Photoluminescence detection of alpha particle using DAM-ADC nuclear detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdalla, Ayman M., E-mail: aymanabdalla62@hotmail.com [Department of Physics, College of Science and Arts, Najran University, P.O. Box 1988, Najran 11001 (Saudi Arabia); Promising Centre for Sensors and Electronic Devices (PCSED), Najran University, P.O. Box: 1988, Najran 11001 (Saudi Arabia); Harraz, Farid A., E-mail: fharraz68@yahoo.com [Promising Centre for Sensors and Electronic Devices (PCSED), Najran University, P.O. Box: 1988, Najran 11001 (Saudi Arabia); Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology Division, Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute (CMRDI), P.O. Box: 87 Helwan, Cairo 11421 (Egypt); Ali, Atif M. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha (Saudi Arabia); Al-Sayari, S.A. [Promising Centre for Sensors and Electronic Devices (PCSED), Najran University, P.O. Box: 1988, Najran 11001 (Saudi Arabia); College of Science and Arts-Sharoura, Najran University (Saudi Arabia); Al-Hajry, A. [Department of Physics, College of Science and Arts, Najran University, P.O. Box 1988, Najran 11001 (Saudi Arabia); Promising Centre for Sensors and Electronic Devices (PCSED), Najran University, P.O. Box: 1988, Najran 11001 (Saudi Arabia)

2016-09-11

The photoluminescence (PL) and UV–vis spectral analysis of DAM-ADC (diallyl maleate: DAM, polyallyl diglycol carbonate: ADC) nuclear detector are demonstrated for the first time. The DAM-ADC surfaces were exposed to thin {sup 241}Am disk source that emits alpha particles with activity 333 kBq. It is found that the track density of the irradiated samples remarkably influences the PL characteristics of the DAM-ADC detector. The spectral peak heights and the integrated intensities under the peaks exhibit linear correlations with correlation coefficient R{sup 2}=0.9636 and 0.9806, respectively for different alpha particle fluences ranging from 8.16–40.82×10{sup 7} particles/cm{sup 2}. Additionally, a correlation coefficient R{sup 2}=0.9734 was achieved for the UV–vis spectral analysis. The linear fitting functions, along with the corresponding fitting parameters were evaluated in each case. Both the PL and the UV–vis data of the irradiated DAM-ADC samples showed considerable spectral differences, and hence they would be used to offer sensitive approaches for alpha particle detection.

Report of a Technical Meeting on ''Alpha emitting radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals for therapy''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Considering the high potential of α-emitters for future development of radionuclide therapy, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organized a Technical Meeting on ‘Alpha Emitting Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals for Therapy’, from June 24 to 28, 2013, at IAEA Headquarters in Vienna with the purpose of gathering eminent Experts in the field and discuss with them the status and future perspectives of the field. Sixteen Experts and two External Observers from ten different countries, and four IAEA Technical Officers attended this meeting. Outstanding lectures have been presented covering all relevant aspects of α-therapy, which were followed by extensive discussions and analysis. Selected arguments encompassed production methods and availability of alpha-emitting radionuclides, labelling chemistry of alpha-emittting radioelements, design and development of target-specific radiopharmaceuticals, physical principles of alpha-particle dosimetry and advanced dosimetric models, biological effects of alpha radiation at the cellular level, on-going preclinical and clinical studies with new radiopharmaceuticals, results of clinical trials on the use of radium-223 chloride solutions for the treatment of metastatic bone cancer. The broad scientific background of invited components of the Experts’ panel conferred a strong interdisciplinary trait to the overall discussion and stimulated a critical analysis of this emerging unexplored field. Results of this comprehensive overview on alpha therapy, including recommendations to the Agency on suitable initiatives that may help to promote and spread the knowledge to Members States on this emerging therapeutic modality, are summarized in the present Report

Single particle level scheme for alpha decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirea, M.

1998-01-01

The fine structure phenomenon in alpha decay was evidenced by Rosenblum. In this process the kinetic energy of the emitted particle has several determined values related to the structure of the parent and the daughter nucleus. The probability to find the daughter in a low lying state was considered strongly dependent on the spectroscopic factor defined as the square of overlap between the wave function of the parent in the ground state and the wave functions of the specific excited states of the daughter. This treatment provides a qualitative agreement with the experimental results if the variations of the penetrability between different excited states are neglected. Based on single particle structure during fission, a new formalism explained quantitatively the fine structure of the cluster decay. It was suggested that this formalism can be applied also to alpha decay. For this purpose, the first step is to construct the level scheme of this type of decay. Such a scheme, obtained with the super-asymmetric two-center potential, is plotted for the alpha decay of 223 Ra. It is interesting to note that, diabatically, the level with spin 3/2 emerging from 1i 11/2 (ground state of the parent) reaches an excited state of the daughter in agreement with the experiment. (author)

Development of the MICROMEGAS Detector for Measuring the Energy Spectrum of Alpha Particles by using a 241-Am Source

CERN Document Server

Kim, Do Yoon; Shin, Jae Won; Park, Tae-Sun; Hong, Seung-Woo; Andriamonje, Samuel; Kadi, Yacine; Tenreiro, Claudio

2016-01-01

We have developed MICROMEGAS (MICRO MEsh GASeous) detectors for detecting {\\alpha} particles emitted from an 241-Am standard source. The voltage applied to the ionization region of the detector is optimized for stable operation at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The energy of {\\alpha} particles from the 241-Am source can be varied by changing the flight path of the {\\alpha} particle from the 241 Am source. The channel numbers of the experimentally-measured pulse peak positions for different energies of the {\\alpha} particles are associated with the energies deposited by the alpha particles in the ionization region of the detector as calculated by using GEANT4 simulations; thus, the energy calibration of the MICROMEGAS detector for {\\alpha} particles is done. For the energy calibration, the thickness of the ionization region is adjusted so that {\\alpha} particles may completely stop in the ionization region and their kinetic energies are fully deposited in the region. The efficiency of our MICROMEGA...

Gas lantern mantle: a low activity alpha particle source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukherjee, B.; Manzoor, S.

1991-01-01

Commercially available gas lantern mantles contain a substantial amount of radioactive ThO 2 . Gas lantern mantles purchased from a Sydney camping shop were incinerated, deposited as a thin layer on a aluminium planchette, and the emitted alpha spectrum was measured with a silicon surfacer barrier detector. The specific activity of the samples was estimated by high resolution gamma spectroscopy using a high purity germanium detector as well as CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors. The micro-morphology of the incinerated powder was analysed by scanning electron microscopy. The depth dose and LET distribution of alpha particles in soft tissue were calculated from the energy spectrum. 12 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

Deep UV emitting scintillators for alpha and beta particle detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Y. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30606 (United States); Jia, D.D.; Lewis, L.A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Feofilov, S.P. [A.F. Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg, 194021 (Russian Federation); Meltzer, R.S., E-mail: rmeltzer@physast.uga.ed [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30606 (United States)

2011-03-21

Several deep UV emitting scintillators, whose emission falls in the solar blind region of the spectrum (200-280 nm), are described and their scintillator properties are characterized. They include LaPO{sub 4}:Pr, YPO{sub 4}:Pr, YAlO{sub 3}:Pr, Pr(PO{sub 3}){sub 3}, YPO{sub 4}:Bi and ScPO{sub 4}. These materials would facilitate the detection of ionizing radiation in open areas, even during the daylight hours, and could be used to support large area surveys that monitor for the presence of ionization radiation due, for example, to system leaks or transfer contamination. These materials can be used in the form of powders, thin films or paints for radiation detection. They are characterized for both beta radiation using electron beams (2-35 keV) and {sup 137}Cs and alpha radiations using {sup 241}Am sources. Their absolute light yields are estimated and are compared to that of Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5}:Ce. Their light yields decrease as a function of electron energy but at 10 keV they approach 8000 ph/MeV.

Measurement of {alpha} particle energy loss in biological tissue below 2 MeV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stella, S. [Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy); National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pavia (Italy); Bortolussi, S. [Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy); National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pavia (Italy)], E-mail: silva.bortolussi@pv.infn.it; Bruschi, P.; Portella, C. [Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy); Altieri, S. [Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy); National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pavia (Italy)

2009-09-01

The energy loss of {alpha} particles crossing biological tissue at energies between 0.8 and 2.2 MeV has been measured. This energy range is very important for boron neutron capture therapy, based on the {sup 10}B(n,{alpha}){sup 7}Li reaction, which emits {alpha} particles with energies of 1.78 and 1.47 MeV. One of the methods used for the measurement of the boron concentration in tissue is based on the deconvolution of the {alpha} spectra obtained from neutron irradiation of thin (70 {mu}m) tissue samples. For this technique, a knowledge of the behaviour of the energy loss of the particles in the irradiated tissue is of critical importance. In particular, the curve of the residual energy as a function of the distance travelled in the tissue must be known. In this paper, the results of an experiment carried out with an {sup 241}Am source and a series of cryostatic sections of rat-lung tissue are presented. The experimental measurements are compared with the results of Monte Carlo calculations performed with the MCNPX code.

Analysis of thick source alpha particle spectrum from radium and its daughters in bone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mausner, L.F.; Schlenker, R.A.

1978-01-01

The alpha particle energy spectrum of 226 Ra and its four alpha emitting daughters in an ashed, ground bone sample has been resolved into its components using a computerized spectrum stripping algorithm. These calculated results have been compared to direct measurements of the 226 Ra and 214 Po distributions obtained by alpha--gamma coincidence techniques. The ability of the calculation to deconvolute the total spectrum into its five alpha components implies that straightforward alpha counting may be used instead of the very low efficiency 226 Ra alpha--gamma coincidence method. From knowledge of the actual 226 Ra distribution, along with suitable detector energy and efficiency calibrations, one could determine endosteal cell dose rate empirically

Correlations between the alpha particles and ejectiles in the 208 MeV 14N on 93Nb reaction at three different ejectile angles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, T.; Ishihara, M.; Tanaka, M.; Ogata, H.; Miura, I.; Inoue, M.; Shimoda, T.; Katori, K.; Nakayama, S.

1983-01-01

The in plane correlations between alpha particles and various ejectiles were investigated in the reaction of 208 MeV 14 N on 93 Nb at theta/sub HI/ = +22 0 , +50 0 , and +80 0 . There were three sources of coincident alpha particles: (i) the sequential alpha decay of the excited ejectiles, (ii) the equilibrium alpha emission from the targetlike fragments, and (iii) the nonequilibrium process. Process (i) contributed mainly to the cross sections with the angular range of theta/sub α/ close to theta/sub HI/. Process (ii) contributed to the lowest part of the alpha energy spectra irrespectively of theta/sub HI/ and theta/sub α/. The remaining part was ascribed to process (iii). For this process the differential coincidence cross section of the lower energy part of the alpha particles was approximately factorized as d 4 sigma/dΩ/sub HI/dΩ/sub α/dE/sub HI/dE/sub α/ = K (d 2 sigma/dΩ/sub HI/dE/sub HI/)/sub singles/ (d 2 sigma/dΩ/sub α/dE/sub α/)/sub singles/ with Kapprox.0.4/b, whereas the higher energy part of the alpha particles emitted at the forward angles had a tendency to coincide weakly with the ejectiles emitted at the backward angles (theta/sub HI/ = +50 0 and +80 0 ) as compared to the lower energy part of the alpha particles

Effects of alpha-particles on survival and chromosomal aberrations in human mammary epithelial cells

Science.gov (United States)

Durante, M.; Grossi, G. F.; Gialanella, G.; Pugliese, M.; Nappo, M.; Yang, T. C.

1995-01-01

We have studied the radiation responses of a human mammary epithelial cell line, H184B5 F5-1 M/10. This cell line was derived from primary mammary cells after treatment with chemicals and heavy ions. The F5-1 M/10 cells are immortal, density-inhibited in growth, and non-tumorigenic in athymic nude mice and represent an in vitro model of the human epithelium for radiation studies. Because epithelial cells are the target of alpha-particles emitted from radon daughters, we concentrated our studies on the efficiency of alpha-particles. Confluent cultures of M/10 cells were exposed to accelerated alpha-particles [beam energy incident at the cell monolayer = 3.85 MeV, incident linear energy transfer (LET) in cell = 109 keV/microns] and, for comparison, to 80 kVp x-rays. The following endpoints were studied: (1) survival, (2) chromosome aberrations at the first postirradiation mitosis, and (3) chromosome alterations at later passages following irradiation. The survival curve was exponential for alpha-particles (D0 = 0.73 +/- 0.04 Gy), while a shoulder was observed for x-rays (alpha/beta = 2.9 Gy; D0 = 2.5 Gy, extrapolation number 1.6). The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of high-LET alpha-particles for human epithelial cell killing was 3.3 at 37% survival. Dose-response curves for the induction of chromosome aberrations were linear for alpha-particles and linearquadratic for x-rays. The RBE for the induction of chromosome aberrations varied with the type of aberration scored and was high (about 5) for chromosome breaks and low (about 2) for chromosome exchanges.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS).

Alpha particle studies during JET DT experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The 1997 DT experiment (DTE1) at the Joint European Torus included studies of the behaviour of alpha particles in high temperature plasmas. Clear alpha particle heating was observed in a series of otherwise similar 10MW hot-ion H-modes by scanning the DT mixture from 0%T to 93%T. Maxima in central temperature and energy content were obtained which corresponded with the maximum in fusion yield. Alfven Eigenmodes (AEs) have been detected in JET, driven by NBI or ICRH fast ions. However, in agreement with theory, no AE activity was observed in DT plasmas which could be attributed to alpha particle drive, except in the afterglow of some Optimised Shear pulses. Ion Cyclotron Emission (ICE) was detected at harmonics of the alpha particle cyclotron frequency at the outer edge of the plasma. The ICE is interpreted as being close to magnetoacoustic cyclotron instability, driven by inverted alpha distributions at the plasma edge. The high-energy neutral particle spectra showed features, which are ascribed to a mixture of alphas, neutralised by helium-like impurities, and deuterons, born from elastic collisions with alpha particles and neutralised by hydrogen-like impurities. The results of all these studies are consistent with classical alpha particle trapping and slowing-down. Future DT experiments will aim to increase alpha particle pressure, so interactions with plasma instabilities can be studied. The measurement of knock-on neutral triton spectra offers a clean way to determine confined alpha densities in these future experiments. (author)

Alpha particle studies during JET DT experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

The 1997 DT experiment (DTE1) at the Joint European Torus included studies of the behaviour of alpha particles in high temperature plasmas. Clear alpha particle heating was observed in a series of otherwise similar 10MW hot-ion H-modes by scanning the DT mixture from 0%T to 93%T. Maxima in central temperature and energy content were obtained which corresponded with the maximum in fusion yield. Alfven Eigenmodes (AEs) have been detected in JET, driven by NBI or ICRH fast ions. However, in agreement with theory, no AE activity was observed in DT plasmas which could be attributed to alpha particle drive, except in the afterglow of some Optimised Shear pulses. Ion Cyclotron Emission (ICE) was detected at harmonics of the alpha particle cyclotron frequency at the outer edge of the plasma. The ICE is interpreted as being close to magnetoacoustic cyclotron instability, driven by inverted alpha distributions at the plasma edge. The high-energy neutral particle spectra showed features, which are ascribed to a mixture of alphas, neutralised by helium-like impurities, and deuterons, born from elastic collisions with alpha particles and neutralised by hydrogen-like impurities. The results of all these studies are consistent with classical alpha particle trapping and slowing-down. Future DT experiments will aim to increase alpha particle pressure, so interactions with plasma instabilities can be studied. The measurement of knock-on neutral triton spectra offers a clean way to determine confined alpha densities in these future experiments. (author)

Development of detection method for individual environmental particles containing alpha radioactive nuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esaka, Konomi; Yasuda, Kenichiro; Esaka, Fumitaka; Magara, Masaaki; Sakurai, Satoshi; Usuda, Shigekazu; Nakayama, Shinichi

2006-01-01

Artificial radioactive nuclides have been emitted from various sources and have fallen on the surface of the earth as fine particles. Although the characterization of the individual fallout particles is very important, their analysis is difficult. The purpose of this study is to develop a new detection method for individual objective particles containing radioactive nuclides in the environment. The soil or sediment sample was confined in a plastic film and the locations of objective particles were identified with alpha tracks created in a solid-state detectors (BARYOTRAK, Fukuvi Chemical, Ltd) stuck to the both sides of the plastic film. A piece of the film containing the objective particle was cut with a nitrogen laser for following individual particle analysis. This procedure allowed us to detect the objective particle from innumerable number of particles in the environment and characterize the individual particles. (author)

Modifications of the optical properties for DAM-ADC nuclear track detector exposed to alpha particles

Science.gov (United States)

Rammah, Y. S.; Awad, E. M.

2018-05-01

Modifications of the optical properties of diallyl maleate-allyl diglycol carbonate (DAM-ADC) nuclear detector induced by alpha particles are described. DAM-ADC samples were irradiated perpendicularly by thin 241Am disk source that emits alpha particles with 5.48 MeV. The optical absorption has been measured using the ultraviolet-visible (UV-1100) spectroscopy. It was found that DAM-ADC polymer shows substantial modifications in its optical characteristics upon irradiated with alpha particles with different energies. The optical energy band gap (Egap) for the detector was calculated for the direct and the indirect allowed transitions in K-space using two approaches (Tauc's model and absorption spectrum fitting (ASF) method). Urbach's energy (Ea), number of carbon atoms per conjugated length (N), number of carbon atoms per cluster (M), and refractive index (n) for the present samples were determined. Results reveal that the values of energy gap in direct transition are greater than those of indirect, before and after irradiation. (Egap), (Ea), (N), (M), and (n) of the present samples are changed significantly with irradiation time and value of alpha energy. Results reflect the possibility of using DAM-ADC polymer track detectors to estimate alpha particle energies using the variation of the absorbance.

Effects of alpha particles on zebrafish embryos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yum, E.H.W.; Choi, V.W.Y.; Yu, K.N.; Li, V.W.T.; Cheng, S.H.

2008-01-01

Full text: Ionizing radiation such as X-ray and alpha particles can damage cellular macromolecules, which can lead to DNA single- and double-strand breaks. In the present work, we studied the effects of alpha particles on dechorionated zebrafish embryos. Thin polyallyldiglycol carbonate (PADC) films with a thickness of 16 μm were prepared from commercially available PADC films (with thickness of 100 μm) by chemical etching and used as support substrates for holding zebrafish embryos for alpha-particle irradiation. These films recorded alpha-particle hit positions, quantified the number and energy of alpha particles actually incident on the embryo cells, and thus enabled the calculation of the dose absorbed by the embryo cells. Irradiation was made at 1.25 hours post fertilization (hpf) with various absorbed dose. TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed on the embryos at different time stages after irradiation. Marked apoptosis was detected only in embryos at earlier time stages. The results showed that DNA double-strand break during zebrafish embryogenesis can be induced by alpha-particle irradiation, which suggests that zebrafish is a potential model for assessing the effects of alpha-particle radiation

Calibration techniques for the in vivo measurement of alpha-emitting actinides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleming, R.R.

1976-01-01

Reliable interpretation of in vivo measurements for alpha-emitting actinides deposited in the lungs is largely dependent on three factors: correction of observed count rates for background contributions; correction for photon absorption in the body; and accurate calibration of the counting system. Terrestrial and cosmic radiation contributions can be minimized by extensive shielding and good pulse-shape discrimination. Techniques are available to minimize errors inherent in the calibration of an in vivo counting system. Minimum amounts of alpha-emitting actinides detectable in the lungs are primarily affected by the accuracy of two factors: predicted body background due to 137 Cs and 40 K, and estimated photon absorption in chest-wall tissue. A matched pair of 12.5-cm-dia phoswich detectors, purchased from the Harshaw Chemical Company, are used to measure low-energy photons emitted by the radioactive actinides

Cellular dosimetry for radon progeny alpha particles in bronchial tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamed, A.; Hofmann, W.; Balashazy, I.

1996-01-01

Inhaled radon progeny are deposited in different regions of the human bronchial tree as functions of particle size and flow rate. Following deposition and mucociliary clearance, the sensitive bronchial basal and secretory cells are irradiated by two different alpha particle sources: (i) radon progeny in the sol and/or gel phase of the mucous layer, and (ii) radon progeny within the bronchial epithelium. In the case of internally deposited radionuclides, direct measurement of the energy absorbed from the ionizing radiation emitted by the decaying radionuclides is rarely, if ever, possible. Therefore, one must rely on dosimetric models to obtain estimates of the spatial and temporal patterns of energy deposition in tissues and organs of the body. When the radionuclide is uniformly distributed throughout the volume of a tissue of homogeneous composition and when the size of the tissue is large compared to the range of the particulate emissions of the radionuclide, then the dose rate within the tissue is also uniform and the calculation of absorbed dose can proceed without complication. However, if non-uniformities in the spatial and temporal distributions of the radionuclide are coupled with heterogeneous tissue composition, then the calculation of absorbed dose becomes complex and uncertain. Such is the case with the dosimetry of inhaled radon and radon progeny in the respiratory tract. There are increasing demands to obtain a definitive explanation of the role of alpha particles emitted from radon daughters in the induction of lung cancer. Various authors have attempted to evaluate the dose to the bronchial region of the respiratory tract due to the inhalation of radon daughters

Skeletal dosimetry models for alpha-particles for use in molecular radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Watchman, Christopher J.

Molecular radiotherapy is a cancer treatment methodology whereby a radionuclide is combined with a biologically active molecule to preferentially target cancer cells. Alpha-particle emitting radionuclides show significant potential for use in molecular radiotherapy due to the short range of the alpha-particles in tissue and their high rates of energy deposition. Current radiation dosimetry models used to assess alpha emitter dose in the skeleton were developed originally for occupational applications. In medical dosimetry, individual variability in uptake, translocation and other biological factors can result in poor correlation of clinical outcome with marrow dose estimates determined using existing skeletal models. Methods presented in this work were developed in response to the need for dosimetry models which account for these biological and patient-specific factors. Dosimetry models are presented for trabecular bone alpha particle dosimetry as well as a model for cortical bone dosimetry. These radiation transport models are the 3D chord-based infinite spongiosa transport model (3D-CBIST) and the chord-based infinite cortical transport model (CBICT), respectively. Absorbed fraction data for several skeletal tissues for several subjects are presented. Each modeling strategy accounts for biological parameters, such as bone marrow cellularity, not previously incorporated into alpha-particle skeletal dosimetry models used in radiation protection. Using these data a study investigating the variability in alpha-particle absorbed fractions in the human skeleton is also presented. Data is also offered relating skeletal tissue masses in individual bone sites for a range of ages. These data are necessary for dose calculations and have previously only been available as whole body tissue masses. A revised 3D-CBIST model is also presented which allows for changes in endosteum thickness to account for revised target cell location of tissues involved in the radiological

Laser and alpha particle characterization of floating-base BJT detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tyzhnevyi, V., E-mail: tyzhnevyi@disi.unitn.i [Universita di Trento and INFN Trento, Trento (Italy); Batignani, G. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Pisa and INFN Pisa, Pisa (Italy); Bosisio, L. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Trieste and INFN Trieste, Trieste (Italy); Dalla Betta, G.-F. [Universita di Trento and INFN Trento, Trento (Italy); Verzellesi, G. [Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia and INFN Trento, Reggio Emilia (Italy); Zorzi, N. [Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Trento (Italy)

2010-05-21

In this work, we investigate the detection properties of existing prototypes of BJT detectors operated with floating base. We report about results of two functional tests. The charge-collection properties of BJT detectors were evaluated by means of a pulsed laser setup. The response to {alpha}-particles emitted from radioactive {sup 241}Am source are also presented. Experimental results show that current gains of about 450 with response times in the order of 50 {mu}s are preserved even in this non-standard operation mode, in spite of a non-optimized structure.

Alpha particles induce expression of immunogenic markers on tumour cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorin, J.B.; Gouard, S.; Cherel, M.; Davodeau, F.; Gaschet, J.; Morgenstern, A.; Bruchertseifer, F.

2013-01-01

The full text of the publication follows. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is an approach aiming at targeting the radioelements to tumours, usually through the use of antibodies specific for tumour antigens. The radiations emitted by the radioelements then induce direct killing of the targeted cells as well as indirect killing through bystander effect. Interestingly, it has been shown that ionizing radiations, in some settings of external radiotherapy, can foster an immune response directed against tumour cells. Our research team is dedicated to the development of alpha RIT, i.e RIT using alpha particle emitters, we therefore decided to study the effects of such particles on tumour cells in regards to their immunogenicity. First, we studied the effects of bismuth 213, an alpha emitter, on cellular death and autophagy in six different tumour cell lines. Then, we measured the expression of 'danger' signals and MHC molecules at the cell surface to determine whether irradiation with 213 Bi could cause the tumour cells to be recognized by the immune system. Finally a co-culture of dendritic cells with irradiated tumour cells was performed to test whether it would induce dendritic cells to mature. No apoptosis was detected within 48 hours after irradiation in any cell line, however half of them exhibited signs of autophagy. No increase in membrane expression of 'danger' signals was observed after treatment with 213 Bi, but we showed an increase in expression of MHC class I and II for some cell lines. Moreover, the co-culture experiment indicated that the immunogenicity of a human adenocarcinoma cell line (LS 174T) was enhanced in vitro after irradiation with alpha rays. These preliminary data suggest that alpha particles could be of interest in raising an immune response associated to RIT. (authors)

Detection of {alpha} particles with the aid of a fluorescence counter; Detection des particules {alpha} a l'aide d'un compteur a fluorescence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koechlin, Y

1951-07-01

The operation principle of the fluorescence counter, used as {alpha} particles detector, is analyzed in the first part. Detection can be done in two ways: by counting the pulses due to each {alpha} particle, or by integrating all pulses and measuring the average current obtained. In the second part, three series of measurements are presented: 1 - two fluorescent substances (zinc sulfate and anthracene) are placed in front of the photocathode of three types of photomultipliers (RCA 931A, EMI 4588, and EMI 5311). These substances are bombarded with the {alpha} radiations of a Po source and then irradiated by the {beta} and {gamma} radiations of a Ra source in order to study the light emission of these thin film substances when submitted to the three types of radiations. The results show that thanks to the amplitude of the emitted light pulses, the fluorescence counter, when submitted to the three types of radiations, allows to distinguish between the {alpha} radiations of the polonium and the {beta} and {gamma} radiations of the radium source. The output current of a 931A, when measured with a galvanometer, allows to detect Po sources with an intensity of about 10{sup -6} curie. This is observed when its photocathode receives the light from a ZnS-Ag coating bombarded by the {alpha} particles of Po. The quantum efficiency of the counter is close to 100% for the {alpha} particles of Po. This efficiency is evaluated by comparison with the efficiency of a thin wall Geiger-Mueller counter. Moreover, when a thin crystal of anthracene is used as detector, the energy of the incident particles can be measured with a 2% preciseness. (J.S.)

Detection of fission fragments and alpha particles using the solid trace detector CR-39

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, R.C.

1988-01-01

The technique of detecting charged particles using the solid track detector CR-39 is employed to establish some characteristics of fission fragments and alpha particles emitted from a Cf-252 source. Results are presented and discussed on the following aspects i) distribution of the track diameters; ii) variations on the track diameters to the chemical attack; iii) variations of the chemical attack velocity with respect to concentration and temperature. iv) activation energy of the developping process; v) induction time; vi) critical angle and efficiency on track developping. (A.C.A.S.) [pt

Coincidence study of alpha particle fragmentation at E/sub alpha/ = 140 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koontz, R.W.

1980-01-01

Results of an experimental study of the interaction of 140 MeV alpha particles with 90 Zr nuclei resulting in fragmentation of the alpha particle are reported. The experimental observations of the study are analyzed and are found to show that alpha particle breakup reactions leading to at least 4-body final states, composed of two charged alpha particle fragments, contribute significantly to the singles yield of charged fragments observed at a fixed forward angle. The conclusions are based on coincidence measurements where one charged fragment is detected at a small forward angle which remains fixed, while the second charged fragment is detected at a series of coplanar secondary angles. The largest coincidence charged particle yield for the multiparticle final state events results from 90 Zr(α,pp)X reactions, where both of the measured protons have energy distributions similar to the proton singles energy distributions. The second largest observed coincidence yield involving two charged fragments arises from 90 Zr(α,pd)X reactions, where the p and d fragments, as in the 90 Zr(α,pp)X reactions also have energy distribution similar to the singles energy distributions. Analysis of additional measurements, where alpha particle fragments at the fixed angle are detected in coincidence with evaporation and nonequilibrium particles at many coplanar angles, show that the alpha particle fragmentation reactions are also generally associated with large energy transfer to the target nucleus. A multiple scattering model of the fragmentation reaction is employed, in conjunction with the experimental observations, to estimate the cross sections for alpha particle fragmentation into multi-particle final states resulting in n, 2n, p, pp, d, dn, dp, t and 3 He fragments. The estimated total cross section for all fragmentation reactions is 755 mb or approximately 38% of the total reaction cross section for 140 MeV alpha particle interactions with 90 Zr

Review of measurement techniques for stack monitoring of long-lived alpha emitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kordas, J.F.; Phelps, P.L.

1978-01-01

As a result of the promulgation of new guidelines by the Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR 190) for releases of long-lived, alpha-emitting substances, the stack-monitoring requirements for measuring long-lived alpha particles may change in terms of both monitored isotopes and the detection levels. This paper briefly reviews stack-monitoring requirements for long-lived alpha-emitting particles. It also examines the currently deployed alpha-particulate, stack-monitoring systems and discusses prototype systems that may be applicable to stack monitoring

Bulk GaN alpha-particle detector with large depletion region and improved energy resolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Qiang; Mulligan, Padhraic [Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Wang, Jinghui [Department of Radiology, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Chuirazzi, William [Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Cao, Lei, E-mail: cao.152@osu.edu [Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

2017-03-21

An alpha-particle detector was fabricated using a freestanding n-type bulk GaN wafer with a Au/Ni/GaN sandwich Schottky structure. Current–voltage measurements at room temperature revealed a Schottky contact with a leakage current of 7.53±0.3 nA at a reverse bias of 200 V. The detector had a large depletion depth that can capture much of the energy from 5.486 MeV alpha particles emitted from a {sup 241}Am source. The resolution of its alpha-particle energy spectrum was improved to 2.2±0.2% at 5.486 MeV under a bias of 550 V. This superior resolution was attributed to the shortening of the carrier transit time and the large energy deposition within the large depletion depth, i.e., 27 µm at −550 V, which all resulted in a more complete charge collection. A model developed using the ATLAS simulation framework from Silvaco Inc. was employed to study the charge collection process. The simulation results were found to agree closely with the experimental results. This detector will be beneficial for research at neutron scattering facilities, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, and the Large Hadron Collider, among other institutions, where the Si-based charged particle detectors could be quickly degraded in an intense radiation field. - Highlights: • An alpha-particle detector based on a Schottky-structured GaN wafer was tested. • The detector's large depletion depth enables fuller energy spectra to be obtained. • The best resolution yet attained in GaN alpha-particle spectrometry was achieved. • The detector's short carrier transit time resulted in improved charge collection. • This detector is usable in extreme conditions, including intense radiation fields.

Innershell ionization by fast protons, alpha particles and carbon ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dijk, J.H. van.

1984-01-01

The subject of this thesis is the study of inner-shell excitations of atoms induced by fast charged particle collisions. A new method is described for measuring the spectrum of delta-electrons emitted by 208 Pb after excitation by 15 MeV protons or 50 MeV alpha particles. Experimental equipment is described. Results of both experiments are presented and compared with PWBA models and with calculations based on a semi-classical approximation. The small-impact-parameter ionization probabilities obtained are then compared with literature. Also small-impact-parameter measurements done with 100 MeV carbon ions are described. Besides K-shell measurements, the author also presents L-subshell ionization probability results for Pb. An appendix is added in which energy straggling problems in solid targets are treated. (Auth./G.J.P.)

Assessment of gamma, beta and alpha-particle-emitting nuclides in marine samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holm, E.

1997-01-01

Depending on the physical properties of radionuclides different systems must be used for their measurement. Most convenient is if gamma spectrometry can be used by germanium, Silicon or Scintillation detectors (eg. NaI). If, however, the main emission consists of beta or alpha particles or low-energy photons as is the case for radionuclides decaying by electron capture, radiochemical separation and specific source preparations must be undertaken. In such cases also the radiochemical yield must be determined. The radiochemical part mainly follows the lines presented by prof. T. Jaakkola, Department of Radiochemistry, Helsinki, Finland, at a course in radioecology in Lurid, 1991. For very long-lived radionuclides other methods such as mass spectrometry are superior although often associated with sophisticated expensive instrumentation. (author)

Alpha particle loss in the TFTR DT experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zweben, S.J.; Darrow, D.S.; Herrmann, H.W.

1995-01-01

Alpha particle loss was measured during the TFTR DT experiments using a scintillator detector located at the vessel bottom in the ion grad-B drift direction. The DT alpha particle loss to this detector was consistent with the calculated first-orbit loss over the whole range of plasma current I=0.6-2.7 MA. In particular, the alpha particle loss rate per DT neutron did not increase significantly with fusion power up to 10.7 MW, indicating the absence of any new ''collective'' alpha particle loss processes in these experiments

Which radionuclide, carrier molecule and clinical indication for alpha-immunotherapy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerard, F.; Barbet, J.; Cherel, M.; Chatal, J.-F.; Haddad, F.; Kraeber-Bodere, F.

2015-01-01

Beta-emitting radionuclides are not able to kill isolated tumor cells disseminated in the body, even if a high density of radiolabeled molecules can be targeted at the surface of these cells because the vast majority of emitted electrons deliver their energy outside the targeted cells. Alpha-particle emitting radionuclides may overcome this limitation. It is thus of primary importance to test and validate the radionuclide of choice, the most appropriate carrier molecule and the most promising clinical indication. Four α-particle emitting radionuclides have been or are clinically tested in phase I studies namely 213 Bi, 225 Ac, 212 Pb and 211 At. Clinical safety has been documented and encouraging efficacy has been shown for some of them ( 213 Bi and 211 At). 211 At has been the most studied and could be the most promising radionuclide but 225 Ac and 212 Pb are also of potential great interest. Any carrier molecule that has been labeled with β-emitting radionuclides could be labeled with alpha particle-emitting radionuclide using, for some of them, the same chelating agents. However, the physical half-life of the radionuclide should match the biological half-life of the radioconjugate or its catabolites. Finally everybody agrees, based on the quite short range of alpha particles, on the fact that the clinical indications for alpha-immunotherapy should be limited to the situation of disseminated minimal residual diseases made of small clusters of malignant cells or isolated tumor cells.

Disturbance from Am-241 Photons of the Cellular Dose by Am-241 Alpha Emissions: Am-241 as an alternative source of alpha particles to radon daughters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ki-Man; Kim, Eun-Hee

2015-01-01

The Radiation Bioengineering Laboratory (RadBio Lab) at Seoul National University (SNU) has built an Am-241 alpha particle irradiator for study of cellular responses to radiation from radon daughters. The radon daughters of concern that cause internal exposure from inhalation of radon-contaminated air are Po-218, Po-214 and Po-210. In their alpha decay schemes, the yields of photon emissions are negligible. Unfortunately, Am-241, the source of alpha irradiator in RadBio Lab, emits photons at every alpha decay while transforming to Np-237 of long half-life. Employing Am-241 as the source simulating radon daughters, therefore, requires that photon emissions from Am-241 be specified in term of dose contribution. In this study, Monte Carlo calculations have been made to characterize dose contributions of Am-241 photon emissions. This study confirms that disturbance from Am-241 photon emissions of the cellular dose by Am-241 alpha emissions is negligible. Dose contamination fraction from photon emissions was 8.02 .. 10 -6 at 25 mm SSD at maximum. Also, note that LET in tissue-equivalent medium varies within about 20% for alpha particles at energies over 5 MeV

Alpha particle effects on MHD ballooning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

During the period, as the first step towards the goal of detail understanding of the effects of alpha particle on MHD Ballooning Modes, a new numerical approach to investigate the stability of low-frequency fluctuations in high temperature tokamaks was developed by solving the gyrokinetic equations for the ion and electron directly as an initial value problem. The advantage of this approach is the inclusion of many important kinetic features of the problem without approximations and computationally more economical than particle-pushing simulation. The ion-temperature-gradient-mode was investigated to benchmark this new simulation technique. Previous results in literature were recovered. Both the adiabatic electron model and the full drift-kinetic electron model are studied. Numerical result shows that the full drift-kinetic electron model is more unstable. The development of subcycling technique to handle the fast electron bounce time is particularly significant to apply this new approach to the alpha particle problem since alpha particle bounce frequency is also significantly higher than the mode frequency. This new numerical technique will be the basis of future study of the microstability in high temperature tokamaks with alpha particles (or any energetic species). 15 refs., 13 figs

Calibration and operation of continuous air monitors for alpha-emitting radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoover, M.D.; Newton, G.J.

1993-01-01

Spectrometer-based continuous air monitors have improved our capabilities for detecting aerosols of alpha-emitting radionuclides. This paper describes basic requirements and statistical limitations in the sensitivity of alpha continuous air monitors, and presents a technical basis for selecting the energy window for detection of uranium and plutonium aerosols, correcting for interference from airborne dust, selecting filters with low pressure drop and good front surface collection characteristics, and properly using electroplated calibration sources. Sensitivity limits are described for detecting uranium or plutonium aerosols in the presence of increased concentrations of naturally occurring, alpha-emitting radon progeny radionuclides. Decreasing the lower energy boundary of the detection window from 4.3 MeV to 2.7 MeV improves by a factor of three the detection of plutonium in the presence of dust, while causing minimal additional interference from ambient radon progeny. Selection of the Millipore Fluoropore teflon membrane filter reduces both pressure drop and interference from ambient radon progeny by up to a factor of two. Field collection of ambient radon progeny can be used to verify the proper energy of alpha emissions from electroplated calibration sources. In the absence of energy verification, errors in instrument calibration may result from solid state diffusion of the electroplated calibration radionuclide into the substrate plate

Alpha particle physics experiments in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zweben, S.J.; Budny, R.V.; Darrow, D.S.; Medley, S.S.; Nazikian, R.; Stratton, B.C.; Synakowski, E.J.; Taylor, G.

2000-01-01

Alpha particle physics experiments were done on TFTR during its DT run from 1993 to 1997. These experiments utilized several new alpha particle diagnostics and hundreds of DT discharges to characterize the alpha particle confinement and wave-particle interactions. In general, the results from the alpha particle diagnostics agreed with the classical single particle confinement model in MHD quiescent discharges. The alpha loss due to toroidal field ripple was identified in some cases, and the low radial diffusivity inferred for high energy alphas was consistent with orbit averaging over small scale turbulence. Finally, the observed alpha particle interactions with sawteeth, toroidal Alfven eigenmodes and ICRF waves were approximately consistent with theoretical modelling. What was learned is reviewed and what remains to be understood is identified. (author)

Thermonuclear Tokamak plasmas in the presence of fusion alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, D.; Hamnen, H.; Lisak, M.

1988-01-01

In this overview, we have focused on several results of the thermonuclear plasma research pertaining to the alpha particle physics and diagnostics in a fusion tokamak plasma. As regards the discussion of alpha particle effects, two distinct classes of phenomena have been distinguished: the simpler class containing phenomena exhibited by individual alpha particles under the influence of bulk plasma properties and, the more complex class including collective effects which become important for increasing alpha particle density. We have also discussed several possibilities to investigate alpha particle effects by simulation experiments using an equivalent population of highly energetic ions in the plasma. Generally, we find that the present theoretical knowledge on the role of fusion alpha particles in a fusion tokamak plasma is incomplete. There are still uncertainties and partial lack of quantitative results in this area. Consequently, further theoretical work and, as far a possible, simulation experiments are needed to improve the situation. Concerning the alpha particle diagnostics, the various diagnostic techniques and the status of their development have been discussed in two different contexts: the escaping alpha particles and the confined alpha particles in the fusion plasma. A general conclusion is that many of the different diagnostic methods for alpha particle measurements require further major development. (authors)

Metabolism and biological effects of alpha-emitting radionuclides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bair, W. J.

1979-05-01

The emphasis of much of the current and planned research on the toxicity of alpha-emitting radionuclides is directed toward the complexities of actual and potential conditions of occupational environmental exposures of human beings. These, as well as the more limited studies on mechanisms of biological transport and effects, should increase our ability to predict health risks more accurately and to deal more confidently with human exposures, if and when they occur.

Spatial distribution patterns of energy deposition and cellular radiation effects in lung tissue following simulated exposure to alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmann, W.; Crawford-Brown, D.J.

1990-01-01

Randomly oriented sections of rat tissue have been digitised to provide the contours of tissue-air interfaces and the locations of individual cell nuclei in the alveolated region of the lung. Sources of alpha particles with varying irradiation geometries and densities are simulated to compute the resulting random pattern of cellular irradiation, i.e. spatial coordinates, frequency, track length, and energy of traversals by the emitted alpha particles. Probabilities per unit track lengths, derived from experimental data on in vitro cellular inactivation and transformation, are then applied to the results of the alpha exposure simulations to yield an estimate of the number of both dead and viable transformed cells and their spatial distributions. If lung cancer risk is linearly related to the number of transformed cells, the carcinogenic risk for hot particles is always smaller than that for a uniform nuclide distribution of the same activity. (author)

Bulk GaN alpha-particle detector with large depletion region and improved energy resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qiang; Mulligan, Padhraic; Wang, Jinghui; Chuirazzi, William; Cao, Lei

2017-03-01

An alpha-particle detector was fabricated using a freestanding n-type bulk GaN wafer with a Au/Ni/GaN sandwich Schottky structure. Current-voltage measurements at room temperature revealed a Schottky contact with a leakage current of 7.53±0.3 nA at a reverse bias of 200 V. The detector had a large depletion depth that can capture much of the energy from 5.486 MeV alpha particles emitted from a 241Am source. The resolution of its alpha-particle energy spectrum was improved to 2.2±0.2% at 5.486 MeV under a bias of 550 V. This superior resolution was attributed to the shortening of the carrier transit time and the large energy deposition within the large depletion depth, i.e., 27 μm at -550 V, which all resulted in a more complete charge collection. A model developed using the ATLAS simulation framework from Silvaco Inc. was employed to study the charge collection process. The simulation results were found to agree closely with the experimental results. This detector will be beneficial for research at neutron scattering facilities, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, and the Large Hadron Collider, among other institutions, where the Si-based charged particle detectors could be quickly degraded in an intense radiation field.

Alpha particle radiography of small insects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chingshen Su

1993-01-01

Radiographies of ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches and small bugs have been done with a radioisotope 244 Cm alpha source. Energy of alpha particles was varied by attenuating the 5.81 MeV alpha particles with adjustable air spacings from the source to the sample. The LR-115 was used to register radiographs. The image of the insect registered on the LR-115 was etched out in a 2.5 N NaOH solution at 52 o C for certain minutes, depending on various irradiation conditions for the insects. For larger insects, a scanning device for the alpha particle irradiation has been fabricated to take the radiograph of whole body of the insect, and the scanning period can be selected to give desired irradiation dosage. A CCDTV camera system connected to a microscope interfaced to an IBM/AT computer is used to register the microscopic image of the radiograph and to print it out with a video copy processor. (Author)

Stochastic interaction between TAE and alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krlin, L.; Pavlo, P.; Malijevsky, I.

1996-01-01

The interaction of toroidicity-induced Alfven eigenmodes with thermonuclear alpha particles in the intrinsic stochasticity regime was investigated based on the numerical integration of the equation of motion of alpha particles in the tokamak. The first results obtained for the ITER parameters and moderate wave amplitudes indicate that the stochasticity is highest in the trapped/passing boundary region, where the alpha particles jump stochastically between the two regimes with an appreciable radial excursion (about 0.5 m amplitudes). A similar chaotic behavior was also found for substantially lower energies (about 350 keV). 7 figs., 15 refs

Control of alpha-particle transport by ion cyclotron resonance heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C.S.; Imre, K.; Weitzner, H.; Colestock, P.

1990-01-01

In this paper control of radial alpha-particle transport by using ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) waves is investigated in a large-aspect-ratio tokamak geometry. Spatially inhomogeneous ICRF wave energy with properly selected frequencies and wave numbers can induce fast convective transports of alpha particles at the speed of order v α ∼ (P RF /n α ε 0 )ρ p , where R RF is the ICRF wave power density, n α is the alpha-particle density, ε 0 is the alpha-particle birth energy, and ρ p is the poloidal gyroradius of alpha particles at the birth energy. Application to International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) plasma is studied and possible antenna designs to control alpha-particle flux are discussed

Electron Microscopy Study of Stainless Steel Radiation Damage Due to Long-Term Irradation by Alpha Particles Emitted From Plutonium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unlu, Kenan [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States); Rios-Martinez, Carlos [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States); Saglam, Mehmet [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States); Hart, Ron R. [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Shipp, John D. [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Rennie, John [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

1998-04-16

Radiation damage and associated surface and microstructural changes produced in stainless steel encapsulation by high-fluence alpha particle irradiations from weapons-grade plutonium of 316-stainless steel are being investigated.

CHARGE-EXCHANGE LIMITS ON LOW-ENERGY {alpha}-PARTICLE FLUXES IN SOLAR FLARES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hudson, H. S. [SSL, UC Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Fletcher, L.; MacKinnon, A. L. [School of Physics and Astronomy, SUPA, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Woods, T. N., E-mail: hhudson@ssl.berkeley.edu [Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, 1234 Innovation Dr., Boulder, CO 80303 (United States)

2012-06-20

This paper reports on a search for flare emission via charge-exchange radiation in the wings of the Ly{alpha} line of He II at 304 A, as originally suggested for hydrogen by Orrall and Zirker. Via this mechanism a primary {alpha} particle that penetrates into the neutral chromosphere can pick up an atomic electron and emit in the He II bound-bound spectrum before it stops. The Extreme-ultraviolet Variability Experiment on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory gives us our first chance to search for this effect systematically. The Orrall-Zirker mechanism has great importance for flare physics because of the essential roles that particle acceleration plays; this mechanism is one of the few proposed that would allow remote sensing of primary accelerated particles below a few MeV nucleon{sup -1}. We study 10 events in total, including the {gamma}-ray events SOL2010-06-12 (M2.0) and SOL2011-02-24 (M3.5) (the latter a limb flare), seven X-class flares, and one prominent M-class event that produced solar energetic particles. The absence of charge-exchange line wings may point to a need for more complete theoretical work. Some of the events do have broadband signatures, which could correspond to continua from other origins, but these do not have the spectral signatures expected from the Orrall-Zirker mechanism.

Quality assurance of alpha-particle dosimetry using peeled-off Gafchromic EBT3® film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, C.Y.P.; Chun, S.L.; Yu, K.N.

2016-01-01

A novel alpha-particle dosimetry technique using Gafchromic EBT3 film has recently been proposed for calibrating the activity of alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. In the present paper, we outlined four measures which could further help assure the quality of the method. First, we suggested an alternative method in fabricating the peeled-off EBT3 film. Films with a chosen size were cut from the original films and all the edges were sealed with silicone. These were immersed into deionized water for 19 d and the polyester covers of the EBT3 films could then be easily peeled off. The active layers in these peeled-off EBT3 films remained intact, and these films could be prepared reproducibly with ease. Second, we proposed a check on the integrity of the peeled-off film by comparing the responses of the pristine and peeled-off EBT3 films to the same X-ray irradiation. Third, we highlighted the importance of scanning directions of the films. The “landscape” and “portrait” scanning directions were defined as the scanning directions perpendicular and parallel to the long edge of the original EBT3 films, respectively. Our results showed that the responses were different for different scanning directions. As such, the same scanning direction should be used every time. Finally, we cautioned the need to confirm the uniformity of the alpha-particle source used for calibration. Radiochromic films are well known for their capability of providing two-dimensional dosimetric information. As such, EBT3 films could also be conveniently used to check the uniformity of the alpha-particle source. - Highlights: • Proposed method to fabricate peeled-off EBT3 films for alpha dosimetry. • Proposed integrity check of peeled-off EBT3 films using X-ray irradiation. • Highlighted importance of scanning directions of EBT3 films. • Cautioned the need for uniformity check on alpha-particle source.

Selective alpha-particle mediated depletion of tumor vasculature with vascular normalization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaspreet Singh Jaggi

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abnormal regulation of angiogenesis in tumors results in the formation of vessels that are necessary for tumor growth, but compromised in structure and function. Abnormal tumor vasculature impairs oxygen and drug delivery and results in radiotherapy and chemotherapy resistance, respectively. Alpha particles are extraordinarily potent, short-ranged radiations with geometry uniquely suitable for selectively killing neovasculature.Actinium-225 ((225Ac-E4G10, an alpha-emitting antibody construct reactive with the unengaged form of vascular endothelial cadherin, is capable of potent, selective killing of tumor neovascular endothelium and late endothelial progenitors in bone-marrow and blood. No specific normal-tissue uptake of E4G10 was seen by imaging or post-mortem biodistribution studies in mice. In a mouse-model of prostatic carcinoma, (225Ac-E4G10 treatment resulted in inhibition of tumor growth, lower serum prostate specific antigen level and markedly prolonged survival, which was further enhanced by subsequent administration of paclitaxel. Immunohistochemistry revealed lower vessel density and enhanced tumor cell apoptosis in (225Ac-E4G10 treated tumors. Additionally, the residual tumor vasculature appeared normalized as evident by enhanced pericyte coverage following (225Ac-E4G10 therapy. However, no toxicity was observed in vascularized normal organs following (225Ac-E4G10 therapy.The data suggest that alpha-particle immunotherapy to neovasculature, alone or in combination with sequential chemotherapy, is an effective approach to cancer therapy.

Alpha particle losses during sawtooth activity in Tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, D.; Lisak, M.

1988-01-01

The time evolution of the direct losses of fusion produced alpha particles in Tokamak plasmas characterized by sawtooth activity is investigated. The alpha particle loss rate during a sawtooth period is predicted to change invertedly with the change in bulk plasma parameters but also to contain a characteristic burst at the sawtooth crash. The spectrum of the lost alpha particles is also discussed. The predictions for the time evolution and the spectrum of the losses are in qualitative agreement with recently obtained losses of 15 MeV fusion produced protons in JET. (authors)

Measurements of. alpha. -emitting plutonium and americium in the intertidal sands of west Cumbria, UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eakins, J.D.; Morgan, A.; Baston, G.M.N.; Pratley, F.W.; Strange, L.P.; Burton, P.J. (UKAEA Harwell Lab. (UK). Environmental and Medical Science Div.)

1990-01-01

Samples of surface sand and sand cores were collected from intertidal regions of west Cumbria between Silloth and Walney Island (including the Duddon Estuary) between 1982 and 1984 and analysed for {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am. Generally, more than 95% of the {alpha}-emitting transuranic nuclides were associated with the sand and less than 5% with entrained silt. The greatest concentrations of both plutonium and americium were found at Braystones. Concentrations declined with distance from the Sellafield Works. The largest actinide deposits occurred at Drigg (320 and 720 kBq m{sup -2} of {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am respectively). The integrated deposits in intertidal sand between Silloth and Walney Island were about 4.2 and 7.0 TBq respectively, which represent about 1% of the total {alpha}-emitting activity discharged to sea from Sellafield Works up to 1982. The corresponding value for the Duddon Estuary is about 0.3%. Only on beaches close to Sellafield did levels of man-made {alpha}-emitters exceed those of natural {alpha}-emitting nuclides. The radiological consequences of the intertidal inventory of plutonium and americium are shown to be very small and much less than from the seafood pathway. (author).

Quality assurance of alpha-particle dosimetry using peeled-off Gafchromic EBT3® film

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, C. Y. P.; Chun, S. L.; Yu, K. N.

2016-08-01

A novel alpha-particle dosimetry technique using Gafchromic EBT3 film has recently been proposed for calibrating the activity of alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. In the present paper, we outlined four measures which could further help assure the quality of the method. First, we suggested an alternative method in fabricating the peeled-off EBT3 film. Films with a chosen size were cut from the original films and all the edges were sealed with silicone. These were immersed into deionized water for 19 d and the polyester covers of the EBT3 films could then be easily peeled off. The active layers in these peeled-off EBT3 films remained intact, and these films could be prepared reproducibly with ease. Second, we proposed a check on the integrity of the peeled-off film by comparing the responses of the pristine and peeled-off EBT3 films to the same X-ray irradiation. Third, we highlighted the importance of scanning directions of the films. The ;landscape; and ;portrait; scanning directions were defined as the scanning directions perpendicular and parallel to the long edge of the original EBT3 films, respectively. Our results showed that the responses were different for different scanning directions. As such, the same scanning direction should be used every time. Finally, we cautioned the need to confirm the uniformity of the alpha-particle source used for calibration. Radiochromic films are well known for their capability of providing two-dimensional dosimetric information. As such, EBT3 films could also be conveniently used to check the uniformity of the alpha-particle source.

Alternating current long range alpha particle detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacArthur, D.W.; McAtee, J.L.

1993-01-01

An alpha particle detector, utilizing alternating currents, which is capable of detecting alpha particles from distinct sources. The use of alternating currents allows use of simpler ac circuits which, in turn, are not susceptible to dc error components. It also allows the benefit of gas gain, if desired. In the invention, a voltage source creates an electric field between two conductive grids, and between the grids and a conductive enclosure. Air containing air ions created by collision with alpha particles is drawn into the enclosure and detected. In some embodiments, the air flow into the enclosure is interrupted, creating an alternating flow of ions. In another embodiment, a modulated voltage is applied to the grid, also modulating the detection of ions

Alpha-particle emission probabilities of ²³⁶U obtained by alpha spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Marouli, M; Pommé, S; Jobbágy, V; Van Ammel, R; Paepen, J; Stroh, H; Benedik, L

2014-05-01

High-resolution alpha-particle spectrometry was performed with an ion-implanted silicon detector in vacuum on a homogeneously electrodeposited (236)U source. The source was measured at different solid angles subtended by the detector, varying between 0.8% and 2.4% of 4π sr, to assess the influence of coincidental detection of alpha-particles and conversion electrons on the measured alpha-particle emission probabilities. Additional measurements were performed using a bending magnet to eliminate conversion electrons, the results of which coincide with normal measurements extrapolated to an infinitely small solid angle. The measured alpha emission probabilities for the three main peaks - 74.20 (5)%, 25.68 (5)% and 0.123 (5)%, respectively - are consistent with literature data, but their precision has been improved by at least one order of magnitude in this work. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Survival of alpha particle irradiated cells as a function of the shape and size of the sensitive volume (nucleus)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stinchcomb, T.G.; Roeske, J.C.

1995-01-01

Microdosimetry is the study of the stochastic variation of energy deposited within sub-cellular targets. As such, the size and shape of the critical target (i.e. cell nucleus) are essential when considering microdosimetric quantities. In this work, a microdosimetric analysis examines the expected cell survival as a function of the size and shape of the cell nucleus under conditions of irradiation emitting alpha particles. The results indicate that, in general, cell survival is relatively insensitive to changes in the shape of the cell nucleus when the volume is held constant. However, cell survival is a strong function of the variation in the size of the target. These results are useful when analysing the results of cell survival experiments for alpha particle emitters. (Author)

Analyses of human exposures to alpha-emitting radionuclides from nuclear fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuddihy, R.G.; McClellan, R.O.; Griffith, W.C.; Hoover, M.D.

1977-01-01

Human populations may potentially be exposed to alpha-emitting radionuclides released to the environment from a variety of activities associated with nuclear fuel cycles. Generally, the most important exposure pathway is by way of inhalation. This can occur soon after release of these substances or after they have been deposited on ground surfaces and resuspended with soil particles. Estimating the potential magnitude of these exposures is usually done through the use of mathematical models accounting for the dispersion of the released material through the environment and its uptake by people living near the nuclear facilities. Studies described in this paper suggest that these exposures can probably be estimated within a factor of 10 based upon our previous experience with measured human organ levels of other trace metals taken up from the environment. It should also be noted that variability among individuals within the population may result in a few percent accumulating more than 10 times the geometric mean of the internal organ radionuclide burdens

Local Control of Lung Derived Tumors by Diffusing Alpha-Emitting Atoms Released From Intratumoral Wires Loaded With Radium-224

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooks, Tomer; Schmidt, Michael; Bittan, Hadas; Lazarov, Elinor; Arazi, Lior; Kelson, Itzhak; Keisari, Yona

2009-01-01

Purpose: Diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy (DART) is a new form of brachytherapy enabling the treatment of solid tumors with alpha radiation. The present study examines the antitumoral effects resulting from the release of alpha emitting radioisotopes into solid lung carcinoma (LL2, A427, and NCI-H520). Methods and Materials: An in vitro setup tested the dose-dependent killing of tumor cells exposed to alpha particles. In in vivo studies, radioactive wires (0.3 mm diameter, 5 mm long) with 224 Ra activities in the range of 21-38 kBq were inserted into LL/2 tumors in C57BL/6 mice and into human-derived A427 or NCI-H520 tumors in athymic mice. The efficacy of the short-lived daughters of 224 Ra to produce tumor growth retardation and prolong life was assessed, and the spread of radioisotopes inside tumors was measured using autoradiography. Results: The insertion of a single DART wire into the center of 6- to 7-mm tumors had a pronounced retardation effect on tumor growth, leading to a significant inhibition of 49% (LL2) and 93% (A427) in tumor development and prolongations of 48% (LL2) in life expectancy. In the human model, more than 80% of the treated tumors disappeared or shrunk. Autoradiographic analysis of the treated sectioned tissue revealed the intratumoral distribution of the radioisotopes, and histological analysis showed corresponding areas of necrosis. In vitro experiments demonstrated a dose-dependent killing of tumors cells exposed to alpha particles. Conclusions: Short-lived diffusing alpha-emitters produced tumor growth retardation and increased survival in mice bearing lung tumor implants. These results justify further investigations with improved dose distributions.

Liquid scintillation counting techniques for the determination of some alpha emitting actinides: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirashi, N.N.; Chander, Keshav; Aggarwal, S.K.

2000-12-01

The present report is a review of the work on liquid scintillation counting techniques, for the determination of alpha emitting actinides like uranium, plutonium, americium etc; for the last three decades (1970-1999). It covers the progress that has taken place in conventional liquid scintillation counting employing various solvents, scintillators and extractants. There is gradual development in instrumentation from integral counting of alpha emitters to alpha liquid scintillation spectrometry to resolve and identify different alpha emitters. These advancements have led to Pulse Shape Analysis (PSA) and Photon Electron Rejecting Alpha Liquid Scintillation Spectrometry (PERALS) techniques for the determination of the alpha emitters in the presence of beta and gamma activity. These techniques allow the determination of actinides at very low levels which has increased their applications to almost all the fields of chemistry; be it biomedical, environmental, geological or process chemistry of nuclear fuels. The development of biphasic technique using various extractants to separate different elements and counting in presence of one another has been made possible. Inorganic scintillators have been recently developed which have the advantage of eliminating effects of quenching and presence of beta/gamma emitting actinides. This review will serve as a reference to those who want to carry out work in the field of determination of actinides using liquid scintillation counting techniques. (author)

Alpha particles spectrometer with photodiode PIN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chacon R, A.; Hernandez V, R.; Hernandez D, V. M.; Vega C, H. R.; Ramirez G, J.

2009-10-01

The radiation propagates in form of electromagnetic waves or corpuscular radiation; if the radiation energy causes ionization in environment that crosses it is considered ionizing radiation. To detect radiation several detectors types are used, if the radiation are alpha particles are used detectors proportional type or trace elements. In this work the design results, construction and tests of an alpha particles spectrometer are presented, which was designed starting from a photodiode PIN type. The system design was simulated with a code for electronic circuits. With results of simulation phase was constructed the electronic phase that is coupled to a multichannel analyzer. The resulting electronic is evaluated analyzing the electronic circuit performance before an alphas triple source and alpha radiation that produce two smoke detectors of domestic use. On the tests phase we find that the system allows obtain, in a multichannel, the pulses height spectrum, with which we calibrate the system. (Author)

Photon hormesis deactivates alpha-particle induced bystander effects between zebrafish embryos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, C.Y.P.; Cheng, S.H.; Yu, K.N.

2017-01-01

effects in previous studies, as neutron sources invariably emit neutrons with concomitant gamma-ray photons, which is often referred to as gamma-ray contamination. - Highlights: • Studied alpha-particle induced bystander effect (BE) between zebrafish embryos. • Observed deactivation of the BE through an additional X-ray dose >10 mGy. • Explained the deactivation in terms of photon hormesis. • Explained some previous non-observations of neutron-induced BE. • Reported first-ever observation of non-targeted multiple stressor effect.

Effect of alpha particles on Toroidal Alfven Eigenmodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berk, H.L.

1992-11-01

An overview is given of the analytic structure for the linear theory of the Toroidal Alfven Eigenmode (TAE), where multiple gap structures occur. A discussion is given of the alpha particle drive and the various dissipation mechanisms that can stabilize the system. A self-consistent calculation of the TAE mode, for a low-beta high-aspect-ratio plasma, indicates that though the alpha particle drive is comparable to the dissipation mechanisms, overall stability is still achieved for ignited ITER-like plasma. A brief discussion is given of the nonlinear theory for the TAE mode and how nonlinear alpha particle dynamics can be treated by mapping methods

Plasma flow driven by fusion-generated alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikuta, Kazunari.

1978-05-01

The confinement of fusion-generated alpha particles will affect the transports of the background plasma particles by the momentum transfer from the energetic alphas. The ions tend to migrate towards the center of plasma (i.e. fuel injection) and electrons towards the plasma periphery. This means the existence of a mechanism which enable to pump out the ashes in the fuel plasma because of the momentum conservation of whole plasma particles. (author)

Study on cytotoxicities induced by alpha particle irradiation combined with NNK treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ping; Yang Zhihua; Pan Xiujie; Cao Zhenshan; Mi Na; Chen Zhongmin; Liu Gang; Wei Han; Li Huiyin; Zhu Maoxiang

2006-01-01

Objective: To investigate cytotoxicities of alpha-particle irradiation combined with NNK treatment. Methods: Exponentially growing immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells were divided into normal control group (NC), alpha particle irradiation group (α), NNK administration group (NNK), NNK administration (100 μg/ml) followed by alpha particle irradiation group (NNK + α), and alphaparticle irradiation followed by NNK administration (100 μg/ml) group (α + NNK). Cell survival fractions were measured by cloning rate of low-density plating cell. Ethidium bromide and 2', 7'-dichlorofluorescein, fluorescent products of the membrane-permeable dyes hydroethine and 2', 7'-dichloroflurescindiacetate were used to monitor the inarticulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) . Damage to membrane permeability was evaluated through testing LDH activity in medium. Results: In the groups exposed to both alpha particles and NNK, the survival rates were significantly lower than that of the groups administrated with the same dose of alpha particles or NNK alone. The levels of intracellular ROS and the activity of LDH in medium were significantly higher than that of the groups administrated with the same dose of alpha particles or NNK alone. Subtracted the NNK effect, the survival rates of the groups received both alpha particle irradiation and NNK treatment were significantly lower than that of alpha particle irradiated only group. However, the intracellular ROS level and the activity of LDH in medium were significantly higher than that of alpha-particle irradiated only group. In addition, the survival rates of the cells in groups exposed to alpha particle irradiation followed by NNK administration were significantly lower than that of cells treated with NNK administration followed by alpha particle irradiation. Conclusions: Alpha particle irradiation and NNK administration had synergisticity in cytotoxicity, and furthermore different schedules of the administration resulted in

Preliminary Results of Nuclear Fluorescence Imaging of Alpha and Beta Emitting Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feener, Jessica S.; Charlton, William S.

2013-06-01

The preliminary results from a series of nuclear fluorescence imaging experiments using a variety of radioactive sources and shielding are given. These experiments were done as part of a proof of concept to determine if nuclear fluorescence imaging could be used as a safeguards measurements tool or for nuclear warhead verification for nuclear arms control treaties such as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty. An off-the-shelf Princeton Instruments charged coupled device camera system was used to image the emission of fluorescence photons from the de-excitation of nitrogen molecules in air that have been excited by ionizing radiation. The fluorescence emissions are primarily in the near ultraviolet range; between the wavelengths of 300 and 400 nm. Fluorescent imaging techniques are currently being investigated in a number of applications. A French research team has successfully demonstrated this concept for remote imaging of alpha contamination. It has also been shown that the phenomenon can be seen through translucent materials and that alpha radiation can be seen in the presence of large gamma backgrounds. Additionally, fluorescence telescopes and satellites utilize the de-excitation of nitrogen molecules to observe cosmic ray showers in the atmosphere. In cosmic ray shower detection, electrons are the main contributor to the excitation of the of nitrogen molecules in air. The experiments presented in this paper were designed to determine if the imaging system could observe beta emitting sources, differentiate between beta emitters and alpha emitting materials such as uranium oxide and uranium metal, and to further investigate the phenomenon through translucent and non-translucent materials. The initial results show that differentiation can be made between beta and alpha emitting sources and that the device can observe the phenomenon through very thin non-transparent material. Additionally, information is given on the

Performance comparison of scintillators for alpha particle detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morishita, Yuki [Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 1-1-20 Daiko-Minami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 461-8673 (Japan); Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Muramatsu 4-33, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki 319-1194 (Japan); Yamamoto, Seiichi [Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 1-1-20 Daiko-Minami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 461-8673 (Japan); Izaki, Kenji [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Muramatsu 4-33, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki 319-1194 (Japan); Kaneko, Junichi H.; Toui, Kohei; Tsubota, Youichi; Higuchi, Mikio [Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita 13, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628 (Japan)

2014-11-11

Scintillation detectors for alpha particles are often used in nuclear fuel facilities. Alpha particle detectors have also become important in the research field of radionuclide therapy using alpha emitters. ZnS(Ag) is the most often used scintillator for alpha particle detectors because its light output is high. However, the energy resolution of ZnS(Ag)-based scintillation detectors is poor because they are not transparent. A new ceramic sample, namely the cerium doped Gd{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7} (GPS) scintillator, has been tested as alpha particle detector and its performances have been compared to that one of three different scintillating materials: ZnS(Ag), GAGG and a standard plastic scintillator. The different scintillating materials have been coupled to two different photodetectors, namely a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and a Silicon Photo-multiplier (Si-PM): the performances of each detection system have been compared. Promising results as far as the energy resolution performances (10% with PMT and 14% with Si-PM) have been obtained in the case of GPS and GAGG samples. Considering the quantum efficiencies of the photodetectors under test and their relation to the emission wavelength of the different scintillators, the best results were achieved coupling the GPS with the PMT and the GAGG with the Si-PM.

A method to reproduce alpha-particle spectra measured with semiconductor detectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Timón, A Fernández; Vargas, M Jurado; Sánchez, A Martín

2010-01-01

A method is proposed to reproduce alpha-particle spectra measured with silicon detectors, combining analytical and computer simulation techniques. The procedure includes the use of the Monte Carlo method to simulate the tracks of alpha-particles within the source and in the detector entrance window. The alpha-particle spectrum is finally obtained by the convolution of this simulated distribution and the theoretical distributions representing the contributions of the alpha-particle spectrometer to the spectrum. Experimental spectra from (233)U and (241)Am sources were compared with the predictions given by the proposed procedure, showing good agreement. The proposed method can be an important aid for the analysis and deconvolution of complex alpha-particle spectra. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DISCOVERY OF AN H{alpha} EMITTING DISK AROUND THE SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE OF M31

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menezes, R. B.; Steiner, J. E.; Ricci, T. V., E-mail: robertobm@astro.iag.usp.br [Instituto de Astronomia Geofisica e Ciencias Atmosfericas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Rua do Matao 1226, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo, SP CEP 05508-090 (Brazil)

2013-01-10

Due to its proximity, the mass of the supermassive black hole in the nucleus of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the most massive black hole in the Local Group of galaxies, has been measured by several methods involving the kinematics of a stellar disk which surrounds it. We report here the discovery of an eccentric H{alpha} emitting disk around the black hole at the center of M31 and show how modeling this disk can provide an independent determination of the mass of the black hole. Our model implies a mass of 5.0{sup +0.8}{sub -1.0} Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7} M{sub Sun} for the central black hole, consistent with the average of determinations by methods involving stellar dynamics, and compatible (at 1{sigma} level) with measurements obtained from the most detailed models of the stellar disk around the central black hole. This value is also consistent with the M-{sigma} relation. In order to make a comparison, we applied our simulation on the stellar kinematics in the nucleus of M31 and concluded that the parameters obtained for the stellar disk are not formally compatible with the parameters obtained for the H{alpha} emitting disk. This result suggests that the stellar and the H{alpha} emitting disks are intrinsically different from each other. A plausible explanation is that the H{alpha} emission is associated with a gaseous disk. This hypothesis is supported by the detection of traces of weaker nebular lines in the nuclear region of M31. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the H{alpha} emission is, at least partially, generated by stars.

Absorption of lower hybrid waves by alpha particles in ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imbeaux, F.; Peysson, Y.; Eriksson, L.G.

2003-01-01

Absorption of lower hybrid (LH) waves by alpha particles may reduce significantly the current drive efficiency of the waves in a reactor or burning plasma experiment. This absorption is quantified for ITER using the ray-tracing+2D relativistic Fokker-Planck code Delphine. The absorption is calculated as a function of the superthermal alpha particle density, which is constant in these simulations, for two candidate frequencies for the LH system of ITER. Negligible absorption by alpha particles at 3.7 GHz requires n(alpha,supra) = 7.5 10 16 m -3 , while no significant impact on the driven current is found at 5 GHz, even if n(alpha,supra) = 1.5 10 18 m -3 . (authors)

Preliminary results of the alpha particle registration intercomparison ALRIT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paretzke, H.G.

1976-01-01

In view of the widespread interest in alpha particle registration with solid state nuclear track detectors, an international intercomparison of such measurements has been arranged. Sixteen sets of fourteen detectors each were sent to GSF-Neuherberg, there irradiated carefully with different alpha particle fields, and then returned for evaluation. Fourteen irradiation runs were made for each set simulating seven different irradiation situations commonly encountered in practical applications. The preliminary results of this intercomparison reported in this paper are based on the results of eight sets. They show good agreement with respect to the determination of track densities in the case of vertical incident alpha particles. Also the results obtained for determination of particle energies and angle of incidence in most cases were rather accurate. However, apparently it is still rather difficult to determine accurately and precisely the specific activity of alpha emitters on a thick filter positioned at some distance, i.e. for the case of 2π-incidence and a broad energy spectrum. (orig.) [de

Investigation of advanced materials for fusion alpha particle diagnostics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonheure, G., E-mail: g.bonheure@fz-juelich.de [Laboratory for Plasma Physics, Association “Euratom-Belgian State”, Royal Military Academy, Avenue de la Renaissance, 30 Kunstherlevinglaan, B-1000 Brussels (Belgium); Van Wassenhove, G. [Laboratory for Plasma Physics, Association “Euratom-Belgian State”, Royal Military Academy, Avenue de la Renaissance, 30 Kunstherlevinglaan, B-1000 Brussels (Belgium); Hult, M.; González de Orduña, R. [Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Retieseweg 111, B-2440 Geel (Belgium); Strivay, D. [Centre Européen d’Archéométrie, Institut de Physique Nucléaire, Atomique et de Spectroscopie, Université de Liège (Belgium); Vermaercke, P. [SCK-CEN, Boeretang, B-2400 Mol (Belgium); Delvigne, T. [DSI SPRL, 3 rue Mont d’Orcq, Froyennes B-7503 (Belgium); Chene, G.; Delhalle, R. [Centre Européen d’Archéométrie, Institut de Physique Nucléaire, Atomique et de Spectroscopie, Université de Liège (Belgium); Huber, A.; Schweer, B.; Esser, G.; Biel, W.; Neubauer, O. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Plasmaphysik, EURATOM-Assoziation, Trilateral Euregio Cluster, D-52425 Jülich (Germany)

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► We examine the feasibility of alpha particle measurements in ITER. ► We test advanced material detectors borrowed from the GERDA neutrino experiment. ► We compare experimental results on TEXTOR tokamak with our detector response model. ► We investigate the detector response in ITER full power D–T plasmas. ► Advanced materials show good signal to noise ratio and alpha particle selectivity. -- Abstract: Fusion alpha particle diagnostics for ITER remain a challenging task. Standard escaping alpha particle detectors in present tokamaks are not applicable to ITER and techniques suitable for fusion reactor conditions need further research and development [1,2]. The activation technique is widely used for the characterization of high fluence rates inside neutron reactors. Tokamak applications of the neutron activation technique are already well developed [3] whereas measuring escaping ions using this technique is a novel fusion plasma diagnostic development. Despite low alpha particle fluence levels in present tokamaks, promising results using activation technique combined with ultra-low level gamma-ray spectrometry [4] were achieved before in JET [5,6]. In this research work, we use new advanced detector materials. The material properties beneficial for alpha induced activation are (i) moderate neutron cross-sections (ii) ultra-high purity which reduces neutron-induced background activation and (iii) isotopic tailoring which increases the activation yield of the measured activation product. Two samples were obtained from GERDA[7], an experiment aimed at measuring the neutrinoless double beta decay in {sup 76}Ge. These samples, made of highly pure (9 N) germanium highly enriched to 87% in isotope Ge-76, were irradiated in real D–D fusion plasma conditions inside the TEXTOR tokamak. Comparison of the calculated and the experimentally measured activity shows good agreement. Compared to previously investigated high temperature ceramic material [8

Characterization of Makrofol ® DE 1-1 for alpha particle radiography

Science.gov (United States)

El Ghazaly, M.; Aydarous, Abdulkadir; Al-Thomali, Talal A.

2017-09-01

Makrofol ® DE 1-1 (bisphenol-A polycarbonate) was investigated for alpha particle radiography. The edge spread function (ESF) was measured by razor-blade's edge. Makrofol ® DE 1-1 detectors were irradiated with perpendicular incident alpha particles of energy 2.5, 4 and 5.4 MeV, thereafter they were etched in 75% 6N KOH+25% C2H5OH at a temperature of 50 °C for different durations. The etched Makrofol®DE 1-1 detectors were imaged with an optical microscope equipped with a CCD camera. The results revealed that the green channel of the original RGB image provides the highest contrast comparing with red and blue channel by a factor of 27.6% of the original RGB image. The image contrast of alpha particle-irradiated Makrofol®DE 1-1 detector was found to be inversely related to the etching time since the alpha particle tracks proceed from a conical phase to spherical phase. The spatial resolution of alpha particle-irradiated Makrofol®DE 1-1 detector, in terms of line spread function, was found to deteriorate as the etching time increases for all examined alpha particle energies. The results revealed the potential capability of Makrofol®DE 1-1 detector as an efficient detector for alpha particle radiography such as autoradiography.

Control of alpha particle transport by spatially inhomogeneous ion cyclotron resonance heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C.S.; Imre, K.; Weitzner, H.; Colestock, P.

1990-02-01

Control of the radial alpha particle transport by using Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency waves is investigated in a large-aspect-ratio tokamak geometry. It is shown that spatially inhomogeneous ICRF-wave energy with properly selected frequencies and wave numbers can induce fast convective transport of alpha particles at the speed of order υ alpha ∼ (P RF /n α ε 0 ) ρ p , where P RF is the ICRF-wave power density, n α is the alpha density, ε 0 is the alpha birth energy, and ρ p is the poloidal gyroradius of alpha particles at the birth energy. Application to ITER plasmas is studied and possible antenna designs to control alpha particle flux are discussed. 8 refs., 3 figs

Recent developments for field monitoring of alpha-emitting contaminants in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlquist, A.J.; Umbarger, C.J.; Stoker, A.K.

1978-01-01

The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory has adapted two field methods to assess rapidly locations and concentrations of alpha-emitting contaminants in soil. (1) A ZnS scintillator is used for gross-alpha measurements on soil samples. Sample preparation and the calibration and detection limits of the system are discussed, and results of gross-alpha analysis are compared with results of a 239 Pu radiochemistry analysis. (2) A Phoswich detector is used as a field survey instrument because it can detect lower levels of radioactivity than the FIDLER probe. The electronics are carried in a truck and the probe is connected by an umbilical cord. The system electronics are calibrated with an energy window of 12-40 keV which allows detection of Pu, Am, Th (using daughter L X-rays of the alpha-emitters) and 137 Cs (using its daughter 32 keV X-rays). The bremsstrahlung from 90 Sr can also be detected. (author)

Alpha particle spectra in coincidence with normal and superdeformed states in {sup 150}Tb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viesti, G.; Lunardon, M.; Bazzacco, D. [dell`Universita, Padova (Italy)]|[INFN, Padova (Italy)] [and others

1996-12-31

The study of correlations between particle evaporation from highly excited compound nuclei at large angular momenta and the states in the final evaporation residues (ER) is a field of investigation which has been opened, in the last years, with the advent of the new large {gamma}-ray arrays. It is now possible to correlate the evaporation spectra to various bands with shapes ranging from spherical to superdeformed (SD) in the same final nucleus. It is generally accepted that the particle evaporation from the compound nucleus is chaotic and that only in the near-yrast {gamma} cascade, where the feeding of different classes of states takes place, the ordered motion is restored. The sensitivity of the particle spectra on the feeding of specific states in the residual nuclei can be taken as an indication that additional degrees of freedom might be important in the evaporation process or that particular regions of the phase space open to the decay populate preferentially some selected structures in the final cold nucleus. This latter point is important for the understanding of the feeding mechanism of SD states. Several experiments performed so far did not find a clear dependence of the shapes of the particle spectra on the excited states having different deformations in the ER. For example, the proton spectra in coincidence with transitions in the SD bands of {sup 133}Nd and {sup 152}Dy nuclei were found to be similar to those in coincidence with transitions in the normal deformed (ND) bands. Alpha particles have been proposed since long as a sensitive probe of the deformation of the emitting nucleus. Results are presented here of an experiment in which the authors have measured the energy spectra of alpha particles associated with different classes of states (ND and SD) in the {sup 150}Tb nucleus populated in the reaction {sup 37}Cl({sup 120}Sn, {alpha}3n{gamma}){sup 150}Tb.

Development of optical monitor of alpha radiations based on CR-39.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshirao, Pranav M; Shin, Jae Won; Vyas, Chirag K; Kulkarni, Atul D; Kim, Hojoong; Kim, Taesung; Hong, Seung-Woo; Manchanda, Vijay K

2013-11-01

Fukushima accident has highlighted the need to intensify efforts to develop sensitive detectors to monitor the release of alpha emitting radionuclides in the environment caused by the meltdown of the discharged spent fuel. Conventionally, proportional counting, scintillation counting and alpha spectrometry are employed to assay the alpha emitting radionuclides but these techniques are difficult to be configured for online operations. Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs) offer an alternative off line sensitive technique to measure alpha emitters as well as fissile radionuclides at ultra-trace level in the environment. Recently, our group has reported the first ever attempt to use reflectance based fiber optic sensor (FOS) to quantify the alpha radiations emitted from (232)Th. In the present work, an effort has been made to develop an online FOS to monitor alpha radiations emitted from (241)Am source employing CR-39 as detector. Here, we report the optical response of CR-39 (on exposure to alpha radiations) employing techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Reflectance Spectroscopy. In the present work GEANT4 simulation of transport of alpha particles in the detector has also been carried out. Simulation includes validation test wherein the projected ranges of alpha particles in the air, polystyrene and CR-39 were calculated and were found to agree with the literature values. An attempt has been further made to compute the fluence as a function of the incidence angle and incidence energy of alphas. There was an excellent correlation in experimentally observed track density with the simulated fluence. The present work offers a novel approach to design an online CR-39 based fiber optic sensor (CRFOS) to measure the release of nanogram quantity of (241)Am in the environment. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ITER alpha particle diagnostics using knock-on ion tails

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, R.K.; Parks, P.B.; McChesney, J.M.

1995-09-01

Alpha particles will play a critical role in the physics and successful operation of ITER. Achieving fusion ignition requires that the α particles created by deuterium-tritium (D-T) reactions deposit a large fraction of their energy in the reacting plasma before they are lost. Toroidal field ripple can localize any alpha particle losses and cause first wall damage. We have proposed a new method of measuring the fast confined α-particle distribution in a reacting plasma. The same elastic collisions that transfer the alpha energy to the D-T plasma ions and allow fusion ignition will also create a high energy tail on the deuterium and tritium ion energy distributions. Some of these energetic tail ions will undergo fusion reactions with the background plasma producing neutrons whose energy is increased significantly above 14 MeV due to the kinetic energy of the reacting ions. Measurement of this high energy tail on the D-T neutron distribution as a function of plasma minor radius would provide information on the alpha density profile with a time response equal to the ion slowing-down time. Although this technique may provide only limited information on the α-particle energy distribution, experimental studies of fast ions on existing tokamaks have shown that the observed slowing-down is essentially classical. Hence the α-energy distribution is expected to be classical except in situations where the α-confinement is poor. The confinement of α's can be affected by ripple losses and a number of instabilities. Toroidal field ripple can cause both prompt orbit losses and stochastic ripple diffusion losses. Magnetohydrodynamic activity, including fishbone instabilities, toroidal Alfven eigenmodes, and sawtooth oscillations, may also affect alpha confinement. The diagnostic proposed here, by monitoring the confined alpha population, can provide valuable information on the confinement of fast alphas in a reacting plasma

Quasi-linear absorption of lower hybrid waves by fusion generated alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbato, E.; Santini, F.

1991-01-01

Lower hybrid waves are expected to be used in a steady state reactor to produce current and to control the current profile and the stability of internal modes. In the ignition phase, however, the presence of energetic alpha particles may prevent wave-electron interaction, thus reducing the current drive efficiency. This is due to the very high birth energy of the alpha particles that may absorb much of the lower hybrid wave power. This unfavourable effect is absent at high frequencies (∼ 8 GHz for typical reactor parameters). Nevertheless, because of the technical difficulties involved in using such high frequencies, it is very important to investigate whether power absorption by alpha particles would be negligible also at relatively low frequencies. Such a study has been carried out on the basis of the quasi-linear theory of wave-alpha particle interaction, since the distortion of the alpha distribution function may enhance the radiofrequency absorption above the linear level. New effects have been found, such as local alpha concentration and acceleration. The model for alpha particles is coupled with a 1-D deposition code for lower hybrid waves to calculate the competition in the power absorption between alphas and electrons as the waves propagate into the plasma core for typical reactor (ITER) parameters. It is shown that at a frequency as low as 5 GHz, power absorption by alpha particles is negligible for conventional plasma conditions and realistic alpha particle concentrations. In more ''pessimistic'' and severe conditions, negligible absorption occurs at 6 GHz. (author). 19 refs, 11 figs, 2 tabs

Advantages of using gyrotron scattering for alpha particle diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woskoboinikow, P.P.; Cohn, D.R.; Machuzak, J.S.; Myer, R.C.; Rhee, R.Y.

1987-07-01

Millimeter-wave gyrotron collective Thomson scattering can be an effective diagnostic technique for the study of alpha particle behavior in ignited plasmas. The measurement of alpha particle density, velocity distribution, and alpha particle induced plasma instabilities can be accomplished with both spatial and temporal resolution. Advantages include long pulse operation which can make possible very high signal to noise ratios and use of millimeter waves which maximizes the Doppler shifted scattered signal in WHz -1 and makes possible scattering angles up to 180 0 . Extraordinary mode scattering at approximately 60 and 200 GHz would be used in TFTR and CIT respectively, and 140 GHz ordinary mode scattering in JET. 8 refs., 1 fig

TCAD simulation for alpha-particle spectroscopy using SIC Schottky diode.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Achintya; Duttagupta, Siddhartha P

2015-12-01

There is a growing requirement of alpha spectroscopy in the fields context of environmental radioactive contamination, nuclear waste management, site decommissioning and decontamination. Although silicon-based alpha-particle detection technology is mature, high leakage current, low displacement threshold and radiation hardness limits the operation of the detector in harsh environments. Silicon carbide (SiC) is considered to be excellent material for radiation detection application due to its high band gap, high displacement threshold and high thermal conductivity. In this report, an alpha-particle-induced electron-hole pair generation model for a reverse-biased n-type SiC Schottky diode has been proposed and verified using technology computer aided design (TCAD) simulations. First, the forward-biased I-V characteristics were studied to determine the diode ideality factor and compared with published experimental data. The ideality factor was found to be in the range of 1.4-1.7 for a corresponding temperature range of 300-500 K. Next, the energy-dependent, alpha-particle-induced EHP generation model parameters were optimised using transport of ions in matter (TRIM) simulation. Finally, the transient pulses generated due to alpha-particle bombardment were analysed for (1) different diode temperatures (300-500 K), (2) different incident alpha-particle energies (1-5 MeV), (3) different reverse bias voltages of the 4H-SiC-based Schottky diode (-50 to -250 V) and (4) different angles of incidence of the alpha particle (0°-70°).The above model can be extended to other (wide band-gap semiconductor) device technologies useful for radiation-sensing application. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The interaction of fast alpha particles with pellet ablation clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McChesney, J.M.; Parks, P.B.; Fisher, R.K.; Olson, R.E.

1997-01-01

The energy spectra of energetic confined alpha particles are being measured using the pellet charge exchange method [R. K. Fisher, J. S. Leffler, A. M. Howald, and P. B. Parks, Fusion Technol. 13, 536 (1988)]. The technique uses the dense ablation cloud surrounding an injected impurity pellet to neutralize a fraction of the incident alpha particles, allowing them to escape from the plasma where their energy spectrum can be measured using a neutral particle analyzer. The signal calculations given in the above-mentioned reference disregarded the effects of the alpha particles' helical Larmor orbits, which causes the alphas to make multiple passes through the cloud. Other effects such as electron ionization by plasma and ablation cloud electrons and the effect of the charge state composition of the cloud, were also neglected. This report considers these issues, reformulates the signal level calculation, and uses a Monte-Carlo approach to calculate the neutralization fractions. The possible effects of energy loss and pitch angle scattering of the alphas are also considered. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Double differential cross-sections of (n,{alpha}) reactions in aluminium and nickel at 14.77 MeV neutrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lalremruata, B.; Dhole, S.D. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune-411007 (India); Ganesan, S. [Reactor Physics Design Division, BARC, Mumbai-400085 (India); Bhoraskar, V.N. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune-411007 (India)], E-mail: vnb@physics.unipune.ernet.in

2009-04-15

The double differential cross-sections (DDX) for the emission of alpha particles from {sup 27}Al(n,{alpha}){sup 24}Na and Ni(n,{alpha}) reactions induced by 14.77 MeV neutrons were estimated from the alpha particle spectra recorded at 30 deg., 50 deg., 90 deg., 110 deg. angles for aluminium, and at 20 deg., 45 deg., 90 deg., 110 deg. for natural nickel. The results indicate that the alpha particles below and around the most probable energies ({approx}6.3 MeV from aluminium and {approx}8 MeV from natural nickel) are emitted predominantly through the compound nucleus formation process, and the higher energy alpha particles are emitted through the pre-equilibrium or the direct reaction. In general, the measured double-differential cross-sections are in agreement with the theoretical cross-sections estimated using Talys-1.0 and Preco2007 computer programs. The present value of the level density parameter for {sup 24}Na is close to the literature value and, therefore, these results reveal consistency in the alpha particle spectra recorded with a single silicon surface barrier detector at different scattering angles.

Computer simulation of backscattered alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, A. Martin; Bland, C.J.; Timon, A. Fernandez

2000-01-01

Alpha-particle spectrometry forms an important aspect of radionuclide metrology. Accurate measurements require corrections to be made for factors such as self-absorption within the source and backscattering from the backing material. The theory of the latter phenomenon has only received limited attention. Furthermore the experimental verification of these theoretical results requires adequate counting statistics for a variety of sources with different activities. These problems could be resolved by computer simulations of the various interactions which occur as alpha-particles move through different materials. The pioneering work of Ziegler and his coworkers over several years, has provided the sophisticated software (SRIM) which has enabled us to obtain the results presented here. These results are compared with theoretical and experimental values obtained previously

Localization of alpha emitters by damage production in a thin film. Application to the study of alpha emitter diffusion in irradiated samples; Localisation des emetteurs alpha par creation de dommages dans un film mince. Application a l'etude de la diffusion des emetteurs alpha dans des echantillons irradies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Houdaille, B; Perrot, M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, 91 - Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1968-07-01

The process of recording {alpha} particles on cellulose nitrate films, called alpha-graphy, is applied to the study of the diffusion of {alpha}-emitting elements in irradiated alloys. The existence of diffusion is shown by attacking the film with concentrated caustic soda after exposition. The insensitivity of the recorder to {beta} {gamma} radiation emitted by the sample after passing in the reactor makes it possible to operate with long exposure times and to detect small diffusions. The concentration-penetration curves are drawn up after carrying out a densitometric analysis of the alpha-graphies. - As the cellulose nitrate is affected only by {alpha} particles of energies of between 0.5 and 4 MeV, it was first necessary to determine the yield of the recorder for {alpha} particles emitted by a thick source, i.e. whose energy varies between 0 and E{sub 0}, E{sub 0} being the energy of the alpha emitter. - The concentration C of the {alpha}-emitter, as a function of the optical density D of the alpha-graphy, and of the exposure time t is given by a simple relationship: C = D/at where a is an experimental constant determined by calibration. It depends on the nature of the cellulose nitrate, of the {alpha}-emitting element and of the alloy studied. (authors) [French] Le procede d'enregistrement des particules alpha sur film de nitrate de cellulose, ou alphagraphie, est applique a l'etude de la diffusion d'elements emetteurs alpha dans des alliages irradies. La diffusion est mise en evidence par une attaque du film de nitrate, apres exposition, dans de la soude concentree. L'insensibilite de l'enregistreur au rayonnement {beta} {gamma}, emis par l'echantillon apres son sejour en pile, permet d'operer sur de longs temps de pose et de detecter des diffusions faibles. Les courbes concentration - penetration sont etablies par exploitation densitometrique des alphagraphies. - Comme le nitrate de cellulose n'est impressionne que par des particules alpha dont l'energie est

A history of nuclear transmutations by natural alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leone, Matteo

2005-01-01

A systematic account of the use of alpha particles up to the 1930s for promoting the disintegration of atoms is here provided. As will be shown, a number of different radium family alpha sources were used in the experiments that led to the discoveries of the proton (Rutherford E 1919 Phil. Mag. 37 581-7) and neutron (Chadwick J 1932 Nature 129 312). The reasons leading to the employment of a particular alpha particle source, as well as the relationship between these sources and the available methods of recording, will be closely addressed

Resonant acceleration of alpha particles by ion cyclotron waves in the solar wind

Science.gov (United States)

Gomberoff, L.; Elgueta, R.

1991-06-01

Preferential acceleration of alpha particles interacting with left-hand polarized ion cyclotron waves is studied. It is shown that a small positive drift velocity between alpha particles and protons can lead to alpha particle velocities well in excess of the proton bulk velocity. During the acceleration process, which is assumed to take place at heliocentric distances less than 0.3 AU, the alpha particle drift velocity should exceed the proton bulk velocity, and then the gap which exists around the alpha particle gyrofrequency should disappear. It is also shown that for proton thermal anisotropies of the order of those observed in fast solar wind, the waves either grow or are not damped excessively, so that the waves can exist and might thus lead to the observed differential speeds. However, the way in which the alpha particles exceed the proton velocity remains unexplained.

Fano factor evaluation of diamond detectors for alpha particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimaoka, Takehiro; Kaneko, Junichi H.; Tsubota, Masakatsu; Shimmyo, Hiroaki [Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita 13, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628 (Japan); Sato, Yuki [Naraha Remote Technology Development Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naraha-machi, Futaba-gun, Fukushima, 979-0513 (Japan); Chayahara, Akiyoshi; Umezawa, Hitoshi; Mokuno, Yoshiaki [Advanced Power Electronics Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-8-31 Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka, 563-8577 (Japan); Watanabe, Hideyuki [Research Institute for Electronics and Photonics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, 305-8565 (Japan)

2016-10-15

This report is the first describing experimental evaluation of Fano factor for diamond detectors. High-quality self-standing chemical vapor deposited diamond samples were produced using lift-off method. Alpha-particle induced charge measurements were taken for three samples. A 13.1 ±0.07 eV of the average electron-hole pair creation energy and excellent energy resolution of approximately 0.3% were found for 5.486 MeV alpha particles from an {sup 241}Am radioactive source. The best Fano factor for 5.486 MeV alpha particles, calculated from experimentally obtained epsilon values and the detector intrinsic energy resolution, was 0.382 ± 0.007. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Influence of alpha-particles on parameters of plasma confined in open traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chebotaev, P.Z.

1987-01-01

The numerical calculations of the longitudinal motion in multi-mirror reactor have shown that the energy contribution of α-particles has substantial influence on the gain factor (the given off thermonuclear energy/ the initial imparted energy) in the temperature region 5-7 keV. The numerical technique has been developed that takes into account the radial distribution of alpha particles caused by their drag on electrons. This effect is substantial for ρ α /R ≥ 1/2 (where ρ α is alpha particles gyro radius, R is plasma radius), e.g. for Gas-Dinamic trap. In a Tandem-Mirror reactor some part of fusion alpha particles have the probability to slow down to the plasma energy, that can lead to the 'poisoning' of the reactor by the thermonuclear reaction products. The fusion alpha particles can have a strong effect on accumulation of impurities with z ≤ 15 and thermal alpha particles in TMR. (orig.)

Registration of alpha particles in Makrofol-E nuclear track detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rammah, Y.S. [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koom (Egypt); Abdalla, Ayman M., E-mail: aymanabdalla62@hotmail.com [Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Najran University, P. O. Box. 11001, Najran (Saudi Arabia); Promising Centre for Sensors and Electronic Devices, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Najran University (Saudi Arabia); Ashraf, O., E-mail: osama.ashraf@edu.asu.edu.eg [Physics Department, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11575 (Egypt); Ashry, A.H. [Physics Department, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11575 (Egypt)

2016-06-15

Highlights: • Makrofol-E detectors have been irradiated with alpha particles and fission fragments. • Fast detection of alpha particles in Makrofol-E detectors. • Bulk etching rate was calculated from fission track diameters. - Abstract: Fast detection of alpha particles in the range from 1 to 5 MeV in Makrofol-E polycarbonate nuclear track detectors (PCTDs) using a new chemical etchant was investigated. {sup 252}Cf and {sup 241}Am-thin open sources were used for irradiating Makrofol-E detectors with fission fragments and alpha particles in air at normal pressure and temperature (NPT). A chain of experimental work has been carried out using new etchants to register alpha particle in short time in Makrofol-E polycarbonate detectors. The etching efficiency were exhibited a clear dependence on the amount of methanol in the etching solution and etching time. The optimized chemical condition obtained at this stage of development for 200 μm Makrofol-E detectors are (8 ml of 10 N NaOH + 2 ml CH{sub 3}OH) etching solutions at 60 °C for 3 h. In this study; it is possible to observe energy detection windows for Makrofol-E detectors according to applied etching duration. Makrofol-E introduced the characteristic Bragg peak, which indicates the advantages of this detector as alpha spectrometer. Consequently, the suggested new etchant can be developed for heavy ions detection and monitoring radon levels and its daughters.

Study on cellular genotoxicities induced by alpha particles irradiation in combination with NNK treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ping; Yang Zhihua; Pan Xiujie; Cao Zhenshan; Mi Na; Chen Zhongmin; Liu Gang; Wei Han; Li Huiying; Zhu Maoxiang

2006-01-01

Objective: To investigate cellular genotoxicities of aplha particles irradiation in combination with NNK treatment. Methods: Exponentially growing immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells were divided into the normal control group (NC), alpha particles irradiation (α), NNK administration group (NNK), NNK administration (100 μg/ml) followed by alpha particles irradiation group (NNK + α), and alpha particles irradiation followed by NNK administration (100 μg/ml) group (μ + NNK). DNA damage were detected by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE); multinuclear cell assay was used to detect the frequency of the HPRT gene mutation; cell micronucleus frequency were detected by cytogenetic methods. Results: In the group exposed to both alpha particles irradiation and NNK, DNA damage, HPRT gene mutation frequency, and cell micronucleus frequency were significantly higher than those in the same dose groups irradiated with alpha particles or NNK administration alone. Subtracted the NNK effect, DNA damage, HPRT gene mutation frequency and cell micronucleus frequency in the group irradiated by alpha particles in combination with NNK administration were significantly higher than those of alpha particles irradiation alone. Conclusion: The genotoxicity of alpha particles irradiation in combination with NNK administration had synergistic effect. (authors)

Current generation by alpha particles interacting with lower hybrid waves in TOKAMAKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belikov, V.S.; Kolesnichenko, Ya.I.; Lisak, M.; Anderson, D.

1990-01-01

The problem of the influence of fusion generated alpha particles on lower-hybrid-wave current drive is examined. Analysis is based on a new equation for the LH-wave-fast ion interaction which is derived by taking into consideration the non-zero value of the longitudinal wave number. The steady-state velocity distribution function for high energy alpha particles is found. The alpha current driven by LH-waves as well as the RF-power absorbed by alpha particle are calculated. (authors)

Alpha particle analysis using PEARLS spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKlveen, J.W.; Klingler, G.W.; McDowell, W.J.; Case, G.N.

1984-01-01

Alpha particle assay by conventional plate-counting methods is difficult because chemical separation, tracer techniques, and/or self-absorption losses in the final sample may cause either non-reproducible results or create unacceptable errors. PEARLS (Photon-Electron Rejecting Alpha Liquid Scintillation) Spectrometry is an attractive alternative since radionuclides may be extracted into a scintillator in which there would be no self-absorption or geometry problems and in which up to 100% chemical recovery and counting efficiency is possible. Sample preparation may include extraction of the alpha emitter of interest by a specific organic-phase-soluble compound directly into the liquid scintillator. Detection electronics use energy and pulse-shape discrimination to provide discrete alpha spectra and virtual absence of beta and gamma backgrounds. Backgrounds on the order of 0.01 cpm are readily achievable. Accuracy and reproducibility are typically in the 100 +-1% range. Specific procedures have been developed for gross alpha, uranium, plutonium, thorium, and polonium assay. This paper will review liquid scintillation alpha counting methods and reference some of the specific applications. 8 refs., 1 fig

Anomalous loss of DT alpha particles in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrmann, Hans W. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

1997-09-01

An escaping alpha collector probe has been developed for TFTR`s DT phase. Energy distributions of escaping alphas have been determined by measuring the range of α-particles implanted into nickel foils located within the alpha collector. Results at 1.0 MA of plasma current are in good agreement with predictions for first orbit alpha loss. Results at 1.8 MA, however, show a significant anomalous loss of partially thermalized alphas (in addition to the expected first orbit loss), which is not observed with the lost alpha scintillator detectors in DT plasmas, but does resemble the anomalous delayed loss seen in DD plasmas. None of the candidate explanations proposed thus far are fully consistent with the anomalous loss observations. An experiment designed to study the effect of plasma major radius shifts on α-particle loss has led to a better understanding of α-particle dynamics in tokamaks. Intuitively, one might suppose that confined marginally passing α-particles forced to move toward higher magnetic field during an inward major radius shift (i.e., compression) would mirror and become trapped particles, leading to increased alpha loss. Such an effect was looked for during the shift experiment, however, no significant changes in alpha loss to the 90° lost alpha scintillator detector were observed during the shifts. It is calculated that the energy gained by an α-particle during the inward shift is sufficient to explain this result. However, an unexpected loss of partially thermalized α-particles near the passing/trapped boundary was observed to occur between inward and outward shifts at an intermediate value of plasma current (1.4 MA). This anomalous loss feature is not yet understood.

Measurements of geomagnetically trapped alpha particles, 1968-1970. I - Quiet time distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Krimigis, S. M.; Verzariu, P.

1973-01-01

Results of observations of geomagnetically trapped alpha particles over the energy range from 1.18 to 8 MeV performed with the aid of the Injun 5 polar-orbiting satellite during the period from September 1968 to May 1970. Following a presentation of a time history covering this entire period, a detailed analysis is made of the magnetically quiet period from Feb. 11 to 28, 1970. During this period the alpha particle fluxes and the intensity ratio of alpha particles to protons attained their lowest values in approximately 20 months; the alpha particle intensity versus L profile was most similar to the proton profile at the same energy per nucleon interval; the intensity ratio was nearly constant as a function of L in the same energy per nucleon representation, but rose sharply with L when computed in the same total energy interval; the variation of alpha particle intensity with B suggested a steep angular distribution at small equatorial pitch angles, while the intensity ratio showed little dependence on B; and the alpha particle spectral parameter showed a markedly different dependence on L from the equivalent one for protons.

Applications of alpha particles detectors made of nitrocellulose film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segovia, N.; Salinas, B.; Pineda, H.

1978-01-01

We describe the experiments realized in order to probe the response of the alpha particles detectors manufactured in our laboratory and their suitability to some important applications. The detection system is a nitrocellulose film which register the transit of the charged particles. The traces left by the particles during their transit are manifested through a controlled chemical attack and counted after that with a microscope. This monitor system was utilized in the following applications: 1) uranium prospection 2) alpha autoradiography 4) determination of air pollution by alpha emitters. The results which were obtained are satisfactory and in spite that in these first applications only qualitative measurements were made the method could be used for quantitative determinations when we will have a better knowledge of the effect of factors which are not under our control. (author)

A CMOS integrated pulse mode alpha-particle counter for application in radon monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, A.; Walkey, D.J.; Tarr, N.G.

1997-01-01

A custom integrated circuit for detecting alpha particles for application in the monitoring of radon has been designed and tested. The design uses the reverse-biased well to a substrate capacitance of a p-n junction in a conventional CMOS process as a sense capacitor for incident alpha particles. A simple CMOS inverter is used as an analog amplifier to detect the small potential change induced by an alpha-particle strike on the sense capacitor. The design was implemented in a 1.2-microm conventional CMOS process with a sense capacitor area of 110 microm 2 . Tests carried out under vacuum conditions using a calibrated 241 Am alpha-particle source showed an output voltage swing of ≥2.0 V for an alpha event. The detector is also shown to have good immunity to noise and high-quantum efficiency for alpha particles

Geometric effects in alpha particle detection from distributed air sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil, L.R.; Leitao, R.M.S.; Marques, A.; Rivera, A.

1994-08-01

Geometric effects associated to detection of alpha particles from distributed air sources, as it happens in Radon and Thoron measurements, are revisited. The volume outside which no alpha particle may reach the entrance window of the detector is defined and determined analytically for rectangular and cylindrical symmetry geometries. (author). 3 figs

Influence of Magnolol on the bystander effect induced by alpha-particle irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, T.P.W.; Law, Y.L. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong); Tse, A.K.W.; Fong, W.F. [Research and Development Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong); Yu, K.N. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong)], E-mail: peter.yu@cityu.edu.hk

2010-04-15

In this work, the influence of Magnolol on the bystander effect in alpha-particle irradiated Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was examined. The bystander effect was studied through medium transfer experiments. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay was performed to quantify the chromosome damage induced by alpha-particle irradiation. Our results showed that the alpha-particle induced micronuclei (MN) frequencies were suppressed with the presence of Magnolol.

Alpha-emitting nuclides in the marine environment

Science.gov (United States)

Pentreath, R. J.

1984-06-01

The occurrence of alpha-emitting nuclides and their daughter products in the marine environment continues to be a subject of study for many reasons. Those nuclides which occur naturally, in the uranium, thorium and actinium series, are of interest because of their value in determining the rates of geological and geochemical processes in the oceans. Studies of them address such problems as the determination of rates of transfer of particulate matter, deposition rates, bioturbation rates, and so on. Two of the natural alpha-series nuclides in which a different interest has been expressed are 210Po and 226Ra, because their concentrations in marine organisms are such that they contribute to a significant fraction of the background dose rates sustained both by the organisms themselves and by consumers of marine fish and shellfish. To this pool of naturally-occurring nuclides, human activities have added the transuranium nuclides, both from the atmospheric testing of nuclear devices and from the authorized discharges of radioactive wastes into coastal waters and the deep sea. Studies have therefore been made to understand the chemistry of these radionuclides in sea water, their association with sedimentary materials, and their accumulation by marine organisms, the last of these being of particular interest because the transuranics are essentially "novel" elements to the marine fauna and flora. The need to predict the long-term behaviour of these nuclides has, in turn, stimulated research on those naturally-occurring nuclides which may behave in a similar manner.

Alpha-particle radiobiological experiments using thin CR-39 detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K. F.; Siu, S. Y. M.; McClella, K. E.; Tse, A. K. W.; Lau, B. M. F.; Nikezic, D.; Richardson, B. J.; Lam, P. K. S.; Fong, W. F.; Yu, K. N.

2006-01-01

The present paper studied the feasibility of applying comet assay to evaluate the DNA damage in individual HeLa cervix cancer cells after alpha-particle irradiation. We prepared thin CR-39 detectors (<20 μm) as cell-culture substrates, with UV irradiation to shorten the track formation time. After irradiation of the HeLa cells by alpha particles, the tracks on the underside of the CR-39 detector were developed by chemical etching in (while floating on) a 14 N KOH solution at 37 deg. C. Comet assay was then applied. Diffusion of DNA out of the cells could be generally observed from the images of stained DNA. The alpha-particle tracks corresponding to the comets developed on the underside of the CR-39 detectors could also be observed by just changing the focal plane of the confocal microscope. (authors)

Structural and fractal properties of particles emitted from spark ignition engines.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakrabarty, Rajan K; Moosmüller, Hans; Arnott, W Patrick; Garro, Mark A; Walker, John

2006-11-01

Size, morphology, and microstructure of particles emitted from one light-duty passenger vehicle (Buick Century; model year 1990; PM (particulate matter) mass emission rate 3.1 mg/km) and two light-duty trucks (Chevrolet C2; model year 1973; PM mass emission rate 282 mg/km, and Chevrolet El Camino; model year 1976; PM mass emission rate 31 mg/km), running California's unified driving cycles (UDC) on a chassis dynamometer, were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images yielded particle properties including three-dimensional density fractal dimensions, monomer and agglomerate number size distributions, and three different shape descriptors, namely aspect ratio, root form factor, and roundness. The density fractal dimension of the particles was between 1.7 and 1.78, while the number size distribution of the particles placed the majority of the particles in the accumulation mode (0.1-0.3 microm). The shape descriptors were found to decrease with increasing particle size. Partial melting of particles, a rare and previously unreported phenomenon, was observed upon exposure of particles emitted during phase 2 of the UDC to the low accelerating voltage electron beam of the SEM. The rate of melting was quantified for individual particles, establishing a near linear relationship between the melting rate and the organic carbon 1 to elemental carbon ratio.

Penetration of HEPA filters by alpha recoil aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowell, W.J.; Seeley, F.G.; Ryan, M.T.

1976-01-01

The self-scattering of alpha-active substances has long been recognized and is attributed to expulsion of aggregates of atoms from the surface of alpha-active materials by alpha emission recoil energy, and perhaps to further propulsion of these aggregates by subsequent alpha recoils. Workers at the University of Lowell recently predicted that this phenomenon might affect the retention of alpha-active particulate matter by HEPA filters, and found support in experiments with 212 Pb. Tests at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have confirmed that alpha-emitting particulate matter does penetrate high-efficiency filter media, such as that used in HEPA filters, much more effectively than do non-radioactive or beta-gamma active aerosols. Filter retention efficiencies drastically lower than the 99.9 percent quoted for ordinary particulate matter were observed with 212 Pb, 253 Es, and 238 Pu sources, indicating that the phenomenon is common to all of these and probably to all alpha-emitting materials of appropriate half-life. Results with controlled air-flow through filters in series are consistent with the picture of small particles dislodged from the ''massive'' surface of an alpha-active material, and then repeatedly dislodged from positions on the filter fibers by subsequent alpha recoils. The process shows only a small dependence on the physical form of the source material. Oxide dust, nitrate salt, and plated metal all seem to generate the recoil particles effectively. The amount penetrating a series of filters depends on the total amount of activity in the source material, its specific activity, and the length of time of air flow

Measurements of DT alpha particle loss near the outer midplane of TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zweben, S.J.; Darrow, D.S.; Herrmann, H.W.; Redi, M.H.; Schivell, J.; White, R.B.

1995-07-01

Measurements of DT alpha particle loss to the outer midplane region of TFTR have been made using a radially movable scintillator detector. The conclusion from this data is that mechanisms determining the DT alpha loss to the outer midplane are not substantially different from those for DD fusion products. Some of these results are compared with a simplified theoretical model for TF ripple-induced alpha loss, which is expected to be the dominant classical alpha loss mechanism near the outer midplane. An example of plasma-driven MHD-induced alpha particle loss is shown, but no signs of any ''collective'' alpha instability-induced alpha loss have yet been observed

Radiation quality and effective dose equivalent of alpha particles from radon decay products indoors: uncertainties in risk estimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Affan, I.A. (Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff (United Kingdom))

1994-01-01

In order to make a better estimate of cancer risk due to radon the radiation quality of alpha particles emitted from the element and its daughters has been re-assessed. In particular, uncertainties in all components involved in the calculations of the effective dose E, have been investigated. This has been done in the light of the recent draft report of the ICRU on quantities and units for use in radiation protection (Allisy et al (1991) ICRU NEWS 2). On the assumption of an indoor radon concentration of 30 Bq.m[sup -3], microdose spectra have been calculated for alpha particles hitting lung cells at different depths. Then the mean quality factor Q-bar in the lung, dose equivalent H[sub T] to the lung and the effective dose have been calculated. A comparison between lung cancer risk from radon and that arising from diagnostic X rays to the chest is made. A suggestion to make the lung weighting factor w[sub T] a function of the fraction of lung cells hit is discussed. (Author).

Alpha emitters activity measurement using the defined solid angle method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchis, P.

1983-01-01

The defined solid angle counting method can reach a very high accuracy, specially for heavy ions as alpha particles emitted by a radioactive source. The activity measurement of such sources with a relative uncertainty of the order of 0.01% is investigated. Such an accuracy is available only under suitable conditions: the radiation emitted by the source must be isotropic and all the particles emitted in the effective solid angle must be detected. The efficiency detection value must be equal to unity and phenomena such as absorption or scattering must be null. It is shown that corrections often become necessary. All parameters which can influence the measurements are studied [fr

Laboratory system for alpha particle spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, J.R.; Chiu, N.W.

1987-03-01

An automated alpha particle spectroscopy system has beeen designed and fabricated. It consists of two major components, the automatic sample changer and the controller/data acquisition unit. It is capable of unattended analysis of ten samples for up to 65,000 seconds per sample

New measurements of W-values for protons and alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giesen, U.; Beck, J.

2014-01-01

The increasing importance of ion beams in cancer therapy and the lack of experimental data for W-values for protons and heavy ions in air require new measurements. A new experimental set-up was developed at PTB and consistent measurements of W-values in argon, nitrogen and air for protons and alpha particles with energies from 0.7 to 3.5 MeV u -1 at PTB, and for carbon ions between 3.6 and 7.0 MeV u -1 at GSI were carried out. This publication concentrates on the measurements with protons and alpha particles at PTB. The experimental methods and the determination of corrections for recombination effects, beam-induced background radiation and additional effects are presented. W-values in argon, nitrogen and air were measured for protons with energies of 1-3 MeV and for alpha particles with energies of 2.7-14 MeV. The energies of the primary particle beam were corrected for energy losses in the gold and Mylar foils, as well as for the kinematic energy loss due to scattering by 45 deg.. Beam-induced radiation backgrounds as well as recombination effects were determined and corrected for. The present results are summarised in Figure 2 for all three gases. The solid lines through the data points for each gas indicate an average W-value for that gas. The higher values for 2.7-MeV alpha particles agree with the trend in previous data towards lower energies. They are excluded from the averages. The relative standard uncertainties of the individual data points range from 1.3 to 3 %. The weighted averages over all energies are W(Ar) = 25.7 eV, W(N 2 ) = 35.6 eV and W(Air) = 34.2 eV. The averages serve as a first comparison and the lines on the plot are to guide the eye and are not meant to imply constant W-values for all energies and particles. The W-values for protons and alpha particles in argon and nitrogen have smaller uncertainties and are lower than the suggested values, but they are still in agreement within the uncertainties. For alpha particles with energies of 12

Four-body problem for four bound alpha particles in 16O

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osman, A.

1980-02-01

The alpha cluster model is used in considering the 16 O nucleus as a bound state of four alpha particles. This problem is represented by integral equations which are exact effective two-particle equations. These equations have the form of two-particle Lippmann-Schwinger equations. The separable expressions are used in approximating the scattering amplitudes in the separable potential model to include also few and small non-separable rest parts of the interactions. The integral equations obtained are manageable and suitable for computations. Numerical calculations are carried out for the 16 O nucleus, with the structure of four bound alpha particles. The obtained binding energy of 16 O with that structure is 16.86 MeV which is in good agreement with the experimental value. (author)

Techniques for measuring the alpha-particle distribution in magnetically confined plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, D.E.; Mikkelsen, D.R.; Hulse, R.A.; Stewart, L.D.; Weisheit, J.C.

1979-10-01

Methods are proposed for measuring the alpha-particle distribution in magnetically confined fusion plasmas using neutral-atom doping beams, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and neutral particle detectors. In the first method single charge exchange reactions, A 0 + He ++ - > A + (He + )*, are used to populate the n=2 and n=3 levels of He + . The ultraviolet photons from the decaying excited states are Doppler shifted by 5 to 10 Angstroms from those produced by the thermalized alpha-particle ash. In the second method double charge exchange reactions, A 0 + He ++ - > A ++ + He 0 , enable fast neutralized alpha-particles to escape from the plasma and be detected by neutral particle analysers. Detector configurations are analyzed, count rates are estimated and their detectability is discussed. A preliminary analysis of the feasibility of the required neutral beams is presented, and exploratory experiments on existing devices are suggested

The role of alpha particles in magnetically confined fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisak, M.; Wilhelmsson, H.

1986-01-01

Recent progress in the confinement of hot plasmas in magnetic fusion experiments throughout the world has intensified interest and research in the physics of D-T burning plasmas especially in the wide range of unresolved theoretical as well as experimental questions associated with the role of alpha particles in such devices. In order to review the state-of-the- art in this field, and to identify new issues and problems for further research, the Symposium on the Role of Alpha Particles in Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasmas was held from 24 to 26 June 1986 at Aspenaesgaarden near Goeteborg, Sweden. About 25 leading experts from nine countries attended the Symposium and gave invited talks. The major part of the programme was devoted to alpha-particle effects in tokamaks but some aspects of open systems were also discussed. The possibilities of obtaining ignition in JET and TFTR as well as physics issues for the compact ignition experiments were considered in particular. A special session was devoted to the diagnostics of alpha particles and other fusion products. In this report are summarised some of the highlights of the symposium. (authors)

Health effect of exposure to internally deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwata, Shiro

1989-01-01

The health effect of exposure on human population to internally deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides and their decay products has been considered as most hazardous radiation effect. However, the harmful late effects by the intake of radioactive nuclides are not definite in the epidemiological and clinical viewpoint. Only two cases, radium and thorium, have since long been noted for their deletrious effects to man. As the former, it has been first reported that dial workers in USA using 226 Ra can suffer from 'radiumjaw' which is a cancer of the bone of jaws. Another radium isotope, 224 Ra, was used for a medical reason as therapy against turberculosis of bone to German children during the years 1946∼1950, and has given rise to bone cancer. As the latter, Thorotrast (the commercial name of a colloidal thorium dioxide preparation), introduced for angiography in 1929 and utilized until about 1950, was found to cause malignant hepatic tumors, liver cirrhosis and blood diseases such as some kinds of leukemia and anemia. In Japan, the former cases have seldom found though, the latter cases are assumed over 1000. Especially, Thorotrast administered war-wounded ex-servicemen in World War II have been beyond 300 persons. The epidemiological and clinico-pathological studies have been demonstrated by the research Group on Biological Effect of Thorium in Special Project Research on Energy, Japan, as a fundamental study of the safe treatment of nuclear fuel materials. The resultant data of the study and risk evaluation of liver cancer for Japanese Thorotrast administered patients are reviewed related to that of another alpha-emitting radionuclides. (author)

Low geometry counter for the absolute measurement of the activity of alpha-emitting sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Torano, E.; Acena, M.L.

1989-01-01

A low-geometry counter is described which allows the absolute determination of the activity for alpha-emitting sources. A Si implanted detector is used to obtain the spectrum of the sample. Two samples are measured with this counter and a 2 π gridded ion chamber. The results an their uncertainties for both instruments are discussed. (Author)

Alpha-emitting nuclides in commercial fish species caught in the vicinity of Windscale, United Kingdom, and their radiological significance to man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pentreath, R.J.; Lovett, M.B.; Harvey, B.R.; Ibbett, R.D.

1979-01-01

The concentrations of a number of alpha-emitting nuclides have been determined in the tissues of several commercial fish species caught in the vicinity of the fuel reprocessing plant at Windscale. All tissues analysed were found to contain 238 Pu, sup(239+240)Pu and 241 Am, but 242 Cm and 244 Cm could only be reliably detected in the liver samples of some fish. Fish of the same species, but taken from the North Sea, have also been analysed for some naturally occurring alpha-emitting nuclides. Whereas uranium ( 238 U) and thorium ( 232 Th) could be detected in bone samples of fish, neither could be reliably detected in samples of muscle: in contrast, 210 Po was readily detected in samples of liver, muscle and bone. Commercial fish fillets from the Irish Sea, including the Windscale area, are also routinely monitored for alpha-emitting nuclides, and their radiological significance to man is briefly discussed. Comments are also made on the significance of the naturally occurring nuclides. (author)

Comparison of bone tumors induced by beta-emitting or alpha-emitting radionuclides: Schemes of pathogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillett, N.A.; Muggenburg, B.A.; Pool, R.R.; Hahn, F.F.

1988-01-01

Life-span studies in Beagle dogs have documented the occurrence of bone tumors following exposure to bone-seeking alpha- or beta-emitting radionuclides administered by different routes of exposure. Bone tumors from dogs in four different life-span studies were analyzed according to tumor phenotype, tumor location, radiographic appearance, incidence of metastasis, and association with radiation osteodystrophy. Marked differences in these parameters were observed that did not correlate with differences in radionuclide type, route of exposure, or duration of radionuclide uptake. Radiation osteodystrophy, which is postulated to be a preneoplastic lesion, was not a significant component in one of the studies. Analysis of the data from these four studies suggests that at least two different mechanisms of bone tumor pathogenesis occur for radiation-induced bone tumors. (author)

Superparamagnetic relaxation in alpha-Fe particles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, Franz; Mørup, Steen; Pedersen, Michael Stanley

1998-01-01

The superparamagnetic relaxation time of carbon-supported alpha-Fe particles with an average size of 3.0 Mm has been studied over a large temperature range by the use of Mossbauer spectroscopy combined with AC and DC magnetization measurements. It is found that the relaxation time varies...

Quantitative autoradiography of alpha particle emission in geo-materials using the Beaver™ system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sardini, Paul; Angileri, Axel; Descostes, Michael; Duval, Samuel; Oger, Tugdual; Patrier, Patricia; Rividi, Nicolas; Siitari-Kauppi, Marja; Toubon, Hervé; Donnard, Jérôme

2016-01-01

In rocks or artificial geo-materials, radioactive isotopes emitting alpha particles are dispersed according to the mineralogy. At hand specimen scale, the achievement of quantitative chemical mapping of these isotopes takes on a specific importance. Knowledge of the distribution of the uranium and thorium series radionuclides is of prime interest to several disciplines, from the geochemistry of uranium deposits, to the dispersion of uranium mill tailings in the biosphere. The disequilibrium of these disintegration chains is also commonly used for dating. However, some prime importance isotopes, such as 226 Ra, are complicated to localize in geo-materials. Because of its high specific activity, 226 Ra is found in very low concentrations (~ppq), preventing its accurate localization in rock forming minerals. This paper formulates a quantitative answer to the following question: at hand specimen scale, how can alpha emitters in geo-materials be mapped quantitatively? In this study, we tested a new digital autoradiographic method (called the Beaver™) based on a Micro Patterned Gaseous Detector (MPGD) in order to quantitatively map alpha emission at the centimeter scale rock section. Firstly, for two thin sections containing U-bearing minerals at secular equilibrium, we compared the experimental and theoretical alpha count rates, measured by the Beaver™ and calculated from the uranium content, respectively. We found that they are very similar. Secondly, for a set of eight homemade standards made up of a mixture of inactive sand and low-radioactivity mud, we compared the count rates obtained by the Beaver™ and by an alpha spectrometer. The results indicate (i) a linearity between both count rates, and (ii) that the count obtained by the Beaver™ can be estimated from the count obtained by the alpha spectrometry using a factor of 0.82.

Quantitative autoradiography of alpha particle emission in geo-materials using the Beaver™ system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sardini, Paul; Angileri, Axel [IC2MP Equipe HydrASA, 6 Rue Michel Brunet, B35, TSA 51106 Poitiers Cedex 9 (France); Descostes, Michael [AREVA Mines, R& D Department, Paris (France); Duval, Samuel; Oger, Tugdual [AI4R SAS, Nantes (France); Patrier, Patricia [IC2MP Equipe HydrASA, 6 Rue Michel Brunet, B35, TSA 51106 Poitiers Cedex 9 (France); Rividi, Nicolas [Service Camparis, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris (France); Siitari-Kauppi, Marja [Radiochemistry Laboratory, University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland); Toubon, Hervé [AREVA Mines, R& D Department, Paris (France); Donnard, Jérôme [AI4R SAS, Nantes (France)

2016-10-11

In rocks or artificial geo-materials, radioactive isotopes emitting alpha particles are dispersed according to the mineralogy. At hand specimen scale, the achievement of quantitative chemical mapping of these isotopes takes on a specific importance. Knowledge of the distribution of the uranium and thorium series radionuclides is of prime interest to several disciplines, from the geochemistry of uranium deposits, to the dispersion of uranium mill tailings in the biosphere. The disequilibrium of these disintegration chains is also commonly used for dating. However, some prime importance isotopes, such as {sup 226}Ra, are complicated to localize in geo-materials. Because of its high specific activity, {sup 226}Ra is found in very low concentrations (~ppq), preventing its accurate localization in rock forming minerals. This paper formulates a quantitative answer to the following question: at hand specimen scale, how can alpha emitters in geo-materials be mapped quantitatively? In this study, we tested a new digital autoradiographic method (called the Beaver™) based on a Micro Patterned Gaseous Detector (MPGD) in order to quantitatively map alpha emission at the centimeter scale rock section. Firstly, for two thin sections containing U-bearing minerals at secular equilibrium, we compared the experimental and theoretical alpha count rates, measured by the Beaver™ and calculated from the uranium content, respectively. We found that they are very similar. Secondly, for a set of eight homemade standards made up of a mixture of inactive sand and low-radioactivity mud, we compared the count rates obtained by the Beaver™ and by an alpha spectrometer. The results indicate (i) a linearity between both count rates, and (ii) that the count obtained by the Beaver™ can be estimated from the count obtained by the alpha spectrometry using a factor of 0.82.

Phase I Final Report: Ultra-Low Background Alpha Activity Counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warburton, W.K.

2005-01-01

In certain important physics experiments that search for rare-events, such as neutrino or double beta decay detections, it is critical to minimize the number of background events that arise from alpha particle emitted by the natural radioactivity in the materials used to construct the experiment. Similarly, the natural radioactivity in materials used to connect and package silicon microcircuits must also be minimized in order to eliminate ''soft errors'' caused by alpha particles depositing charges within the microcircuits and thereby changing their logic states. For these, and related reasons in the areas of environmental cleanup and nuclear materials tracking, there is a need that is important from commercial, scientific, and national security perspectives to develop an ultra-low background alpha counter that would be capable of measuring materials' alpha particle emissivity at rates well below 0.00001 alpha/cm 2 /hour. This rate, which corresponds to 24 alpha particles per square meter per day, is essentially impossible to achieve with existing commercial instruments because the natural radioactivity of the materials used to construct even the best of these counters produces background rates at the 0.005 alpha/cm 2 /hr level. Our company (XIA) had previously developed an instrument that uses electronic background suppression to operate at the 0.0005 0.005 alpha/cm 2 /hr level. This patented technology sets up an electric field between a large planar sample and a large planar anode, and fills the gap with pure Nitrogen. An alpha particle entering the chamber ionizes the Nitrogen, producing a ''track'' of electrons, which drift to the anode in the electric field. Tracks close to the anode take less than 10 microseconds (us) to be collected, giving a preamplifier signal with a 10 us risetime. Tracks from the sample have to drift across the full anode-sample gap and produce a 35 us risetime signal. By analyzing the preamplifier signals with a digital signal

Averaged currents induced by alpha particles in an InSb compound semiconductor detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanno, Ikuo; Hishiki, Shigeomi; Kogetsu, Yoshitaka; Nakamura, Tatsuya; Katagiri, Masaki

2008-01-01

Very fast pulses due to alpha particle incidence were observed by an undoped-type InSb Schottky detector. This InSb detector was operated without applying bias voltage and its depletion layer thickness was less than the range of alpha particles. The averaged current induced by alpha particles was analyzed as a function of operating temperature and was shown to be proportional to the Hall mobility of InSb. (author)

Combined effects of alpha particles and depleted uranium on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, Candy Y.P.; Pereira, Sandrine; Cheng, Shuk Han; Adam-Guillermin, Christelle; Garnier-Laplace, Jacqueline; Yu, Kwan Ngok

2016-01-01

The combined effects of low-dose or high-dose alpha particles and depleted uranium (DU) in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were studied. Three schemes were examined—(i) [I L U L ]: 0.44 mGy alpha-particle dose + 10 µg/l DU exposure, (ii) [I H U H ]: 4.4 mGy alpha-particle dose + 100 µg/l DU exposure and (iii) [I H U L ]: 4.4 mGy alpha-particle dose + 10 µg/l DU exposure—in which Zebrafish embryos were irradiated with alpha particles at 5 h post fertilization (hpf) and/or exposed to uranium at 5–6 hpf. The results were also compared with our previous work, which studied the effects of [I L U H ]: 0.44 mGy alpha-particle dose + 100 µg/l DU exposure. When the Zebrafish embryos developed to 24 hpf, the apoptotic signals in the entire embryos, used as the biological endpoint for this study, were quantified. Our results showed that [I L U L ] and [I H U L ] led to antagonistic effects, whereas [I H U H ] led to an additive effect. The effect found for the previously studied case of [I L U H ] was difficult to define because it was synergistic with reference to the 100 µg/l DU exposure, but it was antagonistic with reference to the 0.44 mGy alpha-particle dose. All the findings regarding the four different schemes showed that the combined effects critically depended on the dose response to each individual stressor. We also qualitatively explained these findings in terms of promotion of early death of cells predisposed to spontaneous transformation by alpha particles, interacting with the delay in cell death resulting from various concentrations of DU exposure

Simple preparation of thin CR-39 detectors for alpha-particle radiobiological experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.F.; Lau, B.M.F.; Nikezic, D.; Tse, A.K.W.; Fong, W.F.; Yu, K.N.

2007-01-01

Alpha-particle radiobiological experiments involve irradiating cells with alpha particles and require accurate positions where the alpha particles hit the cells. In the present work, we prepared thin CR-39 detectors from commercially available CR-39 SSNTDs with a thickness of 100 μm by etching them in 1 N NaOH/ethanol at 40 deg. C to below 20 μm. The desired final thickness was achieved within ∼8 h. Such etching conditions can provide relatively small roughness of the detector as revealed by atomic force microscope, and thus provide transparent detectors for radiobiological experiments. UV radiation was employed to shorten track formation time on these thin CR-39 detectors. After exposure to UV light (UVA + B radiation) for 2-3 h with doses from 259 to 389 W/cm 2 , 5 MeV alpha-particle tracks can be seen to develop on these CR-39 detectors clearly under the optical microscope within 2 h in 14 N KOH at 37 deg. C. As an example for practical use, custom-made petri dishes, with a hole drilled at the bottom and covered with a thin CR-39 detector, were used for culturing HeLa cells. The feasibility of using these thin CR-39 detectors is demonstrated by taking photographs of the cells and alpha-particle tracks together under the optical microscope, which can allow the hit positions on the cells by the alpha particles to be determined accurately

Feasibility studies of colorless LR 115 SSNTD for alpha-particle radiobiological experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.F.; Tse, A.K.W.; Fong, W.F.; Yu, K.N.

2006-01-01

The feasibility of using the active layer of the colorless LR 115 SSNTD for alpha-particle radiobiological experiments was studied. The track revelation time on the bottom side (the side attached to the polyester base) was much longer than that on the top side (the side not attached to the polyester base) of the active layer so track formation on the top side was more desirable. In relation to this, culture of HeLa cells on the bottom side of the active layer was found feasible although the cultured cell number was relatively smaller. The feasibility of using this SSNTD for alpha-particle radiobiological experiments was demonstrated by culturing cells on the bottom side while performing alpha-particle irradiation and chemical etching on the top side, and by taking photographs of the cells and alpha-particle tracks together under the optical microscope

CANDIDATES OF H{alpha} EMITTING REGIONS IN THE MAGELLANIC STREAM IV CLOUD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yagi, Masafumi; Komiyama, Yutaka [Optical and Infrared Astronomy Division, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Yoshida, Michitoshi, E-mail: YAGI.Masafumi@nao.ac.jp [Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan)

2012-04-10

From H{alpha} narrowband observations, we identified three H{alpha} emitting regions in the direction of Magellanic Stream IV (MS IV). They consist of three parallel filaments of 2 arcmin width and 6-30 arcmin length at 12 arcmin intervals. Their mean surface brightness (SB) is {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -18} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2} arcsec{sup -2}. Because of their low SB, the regions were not detected in previous H{alpha} surveys. In the H I map, the position of the filaments overlap MS, suggesting that they are parts of the MS, but there also exists a local H I structure. If the filaments are associated with the MS, the sizes are 30 pc Multiplication-Sign 100-500 pc. The filaments lie at the leading edge of a downstream cloud, which supports shock heating and its propagation (shock cascade) model for the ionizing source. If they are local objects, on the other hand, Fossil Stroemgren Trails of more than two stars is a possible interpretation, and the sizes would be 0.1 pc Multiplication-Sign 0.3-1.5 pc at 180 pc distance. The positional information of the H{alpha} filaments presented in this Letter enables future spectroscopic observations to clarify their nature.

Modeling of MeV alpha particle energy transfer to lower hybrid waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schivell, J.; Monticello, D.A.; Fisch, N.; Rax, J.M.

1993-10-01

The interaction between a lower hybrid wave and a fusion alpha particle displaces the alpha particle simultaneously in space and energy. This results in coupled diffusion. Diffusion of alphas down the density gradient could lead to their transferring energy to the wave. This could, in turn, put energy into current drive. An initial analytic study was done by Fisch and Rax. Here the authors calculate numerical solutions for the alpha energy transfer and study a range of conditions that are favorable for wave amplification from alpha energy. They find that it is possible for fusion alpha particles to transfer a large fraction of their energy to the lower hybrid wave. The numerical calculation shows that the net energy transfer is not sensitive to the value of the diffusion coefficient over a wide range of practical values. An extension of this idea, the use of a lossy boundary to enhance the energy transfer, is investigated. This technique is shown to offer a large potential benefit

The role of marine zooplankton in the vertical oceanic transport of alpha-emitting nuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherry, R.D.; Heyraud, M.; Higgo, J.J.W.; Fowler, S.W.; LaRosa, J.

1976-01-01

This project aims at studying, in quantitative detail, the role played by marine plankton in the vertical oceanic transport of alpha-emitting nuclides. The common Mediterranean euphausiid, Meganyotiphanes norvegica, for which the necessary quantitative biological data are available as a result of previous work in the Monaco Laboratory, has been selected as the typical macrozooplanktonic species which is the focus of this work

Radiobiological Effects of Alpha-Particles from Astatine-211: From DNA Damage to Cell Death

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Claesson, Kristina

2011-05-15

In recent years, the use of high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation for radiotherapeutic applications has gained increased interest. Astatine-211 (211At) is an alpha-particle emitting radionuclide, promising for targeted radioimmunotherapy of isolated tumor cells and microscopic clusters. To improve development of safe radiotherapy using 211At it is important to increase our knowledge of the radiobiological effects in cells. During radiotherapy, both tumors and adjacent normal tissue will be irradiated and therefore, it is of importance to understand differences in the radio response between proliferating and resting cells. The aim of this thesis was to investigate effects in fibroblasts with different proliferation status after irradiation with alpha-particles from 211At or X-rays, from inflicted DNA damage, to cellular responses and biological consequences. Throughout this work, irradiation was performed with alpha-particles from 211A or X-rays. The induction and repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) in human normal fibroblasts were investigated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and fragment analysis. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 211At for DSB induction varied between 1.4 and 3.1. A small increase of DSBs was observed in cycling cells compared to stationary cells. The repair kinetics was slower after 211At and more residual damage was found after 24 h. Comparison between cells with different proliferation status showed that the repair was inefficient in cycling cells with more residual damage, regardless of radiation quality. Activation of cell cycle arrests was investigated using immunofluorescent labeling of the checkpoint kinase Chk2 and by measuring cell cycle distributions with flow cytometry analysis. After alpha-particle irradiation, the average number of Chk2-foci was larger and the cells had a more affected cell cycle progression for several weeks compared with X-irradiated cells, indicating a more powerful arrest after 211At

Characterization of saturation of CR-39 detector at high alpha-particle fluence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. El Ghazaly

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The occurrence of saturation in the CR-39 detector reduces and limits its detection dynamic range; nevertheless, this range could be extended using spectroscopic techniques and by measuring the net bulk rate of the saturated CR-39 detector surface. CR-39 detectors were irradiated by 1.5 MeV high alpha-particle fluence varying from 0.06 × 108 to 7.36 × 108 alphas/cm2 from Am-241 source; thereafter, they were etched in a 6.25N NaOH solution at a temperature of 70°C for different durations. Net bulk etch rate measurement of the 1.5 MeV alpha-irradiated CR-39 detector surface revealed that rate increases with increasing etching time and reaches its maximum value at the end of the alpha-particle range. It is also correlated with the alpha-particle fluence. The measurements of UV–Visible (UV–Vis absorbance at 500 and 600 nm reveal that the absorbance is linearly correlated with the fluence of alpha particles at the etching times of 2 and 4 hour. For extended etching times of 6, 10, and 14.5 hour, the absorbance is saturated for fluence values of 4.05 × 108, 5.30 × 108, and 7.36 × 108 alphas/cm2. These new methods pave the way to extend the dynamic range of polymer-based solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs in measurement of high fluence of heavy ions as well as in radiation dosimetry. Keywords: Alpha Particle, Bulk Etch Rate, CR-39 Detector, Saturated Regime, UV–Vis Spectroscopy

Particle Physics Aspects of Antihydrogen Studies with ALPHA at CERN

CERN Document Server

Fujiwara, M.C.; Bertsche, W.; Bowe, P.D.; Bray, C.C.; Butler, E.; Cesar, C.L.; Chapman, S.; Charlton, M.; Fajans, J.; Funakoshi, R.; Gill, D.R.; Hangst, J.S.; Hardy, W.N.; Hayano, R.S.; Hayden, M.E.; Humphries, A.J.; Hydomako, R.; Jenkins, M.J.; Jorgensen, L.V.; Kurchaninov, L.; Lai, W.; Lambo, R.; Madsen, N.; Nolan, P.; Olchanski, K.; Olin, A.; Povilus, A.; Pusa, P.; Robicheaux, F.; Sarid, E.; Seif El Nasr, S.; Silveira, D.M.; Storey, J.W.; Thompson, R.I.; van der Werf, D.P.; Wasilenko, L.; Wurtele, J.S.; Yamazaki, Y.

2008-01-01

We discuss aspects of antihydrogen studies, that relate to particle physics ideas and techniques, within the context of the ALPHA experiment at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator facility. We review the fundamental physics motivations for antihydrogen studies, and their potential physics reach. We argue that initial spectroscopy measurements, once antihydrogen is trapped, could provide competitive tests of CPT, possibly probing physics at the Planck Scale. We discuss some of the particle detection techniques used in ALPHA. Preliminary results from commissioning studies of a partial system of the ALPHA Si vertex detector are presented, the results of which highlight the power of annihilation vertex detection capability in antihydrogen studies.

Number and mass analysis of particles emitted by aircraft engine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasiński Remigiusz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Exhaust emissions from aircraft is a complex issue because of the limited possibility of measurements in flight conditions. Most of the studies on this subject were performed on the basis of stationary test. Engine certification data is used to calculate total emissions generated by air transport. However, it doesnt provide any information about the local effects of air traffic. The main threat to local communities is particulate matter emissions, which adversely affects human health. Emissions from air transport affect air quality, particularly in the vicinity of the airports; it also contributes to the greenhouse effect. The article presents the measurement results of the concentration and size distribution of particles emitted during aircraft landing operation. Measurements were carried out during the landings of aircraft at a civilian airport. It was found that a single landing operation causes particle number concentration value increase of several ten-fold in a short period of time. Using aircraft engine certification data, the methodology for determination of the total number of particles emitted during a single landing operation was introduced.

Simulation of Alpha Particles in Rotating Plasma Interacting with a Stationary Ripple

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fetterman, Abraham J.; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2011-01-01

Superthermal ExB rotation can provide magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability and enhanced confinement to axisymmetric mirrors. However, the rotation speed has been limited by phenomena at end electrodes. A new prediction is that rotation might instead be produced using a magnetic ripple and alpha particle kinetic energy, in an extension of the alpha channeling concept. The interaction of alpha particles with the ripple results in visually interesting and practically useful orbits.

Portable instrument for selectively detecting alpha-particles derived from radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapuis, A.M.; DaJlevic, D.

1975-01-01

A portable instrument of the pocket type designed primarily for monitoring atmospheric contamination in uranium mines by selectively detecting the α-particles emitted simultaneously by the daughter products of radon, namely radium A and radium C' is described. The instrument comprises in combination a tube containing a suction fan for drawing external air through a filter which retains the α-emitting aerosols, a detector in which the α-particles corresponding to the respective energies of the α-emissions of radium A and of radium C' are detected separately, and two collimators placed between the filter and the detector

Intercomparison of alpha particle spectrometry software packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-08-01

Software has reached an important level as the 'logical controller' at different levels, from a single instrument to an entire computer-controlled experiment. This is also the case for software packages in nuclear instruments and experiments. In particular, because of the range of applications of alpha-particle spectrometry, software packages in this field are often used. It is the aim of this intercomparison to test and describe the abilities of four such software packages. The main objectives of the intercomparison were the ability of the programs to determine the peak areas and the peak area uncertainties, and the statistical control and stability of reported results. In this report, the task, methods and results of the intercomparison are presented in order to asist the potential users of such software and to stimulate the development of even better alpha-particle spectrum analysis software

Nanodosimetry and nanodosimetric-based models of radiation action for radon alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The objective of our research work is to provide -- with the aid of biophysical models of radiation action -- information on human risks following exposure to radon alpha particles. The approach proposed consists of (1) developing appropriate models (parametric and non-parametric) for alpha radiation induction of relevant end points (survival, cellular transformation), (2) providing an accurate physical characterization of the particle tracks in terms of nanodosimetric distributions, (3) supporting the models by detailed, molecular studies of the direct and indirect effects of alpha particles on DNA. Activities in the second year of this project are described

Considerations on the determining factors of the angular distribution of emitted particles in laser ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konomi, I.; Motohiro, T.; Kobayashi, T.; Asaoka, T.

2010-01-01

Simulations of particles which are emitted in laser ablation have been performed by the method of Direct Simulation Monte Carlo to investigate the deposition profiles of the emitted particles. The influences of the temperature, pressure and stream velocity of the initial evaporated layer formed during laser ablation process on the profile of the deposited film have been examined. It is found that the temperature gives a minor influence on the deposition profile, whereas the stream velocity and the pressure of the initial evaporated layer have a greater impact on the deposition profile. The energy in the direction of surface normal (E perpendicular ) and that in the parallel direction of the surface (E || ) are shown to increase and decrease, respectively after the laser irradiation due to collisions between the emitted particles, and this trend is magnified as the pressure increases. As a consequence, the stream velocity in the direction of surface normal increases with the increase in the pressure. A mechanism of the phenomenon that a metal with a lower sublimation energy shows a broader angular distribution of emitted particles is presented. It is suggested that low density of evaporated layer of a metal with a low sublimation energy at its melting point decreases the number of collisions in the layer, leading to the low stream velocity in the direction of surface normal, which results in the broader deposition profile of the emitted particles.

Experimental setup for studying the effects of alpha particles on zebrafish embryos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yum, E.H.W.; Ng, C.K.M.; Lin, A.C.C.; Cheng, S.H.; Yu, K.N.

2007-01-01

In the present work, we have studied the feasibility to use an experimental setup based on polyallyldiglycol-carbonate (PADC) films to study effects of alpha particles on dechorionated zebrafish embryos. Thin PADC films with a thickness of 16 μm were prepared from commercially available CR-39 films by chemical etching and used as support substrates for holding zebrafish embryos for alpha-particle irradiation. These films recorded alpha-particle hit positions, quantified the number and energy of alpha particles actually incident on the embryo cells, and thus enabled the calculation of the dose absorbed by the embryo cells. Irradiation was made at 4 h post fertilization (hpf) with absorbed doses up to 2.3 mGy. Images of the embryos at 48 hpf were examined for identification of morphologic abnormalities. The preliminary results showed that absorbed doses corresponding to the abnormally developed embryos ranged from 0.41 to 2.3 mGy, which was equivalent to 0.21-1.2 mGy in human

Experimental setup for studying the effects of alpha particles on zebrafish embryos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yum, E.H.W.; Ng, C.K.M. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong (China); Lin, A.C.C.; Cheng, S.H. [Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong (China); Yu, K.N. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong (China)], E-mail: peter.yu@cityu.edu.hk

2007-11-15

In the present work, we have studied the feasibility to use an experimental setup based on polyallyldiglycol-carbonate (PADC) films to study effects of alpha particles on dechorionated zebrafish embryos. Thin PADC films with a thickness of 16 {mu}m were prepared from commercially available CR-39 films by chemical etching and used as support substrates for holding zebrafish embryos for alpha-particle irradiation. These films recorded alpha-particle hit positions, quantified the number and energy of alpha particles actually incident on the embryo cells, and thus enabled the calculation of the dose absorbed by the embryo cells. Irradiation was made at 4 h post fertilization (hpf) with absorbed doses up to 2.3 mGy. Images of the embryos at 48 hpf were examined for identification of morphologic abnormalities. The preliminary results showed that absorbed doses corresponding to the abnormally developed embryos ranged from 0.41 to 2.3 mGy, which was equivalent to 0.21-1.2 mGy in human.

Laser scattering off of alpha particle cyclotron harmonic resonances: Annual performance report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aamodt, R.E.

1988-01-01

The active probing of burning plasmas to quantitatively determine high energy alpha particle characteristics is the main purpose of the laser and gyroton scattering program. Progress to date includes a systematic evaluation of homogeneous results, analytical study of alpha particle harmonic resonances, and investigations of finite size detection systems

A study on alpha particles range in Cr-39

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, Z.A.; Talaat, T.M.; Abdel-Aziz, Kh.M.A.; El-Asser, M.R.

2000-01-01

Cr-39 plastic nuclear track detector has been used in range determination of alpha particles. A set of experiments was carried out for studying alpha energy and track diameter relationships. This work was done under the optimum conditions of Cr-39 etching in 6.25 N NaOH at 70 degree C for various etching times. Determination of alpha range in Cr-39 recorders was studied at different energy values using the over etched track profile technique. Data are discussed within the framework of track formation theory in plastic foils, comparison between experimental and theoretical values of alpha range is included

Design of a preamplifier for an alpha particles spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murillo O, R.; Hernandez D, V. M.; Chacon R, A.; Vega C, H. R.

2010-09-01

To detect radiation diverse detector types are used, when these are alpha particles proportional type detectors are used, semiconductor, of scintillation or traces. In this work the design results, the construction and the first tests of a spectrometer (preamplifier) are presented for alpha particles that was designed starting from a Pin type photodiode. The system was designed and simulated with a program for electronic circuits. With the results of the simulation phase was constructed the electronics that is coupled to a spectroscopic amplifier and a multichannel analyzer. The total of the system is evaluated analyzing its performance before a triple source of alphas and that they are produced by two smoke detectors of domestic use. Of the tests phase we find that the system allows to obtain in a multichannel, the pulses height spectrum, with which we calibrate the system. (Author)

Investigation of some approximation used in promptly emitted particle models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leray, S.; La Rana, G.; Lucas, R.; Ngo, C.; Barranco, M.; Pi, M.; Vinas, X.

1984-01-01

We investigate three effects which can be taken into account in a model for promptly emitted particles: the Pauli blocking, the velocity of the window separating the two ions with respect to each of the fragments and the spatial extension of the window

Alpha-particle energy spectra measured at forward angles in heavy-ion-induced reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borcea, C.; Cierlic, E.; Kalpakchieva, R.; Oganessian, Yu.Ts.; Penionzhkevich, Yu.E.

1980-01-01

Energy spectra have been measured for α-particles emitted in the bombardment of 159 Tb, 181 Ta, 197 Au, and 232 Th nuclei by 20 Ne, 22 Ne, and 40 Ar projectiles. The reaction products emitted in the angular range (0+-2)deg relative to the beam direction were analyzed using a magnetic spectrometer and detected by means of a semiconductor ΔE-E telescope. It was found that in all cases the experimentally measured maximum α-particle energy almost amounts to the maximum possible value calculated from the reaction energy balance for a two-body exit channel. A correlation was found between the measured absolute cross section in different target-projectile combinations and the α-particle binding energy in the target nuclei. On the basis of the obtained results a conclusion has been drawn that the α-particles are emitted in the early stage of the reaction

Revisiting alpha decay-based near-light-speed particle propulsion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Wenwu; Liu, Zhen; Yang, Yang; Du, Shiyu

2016-01-01

Interplanet and interstellar travels require long-term propulsion of spacecrafts, whereas the conventional schemes of propulsion are limited by the velocity of the ejected mass. In this study, alpha particles released by nuclear decay are considered as a potential solution for long-time acceleration. The principle of near-light-speed particle propulsion (NcPP) was elucidated and the stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM) was used to predict theoretical accelerations. The results show that NcPP by means of alpha decay is feasible for long-term spacecraft propulsion and posture adjustment in space. A practical NcPP sail can achieve a speed >150 km/s and reach the brink of the solar system faster than a mass equivalent solar sail. Finally, to significantly improve the NcPP sail, the hypothesis of stimulated acceleration of nuclear decay (SAND) was proposed, which may shorten the travel time to Mars to within 20 days. - Highlights: • SRIM was used to study the alpha particle penetration depth and efficiency. • Correlation between thickness of decayable foil and propulsion force was established. • With the hypothesis of SAND, the travel time to Mars may be shortened to <20 days.

TFTR 60 GHz alpha particle collective Thomson Scattering diagnostic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machuzak, J.S.; Woskov, P.P.; Gilmore, J.; Bretz, N.L.; Park, H.K.; Bindslev, H.

1995-03-01

A 60 GHz gyrotron collective Thomson Scattering alpha particle diagnostic has been implemented for the D-T period on TFM. Gyrotron power of 0.1-1 kW in pulses of up to 1 second can be launched in X-mode. Efficient corrugated waveguides are used with antennaes and vacuum windows of the TFTR Microwave Scattering system. A multichannel synchronous detector receiver system and spectrum analyzer acquire the scattered signals. A 200 Megasample/sec digitizer is used to resolve fine structure in the frequency spectrum. By scattering nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field, this experiment will take advantage of an enhancement of the scattered signal which results from the interaction of the alpha particles with plasma resonances in the lower hybrid frequency range. Significant enhancements are expected, which will make these measurements possible with gyrotron power less than 1 kW, while maintaining an acceptable signal to noise ratio. We hope to extract alpha particle density and velocity distribution functions from the data. The D and T fuel densities and temperatures may also be obtainable by measurement of the respective ion cyclotron harmonic frequencies

Aero particles characterization emitted by mobile sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas V, A.; Romero G, E. T.; Lopez G, H.

2009-01-01

In our country, the mobile sources that conform most of the emissions at the atmosphere, are concentrated on the urban areas. For the present work, samples coming from the escapes of terrestrial transport were obtained, such as: passenger buses, load transport and particular vehicles of the Metropolitan area of the Toluca valley. The material was analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy of low vacuum and X-ray diffraction. The objective was to characterize the emitted particles by mobile sources, morphological and chemically to know the structure, size and elements that compose them. (Author)

Determination of 239Pu/240Pu isotopic ratio by high resolution alpha-particle spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amoudry, F.; Burger, P.

1983-05-01

The development of passivated ion-implanted silicon detectors and of very thin alpha-particle sources improves the resolution of alpha-particle spectra and allows to separate energy pics up to now unseparate. The 239 Pu/ 240 Pu isotopic ratio of a mixture has been measured using the alpha spectrometry deconvolution code DEMO [fr

Intrinsic efficiency of LR-115 in alpha particles detection: simulations and experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aharmim, B.; Sabir, A.; Marah, H.

2002-01-01

A numerical simulation is developed to characterize the response of the cellulose nitrate detector ''LR-115 type II'' to alpha particles of different incidence angles and energies. It permits to know whether an alpha particle at a given energy and direction is able to produce a visible etched track or not. For this purpose, a V t -variable track etch rate model is used. We have considered that the track etch rate is a function of the ionization rate and the defect created by delta rays along the alpha particle trajectory. Validation of the model is presented in the form of comparisons between theoretically computed values of the sensitive energy range and the track diameters and experimentally determined ones

Real-time monitoring for alpha emitters in high-airflow environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koster, J.E.; MacArthur, D.W.; Bounds, J.A.; Rawool-Sullivan, M.; Whitley, C.R.; Conaway, J.G.; Steadman, P.A.

1996-01-01

Key problems in detecting alpha contamination for site characterization and decontamination and decommissioning that remain to be solved include measurement of airborne contamination, material holdup within pipes, and leakage of material containers. These problems are very difficult using traditional alpha detectors and systems. The ionization detection method (long-range alpha detection of LRAD) offers a number of specific advantages for these environmental measurements. An LRAD system detects the air molecules ionized by alpha-emitting contamination rather than the alpha particles. Thus, LRAD-based detectors are not limited by the short range of alpha particles and can be used to detect contamination anywhere that air can penetrate. Extending this technology to large enclosures of long pipes requires a system optimized for large airflows. In this paper we will present designs and preliminary results for high-volume flow-through air monitors based on the LRAD technique. In addition, we will discuss the behavior of the monitors and their potential applications

Bond scission cross sections for alpha-particles in cellulose nitrate (LR115)

CERN Document Server

Barillon, R; Chambaudet, A; Katz, R; Stoquert, J P; Pape, A

1999-01-01

Chemical damage created by alpha-particles in cellulose nitrate (LR115) have been studied by infrared spectroscopy. This technique enables identifying the sensitive bonds and giving an order of magnitude of their scission cross sections for given alpha-particle energies. The high cross sections observed suggest a new description of the track etch velocity in this material.

Alpha detection in pipes using an inverting membrane scintillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kendrick, D.T.; Cremer, C.D.; Lowry, W.; Cramer, E.

1995-01-01

Characterization of surface alpha emitting contamination inside enclosed spaces such as piping systems presents an interesting radiological measurement challenge. Detection of these alpha particles from the exterior of the pipe is impossible since the alpha particles are completely absorbed by the pipe wall. Traditional survey techniques, using hand-held instruments, simply can not be used effectively inside pipes. Science and Engineering Associates, Inc. is currently developing an enhancement to its Pipe Explorer trademark system that will address this challenge. The Pipe Explorer trademark uses a unique sensor deployment method where an inverted tubular membrane is propagated through complex pipe runs via air pressure. The inversion process causes the membrane to fold out against the pipe wall, such that no part of the membrane drags along the pipe wall. This deployment methodology has been successfully demonstrated at several DOE sites to transport specially designed beta and gamma scintillation detectors into pipes ranging in length up to 250 ft. The measurement methodology under development overcomes the limitations associated with conventional hand-held survey instruments by remotely emplacing an alpha scintillator in direct contact with the interior pipe surface over the entire length to be characterized. This is accomplished by incorporating a suitable scintillator into the otherwise clear membrane material. Alpha particles emitted from the interior pipe surface will intersect the membrane, resulting in the emission of light pulses from the scintillator. A photodetector, towed by the inverting membrane, is used to count these light pulses as a function of distance into the pipe, thereby producing a log of the surface alpha contamination levels. It is anticipated that the resulting system will be able to perform measurements in pipes as small as two inches in diameter, and several hundred feet in length

Alpha and conversion electron spectroscopy of 238,239Pu and 241Am and alpha-conversion electron coincidence measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dion, Michael P.; Miller, Brian W.; Warren, Glen A.

2016-09-01

A technique to determine the isotopics of a mixed actinide sample has been proposed by measuring the coincidence of the alpha particle during radioactive decay with the conversion electron (or Auger) emitted during the relaxation of the daughter isotope. This presents a unique signature to allow the deconvolution of isotopes that possess overlapping alpha particle energy. The work presented here are results of conversion electron spectroscopy of 241Am, 238Pu and 239Pu using a dual-stage peltier-cooled 25 mm2 silicon drift detector. A passivated ion implanted planar silicon detector provided measurements of alpha spectroscopy. The conversion electron spectra were evaluated from 20–55 keV based on fits to the dominant conversion electron emissions, which allowed the relative conversion electron emission intensities to be determined. These measurements provide crucial singles spectral information to aid in the coincident measurement approach.

Selection of filter media in alpha air monitors for emergency environmental monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinouchi, N.; Oishi, T.; Noguchi, H.; Kato, S.

2000-01-01

We have developed an alpha air monitor which is possible to measure rapidly and sensitively the concentrations of airborne alpha-emitting particles, such as plutonium, for the environmental monitoring at an accident of nuclear reprocessing plant. The monitor is designed to collect airborne alpha-emitting particles by drawing the ambient air through a filter and to detect the activity by alpha spectroscopy. In order to achieve high-sensitive measurements, selection of a suitable filter used in the monitor is considerably important. The most important requirement for the filter is that it has a high surface collection efficiency to obtain the sharpness of the alpha energy spectrum. This makes it easy to distinguish the alpha-ray peak of plutonium from the alpha spectrum of naturally occurring radon decay products in the environment. And the filter is also desired to have low resistance of the air flow so that particles can be collected at a high flowrate. We have made a comparison of the surface collection efficiency and pressure drop for the various filters. Types of the test filters, most of which are commercially available in Japan, were glass fiber, cellulose-glass fiber, membrane and so on. The surface collection efficiency has been evaluated by the following two indices. One was the sharpness of alpha-ray energy peaks of thoron decay products generated in a laboratory and collected in the fibers. The other was the background counts of radon decay products in a plutonium region by measuring alpha-ray energy spectrum of radon decay products collected in the filters by sampling of dust in the atmosphere. It was found that the PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) membrane filter with backing had a high surface collection efficiency and low pressure drop. The results of the test are described in detail in this paper. (author)

Monte Carlo simulation applied to alpha spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baccouche, S.; Gharbi, F.; Trabelsi, A.

2007-01-01

Alpha particle spectrometry is a widely-used analytical method, in particular when we deal with pure alpha emitting radionuclides. Monte Carlo simulation is an adequate tool to investigate the influence of various phenomena on this analytical method. We performed an investigation of those phenomena using the simulation code GEANT of CERN. The results concerning the geometrical detection efficiency in different measurement geometries agree with analytical calculations. This work confirms that Monte Carlo simulation of solid angle of detection is a very useful tool to determine with very good accuracy the detection efficiency.

Design and construction of a system for determining Radon-222 through Alpha spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonifacio, J.; Iturbe, J.L.

1992-02-01

The study of the present work consists on designing a system to measure gas 222 Rn, using a surface barrier detector, in order to obtaining a more accuracy measure of this isotope by means of an alpha particle spectra and thus to try to avoid the influence of the radioactivity of the isotope descendants of short half life, which are also emitting of alpha particles, since by other methods its should make a series of corrections to obtain the real value of the radon activity. (Author)

Personal recollections of the discovery of fast particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, E.T.S.

1984-01-01

The author gives an account of the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, and its staff, in the late 1920's when he arrived there as a research student. His chosen line of research was to produce fast particles (faster than the natural alpha particles then available) which could be used to bombard atoms to produce disintegration. He recounts how he developed, with J.D. Cockcroft, a linear method of accelerating particles by the direct application of high voltage. A picture of the Cockcroft-Walton accelerator of 1932 is shown. In this a proton beam bombarded a lithium target and two fast alpha particles were emitted, travelling in opposite directions. (UK)

Cell survival following alpha particle irradiation: critical sites and implications for carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, E.L.; Gemmell, M.A.; Henning, C.B.; Gemmell, D.S.; Zabransky, B.J.

1976-01-01

In experiments in which mammalian cells were irradiated with 5.6 MeV alpha particles from a Tandem Van de Graaff machine we have confirmed the finding of others that the mean lethal dose (D 0 ) is about 100 rad, but by measurements of the area of the cell nuclei as irradiated we found that this mean lethal dose corresponds not to 1, as expected, but to about 27 alpha particles per cell nucleus. (The exact number appears to change slightly with cell passage number.) This allows for the possibility that the direct action of alpha particles on the nucleus may be the important event in carcinogenesis, a theory which was previously difficult to accept if a single particle hitting the nucleus anywhere was considered to be lethal. Evidence is presented to implicate the nucleolus as a possible critical site for the inhibition of reproductive integrity of the cell

Alpha particle radiography and the track plastic detector CR-39

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Bismarck Amilar de.

1991-05-01

This work develops the radiographic technique using charged particle beams. This technique complements the X-ray conventional radiography, and presents some advantages in certain cases. The material used as nuclear plastic detector was CR-39, manufactured by Pershre Mould. England, of 250 and 1000 μm nominal thicknesses. The irradiations were made with 7 MeV/Nucleon alpha particles beams, accelerated in the CV-28 Cyclotron of Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear/CNEN - Rio de Janeiro. The etch conditions used were a Na OH 6,25 N solution at 70 0 C, varying the etch time, so that the best etch time was found to be six hours. The calibration curve is presented, which permits images interpretation, showed in terms of light transmittance (obtained using a micro densitometer), and in terms of energy losses suffered by alpha particles in several aluminum degradating thicknesses. This curve was checked by the use of other degradating materials: Mylar, Makrofol, and CR-39 itself. The influence of alpha particle beam FWHM widening on images quality, when it crosses several degradating materials, is also presented. Radiographs of some specimen are presented, including some images obtained varying some irradiation and etch parameters. (author). 62 refs., 22 figs., 19 tabs

Effect of indoor-generated airborne particles on radon progeny dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trassierra, C. Vargas [Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, FR (Italy); Stabile, L., E-mail: l.stabile@unicas.it [Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, FR (Italy); Cardellini, F.; Morawska, L. [National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology (INMRI-ENEA), Rome (Italy); Buonanno, G. [Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, FR (Italy); International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane (Australia)

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Investigation of the interaction between particles and radon progeny dynamics. • Measurements of particles emitted by different indoor sources. • Tests performed in a controlled radon chamber. • Particle size strongly influences the radon progeny dynamics. • Particle surface area concentration is the key parameter of the radon-particle interaction. - Abstract: In order to investigate the interaction between radon progeny and particles, an experimental campaign was carried out in a radon chamber at the Italian National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology, quantifying the amount of attached and unattached radon daughters present in air, as well as the equilibrium factor in the presence of particles generated through indoor sources. A fixed radon concentration was maintained, while particles were generated using incense sticks, mosquito coils and gas combustion. Aerosols were characterized in terms of particle concentrations and size distributions. Simultaneously, radon concentration and attached/unattached potential alpha energy concentration in the air were continuously monitored by two different devices, based on alpha spectroscopy techniques. The presence of particles was found to affect the attached fraction of radon decay products, in such a way that the particles acted as a sink for radionuclides. In terms of sources which emit large particles (e.g. incense, mosquito coils), which greatly increase particle surface area concentrations, the Equilibrium Factor was found to double with respect to the background level before particle generation sessions. On the contrary, the radon decay product dynamics were not influenced by gas combustion processes, mainly due to the small surface area of the particles emitted.

Penetration of HEPA filters by alpha recoil aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowell, W.J.; Seeley, F.G.; Ryan, M.T.

1976-01-01

Tests at Oak Ridge National Laboratory confirmed that alpha-emitting particulate matter does penetrate high-efficiency filter medium, identical to that used in HEPA filters, much more effectively than do non-radioactive or beta-gamma active aerosols. Filter retention efficiencies drastically lower than the 99.97 percent quoted for ordinary particulate matter have been observed with 212 Pb, 253 Es, and 238 Pu sources, indicating that the phenomenon is common to all of these and probably to all alpha-emitting materials of appropriate half-life. Results with controlled air-flow through filters in series are consistent with the picture of small particles dislodged from the ''massive'' surface of an alpha-active material, and then repeatedly dislodged from positions on the filter fibers, by the alpha recoils. The process shows only a small dependence on the physical form of the source material. Oxide dust, nitrate salt, and plated metal all seem to generate the recoil particles effectively. The amount penetrating a series of filters depends on the total amount of activity in the source material, its specific activity, and the length of time of air flow. Dependence on the air flow velocity is slight. It appears that this phenomenon has not been observed in previous experiments with alpha-active aerosols because the tests did not continue for a sufficiently long time. A theoretical model of the process has been developed, amenable to computer handling, that should allow calculation of the rate constants associated with the transfer through and release of radioactive material from a filter system by this process

Correlations analysis of the light particles emitted in the 129 Xe + 48 Ti reaction at 45 MeV/nucleon in the framework of a quantum mechanical approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nouais, D.

1996-01-01

This thesis is composed of four chapter. The first one presents a quantum mechanical model able to describe the light particle correlations by taking into account the nuclear and Coulomb final state particle interactions as well as the influence of the Coulomb field of the emitting nucleus. This model was applied to the analysis of the experimental data obtained from the sequential di-excitation of a quasi-projectile formed in the 129 Xe + 48 Ti at 45 MeV/nucleon. An adaptation of the SPEG spectrometer allowed the measurements of the proton-proton coincidence studies in the range of very low relative momenta (1-10 MeV/c). For such values the proton-proton correlation function is sensible indeed to the proton emission time separation. In case of the protons, the analysis allowed to deduce a lifetime value exceeding 1500 fm/c while for the p-d, d-d and t-t particle couples, the lifetime values were much shorter. This study showed that the deuterons as well as the tritons and alpha particles are emitted prior to the proton emission. The limits of the description of particle emission from a static source have led to consider the influence of dynamical phenomena on the correlation function. This approach made use of a QMD transport model.. The important influence on the correlation function of the dynamic correlations between the momenta and space-time coordinates of the emitting particles was made evident. It is pointed out that the experimental proton-proton correlation function was not possible to be reproduced through QMD theoretical predictions. The momentum variations observed between the particle emission moment in a mean field and its asymptotical value, points to the necessity of a fine description of the interactions

Liquid nitrogen enhancement of alpha particle tracks in a polycarbonate detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilione, L.J.

1977-01-01

Makrofol-E polycarbonate detectors were exposed to 1 to 3 MeV alpha particles and subsequently immersed in liquid nitrogen for various periods of time. The influence of the liquid nitrogen on the track recording properties of the detector has been found by measuring the track densities and diameters. Track densities increase with immersion time with a maximum gain of approximately 9% after 1200 min in liquid nitrogen. Track enhancement decreases with waiting time between the end of alpha particle exposure and the beginning of liquid nitrogen immersion. Track diameters decrease with time after passage of the particles and this process is accelerated by immersion in liquid nitrogen. (author)

Experimental determination of alpha particle threshold detection in cellulose nitrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knoefell, T.M.J.

1978-01-01

LR 115, type II, Kodak-Pathe cellulose nitrate pellicles were irradiated perpendicularly with monoenergetic alpha bemas in the energy range 2,5-5,5 Mev. The alpha particle beams were produced by an intense Am 241 source using Argon as energy attenuating. After irradiations, samples were etched with NaOH solutions without agitation at 60 0 C, by different time periods varying from 15 minutes to 3,5 hours. Measurements of density and track diameter were done using optical microscopy. The sample compositions were done by CHN method of combustion gas analysis showing good agreement with the composition of cellulose trinitrate. From detection threshold and from obtained results, the development of latent tracks only occur for alpha particles with stopping power superior to 0,87 +- 0,06 MeV.cm -2 .mg -1 , was verified. (M.C.K.) [pt

Cryogenic Microcalorimeter System for Ultra-High Resolution Alpha-Particle Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Croce, M. P.; Bacrania, M. K.; Hoover, A. S.; Rabin, M. W.; Hoteling, N. J.; LaMont, S. P.; Plionis, A. A.; Dry, D. E.; Ullom, J. N.; Bennett, D. A.; Horansky, R. D.; Kotsubo, V.; Cantor, R.

2009-12-01

Microcalorimeters have been shown to yield unsurpassed energy resolution for alpha spectrometry, up to 1.06 keV FWHM at 5.3 MeV. These detectors use a superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) to measure the temperature change in an absorber from energy deposited by an interacting alpha particle. Our system has four independent detectors mounted inside a liquid nitrogen/liquid helium cryostat. An adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) cools the detector stage to its operating temperature of 80 mK. Temperature regulation with ˜15-μK peak-to-peak variation is achieved by PID control of the ADR. The detectors are voltage-biased, and the current signal is amplified by a commercial SQUID readout system and digitized for further analysis. This paper will discuss design and operation of our microcalorimeter alpha-particle spectrometer, and will show recent results.

Coordination chemistry of the 212Pb/212Bi nuclear transformation: Alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parks, N.J.; Harris, W.R.; Keen, C.L.; Cooper, S.R.

1992-07-01

Subdivisions of this project are: (a) the synthesis of prototypical thiolate and dithiocarbamate based hexacoordinate complexes, (b) radiochemical engineering for generation of no-carrier-added lead and bismuth radioelements, (c) the first isolation of bismuth-binding proteins from in vivo studies with cyclotron produced 205/206 Bi tracer, and (d) initial development of transport mechanisms for the intracellular radiobiological study of alpha emitting bismuth, and (e) the initiation of chemical equilibrium studies and biochemical pathways with cyclotron-produced, no-carrier-added, 203 Pb (T 1/2 = 51 hr)

Treatment of HER2-positive breast carcinomatous meningitis with intrathecal administration of {alpha}-particle-emitting {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boskovitz, Abraham; McLendon, Roger E.; Okamura, Tatsunori [Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Sampson, John H. [Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Bigner, Darell D. [Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Zalutsky, Michael R. [Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States)], E-mail: zalut001@mc.duke.edu

2009-08-15

Introduction: Carcinomatous meningitis (CM) is a devastating disease characterized by the dissemination of malignant tumor cells into the subarachnoid space along the brain and spine. Systemic treatment with monoclonal antibody (mAb) trastuzumab can be effective against HER2-positive systemic breast carcinoma but, like other therapies, is ineffective against CM. The goal of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of {alpha}-particle emitting {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab following intrathecal administration in a rat model of breast carcinoma CM. Methods: Athymic rats were injected intrathecally with MCF-7/HER2-18 breast carcinoma cells through a surgically implanted indwelling intrathecal catheter. In Experiment 1, animals received 33 or 66 {mu}Ci {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab, cold trastuzumab or saline. In Experiment 2, animals were inoculated with a lower tumor burden and received 46 or 92 {mu}Ci {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab or saline. In Experiment 3, animals received 28 {mu}Ci {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab, 30 {mu}Ci {sup 211}At-labeled TPS3.2 control mAb or saline. Histopathological analysis of the neuroaxis was performed at the end of the study. Results: In Experiment 1, median survival increased from 21 days for the saline and cold trastuzumab groups to 45 and 48 days for 33 and 66 {mu}Ci {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab, respectively. In Experiment 2, median survival increased from 23 days for saline controls to 68 and 92 days for 46 and 92 {mu}Ci {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab, respectively. In Experiment 3, median survival increased from 20 days to 29 and 36 days for animals treated with {sup 211}At-labeled TPS3.2 and {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab, respectively. Long-term survivors were observed exclusively in the {sup 211}At-trastuzumab-treated groups. Conclusion: Intrathecal {sup 211}At-labeled trastuzumab shows promise as a treatment for patients with HER2-positive breast CM.

Fluorescent detection of single tracks of alpha particles using lithium fluoride crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bilski, P.; Marczewska, B.

2017-01-01

Lithium fluoride single crystals were successfully used for fluorescent imaging of single tracks of alpha particles. This was realized with a standard wide-field fluorescent microscope equipped with a 100× objective. Alpha particles create F_2 and F_3"+ color centers in LiF crystals. The subsequent illumination with the blue light (wavelength around 445 nm), excites these centers and produces fluorescence with a broad band peaked at 670 nm. The observed tracks of alpha particles have diameter of about 500 nm. Focusing of the microscope at different depths in a LiF crystal, enables imaging changes of shape and position of tracks, allowing for visualization of their paths. These encouraging results are the first step towards practical application of LiF as fluorescent nuclear track detectors.

Alpha particles (citations from the International Aerospace Abstracts data base). Report for 1974-July 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mauk, S.C.

1979-09-01

This bibliography of citations to the international literature covers various aspects of alpha particles as applied to controlled fusion devices, solar activity, and geomagnetically trapped particles. Included are articles concerning Tokamak devices, plasma heating and control, plasma-particle interactions, solar particles, solar wind, solar flares, energy spectra, and magnetohydrodynamic stability. Articles concerning effects of alpha particles on different kinds of devices are also included

Ballooning mode instability due to slowed-down ALPHA -particles and associated transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Sanae; Itoh, Kimitaka; Tuda, Takashi; Tokuda, Shinji.

1982-01-01

The microscopic stability of tokamak plasma, which contains slowed-down alpha-particles and the anomalous fluxes enhanced by the fluctuation, was studied. The local maxwellian distribution with the density inhomogeneity as the equilibrium distribution of electrons, ions and alpha-particles was closen. In the zero-beta limit, two branches of eigenmodes, which are electrostatic, were obtained. The electrostatic ballooning mode became unstable by the grad B drift of particles in the toroidal plasma. It should be noted that there was no critical alpha-particle density and no critical beta-value for the onset of the instability in toroidal plasma even in the presence of the magnetic shear. When the beta-value exceeded the critical beta-value of the MHD ballooning mode, the growth rate approached to that of the MHD mode, and the mode sturcture became very close to that of the MHD mode. The unstable mode in toroidal plasma was the ballooning mode, and was unstable for all plasma parameters. The associated cross-field transport by the ballooning mode is considered. It was found that if the distribution function was assumed to be the birth distribution, the loss rate was very slow and slower than the slowing down time. The effect of alpha-particles on the large scale MHD activity of plasma is discussed. (Kato, T.)

An application of 222Rn alpha particle's tracks to uranium exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilar H, F.

1981-01-01

The uranium exploration method is based on the register of 222 Rn alpha particles; 222 Rn gas is generated in the chain 238 U desintegration. The detection of alpha particles was performed with cellulose nitrate films (NTC), located in a grid at the region in study. The alpha particles produce latent tracks in the NTC films; these tracks may be enlarged by chemical etching and are observed with an ordinary optic microscope, ninety seven NTC films were used, these were distributed in an area of approximately seventeen square kilometers, located in the municipalities of Granados and Huasabas in Sonora Mexico, the detectors remain in the ground for a thirty days mean period. The results obtained show an area with high 222 Rn concentration, this can be related with an underground uranium ore deposit. The more important conclusion is that the results obtained in this work can be used as preliminary results for other prospection methods in this particular area. (author)

Single particle inclusive spectra resulting from the collision of relativistic protons, deuterons, alpha particles, and carbon ions with nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papp, J.

1975-05-01

The yields of positive and negative particles resulting from the collision of 1.05 GeV/nucleon and 2.1 GeV/nucleon protons, deuterons, alpha particles, and 1.05 GeV/nucleon carbon nuclei with various targets have been measured. Single particle inclusive cross sections for production of π + , π - , p, d, 3 H, 3 He, and 4 He at 2.5 0 (lab) were obtained. How the results bear on the concepts of limiting fragmentation and scaling, the structure of the alpha particle and deuteron, and the possibility of ''coherent'' production of pions by heavy ions are discussed. (U.S.)

The formation of ultra-fine particles during ozone-initiated oxidations with terpenes emitted from natural paint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamorena, Rheo B.; Jung, Sang-Guen; Bae, Gwi-Nam; Lee, Woojin

2007-01-01

The formation of secondary products during the ozone-initiated oxidations with biogenic VOCs emitted from natural paint was investigated in this study. Mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy measurements have shown that the major components of gas-phase chemicals emitted from natural paint are monoterpenes including α- and β-pinenes, camphene, p-cymene, and limonene. A significant formation of gaseous carbonyl products and nano-sized particles (4.4-168 nm) was observed in the presence of ozone. Carboxylic acids were also observed to form during the reactions (i.e. formic acid at 0.170 ppm and acetic acid at 0.260 ppm). The formation of particles increased as the volume of paint introduced into a reaction chamber increased. A secondary increase in the particle number concentration was observed after 440 min, which suggests further partitioning of oxidation products (i.e. carboxylic acids) into the particles previously existing in the reaction chamber. The growth of particles increased as the mean particle diameter and particle mass concentrations increased during the reaction. The experimental results obtained in this study may provide insight into the potential exposure of occupants to irritating chemical compounds formed during the oxidations of biogenic VOCs emitted from natural paint in indoor environments

Remote Optical Detection of Alpha Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sand, J.; Hannuksela, V.; Toivonen, J.; Ihantola, S.; Peraejaervi, K.; Toivonen, H.

2010-01-01

Alpha emitting radiation sources are typically hard to detect with conventional detectors due to the short range of alpha particles in the air. However, previous studies have shown that remote detection of alpha radiation is possible by measuring the ionization-induced fluorescence of air molecules. The alpha-induced ultraviolet (UV) light is mainly emitted by molecular nitrogen and its fluorescence properties are well known. The benefit of this method is the long range of UV photons in the air. Secondly, the detection is possible also under a strong beta and gamma radiation backgrounds as they do not cause localized molecular excitation. In this work, the optical detection was studied using two different detection schemes; spectral separation of fluorescence from the background lighting and coincidence detection of UV photons originating from a single radiative decay event. Our spectrally integrated measurements have shown that one alpha decay event yields up to 400 fluorescence photons in the air and all these UV photons are induced in a 5 ns time-window. On the other hand, the probability of a background coincidence event in 5 ns scale is very rare compared to the number of background photons. This information can be applied in fluorescence coincidence filtering to discriminate the alpha radiation initiated fluorescence signal from much more intense background lighting. A device called HAUVA (Handheld Alpha UV Application) was built during this work for demonstration purposes. HAUVA utilizes spectral filtering and it is designed to detect alpha emitters from a distance of about 40 cm. Using specially selected room lighting, the device is able to separate 1 kBq alpha emitter from the background lighting with 1 second integration time. (author)

Traversal of cells by radiation and absorbed fraction estimates for electrons and alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckerman, K.F.; Ryman, J.C.; Taner, A.C.; Kerr, G.D.

1986-01-01

Consideration of the pathlength which radiation traverses in a cell is central to algorithms for estimating energy deposition on a cellular level. Distinct pathlength distributions occur for radionuclides: (1) uniformly distributed in space about the cell (referred to as μ-randomness); (2) uniformly distributed on the surface of the cell (S-randomness); and (3) uniformly distributed within the cell volume (I-randomness). For a spherical cell of diameter d, the mean pathlengths are 2/3d, and 3/4d, respectively, for these distributions. Algorithms for simulating the path of radiation through a cell are presented and the absorbed fraction in the cell and its nucleus are tabulated for low energy electrons and alpha particles emitted on the surface of spherical cells. The algorithms and absorbed fraction data should be of interest to those concerned with the dosimetry of radionuclide-labeled monoclonal antibodies. 8 references, 3 figures, 2 tables

On the acceleration of alpha particles in the fast solar wind

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomberoff, L.; Hernandez, R.

1992-01-01

Recently, Gomberoff and Elgueta (1991) showed that in a plasma composed of anisotropic protons and alpha particles drifting along an external magnetic field with a small velocity relative to the protons, strong left-hand polarized electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves can be generated. These waves can accelerate the alpha particles to velocities well in excess of the proton bulk velocity. Here the authors assume a more realistic model of the solar wind by considering a double-humped proton distribution. It is shown that the secondary proton beam has no important effects on the ion cyclotron waves for beam densities of the order of those observed in fast solar wind conditions. The fact that the alpha proton drift velocity is modulated by the Alfven velocity remains unexplained

Apparatus for detecting alpha radiation in difficult access areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steadman, P.; MacArthur, D.W.

1997-01-01

An electrostatic alpha radiation detector for measuring alpha radiation emitted from inside an enclosure comprising an electrically conductive expandable electrode for insertion into the enclosure is disclosed. After insertion, the electrically conductive expandable electrode is insulated from the enclosure and defines a decay cavity between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure so that air ions generated in the decay cavity are electrostatically captured by the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure when an electric potential is applied between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure. Indicator means are attached to the electrically conductive expandable electrode for indicating an electrical current produced by generation of the air ions generated in the decay cavity by collisions between air molecules and the alpha particles emitted from the enclosure. A voltage source is connected between the indicator means and the electrically conductive enclosure for creating an electric field between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure. 4 figs

Concept design of a time-of-flight spectrometer for the measurement of the energy of alpha particles.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Toraño, E

2018-04-01

The knowledge of the energies of the alpha particles emitted in the radioactive decay of a nuclide is a key factor in the construction of its decay scheme. Virtually all existing data are based on a few absolute measurements made by magnetic spectrometry (MS), to which most other MS measurements are traced. An alternative solution would be the use of time-of-flight detectors. This paper discusses the main aspects to be considered in the design of such detectors, and the performances that could be reasonably expected. Based on the concepts discussed here, it is estimated that an energy resolution about 2.5keV may be attainable with a good quality source. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transuranium and other alpha-emitting nuclides in the marine environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pentreath, R.J.

1980-01-01

Marine environment contains naturally occurring alpha-emitting transuranium nuclides which are discharged from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants into the marine environment. Calculation of their potential of both the inhalation pathway and ingestion pathway to man, their residence time in the oceans, their loss to sediments, the chemical state in which they exist in sea water, their oxidation states in sea water, and their biological availability to sea organisms are discussed. The areas where data are lacking are indicated. Studies on the Windscale Site (U.K.) are extensively referred to in the discussion of above-mentioned aspects. It is brought out that the study of the naturally occurring actinides can be useful in the understanding of behaviour of man-made radionuclides in the marine environment, because many of the former are good analogues of the latter. (M.G.B.)

Resonance analysis of the {sup 12}C,{sup 13}C({alpha},n) reactions and evaluation of neutron yield data of the reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murata, Toru [AITEL Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1998-03-01

The {sup 12}C({alpha},n){sup 15}O reaction and the {sup 13}C({alpha},n){sup 16}O reaction were analyzed with a resonance formula in the incident {alpha}-particle energy range of 1.0 to 16.0 MeV. With the obtained resonance parameters, branching ratios of the emitted neutrons to the several levels of the residual nucleus and their angular distributions were calculated to obtain the energy spectrum of emitted neutrons. Thick target neutron yield of carbon were also calculated and compared with the experimental data. (author)

Energy response of detectors to alpha/beta particles and compatibility of the equivalent factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Bingxing; Li Guangxian; Lin Lixiong

2011-01-01

By measuring detect efficiency and equivalent factors of alpha/beta radiation with different energies on three types of detectors, this paper compares compatibility of their equivalent factors and discusses applicability of detectors to measuring total alpha/beta radiation. The result shows the relationship between efficiency of alpha/beta radiation and their energies on 3 types of detectors, such as scintillation and proportional and semiconductor counters, are overall identical. Alpha count efficiency display exponential relation with alpha-particle energy. While beta count efficiency display logarithm relation with beta-particle energy, but the curves appears deflection at low energy. Comparison test of energy response also shows that alpha and beta equivalent factors of scintillation and proportional counters have a good compatibility, and alpha equivalent factors of the semiconductor counters are in good agreement with those of the above two types of counters, but beta equivalent factors have obvious difference, or equivalent factors of low energy beta-particle are lower than those of other detectors. So, the semiconductor counter can not be used for measuring total radioactivity or for the measurements for the purpose of food safety. (authors)

Investigation of the performance of alpha particle counting and alpha-gamma discrimination by pulse shape with micro-pixel avalanche photodiode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmadov, G.; Madatov, R.; Sadigov, A.; Sadygov, Z.; Jafarova, E.; Ahmadov, G.; Sadygov, Z.; Olshevski, A.; Zerrouk, F.; Mukhtarov, R.

2015-01-01

Being capable measuring small lights gives possibility to use micro-pixel avalanche photodiodes with scintillators. It is shown two prototypes to use micro-pixel avalanche photodiodes with and without scintillators as alpha and gamma counters in this paper. First prototype is to use two micro-pixel avalanche photodiodes. One for detecting alpha particles and closer to it, the second one with a thin plastic scintillator for detecting gamma rays. Second prototype is called two-layers configuration in which it is used only one micro-pixel avalanche photodiode, but two scntillators with different decay times. One can distinquish alpha particle and gamma ray events by using pulse shape discrimination techniques in the two-layer configuration. In this work an alpha particle and gamma ray counting performance of micro-pixel avalanche photodiodes without scintillators and its combination of plastic and BGO+ plastic scintillators was investigated. Obtained results showed the detection performance of the micro-pixel avalanche photodiodes in combination with plastic scintillator was about the same as conventional semiconductor detectors

Alternating sample changer and an automatic sample changer for liquid scintillation counting of alpha-emitting materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorngate, J.H.

1977-08-01

Two sample changers are described that were designed for liquid scintillation counting of alpha-emitting samples prepared using solvent-extraction chemistry. One operates manually but changes samples without exposing the photomultiplier tube to light, allowing the high voltage to remain on for improved stability. The other is capable of automatically counting up to 39 samples. An electronic control for the automatic sample changer is also described

Detection of {alpha} particles using semiconductors. Application to the control of plutonium extraction; Detection des particules {alpha} par semiconducteurs application au controle de l'extraction du plutonium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanguy, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1968-03-01

A study is made of a particles produced by thick sources, using either diffused junction or surface barrier semiconductor detectors for controlling continuously the plutonium extraction process. For this, a presenting apparatus is described in which the solutions to be analyzed flow in contact with the detector protected by a thin mica membrane. A method is described which gives a precise recording of the spectra and which thus allows the separation of two or more {alpha} emitters present in the same solution. This method has been applied to the measurement of {sup 239}Pu in the the presence of {sup 241}Am with an accuracy of {+-}5 per cent. In the second part of the report is considered the detection of plutonium in solutions of {beta} - {gamma} emitting fission products. Pile-up is reduced by using a fast amplification chain associated to totally depleted thin detectors. Under these conditions a few mg of {sup 239}Pu can be detected in solutions of fission products having an activity of 100 curies/liter. A method is given for discriminating {alpha} and {beta} particles, it is based on the difference in the collection times for the charges liberated by these particles in the detector. (author) [French] On etudie la detection de particules {alpha} issues de sources epaisses par detecteurs semiconducteurs a jonction diffusee ou a barriere de surface pour le controle continu du procede d'extraction du plutonium. A cet effet on decrit un appareil presentateur dans lequel les solutions a analyser circulent au contact du detecteur protege par une membrane mince de mica. On decrit une methode qui permet par le trace precis des spectres de separer deux ou plusieurs emetteurs {alpha} presents dans une meme solution. Cette methode a ete appliquee a la mesure du {sup 239}Pu en presence de {sup 241}Am avec une precision de {+-} 5 pour cent. Dans la deuxieme partie on traite de la detection du plutonium dans des solutions de produits de fission emetteurs {beta} and {gamma}. On

Biological effects of alpha particles in lung tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmann, W.; Daschil, F.

1985-01-01

Allowing for concomitant cellular inactivation, the tumour incidence function can be written as the product of two probabilities, for malignant transformation and for not being killed. Cell survival of mammalian cells in culture after heavy ion irradiation has been described successfully by the formalism of track structure theory for cellular inactivation. Thus a transformation function is derived by extracting cellular radiosensitivity parameters from experimental data on mutation to thioguanine resistance. For defined conditions of radon daughter inhalation, from the fraction of inhaled radionuclides deposited and retained on bronchial airway surfaces are calculated. The LET distribution in sensitive bronchial stem cells hit by alpha particles depends on initial alpha particle energy, airway diameter, and stem cell depth. Applying the methodology of track structure theory and using cellular radiosensitivity parameters for cell killing and mutation, the radiation risk at a given stem cell depth is expressed by the probabilities for cellular survival, for mutation or transformation, and the joint probability for cancer induction. (author)

On the Radio-emitting Particles of the Crab Nebula: Stochastic Acceleration Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanaka, Shuta J. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, 8-9-1 Okamoto, Kobe, Hyogo 658-8501 (Japan); Asano, Katsuaki, E-mail: sjtanaka@center.konan-u.ac.jp [Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa City, Chiba, 277-8582 (Japan)

2017-06-01

The broadband emission of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) is well described by non-thermal emissions from accelerated electrons and positrons. However, the standard shock acceleration model of PWNe does not account for the hard spectrum in radio wavelengths. The origin of the radio-emitting particles is also important to determine the pair production efficiency in the pulsar magnetosphere. Here, we propose a possible resolution for the particle energy distribution in PWNe; the radio-emitting particles are not accelerated at the pulsar wind termination shock but are stochastically accelerated by turbulence inside PWNe. We upgrade our past one-zone spectral evolution model to include the energy diffusion, i.e., the stochastic acceleration, and apply the model to the Crab Nebula. A fairly simple form of the energy diffusion coefficient is assumed for this demonstrative study. For a particle injection to the stochastic acceleration process, we consider the continuous injection from the supernova ejecta or the impulsive injection associated with supernova explosion. The observed broadband spectrum and the decay of the radio flux are reproduced by tuning the amount of the particle injected to the stochastic acceleration process. The acceleration timescale and the duration of the acceleration are required to be a few decades and a few hundred years, respectively. Our results imply that some unveiled mechanisms, such as back reaction to the turbulence, are required to make the energies of stochastically and shock-accelerated particles comparable.

Characterization of actinide targets by low solid-angle alpha particle counting

CERN Document Server

Denecke, B; Pauwels, J; Robouch, P; Gilliam, D M; Hodge, P; Hutchinson, J M R; Nico, J S

1999-01-01

Actinide samples were characterized in an interlaboratory comparison between IRMM and NIST, including alpha-particle counting at defined low solid angle and counting in a 2 pi proportional gas counter. For this comparison, nine sup 2 sup 3 sup 3 UF sub 4 samples with high uniformity in the layer thickness were prepared at IRMM by deposition under vacuum. Polished silicon wafers were used as source substrates, and these were rotated during the deposition using a planetary rotation system. The estimated uncertainties for the defined low solid-angle methods were about 0.1% at both NIST and IRMM. The agreement of reported alpha-particle emission rates in the energy range 2.5-5.09 MeV was better than or equal to 0.02% for the defined solid-angle methods. When comparing total alpha-particle emission rates over the larger energy range 0-9 MeV (which includes all emissions from the daughter nuclides and the impurities), the agreement of the defined solid-angle methods was better than or equal to 0.05%. The 2 pi propo...

Alpha-particle breakup at incident energies of 20 and 40 MeV/nucleon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, J.R.; Chang, C.C.; Holmgren, H.D.; Koontz, R.W.

1979-01-01

The breakup of alpha particles at incident energies of 20 and 40 MeV/nucleon on 27 Al, 58 Ni, 90 Zr, and 209 Bi has been studied. It was found that the breakup cross section decreases rapidly with increasing angles and increases with increasing target mass and incident energy. The total breakup yield, summed over all charged fragments, is approx.15--35% of the alpha-particle total reaction cross section, and has an approximate A/sup 1/3/ dependence. The ratios of breakup yields among different fragments are approximately p:d:t: 3 He approx. = 13:3:1:2, and are roughly independent of the incident energy and the target nucleus. These features suggest that the alpha-particle fragmentation is a peripheral process and is dominated by the properties of the incident projectile. A simple plane-wave alpha-particle breakup model gives a rather good description to the experimental data. In addition to the breakup deuteron peak at half of the beam energy, a second peak at quarter of the beam energy (or the same energy as the breakup proton peak) is observed. This peak might be due to a two-step breakup-pickup process

Effect of Photon Hormesis on Dose Responses to Alpha Particles in Zebrafish Embryos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Candy Yuen Ping Ng

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Photon hormesis refers to the phenomenon where the biological effect of ionizing radiation with a high linear energy transfer (LET value is diminished by photons with a low LET value. The present paper studied the effect of photon hormesis from X-rays on dose responses to alpha particles using embryos of the zebrafish (Danio rerio as the in vivo vertebrate model. The toxicity of these ionizing radiations in the zebrafish embryos was assessed using the apoptotic counts at 20, 24, or 30 h post fertilization (hpf revealed through acridine orange (AO staining. For alpha-particle doses ≥ 4.4 mGy, the additional X-ray dose of 10 mGy significantly reduced the number of apoptotic cells at 24 hpf, which proved the presence of photon hormesis. Smaller alpha-particle doses might not have inflicted sufficient aggregate damages to trigger photon hormesis. The time gap T between the X-ray (10 mGy and alpha-particle (4.4 mGy exposures was also studied. Photon hormesis was present when T ≤ 30 min, but was absent when T = 60 min, at which time repair of damage induced by alpha particles would have completed to prevent their interactions with those induced by X-rays. Finally, the drop in the apoptotic counts at 24 hpf due to photon hormesis was explained by bringing the apoptotic events earlier to 20 hpf, which strongly supported the removal of aberrant cells through apoptosis as an underlying mechanism for photon hormesis.

Alpha-particle diagnostics for the D-T phase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conroy, S.W.; Bergsaker, H.; Coad, J.P.; Jarvis, O.N.; Marcus, F.B.; Sadler, G.; Belle, P. van (Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking); McCracken, G.M.; Pitts, R.A. (AEA Fusion, Culham (United Kingdom)); Zhu, J. (Sussex Univ., Brighton (United Kingdom))

1991-01-01

Diagnostics to examine the lost [alpha] particle flux at JET during the D-T phase are under development. A passive [sup 3]He collector probe has been tested during [sup 3]He NBI and RF heated discharges. [sup 3]He ions with energies of at least 100 keV have been detected; their source is probably due to the metastable component of the [sup 3]He NBI. A code has been developed to model the charged particle fluxes at the wall. (author) 5 refs., 4 figs.

Manual for target thickness measurement by alpha particle irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, J.F.; Martins, M.N.

1990-04-01

A system is described for thin-target thickness measurement through the alpha particle energy loss when them traverse the target. It is also described the program used in the analysis of the target thickness. (L.C.) [pt

Display of charged ionizing particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cano S, D.; Ortiz A, M. D.; Amarillas S, L. E.; Vega C, H. R.

2017-10-01

The human being is exposed to sources of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, both of natural or anthropogenic origin. None of these, except non-ionizing such as visible light and infrared radiation, can be detected by the sense of sight and touch respectively. The sun emits charged particles with speeds close to the light that interact with the atoms of the gases present in the atmosphere, producing nuclear reactions that in turn produce other particles that reach the surface of the Earth and reach the living beings. On Earth there are natural radioisotopes that, when they disintegrate, emit ionizing radiation that contributes to the dose we receive. A very old system that allows the visualization of the trajectories of the charged ionizing particles is the Fog Chamber that uses a saturated steam that when crossed by particles with mass and charge, as alpha and beta particles produce condensation centers along its path leaves a trace that can be seen. The objective of this work was to build a fog chamber using easily accessible materials. To measure the functioning of the fog chamber, cosmic rays were measured, as well as a source of natural metal uranium. The fog chamber allowed seeing the presence of traces in alcohol vapor that are produced in a random way. Introducing the uranium foil inside the fog chamber, traces of alpha particles whose energy varies from 4 to 5 MeV were observed. (Author)

Traversal of cells by radiation and absorbed fraction estimates for electrons and alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckerman, K.F.; Ryman, J.C.; Taner, A.C.; Kerr, G.D.

1985-01-01

Consideration of the pathlength which radiation traverses in a cell is central to algorithms for estimating energy deposition on a cellular level. Distinct pathlength distributions occur for radionuclides: (1) uniformly distributed in space about the cell (referred to as μ-randomness); (2) uniformly distributed on the surface of the cell (S-randomness); and (3) uniformly distributed within the cell volume (I-randomness). For a spherical cell of diameter d, the mean pathlengths are 2/3d, 1/2d, and 3/4d, respectively, for these distributions. Algorithms for simulating the path of radiation through a cell are presented and the absorbed fraction in the cell and its nucleus are tabulated for low energy electrons and alpha particles emitted on the surface of spherical cells. The algorithms and absorbed fraction data should be of interest to those concerned with the dosimetry of radionuclide-labeled monoclonal antibodies. 8 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

Alpha-particle and electron capture decay of 209Po

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schima, F.J.; Colle, R.

1996-01-01

Gamma-ray and Kα X-ray emissions have been measured from a very pure 209 Po source containing less than 0.13% 208 Po activity and no detectable 210 Po (≤2 x 10 -4 %). The alpha-particle emission rate for this source has previously been determined. Data are presented that confirm alpha decay to the 205 Pb excited level at 262.8 keV, with an alpha-particle emission probability (±standard uncertainty) of 0.00559±0.00008. The ratio of K-shell electron capture to total electron capture for the second forbidden unique electron capture decay to the 896.6 keV level in 209 Bi was determined to be 0.594±0.018. The electron capture decay fraction was found to be 0.00454±0.00007, while the probabilities per decay for the 896.6, 262.8, and 260.5 keV gamma rays and the Bi Kα and Pb Kα X-rays were measured as 0.00445±0.00007, 0.00085±0.00002, 0.00254±0.00003, 0.00202±0.00005, and 0.00136±0.00005, respectively. (orig.)

Particle size distribution of airborne Aspergillus fumigatus spores emitted from compost using membrane filtration

Science.gov (United States)

Deacon, L. J.; Pankhurst, L. J.; Drew, G. H.; Hayes, E. T.; Jackson, S.; Longhurst, P. J.; Longhurst, J. W. S.; Liu, J.; Pollard, S. J. T.; Tyrrel, S. F.

Information on the particle size distribution of bioaerosols emitted from open air composting operations is valuable in evaluating potential health impacts and is a requirement for improved dispersion simulation modelling. The membrane filter method was used to study the particle size distribution of Aspergillus fumigatus spores in air 50 m downwind of a green waste compost screening operation at a commercial facility. The highest concentrations (approximately 8 × 10 4 CFU m -3) of culturable spores were found on filters with pore diameters in the range 1-2 μm which suggests that the majority of spores are emitted as single cells. The findings were compared to published data collected using an Andersen sampler. Results were significantly correlated ( p < 0.01) indicating that the two methods are directly comparable across all particles sizes for Aspergillus spores.

Factors affecting the energy resolution in alpha particle spectrometry with silicon diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camargo, Fabio de.

2005-01-01

In this work are presented the studies about the response of a multi-structure guard rings silicon diode for detection and spectrometry of alpha particles. This ion-implanted diode (Al/p + /n/n + /Al) was processed out of 300 μm thick, n type substrate with a resistivity of 3 kΩ·cm and an active area of 4 mm 2 . In order to use this diode as a detector, the bias voltage was applied on the n + side, the first guard ring was grounded and the electrical signals were readout from the p + side. These signals were directly sent to a tailor made preamplifier, based on the hybrid circuit A250 (Amptek), followed by a conventional nuclear electronic. The results obtained with this system for the direct detection of alpha particles from 241 Am showed an excellent response stability with a high detection efficiency (≅ 100 %). The performance of this diode for alpha particle spectrometry was studied and it was prioritized the influence of the polarization voltage, the electronic noise, the temperature and the source-diode distance on the energy resolution. The results showed that the major contribution for the deterioration of this parameter is due to the diode dead layer thickness (1 μm). However, even at room temperature, the energy resolution (FWHM = 18.8 keV) measured for the 5485.6 MeV alpha particles ( 241 Am) is comparable to those obtained with ordinary silicon barrier detectors frequently used for these particles spectrometry. (author)

Alpha-particle simulation using NBI beam and ICRF wave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Y.; Hamada, Y.

1984-07-01

A new idea to produce the distribution function similar to that of alpha-particles in an ignited plasma has been proposed. This concept is attributed to the acceleration of the injected beam up to about 1 MeV/nucleon by the ICRF wave with cyclotron higher harmonics. This new method makes it possible to perform the simulation experiments for alpha-particles under the condition of moderate plasma parameters (e.g., Tsub(e) = 4 keV, nsub(e) = 3.5x10 19 m -3 and B sub(T) = 3 T). And it is found that 3ωsub(ci) ICRF wave is preferable compared with other cyclotron harmonics, from the viewpoints of the effective tail formation with smaller bulk ion heating and lower amplitude of the applied electric field. The formula for the maximum energy of the extended beam is also derived. (author)

Alpha particle diagnostics using impurity pellet injection (invited)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, R.K.; McChesney, J.M.; Howald, A.W.; Parks, P.B.; Snipes, J.A.; Terry, J.L.; Marmar, E.S.; Zweben, S.J.; Medley, S.S.

1992-01-01

We have proposed using impurity pellet injection to measure the energy distribution of the fast confined alpha particles in a reacting plasma [R. K. Fisher et al., Fusion Technol. 13, 536 (1988)]. The ablation cloud surrounding the injected pellet is thick enough that an equilibrium fraction F ∞ 0 (E) of the incident alphas should be neutralized as they pass through the cloud. By observing neutrals created in the large spatial region of the cloud which is expected to be dominated by the heliumlike ionization state, e.g., Li + ions, we can determine the incident alpha distribution dn He 2+ /dE from the measured energy distribution of neutral helium atoms dn He 0 /dE using dn He 0 /dE = dn He 2+ /dE·F ∞ 0 (E,Li + ). Initial experiments were performed on the Texas Experimental Tokamak (TEXT) in which we compared pellet penetration with our impurity pellet ablation model [P. B. Parks et al., Nucl. Fusion 28, 477 (1988)], and measured the spatial distribution of various ionization states in carbon pellet clouds [R. K. Fisher et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 61, 3196 (1990)]. Experiments have recently begun on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) with the goal of measuring the alpha particle energy distribution during D--T operation in 1993--94. A series of preliminary experiments are planned to test the diagnostic concept. The first experiments will observe neutrals from beam-injected deuterium ions and the high energy 3 He tail produced during ion cyclotron (ICH) minority heating on TFTR interacting with the cloud. We will also monitor by line radiation the charge state distributions in lithium, boron, and carbon clouds

Studying effects of Magnolol on alpha-particle induced bystander effects using PADC-film based dishes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, T.P.W. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong); Tse, A.K.W.; Fong, W.F. [Research and Development Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong); Yu, K.N., E-mail: peter.yu@cityu.edu.h [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong)

2009-10-15

Radiation-induced bystander effect refers to the biological response found in cells (called bystander cells) which are not irradiated directly by ionizing radiation but are next to cells irradiated directly by ionizing radiation. In the present paper, the effects of Magnolol, an extract from the bark of Magnolia officinalis which is used as a traditional Chinese medicine, were studied on alpha-particle induced bystander effects. In our experiments, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were cultured in PADC-film based dishes and were irradiated with low fluences of alpha particles passing through the PADC films. The precise number of cells traversed or missed by alpha particles could be determined by studying the alpha-particle tracks developed on the PADC films upon subsequent chemical etching. TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay was employed to analyze the biological response of bystander cells in terms of DNA strand breaks. With the pretreatment of Magnolol, the DNA strand breaks in bystander cells were reduced, which showed that the alpha-particle induced bystander effects were suppressed with the presence of Magnolol. Since Magnolol is an antioxidant which can scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), our results give support to that ROS play a role in the bystander signal transmission in our experiments.

Studying effects of Magnolol on alpha-particle induced bystander effects using PADC-film based dishes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, T.P.W.; Tse, A.K.W.; Fong, W.F.; Yu, K.N.

2009-01-01

Radiation-induced bystander effect refers to the biological response found in cells (called bystander cells) which are not irradiated directly by ionizing radiation but are next to cells irradiated directly by ionizing radiation. In the present paper, the effects of Magnolol, an extract from the bark of Magnolia officinalis which is used as a traditional Chinese medicine, were studied on alpha-particle induced bystander effects. In our experiments, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were cultured in PADC-film based dishes and were irradiated with low fluences of alpha particles passing through the PADC films. The precise number of cells traversed or missed by alpha particles could be determined by studying the alpha-particle tracks developed on the PADC films upon subsequent chemical etching. TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay was employed to analyze the biological response of bystander cells in terms of DNA strand breaks. With the pretreatment of Magnolol, the DNA strand breaks in bystander cells were reduced, which showed that the alpha-particle induced bystander effects were suppressed with the presence of Magnolol. Since Magnolol is an antioxidant which can scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), our results give support to that ROS play a role in the bystander signal transmission in our experiments.

The average number of alpha-particle hits to the cell nucleus required to eradicate a tumour cell population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roeske, John C; Stinchcomb, Thomas G

2006-01-01

Alpha-particle emitters are currently being considered for the treatment of micrometastatic disease. Based on in vitro studies, it has been speculated that only a few alpha-particle hits to the cell nucleus are considered lethal. However, such estimates do not consider the stochastic variations in the number of alpha-particle hits, energy deposited, or in the cell survival process itself. Using a tumour control probability (TCP) model for alpha-particle emitters, we derive an estimate of the average number of hits to the cell nucleus required to provide a high probability of eradicating a tumour cell population. In simulation studies, our results demonstrate that the average number of hits required to achieve a 90% TCP for 10 4 clonogenic cells ranges from 18 to 108. Those cells that have large cell nuclei, high radiosensitivities and alpha-particle emissions occurring primarily in the nuclei tended to require more hits. As the clinical implementation of alpha-particle emitters is considered, this type of analysis may be useful in interpreting clinical results and in designing treatment strategies to achieve a favourable therapeutic outcome. (note)

Benchmarking the Geant4 full system simulation of an associated alpha-particle detector for use in a D-T neutron generator.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaodong; Hayward, Jason P; Cates, Joshua W; Hausladen, Paul A; Laubach, Mitchell A; Sparger, Johnathan E; Donnald, Samuel B

2012-08-01

The position-sensitive alpha-particle detector used to provide the starting time and initial direction of D-T neutrons in a fast-neutron imaging system was simulated with a Geant4-based Monte Carlo program. The whole detector system, which consists of a YAP:Ce scintillator, a fiber-optic faceplate, a light guide, and a position-sensitive photo-multiplier tube (PSPMT), was modeled, starting with incident D-T alphas. The scintillation photons, whose starting time follows the distribution of a scintillation decay curve, were produced and emitted uniformly into a solid angle of 4π along the track segments of the alpha and its secondaries. Through tracking all photons and taking into account the quantum efficiency of the photocathode, the number of photoelectrons and their time and position distributions were obtained. Using a four-corner data reconstruction formula, the flood images of the alpha detector with and without optical grease between the YAP scintillator and the fiber-optic faceplate were obtained, which show agreement with the experimental results. The reconstructed position uncertainties of incident alpha particles for both cases are 1.198 mm and 0.998 mm respectively across the sensitive area of the detector. Simulation results also show that comparing with other faceplates composed of 500 μm, 300 μm, and 100 μm fibers, the 10-μm-fiber faceplate is the best choice to build the detector for better position performance. In addition, the study of the background originating inside the D-T generator suggests that for 500-μm-thick YAP:Ce coated with 1-μm-thick aluminum, and very good signal-to-noise ratio can be expected through application of a simple threshold. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability of the Global Alfven Eigenmode in the presence of fusion alpha particles in an ignited tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, G.Y.; Van Dam, J.W.

1989-05-01

The stability of the Global Alfven Eigenmodes is investigated in the presence of super-Alfvenic energetic particles, such as the fusion-product alpha particles in an ignited deuterium-tritium tokamak plasma. Alpha particles tend to destabilize these modes when ω *α > ω A , where ω A is the shear-Alfven modal frequency and ω *α is the alpha particle diamagnetic drift frequency. This destabilization due to alpha particles is found to be significantly enhanced when the alpha particles are modeled with a slowing-down distribution function rather than with a Maxwellian. However, previously neglected electron damping due to the magnetic curvature drift is found to be comparable in magnitude to the destabilizing alpha particle term. Furthermore, the effects of toroidicity are also found to be stabilizing, since the intrinsic toroidicity induces poloidal mode coupling, which enhances the parallel electron damping from the sideband shear-Alfven Landau resonance. In particular, for the parameters of the proposed Compact Ignition Tokamak, the Global Alfven Eigenmodes are found to be completely stabilized by either the electron damping that enters through the magnetic curvature drift or the damping introduced by finite toroidicity. 29 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

First evidence of collective alpha particle effect on TAE modes in the TFTR D-T experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, K.L.; Schmidt, G.; Batha, S.H.

1995-08-01

The alpha particle effect on the excitation of toroidal Alfven eigenmodes (TAE) was investigated in deuterium-tritium (d-t) plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). RF power was used to position the plasma near the instability threshold, and the alpha particle effect was inferred from the reduction of RF power threshold for TAE instability in d-t plasmas. Initial calculations indicate that the alpha particles contribute 10--30% of the total drive in a d-t plasma with 3 MW of peak fusion power

Survival of Acholeplasma laidlawii, strain S2 after irradiation with alpha particles of /sup 241/Americium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liska, B.; Drasil, V.; Brza, I. (Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved, Brno. Biofysikalni Ustav)

1985-05-23

A thin layer of dry Acholeplasma laidlawii, strain S2 cells was irradiated with /sup 241/Am alpha particles. D/sub 0/ was 2.54 x 10/sup 7/ - 2.63 x 10/sup 7/ alpha particles/mm/sup 2/ (48 - 50 minutes, 409 - 422 Gy). The extrapolation number was 1.05 - 3.1. The effective cross section at D/sub 0/ was 0.038 - 0.039 ..mu..m/sup 2//alpha particle. A method of preparing thin dry layers of Acholeplasma cells was developed.

DAMPING OF UNBOUND SINGLE-PARTICLE MODES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

FORTIER, S; BEAUMEL, D; GALES, S; GUILLOT, J; LANGEVINJOLIOT, H; LAURENT, H; MAISON, JM; BORDEWIJK, J; BRANDENBURG, S; KRASZNAHORKAY, A; CRAWLEY, GM; MASSOLO, CP; RENTERIA, M; KHENDRICHE, A

1995-01-01

The (alpha, He-3-n) reaction has been investigated at 120 MeV incident energy on Ni-64, Zr-90, and Sn-120 target nuclei. Neutrons in coincidence with He-3 particles emitted at 0 degrees were detected using the multidetector array EDEN, in order to get information about the decay of the

Characterization of a alpha particle detector CR-39 exposed to a source of radium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maino, Leandro Marcondes

2009-01-01

In this project, the main goal is the characterization of a alpha particle detector CR-39 exposed to a source of radio. Three detectors were exposed to a source of radium and then chemically treated for different periods. This way, we could analyze these samples and collect the information needed to verify that at least one of the chemical attack, there has been a separation of the energies alpha particles incident with distinct peaks, thus characterizing the CR-39 as alpha spectrometer in the range 2.5 to 6.3 MeV . (author)

Scattering of alpha particles from /sup 12/C and the /sup 12/C(. cap alpha. ,. gamma. )/sup 16/O stellar reaction rate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plaga, R.; Becker, H.W.; Redder, A.; Rolfs, C.; Trautvetter, H.P.; Langanke, K.

1987-04-06

The elastic scattering of alpha particles from /sup 12/C has been investigated for 35 angles in the range theta/sub lab/ = 22/sup 0/ to 163/sup 0/ and for 51 energies at E/sub ..cap alpha../ = 1.0 to 6.6 MeV. The extracted phase shifts for l=0 to 6 partial waves have been parametrized in terms of the multilevel R-matrix formalism. Information on the deduced parameters of states in /sup 16/O is reported. The data reveal reduced ..cap alpha..-particle widths for the 6.92 and 7.12 MeV subthreshold states consistent with recent work. The implications for the stellar reaction rate of /sup 12/C(..cap alpha..,..gamma..)/sup 16/O are discussed.

Alpha-particle-induced soft errors in high speed bipolar RAM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitsusada, Kazumichi; Kato, Yukio; Yamaguchi, Kunihiko; Inadachi, Masaaki

1980-01-01

As bipolar RAM (Random Access Memory) has been improved to a fast acting and highly integrated device, the problems negligible in the past have become the ones that can not be ignored. The problem of a-particles emitted from the radioactive substances in semiconductor package materials should be specifically noticed, which cause soft errors. The authors have produced experimentally the special 1 kbit bipolar RAM to investigate its soft errors. The package used was the standard 16 pin dual in-line type, with which the practical system mounting test and a-particle irradiation test have been performed. The results showed the occurrence of soft errors at the average rate of about 1 bit/700 device hour. It is concluded that the cause was due to the a-particles emitted from the package materials, and at the same time, it was found that the rate of soft error occurrence was able to be greatly reduced by shielding a-particles. The error rate significantly increased with the decrease of the stand-by current of memory cells and with the accumulated charge determined by time constant. The mechanism of soft error was also investigated, for which an approximate model to estimate the error rate by means of the effective noise charge due to a-particles and of the amount of reversible charges of memory cells is shown to compare it with the experimental results. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Alpha particle cluster states in (fp)-shell nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merchant, A.C.

1987-07-01

Alpha particle cluster structure is known experimentally to persist throughout the mass range 16 ≤ A ≤ 20, and has been very successfully described in this region in terms of the Buck-Dover-Vary local potential cluster model. It is argued that an analogous cluster structure should be present in nuclei at the beginning of the (fp) - shell, and the available experimental data are examined to determine likely alpha particle cluster state candidates in the mass range 40 ≤ A ≤ 44. Calculations of the cluster state spectra and mean square cluster-core separation distances (which may be readily used to evaluate E2 electromagnetic transition rates) for sup(40)Ca, sup(42)Ca, sup(42)Sc, sup(43)Sc, sup(43)Ti and sup(44)Ti using the above mentioned model are presented, and compared with experimental measurements where possible. The agreement between theory and experiment is generally good (although inferior to that obtained in the (sd)-shell) and points to the desirability of an extension and improvement of the measurements of the properties of the excited states in these nuclei. (author)

Plasma features and alpha particle transport in low-aspect ratio tokamak reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Qiang; Wang Shaojie

1997-06-01

The results of the experiment and theory from low-aspect ratio tokamak devices have proved that the MHD stability will be improved. Based on present plasma physics and extrapolation to reduced aspect ratio, the feature of physics of low-aspect ratio tokamak reactor is discussed primarily. Alpha particle confinement and loss in the self-justified low-aspect ratio tokamak reactor parameters and the effect of alpha particle confinement and loss for different aspect ratio are calculated. The results provide a reference for the feasible research of compact tokamak reactor. (9 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.)

Influences of target geometry on the microdosimetry of alpha particles in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huston, T.E.

1992-01-01

Application of microdosimetric concepts to radiation exposure situations requires knowledge of the single-event density function, f 1 (z) , where z denotes specific energy imparted to target matter. Multiple-event density functions are calculated by taking convolutions of f 1 (z) with itself with the overall specific energy density function is then found by employing a compound Poisson process involving single and multiple-event spectra. The f l (z), depends strongly on the geometric details of a the source, target, and all intermediate matter. While most past applications of microdosimetry have been represented targets as spheres, may be better modeled as prolate or oblate spheroids. Using a ray-tracing technique coupled with a continuous-slowing-down approximation, methods are developed and presented for calculating single-event density functions for spheroidal targets irradiated by alpha-emitting point sources. Computational methods are incorporated into a fortran computer code entitled SEROID (single-event density functions for spheroids), which is listed in this paper. This was used to generate several single-event density functions, along with related means and standard deviations in specific energy, for spheroidal targets irradiated by alpha particles. Targets of varying shapes and orientations are examined. Results for non-spherical targets are compared to spherical targets of equal volume in order to assess influences which target geometry has on single-event quantities. From these comparisons it is found that both target shape and orientation are important in adequately characterizing the quantities examined in this study; over-simplifying the target geometry can lead to substantial error

Application of PSD for low level alpha counting using liquid scintillation counting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnamachari, G.; Vaze, P.K.; Iyer, M.R.

1989-01-01

In the liquid scintillator the light produced by alpha particles decays differently than those produced by electrons. Pulse shape discrimination (PSD) methods are employed to estimate low levels of alpha emitting radionuclides by reducing the background due to either beta or gamma events. An attempt is being made to develop a liquid scintillation counting sytem using a simple PSD circuit to achieve a background of 0.01 counts/min. The PSD circuit is based on measuring zero cross over points to differentiate particle types. The input signal is first differentiated by a delay line and subsequently by a RC circuit. The width of the initial part of the doubly differentiated pulse is different for alpha and beta pulses. This width is converted to amplitude by a time-to-amplitude converter (TAC). The higher amplitude pulses from the TAC are due to alpha particles and they are separated by an integral discriminator. The output from the integral discriminator opens a linear gate to record the pulse height spectrum. The figure of merit of the PSD circuit and background in the alpha energy channel have been worked out using different scintillator types. (author). 4 figs

Induction of cancers in the rat after inhalation of alpha-emitting radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morin, M.; Nenot, J.C.; Masse, R.; Nolibe, D.; Metivier, H.; Lafuma, J.

1976-01-01

Experiments have been conducted for several years on the toxic action of inhaled alpha-emitters on laboratory rats. The inhaled radionuclides were 239 Pu, 238 Pu and 241 Am in oxide and nitrate form. The initial alveolar activities varied to give total activities ranging from 1 to 200 thousand million alpha-particles per gram of lung. Variations, depending on the physico-chemical form of the nuclides, in the space and time distributions of the dose are observed. The influence of the two parameters on life span reduction, latency time and frequency of cancer occurrence, initial location of tumours and their histological types were studied. A theoretical model relating the cancerogenous effect to the dose is compared with experimental data. (author)

Determination of alpha particle detection efficiency of an imaging plate (IP) detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, N.M; Iida, Takao; Yamazawa, Hiromi; Moriizumi, Jun

2006-01-01

In order to determine the detection efficiency of the imaging plate (IP) detector, the true radioactivity of the alpha particles, which sampled in the collection media, should be known. The true radioactivity could be accurately predicted with the help of the reference alpha spectrometer measurement. The detection efficiency calculated for the IP was estimated with the theoretical curve and the experimental data. It is assumed that the air sample contained the decay products of both 222 Rn and 220 Rn series, the most significant sources of alpha particles. The present study estimated the detection efficiency of the IP as 39.3% with an uncertainty of 2.9 that is well enough to confirm the future use of the IP as a radiation detector. Experimental materials and methods are described. (S.Y.)

Alpha detection in pipes using an inverting membrane scintillator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kendrick, D.T.; Cremer, C.D.; Lowry, W. [Science and Engineering Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)] [and others

1995-10-01

Characterization of surface alpha emitting contamination inside enclosed spaces such as piping systems presents an interesting radiological measurement challenge. Detection of these alpha particles from the exterior of the pipe is impossible since the alpha particles are completely absorbed by the pipe wall. Traditional survey techniques, using hand-held instruments, simply can not be used effectively inside pipes. Science and Engineering Associates, Inc. is currently developing an enhancement to its Pipe Explorer{trademark} system that will address this challenge. The Pipe Explorer{trademark} uses a unique sensor deployment method where an inverted tubular membrane is propagated through complex pipe runs via air pressure. The inversion process causes the membrane to fold out against the pipe wall, such that no part of the membrane drags along the pipe wall. This deployment methodology has been successfully demonstrated at several DOE sites to transport specially designed beta and gamma, scintillation detectors into pipes ranging in length up to 250 ft.

Simulation study for high resolution alpha particle spectrometry with mesh type collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Seunghoon; Kwak, Sungwoo; Kang, Hanbyeol; Shin, Jungki; Park, Iljin

2014-01-01

An alpha particle spectrometry with a mesh type collimator plays a crucial role in identifying specific radionuclide in a radioactive source collected from the atmosphere or environment. The energy resolution is degraded without collimation because particles with a high angle have a longer path to travel in the air. Therefore, collision with the background increases. The collimator can cut out particles which traveling at a high angle. As a result, an energy distribution with high resolution can be obtained. Therefore, the mesh type collimator is simulated for high resolution alpha particle spectrometry. In conclusion, the collimator can improve resolution. With collimator, the collimator is a role of cutting out particles with a high angle, so, low energy tail and broadened energy distribution can be reduced. The mesh diameter is found out as an important factor to control resolution and counting efficiency. Therefore, a target particle, for example, 235 U, can be distinguished by a detector with a collimator under a mixture of various nuclides, for example: 232 U, 238 U, and 232 Th

{alpha}-particle induced reactions on yttrium and terbium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mukherjee, S.; Kumar, B.B. [School of Studies in Physics, Vikram University, Ujjain-456010 (India); Rashid, M.H. [Variable Energy Cyclotron Center, 1/AF, Bidhan Nagar, Calcutta (India); Chintalapudi, S.N. [Inter-University Consortium for DAE Facilities, 3/LB, Bidhan Nagar, Calcutta (India)

1997-05-01

The stacked foil activation technique has been employed for the investigation of {alpha}-particle induced reactions on the target elements yttrium and terbium up to 50 MeV. Six excitation functions for the ({alpha},xn) type of reactions were studied using high-resolution HPGe {gamma}-ray spectroscopy. A comparison with Blann{close_quote}s geometric dependent hybrid model has been made using the initial exciton number n{sub 0}=4(4p0h) and n{sub 0}=5(5p0h). A broad general agreement is observed between the experimental results and theoretical predictions with an initial exciton number n{sub 0}=4(4p0h). {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

Alpha-Particle Gas-Pressure Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Buehler, M. C.; Bell, L. D.; Hecht, M. H.

1996-01-01

An approximate model was developed to establish design curves for the saturation region and a more complete model developed to characterize the current-voltage curves for an alpha-particle pressure sensor. A simple two-parameter current-voltage expression was developed to describe the dependence of the ion current on pressure. The parameters are the saturation-current pressure coefficient and mu/D, the ion mobility/diffusion coefficient. The sensor is useful in the pressure range between 0.1 and 1000 mb using a 1 - mu Ci(241) Am source. Experimental results, taken between 1 and up to 200 mb, show the sensor operates with an anode voltage of 5 V and a sensitivity of 20 fA/mb in nitrogen.

Alpha particle track coloration in CR-39: Improved observability

CERN Document Server

Oezguemues, A

1999-01-01

A comparative study of the observability of alpha particle tracks in CR-39 was performed with an optical microscope before and after coloration. The implantation of ink helped in observing the damage zones. At first glance through the microscope, the coloration makes the tracks stand out right away. This coloration is helpful, from the start, in the morphological study of the tracks (size, area, orientation, shape, perimeter). This operation is advantageous in distinguishing the alpha particle tracks from stains or scratches. Thus, the routine counting of the tracks is more easily performed. Consequently, this procedure allowed us: to decrease significantly the standard deviation of the approximate total of the parameters given from the image analysis system (Olympus CUE2); to envision the possibility of reasonably decreasing the etching time in order to limit the loss of information caused by the destruction of the CR-39 during chemical etching and to use a weaker enlarging lens in order to cover a larger fi...

Prediction of lung cells oncogenic transformation for induced radon progeny alpha particles using sugarscape cellular automata.

Science.gov (United States)

Baradaran, Samaneh; Maleknasr, Niaz; Setayeshi, Saeed; Akbari, Mohammad Esmaeil

2014-01-01

Alpha particle irradiation from radon progeny is one of the major natural sources of effective dose in the public population. Oncogenic transformation is a biological effectiveness of radon progeny alpha particle hits. The biological effects which has caused by exposure to radon, were the main result of a complex series of physical, chemical, biological and physiological interactions. The cellular and molecular mechanisms for radon-induced carcinogenesis have not been clear yet. Various biological models, including cultured cells and animals, have been found useful for studying the carcinogenesis effects of radon progeny alpha particles. In this paper, sugars cape cellular automata have been presented for computational study of complex biological effect of radon progeny alpha particles in lung bronchial airways. The model has included mechanism of DNA damage, which has been induced alpha particles hits, and then formation of transformation in the lung cells. Biomarkers were an objective measure or evaluation of normal or abnormal biological processes. In the model, the metabolism rate of infected cell has been induced alpha particles traversals, as a biomarker, has been followed to reach oncogenic transformation. The model results have successfully validated in comparison with "in vitro oncogenic transformation data" for C3H 10T1/2 cells. This model has provided an opportunity to study the cellular and molecular changes, at the various stages in radiation carcinogenesis, involving human cells. It has become well known that simulation could be used to investigate complex biomedical systems, in situations where traditional methodologies were difficult or too costly to employ.

Bystander effect of alpha-particle irradiation on mutagenicity and its associated mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Ying; Yang Zhihua; Cao Zhenshan; Fan Feiyue; Zhu Maoxiang

2004-01-01

The work is to investigate α-particle irradiation-induced bystander effects on the mutagenicity in human chromosome 11 in the human-hamster hybrid (A L cells) and its possible mechanism. A L cells were used for assaying mutation rates of human chromosome 11 through screening mutants in the presence of anti-CD59 surface antigen antibody (S1) and complement. A grid was interposed between α-particle source and the cells being irradiated, so as to fix proportion of the irradiated cells (15%) and the bystander effects on the mutagenicity were detected. Free radical scavenger DMSO and intercellular communication inhibitor Lindane were selected to investigate the potential mechanism of α-particle induced bystander effect. There was clear dose-dependent relationship between mutation rate and the dose of alpha particle radiation. However, the mutant fractions of cell population shielded by the grid in α-particle irradiation system were much higher than the expected levels of irradiated cells. Lindane, but not DMSO, could obviously decrease this bystander effect induced by α-particle irradiation. Alpha-particle irradiation can induce bystander effect on the mutagenicity, in which intercellular communication may play important roles

Properties of the particles emitted at mid-rapidity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lefort, T.; Cussol, D; Peter, J.; Bocage, F.; Bougault, R.; Brou, R.; Colin, J; Durand, D.; Genouin-Duhamel, E.; Gulminelli, F.; Lecolley, J.F.; Le Neindre, N.; Lopez, O.; Louvel, M.; Nguyen, A.D.; Steckmeyer, J. C.; Tamain, B.; Vient, E.

1997-01-01

Mid-rapidity emission studies allow the access at the very first instances of collision between two nuclei. Its study as a function of the energy of incident projectile permits to follow the evolution of the phenomena in the entrance channel from the lowest energies where these phenomena are essentially collective up to high energies where they are essentially governed by nucleon-nucleon collisions. The first method called the 'method E' consists in evaluating first the contribution of the quasi-projectile to the rapidity distribution and then to subtract it from the total spectrum to obtain the contribution from the mid-rapidity particles. For light particles the mid-rapidity emissions have a spectrum extended up to rapidities close to that of the quasi-projectile. This method under-estimates the contribution due to mid-rapidity. The second method called the 'method M' consists in determining directly the contribution from the mid-rapidity particles supposing that their rapidity spectrum is homothetic to the triton spectrum. This method over-estimates the contribution of mid-rapidity particles to the measure where the rapidity spectrum of the evaporated particles may extend up to Y nn , the rapidity of the nucleon-nucleon frame. The relative proportion of the particles coming from mid-rapidity emissions as a function of the experimental impact parameter and incident energy for the system Ar+Ni is shown. Also, results concerning the energy spectrum of light particles emitted at mid-rapidity as a function of the excitation energy of quasi-projectile are shown for the same system. Conclusions concerning the mid-rapidity emission are the following: the amount of particles depends essentially on the geometric overlap between the projectile and the target; these particles are issued out of a zone richer in neutrons than the total system; the energy per nucleon stored in this zone is independent of the violence of collision what indicates a production process essentially

Coordination chemistry of the sup 212 Pb/ sup 212 Bi nuclear transformation: Alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parks, N.J.; Harris, W.R.; Keen, C.L.; Cooper, S.R.

1992-07-01

Subdivisions of this project are: (a) the synthesis of prototypical thiolate and dithiocarbamate based hexacoordinate complexes, (b) radiochemical engineering for generation of no-carrier-added lead and bismuth radioelements, (c) the first isolation of bismuth-binding proteins from in vivo studies with cyclotron produced {sup 205/206}Bi tracer, and (d) initial development of transport mechanisms for the intracellular radiobiological study of alpha emitting bismuth, and (e) the initiation of chemical equilibrium studies and biochemical pathways with cyclotron-produced, no-carrier-added, {sup 203}Pb (T{sub 1/2} = 51 hr).

ALFITeX. A new code for the deconvolution of complex alpha-particle spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caro Marroyo, B.; Martin Sanchez, A.; Jurado Vargas, M.

2013-01-01

A new code for the deconvolution of complex alpha-particle spectra has been developed. The ALFITeX code is written in Visual Basic for Microsoft Office Excel 2010 spreadsheets, incorporating several features aimed at making it a fast, robust and useful tool with a user-friendly interface. The deconvolution procedure is based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, with the curve fitting the experimental data being the mathematical function formed by the convolution of a Gaussian with two left-handed exponentials in the low-energy-tail region. The code also includes the capability of fitting a possible constant background contribution. The application of the singular value decomposition method for matrix inversion permits the fit of any kind of alpha-particle spectra, even those presenting singularities or an ill-conditioned curvature matrix. ALFITeX has been checked with its application to the deconvolution and the calculation of the alpha-particle emission probabilities of 239 Pu, 241 Am and 235 U. (author)

ALPHACAL: A new user-friendly tool for the calibration of alpha-particle sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Timón, A Fernández; Vargas, M Jurado; Gallardo, P Álvarez; Sánchez-Oro, J; Peralta, L

2018-05-01

In this work, we present and describe the program ALPHACAL, specifically developed for the calibration of alpha-particle sources. It is therefore more user-friendly and less time-consuming than multipurpose codes developed for a wide range of applications. The program is based on the recently developed code AlfaMC, which simulates specifically the transport of alpha particles. Both cylindrical and point sources mounted on the surface of polished backings can be simulated, as is the convention in experimental measurements of alpha-particle sources. In addition to the efficiency calculation and determination of the backscattering coefficient, some additional tools are available to the user, like the visualization of energy spectrum, use of energy cut-off or low-energy tail corrections. ALPHACAL has been implemented in C++ language using QT library, so it is available for Windows, MacOs and Linux platforms. It is free and can be provided under request to the authors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Slowing down of alpha particles in ICF DT plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

He, Bin; Wang, Zhi-Gang; Wang, Jian-Guo

2018-01-01

With the effects of the projectile recoil and plasma polarization considered, the slowing down of 3.54 MeV alpha particles is studied in inertial confinement fusion DT plasmas within the plasma density range from 1024 to 1026 cm-3 and the temperature range from 100 eV to 200 keV. It includes the rate of the energy change and range of the projectile, and the partition fraction of its energy deposition to the deuteron and triton. The comparison with other models is made and the reason for their difference is explored. It is found that the plasmas will not be heated by the alpha particle in its slowing down the process once the projectile energy becomes close to or less than the temperature of the electron or the deuteron and triton in the plasmas. This leads to less energy deposition to the deuteron and triton than that if the recoil of the projectile is neglected when the temperature is close to or higher than 100 keV. Our model is found to be able to provide relevant, reliable data in the large range of the density and temperature mentioned above, even if the density is around 1026 cm-3 while the deuteron and triton temperature is below 500 eV. Meanwhile, the two important models [Phys. Rev. 126, 1 (1962) and Phys. Rev. E 86, 016406 (2012)] are found not to work in this case. Some unreliable data are found in the last model, which include the range of alpha particles and the electron-ion energy partition fraction when the electron is much hotter than the deuteron and triton in the plasmas.

Efficient alpha particle detection by CR-39 applying 50 Hz-HV electrochemical etching method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohrabi, M.; Soltani, Z.

2016-01-01

Alpha particles can be detected by CR-39 by applying either chemical etching (CE), electrochemical etching (ECE), or combined pre-etching and ECE usually through a multi-step HF-HV ECE process at temperatures much higher than room temperature. By applying pre-etching, characteristics responses of fast-neutron-induced recoil tracks in CR-39 by HF-HV ECE versus KOH normality (N) have shown two high-sensitivity peaks around 5–6 and 15–16 N and a large-diameter peak with a minimum sensitivity around 10–11 N at 25°C. On the other hand, 50 Hz-HV ECE method recently advanced in our laboratory detects alpha particles with high efficiency and broad registration energy range with small ECE tracks in polycarbonate (PC) detectors. By taking advantage of the CR-39 sensitivity to alpha particles, efficacy of 50 Hz-HV ECE method and CR-39 exotic responses under different KOH normalities, detection characteristics of 0.8 MeV alpha particle tracks were studied in 500 μm CR-39 for different fluences, ECE duration and KOH normality. Alpha registration efficiency increased as ECE duration increased to 90 ± 2% after 6–8 h beyond which plateaus are reached. Alpha track density versus fluence is linear up to 10 6  tracks cm −2 . The efficiency and mean track diameter versus alpha fluence up to 10 6  alphas cm −2 decrease as the fluence increases. Background track density and minimum detection limit are linear functions of ECE duration and increase as normality increases. The CR-39 processed for the first time in this study by 50 Hz-HV ECE method proved to provide a simple, efficient and practical alpha detection method at room temperature. - Highlights: • Alpha particles of 0.8 MeV were detected in CR-39 by 50 Hz-HV ECE method. • Efficiency/track diameter was studied vs fluence and time for 3 KOH normality. • Background track density and minimum detection limit vs duration were studied. • A new simple, efficient and low-cost alpha detection method

Size-segregated emissions and metal content of vehicle-emitted particles as a function of mileage: Implications to population exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golokhvast, Kirill S.; Chernyshev, Valery V.; Chaika, Vladimir V.; Ugay, Sergey M.; Zelinskaya, Elena V.; Tsatsakis, Aristidis M.; Karakitsios, Spyros P.; Sarigiannis, Denis A.

2015-01-01

The study aims at investigating the characteristics (size distribution, active surface and metal content) of particles emitted by cars as a function of mileage using a novel methodology for characterizing particulate emissions captured by Exhaust Gas Suspension (EGS). EGS was obtained by passing the exhaust gases through a container of deionized water. EGS analysis was performed using laser granulometry, electron scanning microscopy, and high resolution mass spectrometry. Implications of the differences in key features of the emitted particles on population exposure were investigated using numerical simulation for estimating size-segregated PM deposition across human respiratory tract (HRT). It was found that vehicle mileage, age and the respective emissions class have almost no effect on the size distribution of the exhaust gas particulate released into the environment; about half of the examined vehicles with low mileage were found to release particles of aerodynamic diameter above 10 μm. The exhaust gas particulate detected in the EGS of all cars can be classified into three major size classes: (1) 0.1–5 µm – soot and ash particles, metals (Au, Pt, Pd, Ir); (2) 10–30 µm – metal (Cr, Fe, Cu, Zr, Ni) and ash particles; (3) 400–1,000 µm – metal (Fe, Cr, Pb) and ash particles. Newer vehicles with low mileage are substantial sources of soot and metal particles with median diameter of 200 nm with a higher surface area (up to 89,871.16 cm 2 /cm 3 ). These tend to deposit in the lower part of the human respiratory tract. - Highlights: • Car mileage has virtually no effect on the size of the solid particles released. • Newer diesel vehicles emit particles of lower aerodynamic diameter. • Particle active surface emitted by newer vehicles is on average 3 times higher. • Real-life emissions were translated into actual internal PM exposure.

Size-segregated emissions and metal content of vehicle-emitted particles as a function of mileage: Implications to population exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golokhvast, Kirill S.; Chernyshev, Valery V.; Chaika, Vladimir V.; Ugay, Sergey M. [Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok (Russian Federation); Zelinskaya, Elena V. [National Research Irkutsk State Technical University, Irkutsk (Russian Federation); Tsatsakis, Aristidis M. [University of Crete, Medical School, Department of Toxicology and Forensic Science, Heraklion, Crete (Greece); Karakitsios, Spyros P. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Chemical Engineering, Thessaloniki (Greece); Sarigiannis, Denis A., E-mail: denis@eng.auth.gr [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Chemical Engineering, Thessaloniki (Greece)

2015-10-15

The study aims at investigating the characteristics (size distribution, active surface and metal content) of particles emitted by cars as a function of mileage using a novel methodology for characterizing particulate emissions captured by Exhaust Gas Suspension (EGS). EGS was obtained by passing the exhaust gases through a container of deionized water. EGS analysis was performed using laser granulometry, electron scanning microscopy, and high resolution mass spectrometry. Implications of the differences in key features of the emitted particles on population exposure were investigated using numerical simulation for estimating size-segregated PM deposition across human respiratory tract (HRT). It was found that vehicle mileage, age and the respective emissions class have almost no effect on the size distribution of the exhaust gas particulate released into the environment; about half of the examined vehicles with low mileage were found to release particles of aerodynamic diameter above 10 μm. The exhaust gas particulate detected in the EGS of all cars can be classified into three major size classes: (1) 0.1–5 µm – soot and ash particles, metals (Au, Pt, Pd, Ir); (2) 10–30 µm – metal (Cr, Fe, Cu, Zr, Ni) and ash particles; (3) 400–1,000 µm – metal (Fe, Cr, Pb) and ash particles. Newer vehicles with low mileage are substantial sources of soot and metal particles with median diameter of 200 nm with a higher surface area (up to 89,871.16 cm{sup 2}/cm{sup 3}). These tend to deposit in the lower part of the human respiratory tract. - Highlights: • Car mileage has virtually no effect on the size of the solid particles released. • Newer diesel vehicles emit particles of lower aerodynamic diameter. • Particle active surface emitted by newer vehicles is on average 3 times higher. • Real-life emissions were translated into actual internal PM exposure.

Continuous monitoring for airborne alpha emitters in a dusty environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seiler, F.A.; Newton, G.J.; Guilmette, R.A.

1988-01-01

Disposal of radioactive wastes in underground facilities requires continuous monitoring for airborne radioactive materials, both on the surface and underground. In addition to a natural background of nonradioactive and radioactive aerosols, there may be a sizeable dust contribution from ongoing work such as mining and vehicular traffic. In the monitoring of alpha-emitting radionuclides, these aerosols may lead to self-absorption in the source and a deterioration of the energy spectrum of the detected alpha particles. In this paper, the influence of a realistic background aerosol on the performance of an alpha monitoring system is evaluated theoretically. It is shown that depositing alpha emitters and background aerosol on a surface for counting leads rapidly to a considerable loss of counts, a deterioration of the alpha spectra, an eventual saturation of the count rates, and interference from the natural background of Rn daughters

Red Emitting Phenyl-Polysiloxane Based Scintillators for Neutron Detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalla Palma, Matteo; Quaranta, Alberto; Marchi, Tommaso; Gramegna, Fabiana; Cinausero, Marco; Carturan, Sara; Collazuol, Gianmaria

2013-06-01

In this work, the performances of new red emitting phenyl- substituted polysiloxane based scintillators are described. Three dyes were dispersed in a phenyl-polysiloxane matrix in order to shift the scintillation wavelength towards the red part of the visible spectrum. PPO, Lumogen Violet (BASF) and Lumogen Red (BASF) were mixed to the starting resins with different wt. % and the analysis of the different samples was performed by means of fluorescence measurements. The scintillation yield to alpha particles at the different dye ratios was monitored by detecting either the full spectrum or the red part of the emitted light. Finally, thin red scintillators with selected compositions were coupled to Avalanche Photodiode sensors, which are usually characterized by higher efficiency in the red part of the spectrum. An increased light output of about 17% has been obtained comparing the red scintillators to standard blue emitting systems. Preliminary results on the detection of fast neutrons with the APD-red scintillator system are also presented. (authors)

Alpha particle response for a prototype radiation survey meter based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) with un-doping fluorescent guest molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Philip; Nakamura, Hidehito; Sato, Nobuhiro; Takahashi, Tomoyuki; Maki, Daisuke; Kanayama, Masaya; Takahashi, Sentaro; Kitamura, Hisashi; Shirakawa, Yoshiyuki

2016-01-01

There is no radiation survey meter that can discriminate among alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma-rays with one material. Previously, undoped poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has been shown to be an effective material for beta particle and gamma-ray detection. Here, we demonstrate a prototype survey meter for alpha particles based on undoped PET. A 140 × 72 × 1-mm PET substrate was fabricated with mirrored surfaces. It was incorporated in a unique detection section of the survey meter that directly detects alpha particles. The prototype exhibited an unambiguous response to alpha particles from a 241 Am radioactive source. These results demonstrate that undoped PET can perform well in survey meters for alpha particle detection. Overall, the PET-based survey meter has the potential to detect multiple types of radiation, and will spawn an unprecedented type of radiation survey meter based on undoped aromatic ring polymers. (author)

Detection of {alpha} particles using semiconductors. Application to the control of plutonium extraction; Detection des particules {alpha} par semiconducteurs application au controle de l'extraction du plutonium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanguy, J. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1968-03-01

A study is made of a particles produced by thick sources, using either diffused junction or surface barrier semiconductor detectors for controlling continuously the plutonium extraction process. For this, a presenting apparatus is described in which the solutions to be analyzed flow in contact with the detector protected by a thin mica membrane. A method is described which gives a precise recording of the spectra and which thus allows the separation of two or more {alpha} emitters present in the same solution. This method has been applied to the measurement of {sup 239}Pu in the the presence of {sup 241}Am with an accuracy of {+-}5 per cent. In the second part of the report is considered the detection of plutonium in solutions of {beta} - {gamma} emitting fission products. Pile-up is reduced by using a fast amplification chain associated to totally depleted thin detectors. Under these conditions a few mg of {sup 239}Pu can be detected in solutions of fission products having an activity of 100 curies/liter. A method is given for discriminating {alpha} and {beta} particles, it is based on the difference in the collection times for the charges liberated by these particles in the detector. (author) [French] On etudie la detection de particules {alpha} issues de sources epaisses par detecteurs semiconducteurs a jonction diffusee ou a barriere de surface pour le controle continu du procede d'extraction du plutonium. A cet effet on decrit un appareil presentateur dans lequel les solutions a analyser circulent au contact du detecteur protege par une membrane mince de mica. On decrit une methode qui permet par le trace precis des spectres de separer deux ou plusieurs emetteurs {alpha} presents dans une meme solution. Cette methode a ete appliquee a la mesure du {sup 239}Pu en presence de {sup 241}Am avec une precision de {+-} 5 pour cent. Dans la deuxieme partie on traite de la detection du plutonium dans des solutions de produits de fission emetteurs {beta} and {gamma

Theory of energetic/alpha particle effects on magnetohydrodynamic modes in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, L.; White, R.B.; Rewoldt, G.; Colestock, P.; Rutherford, P.H.; Chen, Y.P.; Ke, F.J.; Tsai, S.T.; Bussac, M.N.

1989-01-01

The presence of energetic particles is shown to qualitatively modify the stability properties of ideal as well as resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes in tokamaks. Specifically, we demonstrate that, consistent with highpower ICRF heating experiments in JET, high energy trapped particles can effectively stabilize the sawtooth mode, providing a possible route to stable high current tokamak operation. An alternative stabilization scheme employing barely circulating energetic particles is also proposed. Finally, we present analytical and numerical studies on the excitations of high-n MHD modes via transit resonances with circulating alpha particles. 14 refs., 3 figs

Theoretical response of a ZnS(Ag) scintillation detector to alpha-emitting sources and suggested applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skrable, K.W.; Phoenix, K.A.; Chabot, G.E.; French, C.S.; Jo, M.; Falo, G.A.

1991-01-01

The classic problem of alpha absorption is discussed in terms of the quantitative determination of the activity of weightless alpha sources and the specific alpha activity of extended sources accounting for absorption in the source medium and the window of a large area ZnS(Ag) scintillation detector. The relationship for the expected counting rate gamma of a monoenergetic source of active area A, specific alpha activity C, and thickness H that exceeds the effective mass density range Rs of the alpha particle in the source medium can be expressed by a quadratic equation in the window thickness x when this source is placed in direct contact with the window of the ZnS(Ag) detector. This expression also gives the expected counting rate of a finite detector of sensitive area A exposed to an infinite homogeneous source medium. Counting rates y obtained for a source separated from a ZnS(Ag) detector by different thicknesses x of window material can be used to estimate parameter values in the quadratic equation, y = a + bx + cx2. The experimental value determined for the coefficient b provides a direct estimation of the specific activity C. This coefficient, which depends on the ratio of the ranges in the source medium and detector window and not the ranges themselves, is essentially independent of the energy of the alpha particle. Although certain experimental precautions must be taken, this method for estimating the specific activity C is essentially an absolute method that does not require the use of standards, special calibrations, or complicated radiochemical procedures. Applications include the quantitative determination of Rn and progeny in air, water, and charcoal, and the measurement of the alpha activity in soil and on air filter samples

Crosschecking of alpha particle monitor reactions up to 50 MeV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takács, S., E-mail: stakacs@atomki.hu [Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 4026 Debrecen (Hungary); Ditrói, F.; Szűcs, Z. [Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 4026 Debrecen (Hungary); Haba, H.; Komori, Y. [Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Wako 351-0198 (Japan); Aikawa, M. [Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810 (Japan); Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Wako 351-0198 (Japan); Saito, M. [Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810 (Japan); Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Wako 351-0198 (Japan)

2017-04-15

Selected reactions with well-defined excitation functions can be used to monitor the parameters of charged particle beams. The frequently used reactions for monitoring alpha particle beams are the {sup 27}Al(α,x){sup 22,24}Na, {sup nat}Ti(α,x){sup 51}Cr, {sup nat}Cu(α,x){sup 66,67}Ga and {sup nat}Cu(α,x){sup 65}Zn reactions. The excitation functions for these reactions were studied using the activation method and stacked target irradiation technique to crosscheck and to compare the above six reactions. Thin metallic foils with natural isotopic composition and well defined thickness were stacked together in sandwich targets and were irradiated at the AVF cyclotron of RIKEN with an alpha particle beam of 51.2 MeV. The activity of the target foils were assessed by using high-resolution gamma spectrometers of high purity Ge detectors. The data sets of the six processes were crosschecked with each other to provide consistent, cross-linked numerical cross section data.

Alpha particles spectrometer with photodiode PIN; Espectrometro de particulas alfa con fotodiodo PIN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chacon R, A.; Hernandez V, R.; Hernandez D, V. M.; Vega C, H. R. [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidades Academicas de Estudios Nucleares e Ingenieria Electrica, Calle Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 09869 Zacatecas (Mexico); Ramirez G, J. [Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Geografia e Informatica, Direccion General de Innovacion y Tecnologia de Informacion, Av. Heroes de Nacozari Sur 2301, Fracc. Jardines del Parque, 20276 Aguascalientes (Mexico)], e-mail: achruiz@hotmail.com

2009-10-15

The radiation propagates in form of electromagnetic waves or corpuscular radiation; if the radiation energy causes ionization in environment that crosses it is considered ionizing radiation. To detect radiation several detectors types are used, if the radiation are alpha particles are used detectors proportional type or trace elements. In this work the design results, construction and tests of an alpha particles spectrometer are presented, which was designed starting from a photodiode PIN type. The system design was simulated with a code for electronic circuits. With results of simulation phase was constructed the electronic phase that is coupled to a multichannel analyzer. The resulting electronic is evaluated analyzing the electronic circuit performance before an alphas triple source and alpha radiation that produce two smoke detectors of domestic use. On the tests phase we find that the system allows obtain, in a multichannel, the pulses height spectrum, with which we calibrate the system. (Author)

The semiconductor doping with radiation defects via proton and alpha-particle irradiation. Review

CERN Document Server

Kozlov, V A

2001-01-01

Paper presents an analytical review devoted to semiconductor doping with radiation defects resulted from irradiation by light ions, in particular, by protons and alpha-particles. One studies formation of radiation defects in silicon, gallium arsenide and indium phosphide under light ion irradiation. One analyzes effect of proton and alpha-particle irradiation on electric conductivity of the above-listed semiconducting materials. Semiconductor doping with radiation defects under light ion irradiation enables to control their electrophysical properties and to design high-speed opto-, micro- and nanoelectronic devices on their basis

Ionization and scintillation response of high-pressure xenon gas to alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Álvarez, V; Cárcel, S; Cervera, A; Díaz, J; Ferrario, P; Gil, A; Gómez-Cadenas, J J; Borges, F I G; Conde, C A N; Fernandes, L M P; Freitas, E D C; Cebrián, S; Dafni, T; Gómez, H; Egorov, M; Gehman, V M; Goldschmidt, A; Esteve, R; Evtoukhovitch, P; Ferreira, A L

2013-01-01

High-pressure xenon gas is an attractive detection medium for a variety of applications in fundamental and applied physics. In this paper we study the ionization and scintillation detection properties of xenon gas at 10 bar pressure. For this purpose, we use a source of alpha particles in the NEXT-DEMO time projection chamber, the large scale prototype of the NEXT-100 neutrinoless double beta decay experiment, in three different drift electric field configurations. We measure the ionization electron drift velocity and longitudinal diffusion, and compare our results to expectations based on available electron scattering cross sections on pure xenon. In addition, two types of measurements addressing the connection between the ionization and scintillation yields are performed. On the one hand we observe, for the first time in xenon gas, large event-by-event correlated fluctuations between the ionization and scintillation signals, similar to that already observed in liquid xenon. On the other hand, we study the field dependence of the average scintillation and ionization yields. Both types of measurements may shed light on the mechanism of electron-ion recombination in xenon gas for highly-ionizing particles. Finally, by comparing the response of alpha particles and electrons in NEXT-DEMO, we find no evidence for quenching of the primary scintillation light produced by alpha particles in the xenon gas.

Ripple enhanced transport of suprathermal alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tani, K.; Takizuka, T.; Azumi, M.

1986-01-01

The ripple enhanced transport of suprathermal alpha particles has been studied by the newly developed Monte-Carlo code in which the motion of banana orbit in a toroidal field ripple is described by a mapping method. The existence of ripple-resonance diffusion has been confirmed numerically. We have developed another new code in which the radial displacement of banana orbit is given by the diffusion coefficients from the mapping code or the orbit following Monte-Carlo code. The ripple loss of α particles during slowing down has been estimated by the mapping model code as well as the diffusion model code. From the comparison of the results with those from the orbit-following Monte-Carlo code, it has been found that all of them agree very well. (author)

Electronic Properties of DNA-Based Schottky Barrier Diodes in Response to Alpha Particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ta'ii, Hassan Maktuff Jaber; Periasamy, Vengadesh; Amin, Yusoff Mohd

2015-05-21

Detection of nuclear radiation such as alpha particles has become an important field of research in recent history due to nuclear threats and accidents. In this context; deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) acting as an organic semiconducting material could be utilized in a metal/semiconductor Schottky junction for detecting alpha particles. In this work we demonstrate for the first time the effect of alpha irradiation on an Al/DNA/p-Si/Al Schottky diode by investigating its current-voltage characteristics. The diodes were exposed for different periods (0-20 min) of irradiation. Various diode parameters such as ideality factor, barrier height, series resistance, Richardson constant and saturation current were then determined using conventional, Cheung and Cheung's and Norde methods. Generally, ideality factor or n values were observed to be greater than unity, which indicates the influence of some other current transport mechanism besides thermionic processes. Results indicated ideality factor variation between 9.97 and 9.57 for irradiation times between the ranges 0 to 20 min. Increase in the series resistance with increase in irradiation time was also observed when calculated using conventional and Cheung and Cheung's methods. These responses demonstrate that changes in the electrical characteristics of the metal-semiconductor-metal diode could be further utilized as sensing elements to detect alpha particles.

A review of the associated particle imaging technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurley, J.P.; Beyerle, A.; Durkee, R.; Headley, G.; Tunnell, L.

1992-01-01

Associated particle imaging (API) is a fast-neutron reaction imaging system. An object is illuminated with 14-MeV neutrons and these neutron interaction sites are imaged. The T(d,n) 4 He reaction is used to produce a neutron and an alpha particle which move apart in opposite directions. By detecting the alpha particle, the direction of travel of the neutron is known. When the neutron strikes any material (except hydrogen and helium) it causes the material to emit gamma radiation. If one of the gamma-rays is detected it is then known that a reaction has taken place. By measuring the time between alpha detection and gammadetection, it is known how long the neutron traveled before reacting. By constructing a tally (or histogram) of these reaction sites an image is constructed. By examining the gamma-ray spectra corresponding to each region of space, elemental analysis of that region can be performed. This technique and it's applications are discussed in this paper

A semi-classical model for the description of angular distribution of light particles emitted in nuclear reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jingshang

1990-04-01

A semi-classical model of multi-step direct and compound nuclear reactions has been proposed to describe the angular distributions of light particles emitted in reaction processes induced by nucleons with energies of several tens of MeV. The exact closed solution for the time-dependent master equation of the exciton model is applied. Based on the Fermi gas model, the scattering kernel for two-nucleon collisions includes the influence of the Fermi motion and the Pauli exclusion principle, which give a significant improvement in the description of the rise of the backward distributions. The angle-energy correlation for the first few steps of the collision process (multi-step direct process) yields further improvements in the description of the angular distribution. The pick-up mechanism is employed to describe the composite particle emission. This reasonable physical picture reproduces the experimental data of the energy spectra of composite particles satisfactorily. The angular distribution of the emitted composite particles is determined by an angular factor in terms of the momentum conservation of the nucleons forming the composite cluster. The generalized master equation is employed for the multi-step compound process. Thus a classical approach has been established to calculate the double differential cross sections for all kinds of particles emitted in multi-step nuclear reaction processes. (author). 19 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

Spot: a new Monte Carlo solver for fast alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, M.; Eriksson, L.G.; Basiuk, V.; Imbeaux, F.

2004-01-01

The predictive transport code CRONOS has been augmented by an orbit following Monte Carlo code, SPOT (Simulation of Particle Orbits in a Tokamak). The SPOT code simulates the dynamics of nonthermal particles, and takes into account effects of finite orbit width and collisional transport of fast ions. Recent developments indicate that it might be difficult to avoid, at least transiently, current holes in a reactor. They occur already on existing tokamaks during advanced tokamak scenarios. The SPOT code has been used to study the alpha particle behaviour in the presence of current holes for both JET and ITER relevant parameters. (authors)

Energy deposition and GDR emission in inelastic alpha particle scattering

CERN Document Server

Viesti, G; Fabris, D; Nebbia, G; Cinausero, M; Fioretto, E; Napoli, D R; Prete, G; Hagel, K; Natowitz, J B; Wada, R; Gonthier, P; Majka, Z; Alfarro, R; Zhao, Y; Mdeiwayeh, N; Ho, T

1999-01-01

Neutron fold distributions measured for the reaction sup 2 sup 0 sup 9 Bi(alpha,alpha') at 240 MeV have been analyzed with the help of Statistical Model calculations to determine the distribution of excitation energy in the primary target fragments as a function of the projectile energy loss, EL. Results show that the distributions in excitation energy feature a plateau which extends from the kinematical limit E sub x =EL to very small excitations, suggesting a variety of interactions of the beam particles with the target nucleus. Requiring an additional coincidence with a light charged particle leads to selection of a significant higher average excitation energy. This effect is extrapolated to explore results of previous GDR decay measurements in the case of a sup 2 sup 0 sup 8 Pb target. Corrections of derived GDR parameters due to the partial transfer of excitation energy are suggested.

Optimizing the Delivery of Short-Lived Alpha Particle-Emitting Isotopes to Solid Tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, Gregory P.

2004-01-01

The underlying hypothesis of this project was that optimal alpha emitter-based radioimmunotherapy (RAIT) could be achieved by pairing the physical half-life of the radioisotope to the biological half-life of the targeting vehicle. The project had two specific aims. The first aim was to create and optimize the therapeutic efficacy of 211At-SAPS-C6.5 diabody conjugates. The second aim was to develop bispecific-targeting strategies that increase the specificity and efficacy of alpha-emitter-based RAIT. In the performance of the first aim, we created 211At-SAPS-C6.5 diabody conjugates that specifically targeted the HER2 tumor associated antigen. In evaluating these immunoconjugates we determined that they were capable of efficient tumor targeting and therapeutic efficacy of established human tumor xenografts growing in immunodeficient mice. We also determined that therapeutic doses were associated with late renal toxicity, likely due to the role of the kidneys in the systemic elimination o f these agents. We are currently performing more studies focused on better understanding the observed toxicity. In the second aim, we successfully generated bispecific single-chain Fv (bs-scFv) molecules that co-targeted HER2 and HER3 or HER2 and HER4. The in vitro kinetics and in vivo tumor-targeting properties of these molecules were evaluated. These studies revealed that the bs-scFv molecules selectively localized in vitro on tumor cells that expressed both antigens and were capable of effective tumor localization in in vivo studies

Optimizing the Delivery of Short-Lived Alpha Particle-Emitting Isotopes to Solid Tumors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, Gregory P.

2004-11-24

The underlying hypothesis of this project was that optimal alpha emitter-based radioimmunotherapy (RAIT) could be achieved by pairing the physical half-life of the radioisotope to the biological half-life of the targeting vehicle. The project had two specific aims. The first aim was to create and optimize the therapeutic efficacy of 211At-SAPS-C6.5 diabody conjugates. The second aim was to develop bispecific-targeting strategies that increase the specificity and efficacy of alpha-emitter-based RAIT. In the performance of the first aim, we created 211At-SAPS-C6.5 diabody conjugates that specifically targeted the HER2 tumor associated antigen. In evaluating these immunoconjugates we determined that they were capable of efficient tumor targeting and therapeutic efficacy of established human tumor xenografts growing in immunodeficient mice. We also determined that therapeutic doses were associated with late renal toxicity, likely due to the role of the kidneys in the systemic elimination o f these agents. We are currently performing more studies focused on better understanding the observed toxicity. In the second aim, we successfully generated bispecific single-chain Fv (bs-scFv) molecules that co-targeted HER2 and HER3 or HER2 and HER4. The in vitro kinetics and in vivo tumor-targeting properties of these molecules were evaluated. These studies revealed that the bs-scFv molecules selectively localized in vitro on tumor cells that expressed both antigens and were capable of effective tumor localization in in vivo studies.

Alpha particle induced DNA damage and repair in normal cultured thyrocytes of different proliferation status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyckesvärd, Madeleine Nordén, E-mail: madeleine.lyckesvard@oncology.gu.se [Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg (Sweden); Delle, Ulla; Kahu, Helena [Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg (Sweden); Lindegren, Sture [Department of Radiation Physics, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg (Sweden); Jensen, Holger [The PET and Cyclotron Unit Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet (Denmark); Bäck, Tom [Department of Radiation Physics, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg (Sweden); Swanpalmer, John [Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg (Sweden); Elmroth, Kecke [Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg (Sweden)

2014-07-15

Highlights: • We study DNA damage response to low-LET photons and high-LET alpha particles. • Cycling primary thyrocytes are more sensitive to radiation than stationary cells. • Influence of radiation quality varies due to cell cycle status of normal cells. • High-LET radiation gives rise to a sustained DNA damage response. - Abstract: Childhood exposure to ionizing radiation increases the risk of developing thyroid cancer later in life and this is suggested to be due to higher proliferation of the young thyroid. The interest of using high-LET alpha particles from Astatine-211 ({sup 211}At), concentrated in the thyroid by the same mechanism as {sup 131}I [1], in cancer treatment has increased during recent years because of its high efficiency in inducing biological damage and beneficial dose distribution when compared to low-LET radiation. Most knowledge of the DNA damage response in thyroid is from studies using low-LET irradiation and much less is known of high-LET irradiation. In this paper we investigated the DNA damage response and biological consequences to photons from Cobolt-60 ({sup 60}Co) and alpha particles from {sup 211}At in normal primary thyrocytes of different cell cycle status. For both radiation qualities the intensity levels of γH2AX decreased during the first 24 h in both cycling and stationary cultures and complete repair was seen in all cultures but cycling cells exposed to {sup 211}At. Compared to stationary cells alpha particles were more harmful for cycling cultures, an effect also seen at the pChk2 levels. Increasing ratios of micronuclei per cell nuclei were seen up to 1 Gy {sup 211}At. We found that primary thyrocytes were much more sensitive to alpha particle exposure compared with low-LET photons. Calculations of the relative biological effectiveness yielded higher RBE for cycling cells compared with stationary cultures at a modest level of damage, clearly demonstrating that cell cycle status influences the relative

Portable Neutron Generator with 9-Section Silicon $\\alpha $-Detector

CERN Document Server

Bystritsky, V M; Kadyshevskij, V G; Khasaev, T O; Kobzev, A P; Presnyakov, Yu K; Rogov,Yu N; Ryzhkov, V I; Sapozhnikov, M G; Sissakian, A N; Slepnev, V M; Zamyatin, N I

2006-01-01

The characteristics of the portable neutron generator with a built-in $\\alpha $-detector are presented. Based on the "tagged" neutron method (TNM) the generator ~is being used for identification of ~the hidden chemical compounds. One of the special features of such generators compared to generators traditionally used and produced in industry is that the generator is a source of monoenergetic "tagged" 14.1 MeV neutrons produced in the binary nuclear reaction $d+t \\to \\alpha $ (3.5 MeV) $+n$ (14.1~MeV). Unambiguous information about the time and direction of the neutron emitted from the target can be obtained by recording an $\\alpha $ particle by the multi-pixel $\\alpha $-detector placed inside the neutron tube. The study of the "tagged" neutron method (TNM) shows that the use of the ($\\alpha $--$\\gamma $) coincidence reduces the gamma background induced by scattered neutrons by a factor of more than 200, which allows the detection and identification of small quantities of explosives, drugs, and toxic agents. T...

Additional evaluation of alpha induced neutron production nuclear data. 9Be, 27Al, 28,29,30Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murata, Toru; Shibata, Keiichi

2005-01-01

Alpha particle induced neutron production cross sections, emitted neutron energy spectrum and angular distributions were evaluated for the target nucleus 9 Be, 27 Al and Si isotopes; 28 Si, 29 Si and 30 Si in the incident energy region below 15 MeV. (author)

A study of etching model of alpha-recoil tracks in biotite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Jinquan; Yuan Wanming; Wang Shicheng; Fan Qicheng

2005-01-01

Like fission-track dating, alpha-recoil track (ART) dating is based on the accumulation of nuclear particles that the released from natural radioactivity and produce etchable tracks in solids. ARTs are formed during the alpha-decay of uranium and thorium as well as of their daughter nuclei. When emitting an alpha-particle, the heavy remaining nucleus recoils 30-40 nm, leaving behind a trail of radiation damage. Through etching the ART tracks become visible with the aid of an interference phase-contrast microscope. Under the presupposition that all tracks are preserved since the formation of a sample their total number is a measure of the sample's age. The research for etching model is to accurately determine ART volume density, i.e., the number of ARTs per unit volume. The volume density of many dots in many layers may be determined on a sample using this etching model, and as decreasing the error and increasing the accuracy. (authors)

The average angular distribution of emitted particles in multi-step compound processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonetti, R.; Carlson, B.V.; Hussein, M.S.; Toledo, A.S. de

1983-05-01

A simple model for the differential cross-section that describes the angular distribution of emitted particles in heavy-ion induced multi-step compound reactions, is constructed. It is suggested that through a careful analysis of the deviations of the experimental data from the pure Hauser-Feshbach behaviour may shed light on the physical nature of the pre-compound, heavy-ion configuration. (Author) [pt

Microdosimetry of monoclonal antibodies labeled with alpha emitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, D.R.

1986-01-01

The recent discovery of new techniques for the production of monoclonal antibodies (MoAB) has opened up a number of potential new applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Monoclonal antibodies labeled with alpha-emitting radionuclides promise to be particularly effective therapeutic agents due to the efficient cell killing ability of highly ionizing, short-range alpha particle tracks localized at specific antigen sites within the tumor mass. For a radioimmunotherapy treatment plan to be effective, one must be able to estimate the absorbed radiation dose to both tumor cells and normal tissues in the body. However, conventional methods used in nuclear medicine for estimating absorbed doses and specific absorbed fractions for radiopharmaceuticals do not apply to alpha emitters owing to their short range and the large variations in the local distribution of energy at the cellular level that result. Microdosimetric techniques developed for assessment of the radiological effects of internally deposited transuranic radionuclides take into account the statistical aspects of alpha particle track structure, energy distribution patterns, and radionuclide distribution within tissues, and provide a means for determining the number and frequency of cells irradiated, the probability densities in specific energy, and the average dose delivered to cells of interest. These techniques can be applied to the study of radiation absorbed dose from alpha-labeled monoclonal antibodies. 16 references, 6 figures

Electronic Properties of DNA-Based Schottky Barrier Diodes in Response to Alpha Particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassan Maktuff Jaber Al-Ta'ii

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Detection of nuclear radiation such as alpha particles has become an important field of research in recent history due to nuclear threats and accidents. In this context; deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA acting as an organic semiconducting material could be utilized in a metal/semiconductor Schottky junction for detecting alpha particles. In this work we demonstrate for the first time the effect of alpha irradiation on an Al/DNA/p-Si/Al Schottky diode by investigating its current-voltage characteristics. The diodes were exposed for different periods (0–20 min of irradiation. Various diode parameters such as ideality factor, barrier height, series resistance, Richardson constant and saturation current were then determined using conventional, Cheung and Cheung’s and Norde methods. Generally, ideality factor or n values were observed to be greater than unity, which indicates the influence of some other current transport mechanism besides thermionic processes. Results indicated ideality factor variation between 9.97 and 9.57 for irradiation times between the ranges 0 to 20 min. Increase in the series resistance with increase in irradiation time was also observed when calculated using conventional and Cheung and Cheung’s methods. These responses demonstrate that changes in the electrical characteristics of the metal-semiconductor-metal diode could be further utilized as sensing elements to detect alpha particles.

Destabilizing effect of alpha particles in a Maxwellian plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, M.Y.

1976-01-01

Various plasma waves which are possibly excited by MeV alphas have been investigated. For a delta birth distribution it is found that: a) The right-circularly polarized Alfven wave can be excited. Its growth rate is linearly proportional to the α-particle density. b) The drift Alfven wave is stable against α-particles. c) For a uniform temperature, the plasma wave spectrum changes from three branches with n/sub α/ = 0 to four branches for n/sub α/ not equal to 0 case. d) α-particles can destabilize the ion drift acoustic wave even with uniform temperature. However, the ion acoustic wave appears to be stable against fusion products in a fusion grade plasma. e) If their effect on the background plasma spectrum is neglected, α-particles can excite the electromagnetic cyclotron wave in a range of harmonics (band structure). The growth rate is proportional to the square root of α-particle density. f) If the effect of α-particle on the plasma spectrum is included, we find that electromagnetic cyclotron wave is stable

Damping of unbound single-particle modes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fortier, S.; Beaumel, D.; Gales, S.; Guillot, J.; Langevin-Joliot, H.; Laurent, H.; Maison, J.M.; Bordewijk, J.; Brandenburg, S.; Krasznahorkay, A.; Crawley, G.M.; Massolo, C.P.; Renteria, M.; Khendriche, A. [Institut de Physique Nucleaire, IN2P3-CNRS, 91406 Orsay Cedex (France)]|[Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut, 9747 AA Groningen (Netherlands)]|[Nuclear Research Institute, Debrecen P.O. Box 51, H-4001 (Hungary)]|[NSCL, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States)]|[Dep. Fisica, Fac. Cs. Exactas, UNLP, CC Nio 67, 1900 La Plata (Argentina)]|[Institut de Sciences Exactes,Universite de Tizi-Ouzou, 15000 Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria)

1995-11-01

The ({alpha},{sup 3}He-{ital n}) reaction has been investigated at 120 MeV incident energy on {sup 64}Ni, {sup 90}Zr, and {sup 120}Sn target nuclei. Neutrons in coincidence with {sup 3}He particles emitted at 0{degree} were detected using the multidetector array EDEN, in order to get information about the decay of single-particle states embedded in the ({alpha},{sup 3}He) continuum. Neutron angular correlations, multiplicity values, and branching ratios to low-lying states of the final nuclei have been compared with the predictions of the statistical decay model. Evidence for a significant nonstatistical decay branch has been observed in the three nuclei below about 15 MeV excitation energy. Direct branching ratios in {sup 91}Zr deduced from this analysis are compared with the predictions of two nuclear structure models. At higher excitation energy, the decay characteristics of the ({alpha},{sup 3}He) continuum are shown to be mainly statistical.

Human cytogenetic dosimetry: a dose-response relationship for alpha particle radiation from 241Am

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DuFrain, R.J.; Littlefield, L.G.; Joiner, E.E.; Frome, E.L.

1979-01-01

Cytogenetic dosimetry estimates to guide treatment of persons internally contaminated with transuranic elements have not previously been possible because appropriate in vitro dose-response curves specifically for alpha particle irradiation of human lymphocytes do not exist. Using well-controlled cytogenetic methods for human lymphocyte culture, an experimentally derived dose-response curve for 241 Am alpha particle (5.49 and 5.44 MeV) radiation of G 0 lymphocytes was generated. Cells were exposed to 43.8, 87.7, 175.3 or 350.6 nCi/ml 241 Am for 1.7 hr giving doses of 0.85, 1.71, 3.42 or 6.84 rad. Based on dicentric chromosome yield, the linear dose-response equation is Y = 4.90(+-0.42) x 10 -2 X, with Y given as dicentrics per cell and X as dose in rads. The study also shows that the two-break asymmetrical exchanges in cells damaged by alpha particle radiation are overdispersed when compared to a Poisson distribution. An example is presented to show how the derived dose-response equation can be used to estimate the radiation dose for a person internally contaminated with an actinide. An experimentally derived RBE value of 118 at 0.85 rad is calculated for the efficiency of 241 Am alpha particle induction of dicentric chromosomes in human G 0 lymphocytes as compared with the efficiency of 60 Co gamma radiation. The maximum theoretical value for the RBE for cytogenetic damage from alpha irradiation was determined to be 278 at 0.1 rad or less which is in marked contrast to previously reported RBE values of approx. 20. (author)

Silicon surface barrier detector and study of energy spectrum of alpha particles from radioactive source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, S.D.; Sinha, Vijaya

1986-01-01

The principles of working of three commonly used radiation detectors, namely ionization chambers, scintillation counters with photomultiplier tube (PMT) systems and semiconductor detectors are briefly discussed. Out of the semiconductor detectors, the silicon surface barrier (SSB) detector has distinct advantages for detection of radiations, alpha particles in particular. The experimental setup to obtain the energy spectrum of alpha particles from 241 Am source using SSB fabricated in the Physics Department of Gujarat University, Ahmedabad is described. Its performance is compared with scintillation counter using PMT. SSB detector shows a sharp peak of #approx # 3 per cent energy resolution. The factors affecting the peak, namely, electronic noise, source dependent factors and detector-dependent factors are discussed. A method of calibrating SSB detectors based on energy loss mechanism of alpha particles in thin absorbers is described. Applications of such detectors are indicated. (M.G.B.)

Evaluate an impact of incident alpha particle and gamma ray on human blood components: A comparison study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ismail, Asaad H.; Yaba, Sardar P.; Ismail, Haider J. [Medical Physics Research Group, Physics Department, Education College, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan (Iraq)

2015-07-01

An impact of alpha and gamma irradiation on human blood components have been evaluated and compared for healthy blood samples (male and females). Irradiation dose and time of irradiation calibrated and considered as a main comparison factors. Density of blood components measured for each in vitro irradiation before and after irradiation for males and females. Survey radiation dosimeter (Inspector Exp) and nuclear track detectors type CR-39 used to evaluate exposure dose rate and incident density of alpha particles, respectively. Experiment results verified that the irradiation of blood makes ionizing of blood components, either alpha or gamma irradiation dose, and the impacts of ionizing radiation were relativity for WBC, RBC, and PLT. Limited irradiation doses of 1-5 μSv/hr considered as a low radiation dose of alpha and gamma radiation sources ({sup 226}Ra, and {sup 137}Cs). Density of alpha particles accumulated on the blood surface was 34 (alpha particle/cm{sup 2}) for selected dose of incident alpha particle. Optimum value of irradiation dose and time of irradiation were 5 μSv/hr and 4 second for males and females. On the other hands, the values of irradiation dose and time of irradiation were 2.1 μSv/hr and 2 second for males and females for gamma irradiation. Thus, present results demonstrated that densities of RBC and WBC cells are capable of inducing reproduction in vitro for both type of irradiation. (authors)

Evaluate an impact of incident alpha particle and gamma ray on human blood components: A comparison study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, Asaad H.; Yaba, Sardar P.; Ismail, Haider J.

2015-01-01

An impact of alpha and gamma irradiation on human blood components have been evaluated and compared for healthy blood samples (male and females). Irradiation dose and time of irradiation calibrated and considered as a main comparison factors. Density of blood components measured for each in vitro irradiation before and after irradiation for males and females. Survey radiation dosimeter (Inspector Exp) and nuclear track detectors type CR-39 used to evaluate exposure dose rate and incident density of alpha particles, respectively. Experiment results verified that the irradiation of blood makes ionizing of blood components, either alpha or gamma irradiation dose, and the impacts of ionizing radiation were relativity for WBC, RBC, and PLT. Limited irradiation doses of 1-5 μSv/hr considered as a low radiation dose of alpha and gamma radiation sources ( 226 Ra, and 137 Cs). Density of alpha particles accumulated on the blood surface was 34 (alpha particle/cm 2 ) for selected dose of incident alpha particle. Optimum value of irradiation dose and time of irradiation were 5 μSv/hr and 4 second for males and females. On the other hands, the values of irradiation dose and time of irradiation were 2.1 μSv/hr and 2 second for males and females for gamma irradiation. Thus, present results demonstrated that densities of RBC and WBC cells are capable of inducing reproduction in vitro for both type of irradiation. (authors)

226Ra determination in phosphogypsum by alpha-particle spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguado, J.L.; Bolivar, J.P.; Garcia-Tenorio, R.

1999-01-01

A radiochemical method for 226 Ra determination by alpha-particle spectrometry in environmental samples has been developed in our laboratory. The method has been validated by measurements in samples with known concentrations of this radionuclide and it has been applied in studies related to 226 Ra behaviour in phosphogypsum (the main by-product of producing phosphoric acid from phosphate rocks). (author)

New advanced in alpha spectrometry by liquid scintillation methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowell, W.J.; Case, G.N.

1979-01-01

Although the ability to count alpha particles by liquid scintillation methods has been long recognized, limited use has been made of the method because of problems of high background and alpha energy identification. In recent years some new developments in methods of introducing the alpha-emitting nuclide to the scintillator, in detector construction, and in electronics for processing the energy analog and time analog signals from the detector have allowed significant alleviation of the problems of alpha spectrometry by liquid scintillation. Energy resolutions of 200 to 300 keV full peak width at half maximum and background counts of 99% of all beta plus gamma interference is now possible. Alpha liquid scintillation spectrometry is now suitable for a wide range of applications, from the accurate quantitative determination of relatively large amounts of known nuclides in laboratory-generated samples to the detection and identification of very small, subpicocurie amounts of alpha emitters in environmental-type samples. Suitable nuclide separation procedures, sample preparation methods, and instrument configurations are available for a variety of analyses

Production method of {alpha} particles; Une methode de production des particules {alpha}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prevot, F [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay(France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1953-07-01

It is proposed a method to get an intense beam of {alpha} particles. With a source of ordinary ions, we form a helium beam, once ionized, it is accelerated with an energy of a few hundreds of keV. While crossing a matter any that can be a thin leaf or a gaseous blade, the second electron of helium is pulled with a yield that only depends on the energy of the beam of helium and that is equal to 1/2 for 650 keV. (author) [French] Il est propose une methode pour obtenir un faisceau intense de particules {alpha}. Avec une source d'ions ordinaire, on forme un faisceau d'helium une fois ionise qu'on accelere avec une energie de quelques centaines de keV. En traversant une matiere quelconque qui peut etre sous forme de feuille mince ou de lame gazeuse, le deuxieme electron de l'helium est arrache avec un rendement qui ne depend que de l'energie du faisceau d'helium et qui vaut 1/2 pour 650 keV. (auteur)

Cryogenic microcalorimeter system for ultra-high resolution alpha-particle spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabin, Michael W.; Hoover, Andrew S.; Bacrania, Minesh K.; Croce, Mark P.; Hoteling, N.J.; Lamont, S.P.; Plionis, A.A.; Dry, D.E.; Ullom, J.N.; Bennett, D.A.; Horansky, R.; Kotsubo, V.; Cantor, R.

2009-01-01

Microcalorimeters have been shown to yield unsurpassed energy resolution for alpha spectrometry, up to 1.06 keV FWHM at 5.3 MeV. These detectors use a superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) to measure the temperature change in an absorber from energy deposited by an interacting alpha particle. Our system has four independent detectors mounted inside a liquid nitrogen/liquid helium cryostat. An adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) cools the detector stage to its operating temperature of 80 mK. Temperature regulation with ∼15 uK peak-to-peak variation is achieved by PID control of the ADR. The detectors are voltage-biased, and the current signal is amplified by a commercial SQUID readout system and digitized for further analysis, This paper will discuss design and operation of our microcalorimeter alpha spectrometer, and will show recent results.

Fabrication, characterization and simulation of 4H-SiC Schottky diode alpha particle detectors for pyroprocessing actinide monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Timothy Richard

Pyroprocessing is a method of using high-temperature molten salts and electric fields to separate and collect fuel isotopes of used nuclear fuel. It has been has been tested in the U.S. at Idaho National Laboratory as a key step in closing the nuclear fuel cycle. One technical problem with the pyroprocessing method is a lack of knowledge regarding the actinide concentrations in the salt bath during operation, since on-line techniques for measuring these concentrations are not presently available. 4H-SiC Schottky diode detectors can potentially fulfill this need. Such detectors would operate in contact with the molten salt, and measure concentrations via alpha-particle spectroscopy. This work seeks to fabricate and characterize 4H-SiC Schottky diode detectors at high temperature, model the alpha particle spectrum expected in a molten salt, and model the operation of the detectors to confirm the physics of operation is as expected. In this work, 4H-SiC Schottky diode detectors were fabricated at OSU Nanotech West. After fabrication, these detectors were characterized using both I-V curves and Am-241 alpha-particle energy spectra. All measurements were made as a function of temperature, from room temperature up to 500°C. The average energy required to create an electron-hole pair was observed to decrease with an increase of temperature, due to a decrease of both the 4H-SiC bandgap and non-linear energy loss terms. Furthermore, the FWHM of the spectra was observed to be dependent on the leakage current at a certain temperature, and not dependent on the temperature itself. Secondly, the alpha particle energy spectrum in the pyroprocessing environment was modeled using SRIM. The molten salt was modeled in 3 different geometries, with or without a protective cover material on top of the detector. Due to the loss of alpha-particle energy in the molten salt itself, a high-energy alpha emitter may completely cover the spectrum from a lower-energy alpha emitter. Each of the

Characterizing gas-particle interactions of phthalate plasticizer emitted from vinyl flooring.

Science.gov (United States)

Benning, Jennifer L; Liu, Zhe; Tiwari, Andrea; Little, John C; Marr, Linsey C

2013-03-19

Phthalates are widely used as plasticizers, and improved ability to predict emissions of phthalates is of interest because of concern about their health effects. An experimental chamber was used to measure emissions of di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP) from vinyl flooring, with ammonium sulfate particles introduced to examine their influence on the emission rate and to measure the partitioning of DEHP onto airborne particles. When particles were introduced to the chamber at concentrations of 100 to 245 μg/m(3), the total (gas + particle) DEHP concentrations increased by a factor of 3 to 8; under these conditions, emissions were significantly enhanced compared to the condition without particles. The measured DEHP partition coefficient to ammonium sulfate particles with a median diameter of 45 ± 5 nm was 0.032 ± 0.003 m(3)/μg (95% confidence interval). The DEHP-particle sorption equilibration time was demonstrated to be less than 1 min. Both the partition coefficient and equilibration time agree well with predictions from the literature. This study represents the first known measurements of the particle-gas partition coefficient for DEHP. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the emission rate of DEHP is substantially enhanced in the presence of particles. The particles rapidly sorb DEHP from the gas phase, allowing more to be emitted from the source, and also appear to enhance the convective mass-transfer coefficient itself. Airborne particles can influence SVOC fate and transport in the indoor environment, and these mechanisms must be considered in evaluating exposure and human health.

Helium burning: a further measurement of the beta-delayed alpha-particle emission of 16 Na

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gai, Moshe

1997-01-01

The 12 C (α,γ) 16 O is a key (but still unknown) reaction in helium burning. Several attempts to constrain the p-wave S-factor at Helium burning temperatures (200 M K) using the beta-delayed alpha-particle emission of 16 N have been made. However, some discrepancy exists between the spectra measured at Settle and that of TRIUMF. We have improved our previous study of the beta-delayed alpha-particle emission of 16 N by improving our statistical sample (by more than a factor of 5), improving the energy resolution of the experiment (by 20%), and in understanding our line shape, deduced from measured quantities. Our newly measured spectrum of the beta-delayed alpha-particle emission of 16 N is consistent with the Seattle ('95) data, as well as an earlier experiment performed at Mains ('71) and is not consistent with the TRIUMF ('94) data. (author)

Hygroscopic properties of smoke-generated organic aerosol particles emitted in the marine atmosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Wonaschütz

2013-10-01

Full Text Available During the Eastern Pacific Emitted Aerosol Cloud Experiment (E-PEACE, a plume of organic aerosol was produced by a smoke generator and emitted into the marine atmosphere from aboard the R/V Point Sur. In this study, the hygroscopic properties and the chemical composition of the plume were studied at plume ages between 0 and 4 h in different meteorological conditions. In sunny conditions, the plume particles had very low hygroscopic growth factors (GFs: between 1.05 and 1.09 for 30 nm and between 1.02 and 1.1 for 150 nm dry size at a relative humidity (RH of 92%, contrasted by an average marine background GF of 1.6. New particles were produced in large quantities (several 10 000 cm−3, which lead to substantially increased cloud condensation nuclei (CCN concentrations at supersaturations between 0.07 and 0.88%. Ratios of oxygen to carbon (O : C and water-soluble organic mass (WSOM increased with plume age: from −3, respectively, while organic mass fractions decreased slightly (~ 0.97 to ~ 0.94. High-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS spectra show that the organic fragment m/z 43 was dominated by C2H3O+ in the small, new particle mode and by C3H7+ in the large particle mode. In the marine background aerosol, GFs for 150 nm particles at 40% RH were found to be enhanced at higher organic mass fractions: an average GF of 1.06 was observed for aerosols with an organic mass fraction of 0.53, and a GF of 1.04 for an organic mass fraction of 0.35.

The local skin dose conversion coefficients of electrons, protons and alpha particles calculated using the Geant4 code.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bintuan; Dang, Bingrong; Wang, Zhuanzi; Wei, Wei; Li, Wenjian

2013-10-01

The skin tissue-equivalent slab reported in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 116 to calculate the localised skin dose conversion coefficients (LSDCCs) was adopted into the Monte Carlo transport code Geant4. The Geant4 code was then utilised for computation of LSDCCs due to a circular parallel beam of monoenergetic electrons, protons and alpha particles electrons and alpha particles are found to be in good agreement with the results using the MCNPX code of ICRP 116 data. The present work thus validates the LSDCC values for both electrons and alpha particles using the Geant4 code.

The development of an innovative, real-time monitor for airborne alpha emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gritzo, R.; Fowler, M.; Wouters, J.

1994-01-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is developing a technology for on-line, real-time monitoring of incinerator stacks for low levels of airborne alpha activity. Referred to as the Large-Volume Flow Thru Detector System (LVFTDS), this technology uses a unique design for sensitive, real-time measurements of alpha particle emissions. Scintillating plates are stacked close together so that alpha-particle emissions in the flowing gas stream strike a plate. The light pulses produced when the alpha particle strikes the plate are registered by photomultiplier tubes and processed to determine the concentration of alpha emitting radionuclides present in the air. This technology directly addresses the public's demand for fast responding, high sensitivity effluent monitoring systems. With Department of Energy (DOE) EM-50 funding LANL has fabricated a beach-top proof of concept detector system and is conducting tests to evaluate its performance. A second generation prototype is being designed, based on requirements driven by potential field test sites. An industrial partner is being solicited to license the technology. Field trials of a full-scale detector system are planned for fiscal year 1995. In this paper the LVFTDS technology is explained, including the measured performance of a prototype detector. The advantages, disadvantages, and other ramifications of applying this technology to incinerator effluent monitoring are also discussed. An overview of the development effort is also provided

Relative biological effectiveness of alpha-particle emitters in vivo at low doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, R.W.; Azure, M.T.; Narra, V.R.; Rao, D.V.

1994-01-01

The therapeutic potential of radionuclides that emit α particles, as well as their associated health hazards, have attracted considerable attention. The 224 Ra daughters 212 Pb and 212 Bi, by virtue of their radiation properties which involve emission of α and β particles in their decay to stable 208 Pb, have been proposed as candidates for radioimmunotherapy. Using mouse testes as the experimental model and testicular spermhead survival as the biological end point, the present work examines the radiotoxicity of 212 Pb and its daughters. When 212 Pb, in equilibrium with its daughters 212 Bi, 212 Po and 208 Tl, was administered directly into the testis, the dose required to achieve 37% survival (D 37 ) was 0.143 ± 0.014 Gy and the corresponding RBE of the mixed radiation field was 4.7 when compared to the D 37 for acute external 120 kVp X rays. This datum, in conjunction with our earlier results for 210 Po, was used to obtain an RBE-LET relationship for α particles emitted by tissue-incorporated radionuclides: RBE α = 4.8 - 6.1 x 10 -2 LET + 1.0 x 10 -3 LET 2 . Similarly, the dependence of RBE on α-particle energy E α was given by RBE α = 22 E α -0.73 . These relationships, based on in vivo experimental data, may be valuable in predicting biological effects of α-particle emitters. 46 refs., 6 figs

Feasibility of alpha particle measurement in a magnetically confined plasma by CO2 laser Thomson scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richards, R.K.; Vander Sluis, K.L.; Hutchinson, D.P.

1987-08-01

Fusion-product alpha particles will dominate the behavior of the next generation of ignited D-T fusion reactors. Advanced diagnostics will be required to characterize the energy deposition of these fast alpha particles in the magnetically confined plasma. For small-angle coherent Thomson scattering of a CO 2 laser beam from such a plasma, a resonance in the scattered power occurs near 90 0 with respect to the magnetic field direction. This spatial concentration permits a simplified detection of the scattered laser power from the plasma using a heterodyne system. The signal produced by the presence of fusion-product alpha particles in an ignited plasma is calculated to be well above the noise level, which results from statistical variations of the background signal produced by scattering from free electrons. 7 refs

MONDO: A tracker for the characterization of secondary fast and ultrafast neutrons emitted in particle therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Mirabelli, R.; Battistoni, G.; Giacometti, V.; Patera, V.; Pinci, D.; Sarti, A.; Sciubba, A.; Traini, G.; Marafini, M.

2018-01-01

In Particle Therapy (PT) accelerated charged particles and light ions are used for treating tumors. One of the main limitation to the precision of PT is the emission of secondary particles due to the beam interaction with the patient: secondary emitted neutrons can release a significant dose far from the tumor. Therefore, a precise characterization of their flux, production energy and angle distribution is eagerly needed in order to improve the Treatment Planning Systems (TPS) codes. The principal aim of the MONDO (MOnitor for Neutron Dose in hadrOntherapy) project is the development of a tracking device optimized for the detection of fast and ultra-fast secondary neutrons emitted in PT. The detector consists of a matrix of scintillating square fibres coupled with a CMOS-based readout. Here, we present the characterization of the detector tracker prototype and CMOS-based digital SPAD (Single Photon Avalanche Diode) array sensor tested with protons at the Beam Test Facility (Frascati, Italy) and at the Proton Therapy Centre (Trento, Italy), respectively.

Calculated /alpha/-induced thick target neutron yields and spectra, with comparison to measured data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, W.B.; Bozoian, M.; Perry, R.T.

1988-01-01

One component of the neutron source associated with the decay of actinide nuclides in many environments is due to the interaction of decay /alpha/ particles in (/alpha/,n) reactions on low Z nuclides. Measurements of (/alpha/,n) thick target neutron yields and associated neutron spectra have been made for only a few combinations of /alpha/ energy and target nuclide or mixtures of actinide and target nuclides. Calculations of thick target neutron yields and spectra with the SOURCES code require /alpha/-energy-dependent cross sections for (/alpha/,n) reactions, as well as branching fractions leading to the energetically possible levels of the product nuclides. A library of these data has been accumulated for target nuclides of Z /le/ 15 using that available from measurements and from recent GNASH code calculations. SOURCES, assuming neutrons to be emitted isotopically in the center-of-mass system, uses libraries of /alpha/ stopping cross sections, (/alpha/,n) reaction cross reactions, product nuclide level branching fractions, and actinide decay /alpha/ spectra to calculate thick target (/alpha/,n) yields and neutron spectra for homogeneous combinations of nuclides. The code also calculates the thick target yield and angle intergrated neutron spectrum produced by /alpha/-particle beams on targets of homogeneous mixtures of nuclides. Illustrative calculated results are given and comparisons are made with measured thick target yields and spectra. 50 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

An Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer for Mars-96 and Mars Pathfinder

Science.gov (United States)

Rieder, R.; Wanke, H.; Economou, T.

1996-09-01

Mars Pathfinder and the Russian Mars-96 will carry an Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) for the determination of the chemical composition of Martian rocks and soil. The instrument will measure the concentration of all major and many minor elements, including C,N and O, at levels above typically 1%. The method employed consist of bombarding a sample of 50 mm diameter with alpha particles from a radioactive source (50 mCi of Cm-244) and measuring: (i) backscattered alpha particles (alpha mode) (ii) protons from (a,p) reactions with some light elements (proton mode) (iii) characteristic X-rays emitted from the sample (X-ray mode). The APXS has a long standing space heritage, going back to Surveyor V,VI and VII (1967/68) and the Soviet Phobos (1988) missions. The present design is the result of an endeavour to reduce mass and power consumption to 600g/ 300mW. It consist of a sensor head containing the alpha sources, a telescope of a silicon detectors for the detection of the alpha particles and protons and a separate X-ray detector with its preamplifier, and an electronics box (80x70x60 mm) containing a microcontroller based multichannel spectrometer. The paper will describe the APXS flight hardware and present results obtained with the flight instrument that will show the instrument capabili- ties and the expected results to be obtained during surface operations on Mars.

Pre-equilibrium decay process in alpha particle induced reactions on thulium and tantalum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohan, Rao, A.V.; Chintalapudi, S.N. (Inter Univ. Consortium for Dept. of atomic Energy Facilities, Calcutta (India))

1994-01-01

Alpha particle induced reactions on the target elements Thulium and Tantalum were investigated upto 60 MeV using stacked foil activation technique and Ge(Li) gamma ray spectroscopy method. Excitation functions for six reactions of [sup 169]Tm([alpha],xn); x=1-4 and [sup 181]Ta([alpha],xn); x=2,4 were studied. The experimental results were compared with the updated version of Hybrid model (ALICE/90) using initial exciton configuration n[sub 0]=4(4pOh). A general agreement was found for all the reactions with this option. (author).

Relativistic alpha-particles emitted in Fe-emulsion interactions at 1.7 A GeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhalla, K.B.; Chaudhry, M.; Lokanathan, S.; Grover, R.K.; Daftari, I.K.; Mangotra, L.L.; Rao, N.K.; Garpman, S.; Otterlund, I.

1981-02-01

Relativistic α-particles have been studied in 423 Fe-emulsion interactions at 1.7 A Gev. Comparisons of the observed angular distribution with that from 16 O-emulsion reactions at 2.1 A GeV reveal that more α particles are observed at large angles in the Fe-emulsion reactions. The α particles with large angles connot be explained by fragmentation from a clean cut spectator. Comparison of the experimental data with moving relativistic Boltzmann distributions shows that a single Boltzmann distribution cannot fit the fragmentation peak and the tail simultaneously. A thermal source (fireball) explaining the tail part of the distribution need to be formed by a mechanism other than simple clean cut participant-spectator picture. A large transverse momentum transfer to spectator before fragmentation may explain the tail. (author)

Charge-exchange diagnostic of fusion alpha particles and ICRF driven minority ions in MeV energy range in JET plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izvozchikov, A.B.; Khudoleev, A.V.; Petrov, M.P.; Petrov, S.Ya.; Kozlovskij, S.S.; Corti, S.; Gondahalekar, A.

1991-12-01

An important concern in alpha particle heating physics is that fusion alpha particles will be lost before giving all their energy to heat the plasma. In other words, that the radial diffusion time of the alphas may be shorter than their slowing down time in the plasma core. Therefore radially resolved measurements of density and energy spectrum of slowing-down alphas confined in the plasma are high priority diagnostic objectives. In this report application of Charge Exchange Neutral Particle Analysis on Joint European Torus will be discussed. After a description of physical principles of the method a suitable Neutral Particle Analyzer (NPA) will be described in detail and estimates of measurement performance made for different plasma heating and confinement modes in JET. (author)

Alpha spectrometric characterization of process-related particle size distributions from active particle sampling at the Los Alamos National Laboratory uranium foundry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plionis, Alexander A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Peterson, Dominic S [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Tandon, Lav [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Lamont, Stephen P [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2009-01-01

Uranium particles within the respirable size range pose a significant hazard to the health and safety of workers. Significant differences in the deposition and incorporation patterns of aerosols within the respirable range can be identified and integrated into sophisticated health physics models. Data characterizing the uranium particle size distribution resulting from specific foundry-related processes are needed. Using personal air sampling cascade impactors, particles collected from several foundry processes were sorted by activity median aerodynamic diameter onto various Marple substrates. After an initial gravimetric assessment of each impactor stage, the substrates were analyzed by alpha spectrometry to determine the uranium content of each stage. Alpha spectrometry provides rapid nondestructive isotopic data that can distinguish process uranium from natural sources and the degree of uranium contribution to the total accumulated particle load. In addition, the particle size bins utilized by the impactors provide adequate resolution to determine if a process particle size distribution is: lognormal, bimodal, or trimodal. Data on process uranium particle size values and distributions facilitate the development of more sophisticated and accurate models for internal dosimetry, resulting in an improved understanding of foundry worker health and safety.

Effect of Drive Cycle and Gasoline Particulate Filter on the Size and Morphology of Soot Particles Emitted from a Gasoline-Direct-Injection Vehicle.

Science.gov (United States)

Saffaripour, Meghdad; Chan, Tak W; Liu, Fengshan; Thomson, Kevin A; Smallwood, Gregory J; Kubsh, Joseph; Brezny, Rasto

2015-10-06

The size and morphology of particulate matter emitted from a light-duty gasoline-direct-injection (GDI) vehicle, over the FTP-75 and US06 transient drive cycles, have been characterized by transmission-electron-microscope (TEM) image analysis. To investigate the impact of gasoline particulate filters on particulate-matter emission, the results for the stock-GDI vehicle, that is, the vehicle in its original configuration, have been compared to the results for the same vehicle equipped with a catalyzed gasoline particulate filter (GPF). The stock-GDI vehicle emits graphitized fractal-like aggregates over all driving conditions. The mean projected area-equivalent diameter of these aggregates is in the 78.4-88.4 nm range and the mean diameter of primary particles varies between 24.6 and 26.6 nm. Post-GPF particles emitted over the US06 cycle appear to have an amorphous structure, and a large number of nucleation-mode particles, depicted as low-contrast ultrafine droplets, are observed in TEM images. This indicates the emission of a substantial amount of semivolatile material during the US06 cycle, most likely generated by the incomplete combustion of accumulated soot in the GPF during regeneration. The size of primary particles and soot aggregates does not vary significantly by implementing the GPF over the FTP-75 cycle; however, particles emitted by the GPF-equipped vehicle over the US06 cycle are about 20% larger than those emitted by the stock-GDI vehicle. This may be attributed to condensation of large amounts of organic material on soot aggregates. High-contrast spots, most likely solid nonvolatile cores, are observed within many of the nucleation-mode particles emitted over the US06 cycle by the GPF-equipped vehicle. These cores are either generated inside the engine or depict incipient soot particles which are partially carbonized in the exhaust line. The effect of drive cycle and the GPF on the fractal parameters of particles, such as fractal dimension and

Preparation and preclinical evaluation of {sup 211}At-labelled compounds for {alpha}-particle radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsen, R H

1994-12-31

The interest for {alpha}-particle emitters in internal radiotherapy is increasing due to improved conjugation chemistry. Experimental work has concentrated on {sup 211}At and {sup 212}Bi since these to nuclides have radiochemical and physical properties suitable for medical application. In this report it is demonstrated that biologically active {sup 211}At-labelled compounds can be prepared within a relatively short time allowing utilization of this 7.2 h {alpha}-particle. It is further shown that {sup 211}At-TP-3 treatment of human osteosarcoma in vitro gives promising therapeutic ratios. 76 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Development of a low-level, in-line alpha counter (LLILAC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gritzo, R.E.; Farnham, J.E.; Fowler, M.M.; Wouters, J.

1996-01-01

This is the final report of a two-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). With the increasing awareness of water contamination issues and the rising consequences of any form of contamination, real-time continuous monitoring is rapidly becoming a necessity. In particular, monitoring for the presence of any radioactive material is paramount. The most difficult of such monitoring tasks is that of detecting alpha-emitting radionuclides in water. Our development of the Low Level In-Line Alpha Counter (LLILAC) addresses the need for on-line, near real-time monitoring of alpha-emitting radionuclides in aqueous streams in a wide variety of applications. Although primarily designed as an on-line instrument for real-time applications, the detector can also be used for long-term in situ/post-closure monitoring. This detection system operates by allowing the stream to be monitored to come in contact with a large number of small rods or tubes made of scintillation material. By maximizing the surface to volume ratio of the scintillator, the response to alpha particles is favored over other types of radiation. Several configurations of scintillator and light collection schemes have been investigated to optimize the detection efficiency. We have also written several Monte Carlo codes to help to predict and understand the detector performance

Survival of human osteosarcoma cells and normal human fibroblasts following alpha particle irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, E.L.; Gemmell, M.A.

1981-01-01

Cell survival of human osteosarcoma cells in culture following alpha particle irradiation is reported here for the first time. The osteosarcoma cell line (TE-85) is found to be less sensitive to inactivation by 5.6 MeV alpha particles (LET 86 keV/μm) than normal diploid human fibroblasts (NFS). Values for the mean lethal doses were estimated to be 103 rads for the TE-85 cells compared with 68 rads for the NFS cultures irradiated under identical conditions. It is postulated that the aneuploidy of the tumor cells with increased DNA chromosomal material may confer a selective advantage for the survival of tumor cells relative to normal cells with diploid chromosomes

The inelastic scattering of medium energy {alpha} particles; Sur la diffusion inelastique des particules {alpha} a moyenne energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crut, M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1960-07-01

The aim of this work is to find out what are the properties of the so-called 'anomalous states' in medium weight nuclei. These states preferentially excited in the inelastic scattering of medium energy charged particles have an excitation energy at about 4 MeV for nuclei with Z {<=} 29 and in the range 2-3 MeV for high Z nuclei. From a combination of angular distribution data in the elastic and inelastic scattering of 30 MeV {alpha} particles, and correlation data between inelastic {alpha} particles and deexcitation {gamma} rays, we show that for even-even nuclei, we can attribute spin 3 and parity minus to these 'anomalous states'. This is quite in agreement with the interpretation of these levels suggested by Lane as due to collective octupole oscillations. We give a resume of the theories used in the analysis of the data and a description of the experimental set-up. (author) [French] Le but de cette etude est de determiner les proprietes des niveaux dits 'anormalement excites' lors de la diffusion inelastique des particules chargees de moyenne energie sur des noyaux de masse moyenne et lourde. L'energie de ces niveaux est de l'ordre de 4 MeV pour les noyaux avec Z {<=} 29 et de 2 a 3 MeV pour les noyaux de Z plus eleve. De l'examen des courbes de distribution angulaire des particules {alpha} de 30 MeV diffusees elastiquement et inelastiquement, et de la correlation angulaire entre {alpha} excitant ces niveaux 'anormaux' et {gamma} de desexcitation, on deduit que, dans le cas des pair-pair, on peut attribuer a ces niveaux spin 3 et parite moins. Ceci renforce l'hypothese emise par Lane qui attribue ces niveaux a des oscillations octupolaires de la surface du noyau. On donne un apercu des theories utilisees dans l'analyse des resultats et une description des dispositifs experimentaux. (auteur)

Development of thin foil Faraday collector as a lost alpha particle diagnostic for high yield D-T tokamak fusion plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Belle, P; Jarvis, O N; Sadler, G J [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Cecil, F E [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

1994-07-01

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-FG-BRA-10: Radiodosimetry of a Novel Alpha Particle Therapy Targeted to Uveal Melanoma: Absorbed Dose to Organs in Mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tichacek, Christopher J.; Tafreshi, Narges K.; Budzevich, Mikalai M.; Ruiz, Epifanio [Small Animal Imaging Core, Tampa, FL (United States); Wadas, Thaddeus J. [Wake Forest School of Medicine, Departments of Radiology and Cancer Biology, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); McLaughlin, Mark L. [Department of Chemistry, Tampa, FL (United States); H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute (United States); Modulation Therapeutics, Inc., Tampa, FL (United States); Moros, Eduardo G.; Morse, David L.

2016-06-15

Purpose: The melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) is expressed in 94% of uveal melanomas and is described as an ideal target for this untreatable disease. MC1RL is a high affinity MC1R specific peptidomimetic ligand that can serve as a scaffold for therapeutic conjugates such as alpha particle emitting isotopes. The purpose of this study was to assess normal tissue distribution and risk as a result of using the DOTA chelator conjugated to MC1RL to deliver {sup 225}Ac: MC1RL-DOTA-{sup 225}Ac. Methods: 17 non-tumor bearing BALB/c mice were intravenously injected with the novel MC1RL-DOTA-{sup 225}Ac radiopharmaceutical with an average initial administered activity of 2.5 µCi. After the injection, three groups of animals (6, 6, and 5 per group) were euthanized at 24, 48, and 96 hour time points. A total of 11 organs of interest were harvested at each time point including kidneys and liver. Since the emitted alpha particles from {sup 225}Ac and its daughter products are not easy to detect directly, the isomeric gamma spectra were measured instead in the tissue samples using a modified Atomlab™ Gamma Counter (Biodex Medical Systems, Inc) and converted using factors for gamma ray abundance per alpha decay. Dosimetry was performed using measured radioactivity distribution in organs and the generalized internal dosimetry schema of MIRD pamphlet #21. Results: Our calculations have shown that the maximum absorbed dose was delivered to the liver with a total of 47 cGy per 96 hour period. The average dose per kidney was calculated to be 21 cGy. Heart, brain, lung, spleen, skin doses ranged from 0.01 to 1 cGy over the same time period. All animals gained weight over the 110 day decay period and no organ damage was observed by pathology. Conclusion: Based on our results, the risk of using the MC1RL-DOTA-{sup 225}Ac compound is relatively small in terms of deterministic radiation effects. Funding Support: NIH/NCI P50CA168536-03 Skin SPORE; NIH/NCI Phase I SBIR Contract #HHSN

Study on Characteristic of CdZnTe Semiconductor Detectors for Alpha Particle Measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Sang Mook; Ha, Jang Ho; Kim, Yong Kyun; Park, Se Hwan; Kim, Han Soo; Chung, Chong Eun

2005-01-01

The last 2-3 years have seen continued effort in the development of a wide band gap room-temperature compound semiconductor devices aimed principally at photon imaging covering hard X-rays, synchrotrons, and low to medium energy gamma rays. Especially, among the semiconductor materials of a wide band gap, CdZnTe(CZT) has commonly used X-ray and gammaray detection applications because of the opportunity to achieve and excellent spectral and spatial resolution. It has recently been demonstrated that CZT can be used as an ancillary detector with the ability to detect both alpha particles and X-ray at room temperature. CZT detectors are relatively inexpensive compared with some silicon detectors, and are priced about the same as amorphous silicon and photodiodes which are routinely used for charged particle detection. In this paper, we investigated the use of the CZT semiconductor material as an alpha particles detector

The Use Of Optical Properties Of Cr-39 In Alpha Particle Equivalent Dose Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shnishin, K.A.

2007-01-01

In this work, optical properties of alpha irradiated Cr-39 were measured as a function of optical photon wavelength from 200-1100 nm. Optical energy gap and optical absorption at finite wavelength was also calculated and correlated to alpha fluence and dose equivalent. Alpha doses were calculated from the corresponding irradiation fluence and specific energy loss using TRIM computer program. It was found that, the optical absorption of unattached Cr-39 was varied with alpha fluence and corresponding equivalent doses. Also the optical energy gab was varied with fluence and dose equivalent of alpha particles. This work introduces a reasonably simple method for the Rn dose equivalent calculation by Cr-39 track

Destabilization of low mode number Alfven modes in a tokamak by energetic or alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, K.T.; Sigmar, D.J.; Whitson, J.C.

1980-12-01

With the inclusion of finite Larmor radius effects in the shear Alfven eigenmode equation, the continuous Alfven spectrum, which has been extensively discussed in ideal magnetohydrodynamics, is removed. Neutrally stable, discrete radial eigenmodes appear in the absence of sources of free energy and dissipation. Alpha (or energetic) particle toroidal drifts destabilize these modes, provided the particles are faster than the Alfven speed. Although the electron Landu resonance contributes to damping, a stability study of the parametric variation of the energy and the density scale length of the energetic particles shows that modes with low radial mode numbers remain unstable in most cases. Since the alpha particles are concentrated in the center of the plasma, this drift-type instability suggests anomalous helium ash diffusion. Indeed, it is shown that stochasticity of alpha orbits due to the overlapping of radially neighboring Alfven resonances is induced at low amplitudes, e/sub i//sup approx./phi/T/sub i/ greater than or equal to 0.05, implying a diffusion coefficient D/sub r//sup α/ greater than or equal to 4.4 x 10 3 cm 2 /s

Display of charged ionizing particles; Visualizacion de particulas cargadas ionizantes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cano S, D.; Ortiz A, M. D.; Amarillas S, L. E.; Vega C, H. R., E-mail: qfbcano@gmail.com [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Estudios Nucleares, Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98060 Zacatecas, Zac. (Mexico)

2017-10-15

The human being is exposed to sources of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, both of natural or anthropogenic origin. None of these, except non-ionizing such as visible light and infrared radiation, can be detected by the sense of sight and touch respectively. The sun emits charged particles with speeds close to the light that interact with the atoms of the gases present in the atmosphere, producing nuclear reactions that in turn produce other particles that reach the surface of the Earth and reach the living beings. On Earth there are natural radioisotopes that, when they disintegrate, emit ionizing radiation that contributes to the dose we receive. A very old system that allows the visualization of the trajectories of the charged ionizing particles is the Fog Chamber that uses a saturated steam that when crossed by particles with mass and charge, as alpha and beta particles produce condensation centers along its path leaves a trace that can be seen. The objective of this work was to build a fog chamber using easily accessible materials. To measure the functioning of the fog chamber, cosmic rays were measured, as well as a source of natural metal uranium. The fog chamber allowed seeing the presence of traces in alcohol vapor that are produced in a random way. Introducing the uranium foil inside the fog chamber, traces of alpha particles whose energy varies from 4 to 5 MeV were observed. (Author)

Use of track-end alpha particles from 241Am to study radiosensitive sites in CHO cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, R.; Cole, A.; Robinson, S.

1976-01-01

Monolayers of CHO cells placed on membrane filters were irradiated with alpha particles from a 241 Am source. Particle penetration into the cells was controlled by placing the cell sample at various distances from the source. Dosimetric and spectrometric measurements were performed at comparable positions using a parallel plate ionization chamber and a scintillation crystal spectrometer. Cell survival, as measured by conventional cloning techniques, was single hit in form. A pronounced minimum in mean lethal dose of 29 rad was observed for alpha particle beams that penetrated only about 3 μm into the cell. A pronounced maximum in inactivation cross section of 90 μm 2 , equal to about half the projected area of the nucleus, occurred for beams that penetrated only 5 to 7 μm into the cell. Thus, a single alpha particle penetration several micrometers within the cell nucleus was effective in killing the cell, while fully penetrating beams were actually less efficient; the latter beams required multiple particle traversals and about three times the cell dose to achieve the same effect. These results support the proposal that radiosensitive sites are located in a thin peripheral region of the nucleus

Angular correlation between short-range. cap alpha. particles and. gamma. quanta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kul' chitskii, L A; Latyshev, G D; Bulyginskii, D G

1949-01-01

Chang (Phys. Rev. 69, 60(1946); 70, 632(1946)) has found that the intensities of short-range ..cap alpha.. rays of Po and Ra are considerably higher than the values given by the Geiger-Nuttall law. This can be explained by assuming surface vibrations of ..cap alpha..-radioactive nuclei, which produce deformations and corresponding lowerings of the potential barrier in certain directions. In this case an angular correlation should exist between the short-range ..cap alpha.. ray and the accompanying ..gamma.. quantum. The authors checked this conclusion by applying the coincidence method to the ..cap alpha.. and ..gamma.. radiations of a mixture of RdTh (/sup 228/Th) and ThC (/sup 212/Bi). Maxima of coincidence numbers occur at angles 45 and 135 deg., with lesser maxima at 0 and 180 deg. Theoretical considerations show that in cases (like the one investigated) where the nuclear spin before and after the ..cap alpha.. and ..gamma.. emissions is zero, the angular correlations are uniquely determined whatever the deformation caused by the vibration; in other cases, the correlation depends on the kind of deformation. Therefore, it would be interesting to investigate the case of Pa, whose nuclear spin is not zero and the decay exhibits intensive groups of short-range ..cap alpha.. particles.

WAD, a program to calculate the heat produced by alpha decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarvis, R.G.; Bretzlaff, C.I.

1982-09-01

The FORTRAN program WAD (Watts from Alpha Decay) deals with the alpha and beta decay chains to be encountered in advanced fuel cycles for CANDU reactors. The data library covers all necessary alpha-emitting and beta-emitting nuclides and the program calculates the heat produced by alpha decay. Any permissible chain can be constructed very simply

Transformation of mouse embryo (C3H 10T1/2) cells by alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, E.L.; Gemmell, A.; Henning, C.B.; Gemmell, D.S.; Zabransky, B.J.

1977-01-01

Mammalian cells in culture (C3H mouse 10T1/2 cells) have been shown here for the first time to be transformed by alpha irradiation when cells were irradiated with 5.6 MeV alpha particles from a Tandem Van de Graaff machine. Malignant tumors were induced following inoculation of the transformed cells into syngeneic hosts. Unirradiated control cells injected at the same concentration have, so far, failed to produce tumors. The morphology of the transformed foci was remarkably similar to that obtained by x rays and chemicals but different from virally transformed cells. When the cells were seeded at low density in the exponential growth phase, the transformation frequency per surviving cell increased approximately as the cube of the dose and peaked at an alpha particle fluence between 1.5 and 2.5 x 10 7 alpha particles per cm 2 (205 to 342 rads). The frequency of the transformation was found to be greatly dependent on the number of cells per dish irradiated. Irradiation of larger numbers resulted in much lower frequencies of transformation. The maximum transformation frequency observed in nine separate experiments was 4 percent of the surviving cells. At doses greater than 200 rads the transformation frequency per surviving cell remained constant. The present results permit us to conclude that alpha irradiation may, indeed, be able to exert a direct effect on the genome of the cell to produce malignancy without any external immunological or hormonal influences

Alpha particle collective Thomson scattering in TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machuzak, J.S.; Woskov, P.P.; Rhee, D.Y.; Gilmore, J.; Bindslev, H.

1993-01-01

A collective Thomson scattering diagnostic is being implemented on TFTR to measure alpha particle, energetic and thermal ion densities and velocity distributions. A 60 GHz, 0.1-1 kW gyrotron will be used as the transmitter source, and the scattering geometry will be perpendicular to the magnetic field in the extraordinary mode polarization. An enhanced scattered signal is anticipated from fluctuations in the lower hybrid frequency range with this scattering geometry. Millimeter wave collective Thomson scattering diagnostics have the advantage of larger scattering angles to decrease the amount of stray light, and long, high power, modulated pulses to obtain improved signal to noise through synchronous detection techniques

Alpha contamination assessment for D ampersand D activities: Monitoring pipe interiors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rawool-Sullivan, M.W.; Conaway, J.G.; MacArthur, D.W.; Vaccarella, J.

1996-02-01

We have developed a prototype instrument capable of assessing alpha-emitting contamination on interior surfaces of ducts, pipes, tanks, and other enclosed volumes without inserting a probe. Air is drawn through the potentially contaminated volume and then through a detection grid, where ions created in the air by alpha particles are collected and the resulting charge measured with a sensitive electrometer. A filter at the intake end of the contaminated volume excludes externally created ions, so only ions generated inside the volume are detected. We have studied the response of this prototype in initial experiments using calibrated alpha sources with various pipe diameters and configurations, air flows, and source locations in the pipes. The results of these experiments indicate that this method can be an effective approach to assessing internal contamination

A variational calculation of 12C in the alpha-particle model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portilho, O.

1973-01-01

Some physical properties of three structureless alpha particles interacting through two-body potentials were discussed. Comparison between them and the corresponding experimental observations for the 12 C nucleus is done. The wave function is expanded in terms of translationally invariant harmonic-oscillator states, the coefficients being variational parameters

Preliminary proposals for extending the ENDF format to allow incident charged particles and energy-angle correlation for emitted particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacFarlane, R.E.; Stewart, L.; Hale, G.M.; Dunford, C.L.

1984-04-01

This rewrite of Data Formats and Procedures for the Evaluated Nuclear Data File, ENDF pertains to the latest version, ENDF/B-VI. Earlier versions provided representations for neutron cross sections and distributions, photon production from neutron reactions, a limited amount of charged-particle production from neutron reactions, photo-atomic interaction data, thermal neutron scattering data, and radionuclide production and decay data (including fission products). This version allows higher incident energies, adds more complete descriptions of the distributions of emitted particles, and provides for incident charged particles and photo-nuclear data by partitioning the ENDF library into sublibraries. Decay data, fission product yield data, thermal scattering data, and photo-atomic data have also been formally placed in sublibraries. In addition, this rewrite represents an extensive update to the Version V manual

Design and construction of a system for determining Radon-222 through Alpha spectroscopy; Diseno y construccion de un sistema para determinar Radon-222 mediante Espectroscopia alfa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonifacio, J.; Iturbe, J.L

1992-02-15

The study of the present work consists on designing a system to measure gas {sup 222} Rn, using a surface barrier detector, in order to obtaining a more accuracy measure of this isotope by means of an alpha particle spectra and thus to try to avoid the influence of the radioactivity of the isotope descendants of short half life, which are also emitting of alpha particles, since by other methods its should make a series of corrections to obtain the real value of the radon activity. (Author)

Technique for measuring the losses of alpha particles to the wall in TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

England, A.C.

1984-03-01

It is proposed to measure the losses of alpha particles to the wall in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) or any large deuterium-tritium (D-T) burning tokamak by a nuclear technique. For this purpose, a chamber containing a suitable fluid would be mounted near the wall of the tokamak. Alpha particles would enter the chamber through a thin window and cause nuclear reactions in the fluid. The material would then be transported through a tube to a remote, low-background location for measurement of the activity. The most favorable reaction suggested here is 10 B(α,n) 13 N, although 14 N(α,γ) 18 F and others may be possible. The system, the sensitivity, the probe design, and the sources of error are described

Chromosomal aberrations induced by alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerrero C, C.; Brena V, M.

2005-01-01

The chromosomal aberrations produced by the ionizing radiation are commonly used when it is necessary to establish the exposure dose of an individual, it is a study that is used like complement of the traditional physical systems and its application is only in cases in that there is doubt about what indicates the conventional dosimetry. The biological dosimetry is based on the frequency of aberrations in the chromosomes of the lymphocytes of the individual in study and the dose is calculated taking like reference to the dose-response curves previously generated In vitro. A case of apparent over-exposure to alpha particles to which is practiced analysis of chromosomal aberrations to settle down if in fact there was exposure and as much as possible, to determine the presumed dose is presented. (Author)

Detection of alpha particles using DNA/Al Schottky junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Ta' ii, Hassan Maktuff Jaber, E-mail: hassankirkukly@gmail.com, E-mail: vengadeshp@um.edu.my [Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Al-Muthana, Al-Muthana 66001 (Iraq); Periasamy, Vengadesh, E-mail: hassankirkukly@gmail.com, E-mail: vengadeshp@um.edu.my [Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Amin, Yusoff Mohd [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2015-09-21

Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA can be utilized in an organic-metallic rectifying structure to detect radiation, especially alpha particles. This has become much more important in recent years due to crucial environmental detection needs in both peace and war. In this work, we fabricated an aluminum (Al)/DNA/Al structure and generated current–voltage characteristics upon exposure to alpha radiation. Two models were utilized to investigate these current profiles; the standard conventional thermionic emission model and Cheung and Cheung's method. Using these models, the barrier height, Richardson constant, ideality factor and series resistance of the metal-DNA-metal structure were analyzed in real time. The barrier height, Φ value calculated using the conventional method for non-radiated structure was 0.7149 eV, increasing to 0.7367 eV after 4 min of radiation. Barrier height values were observed to increase after 20, 30 and 40 min of radiation, except for 6, 8, and 10 min, which registered a decrease of about 0.67 eV. This was in comparison using Cheung and Cheung's method, which registered 0.6983 eV and 0.7528 eV for the non-radiated and 2 min of radiation, respectively. The barrier height values, meanwhile, were observed to decrease after 4 (0.61 eV) to 40 min (0.6945 eV). The study shows that conventional thermionic emission model could be practically utilized for estimating the diode parameters including the effect of series resistance. These changes in the electronic properties of the Al/DNA/Al junctions could therefore be utilized in the manufacture of sensitive alpha particle sensors.

Dosimetry of bone metastases in targeted radionuclide therapy with alpha-emitting {sup 223}Ra-dichloride

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pacilio, Massimiliano [Azienda Ospealiera San Camillo Forlianini, Rome (Italy). Dept. of Medical Physics; Ventroni, Guido; Mango, Lucio [Azienda Ospealiera San Camillo Forlianini, Rome (Italy). Dept. of Nuclear Medicin; De Vincentis, Giuseppe; Di Castro, Elisabetta; Frantellizzi, Viviana; Follacchio, Giulia Anna; Garkavaya, Tatiana [Rome Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo Pathological Sciences; Cassano, Bartolomeo; Lorenzon, Leda [Rome Univ. (Italy). Postgraduate School of Medical Physics; Pellegrini, Rosanna; Pani, Roberto [Rome Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Molecular Medicine; Ialongo, Pasquale [Azienda Ospealiera San Camillo Forlianini, Rome (Italy). Dept. of Radiology

2016-01-15

Ra-dichloride is an alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical used in the treatment of bone metastases from castration-resistant prostate cancer. Image-based dosimetric studies remain challenging because the emitted photons are few. The aim of this study was to implement a methodology for in-vivo quantitative planar imaging, and to assess the absorbed dose to lesions using the MIRD approach. The study included nine Caucasian patients with 24 lesions (6 humeral head lesions, 4 iliac wing lesions, 2 scapular lesions, 5 trochanter lesions, 3 vertebral lesions, 3 glenoid lesions, 1 coxofemoral lesion). The treatment consisted of six injections (one every 4 weeks) of 50 kBq per kg body weight. Gamma-camera calibrations for {sup 223}Ra included measurements of sensitivity and transmission curves. Patients were statically imaged for 30 min, using an MEGP collimator, double-peak acquisition, and filtering to improve the image quality. Lesions were delineated on {sup 99m}Tc-MDP whole-body images, and the ROIs superimposed on the {sup 223}Ra images after image coregistration. The activity was quantified with background, attenuation, and scatter correction. Absorbed doses were assessed deriving the S values from the S factors for soft-tissue spheres of OLINDA/EXM, evaluating the lesion volumes by delineation on the CT images. In 12 lesions with a wash-in phase the biokinetics were assumed to be biexponential, and to be monoexponential in the remainder. The optimal timing for serial acquisitions was between 1 and 5 h, between 18 and 24 h, between 48 and 60 h, and between 7 and 15 days. The error in cumulated activity neglecting the wash-in phase was between 2 % and 12 %. The mean effective half-life (T{sub 1/2eff}) of {sup 223}Ra was 8.2 days (range 5.5-11.4 days). The absorbed dose (D) after the first injection was 0.7 Gy (range 0.2-1.9 Gy). Considering the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of alpha particles (RBE = 5), D{sub RBE} = 899 mGy/MBq (range 340-2,450 mGy/MBq). The

Coordination chemistry of the {sup 212}Pb/{sup 212}Bi nuclear transformation: Alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. Final technical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parks, N.J.; Harris, W.R.; Keen, C.L.; Cooper, S.R.

1992-07-01

Subdivisions of this project are: (a) the synthesis of prototypical thiolate and dithiocarbamate based hexacoordinate complexes, (b) radiochemical engineering for generation of no-carrier-added lead and bismuth radioelements, (c) the first isolation of bismuth-binding proteins from in vivo studies with cyclotron produced {sup 205/206}Bi tracer, and (d) initial development of transport mechanisms for the intracellular radiobiological study of alpha emitting bismuth, and (e) the initiation of chemical equilibrium studies and biochemical pathways with cyclotron-produced, no-carrier-added, {sup 203}Pb (T{sub 1/2} = 51 hr).

K-shell X-ray production cross sections of Ni induced by protons, alpha-particles, and He{sup +}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertol, A.P.L. [Programa de Pós-graduação em Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Hinrichs, R. [Programa de Pós-graduação em Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Vasconcellos, M.A.Z., E-mail: marcos@if.ufrgs.br [Programa de Pós-graduação em Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2015-11-15

The proton, alpha-particle, and He{sup +} induced X-ray emissions of Ni were measured on mono-elemental thin films in order to obtain the K-shell X-ray production cross section in the energy range of 0.7–2.0 MeV for protons, 4.0–6.5 MeV for alpha-particles, and 3.0–4.0 MeV for He{sup +}. The proton-induced X-ray production cross section for Ni agreed well with the theoretical values, endorsing the quality of the measurements. The X-ray production cross section induced with alpha-particles is in good agreement with ECPSSR theory in the complete range of energies, while for He{sup +} that quantity is systematically below. K{sub β}/K{sub α} ratios were evaluated and compared with experimental and theoretical values.

Angular correlation between the heavy fragments and the light charged particles in tripartition of 236U and 252Cf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sowinski, M.

1975-05-01

The energy distributions and relative intensities of protons, deuterons, tritons and alpha-particles emitted along the fission axis during thermal neutron fission of 236 U are measured simultaneously with the energies of the two fission fragments. The mass distributions of the fragments, the total kinetic energy (TKE), the dependence of the mean TKE on the fragment mass, as well as the mean kinetic energy dependence of polar particles on the fragment mass and energy are deduced from these data. Although some experimental results agree remarkably well with the hypothesis that polar particles are evaporated in-flight from fission fragments, the general conclusion is that these particles are emitted according to some other mechanism

Hygroscopic behaviour of aerosol particles emitted from biomass fired grate boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rissler, Jenny; Swietlicki, Erik [Lund Univ. (Sweden). Div. of Nuclear Physics; Pagels, Joakim; Wierzbicka, Aneta; Bohgard, Mats [Lund Univ. (Sweden). Div. of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology; Strand, Michael; Lillieblad, Lena; Sanati, Mehri [Vaexjoe Univ. (Sweden). Bioenergy Technology

2005-02-01

This study focuses on the hygroscopic properties of sub-micrometer aerosol particles emitted from two small-scale district heating combustion plants (1 and 1.5 MW) burning two types of biomass fuels (moist forest residue and pellets). The hygroscopic particle diameter growth was measured when taken from a dehydrated to a humidified state for particle diameters between 30-350 nm (dry size) using a Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (H-TDMA). Particles of a certain dry size all showed similar hygroscopic growth and the average diameter growth at RH=90% for 110/100 nm particles was 1.68 in the 1 MW boiler, and 1.52 in the 1.5 MW boiler. These growth factors are considerably higher in comparison to other combustion aerosol particles such as diesel exhaust, and are the result of the efficient combustion and the high concentration of alkali species in the fuel. The observed water uptake could be explained using the Zdanovskii-Stokes-Robinson (ZSR) mixing rule and a chemical composition of only potassium salts, taken from an Ion Chromatography analysis of filter sample (KCl, K{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, and K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}). Agglomerated particles collapsed and became more spherical when initially exposed to a moderately high relative humidity. When diluting with hot particle-free air, the fractal-like structures remained intact until humidified in the HTDMA. A method is presented to by which to estimate the fractal dimension of the agglomerated combustion aerosol and correct the measured mobility diameter hygroscopic growth to the more useful property volume growth. The fractal dimension was estimated to be {approx}2.5.

Hygroscopic behaviour of aerosol particles emitted from biomass fired grate boilers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rissler, Jenny; Swietlicki, Erik; Pagels, Joakim; Wierzbicka, Aneta; Bohgard, Mats; Strand, Michael; Lillieblad, Lena; Sanati, Mehri

2005-01-01

This study focuses on the hygroscopic properties of sub-micrometer aerosol particles emitted from two small-scale district heating combustion plants (1 and 1.5 MW) burning two types of biomass fuels (moist forest residue and pellets). The hygroscopic particle diameter growth was measured when taken from a dehydrated to a humidified state for particle diameters between 30-350 nm (dry size) using a Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (H-TDMA). Particles of a certain dry size all showed similar hygroscopic growth and the average diameter growth at RH=90% for 110/100 nm particles was 1.68 in the 1 MW boiler, and 1.52 in the 1.5 MW boiler. These growth factors are considerably higher in comparison to other combustion aerosol particles such as diesel exhaust, and are the result of the efficient combustion and the high concentration of alkali species in the fuel. The observed water uptake could be explained using the Zdanovskii-Stokes-Robinson (ZSR) mixing rule and a chemical composition of only potassium salts, taken from an Ion Chromatography analysis of filter sample (KCl, K 2 SO 4 , and K 2 CO 3 ). Agglomerated particles collapsed and became more spherical when initially exposed to a moderately high relative humidity. When diluting with hot particle-free air, the fractal-like structures remained intact until humidified in the HTDMA. A method is presented to by which to estimate the fractal dimension of the agglomerated combustion aerosol and correct the measured mobility diameter hygroscopic growth to the more useful property volume growth. The fractal dimension was estimated to be ∼2.5

High concentrations of coarse particles emitted from a cattle feeding operation

Science.gov (United States)

Hiranuma, N.; Brooks, S. D.; Gramann, J.; Auvermann, B. W.

2011-08-01

Housing roughly 10 million head of cattle in the United States alone, open air cattle feedlots represent a significant but poorly constrained source of atmospheric particles. Here we present a comprehensive characterization of physical and chemical properties of particles emitted from a large representative cattle feedlot in the Southwest United States. In the summer of 2008, measurements and samplings were conducted at the upwind and downwind edges of the facility. A series of far-field measurements and samplings was also conducted 3.5 km north of the facility. Two instruments, a GRIMM Sequential Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and a GRIMM Portable Aerosol Spectrometer (PAS), were used to measure particle size distributions over the range of 0.01 to 25 μm diameter. Raman microspectroscopy was used to determine the chemical composition of particles on a single particle basis. Volume size distributions of dust were dominated by coarse mode particles. Twenty-four hour averaged concentrations of PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less) were as high as 1200 μg m-3 during the campaign. The primary constituents of the particulate matter were carbonaceous materials, such as humic acid, water soluble organics, and less soluble fatty acids, including stearic acid and tristearin. A significant fraction of the organic particles was present in internal mixtures with salts. Basic characteristics such as size distribution and composition of agricultural aerosols were found to be different than the properties of those found in urban and semi-urban aerosols. Failing to account for such differences may lead to errors in estimates of aerosol effects on local air quality, visibility, and public health.

Certification of model spectrometric alpha sources (MSAS) and problems of the MSAS system improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyatskij, A.F.; Gejdel'man, A.M.; Egorov, Yu.S.; Nedovesov, V.G.; Chechev, V.P.

1984-01-01

Results of certification of standard spectrometric alpha sources (SSAS) of industrial production are presented: methods for certification by main radiation physical parameters: proper halfwidth of α-lines, activity of radionuclides in the source, energies of α-particle emitting sources and relative intensity of different energy α-particle groups - are analysed. The advantage for the SSAS system improvement - a set of model measures for α-radiation, a collection of interconnected data units on physical, engineering and design characteristics of SSAS, methods for their obtaining and determination, on instruments used, is considered

Scanning of irradiated silicon detectors using $\\alpha$ particles and low energy protons

CERN Document Server

Casse, G L; Glaser, M; Kohout, Z; Konícek, J; Lemeilleur, F; Leroy, C; Linhart, V; Mares, J J; Pospísil, S; Roy, P; Sopko, B; Sinor, M; Svejda, J; Vorobel, V; Wilhelm, I

1999-01-01

In a spectroscopic study of non-irradiated and proton-irradiated silicon diodes, the detectors were illuminated from the front side and from the rear side by various alpha particle sources (mainly ThC') and by monoenergetic protons with energies from 1.0 to 2.5~MeV. Their response characteristics have been studied as a function of the incoming particle energy and the applied bias voltage. The charge collection efficiency was determined as a function of fluence

Self-absorption alpha particle factor in water: interest in the monitoring of specific military sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cazoulat, A.; Lecompte, Y.; Bohand, S.; Gerasimo, P.

2007-01-01

Self-absorption alpha particle factor validation in water: Interest in the monitoring of specific military sites. The population internal intake prevention by radionuclides present in water needs to monitor the radioactive Level of this water. The French public health legislation introduces four radiological parameters for monitoring water, such as the gross alpha radioactivity. Regarding the alpha particle characteristics, a self-absorption factor has to be established beforehand, not to underestimate the real alpha radioactivity in water samples. The aim of this paper is to describe the procedure used by the laboratory of the French army radioprotection service to determine this f factor, which depends on the water residue mass m after evaporation. The relation is f = 0.0253 m + 1.2813. This formula can be employed for such waters used in this experiment and for masses between 0 and 100 mg. The uncertainty associated is about 11% (k = 2). Some water monitoring examples are given. It is specially the case of depleted uranium shells experiment centres, localized in Gramat and Bourges. (authors)

alpha-particle radioactivity from LR 115 by two methods of analysis

CERN Document Server

Azkour, K; Adloff, J C; Pape, A

1999-01-01

LR115 track detectors were exposed to samples of Moroccan phosphate and phosphogypsum to measure their alpha-particle radioactivity. Then two formalisms were used for the dosimetry: simulation by a Monte Carlo method and determination of concentrations from a numerically integrated track registration equation. The results were compared with those deduced gamma-ray spectrometry.

Proposed neutral-beam diagnostics for fast confined alpha particles in a burning plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlachter, A.S.; Cooper, W.S.

1986-10-01

Diagnostic methods for fast confined alpha particles are essential for a burning plasma experiment. Several methods which use energetic neutral beams have been proposed. We review these methods and discuss system considerations for their implementation

Alpha particle density and energy distributions in tandem mirrors using Monte-Carlo techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerns, J.A.

1986-05-01

We have simulated the alpha thermalization process using a Monte-Carlo technique, in which the alpha guiding center is followed between simulated collisions and Spitzer's collision model is used for the alpha-plasma interaction. Monte-Carlo techniques are used to determine the alpha radial birth position, the alpha particle position at a collision, and the angle scatter and dispersion at a collision. The plasma is modeled as a hot reacting core, surrounded by a cold halo plasma (T approx.50 eV). Alpha orbits that intersect the halo lose 90% of their energy to the halo electrons because of the halo drag, which is ten times greater than the drag in the core. The uneven drag across the alpha orbit also produces an outward, radial, guiding center drift. This drag drift is dependent on the plasma density and temperature radial profiles. We have modeled these profiles and have specifically studied a single-scale-length model, in which the density scale length (r/sub pD/) equals the temperature scale length (r/sub pT/), and a two-scale-length model, in which r/sub pD//r/sub pT/ = 1.1

Water quality - Measurement of gross alpha activity in non-saline water - Thick source method. 2. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This International Standard specifies a method for the determination of gross alpha activity in non-saline waters for alpha-emitting radionuclides which are not volatile at 350 degree Centigrade. It is possible to determine supported volatile radionuclides measured to an extent determined by half-life, matrix retention (of the volatile species) and the duration of measurement (counting time). The method is applicable to raw and potable waters. The range of application depends on the amount of suspended matter in the water and on the performance characteristics (background count rate and counting efficiency) of the counter. Gross alpha radioactivity is determined by using proportional counting or solid scintillation counting on water residue deposited on a planchet. Due to the strong absorption of the residue deposit, it is considered that the alpha emission from the surface is proportional to the alpha activity of the deposit. Gross alpha determination is not an absolute determination of the sample alpha radioactive content, but a relative determination referring to a specific alpha emitter which constitutes the standard calibration source. This type of determination is also known as alpha index. The sample is acidified to stabilize it, evaporated almost to dryness, converted to the sulfate form and then ignited at 350 degree Centigrade. A portion of the residue is transferred to a planchet and the alpha activity measured by counting in an alpha-particle detector or counting system previously calibrated against an alpha-emitting standard and the alpha activity concentration calculated. The paper provides information about scope, normative references, symbols, definitions and units, principle, reagents and equipment, procedure, contamination check, expression of results and test report

Anti-pp,. cap alpha cap alpha. and p. cap alpha. elastic scattering at high energies and Chou-Yang conjecture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saleem, M.; Fazal-e-Aleem; Rifique, M.

1987-03-01

The recent experimental measurements for anti-pp and ..cap alpha cap alpha.. elastic scattering at high energies have shown that the Chou-Yang conjecture regarding the relationship between the electromagnetic and the hadronic form factor of a particle is only an approximation. A new ansatz has been proposed to obtain hadronic form factors of proton and the ..cap alpha..-particle. These form factors have been used to explain the various characteristics of anti-pp, ..cap alpha cap alpha.. and p..cap alpha.. elastic scattering at high energies.

Mass spectra features of biomass burning boiler and coal burning boiler emitted particles by single particle aerosol mass spectrometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jiao; Li, Mei; Shi, Guoliang; Wang, Haiting; Ma, Xian; Wu, Jianhui; Shi, Xurong; Feng, Yinchang

2017-11-15

In this study, single particle mass spectra signatures of both coal burning boiler and biomass burning boiler emitted particles were studied. Particle samples were suspended in clean Resuspension Chamber, and analyzed by ELPI and SPAMS simultaneously. The size distribution of BBB (biomass burning boiler sample) and CBB (coal burning boiler sample) are different, as BBB peaks at smaller size, and CBB peaks at larger size. Mass spectra signatures of two samples were studied by analyzing the average mass spectrum of each particle cluster extracted by ART-2a in different size ranges. In conclusion, BBB sample mostly consists of OC and EC containing particles, and a small fraction of K-rich particles in the size range of 0.2-0.5μm. In 0.5-1.0μm, BBB sample consists of EC, OC, K-rich and Al_Silicate containing particles; CBB sample consists of EC, ECOC containing particles, while Al_Silicate (including Al_Ca_Ti_Silicate, Al_Ti_Silicate, Al_Silicate) containing particles got higher fractions as size increase. The similarity of single particle mass spectrum signatures between two samples were studied by analyzing the dot product, results indicated that part of the single particle mass spectra of two samples in the same size range are similar, which bring challenge to the future source apportionment activity by using single particle aerosol mass spectrometer. Results of this study will provide physicochemical information of important sources which contribute to particle pollution, and will support source apportionment activities. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

New features of nuclear excitation by {alpha} particles scattering; Nouveaux aspects de l'excitation nucleaire par diffusion de particules {alpha}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saudinos, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1962-07-01

Inelastic scattering of medium energy a particles by nuclei is known to excite preferentially levels of collective character. We have studied the scattering of isotopically enriched targets of Ca, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn. In part I, we discuss the theoretical features of the interaction. In part II, we describe the experimental procedure. Results are presented and analysed in part III. {alpha} particles scattering by Ca{sup 40} is showed to excite preferentially odd parity levels. In odd nuclei we have observed multiplets due to the coupling of the odd nucleon with the even-even core vibrations. For even-even nuclei, a few levels are excited with lower cross-sections between the well-known first 2{sup +} and 3{sup -} states. Some could be members of the two phonon quadrupole excitation and involve a double nuclear excitation process. (author) [French] On sait que la diffusion inelastique des particules alpha de moyenne energie excite preferentiellement des niveaux de caractere collectif. Nous avons etudie la diffusion des particules alpha de 44 MeV du cyclotron de Saclay par des isotopes separes de Ca, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn. Dans la premiere partie nous exposons les theories de cette interaction. Dans la seconde nous decrivons le systeme experimental. Les resultats sont donnes dans la troisieme partie. Nous montrons que les niveaux excites preferentiellement pour {sup 40}Ca par diffusion ({alpha},{alpha}') sont de parite negative. Dans les noyaux pair-impair nous avons observe des multiplets dus au couplage du nucleon celibataire avec les vibrations du coeur pair-pair. Pour les noyaux pair-pair nous avons pu etudier entre le premier niveau 2{sup +} et le niveau 3{sup -} deja bien connus certains etats plus faiblement excites. Il semble qu'ils sont dus a une excitation quadrupolaire a deux phonons et impliquent un processus de double excitation nucleaire. (auteur)

High concentrations of coarse particles emitted from a cattle feeding operation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Hiranuma

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Housing roughly 10 million head of cattle in the United States alone, open air cattle feedlots represent a significant but poorly constrained source of atmospheric particles. Here we present a comprehensive characterization of physical and chemical properties of particles emitted from a large representative cattle feedlot in the Southwest United States. In the summer of 2008, measurements and samplings were conducted at the upwind and downwind edges of the facility. A series of far-field measurements and samplings was also conducted 3.5 km north of the facility. Two instruments, a GRIMM Sequential Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS and a GRIMM Portable Aerosol Spectrometer (PAS, were used to measure particle size distributions over the range of 0.01 to 25 μm diameter. Raman microspectroscopy was used to determine the chemical composition of particles on a single particle basis. Volume size distributions of dust were dominated by coarse mode particles. Twenty-four hour averaged concentrations of PM₁₀ (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less were as high as 1200 μg m⁻³ during the campaign. The primary constituents of the particulate matter were carbonaceous materials, such as humic acid, water soluble organics, and less soluble fatty acids, including stearic acid and tristearin. A significant fraction of the organic particles was present in internal mixtures with salts. Basic characteristics such as size distribution and composition of agricultural aerosols were found to be different than the properties of those found in urban and semi-urban aerosols. Failing to account for such differences may lead to errors in estimates of aerosol effects on local air quality, visibility, and public health.

A study of some lattice defects with help of channeled {alpha} particles; Etude de quelques defauts cristallins a l'aide de particules {alpha} canalisees

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quere, Y [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, 92 - Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1968-07-01

A method is described in which a metallic foil is irradiated by isotropic {alpha} particles. The thickness of the foil is such that only channeled particles can traverse it. The emerging flux, a function of the local concentration of defects, falls on a collector where an image of the foil is formed. The influence of grain or twin boundaries, of stacking faults, of dislocations, is observed. A quantitative study of dislocation is presented. The effect of a dislocation is represented by the presence of a coaxial dechanneling-cylinder of diameter: {lambda}-bar = [(b d a E)/({alpha}Z{sub 1}Z{sub 2}e{sup 2})]{sup 1/2}, b is the Burgers vector; d the interatomic distance along the channel; a the screening radius of the interaction between the particles (Z{sub 2}) and the metal (Z{sub 1} ); E the energy of the particles; {alpha} a numerical parameter. There is a reasonable agreement with experimental results. Channeling patterns, observed in all metals, are described. They are more numerous if the metal has been treated some time in gaseous atmospheres. They correspond to zones, on the metal, situated on the side of entrance of particles. It is proposed that in these zones, gaseous atoms strengthen the channels and enhance channeling. (author) [French] On decrit une methode qui consiste a irradier une feuille metallique par des particules {alpha} isotropes. La feuille est assez epaisse pour que seules les particules canalisees emergent. Le flux sortant depend alors fortement de la concentration en defauts. Il est recueilli sur un collecteur ou se forme ainsi une image de l'echantillon. On montre l'influence des joints de grains ou de macle, des fautes d'empilement et des dislocations. Dans ce dernier cas, la methode se prete bien a des etudes quantitatives. On represente l'effet d'une dislocation par la presence d'un cylindre de decanalisation coaxial de diametre: {lambda}-bar = [(b d a E)/({alpha}Z{sub 1}Z{sub 2}e{sup 2})]{sup 1/2} ou b est le vecteur de Burgers, d la

GAMCAT - a personal computer database on alpha particles and gamma rays from radioactive decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tepel, J.W.; Mueller, H.W.

1990-01-01

The GAMCAT database is a compilation of data describing the alpha particles and gamma rays that occur in the radioactive decay of all known nuclides, adapted for IBM Personal Computers and compatible systems. These compiled data have been previously published, and are now available as a compact database. Entries can be retrieved by defining the properties of the parent nuclei as well as alpha-particle and gamma-ray energies or any combination of these parameters. The system provides fast access to the data and has been completely written in C to run on an AT-compatible computer, with a hard disk and 640K of memory under DOS 2.11 or higher. GAMCAT is available from the Fachinformationszentrum Karlsruhe. (orig.)

New concept for a wall detector for alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miley, G.H.; Kislev, H.; Micklich, B.J.

1985-01-01

A new concept for a wall-mounted detector is described here that would measure D-T alpha flux and corresponding pitch angle distribution in tokamaks (or related toroidal devices). The sensing element is a conical Micro Channel Ring (MCR) coated with 1 to 2μ of ZnS scintillator (or possibly ZnO). The collimation of the α particles is provided by two circumferential slots at the wall surface. The alpha scintillation events on the MCR are transferred through the ring channels and coupled fiber optics bundle to an external processor. From the magnetic field vector at a given point on the device wall, a certain relation can be set up between the α-induced scintillation position on the MCR and its original pitch angle (i.e., the angle between the α emission from the fusion reaction and the magnetic field vector) which is equal to the local pitch angle since the wall α flux is dominated by prompt losses

Nano-objects emitted during maintenance of common particle generators: direct chemical characterization with aerosol mass spectrometry and implications for risk assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsson, Patrik T., E-mail: patrik.nilsson@design.lth.se; Isaxon, Christina [Lund University, Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology (Sweden); Eriksson, Axel C. [Lund University, Nuclear Physics (Sweden); Messing, Maria E. [Lund University, Solid State Physics (Sweden); Ludvigsson, Linus; Rissler, Jenny [Lund University, Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology (Sweden); Hedmer, Maria; Tinnerberg, Håkan [Lund University, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine (Sweden); Gudmundsson, Anders [Lund University, Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology (Sweden); Deppert, Knut [Lund University, Solid State Physics (Sweden); Bohgard, Mats; Pagels, Joakim H. [Lund University, Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology (Sweden)

2013-11-15

Nanotechnology gives us materials with enhanced or completely new properties. At the same time, inhalation of manufactured nano-objects has been related to an array of adverse biological effects. We characterized particle emissions, which occurred during maintenance of common metal nanoparticle generators and contrasted the properties of the emitted particles with those originally produced by the generators. A new approach using online aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS), for time- and size-resolved measurements of the particle chemical composition, was applied in combination with more conventional techniques for particle sampling and analysis, including electron microscopy. Emissions during maintenance work, in terms of mass and surface area concentration in the size range of 0.02–10 μm, were dominated by large agglomerates (1–5 μm). With AMS, we show that the particle composition depends on both generator type and maintenance task being performed and that the instrument can be used for highly time-resolved selective studies of metal nanoparticle emissions. The emitted agglomerates have a relatively high probability to be deposited in the lower respiratory tract, since the mean particle diameter coincided with a peak in the lung deposition curve. Each of these agglomerates consisted of a very high number (10{sup 3}–10{sup 5}/agglomerate) of nanometer-sized primary particles originating from the particle synthesis process. This made them possess large surface areas, one of the key properties in nanotoxicology. Similar agglomerates may be emitted in a wide range of processes when nanoparticles are manufactured or handled. The fate of such agglomerates, once deposited in the respiratory tract, is unknown and should therefore be considered in future particle toxicological studies. Our results highlight the importance of including micrometer-sized particles in exposure and emission assessments.

Nano-objects emitted during maintenance of common particle generators: direct chemical characterization with aerosol mass spectrometry and implications for risk assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, Patrik T.; Isaxon, Christina; Eriksson, Axel C.; Messing, Maria E.; Ludvigsson, Linus; Rissler, Jenny; Hedmer, Maria; Tinnerberg, Håkan; Gudmundsson, Anders; Deppert, Knut; Bohgard, Mats; Pagels, Joakim H.

2013-01-01

Nanotechnology gives us materials with enhanced or completely new properties. At the same time, inhalation of manufactured nano-objects has been related to an array of adverse biological effects. We characterized particle emissions, which occurred during maintenance of common metal nanoparticle generators and contrasted the properties of the emitted particles with those originally produced by the generators. A new approach using online aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS), for time- and size-resolved measurements of the particle chemical composition, was applied in combination with more conventional techniques for particle sampling and analysis, including electron microscopy. Emissions during maintenance work, in terms of mass and surface area concentration in the size range of 0.02–10 μm, were dominated by large agglomerates (1–5 μm). With AMS, we show that the particle composition depends on both generator type and maintenance task being performed and that the instrument can be used for highly time-resolved selective studies of metal nanoparticle emissions. The emitted agglomerates have a relatively high probability to be deposited in the lower respiratory tract, since the mean particle diameter coincided with a peak in the lung deposition curve. Each of these agglomerates consisted of a very high number (10 3 –10 5 /agglomerate) of nanometer-sized primary particles originating from the particle synthesis process. This made them possess large surface areas, one of the key properties in nanotoxicology. Similar agglomerates may be emitted in a wide range of processes when nanoparticles are manufactured or handled. The fate of such agglomerates, once deposited in the respiratory tract, is unknown and should therefore be considered in future particle toxicological studies. Our results highlight the importance of including micrometer-sized particles in exposure and emission assessments

Power output and efficiency of beta-emitting microspheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheneler, David; Ward, Michael

2015-01-01

Current standard methods to calculate the dose of radiation emitted during medical applications by beta-minus emitting microspheres rely on an over-simplistic formalism. This formalism is a function of the average activity of the radioisotope used and the physiological dimensions of the patient only. It neglects the variation in energy of the emitted beta particle due to self-attenuation, or self-absorption, effects related to the finite size of the sphere. Here it is assumed the sphere is comprised of a pure radioisotope with beta particles being emitted isotropically throughout the material. The full initial possible kinetic energy distribution of a beta particle is taken into account as well as the energy losses due to scattering by other atoms in the microsphere and bremsstrahlung radiation. By combining Longmire’s theory of the mean forward range of charged particles and the Rayleigh distribution to take into account the statistical nature of scattering and energy straggling, the linear attenuation, or self-absorption, coefficient for beta-emitting radioisotopes has been deduced. By analogy with gamma radiation transport in spheres, this result was used to calculate the rate of energy emitted by a beta-emitting microsphere and its efficiency. Comparisons to standard point dose kernel formulations generated using Monte Carlo data show the efficacy of the proposed method. Yttrium-90 is used as a specific example throughout, as a medically significant radioisotope, frequently used in radiation therapy for treating cancer. - Highlights: • Range-energy relationship for the beta particles in yttrium-90 is calculated. • Formalism for the semi-analytical calculation of self-absorption coefficients. • Energy-dependent self-absorption coefficient calculated for yttrium-90. • Flux rate of beta particles from a self-attenuating radioactive sphere is shown. • The efficiency of beta particle emitting radioactive microspheres is calculated

Effect of particle size on hydroxyapatite crystal-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion by macrophages.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadra, Imad; Boccaccini, Aldo R; Philippidis, Pandelis; Whelan, Linda C; McCarthy, Geraldine M; Haskard, Dorian O; Landis, R Clive

2008-01-01

Macrophages may promote a vicious cycle of inflammation and calcification in the vessel wall by ingesting neointimal calcific deposits (predominantly hydroxyapatite) and secreting tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha, itself a vascular calcifying agent. Here we have investigated whether particle size affects the proinflammatory potential of hydroxyapatite crystals in vitro and whether the nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB pathway plays a role in the macrophage TNFalpha response. The particle size and nano-topography of nine different crystal preparations was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and gas sorbtion analysis. Macrophage TNFalpha secretion was inversely related to hydroxyapatite particle size (P=0.011, Spearman rank correlation test) and surface pore size (P=0.014). A necessary role for the NF-kappaB pathway was demonstrated by time-dependent I kappaB alpha degradation and sensitivity to inhibitors of I kappaB alpha degradation. To test whether smaller particles were intrinsically more bioactive, their mitogenic activity on fibroblast proliferation was examined. This showed close correlation between TNFalpha secretion and crystal-induced fibroblast proliferation (P=0.007). In conclusion, the ability of hydroxyapatite crystals to stimulate macrophage TNFalpha secretion depends on NF-kappaB activation and is inversely related to particle and pore size, with crystals of 1-2 microm diameter and pore size of 10-50 A the most bioactive. Microscopic calcific deposits in early stages of atherosclerosis may therefore pose a greater inflammatory risk to the plaque than macroscopically or radiologically visible deposits in more advanced lesions.

Alpha-particle irradiation induced defects in SiO2 films of Si-SiO2 structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koman, B.P.; Gal'chynskyy, O.V.; Kovalyuk, R.O.; Shkol'nyy, A.K.

1996-01-01

The aim of the work was to investigate alpha-particle irradiation induced defects in Si-SiO 2 structures by means of the thermostimulated discharge currents (TSDC) analysis. The object of investigation were (p-Si)-SiO 2 structures formed by a combined oxidation of the industrial p-Si wafers in dry and wet oxygen at temperature of 1150 C. The TSD currents were investigated in the temperature range between 90 and 500 K under linear heating rate. Pu 238 isotopes were the source of alpha-particles with an energy of 4-5 MeV and a density of 5.10 7 s -1 cm -2 . The TSD current curves show two peculiar maxima at about 370 and 480 K. Alpha-particle irradiation doesn't affect the general shape of the TSDC curves but leads to a shift of the maximum at 370 K and reduces the total electret charge which is accumulated in the Si-SiO 2 structures during polarization. The energy distribution function of the defects which are involved in SiO 2 polarization has been calculated. It showes that defects with activation energies of about 0.8 and 1.0 eV take part in forming the electret state, and these activation energies have certain energy distributions. It has been found that the TSDC maximum at 370 K has space charge nature and is caused by migration of hydrogen ions. In irradiated samples hydrogen and natrium ions localize on deeper trapping centres induced by alpha-particle irradiation. (orig.)

Alpha particle induced soft errors in NMOS RAMs: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, P.M.; Wilkins, B.R.

1987-01-01

The paper aims to explain the alpha particle induced soft error phenomenon using the NMOS dynamic random access memory (RAM) as a model. It discusses some of the many techniques experimented with by manufacturers to overcome the problem, and gives a review of the literature covering most aspects of soft errors in dynamic RAMs. Finally, the soft error performance of current dynamic RAM and static RAM products from several manufacturers are compared. (author)

Refinement of the Compton–Rayleigh scatter ratio method for use on the Mars Science Laboratory alpha particle X-ray spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, J.L., E-mail: icampbel@uoguelph.ca [Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada); Perrett, G.M. [Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada); Maxwell, J.A. [3A 47 Surrey St. East, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 3P6 (Canada); Nield, E.; Gellert, R. [Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada); King, P.L. [Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia); Lee, M.; O’Meara, J.M.; Pradler, I. [Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada)

2013-05-01

Spectra from the Mars rover alpha particle X-ray spectrometers contain the elastic and inelastic scatter peaks of the plutonium L X-rays emitted by the instrument’s {sup 244}Cm source. Various spectrum fitting approaches are tested using the terrestrial twin of the APXS instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, in order to provide accurate extraction of the Lα and Lβ Compton/Rayleigh intensity ratios, which can provide information about light “invisible” constituents such as water in geological samples. A well-defined dependence of C/R ratios upon mean sample atomic number is established using a large and varied set of geochemical reference materials, and the accuracy of this calibration is examined. Detailed attention is paid to the influence of the rubidium and strontium peaks which overlap the Lα scatter peaks. Our Monte Carlo simulation code for prediction of C/R ratios from element concentrations is updated. The ratio between measured and simulated C/R ratios provides a second means of calibration.

The alpha channeling effect

Science.gov (United States)

Fisch, N. J.

2015-12-01

Alpha particles born through fusion reactions in a tokamak reactor tend to slow down on electrons, but that could take up to hundreds of milliseconds. Before that happens, the energy in these alpha particles can destabilize on collisionless timescales toroidal Alfven modes and other waves, in a way deleterious to energy confinement. However, it has been speculated that this energy might be instead be channeled into useful energy, so as to heat fuel ions or to drive current. Such a channeling needs to be catalyzed by waves Waves can produce diffusion in energy of the alpha particles in a way that is strictly coupled to diffusion in space. If these diffusion paths in energy-position space point from high energy in the center to low energy on the periphery, then alpha particles will be cooled while forced to the periphery. The energy from the alpha particles is absorbed by the wave. The amplified wave can then heat ions or drive current. This process or paradigm for extracting alpha particle energy collisionlessly has been called alpha channeling. While the effect is speculative, the upside potential for economical fusion is immense. The paradigm also operates more generally in other contexts of magnetically confined plasma.

Estimation of the {alpha} particles and neutron distribution generated during a fusion reaction; Evaluation de la distribution des particules {alpha} et des neutrons issus de la reaction de fusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dellacherie, S.

1997-12-01

The respective distributions (or density probabilities) of {alpha} particles and neutrons have been modeled using a Monte-Carlo method for the thermonuclear fusion reaction D + T {yields} {alpha} + n + 17.6 MeV. (N.T.).

Determination of Alpha Activity from Radium-226 and its Decay Products in Human Blood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenawy, M.A.; Morsy, A.A.; Abdel Hameid, M.M.

1999-01-01

During the last few years new and elaborate technique for the quantitative determination of alpha emitting particles in biological samples have been developed using the highly sensitive solid state nuclear track detector CR-39 which allows activities as low as 10 -15 Ci.g -1 to be detected. Blood samples (10 ml) were taken from volunteers. Three pieces of CR-39 were inserted in each blood container and stored at 20 degree for 15 weeks. The pre-etching condition were 6N NaOH+40% C 2 H 5 OH at 60 degree for 3 hours to reduce the background alpha tracks from the environmental radon

Laser and alpha particle characterization of floating-base BJT detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyzhnevyi, V.; Batignani, G.; Bosisio, L.; Dalla Betta, G.-F.; Verzellesi, G.; Zorzi, N.

2010-01-01

In this work, we investigate the detection properties of existing prototypes of BJT detectors operated with floating base. We report about results of two functional tests. The charge-collection properties of BJT detectors were evaluated by means of a pulsed laser setup. The response to α-particles emitted from radioactive 241 Am source are also presented. Experimental results show that current gains of about 450 with response times in the order of 50 μs are preserved even in this non-standard operation mode, in spite of a non-optimized structure.

Evaluation of charge coupled devices as alpha particle detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pace, R.; Haskard, M.; Watts, S.; Holmes-Siedle, A.; Solanky, M.

1996-01-01

The ability of the Charge Coupled Device (CCD) to provide spectroscopic and flux information for highly ionising radiation has been investigated. CCDs and related imaging chips are becoming increasingly affordable. In addition advances in technology are producing smaller and better devices. Since imaging chips are based on some variation of the pn-diode structure it is expected and known that they are sensitive to ionising radiation as well as light. Indeed specially designed CCDs are able to be used to image X-rays. This paper reports on the response of CCDs to alpha particles. (author)

Chromosomal aberrations induced by alpha particles; Aberraciones cromosomicas inducidas por particulas {alpha}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerrero C, C.; Brena V, M. [ININ, 52045 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)]. e-mail: cgc@nuclear.inin.mx

2005-07-01

The chromosomal aberrations produced by the ionizing radiation are commonly used when it is necessary to establish the exposure dose of an individual, it is a study that is used like complement of the traditional physical systems and its application is only in cases in that there is doubt about what indicates the conventional dosimetry. The biological dosimetry is based on the frequency of aberrations in the chromosomes of the lymphocytes of the individual in study and the dose is calculated taking like reference to the dose-response curves previously generated In vitro. A case of apparent over-exposure to alpha particles to which is practiced analysis of chromosomal aberrations to settle down if in fact there was exposure and as much as possible, to determine the presumed dose is presented. (Author)

Continuous particle spectra and their angular distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sastry, Ch.V.; Jain, R.K.; Rama Rao, J.; Ernst, J.; Machner, H.

1996-01-01

The angular distribution of continuous particle spectra in pre-equilibrium reactions is still an unsolved problem, particularly so at forward angles. In the present work, the angular distributions of alpha particles emitted in (α, α',x) reactions in the target elements gold and rhodium have been studied in detail. Alpha particle beams of energy 60 MeV from the Variable Energy Cyclotron of Calcutta were used in these experiments. The theoretical calculations were done using an extended exciton model of Kalbach incorporated into the Computer Code PRECO-D2. The formalism used in the exciton model was modified to include division of pre equilibrium cross section into multi-step direct (MSD) and multi-step compound (MSC) components. These MSD and MSC cross sections were used to calculate the angular distributions in terms of Legendre polynomials whose coefficients are given by simple phenomenological relations. Even with a reasonable set of parameters, the agreement between theory and experiment was far from satisfactory at forward angles. Similar conclusion was also drawn in the case of continuous particle spectra of deuterons in (d, d'x) reactions at 25 MeV in various targets. (author). 10 refs., 2 figs

The effects of intense gamma-irradiation on the alpha-particle response of silicon carbide semiconductor radiation detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruddy, Frank H.; Seidel, John G.

2007-01-01

Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductor radiation detectors are being developed for alpha-particle, X-ray and Gamma-ray, and fast-neutron energy spectrometry. SiC detectors have been operated at temperatures up to 306 deg. C and have also been found to be highly resistant to the radiation effects of fast-neutron and charged-particle bombardments. In the present work, the alpha-particle response of a SiC detector based on a Schottky diode design has been carefully monitored as a function of 137 Cs gamma-ray exposure. The changes in response have been found to be negligible for gamma exposures up to and including 5.4 MGy, and irradiations to higher doses are in progress

Transport theory for energetic alpha particles and tolerable magnitude of error fields in tokamaks with broken symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaing, K.C.; Hsu, C.T.

2014-01-01

A transport theory for energetic fusion born alpha particles in tokamaks with broken symmetry has been developed. The theory is a generalization of the theory for neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity for thermal particles in tokamaks. It is shown that the radial energy transport rate can be comparable to the slowing down rate for energetic alpha particles when the ratio of the typical magnitude of the perturbed magnetic field strength to that of the equilibrium magnetic field strength is of the order of 10 −4 or larger. This imposes a constraint on the magnitude of the error fields in thermonuclear fusion reactors. The implications on stellarators as potential fusion reactors are also discussed. (paper)

Measurement of airborne concentrations of radon-220 daughter products by alpha-particle spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerr, G.D.; Ryan, M.T.; Perdue, P.T.

1978-01-01

The decay of naturally occurring uranium-238 and thorium-232 produces radon-222 and radon-220 isotopes which can escape into the atmosphere. If these radon gases become concentrated in air, their daughter products may present an inhalation hazard to man. The airborne concentrations of radon-222 can usually be measured very accurately in the presence of normal airborne concentrations of radon-220 and its daughters. In contrast, the measurements of the airborne concentrations of radon-220 daughters are usually complicated by the presence of radon-222 and its daughters even at normally occurring airborne concentrations. The complications involved in these measurements can be overcome in most situations by using an alpha particle spectrometer to distinguish the activity of radon-222 daughters from that due to radon-220 daughters collected on a filter. A practical spectrometer for field measurements of alpha particle activity on a filter is discussed

Slowing down tail enhanced, neoclassical and classical alpha particle fluxes in tokamak reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catto, P.J.; Tessarotto, M.

1988-01-01

The classical and neoclassical particle and energy fluxes associated with a slowing down tail, alpha particle distribution function are evaluated for arbitrary aspect ratio ε -1 , cross section, and poloidal magnetic field. The retention of both electron and ion drag and pitch angle scattering by the background ions results in a large diffusive neoclassical heat flux in the plasma core. This flux remains substantial at larger radii only if the characteristic speed associated with pitch angle scattering, v/sub b/, is close enough to the alpha birth speed v 0 so that ε(v 0 /v/sub b/) 3 remains less than some order unity critical value which is not determined by the methods herein. The enhanced neoclassical losses would only have a serious impact on ignition if the critical value of ε(v 0 /v/sub b/) 3 is found to be somewhat larger than unity

A Strange Box and a Stubborn Brit: Rutherford's Experiments with Alpha Particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Digilov, M.

1991-01-01

Discusses 5 innovative experiments conducted by Rutherford in early 1900s utilizing the 30 milligrams of radium salt he personally carried from Europe to Canada in 1903. Traces his work with alpha particles from his original results which determined their nature, charge, and mass, to his technique of backscattering which helped to advance…

Fetal dosimetry from natural alpha emitters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purnell, S.J

1999-09-01

The size of marrow cavities in fetal vertebra, rib and sternum was investigated using an image analysis system. The average chord lengths through marrow spaces in the vertebrae were found to increase approximately linearly with gestational age from 140 {mu}m at 20 weeks to 300 {mu}m at 40 weeks. Average chord lengths through marrow spaces in fetal rib and sternum were 330 {mu}m at 35 weeks in both cases. These results can be compared with an average chord length across marrow spaces in adult vertebra of 1172 {mu}m. At natural background UK exposure, activity concentrations of supported {sup 210}Po in fetal bone of 0.075 Bq kg{sup -1} and 0.15 Bq kg{sup -1} at mid- and late gestation respectively were calculated. Monte Carlo simulations modelling the paths of alpha-particles in fetal vertebra gave a total alpha-radiation dose to marrow over the second and third trimesters of 32.0 {+-} 0.8 {mu}Sv with the {sup 210}Po in bone contributing 8.9 {+-} 0.9 {mu}Sv. The dose to primitive haemopoietic stem cells, the target cells for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and the survival of these stem cells following a hit by an alpha-particle was investigated, also using Monte Carlo simulations. Alpha-particles emitted from bone and marrow contributed an average dose of 1.9 Gy to stem cells with a nuclear diameter of 3.8 {mu}m. This study has estimated that 1% of babies born each year are born with a mutated primitive haemopoietic stem cell due to in utero irradiation from high LET radiation. That is 7,320 babies compared to an estimated 300 incidences of cALL each year initiated in utero. The probability that a mutated cell will go on to give rise to leukaemia is unknown but it would seem not unlikely that irradiation in utero plays a substantial part in the induction of childhood leukaemia. (author)

Use of proportional gas scintillator in absolute measurements of alpha-gamma emitter activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobias, C.C.B.

1987-01-01

The absolute activity of U-235 contained in a U 3 O 8 sample was measured utilizing a sum-coincidence circuit which selects only the alpha particles which are simultaneous with the 143 KeV and 186 KeV gamma radiations from the Th-231 (product nucleus). The alpha particles were detected by means of a new type of a gas scintillating chamber, in which the light emitted by excitation of the gas atoms, due to the passage of a charged incoming particle, has its intensity increased by the action of an applied electric field. The gamma radiations were detected by means of a NaI(Tl) 1'' x 1 1/2'' scintillation detector. The value obtained for the half-life of U-235 was compared with the data available from various observers which used different experimental techniques. It is shown tht the results, are in excellent agreement with the best international data available on the subject and that, therefore, the sum-coincidence technique constitutes an important method for such measurements. (Author) [pt

Calculation of absorbed fractions to human skeletal tissues due to alpha particles using the Monte Carlo and 3-d chord-based transport techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunt, J.G. [Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry, Av. Salvador Allende s/n, Recreio, Rio de Janeiro, CEP 22780-160 (Brazil); Watchman, C.J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721 (United States); Bolch, W.E. [Department of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611 (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States)

2007-07-01

Absorbed fraction (AF) calculations to the human skeletal tissues due to alpha particles are of interest to the internal dosimetry of occupationally exposed workers and members of the public. The transport of alpha particles through the skeletal tissue is complicated by the detailed and complex microscopic histology of the skeleton. In this study, both Monte Carlo and chord-based techniques were applied to the transport of alpha particles through 3-D micro-CT images of the skeletal microstructure of trabecular spongiosa. The Monte Carlo program used was 'Visual Monte Carlo-VMC'. VMC simulates the emission of the alpha particles and their subsequent energy deposition track. The second method applied to alpha transport is the chord-based technique, which randomly generates chord lengths across bone trabeculae and the marrow cavities via alternate and uniform sampling of their cumulative density functions. This paper compares the AF of energy to two radiosensitive skeletal tissues, active marrow and shallow active marrow, obtained with these two techniques. (authors)

The radiological significance of beta emitting hot particles released from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmann, W.; Crawford-Brown, D.J.; Martonen, T.B.

1988-01-01

In order to assess radiological hazards associated with inhalation of beta emitting hot particles detected in fall-out from the Chernobyl incident, radiation doses and lung cancer risk are calculated for a hot particle composed entirely of 103 Ru. Lung cancer risk estimates are based upon an initiation-promotion model of carcinogenesis. In the immediate vicinity of a hot particle, calculations indicate that doses may be extremely high, so that all cells are killed and no tumour will arise. At intermediate distances, however, the probability for lung cancer induction exhibits a distinct maximum. Risk enhancement factors, computed relative to a uniform radionuclide distribution of equal activity, are highest for intermediate activities and hot particles moving in the lung. While the risk from inhalation of 103 Ru hot particles might, indeed, exceed that from all other exposure pathways of the Chernobyl fall-out, it still lies within normal fluctuations of radon progeny induced lung cancer risk. (author)

Calibration of the polycarbonate dosimeter for the microdosimetry of 239Pu alpha particles in bone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stillwagon, G.B.; Morgan, K.Z.

1977-01-01

There has been some criticisms of the maximum permissible organ burden (MPOB) in bone for 239 Pu in recent years. These criticisms allude to the relative dearth of experimental data available concerning the actual dose delivered to the endosteal face of osseous tissue by the 239 Pu alpha particle. A dosimeter recently developed has been recommended for application to this microdosimetry problem. The tissue equivalence of polycarbonate dosimeters would allow dose equivalent to be read directly from the foil rather than determining activity from emulsions, in which the alpha particle range is different than in tissue, then relating this activity measurement to absorbed dose by some calculations. Although this dosimeter has been calibrated to read dose equivalent for fast neutron dosimetry, the need exists to determine the factor to multiply by the number of 239 Pu alpha-induced tracks to obtain dose equivalent. This problem is being approached in the following manner. A device called the vacuum-sealed alpha-calibrator has been designed and constructed which will allow the handling of a standard 239 Pu solution obtained for this purpose. The calibrator will first be connected to surface barrier detectors which feed data into a multi-channel analyzer. The counts obtained under the alpha peaks at various heights above the source and the accumulated time are input into a computer program recently written to convert this data into dose rate in rems/unit time. Next the measurements are duplicated, this time using the polycarbonate dosimeter. The results will produce a factor relating the number of alpha-induced tracks to dose

New developments in JET neutron, alpha particle and fuel mixture diagnostics with potential relevance to ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murari, A.; Bertalot, L.; Angelone, M.; Pillon, M.; Ericsson, G.; Conroy, S.; Kaellne, J.; Kiptily, V.; Popovichev, S.; Adams, J.M.; Stork, D.; Afanasyiev, V.; Mironov, M.; Bonheure, G.

2005-01-01

Some recent JET campaigns, with the introduction of trace amount (n T /n D 4 He, provided unique opportunities to test new diagnostic approaches and technologies for the detection of neutrons, alpha particles and fuel mixture. With regard to neutron detection, the recent activity covered all the most essential aspects: calibration and cross validation of the diagnostics, measurement of the spatial distribution of the neutrons, particle transport and finally neutron spectrometry. The first tests of some new neutron detection technologies were also undertaken successfully during the TTE campaign. To improve JET diagnostic capability in the field of alpha particles, a strong development program was devoted to the measurement of their slowing down and imaging with gamma ray spectroscopy. A new approach for the fusion community to measure the fast ion losses, based on the activation technique, was also successfully attempted for the first time on JET. A careful assessment of the NPA potential to determine the fuel mixture and the particle transport coefficients is under way. (author)

Study on 16O in the alpha particle model using three-body forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrello, D.A.

1979-01-01

A study of the ground state of 16 O is made using an alpha particle model, all without internal structure, interacting through two-and three-body forces. Some nuclear properties of 16 O, such as binding energy and gaps, are also studied. (L.C.) [pt

Overview of insoluble radioactive cesium particles emitted from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station

Science.gov (United States)

Satou, Yukihiko

2017-04-01

. Radioactive ratio of Cs-134/Cs-137 of group A and B is completely different. Group B particles shown 0.92 (mean value) of Cs ratio, and specific radioactivity are much lowers than group A particles. In contrast, activity ratio in group A particles shown 1.0 (mean value), and it was consistent with previous studies by Adachi (2013). The location of soil samples, which was containing group B particles, has been contaminated with radioactive materials from Unit 1 with hydrogen explosion on 12 March (Satou et al. 2014, Chino et al. 2016). More than 300 um of diameter particles has been transported from the Unit 1 of F1NPS. This result shown that the insoluble radioactive cesium particles are emitted from not only Units 2 and/or 3 on 15 March but also Unit 1 on 12 March. The insoluble radioactive Cs particles were spread widely, and it is require to evaluation for particulate percentage of contribution in total emitted radioactive cesium, and long term monitoring of these behaviors.

Preparation of thin {alpha}-particle sources using poly-pyrrole films functionalized by a chelating agent; Preparation de sources minces d'emetteurs alpha a l'aide de films de polypyrrole fonctionnalises par un ligand chelatant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mariet, C. [CEA Saclay, INSTN, Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucleaires, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, 75 - Paris (France)

2000-07-01

This work takes place in the scope of analysis of the {alpha}-particle emitting elements U, Pu and Am present in compound environmental matrix like sols and sediments. The samples diversity and above all the {alpha}-ray characteristics require the analyst to implement a sequence of chemical steps in which the more restricting is the actinides concentration in a uniform and thin layer en allowing an accurately measure of alpha activity. On this account, we studied a new technique for radioactive sources preparation based on tow steps: preparation of a thin film as source support; incorporation of radioactive elements by a chelating extraction mechanism. The thin films were obtained through electro-polymerization of pyrrole monomer functionalized by an chelating ligand able to extract actinides from concentrated acidic solutions. Polymerization conditions of this monomer were perfected, then obtained films were characterized from a physico-chemical point of view. We point out their extracting properties were comparable to (retention capacity, distribution coefficient) to those of usual ion-exchange resins. The underscore of uranyl and americium nitrate complexes formed in the thin layer allowed to calculate the extraction constants in case acid extraction is negligible. Thanks to this results, the values of the coefficients distribution D{sub U} and D{sub Am} could be provided for all nitric solutions in which acid extraction is negligible. Optimal actinides retention conditions in the polymer were defined and used to settle a protocol for plutonium analysis in environmental samples. (author)

An alpha particle detector based on a GPS mosaic scintillator plate for continuous air monitoring in plutonium handling facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneko, Junichi H.; Izaki, Kenji; Toui, Kouhei; Shimaoka, Takehiro; Morishita, Yuki; Tsubota, Youichi; Higuchi, Mikio

2016-01-01

An alpha particle detector was developed for continuous air monitoring of radioactive contamination in working chambers at plutonium handling facilities. A 5-cm-square Gd 2 Si 2 O 7 :Ce (cerium-doped gadolinium pyro-silicate, GPS:Ce) mosaic scintillator plate for alpha particle measurements was fabricated from GPS single-crystal grains of around 550 μm diameter; the GPS grains were made of a GPS polycrystalline body grown using a top seeded solution method. The scintillator layer thickness was approximately 100 μm. The surface filling rate of the GPS grains was ca. 62%. To suppress the influence of non-uniformity of pulse heights of a photomultiplier tube, a central part of ∅ 40 mm of a 76-mm-diameter photomultiplier tube was used. In addition, 3 mm thick high-transmission glass was used as a substrate of the scintillator plate. The detector achieved energy resolution of 13% for 5.5 MeV alpha particles, detection efficiency of 61% and a radon progeny nuclide reduction ratio of 64.5%. A new alpha particle detector was developed to achieve a high radon progeny nuclide reduction ratio approaching that of a silicon semiconductor detector, with high resistance to electromagnetic noise and corrosion. - Highlights: • An alpha particle detector was developed for continuous air monitoring. • The detector comprises a mosaic scintillator plate and a photomultiplier tube. • A 5-cm-square GPS mosaic scintillator plate was fabricated. • Its respective energy resolution and detection efficiency were 13 and 61%. • The radon progeny nuclide reduction ratio of the developed detector was 64.5%.

Designing experimental setup and procedures for studying alpha-particle-induced adaptive response in zebrafish embryos in vivo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, V.W.Y.; Lam, R.K.K.; Chong, E.Y.W. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong); Cheng, S.H. [Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong); Yu, K.N., E-mail: peter.yu@cityu.edu.h [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong)

2010-03-15

The present work was devoted to designing the experimental setup and the associated procedures for alpha-particle-induced adaptive response in zebrafish embryos in vivo. Thin PADC films with a thickness of 16 mum were fabricated and employed as support substrates for holding dechorionated zebrafish embryos for alpha-particle irradiation from the bottom through the films. Embryos were collected within 15 min when the light photoperiod began, which were then incubated and dechorionated at 4 h post fertilization (hpf). They were then irradiated at 5 hpf by alpha particles using a planar {sup 241}Am source with an activity of 0.1151 muCi for 24 s (priming dose), and subsequently at 10 hpf using the same source for 240 s (challenging dose). The levels of apoptosis in irradiated zebrafish embryos at 24 hpf were quantified through staining with the vital dye acridine orange, followed by counting the stained cells under a florescent microscope. The results revealed the presence of the adaptive response in zebrafish embryos in vivo, and demonstrated the feasibility of the adopted experimental setup and procedures.

Measurement of radon progeny concentrations in air by alpha-particle spectrometey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerr, G.D.

1975-07-01

A technique is presented for measuring air concentrations of the short-lived progeny of radon-222 by the use of alpha spectrometry. In this technique, the concentration of RaA, RaB, and RaC are calculated from one integral count of the RaA and two integral counts of the RaC' alpha-particle activity collected on a filter with an air sampling device. The influence of air sampling and counting intervals of time on the accuracy of the calculated concentrations is discussed in the report. A computer program is presented for use with this technique. It is written in the BASIC language. The program will calculate the air concentrations of RaA, RaB, and RaC, and will estimate the accuracy in these calculated concentrations. (U.S.)

Chemical characteristics of fine particles emitted from different gas cooking methods

Science.gov (United States)

See, Siao Wei; Balasubramanian, Rajasekhar

Gas cooking is an important indoor source of fine particles (PM 2.5). The chemical characteristics of PM 2.5 emitted from different cooking methods, namely, steaming, boiling, stir-frying, pan-frying and deep-frying were investigated in a domestic kitchen. Controlled experiments were conducted to measure the mass concentration of PM 2.5 and its chemical constituents (elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals and ions) arising from these five cooking methods. To investigate the difference in particle properties of different cooking emissions, the amount and type of food, and the heat setting on the gas stove were kept constant during the entire course of the experiments. Results showed that deep-frying gave rise to the largest amount of PM 2.5 and most chemical components, followed by pan-frying, stir-frying, boiling, and steaming. Oil-based cooking methods released more organic pollutants (OC, PAHs, and organic ions) and metals, while water-based cooking methods accounted for more water-soluble (WS) ions. Their source profiles are also presented and discussed.

Research on the reactions {sup 9}Be ({sup 3}He, 3 {alpha}) and {sup 10}B (d, 3 {alpha}); Contribution a l'etude experimentale des reactions {sup 9}Be ({sup 3}He, 3 {alpha}) et {sup 10}B (d, 3 {alpha})

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thouvenin, P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Bruyeres-le-Chatel (France). Centre d' Etudes

1967-06-15

For studying these reactions, the detection of the final particles emitted in coincidence in the directions {theta}{sub 1} and {theta}{sub 2}, together with the bi-parametric analysis of the corresponding pulses are used. This method enables us to obtain the orthogonal Dalitz diagrams (E{sub 1}, E{sub 2}). An examination of the spectra obtained shows that the sequential mechanism appears to predominate. The contribution of the purely statistical process is less than 15 per cent of the total spectrum. In the case of {sup 10}B (d, 3 {alpha}), for E{sub d} = 1.5 MeV, 2,66 MeV and 3 MeV, the width of the peak of the first particles emitted, with respect to {sup 8}Be excitations close to 11 MeV, is found to be equal to 2.6 {+-} 0.6 MeV, much less than the width of the 2. excited state observed by {alpha} - {alpha} scattering. The coincidence spectra and the free spectra give an excitation energy of E{sub x} = 2.68 {+-} 0.07 MeV for the first excited state of {sup 8}Be. Some remarks are made concerning the anomalies observed for E{sub d} = 5 MeV and 9 MeV. The excited levels of {sup 8}Be at 13.91 MeV and 7.56 MeV which have been described in the past are not observed. (author) [French] La detection de deux des particules finales emises en cofncidence dans les directions {theta}{sub 1} et {theta}{sub 2}, et l'analyse biparametrique des impulsions correspondantes sont utilisees pour etudier ces reactions. Cette methode nous permet d'obtenir des diagrammes de Dalitz orthogonaux (E{sub 1}, E{sub 2}). L'examen des spectres obtenus montre que le mecanisme sequentiel semble predominant. La contribution du processus purement statistique est inferieure a 15 pour cent du spectre total. Dans le cas de {sup 10}B (d, 3 {alpha}), pour E{sub d} = 1,5 MeV, 2,66 MeV et 3 MeV, la largeur du pic des premieres particules emises relatives a des excitations de {sup 8}Be voisines de 11 MeV, est trouvee egale a 2,6 {+-} 0,6 MeV, tres inferieure a la largeur du 2. etat excite observee a l

Blue-Emitting Small Silica Particles Incorporating ZnSe-Based Nanocrystals Prepared by Reverse Micelle Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masanori Ando

2007-01-01

Full Text Available ZnSe-based nanocrystals (ca. 4-5 nm in diameter emitting in blue region (ca. 445 nm were incorporated in spherical small silica particles (20–40 nm in diameter by a reverse micelle method. During the preparation, alkaline solution was used to deposit the hydrolyzed alkoxide on the surface of nanocrystals. It was crucially important for this solution to include Zn2+ ions and surfactant molecules (thioglycolic acid to preserve the spectral properties of the final silica particles. This is because these substances in the solution prevent the surface of nanocrystals from deterioration by dissolution during processing. The resultant silica particles have an emission efficiency of 16% with maintaining the photoluminescent spectral width and peak wavelength of the initial colloidal solution.

Procedure for determination of alpha emitters in urine and dregs samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serdeiro, Nelida H.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this work is to establish the procedure for the identification and quantification of emitting alpha radionuclides in urine and dregs samples. This procedure are applied to all laboratories of the countries of the Project ARCAL LXXVII that determinate alpha emitting radionuclides in biological samples for biological assessment [es

Requirement of radiochemical recovery determination for gross alpha and gross beta estimation in drinking water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raveendran, Nanda; Rao, D.D.; Hegde, A.G.

2010-01-01

Presence of radionuclides in drinking water which emits Alpha and Beta particles are the potential sources of internal exposure in drinking water. Gross alpha and gross beta determination in drinking water and packaged drinking water (PDW) as per BIS (Bureau of Indian standards) standards is discussed here. The methods have been tested to account for losses in the radiochemical procedures using radionuclides such as 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 226 Ra, 239 Pu, 243 Am, 232 U. The methods have also been validated in an IAEA proficiency test conducted during 2009. Monitoring of gross alpha and gross beta activity observed in drinking water/packaged drinking water from various states of India were within the limits set by BIS. Average radiochemical recoveries of 84% and 63% were obtained for gross α and gross β respectively. (author)

Cross sections of nuclear reactions induced by protons, deuterons, and alpha particles. Pt.6. Phosphorus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobailem, Jacques.

1981-11-01

Cross sections are reviewed for nuclear reactions induced by protons, deuterons, and alpha particles on phosphorus targets. When necessary, published experimental data are corrected, and, when possible, excitation functions are proposed [fr

Cr/alpha-Cr2O3 monodispersed spherical core-shell particles based solar absorbers

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Khamlich, S

2011-07-01

Full Text Available as reported. The coated Cr/alpha-Cr2O3 spherical particles on rough copper substrates by a simple self-assembly-like method were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV...

Rapid appearance of transient secondary adrenocortical insufficiency after alpha-particle radiation therapy for Cushing's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, D.M.; Jordan, R.M.; Kendall, J.W.; Linfoot, J.A.

1976-01-01

A 17-year-old woman received 12,000 rads of alpha-particle radiation for the treatment of Cushing's disease. One day after the completion of therapy, the patient developed nausea, vomiting, headache, and postural hypotension. Laboratory evaluation demonstrated a marked fall of the previously elevated urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) and undetectable plasma cortisols. The urinary 17-OHCS transiently returned to supranormal levels but over a 2 1 / 2 -week period decreased and then remained low. The patient also demonstrated a subnormal urinary aldosterone excretion in relation to plasma renin activity (PRA) during 10 mEq/24 h sodium restriction. The remainder of the endocrine evaluation was normal, suggesting that pituitary function otherwise remained intact. One and one-half years after alpha-particle therapy, the patient's urinary 17-OHCS were normal and responded normally to metyrapone. The relationship between urinary aldosterone excretion and PRA also was normal. It is postulated that there was an infarction of an ACTH secreting pituitary tumor leaving the remainder of the pituitary intact. A chronically elevated circulating level of ACTH with sudden loss of ACTH secretion appeared to have been responsible for the initial low urinary aldosterone as well as the low urinary 17-OHCS. This is the first reported case of a presumed pituitary tumor infarction in association with alpha-particle pituitary radiation

A study of the scintillation induced by alpha particles and gamma rays in liquid xenon in an electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawson, J.V.; Howard, A.S.; Akimov, D.; Araujo, H.; Bewick, A.; Davidge, D.C.R.; Jones, W.G.; Joshi, M.; Lebedenko, V.N.; Liubarsky, I.; Quenby, J.J.; Rochester, G.; Shaul, D.; Sumner, T.J.; Walker, R.J.

2005-01-01

Scintillation produced in liquid xenon by alpha particles and gamma rays has been studied as a function of applied electric field. For back scattered gamma rays with energy of about 200keV, the number of scintillation photons was found to decrease by 64±2% with increasing field strength. Consequently, the pulse shape discrimination power between alpha particles and gamma rays is found to reduce with increasing field, but remaining non-zero at higher fields

Lyman Alpha Searches at Redshift Z>7

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Jon

2007-05-01

The ZEN survey is a narrow J-band survey for Ly-alpha emitting galaxies at z > 7. I will briefly review the pros and cons of narrow band observations before summarising the ZEN1 and ZEN2 searches based upon deep ISAAC pointings. I will then present ZEN3, consisting of wide field, narrow band observations of two fields using the CFHT WIRCam facility. I will conclude by reviewing the current sample of candidates and what we have learned about the z > 7 Ly-alpha emitting population.

Matrix Characterization of Plutonium Residues by Alpha-Particle Self-Interrogation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prettyman, T.H.; Foster, L.A.; Staples, P.

1998-01-01

Legacy plutonium residues often have inadequate item descriptions. Nondestructive characterization can help segregate these items for reprocessing or provide information needed for disposal or storage. Alpha particle-induced gamma-ray spectra contain a wealth of information that can be used for matrix characterization. We demonstrate how this information can be used for item identification. Gamma-ray spectra were recorded at the Los Alamos Plutonium Facility from a variety of legacy, plutonium-processing residues and product materials. The comparison and analysis of these spectra are presented

Radiolytic gas production in the alpha particle degradation of plastics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, D.T.; Hoh, J.; Emery, J.; Hobbs, D.

1992-01-01

Net gas generation due to alpha particle irradiation of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride was investigated. Experiments were performed in an air environment at 30, 60, and 100 degree C. The predominant radiolytic degradation products of polyethylene were hydrogen and carbon dioxide with a wide variety of trace organic species noted. Irradiation of polyvinyl chloride resulted in the formation of HCl in addition to the products observed for polyethylene. For both plastic materials, a strong enhancement of net yields was noted at 100 degree C

Radiotoxicity of gadolinium-148 and radium-223 in mouse testes: Relative biological effectiveness of alpha-particle emitters in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, R.W.; Goddu, S.M.; Narra, V.R.

1997-01-01

The biological effects of radionuclides that emit α particles are of considerable interest in view of their potential for therapy and their presence in the environment. The present work is a continuation of our ongoing effort to study the radiotoxicity of α-particle emitters in vivo using the survival of murine testicular sperm heads as the biological end point. Specifically, the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of very low-energy α particles (3.2 MeV) emitted by 148 Gd is investigated and determined to be 7.4 ± 2.4 when compared to the effects of acute external 120 kVp X rays. This datum, in conjunction with our earlier results for 210 Po and 212 Pb in equilibrium with its daughters, is used to revise and extend the range of validity of our previous RBE-energy relationship for α particles emitted by tissue-incorporated radionuclides. The new empirical relationship is given by RBE α = 9.14 - 0.510 E α , where 3 α 223 Ra (in equilibrium with its daughters) experimentally in the same biological model and comparing the value obtained experimentally with the predicted value. The resulting RBE values are 5.4 ± 0.9 and 5.6, respectively. This close agreement strongly supports the adequacy of the empirical RBE-E α relationship to predict the biological effects of α-particle emitters in vivo. 42 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

Nanodosimetry and nanodosimetric-based models of radiation action for radon alpha particles. Final performance technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaider, M.

1997-01-01

The goal of this project was to develop theoretical/computational tools for evaluating the risks incurred by populations exposed to radon alpha particles. Topics of concern include the following: compound dual radiation action (general aspects); a mathematical formalism describing the yield of radiation induced single-and double-strand DNA breaks, and its dependence on radiation quality; a study of the excited states in cytosine and guanine stacks in the Hartree-Fock and exciton approximations; nanodosimetry of radon alpha particles; application of the HSEF to assessing radiation risks in the practice of radiation protection; carcinogenic risk coefficients at environmental levels of radon exposures: a microdosimetric approach; and hit-size effectiveness approach in radiation protection

Elevated sodium chloride concentrations enhance the bystander effects induced by low dose alpha-particle irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han Wei; Zhu Lingyan; Jiang Erkang; Wang Jun; Chen Shaopeng; Bao Linzhi; Zhao Ye; Xu An; Yu Zengliang [Key Laboratory of Ion Beam Bioengineering, Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Wu Lijun [Key Laboratory of Ion Beam Bioengineering, Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)], E-mail: ljw@ipp.ac.cn

2007-11-01

Previous studies have shown that high NaCl can be genotoxic, either alone or combined with irradiation. However, little is known about the relationship between environmental NaCl at elevated conditions and radiation-induced bystander effects (RIBE). RIBE, which has been considered as non-targeted bystander responses, has been demonstrated to occur widely in various cell lines. In the present study, RIBE under the elevated NaCl culture condition was assessed in AG 1522 cells by both the induction of {gamma}-H2AX, a reliable marker of DNA double-strand break (DSB) for the early process (<1 h post irradiation), and the generation of micronuclei (MN), a sensitive marker for relative long process of RIBE. Our results showed that in the absence of irradiation, NaCl at elevated concentration such as 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0 g/L did not significantly increase the frequency of {gamma}-H2AX foci-positive cells and the number of foci per positive cell comparing with that NaCl at a normal concentration (6.8 g/L). However, with 0.2 cGy {alpha}-particle irradiation, the induced fraction of {gamma}-H2AX foci-positive cells and the number of induced {gamma}-H2AX foci per positive cell were significantly increased in both irradiated and adjacent non-irradiated regions. Similarly, the induction of MN by 0.2 cGy {alpha}-particle irradiation also increased with the elevated NaCl concentrations. With N{sup G}-methyl-L-arginine, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, the induced fraction of foci-positive cells was effectively inhibited both in 0.2 cGy {alpha}-particle irradiated and adjacent non-irradiated regions under either normal or elevated NaCl conditions. These results suggested that the cultures with elevated NaCl medium magnified the damage effects induced by the low dose {alpha}-particle irradiation and nitric oxide generated by irradiation was also very important in this process.

Survey of atomic data base needs and accuracies for helium beam stopping and alpha particle diagnostics for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Summers, H.P.; Hellermann, M. von.

1992-01-01

This report is concerned with establishing a recommended collection of atomic collision data for the modelling, experimental investigation and exploitation of helium beams. The motivation stems from proposals for diagnostic beams for the ITER tokamak, targeted at alpha particle measurement via double charge transfer, neutralized alpha particle analysis and spectroscopic analysis of recombination radiation. The report discusses the beam energies, species involved in collisions with the helium atom beam (fuel, helium ash and plasma impurities) and plasma conditions prevailing in large tokamak devices. It also lists the required cross-section data

BJT detector with FPGA-based read-out for alpha particle monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tyzhnevyi, V; Dalla Betta, G-F [Universita di Trento, via Sommarive, 14, 38123 Trento (Italy); Rovati, L [Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Vignolese 905, 41125 Modena (Italy); Verzellesi, G [Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Amendola 2, Pad. Morselli, 42100 Reggio Emilia (Italy); Zorzi, N, E-mail: tyzhnevyi@disi.unitn.it [Fondazione Bruno Kessler, via Sommarive, 18, 38123 Trento (Italy)

2011-01-15

In this work we introduce a new prototype of readout electronics (ALPHADET), which was designed for an {alpha}-particle detection system based on a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) detector. The system uses an FPGA, which provides many advantages at the stage of prototyping and testing the detector. The main design and electrical features of the board are discussed in this paper, along with selected results from the characterization of ALPHADET coupled to BJT detectors.

The new Athena alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for the Mars Exploration Rovers

Science.gov (United States)

Rieder, R.; Gellert, R.; Brückner, J.; Klingelhöfer, G.; Dreibus, G.; Yen, A.; Squyres, S. W.

2003-11-01

The new alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) is part of the Athena payload of the two Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). The APXS sensor head is attached to the turret of the instrument deployment device (IDD) of the rover. The APXS is a very light-weight instrument for determining the major and minor elemental composition of Martian soils, rocks, and other geological materials at the MER landing sites. The sensor head has simply to be docked by the IDD on the surface of the selected sample. X-ray radiation, excited by alpha particles and X rays of the radioactive sources, is recorded by a high-resolution X-ray detector. The X-ray spectra show elements starting from sodium up to yttrium, depending on their concentrations. The backscattered alpha spectra, measured by a ring of detectors, provide additional data on carbon and oxygen. By means of a proper calibration, the elemental concentrations are derived. Together with data from the two other Athena instruments mounted on the IDD, the samples under investigation can be fully characterized. Key APXS objectives are the determination of the chemistry of crustal rocks and soils and the examination of water-related deposits, sediments, or evaporates. Using the rock abrasion tool attached to the IDD, issues of weathering can be addressed by measuring natural and abraded surfaces of rocks.

Image processing of integrated video image obtained with a charged-particle imaging video monitor system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, Takao; Nakajima, Takehiro

1988-01-01

A new type of charged-particle imaging video monitor system was constructed for video imaging of the distributions of alpha-emitting and low-energy beta-emitting nuclides. The system can display not only the scintillation image due to radiation on the video monitor but also the integrated video image becoming gradually clearer on another video monitor. The distortion of the image is about 5% and the spatial resolution is about 2 line pairs (lp)mm -1 . The integrated image is transferred to a personal computer and image processing is performed qualitatively and quantitatively. (author)

Iota-dependent resonance absorption in the optical model description of alpha particle elastic scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chyla, K.; Jarczyk, L.; Maciuk, B.; Zipper, W.

1976-01-01

Alpha particle scattering from 28 Si has been studied at five bombarding energies from 23.5 to 28.5 MeV. iota-dependent resonance absorption has been introduced to the optical model analysis of 28 Si (α,β) 28 Si reaction. (author)

Computational modeling of particle transport and distribution emitted from a Laserjet printer in a ventilated room with different ventilation configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ansaripour, Mehrzad; Abdolzadeh, Morteza; Sargazizadeh, Saleh

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The distribution of emitted particles form a laserjet printer was studied in the breathing zone. • Effects of different ventilation configurations on the breathing zone concentration were investigated. • Mixing ventilation system has a low mean particle concentration in the breathing zone. - Abstract: In the present research, computational modeling of particle transport and distribution emitted from a Laserjet printer was carried out in a ventilated room. A seated manikin was integrated into the study room and the manikin was evaluated in two cases: heated and unheated. Effects of different ventilation configurations of the room on the particle distribution were studied, including three displacement ventilation systems and a mixing ventilation system. The printer was located on different sides of the manikin and the particle concentrations in the breathing zone of the manikin due to the printer’s particles were evaluated in all the ventilation configurations. The averaged particle concentration in the breathing zone of the manikin was calculated and validated with the experimental and numerical data available in the literature. The results of the present study showed that in case of the heated manikin, the particle concentration due to the printer pollutants is significant in the breathing zone of the manikin. The results also showed that when the printer is located on the front side of the manikin, the particle concentration in the breathing zone is quite high in most of the used ventilation configurations. Furthermore, it was found that the mixing ventilation system has a lower mean particle concentration in the breathing zone compared to the most displacement ventilation systems.

An experimental study of symmetric and asymmetric peak-fitting parameters for alpha-particle spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin Sanchez, A.; Vera Tome, F.; Caceres Marzal, D.; Bland, C.J.

1994-01-01

A pulse-height spectrum of alpha-particle emissions at discrete energies can be fitted by the peak-shape functions generated by combining asymmetric truncated exponential functions with a symmetric Gaussian distribution. These functions have been applied successfully by several workers. A correlation was previously found between the variance of the symmetric Gaussian portion of the fitting function, and the parameter characterising the principal exponential tailing function. The results of a more detailed experimental study are reported, which involve varying the angle and the distance between the source and the detector. This analysis shows that the parameters of the symmetric and asymmetric parts of the fitted functions seem to depend on either the detector or the source. These parameters are influenced by the energy loss suffered by the alpha-particles as well as by the efficiency of charge collection in the solid-state detector. (orig.)

Strongly Enhanced Low Energy Alpha-Particle Decay in Heavy Actinide Nuclei and Long-Lived Superdeformed and Hyperdeformed Isomeric States

CERN Document Server

Marinov, Amnon; Kolb, D.; Weil, J.L.

2001-01-01

Relatively low energy and very enhanced alpha-particle groups have been observed in various actinide fractions produced via secondary reactions in a CERN W target which had been irradiated with 24-GeV protons. In particular, 5.14, 5.27 and 5.53 MeV alpha-particle groups with corresponding half-lives of 3.8(+ -)1.0 y, 625(+ -)84 d and 26(+ -)7 d, have been seen in Bk, Es and Lr-No sources, respectively. The measured energies are a few MeV lower than the known g.s. to g.s. alpha-decays in the corresponding neutron-deficient actinide nuclei. The half-lives are 4 to 7 orders of magnitude shorter than expected from the systematics of alpha-particle decay in this region of nuclei. The deduced evaporation residue cross sections are in the mb region, about 4 orders of magnitude higher than expected. A consistent interpretation of the data is given in terms of production of long-lived isomeric states in the second and third wells of the potential-energy surfaces of the parent nuclei, which decay to the corresponding w...

Research on the reactions {sup 9}Be ({sup 3}He, 3 {alpha}) and {sup 10}B (d, 3 {alpha}); Contribution a l'etude experimentale des reactions {sup 9}Be ({sup 3}He, 3 {alpha}) et {sup 10}B (d, 3 {alpha})

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thouvenin, P. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Bruyeres-le-Chatel (France). Centre d' Etudes

1967-06-15

For studying these reactions, the detection of the final particles emitted in coincidence in the directions {theta}{sub 1} and {theta}{sub 2}, together with the bi-parametric analysis of the corresponding pulses are used. This method enables us to obtain the orthogonal Dalitz diagrams (E{sub 1}, E{sub 2}). An examination of the spectra obtained shows that the sequential mechanism appears to predominate. The contribution of the purely statistical process is less than 15 per cent of the total spectrum. In the case of {sup 10}B (d, 3 {alpha}), for E{sub d} = 1.5 MeV, 2,66 MeV and 3 MeV, the width of the peak of the first particles emitted, with respect to {sup 8}Be excitations close to 11 MeV, is found to be equal to 2.6 {+-} 0.6 MeV, much less than the width of the 2. excited state observed by {alpha} - {alpha} scattering. The coincidence spectra and the free spectra give an excitation energy of E{sub x} = 2.68 {+-} 0.07 MeV for the first excited state of {sup 8}Be. Some remarks are made concerning the anomalies observed for E{sub d} = 5 MeV and 9 MeV. The excited levels of {sup 8}Be at 13.91 MeV and 7.56 MeV which have been described in the past are not observed. (author) [French] La detection de deux des particules finales emises en cofncidence dans les directions {theta}{sub 1} et {theta}{sub 2}, et l'analyse biparametrique des impulsions correspondantes sont utilisees pour etudier ces reactions. Cette methode nous permet d'obtenir des diagrammes de Dalitz orthogonaux (E{sub 1}, E{sub 2}). L'examen des spectres obtenus montre que le mecanisme sequentiel semble predominant. La contribution du processus purement statistique est inferieure a 15 pour cent du spectre total. Dans le cas de {sup 10}B (d, 3 {alpha}), pour E{sub d} = 1,5 MeV, 2,66 MeV et 3 MeV, la largeur du pic des premieres particules emises relatives a des excitations de {sup 8}Be voisines de 11 MeV, est trouvee egale a 2,6 {+-} 0,6 MeV, tres inferieure a la largeur du 2. etat excite

Luminescence yield in irradiating gases by X-rays and alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combecher, D.

1973-01-01

In this paper, the measurable light emission in the irradiation of gases as modle substances has been quantitatively determined. The gases Ar, H 2 , N 2 , air, and C 3 H 8 were irradiated with X-rays and α-particles at a pressure of 730 torr. The emitted light was measured in the spectral range between the short-wave absorption edge of the gases and 6000 A (spectral resolution: 20 A). The spectral light yield was determined from the efficiency of the apparatus and from the total energy absorbed in the gases. (HK) [de

Dependence of alpha particle track diameter on the free volume holes size using positron annihilation lifetime technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Gamal, S. [Physics Department, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, 11711 Cairo (Egypt); Abdalla, Ayman M., E-mail: aymanabdalla62@hotmail.com [Physics Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Najran University, Najran (Saudi Arabia); Centre for Advanced Materials and Nano-Engineering, Najran University, Najran 11001 (Saudi Arabia); Abdel-Hady, E.E. [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, BO 61519, Minia (Egypt)

2015-09-15

The alpha particle track diameter dependence of the free volume holes size (V{sub f}) in DAM–ADC and CR-39 nuclear track detectors was investigated using positron annihilation lifetime technique. The effect of temperature on the alpha particle track diameter and free volume were also investigated in the T-range (RT-130 °C). The obtained results revealed that the values of ortho-positronium lifetime τ{sub 3} and V{sub f} increases while I{sub 3} slightly increases as T increases for the two detectors. The values of τ{sub 3}, V{sub f} and I{sub 3} are higher in CR-39 than DAM–ADC. The interpretation of obtained results is based on the fact that increasing T leads to significant enhancement of thermal expansion of the polymer matrix and consequently V{sub f} increases. The track diameter increases as T increases. This can be explained by the fact that the increase in T increases the crystal size and V{sub f} in the polymer. A relationship between V{sub f} and the alpha particle track diameter was obtained. Moreover results of detector irradiation, along with free volume evaluation are addressed and thoroughly discussed.

Determination of alpha dose rate profile at the HLW nuclear glass/water interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mougnaud, S., E-mail: sarah.mougnaud@cea.fr [CEA Marcoule, DEN/DTCD/SECM, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze cedex (France); Tribet, M.; Rolland, S. [CEA Marcoule, DEN/DTCD/SECM, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze cedex (France); Renault, J.-P. [CEA Saclay, NIMBE UMR 3685 CEA/CNRS, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex (France); Jégou, C. [CEA Marcoule, DEN/DTCD/SECM, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze cedex (France)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • The nuclear glass/water interface is studied. • The way the energy of alpha particles is deposited is modeled using MCNPX code. • A model giving dose rate profiles at the interface using intrinsic data is proposed. • Bulk dose rate is a majoring estimation in alteration layer and in surrounding water. • Dose rate is high in small cracks; in larger ones irradiated volume is negligible. - Abstract: Alpha irradiation and radiolysis can affect the alteration behavior of High Level Waste (HLW) nuclear glasses. In this study, the way the energy of alpha particles, emitted by a typical HLW glass, is deposited in water at the glass/water interface is investigated, with the aim of better characterizing the dose deposition at the glass/water interface during water-induced leaching mechanisms. A simplified chemical composition was considered for the nuclear glass under study, wherein the dose rate is about 140 Gy/h. The MCNPX calculation code was used to calculate alpha dose rate and alpha particle flux profiles at the glass/water interface in different systems: a single glass grain in water, a glass powder in water and a water-filled ideal crack in a glass package. Dose rate decreases within glass and in water as distance to the center of the grain increases. A general model has been proposed to fit a dose rate profile in water and in glass from values for dose rate in glass bulk, alpha range in water and linear energy transfer considerations. The glass powder simulation showed that there was systematic overlapping of radiation fields for neighboring glass grains, but the water dose rate always remained lower than the bulk value. Finally, for typical ideal cracks in a glass matrix, an overlapping of irradiation fields was observed while the crack aperture was lower than twice the alpha range in water. This led to significant values for the alpha dose rate within the crack volume, as long as the aperture remained lower than 60 μm.

Alpha-particle emission probabilities in the decay of 239Pu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Torano, E.; Acena, M.L.; Bortels, G.; Mouchel, D.

1993-01-01

The alpha-particle emission probabilities (P α ) of 239 Pu have been measured using material of highest enrichment and radiochemical purity, thin sources produced by vacuum sublimation, and high-resolution α spectroscopy with ion-implanted Si detectors (PIPS). The results for the major emissions are P α0.07 =0.7077±0.0014, P α13 =0.1711±0.0014 and P α51 =0.1194±0.0007, which for the P α0.07 is about 3.6% lower than the recent evaluated value in the literature. (orig.)

Angular distributions of the alpha particle production in the 7Li+144Sm system at near-barrier energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carnelli, P F F; Arazi, A; Capurro, O A; Niello, J O Fernández; Heimann, D Martinez; Pacheco, A J; Cardona, M A; De Barbará, E; Figueira, J M; Hojman, D L; Martí, G V; Negri, A E

2015-01-01

We have studied the production of alpha particles in reactions induced by 7 Li projectiles on a 144 Sm target at bombarding energies of 18, 24 and 30 MeV over the 15°-140° angular range. The purpose of the investigation has been to determine the contribution of different mechanisms in reactions that involve weakly bound projectiles. We have included in our analysis several processes that can either directly or sequentially lead to the emission of alpha particles: complete fusion, direct transfer of 3 H, capture breakup (incomplete fusion, sequential complete fusion) and non-capture breakup. In order to distinguish alpha particles stemming from these processes it is necessary to determine the mass and charge of the reaction products and to obtain precise measurements of their energies and scattering angles over relatively wide ranges of these variables. We have done this using a detection system consisting of an ionization chamber plus three position sensitive detectors. We present results of these measurements and a preliminary interpretation based on kinematical considerations and comparisons with predictions from a statistical model. (paper)

Studies of biocompatibility of chemically etched CR-39 SSNTDs in view of their applications in alpha-particle radiobiological experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, W.Y.; Chan, K.F.; Tse, A.K.W.; Fong, W.F.; Yu, K.N.

2006-01-01

Alpha-particle radiobiological experiments involve irradiating cells with alpha particles and require thin biocompatible materials which can record alpha-particle traversals as substrates for cell cultures. The biocompatibilities of chemically etched CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) using aqueous NaOH or NaOH/ehtanol are studied through the abundance and morphology of the cultured HeLa cells. The wetting properties of these etched CR-39 SSNTDs are also studied. The moderately hydrophobic CR-39 SSNTDs as well as the hydrophobic NaOH/ethanol-etched CR-39 SSNTDs are more biocompatible than the hydrophilic aqueous-NaOH-etched SSNTDs. Too small water contact angles, too large surface energy (γ s ) or the polar component γ s p do not favor the cell culture. On the other hand, the dispersive component γ s d of the surface energy and the ratio γ s p /γ s d do not seem to significantly affect the biocompatibility

Coincidence measurement between. cap alpha. -particles and projectile-like fragments in reaction of 82. 7 MeV /sup 16/O on /sup 27/Al

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen-Qing, Shen; Wen-long, Zhan; Yong-tai, Zhu; Shu-zhi, Yin; Zhong-yan, Guo; Wei-min, Qiao; Guo-ying, Fan; Gen-ming, Jin; Song-ling, Li; Zhen, Zhang; others, and

1987-01-01

In the coincidence measurement between ..cap alpha..-particles and projectile-like fragments in the reaction of 82.7 MeV /sup 16/O on /sup 27/Al, the contour plot of the C-..cap alpha.. coincidence in the velocity plane and the coincident angular correlation are obtained. Different mechanisms of ..cap alpha..-particle emission are analysed. A possible reaction mechanism of incomplete DIC is discussed.

Air alpha monitoring device and system for the calibration of the track detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danis, A; Oncescu, M.; Ciubotariu, M.

2001-01-01

The radon measurement plays a critical role: - in monitoring the human health and safety, due to radon destructive health effects. Sustained exposures of humans to high concentration of radon, in fact to high concentrations of its decay products, can produce lung cancer; - in a variety of geophysical, geochemical, hydrological and atmospheric investigations, such as exploring resources of uranium or hydrocarbons. The transport of radon within the earth, waters and atmosphere makes it a useful tracer in these purposes. in both cases, the reliable long-term measurements are required because usual short-term variations in concentration need to be averaged. These variations are caused by factors such as relative humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure and their seasonal variations, moisture content in the air, or ventilation in the dwelling or working places. The integrating measurement methods meet these requirements. Among them, the alpha track method is one of the adequate and useful method and it is used by authors in radon measurements in dwelling and working places including mines and house cellars. The best etched track alpha detector for radon measurements proved to be the detector CR-39 due to: - its sensitivity to alpha particles emitted by radon decay products; - its stability against various environmental factors; - its high degree of optical clarity, was used in a proper device for alpha monitoring in air. Its calibration for radon measurements was performed in the proper calibration system. The general descriptions and specifications were given previously. Only some characteristics of these devices are given here. For air alpha monitoring device: i) equipped with filter, during alpha exposure, the alpha particles of radon are registered in the etched track detector mounted inside (ρ Rn - track density); ii) without filter, the alpha particles emitted by radon + its alpha decay products/their aerosols are registered in the detector (ρ tot - track

Long-range alpha detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacArthur, D.W.; McAtee, J.L.

1991-01-01

Historically, alpha-particle and alpha-contamination detectors have been limited by the very short range of alpha particles in air and by relatively poor sensitivity even if the particles are intercepted. Alpha detectors have had to be operated in a vacuum or in close proximity to the source if reasonable efficiency is desired. Alpha particles interact with the ambient air, producing ionization in the air at the rate of ∼30,000 ion pairs per mega-electron-volt of alpha energy. These charges can be transported over significant distances (several meters) in a moving current of air generated by a small fan. An ion chamber located in front of the fan measures the current carried by the moving ions. The long-range alpha detector (LRAD) offers several advantages over more traditional alpha detectors. First and foremost, it can operate efficiently even if the contamination is not easily accessible. Second, ions generated by contamination in crevices and other unmonitorable locations can be detected if the airflow penetrates those areas. Third, all of the contamination on a large surface will generate ions that can be detected in a single detector; hence, the detector's sensitivity to distributed sources is not limited by the size of the probe. Finally, a simple ion chamber can detect very small electric currents, making this technique potentially quite sensitive

A new method for alpha-particle detection in a classroom experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, A.; Pintye, Z.; Molnar, J.

2005-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The World Year of Physics (WYP 2005) was a worldwide celebration of Physics and its importance in our everyday lives. In harmony with its aims, that is to raise the worldwide awareness of Physics and Physical Science, we introduced a novel lab work involving a new imaging and data evaluation method for alpha-particle detection, which can be easily implemented in a classroom environment. The target group of the experiments is mainly secondary school students (age between 16-18 years). Our aim is to motivate students to develop a better understanding of Physics, allowing them to experience for themselves something of its fascination. In order to increase their attractiveness, the experiments include using a CMOS video image sensor with a video output. The covering glass window of the sensor must be carefully removed in order to make it sensitive for alpha rays. The sensor is connected to a computer where the images are recorded as a short video clip. The recorded video is played back by frames. The resulted frames are then merged together into one image. On this image the student can count the number of spots, where each spot corresponds to a hit of an alpha particle. The experiment can also be visible on a TV screen even by a whole class, however the authors suggest implementing the following experiments as a practical work individually or in small groups. As students are familiar with modern information technology, we think that they will be highly motivated to make these experiments on their own. Acknowledgements. The development of the above experimental setup was funded by ATOMKI and it was presented to the interactive science centre 'Magic corner', Debrecen, Hungary at Christmas, 2005. (author)

Alpha and beta detection and spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saro, S.

1984-01-01

The theory of alpha and beta radioactive decay, the interaction of alpha and beta particles with matter, and their detection and spectrometry are dealt with in seven chapters: 1. Alpha transformation of atomic nuclei; 2. Basic properties of detectors and statistics of detection; 3. Alpha detectors and spectrometers; 4. Applications of alpha detection and spectrometry; 5. Beta transformation of atomic nuclei; 6. Beta particle detectors and spectrometers; 7. Detection of low energy beta particles. Chapter 8 is devoted to sampling and preparation of samples for radiometry. (E.F.)

TFTR alpha extraction and measurement: Development and testing of advanced alpha detectors: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wehring, B.W.

1988-01-01

Advanced alpha-particle detectors made of heavy elements were investigated as alternatives to silicon surface-barrier detectors for the ''foil-neutralization technique'' of alpha-particle diagnostics in fusion reactors with high neutron backgrounds. From an extensive literature review, it was decided that HgI 2 would make a more suitable detector for alpha-particle diagnostics than other heavy element detectors such as CdTe. Thus, HgI 2 detectors were designed and fabricated. Experimental tests were performed to determine detector characteristics and detector responses to alpha particles. Radiation noise measurements were also performed using the North Carolina State University PULSTAR nuclear reactor for both the HgI 2 detectors and commercial Si(Au) surface barrier detectors. 15 refs., 1 fig

Choosing an alpha radiation weighting factor for doses to non-human biota

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, Douglas B.; Osborne, Richard V.; Garva, Amy L.

2006-01-01

The risk to non-human biota from exposure to ionizing radiation is of current international interest. In calculating radiation doses to humans, it is common to multiply the absorbed dose by a factor to account for the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of the radiation type. However, there is no international consensus on the appropriate value of such a factor for weighting doses to non-human biota. This paper summarizes our review of the literature on experimentally determined RBEs for internally deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides. The relevancy of each experimental result in selecting a radiation weighting factor for doses from alpha particles in biota was judged on the basis of criteria established a priori. We recommend a nominal alpha radiation weighting factor of 5 for population-relevant deterministic and stochastic endpoints, but to reflect the limitations in the experimental data, uncertainty ranges of 1-10 and 1-20 were selected for population-relevant deterministic and stochastic endpoints, respectively

On the radiation emitted by a particle falling into a black hole in the semi-relativistic approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coretti, C.; Ferrari, V.

1986-01-01

In this paper the limits of applicability of the semi-relativistic approximation for estimating the radiation emitted in processes of capture of particles by black holes are discussed. It is shown that it gives reliable estimates in the case of spherically symmetric black holes, but it fails in the case of rotating black holes

Various light particles emissions accompaning light heavy ion collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billerey, R.

1981-01-01

In this work we have investigated light particles emission accompanying heavy-ion induced reactions. The experiments were performed at the isochronous cyclotron of the I.S.N. de Grenoble and we got in and out of plane correlations between solid state and gazeous detectors. In 14 N (100 MeV) + 27 Al we have chosen, light particles emitted in coincidence with deep inelastic fragments or evaporation residues have been measured. Likewise we observed the correlations between fragments and fragments. The particularities we found between protons and alpha emissions are to be assigned to differences in separation energies, but their relative energies and angular momenta have also a significant part [fr

Alpha particle effects as a test domain for PAP, a Plasma Apprentice Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mynick, H.E.

1987-01-01

A new type of computational tool under development, employing techniques of symbolic computation and artificial intelligence to automate as far as possible the research activities of a human plasma theorist, is described. Its present and potential uses are illustrated using the area of the theory of alpha particle effects in fusion plasmas as a sample domain. (orig.)

Set-up of an alpha-spectrometry system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calicchia, A.

1976-01-01

Principle of operation of alpha-spectrometry system is described, using a solid state detector, which allows to precisely determine sample's activity and specify alpha-emitting radionuclides. Measurements which allow to define system performances are shown, that is energy resolution and real sensitivity of spectrometer

Immuno-vectorization of radioelements emitters of alpha particles: a new therapy in cancerology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourgeois, M.

2007-05-01

The radio-immunotherapy is an anti cancerous therapy which consists in vectorising with immuno-specific agents very radio toxic radioelements on tumors or in their environment to destroy them. The first part of this report presents the different characteristics of antibodies as well as their means of production under monoclonal shapes specifically steered against a tumoral antigen of interest. The second part of this report replaces the importance of the immunological vectors in the context of the nuclear medicine. It is notably described that the different methods which allow to radio-label the vector, as well as the different ways of optimization which were envisaged to improve the targeting of radioelements on a tumor. These different developments allow to define the potential place of the alpha radio-immunotherapy in treatments and so re-place the interest of the experimental part. If the radio-immunotherapy, using beta emitters isotopes as the 131 iodine or the 90 yttrium, is today current in anti cancerous therapy, it finds limits because of the disintegration characteristics of the isotopes it uses. Indeed, compared with alpha particles, the beta particles deposit less energy by unit of length in the crossed material.The experimental part of this report aims at studying the feasibility of the coupling between an immunological vector and an alpha emitter isotope.The different tests led on the bismuth 213, the bismuth 212, the lead 212 and the astatine 211 demonstrated that the fixation of these radionuclides was possible. This research theme is strengthened by the construction in Nantes of a cyclotron with high energy ( A.R.R.O.N.A.X.) and the optimization of the obtained promising results should allow a therapeutic use in oncology of the alpha radio-immunotherapy. (N.C.)

Momenta of particles emitted by target at intensive irradiation by low-energy ions

CERN Document Server

Beshenkov, V G; Marchenko, V A

2002-01-01

One measured the aggregate momenta of the target emitted particles at the intensive sputtering by E sub 0 approx = 0.5 keV energy heavy inert gases. For liquid and being under premelting temperature Ga target the measured values are close to the expected momenta of sputtered metallic atoms and reflection ions, for Cu and Zr targets they are essentially higher. One assumes that sputtering of atoms of gas-diffuser implanted into the target causes the surplus momentum. The estimated average energy of these atoms approx = 20 eV. Under Ga irradiation the implanted atoms diffuse mainly towards the surface and are desorbed

Combination of digital autoradiography and alpha track analysis to reveal the distribution of definite alpha- and beta-emitting nuclides in contaminated samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vlasova, I. [Lomonosov MSU (Russian Federation); Kuzmenkova, N. [Vernadsky GEOKHI RAS (Russian Federation); Shiryaev, A. [Frumkin IPCE RAS (Russian Federation); Pryakhin, E. [Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine (Russian Federation); Kalmykov, S.; Ivanov, I. [PA Mayak (Russian Federation)

2014-07-01

Digital autoradiography using Imaging Plate is commonly employed for searching 'hot' particles in the contaminated soil, sediment and aerosol probes. However digital radiography images combined with Alpha Track radiography data could provide much more information about micro-distribution of different alpha- and beta- nuclides. The discrimination method to estimate the distribution of radionuclides that are the main contributors to the total radioactivity ({sup 90}Sr/{sup 90}Y, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 241}Am) has been developed on the case of artificial reservoir V-17 (PA 'Mayak'). The bottom sediments and hydrobionts probes collected from V-17 along with the standards of {sup 137}Cs, {sup 90}Sr/{sup 90}Y and {sup 241}Am have been exposed for a short time (15 min) using a stack of 3 Imaging Plates (Cyclone Plus Storage Phosphor System, Perkin Elmer). The attenuation of photostimulated luminescence (PSL) intensity from layer to layer of the Imaging Plates depends on the type and energy of radiation. Integrated approach using PSL attenuation in the samples and standards (digital radiography) along with Alpha Track radiography and gamma-spectroscopy of the preparation was used to estimate the contribution of the main nuclides in specific parts of contaminated samples. The observation of the {sup 90}Sr/{sup 90}Y and {sup 137}Cs activity maxima could help to find the phases which are responsible for preferential sorption of the nuclides. Document available in abstract form only. (authors)

The use of silicon devices (diodes, RAMs, etc.) for alpha particle detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agosteo, S.; Foglio Para, A.

1993-01-01

Silicon electronic devices (diodes, random access memories (RAMs), etc.) can be employed in alpha particle detection and spectroscopy with a good energy resolution. The detection mechanisms are first discussed; the performances of these devices operating in the pulse and in the current mode are then described starting from the pioneering works of the last decade. Some peculiar applications of RAMs are finally reported. (author). 7 refs, 5 figs, 1 tab

NIR-emitting molecular-based nanoparticles as new two-photon absorbing nanotools for single particle tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, J.; Godin, A. G.; Clermont, G.; Lounis, B.; Cognet, L.; Blanchard-Desce, M.

2015-07-01

In order to provide a green alternative to QDs for bioimaging purposes and aiming at designing bright nanoparticles combining both large one- and two-photon brightness, a bottom-up route based on the molecular engineering of dedicated red to NIR emitting dyes that spontaneously form fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) has been implemented. These fully organic nanoparticles built from original quadrupolar dyes are prepared using a simple, expeditious and green protocol that yield very small molecular-based nanoparticles (radius ~ 7 nm) suspension in water showing a nice NIR emission (λem=710 nm). These FONs typically have absorption coefficient more than two orders larger than popular NIR-emitting dyes (such as Alexa Fluor 700, Cy5.5 ….) and much larger Stokes shift values (i.e. up to over 5500 cm-1). They also show very large two-photon absorption response in the 800-1050 nm region (up to about 106 GM) of major promise for two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy. Thanks to their brightness and enhanced photostability, these FONs could be imaged as isolated nanoparticles and tracked using wide-field imaging. As such, thanks to their size and composition (absence of heavy metals), they represent highly promising alternatives to NIR-emitting QDs for use in bioimaging and single particle tracking applications. Moreover, efficient FONs coating was achieved by using a polymeric additive built from a long hydrophobic (PPO) and a short hydrophilic (PEO) segment and having a cationic head group able to interact with the highly negative surface of FONs. This electrostatically-driven interaction promotes both photoluminescence and two-photon absorption enhancement leading to an increase of two-photon brightness of about one order of magnitude. This opens the way to wide-field single particle tracking under two-photon excitation

Calibration of a Thomson parabola ion spectrometer and Fujifilm imaging plate detectors for protons, deuterons, and alpha particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, C G; Fiksel, G; Stoeckl, C; Sinenian, N; Canfield, M J; Graeper, G B; Lombardo, A T; Stillman, C R; Padalino, S J; Mileham, C; Sangster, T C; Frenje, J A

2011-07-01

A Thomson parabola ion spectrometer has been designed for use at the Multiterawatt (MTW) laser facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at the University of Rochester. This device uses parallel electric and magnetic fields to deflect particles of a given mass-to-charge ratio onto parabolic curves on the detector plane. Once calibrated, the position of the ions on the detector plane can be used to determine the particle energy. The position dispersion of both the electric and magnetic fields of the Thomson parabola was measured using monoenergetic proton and alpha particle beams from the SUNY Geneseo 1.7 MV tandem Pelletron accelerator. The sensitivity of Fujifilm BAS-TR imaging plates, used as a detector in the Thomson parabola, was also measured as a function of the incident particle energy over the range from 0.6 MeV to 3.4 MeV for protons and deuterons and from 0.9 MeV to 5.4 MeV for alpha particles. The device was used to measure the energy spectrum of laser-produced protons at MTW.

Calibration of a Thomson parabola ion spectrometer and Fujifilm imaging plate detectors for protons, deuterons, and alpha particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freeman, C. G.; Canfield, M. J.; Graeper, G. B.; Lombardo, A. T.; Stillman, C. R.; Padalino, S. J. [Physics Department, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, New York 14454 (United States); Fiksel, G.; Stoeckl, C.; Mileham, C.; Sangster, T. C. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); Sinenian, N.; Frenje, J. A. [Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

2011-07-15

A Thomson parabola ion spectrometer has been designed for use at the Multiterawatt (MTW) laser facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at University of Rochester. This device uses parallel electric and magnetic fields to deflect particles of a given mass-to-charge ratio onto parabolic curves on the detector plane. Once calibrated, the position of the ions on the detector plane can be used to determine the particle energy. The position dispersion of both the electric and magnetic fields of the Thomson parabola was measured using monoenergetic proton and alpha particle beams from the SUNY Geneseo 1.7 MV tandem Pelletron accelerator. The sensitivity of Fujifilm BAS-TR imaging plates, used as a detector in the Thomson parabola, was also measured as a function of the incident particle energy over the range from 0.6 MeV to 3.4 MeV for protons and deuterons and from 0.9 MeV to 5.4 MeV for alpha particles. The device was used to measure the energy spectrum of laser-produced protons at MTW.

Alpha-emitting radionuclides in cigarette tobacco

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neton, James W.; Ibrahim, Shawki Amin

1978-01-01

As part of general studies of the concentration of 239/240 Pu, 238 Pu and 228,230,232 Th in the tissues of non-occupationally exposed individuals, it became evident that there was little or no information on their content in cigarette tobacco. To better understand this possible route of intake and its potential for lung exposure we have measured these nuclides in tobacco samples, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which have a well-known growing history, and in brand name cigarettes purchased commercially. The concentration of 239/240 Pu in both USDA and brand name tobacco has a range of 0.4-0.7 pCi/kg of tobacco while the 238 Pu concentration was ≤ 0.05 pCi/kg. The 228 Th concentration for USDA tobacco was 200 pCi/kg tobacco while the 232 Th was only 14 pCi/kg. The high 228/232 Th ratio may result from a lower uptake of 232 Th compared to that of 228 Ra. By comparing the concentration of these measured nuclides to other alpha emitters in tobacco that have been reported in the literature, i.e. 210 Po (400 pCi/kg) and 226 Ra (150 pCi/kg), it is apparent that 228 Th represents a significant fraction of the total alpha activity. It is also evident there is a much greater potential for exposure of the lung to radiation from 228 Th than from 239/240 Pu as a result of cigarette smoking. (author)

/sup 56/Fe (. gamma. ,. cap alpha. /sub 0/) reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tamae, T; Sugawara, M [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Lab. of Nuclear Science; Tsubota, H

1974-12-01

The reaction cross section of /sup 56/Fe (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) was measured from the electron energy of 15 to 25 MeV. The measured data were compared with the calculated ones based on statistic theory. Both agreed with each other. Therefore, the affirmative result was obtained for the presumption that the reaction of (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) of the nuclei around these energy levels can be explained by the statistical theory. The angular distribution of /sup 56/Fe (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) with 17 MeV electron energy was also measured, and the E2/E1 ratio was obtained. In the measurement of the /sup 56/Fe ( Gamma , ..cap alpha../sub 0/) reaction cross section, a natural target of 2.69 mg/cm/sup 2/ was irradiated with an electron beam with energy from 15 MeV to 25 MeV at intervals of 0.5 MeV, and the emitted ..cap alpha.. particles were detected by a broad band magnetic distribution meter. The measured cross section of the (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) reaction agreed with the calculated one based on statistical theory. If this fact is recognized in many nuclei, the cross section of the (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) reaction on those nuclei has the following characteristics. When the increasing rate of the product of a complex nucleus formation cross section and ..cap alpha../sub 0/ penetration factor is larger than that of the sum of all penetration factors of possible channels, the cross section of the (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) reaction increases, and takes a peak value when the above two increasing rates agree with each other.

Alpha-particle detection based on the BJT detector and simple, IC-based readout electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rovati, L; Bonaiuti, M [Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell' Informazione, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena (Italy); Bettarini, S [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Pisa and INFN Pisa, Pisa (Italy); Bosisio, L [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Trieste and INFN Trieste, Trieste (Italy); Dalla Betta, G-F; Tyzhnevyi, V [Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Scienza dell' Informazione, Universita di Trento e INFN Trento, Trento (Italy); Verzellesi, G [Dipartimento di Scienze e Metodi dell' Ingegneria, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia and INFN Trento, Reggio Emilia (Italy); Zorzi, N, E-mail: giovanni.verzellesi@unimore.i [Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Trento (Italy)

2009-11-15

In this paper we propose a portable instrument for alpha-particle detection based on a previously-developed BJT detector and a simple, IC-based readout electronics. Experimental tests of the BJT detector and readout electronics are reported. Numerical simulations are adopted to predict the performance enhancement achievable with optimized BJT detectors.

Alpha-particle detection based on the BJT detector and simple, IC-based readout electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rovati, L; Bonaiuti, M; Bettarini, S; Bosisio, L; Dalla Betta, G-F; Tyzhnevyi, V; Verzellesi, G; Zorzi, N

2009-01-01