peak power laser systems. We use the generation of high-order harmonics as an effective test for the contrast improvement produced by the double plasma mirrors. (authors)
Plasma Technologies in Institute of Plasma Physics of the NSC KIPT are recently developed in the following directions. Material surfaces modification under their irradiation with pulsed plasma streams of different working gases. Besides traditional analysis of improvements of tribological characteristics and structural-phase changes of the modified layers recently we started investigations of material corrosions characteristic improvement under influence of pulsed plasma on the material surfaces. As to the surface coatings in arc discharges of Bulat type devices, new trends are related with multi-layers coatings, using Ti-AI-N coatings in cutting tools, using high frequency discharges or combined HF- and arc discharges for increasing the nomenclature of goods to be coated. Development of ozonators is respectively new area for IPP NSC KIPT. On the base of barrier high-frequency discharge there were ...
Plastic composites have become a large class of construction material for exterior applications. One of the main disadvantages of wood plastic composites resides in the weak adhesion between the polar and hydrophilic surface of wood and the non-polar and hydrophobic polyolefin matrix, hindering the dispersion of the flour in the polymer matrix. To improve interfacial compatibility wood flour can be pretreated with environmentally friendly methods such as cold-atmospheric pressure plasma. The objective of this work is therefore to evaluate the potential of plasma polymerization of acetylene on wood flour to improve the compatibility with polyolefins. This presentation will describe the reactor design used to modify wood flour using acetylene plasma polymerization. The optimum conditions for plasma polymerization on wood particles will also be presented. Finally preliminary results on the wood flour ...
Hydrogen (H) plasma treatment, oxygen (O) plasma treatment and water (H_2O)-vapor heat treatment for polycrystalline-silicon (poly-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been analyzed by separately extracting trap density at a front silicon-oxide interface (D_F) and trap density at a back interface (D_B). It is found that the H plasma treatment is apt to generate D_F and D_B. The O plasma treatment reduces D_F, while the H_2O-vapor heat treatment reduces both D_F and D_B. Improvement of transistor characteristics of poly-Si TFTs depends on understanding these results.
We use a massively parallel 3D hybrid particle code, dHybrid, to simulate the deflection of plasma beams by a dipole like magnetic field in a laboratory environment. Dipole magnetic fields, along with a plasma injection source to inflate the magnetic field, are now being studied as means of deflecting solar wind and Energetic Particles away from spacecrafts [1,2,3]. We have considered three setups, consistent with the experiments, with a plasma beam fired at i) a dipole field with no plasma injection, ii) a plasma injection source with no dipole field and iii) a dipole field with a plasma injection source. The hybrid simulations help understand the relevant physical phenomena, and enable extrapolation to space plasma scenarios, where setups are similar but plasma parameters differ significantly. The simulation results ...
A theoretical model is presented to describe the electromagnetic, heat transfer and fluid flow phenomena within a magnetron plasma torch and in the resultant plume, by using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT. Specific calculations are presented for a pure argon system (i.e., an argon plasma discharging into an argon environment), operated in a turbulent mode. An important finding of this work is that the external axial magnetic field (AMF) may have a significant effect on the behavior of arc plasma and thus affects the resulting plume. The AMF impels the plasma to retract axially and expand radially. As a result, the plasma intensity distribution on the cross section of torch seems to be more uniform. Numerical results also show that with AMF, the highest plasma temperature decreases and the anode arc root moves upstream significantly, ...
Surface compositional changes in GaAs due to RF plasmas of different gases have been investigated by XPS and etch rates were measured using AFM. Angular Resolved XPS (ARXPS) was also employed for depth analysis of the composition of the surface layers. An important role in this study was determination of oxide thickness using XPS data. The study of surface - plasma interaction was undertaken by correlating results of surface analysis with plasma diagnosis. Different experiments were designed to accurately measure the BEs associated with the Ga 3d, Ga 2p sub 3 sub / sub 2 and LMM peaks using XPS analysis and propose identification in terms of the oxides of GaAs. Along with GaAs wafers, some reference compounds such as metallic Ga and Ga sub 2 O sub 3 powder were used. A separate study aiming the identification of the GaAs surface oxides formed on the GaAs surface during and after plasma processing was ...
By using a plasma nitriding procedure at the PUPR Mirror Cusp Plasma machine, surface hardness is increased in 302/304-type stainless steel samples by exposing them to high-ion-density plasma at high vacuum. This method successfully dopes the surface of the material with strengthening nitrogen ions, without the use of chemical procedures that sacrifice the resistance to corrosion of the given material. A 500 V negative bias is placed on the sample exposed to the nitrogen plasma, where high-energy ions are therefore attracted and immersed into the metallic matrix microns into the surface of the stainless steel. This potential maintains a constant surface temperature at approximately 800 deg. C. The plasma parameters including ion density and plasma temperature were diagnosed using single Langmuir probes. The stainless steel samples were then tested using scanning ...
By using a plasma nitriding procedure at the PUPR Mirror Cusp Plasma machine, surface hardness is increased in 302/304-type stainless steel samples by exposing them to high-ion-density plasma at high vacuum. This method successfully dopes the surface of the material with strengthening nitrogen ions, without the use of chemical procedures that sacrifice the resistance to corrosion of the given material. A 500 V negative bias is placed on the sample exposed to the nitrogen plasma, where high-energy ions are therefore attracted and immersed into the metallic matrix microns into the surface of the stainless steel. This potential maintains a constant surface temperature at approximately 800 deg. C. The plasma parameters including ion density and plasma temperature were diagnosed using single Langmuir probes. The stainless steel samples were then tested using scanning ...
Simultaneous nitriding and ageing heat treatments of precipitation hardenable tool steel was carried out inside a DC-pulsed plasma nitriding reactor. A single heat treatment cycle was done, as the plasma nitriding and age hardening processes occur approximately at the same ranges of temperatures and times. Specimens of Cr-Ni-Mo-Al age hardenable steel, in the solubilized and solubilized and aged conditions, were tested. Plasma nitriding and ageing, carried out at 500 deg. C for times ranging between 2 and 8 h, increased the surface hardness up to 1000 HV, producing case depths between 100 and 200 {mu}m. The core hardness of solubilized samples increased from 30 to 39 Rockwell C after the plasma nitriding treatment proving the possibility of nitriding and ageing at the same treatment cycle. The pre-aged samples did not show any overageing after the simultaneous plasma nitriding and ...
Simultaneous nitriding and ageing heat treatments of precipitation hardenable tool steel was carried out inside a DC-pulsed plasma nitriding reactor. A single heat treatment cycle was done, as the plasma nitriding and age hardening processes occur approximately at the same ranges of temperatures and times. Specimens of Cr-Ni-Mo-Al age hardenable steel, in the solubilized and solubilized and aged conditions, were tested. Plasma nitriding and ageing, carried out at 500 deg. C for times ranging between 2 and 8 h, increased the surface hardness up to 1000 HV, producing case depths between 100 and 200 #mu#m. The core hardness of solubilized samples increased from 30 to 39 Rockwell C after the plasma nitriding treatment proving the possibility of nitriding and ageing at the same treatment cycle. The pre-aged samples did not show any overageing after the simultaneous plasma nitriding and ...
Nitrogen ion implantation improves the wear resistance of Ti-6Al-4V alloys by forming a hard TiN superficial passivation layer. However, the thickness of the layer formed by traditional ion implantation is typically 100-200 nm and may not be adequate for many industrial applications. We propose to use radio-frequency (RF) plasma nitriding and nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to increase the layer thickness. By using a newly designed inductively coupled RF plasma source and applying a series of negative high voltage pulses to the Ti-6Al-4V samples. RF plasma nitriding and nitrogen PIII can be achieved. Our process yields a substantially thicker modified layer exhibiting more superior wear resistance characteristics, as demonstrated by data from micro-hardness testing, pin-on-disc wear testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The ...
Nitrogen ion implantation improves the wear resistance of Ti-6Al-4V alloys by forming a hard TiN superficial passivation layer. However, the thickness of the layer formed by traditional ion implantation is typically 100-200 nm and may not be adequate for many industrial applications. We propose to use radio-frequency (RF) plasma nitriding and nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to increase the layer thickness. By using a newly designed inductively coupled RF plasma source and applying a series of negative high voltage pulses to the Ti-6Al-4V samples. RF plasma nitriding and nitrogen PIII can be achieved. Our process yields a substantially thicker modified layer exhibiting more superior wear resistance characteristics, as demonstrated by data from micro-hardness testing, pin-on-disc wear testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The ...
Here we describe the use of low energy plasma immersion with active screen as a convenient approach for polypropylene (PP) surface modification. Employing a stainless steel cathodic cage coated with carbon in order to prevent the sputtering of iron from the grid and its deposition onto the polymer sample, the physical chemical properties of PP surface could be effectively modified through the plasma-induced incorporation/formation of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing species. The areal densities of these elements depended on the plasma excitation source, as determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). Newly formed C-O, C-N, and C=O/O=C-O/N-C=O bonds along with C-C linkages from the PP backbone were identified at the near surface region of the specimens by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The insertion of such polar reactive functionalities was further confirmed by a substantial decrease in the water ...
The phenomenology of wire chamber aging is discussed and fundamentals of proportional counters are presented. Free-radical polymerization and plasma polymerization are discussed. The chemistry of wire aging is reviewed. Similarities between wire chamber plasma (>1 atm dc-discharge) and low-pressure rf-discharge plasmas, which have been more widely studied, are suggested. Construction and use of a system to allow study of the plasma reactions occurring in wire chambers is reported. A proportional tube irradiated by an {sup 55}Fe source is used as a model wire chamber. Condensable species in the proportional tube effluent are concentrated in a cryotrap and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Several different wire chamber gases (methane, argon/methane, ethane, argon/ethane, propane, argon/isobutane) are tested and their reaction products qualitatively identified. For all gases tested ...
Using the ammonia (NH3) plasma generated by a helical antenna surrounded by two magnetic coils, the transition of the discharge mode from low-density plasma to high-density one was observed. At the transition, the emission intensities from the H atoms and NH radicals especially increased in the optical emission spectroscopy, while the intensities of the other emission lines also increased abruptly. The nitridation of gallium arsenide (GaAs) surface was performed using the high-density NH3 plasma, and the properties of the nitrided surface layer were compared with those nitrided by high-density N2 plasma using the same apparatus. From the spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements, the thickness of the nitrided layer was estimated to be 16-18 nm, while that by N2 was 3-4 nm. From the Ga 3d spectra, the contamination with oxygen in the nitridation layer by NH3 plasma was less than that ...
The CPHR individual monitoring service acquired an automatic RADOS TLD system to improve its capacities to satisfy the increasing needs of their national customers. The TLD system consists of: two automatic TLD reader, model DOSACUS, a TLD irradiator and personal dosimeters card including slide and holders. The dosimeters were composed by this personal dosimeters card and LiF:Mg,Cu,P (model GR-200) detectors. These readers provide to detectors a constant temperature readout cycle using hot nitrogen gas. In order to evaluate the performance characteristics of the system, different performance tests recommended by the IEC 1066 standard were carried out. Important dosimetric characteristics evaluated were batch homogeneity, reproducibility, detection threshold, energy dependence, residual signal and fading. The results of the tests showed good performance characteristics of the system. (Author)
The suitability of calcium silicate bricks (CSBs) for the retrospective measurement of gamma dose using luminescence techniques has been investigated. Bricks of this type are distinguished from fired clay bricks by containing negligible clay and requiring comparatively low temperature treatment during manufacture. They have been used widely in the construction f buildings in the Former Soviet Union since the 1970s but hitherto have not been used for retrospective dosimetry measurements. A procedure based on the se of the 210 deg. C thermoluminescence (TL) peak of quartz was tested with granular quartz extracted from three types of CSB, one of which had been taken from a settlement downwind of Chernobyl. The degree to which the residual geological TL signal within the temperature range of the 210 deg. C L peak had been reduced during manufacture varied with brick type; the levels of residual TL corresponded, in the samples tested, to absorbed doses n the range ...
Measurements were carried out for calibration and performance testing of a set of 10 electronic personal dosimeters (EPDs) at the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory of Sudan. Calibrations were carried out at three X-ray beam qualities described in ISO standard 4037 in addition to 137Cs and 60Co gamma ray beams. The experimental was performed with EPDs mounted on ICRU Slab phantom. X-ray and ?-ray beams were characterized in terms of air kerma free-in-air which were converted to the known delivered personal dose equivalent, Hp(10) using appropriate the air kerma to personal dose equivalent conversion coefficients. Dosimeters tested showed excellent energy and angular response and relative error of indication within the recommended limit for photon energies from 65 keV to 1.25 MeV. The study showed encouraging results for using electronic dosimeters in personal dosimetry.
The study had three objectives: to collect information that explain the impact of the Aube storage center (C.S.A.) on environment and allow to evaluate the consequences for man, secondly, to build a referential for any future inquiry or follow-up, thirdly, to allow to the local commission of information to elaborate an information towards the side residents and local actors that take into account their questions. Trees, waters, sediments, soils, grass, products of gardens and vineyards were the object of sampling, their dosimetry is given in this report. Other dosimetry measures were made along the nuclear site and the results are equally in this report. (N.C.)
The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility now under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use the 25 MV tandem accelerator for the acceleration of radioactive ion beams to energies appropriate for research in nuclear physics; negative ion beams are, therefore, required for injection into the tandem accelerator. Because charge exchange is an efficient means for converting initially positive ion beams to negative ion beams, both positive and negative ion sources are viable options for use at the facility. The choice of the type of ion source will depend on the overall efficiency for generating the radioactive species of interest. Although direct-extraction negative ion sources are clearly desirable, the ion formation efficiencies are often too low for practical consideration; for this situation, positive ion sources, in combination with charge exchange, are the logical choice. The high-temperature version of the CERN-ISOLDE positive ion source has been selected and a ...
Cathodic arc deposition is an established and industrially applied technique for the formation of nitrides (e.g. TiN); it can also be used for metal oxide thin film formation. A cathodic arc plasma source with the desired cathode material is operated in an oxygen atmosphere of appropriate pressure, and metal oxides of various stoichiometric composition can be formed on different substrates. We report here on a series of experiments on metal oxide formation by cathodic arc deposition for different applications. Black copper oxide has been deposited on accelerator components to increase the radiative heat transfer between the parts. Various metal oxides such as tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, nickel oxide and vanadium oxide have been deposited on ITO glass to form electrochromic films for window applications. Optical waveguide structures can be formed by refractive index variation using oxide multilayers. We have synthesized multilayers of Al{sub ...
A cryocondensation pump was designed for the baffle chamber of General Atomics DIII-D tokamak and will be installed in the fall of 1992. The purpose of the pump is to study plasma density control by pumping the divertor. The pump is toroidally continuous, approximately 10 m long and located in the lower outer corner of the vacuum chamber of the machine. It consists of a 1 m{sup 2} liquid helium-cooled surface surrounded by a liquid nitrogen-cooled shield to limit the heat load on the helium-cooled surface. The liquid nitrogen-cooled surface is surrounded by a radiation/particle shield to prevent energetic particles from impacting and releasing condensed water molecules. A thermal enhancement coating was applied to the nitrogen shell to lower the maximum temperature of the shell. The coating is non-continuous to keep the toroidal electrical resistance high. The whole pump is supported off the water-cooled vacuum vessel wall. Supports for the ...
Procedures for {sup 131}I ablation in renal failure are not known. In one patient receiving dialysis, detailed dosimetry and health safety aspects were obtained. The results showed insignificant contamination of equipment, but a surprisingly significant reduction in biologic half-life of {sup 131}I due to efficient dialysis extraction. The data indicate that {sup 131}I ablation can be done safely and easily during dialysis but that much higher {sup 131}I doses must be used to achieve equivalent results to those obtained in patients with normal renal function.
Organ and tissue doses and integral doses in patients due to diagnostic x-ray examinations of the chest and of the head will be presented. These data have been obtained by measuring the dose distributions in man phantoms by LiF-dosimetry. The data will be compared with data obtained by Monte-Carlo calculations. To obtain average organ doses for a special type of examination for the population or for a specified subpopulation in the variation of the exposure, data due to the different techniques used by the different radiologists has to be known. Such data will be presented. The results of the investigation will be discussed in connection with the concept of the 'somatic significant.
Nuclear forensics is the analysis of nuclear materials recovered from either the capture of unused materials, or from the radioactive debris following a nuclear explosion and can contribute significantly to the identification of the sources of the materials and the industrial processes used to obtain them. In the case of an explosion, nuclear forensics can also reconstruct key features of the nuclear device. Nuclear forensic analysis works best in conjunction with other law enforcement, radiological protection dosimetry, traditional forensics, and intelligence work to provide the basis for attributing the materials and/or nuclear device to its originators. Nuclear forensics is a piece of the overall attribution process, not a stand-alone activity
A simple method for preparing LiCaAlF6:Eu2+ phosphor is reported. Photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL) studies were carried out. The TL sensitivity of the phosphor is nearly twice that of CaSO4:Dy TLD phosphor. Several other properties required for TL dosimetry are superior as well. It is suggested that the phosphor can be a suitable replacement for CaSO4:Dy. (Copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A 2D matrix allows a fairly rapid verification of irradiation parameters transferred on computer processing equipment without expanding the dosimetry means to implement. Associated to 'Multicheck and Verisoft' software it will handle some of the regulatory recommendations of the A.F.S.S.A.P.S. for quality control of accelerators and ensure the traceability of testing carried out. (N.C.)
This report is a summary of the progress and research produced for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) Research Program for calendar year 1996. Contributions from the individual investigators about their projects are included, specifically, physics: treatment planning software, real-time neutron beam measurement dosimetry, measurement of the Finnish research reactor epithermal neutron spectrum, BNCT accelerator technology; and chemistry: analysis of biological samples and preparation of {sup 10}B enriched decaborane.
Subject to the provisions of the Radiation Protection Act, the Authority, on the advice of ...(f) in collaboration with the Radiation Protection Board, conduct an ionising radiation monitoring programme and ...or document kept under the control of the Radiation Protection Board.
Described and discussed in this paper are radiation processes and their advantages over the conventional techniques. Radiation sterilization of medical products, food irradiation, wood plastic composites, and radiation treatment of sewage and waste waters are presented. The Philippine experience in using these technologies, its problems and barriers are also given. (ELC).
The rapid growth in the use of in vitro methods for nanoparticle toxicity assessment has proceeded with limited consideration of the unique kinetics of these materials in solution. Particles in general and nanoparticles specifically, diffuse, settle and agglomerate in cell culture media as a function of several systemic and particle factors: media density and viscosity, particle size, shape and density. Cellular dose then is also a function of these factors as they determine the rate of transport of nanoparticles to cells in culture. Here we develop and apply the principles of particokinetics and dosimetry in vitro and outline an approach for simulation of nanoparticle particokinetics in cell culture systems. We illustrate that where equal mass concentrations (?g/ml) imply equal doses for dissimilar materials, the corresponding particle number or surface area concentration doses differ by orders of magnitude. When rates of diffusional and gravitational particle ...
Values of the chemical yield, G, and of the molar extinction coefficient, epsilon, for Fricke dosimetry, have been recommended by ICRU. For epsilon, the value in ICRU Reports 17 and 21, 2205 1.mol"-"1.cm"-"1, based on an analysis of 83 reported values. It was suggested that, where neither a careful wavelength calibration nor absorbance linearity checks had been performed, a standard error of 1.5% should be assumed; otherwise 0.15% could be accepted. Alternatively, the accuracy in applying this chemical dose meter was considered improved if there was an independent determination of epsilon with the same spectrophotometer as was used for the determination of the optical density of irradiated Fricke solution. The accuracy claimed for both methods remains questionable, since no complete argumentation could be given for the differences of up to 13% in the published values. Taking into account the discussion of the sources of error by Bryant, Broszkiewicz and Ellis, we ...
This text-book (electronic book - multi-media CD-ROM) constitutes a course-book - author's collection of lectures. It consists of 13 lectures in which the reader acquaints with the basis of radiobiology: Introduction to radiobiology; Physical fundamentals of radiobiology; Radiation of cells; Modification of radiation damage of cells; Reparation of radiation damage of cells; Radiation syndromes and their modification; Radiation injury; Radiation damage of tissues; Effect of radiation on embryo and fetus; Biological effects of incorporated radionuclides; Therapy of acute irradiation sickness; Delayed consequences of irradiation; Radiation oncology and radiotherapy. This course-book may be interesting for students, post-graduate students of chemistry, biology, physics, medicine as well as for teachers, scientific workers ...
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This chapter is concerned with standards and guidances for limiting radiation exposures. It is divided into three sections, each of which has several parts. Section 1: Ionizing Radiation -- Standards and Guidances Applicable to the Public: Part A, Radiation Protection Standards; Part B, Environmental Radiation Standards; Part C, Exempt Levels of Radioactivity; Part D, Protective Action Guides for Accidents. Section 2: Ionizing Radiation -- Standards Applicable to the Workplace. Section 3: Medical and Other Standards.
On the basis of legally provided area dose measurements and time records of fluoroscopic examinations during the operation, radiation doses to medical personnel and patients are evaluated. Adequate radiation protection measures and a careful behaviour in the operating room keep the radiation exposure to the personnel below the maximum permissible exposure. Taking into account the continuous personnel radiation monitoring and medical supervision, radiation hazards in the operating room can be considered low.
Plasma neutralization of an intense ion pulse is of interest for many applications, including plasma lenses, heavy ion fusion, cosmic ray propagation, etc. An analytical electron fluid model has been developed based on the assumption of long charge bunches (l{sub b} >> r{sub b}). Theoretical predictions are compared with the results of calculations utilizing a particle-in-cell (PIC) code. The cold electron fluid results agree well with the PIC simulations for ion beam propagation through a background plasma. The analytical predictions for the degree of ion beam charge and current neutralization also agree well with the results of the numerical simulations. The model predicts very good charge neutralization (>99%) during quasi-steady-state propagation, provided the beam pulse duration {tau}{sub b} is much longer than the electron plasma period 2{pi}/{omega}{sub p}, where {omega}{sub ...
Gyrokinetic particle simulation of edge pedestal formation and plasma rotation dynamics will be presented, and compared with experimental observations. Realistic tokamak edge geometry is used which include separatrix/X-point and material wall from EFIT g-eqdsk data. In order to handle adequately the spatially inhomogeneous electric potential in the scrape-off region, the full-f electron technique is used, in addition to the full-f ions. Monte Carlo neutral particles with wall recycling coefficient will be included self-consistently with the plasma kinetics. Ion-ion Coulomb collisions will be particle, momentum and energy conserving. Energy source for the pedestal and scrape-off plasmas is the heat flow from the core plasma, and the particle source is the ionization of the neutral atoms which are either wall recycled and/or gas puffed. The simulation will be self-consistent with the first principles ...
A study on oxygen-plasma treatment of ink-jet paper is presented. Paper was exposed to a weakly ionized, highly dissociated oxygen plasma with an electron temperature of 5 eV, a positive-ion density of 8 x 1015 m-3 and a density of neutral oxygen atoms of 5 x 1021 m-3. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was applied as a method for detection of the reaction products during the plasma treatment of the paper. OES spectra between 250 and 1000 nm were measured continuously during the plasma treatment. The wettability of the samples before and after the plasma treatment was determined by measuring the contact angle of a water drop. The appearance of the surface-functional groups was determined by using high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), while changes in the surface morphology were monitored with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Already after 1 s of the ...
The WEGA stellarator is used to confine low temperature, overdense (densities exceeding the cut-off density of the heating wave) plasmas by magnetic fields in the range of B=50-500 mT. Microwave heating systems are used to ignite gas discharges using hydrogen, helium, neon or argon as working gases. The produced plasmas have been analyzed using Langmuir and emissive probes, a single-channel interferometer and ultra-high resolution Doppler spectroscopy. For a typical argon discharge in the low field operation, B=56 mT, the maximum electron density is n{sub e}{proportional_to}10{sup 18} m{sup -3} with temperatures in the range of T=4-12 eV. The plasma parameters are determined by using Langmuir probes and are cross-checked with interferometry. It is demonstrated within this work that the joint use of emissive probes and ultra-high resolution Doppler spectroscopy allows a precise measurement of the radial electric field. The ...
An original dc double anode plasma torch which provides a long-time and highly stable atmospheric plasma jet has been devised for the purpose of hazardous waste treatment. The arc fluctuations and dynamic behaviour of the argon and argon-nitrogen plasma jets under different operating conditions have been investigated by means of classical tools, such as the statistic method, fast Fourier transform (FFT) and correlation analysis. In our experiments, the takeover mode is identified as the fluctuation characteristic of the argon plasma jet while the restrike mode is typical in the argon-nitrogen plasma dynamic behaviour. In the case of pure argon, the FFT and correlation calculation results of electrical signals exhibit the only characteristic frequency of 150 Hz, which originates from the torch power and is independent of any change in the operating conditions. It indicates that the ...
Various kinds of decontaminations are carried out in atomic power plant. Here current decontamination technologies such as chemical decontamination with chemical solution or blast decontamination have a problem of reduction of secondary radioactive waste generated in the decontamination process. On the other hand, a low pressure arc plasma can remove metal oxide film on the metal substrate without heavy damage on the metal substrate when the object to be treated was set as a cathode. Dry surface decontamination technology with using low-pressure arc plasma can decrease secondary radioactive waste because low-pressure arc plasma does not need any chemical solution. In addition, the time required for treatment can be shorter, so it is possible for the low-pressure arc plasma decontamination technology to interpolate the current decontamination technologies such as spot decontamination technology etc. ...
The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is one of the world's most powerful research reactors. In 1996, one year after the demise of the Advanced Neutron Source Project, the U.S. Department of Energy embarked on an aggressive program to upgrade the neutron scattering facilities at the HFIR. These upgrades, which are now in progress, include the installation of larger beam tubes, a high-performance hydrogen cold source, and additional neutron guides and neutron scattering instruments. An extensive analysis effort was performed over the past 4 yr to support the design of the modified beamlines and new user facilities and to assess the impact of the upgrades on the integrity of the existing reactor system. The results of three of these analyses are summarized here. Specifically, results are presented for analyses related to the design of the new cold neutron source (CNS), the assessment of beam tube changes on the anticipated pressure vessel lifetime, ...
The current state and need for radiation protection training in Finland have been surveyed by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority STUK. The survey sought to determine whether the current requirements for radiation protection training had been met, and to promote radiation protection training. Details of the scope and quality of present radiation protection training were requested from all educational institutes and organizations providing radiation protection training. The survey covered both basic and further training, special training of radiation safety officers, and supplementary training. The questionnaire was sent to 77 educational organization units, 66 per cent of which responded. Radiation workers and radiation safety officers were asked about radiation protection ...
The wear behaviour of 722M24 (En40B) steel plasma nitrided at high temperatures for long durations was investigated. Under dry sliding and abrasive-containing lubricated conditions, the wear characteristics of the steel were studied as a function of load, time and white layer thickness. The white layer and the wear debris were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The topography of the wear surface was examined in a scanning electron microscope. The plasma nitriding process was carried out using a 20 kW plasma processing unit in cracked ammonia atmosphere. Treatment times of up to 100 h were employed with temperatures of 550, 570 and 590 C. Wear tests were performed with plasma nitrided AMS 6472 as the counterface material. The tests under abrasive-containing lubricated conditions were carried out with 10% carborundum powder 10 [mu]m in size in SAE-30 machine oil. The wear resistance of the steel was ...
The present work describes the surface improvement and biocompatibility of TiAl{sub 24}Nb{sub 10} intermetallic alloy using rf plasma nitriding. The nitriding process was carried out at different plasma power from 400 W to 650 W where the other plasma conditions were fixed. Grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry (GIXRD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), tribometer and a nanohardness tester were employed to characterize the nitrided layer. Further potentiodynamic polarization method was used to describe the corrosion behavior of the un-nitrided and nitrided alloy. It has been found that the Vickers hardness (HV) and corrosion resistance values of the nitrided layers increase with increasing plasma power while the wear rates of the nitrided layers reduce by two orders of magnitude as compared to those of the un-nitrided layer. This improvement in surface properties of the intermetallic alloy is due to ...
The present work describes the surface improvement and biocompatibility of TiAl_2_4Nb_1_0 intermetallic alloy using rf plasma nitriding. The nitriding process was carried out at different plasma power from 400 W to 650 W where the other plasma conditions were fixed. Grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry (GIXRD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), tribometer and a nanohardness tester were employed to characterize the nitrided layer. Further potentiodynamic polarization method was used to describe the corrosion behavior of the un-nitrided and nitrided alloy. It has been found that the Vickers hardness (HV) and corrosion resistance values of the nitrided layers increase with increasing plasma power while the wear rates of the nitrided layers reduce by two orders of magnitude as compared to those of the un-nitrided layer. This improvement in surface properties of the intermetallic alloy is due to formation ...
Using standard brass alloy samples, an approach to reduce the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurement uncertainty was tested and proved. Two important parameters for plasma characterization, the plasma temperature and the electron density, were applied to minimize the signal uncertainties due to uncontrollable experimental parameter variations. Results show that for the pulse-to-pulse analysis, the signal fluctuations can be significantly reduced by utilizing the plasma characteristic information. The major source for the single pulse fluctuations is the redistribution of the characteristic line at different temperatures according to the Boltzmann distribution under LTE. The change of the degree of ionization also contributes to the signal fluctuations. For the multi-pulse analysis, due to the nonlinear relationship between the plasma temperature and the line intensity, it is not applicable to ...
In a prior study, we demonstrated that certain disposable coils are contaminated with zinc and release substantial quantities of Zn during hemodialysis, producing high post-dialysis plasma Zn concentrations. The present investigation was designed to monitor plasma and dialysis fluid Zn and copper throughout dialysis and to estimate patient Zn and Cu uptake. Venous plasma, arterial plasma and coil chamber fluid were sampled periodically throughout dialysis; trace metal concentrations were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Release of considerable quantities of Zn from the coils into the dialysis fluid, with uptake into the patient's plasma, was found. Approximately one-half of the plasma Zn uptake occurred in the first 45 minutes. Coils from different lots released significantly different quantities of Zn. Patient uptake of Zn ...
The Versatile Toroidal Facility (VTF) is a large laboratory plasma machine of 1 meter major radius used to carry out investigations of ionospheric plasma turbulence. Spectral analysis has been performed on plasmas produced by the electron emitters. Interest has focused on the low frequencies below the lower hybrid resonance where ion acoustic and current-convective modes have been observed. Microwaves injected from a 3,000 watt magnetron produce dramatic changes to the low frequency spectrum. First, the parametric decay instability intensifies the ion acoustic modes in the region of plasma heated by the microwaves. Second, the normally dominant current-convective modes are greatly suppressed in the heated region due to the oscillating electric field of the pump wave. When the authors probe beyond the heated region, these two pump wave effects are no longer observed, presumably because the microwaves are ...
An ignition device of the plasma jet type is disclosed. The device has a cylindrical cavity formed in insulating material with an electrode at one end. The other end of the cylindrical cavity is closed by a metal plate with a small orifice in the center which plate serves as a second electrode. An arc jumping between the first electrode and the orifice plate causes the formation of a highly-ionized plasma in the cavity which is ejected through the orifice into the engine cylinder area to ignite the main fuel mixture. Two improvements are disclosed to enhance the operation of the device and the length of the plasma plume. One improvement is a metal hydride ring which is inserted in the cavity next to the first electrode. During operation, the high temperature in the cavity and the highly excited nature of the plasma breaks down the metal hydride, liberating hydrogen which acts as an additional fuel to ...
Electron and ion beam dynamics of the PF-1000 facility were investigated for the first time at its upper energy limit (?1 MJ) in relation to neutron emission, the pinch's plasma ('target') characteristics and some other parameters with the help of a number of diagnostics with ns temporal resolution. Special attention was paid to the temporal and the spatial cross correlations of different phenomena. Results of these experiments are in favour of a neutron emission model based on ion beam-plasma interaction with three important features: (1) the plasma target is hot and confined during a few 'inertial confinement times'; (2) the ions of the main part of the beam are magnetized and entrapped around the pinch plasma target for a period longer than the characteristic time of the plasma inductive storage system and (3) ion-ion collisions (both fusion collisions, due to head-on impacts and ...
Although it has been established that lead is transferred in milk from mother to suckling offspring, the physiological processes and parameters involved are not well understood. Single i.v. doses (0.2 mg/kg) or p.o. doses (2 mg/kg) of radiolabeled lead were administered to lactating and nonlactating female mice, and lead concentrations in blood, plasma, and milk were determined during a 21-day period. Large differences in lead elimination were observed between lactating and nonlactation mice. A significant fraction (25%) of the initial maternal dose (absorbed dose) was transferred to the suckling pups. The ratio of lead concentration in milk to lead concentration in plasma was found to be nearly constant over time. However, the milk-to-blood concentration ratios decreased during the same period. Furthermore, the concentration of lead in milk exceeded the plasma concentration by a factor of approximately 25, indicating that ...
Inductively coupled fluorocarbon (CF4/Ar and C4F8/Ar) plasmas were used to etch HfO2, which is a promising high-dielectric-constant material for the gate of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. The etch rates of HfO2 in CF4/Ar plasmas exceeded those in C4F8/Ar plasmas. The tendency for etch rates to become higher in fluorine-rich (high F/C ratio) conditions indicates that HfO2 can be chemically etched by fluorine-containing species. In C4F8/Ar plasmas with a high Ar dilution ratio, the etch rate of HfO2 increased with increasing bias power. The etch rate of Si, however, decreasd with bias power, suggesting that the deposition of carbon-containing species increased with increasing the power and inhibited the etching of Si. The HfO2/Si selectivity monotonically increased with increasing power, then became more than 5 at the highest tested bias power. The carbon-containing species to inhibit ...
The sequence of nitride formation during the early stages of plasma nitriding of pure iron was studied by optical microscopy, SEM, TEM and x-ray diffraction. Plasma nitriding at {approximately}490 C in a 25 vol.%H{sub 2} + 75 vol.%N{sub 2} mixture starts with the formation of {gamma}{prime}-Fe{sub 4}N after 40s. Once {gamma}{prime} nucleates, it mainly spreads laterally due to diffusion shortcuts in the discontinuous surface nitride layer. Before {gamma}{prime} is continuous on the surface, {epsilon} nucleates on top of it shortly after 40S. Epsilon is then observed to grow, both inwardly and laterally along with {gamma}{prime}. A compact {gamma}{prime}/{epsilon} bilayer forms on the surface at around 100s. The kinetics of nucleation, growth and compactation of the nitrides observed in the present work was significantly more rapid than in any of the nitriding process reported in the literature, including plasma nitriding. ...
The plasma plume generated by a new type of high energy Janitor known as the railplug, is examined. The railplug is a miniaturized railgun that has the potential for improving ignition characteristics of combustible mixtures in engines. The objective of the study is to gain an uderstanding of the characteristics of the plasma created by a transparent railplug, and to validate a multidimensional computer simulation of the plasma and shock fronts. The nature of the plume emitted by the railplug was examined for three levels of electrical energy while firing into air at a pressure of 1 atm. The computer model is to be used to predict trends in railplug performance for various railplug designs, energies, and ambient conditions. The velocity of the plasma movement inside a transparent railplug was measured, as well as the velocity of the plume ejected from the cavity. A shock is produced at the initiation ...
The effect of the nitrogen uptake in {alpha}-iron upon spark erosion in gaseous and liquid ammonia, plasma nitriding, and plasma immersion ion implantation is studied. The resulting phases and hyperfine parameters, measured by the Moessbauer spectroscopy, are discussed from the point of view of initial conditions of their preparation and subsequent heat and/or mechanical treatment. Spark erosion in the ammonia gas produces fine particles with the dominating ferromagnetic {alpha}-Fe phase (50%). The 20% of specimen volume form {alpha}'-Fe and {alpha}''-Fe{sub 16}N{sub 2} phases. The last 30% occupy the {gamma}'-Fe{sub 4}N, ferro- and paramagnetic {epsilon} phases, and {gamma}-Fe(N). Nitriding in the liquid ammonia allows to incorporate the higher content of nitrogen into {alpha}-iron particles which results in the formation of paramagnetic {epsilon}({zeta})-Fe{sub 2}N phase. This phase also dominates the ...
The effect of the nitrogen uptake in #alpha#-iron upon spark erosion in gaseous and liquid ammonia, plasma nitriding, and plasma immersion ion implantation is studied. The resulting phases and hyperfine parameters, measured by the Moessbauer spectroscopy, are discussed from the point of view of initial conditions of their preparation and subsequent heat and/or mechanical treatment. Spark erosion in the ammonia gas produces fine particles with the dominating ferromagnetic #alpha#-Fe phase (50%). The 20% of specimen volume form #alpha#'-Fe and #alpha#''-Fe_1_6N_2 phases. The last 30% occupy the #gamma#'-Fe_4N, ferro- and paramagnetic #epsilon# phases, and #gamma#-Fe(N). Nitriding in the liquid ammonia allows to incorporate the higher content of nitrogen into #alpha#-iron particles which results in the formation of paramagnetic #epsilon#(#zeta#)-Fe_2N phase. This phase also dominates the surface of #alpha#-iron specimen implanted by nitrogen using ...
The effect of a carbohydrate, a 20% protein, or a carbohydrate +0.3% tryptophan TRP breakfast on plasma large neutral amino acid ratio was studied in 6 healthy men. The carbohydrate-rich meal produced shifts in plasma amino acid concentrations such that plasma TRP/LNAA ratios increased from 0.13 to 0.15 (p<0.04) and the protein meal decreased the ratio from 0.14 to 0.11 (p<0.04) after 1 hour. Addition of 0.3% TRP to the carbohydrate-rich meal increased plasma TRP/LNAA ratios more than 2-fold. The TRP containing meal was thus the only one likely to influence brain 5-HT synthesis, although the difference between the plasma TRP/LNAA ratios after carbohydrate and protein breakfasts suggests that the brain may distinguish, by synthesizing more or less 5-HT, the composition of breakfast meals. (Author).
Experiments are described on a plasma cathode with biased grids to prevent entry of ions into the electron extraction gap. The cathode has potential applications to the generation of high-current pulsed electron beams. Operation at 20 A/cm"2 is theoretically possible. The source combines the low average power consumption of a plasma cathode with many of the attractive features of thermionic cathodes, such as space-charge-limited extractor gap electron flow, fast turn-on, and no diode closure. Initial experiments are reported at the 2 A/cm"2 level for pulse lengths to 160 #mu#s.
A brief review is presented of transport in the boundary region of magnetized plasmas by blob-like filaments. Such structures have enhanced levels of particles and heat, are elongated along the magnetic field lines and are localized in the drift plane across the field. The motion of an isolated blob structure is described in some detail and the contribution of such filaments to turbulence-driven transport are discussed. Results are presented from numerical simulations and probe measurements in tokamak plasmas. An interpretation is given of the measured dependence of particle density and transport on experimental control parameters in the scrape-off layer. (author)