Present and past denudation rates in the central Tianshan (Central Asia): impact of the Quaternary glaciations?

Science.gov (United States)

Charreau, J.; Puchol, N.; Blard, P.; Braucher, R.; Leanni, L.; Bourles, D. L.; Graveleau, F.; Dominguez, S.

2012-12-01

impossible to achieve. To reconstruct the denudation rates from the sedimentary archives, we have developed an approach based on the analyses of in situ produced cosmogenic isotope (10Be) in sediment. A pioneer study was carried out in the magnetostratigraphically dated Kuitun section. This work showed a possible transient increase in denudation rate in the drainage basin from 4 to 2Ma. Because our study was limited to one single basin and suffered from large uncertainties, it is unclear yet if this change can be related to the onset of glaciations or local tectonic activity. A critical step is to understand how the material is transferred to the basin and what are the main factors controlling the spatial distribution of present-day denudation. Therefore, we have analyzed the 10Be concentrations of 35 samples from modern river sediments located in the Northern and Southern Tianshan piedmonts. Those results will be discussed in the light of a comprehensive morphologic analyses of all the drainage basins, taking into account the influence of tectonics and climate. Finally, the derivation of paleo-denudation rate from cosmogenic isotopes must rely on independent constrained of the watershed paleotopography. Therefore, we will also presents high-resolution oxygen and carbon isotopic records of paleosol carbonates, sampled from the Kuitun section. From these records we conclude that the Kuitun He drainage basin have remained at relatively unchanged elevations for the past 10 Ma.

A denuder-impinger system with in situ derivatization followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of gaseous iodine-containing halogen species.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ru-Jin; Hoffmann, Thorsten

2008-11-14

Reactive iodine species have been suggested to play an important role in the atmosphere (e.g. tropospheric ozone depletion, coastal new particle formation). However, there still exist major uncertainties about their atmospheric chemistry, mostly due to the lack of analytical approaches for the accurate speciation of certain key compounds. In this study, 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene (1,3,5-TMB)-coated denuder proved to be suitable for the differentiation between gaseous interhalogens (iodine monochloride (ICl), iodine monobromide (IBr)) and molecular iodine (I2) based on a selective collection/derivatization method. The results of the denuder sampling were compared with the results of impinger sampling in water, methanol and carbon tetrachloride solutions of 1,3,5-TMB. ICl and IBr are converted into 1-iodo-2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene (1-iodo-2,4,6-TMB) and 1-bromo-2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene (1-bromo-2,4,6-TMB), respectively, in the denuder systems. The respective collection efficiency is 99.2% for ICl and 92.6% for IBr, at 500mLmin(-1) gas flow rate. The collection efficiency for I2 is lower than 1% in the same denuder system, but significantly increases to about 90% in the aqueous 1,3,5-TMB loaded impinger. The denuder-impinger coupled system was then used to differentiate and to collect the ICl, IBr and I2 gas mixtures, followed by gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-MS) determination. The precision of the method is in general better than 9.1%. The parameters affecting denuder operation including sampling flow rate, sampling duration, and relative humidity have been evaluated. The presented method provides an attractive protocol for iodine species analysis for atmospheric chemistry research.

Development and application of denuder sampling techniques with in situ derivatization for the determination of hydrogenbromide in volcanic plumes

Science.gov (United States)

Gutmann, Alexandra; Rüdiger, Julian; Hoffmann, Thorsten

2016-04-01

The composition of gases in volcanic plumes shifts with subsurface processes inside volcanoes. For monitoring volcanic activity by studying volcanic plumes it is essential to understand the chemical reactions inside the volcanic plume (Bobrowski and Platt, 2013). Measurements of BrO/SO2-ratio already enable insights into magmatic processes (Bobrowski and Giuffrida, 2012). Both, BrO and SO2, are measurable by Remote Sensing Techniques at a safe distance. Models suggest not a direct emission of BrO but formation due to photochemical and multiphase reactions in the gas and particle phase. These model presume HBr as first emitted species (Gerlach, 2004). So HBr is an important connecting link between easily measurable BrO/SO2-ratios and conclusions on a volcanic system. It is of high importance to know if there is a variation in the amount of HBr transformed into BrO and to gain knowledge on the factor of its dependence. Apart from depletion of surrounded ozone also decreasing or depletion of emitted HBr or even HCl could be responsible for the shift (Bobrowski and Giuffrida, 2012). Knowledge about complex processes in volcanic plumes will simplify interpretation and predictions. In this study, first applications of coated gas diffusion denuder (similar to Huang and Hoffmann, 2008) to derivatize gaseous HBr were successful. Due to the lack of adequate remote sensing techniques an in situ method was developed and will be presented in detail. The epoxide of oleic acid was determined as a suitable derivatization agent. The reaction with HBr gives 10-bromo-9-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid. Other hydrogenhalogens give corresponding products. Derivatized analytes were removed from denuder by solvent elution and subsequent analysed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A limit of quantification below 1 ng was achieved. The method was applied on volcanic gas plumes at Mt. Etna in Italy in July and August 2015. The results showed HBr in higher ppt-range. These first proof

Validation of ammonia diffusive and active samplers in a controlled atmosphere test facility using traceable Primary Standard Gas Mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Nicholas A.; Ferracci, Valerio; Cassidy, Nathan; Hook, Josh; Battersby, Ross M.; Tang, Yuk S.; Stevens, Amy C. M.; Jones, Matthew R.; Braban, Christine F.; Gates, Linda; Hangartner, Markus; Stoll, Jean-Marc; Sacco, Paolo; Pagani, Diego; Hoffnagle, John A.

2017-04-01

Intensive animal farming, the increased use of fertilizers, and certain industrial processes are believed to be responsible for the observed increases in the amount fraction of ammonia (NH3) found in Europe. NH3 contributes to eutrophication and acidification of land and freshwater, potentially leading to a loss of biodiversity and undesirable changes to the ecosystem. It also contributes to the formation of secondary particulate matter (PM) formation, which is associated with poor air quality and adverse health outcomes. Measurements of ambient ammonia are principally carried out with low-cost diffusive samplers or by active sampling with denuders, with each method delivering time-integrated values over the monitoring period. However, such techniques have not yet been extensively validated. The goal of this work was to provide improvements in the metrological traceability through the determination of NH3 diffusive sampling rates. Five different designs of commercial diffusive samplers (FSM Radiello radial sampler, Gradko diffusion tube, Gradko DIFRAM-400, Passam ammonia sampler, and CEH ALPHA sampler) were employed, together with a pumped denuder sampler (CEH DELTA denuder) for comparison. All devices were simultaneously exposed for either 28 days or 14 days (dependent on sampler type) in a controlled atmosphere test facility (CATFAC) containing traceable amount fractions of humidified ammonia using new stable ammonia Primary Standard Gas Mixtures developed by gravimetry at NPL, under a wide range of conditions that are relevant to ambient monitoring. Online continuous monitoring of the ammonia test atmospheres was carried out by extractive sampling, employing a calibrated cavity ring-down spectrometer, which had been modified to account for cross interference by water vapour. Each manufacturer extracted the captured ammonia on the exposed samplers in the form of ammonium (NH4+) using their own accredited traceable wet chemical techniques, and then reported data

Post-earthquake denudation and its impacts on ancient civilizations in the Chengdu Longmenshan region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ningsheng; Li, Jun; Liu, Lihong; Yang, Chenglin; Liu, Mei

2018-05-01

This study characterizes significant changes in denudation and disasters in mountainous areas induced in the humid Chengdu Longmenshan region by the Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008. A study focusing on the Longxi-Baisha River Basin was conducted to investigate the amount of denudation triggered by specific flash flood and debris flow events in 2009-2014. The following results were obtained through a comparison of pre-seismic regional denudation rates and denudation characteristics of other seismically active mountain regions. (1) Regional denudation processes occurred in a wave-like process of initial increase then decline, with a peak exhibiting a hyperbolic attenuation trend. This trend indicates that the denudation rate in the Chengdu Longmenshan region is expected to return to the pre-seismic rate of 0.3 mm a-1 after 81 years. In 22 years after the earthquake (Year 2030), debris flow disasters are expected to be rare. (2) Disasters increased significantly in the Chengdu Longmenshan region after the Wenchuan earthquake, with an average of 29.5 people missing or dead per year (22 times greater than the pre-earthquake rate) and average economic losses of 192 million Yuan per year (1.6 times greater than the pre-earthquake rate). (3) The denudation process was jointly controlled by the quantities of loose solid material and precipitation after the Wenchuan earthquake. The amount of loose solid material influenced the extent of denudation, while vegetation coverage rates and soil consolidation determined the overall denudation trend in the region, and changes in precipitation led to denudation fluctuations. (4) The results can be used to analyze the relationship between the potential flash flood-debris flow disasters after earthquakes in the ancient Shu kingdom and changes in historical social settlements. The results can also be used to predict denudation processes and disaster risks from earthquakes in humid mountainous regions around the world, such as the southern

Laboratory evaluation of a gasifier particle sampling system using model compounds of different particle morphology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsson, Patrik T.; Malik, Azhar; Pagels, Joakim; Lindskog, Magnus; Rissler, Jenny; Gudmundsson, Anders; Bohgard, Mats; Sanati, Mehri [Lund University, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, P.O. Box 118, Lund (Sweden)

2011-07-15

The objective of this work was to design and evaluate an experimental setup to be used for field studies of particle formation in biomass gasification processes. The setup includes a high-temperature dilution probe and a denuder to separate solid particles from condensable volatile material. The efficiency of the setup to remove volatile material from the sampled stream and the influence from condensation on particles with different morphologies is presented. In order to study the sampling setup model, aerosols were created with a nebulizer to produce compact and solid KCl particles and a diffusion flame burner to produce agglomerated and irregular soot particles. The nebulizer and soot generator was followed by an evaporation-condensation section where volatile material, dioctylsebacete (DOS), was added to the system as a tar model compound. The model aerosol particles were heated to 200 C to create a system containing both solid particles and volatile organic material in gas phase. The heated aerosol particles were sampled and diluted at the same temperature with the dilution probe. Downstream the probe, the DOS was adsorbed in the denuder. This was achieved by slowly decreasing the temperature of the diluted sample towards ambient level in the denuder. Thereby the supersaturation of organic vapors was reduced which decreased the probability for tar condensation and nucleation of new particles. Both the generation system and the sampling technique gave reproducible results. A DOS collection efficiency of >99% was achieved if the denuder inlet concentration was diluted to less than 1-6 mg/m{sup 3} depending on the denuder flow rate. Concentrations higher than that lead to significant impact on the resulting KCl size distribution. The choice of model compounds was done to study the effect from the particle morphology on the achieved particle characteristics after the sampling setup. When similar amounts of volatile material condensed on soot agglomerates and

An axisymmetric diffusion experiment for the determination of diffusion and sorption coefficients of rock samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeda, M; Hiratsuka, T; Ito, K; Finsterle, S

2011-04-25

Diffusion anisotropy is a critical property in predicting migration of substances in sedimentary formations with very low permeability. The diffusion anisotropy of sedimentary rocks has been evaluated mainly from laboratory diffusion experiments, in which the directional diffusivities are separately estimated by through-diffusion experiments using different rock samples, or concurrently by in-diffusion experiments in which only the tracer profile in a rock block is measured. To estimate the diffusion anisotropy from a single rock sample, this study proposes an axisymmetric diffusion test, in which tracer diffuses between a cylindrical rock sample and a surrounding solution reservoir. The tracer diffusion between the sample and reservoir can be monitored from the reservoir tracer concentrations, and the tracer profile could also be obtained after dismantling the sample. Semi-analytical solutions are derived for tracer concentrations in both the reservoir and sample, accounting for an anisotropic diffusion tensor of rank two as well as the dilution effects from sampling and replacement of reservoir solution. The transient and steady-state analyses were examined experimentally and numerically for different experimental configurations, but without the need for tracer profiling. These experimental configurations are tested for in- and out-diffusion experiments using Koetoi and Wakkanai mudstones and Shirahama sandstone, and are scrutinized by a numerical approach to identify favorable conditions for parameter estimation. The analysis reveals the difficulty in estimating diffusion anisotropy; test configurations are proposed for enhanced identifiability of diffusion anisotropy. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the axisymmetric diffusion test is efficient in obtaining the sorption parameter from both steady-state and transient data, and in determining the effective diffusion coefficient if isotropic diffusion is assumed. Moreover, measuring reservoir concentrations in an

An asixymmetric diffusion experiment for the determination of diffusion and sorption coefficients of rock samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeda, M.; Hiratsuka, T.; Ito, K.; Finsterle, S.

2011-02-01

Diffusion anisotropy is a critical property in predicting migration of substances in sedimentary formations with very low permeability. The diffusion anisotropy of sedimentary rocks has been evaluated mainly from laboratory diffusion experiments, in which the directional diffusivities are separately estimated by through-diffusion experiments using different rock samples, or concurrently by in-diffusion experiments in which only the tracer profile in a rock block is measured. To estimate the diffusion anisotropy from a single rock sample, this study proposes an axisymmetric diffusion test, in which tracer diffuses between a cylindrical rock sample and a surrounding solution reservoir. The tracer diffusion between the sample and reservoir can be monitored from the reservoir tracer concentrations, and the tracer profile could also be obtained after dismantling the sample. Semi-analytical solutions are derived for tracer concentrations in both the reservoir and sample, accounting for an anisotropic diffusion tensor of rank two as well as the dilution effects from sampling and replacement of reservoir solution. The transient and steady-state analyses were examined experimentally and numerically for different experimental configurations, but without the need for tracer profiling. These experimental configurations are tested for in- and out-diffusion experiments using Koetoi and Wakkanai mudstones and Shirahama sandstone, and are scrutinized by a numerical approach to identify favorable conditions for parameter estimation. The analysis reveals the difficulty in estimating diffusion anisotropy; test configurations are proposed for enhanced identifiability of diffusion anisotropy. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the axisymmetric diffusion test is efficient in obtaining the sorption parameter from both steady-state and transient data, and in determining the effective diffusion coefficient if isotropic diffusion is assumed. Moreover, measuring reservoir concentrations in an

Denudation history of the Snowy Mountains: constraints from apatite fission track thermochronology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohn, B.P.; Gleadow, A.J.W.; Cox, S.J.D.

1999-01-01

Apatite fission track thermo chronology from Early Palaeozoic granitoids centred around the Kosciuszko massif of the Snowy Mountains, records a denudation history that was episodic and highly variable. The form of the apatite fission track age profile assembled from vertical sections and hydro-electric tunnels traversing the mountains, together with numerical forward modelling, provide strong evidence for two episodes of accelerated denudation, commencing in Late Permian - Early Triassic (ca 270 250 Ma) and mid-Cretaceous (ca 110-100 Ma) times, and a possible third episode in the Cenozoic. Denudation commencing in the Late Permian - Early Triassic wins widespread in the eastern and Central Snowy Mountains area, continued through much of the Triassic, and amounted to at least ∼2.0-2,4 km. This episode was probably the geomorphic response to the Hunter-Bowen Orogeny. Post-Triassic denudation to the present in these areas amounted to ∼2.0-2.2 km. Unambiguous evidence for mid-Cretaceous cooling and possible later cooling is confined to a north-south-trending sinuous belt, up to ∼15km wide by at least 35km long, of major reactivated Palaeozoic faults on the western side of the mountains. This zone is the most deeply exposed area of the Kosciuszko block. Denudation accompanying these later events totalled up to ∼1.8-2.0 km and ∼2.0 2.25 km respectively. Mid-Cretaceous denudation marks the onset of renewed tectonic activity in the south-eastern highlands following a period of relative quiescence since the Late Triassic, and establishes a temporal link with the onset of extension related to the opening of the Tasman Sea. Much of the present day relief of the mountains resulted from surface uplift which disrupted the post-mid-Cretaceous apatite fission track profile by variable offsets on faults. Copyright (1999) Geological Society of Australia

Sampling artifacts in measurement of elemental and organic carbon: Low-volume sampling in indoor and outdoor environments

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, David A.; Norris, Gary A.

Experiments were completed to determine the extent of artifacts from sampling elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) under sample conditions consistent with personal sampling. Two different types of experiments were completed; the first examined possible artifacts from oils used in personal environmental monitor (PEM) impactor plates, and the second examined artifacts from microenvironmental sampling using different sampling media combinations (quartz, Teflon, XAD denuder, and electrostatic precipitator). The effectiveness of front and backup filters was evaluated for most sampling configurations. Mean total carbon concentrations from sampling configurations using impactor oils were not statistically different from the control case (using a sharp cut cyclone). Three microenvironments were tested (kitchen, library, and ambient); carbon concentrations were highest in the kitchen using a front quartz filter (mean OC of 16.4 μg m -3). The lowest front quartz filter concentrations were measured in the library using XAD denuders (mean OC of 3.6 μg m -3). Denuder removal efficiencies (average of 82% for total carbon) were lower compared with previous ambient studies and may indicate that indoor sources influenced denuder efficiency during sample collection. The highest carbon concentrations from backup quartz filters were measured using the Teflon-quartz combination.

Cenozoic landforms and post-orogenic landscape evolution of the Balkanide orogen: Evidence for alternatives to the tectonic denudation narrative in southern Bulgaria

Science.gov (United States)

Gunnell, Y.; Calvet, M.; Meyer, B.; Pinna-Jamme, R.; Bour, I.; Gautheron, C.; Carter, A.; Dimitrov, D.

2017-01-01

Continental denudation is the mass transfer of rock from source areas to sedimentary depocentres, and is typically the result of Earth surface processes. However, a process known as tectonic denudation is also understood to expose deep-seated rocks in short periods of geological time by displacing large masses of continental crust along shallow-angle faults, and without requiring major contributions from surface erosion. Some parts of the world, such as the Basin and Range in the USA or the Aegean province in Europe, have been showcased for their Cenozoic tectonic denudation features, commonly described as metamorphic core-complexes or as supradetachment faults. Based on 22 new apatite fission-track (AFT) and 21 helium (AHe) cooling ages among rock samples collected widely from plateau summits and their adjacent valley floors, and elaborating on inconsistencies between the regional stratigraphic, topographic and denudational records, this study frames a revised perspective on the prevailing tectonic denudation narrative for southern Bulgaria. We conclude that conspicuous landforms in this region, such as erosion surfaces on basement-cored mountain ranges, are not primarily the result of Paleogene to Neogene core-complex formation. They result instead from "ordinary" erosion-driven, subaerial denudation. Rock cooling, each time suggesting at least 2 km of crustal denudation, has exposed shallow Paleogene granitic plutons and documents a 3-stage wave of erosional denudation which progressed from north to south during the Middle Eocene, Oligocene, Early to Middle Miocene, and Late Miocene. Denudation initially prevailed during the Paleogene under a syn-orogenic compressional regime involving piggyback extensional basins (Phase 1), but subsequently migrated southward in response to post-orogenic upper-plate extension driven by trench rollback of the Hellenic subduction slab (Phase 2). Rare insight given by the denudation pattern indicates that trench rollback

Kinetically limited weathering at low denudation rates in semiarid climatic conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Schoonejans, Jérôme; Vanacker, Veerle; Opfergelt, Sophie; Ameijeiras-Mariño, Yolanda; Christl, Marcus

2016-02-01

Biogeochemical cycling within the Critical Zone depends on the interactions between minerals and fluids controlling chemical weathering and physical erosion rates. In this study, we explore the role of water availability in controlling soil chemical weathering in semiarid climatic conditions. Weathering rates and intensities were evaluated for nine soil profiles located on convex ridge crests of three mountain ranges in the Spanish Betic Cordillera. We combine a geochemical mass balance with 10Be cosmogenic nuclides to constrain chemical weathering intensities and long-term denudation rates. As such, this study presents new data on chemical weathering and 10Be-derived denudation for understudied semiarid climate systems. In the Betic Cordillera, chemical weathering intensities are relatively low (~5 to 30% of the total denudation of the soil) and negatively correlated with the magnitude of the water deficit in soils. Chemical mass losses are inversely related to denudation rates (14-109 mm/kyr) and positively to soil thickness (14-58 cm); these results are consistent with kinetic limitation of chemical weathering rates. A worldwide compilation of chemical weathering data suggests that soil water balance may regulate the coupling between chemical weathering and physical erosion by modulating soil solute fluxes. Therefore, future landscape evolution models that seek to link chemical weathering and physical erosion should include soil water flux as an essential driver of weathering.

One million years of glaciation and denudation history in west Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strunk, Astrid; Knudsen, Mads Faurschou; Egholm, David Lundbek

2017-01-01

The influence of major Quaternary climatic changes on growth and decay of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and associated erosional impact on the landscapes, is virtually unknown beyond the last deglaciation. Here we quantify exposure and denudation histories in west Greenland by applying a novel Markov......-Chain Monte Carlo modelling approach to all available paired cosmogenic 10Be-26Al bedrock data from Greenland. We find that long-term denudation rates in west Greenland range from >50 m Myr−1 in low-lying areas to ∼2 m Myr−1 at high elevations, hereby quantifying systematic variations in denudation rate among...... different glacial landforms caused by variations in ice thickness across the landscape. We furthermore show that the present day ice-free areas only were ice covered ca. 45% of the past 1 million years, and even less at high-elevation sites, implying that the Greenland Ice Sheet for much of the time...

[Chemical denudation rates and carbon dioxide sink in Koxkar glacierised region at the south slope of Mt. Tianshan, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jian; Xu, Jun-li; Zhang, Shi-qiang; Liu, Shi-yin; Han, Hai-dong

2010-04-01

Chemical denudation rates and carbon dioxide sink were from water samples from ice-melt water, precipitation and river water were collected daily from June 21st to September 10th in 2004 in the Koxkar glacier region, south slope of Mt. Tianshan, China. The law of conservation of mass was applied for calculating chemical denudation fluxes and transient carbon dioxide sink. It is found that: 1) There were average of 60.7 kg x (km2 x d)(-1) and 60.2 kg x (km2 x d)(-1) solutes supplied by precipitation and ice melt-water respectively which accounted for about 7.7% and 7.6% of the total solutes of bulk river water [791.2 kg x (km2 x d)(-1)]. Consequently, the rate of chemical denudation derived from the crustal flux was 558.0 kg x (km2 x d)(-1), accounting for 70.5%. 2) Carbonation weathering was 308.9 kg x (km2 x d)(-1), and heavier than that of the other chemical denudations. The crustal concentration of bicarbonates (HCO3-) is attributed chiefly to the carbonation of carbonates (limestone and dolomite) and aluminosilicates/silicates. A further important source of bicarbonates and sulphates is pyrite oxidation coupled with limestone/dolomite dissolution. The transient carbon dioxide sink can be estimated by ion balance law, which is 81.0 kg x (km2 x d)(-1), accounting for 14.2%. 3) The chemical denudation rates was 641.1 kg x (km2 x d)(-1) with relationship of specific conductivity to concentrations of dissolved carbonate in water, which is only 4.4% less than that obtained from mass balance method without regard to carbon dioxide sink. The study also implied important to evaluate chemical denudation fluxes of poor data in western mountain area, China. However, because of without chemical analysis and ion partitioning, the transient CO2 drawdown cannot be established.

Halogen speciation in volcanic plumes - Development of compact denuder sampling techniques with in-situ derivatization followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and their application at Mt. Etna, Mt. Nyiragongo and Mt. Nyamulagira in 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Rüdiger, Julian; Bobrowski, Nicole; Hoffmann, Thorsten

2016-04-01

Volcanoes are a large source for several reactive atmospheric trace gases including sulfur and halogen containing species. The detailed knowledge of volcanic plume chemistry can give insights into subsurface processes and can be considered as a useful geochemical tool for monitoring of volcanic activity, especially halogen to sulfur ratios (e.g. Bobrowski and Giuffrida, 2012; Donovan et al., 2014). The reactive bromine species bromine monoxide (BrO) is of particular interest, because BrO as well as SO2 are readily measurable by UV spectrometer at a safe distance. Furthermore it is formed in the plume by a multiphase reaction mechanism under depletion of ozone in the plume. The abundance of BrO changes as a function of the reaction time and therefore distance from the vent as well as the spatial position in the plume. The precursor substance for the formation of BrO is HBr with Br2as an intermediate product. The reaction of HBr to BrO involves heterogeneous reactions involving aerosol particles, while Br2 reacts directly with O3 to form BrO in a UV radiation induced mechanism. Due to the lack of analytical approaches for the species analysis of halogens (HBr, Br2, Br, BrCl, HOBr) there are still uncertainties about the magnitude of volcanic halogen emissions and in particular their speciation and therefore also in the understanding of the bromine chemistry in volcanic plumes (Bobrowski et al., 2007). In this study a gas diffusion denuder sampling method using a 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene (1,3,5-TMB) coating for the derivatization of reactive halogen species (Rüdiger et al., 2015) was characterized by reaction chamber experiments. The coating proved to be suitable to collect selectively gaseous bromine species with oxidation states of +1 or 0 (such as Br2, BrCl, BrO(H) and BrONO2), while being ignorant to HBr (OS -1). The reaction of 1,3,5-TMB with reactive bromine species gives 1-bromo-2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene (1-bromo-2,4,6-TMB) - other halogens give corresponding

Denudation rates of the Southern Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil, determined by in situ-produced cosmogenic beryllium-10

Science.gov (United States)

Barreto, Helen N.; Varajão, César A. C.; Braucher, Régis; Bourlès, Didier L.; Salgado, André A. R.; Varajão, Angélica F. D. C.

2013-06-01

To investigate denudation rates in the southern part of the Espinhaço Range (central-eastern Brazil) and to understand how this important resistant and residual relief has evolved in the past 1.38 My, cosmogenic 10Be concentrations produced in situ were measured in alluvial sediments from the three main regional basins, whose substratum is composed primarily of quartzites. The long-term denudation rates (up to 1.38 My) estimated from these measurements were compared with those that affect the western (São Francisco River) and eastern (Doce and Jequitinhonha Rivers) basins, which face the West San Francisco craton and the Atlantic, respectively. Denudation rates were measured in 27 samples collected in catchments of different sizes (6-970 km2) and were compared with geomorphic parameters. The mean denudation rates determined in the northern part are low and similar to those determined in the southern part, despite slightly different geomorphic parameter values (catchment relief and mean slope). For the southern catchments, the values are 4.91 ± 1.01 m My- 1 and 3.65 ± 1.26 m My- 1 for the Doce and São Francisco River basins, respectively; for the northern catchments, they are 4.40 ± 1.06 m My- 1 and 3.96 ± 0.91 m My- 1 for the Jequitinhonha and São Francisco River basins, respectively. These low values of denudation rates suggest no direct correlation if plotted against geomorphic parameters such as the catchment area, maximum elevation, catchment relief, average relief and mean slope gradients. These values show that the regional landscape evolves slowly and is strongly controlled by resistant lithology, with similar erosional rates in the three studied basins.

Researches on tectonic uplift and denudation with relation to geological disposal of HLW in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujiwara, Osamu; Sanga, Tomoji; Moriya, Toshifumi

2005-01-01

This paper reviews the present state of researches on tectonic uplift and denudation, and shows perspective goals and direction of future researches from the viewpoint of geological disposal of HLW in Japan. Detailed history of tectonics and denudation in geologic time scale, including the rates, temporal and spatial distributions and processes, reconstructed from geologic and geomorphologic evidences will enable us to make the geological predictions. Improvements of the analytic methods for the geological histories, e.g. identification of the tectonic and denudational imprints and age determinations, are indispensable for the accurate prediction. Developments of the tools and methodologies for assessments of the degree and extension of influences by the tectonic uplift, subsidence and denudation on the geological environments such as ground water flows are also fundamental problem in the study field of the geological disposal of HLW. Collaboration of scientific researches using the geological and geomorphological methods and applied technology, such as numerical simulations of ground water flows, is important in improving the safety and accuracy of the geological disposal of HLW. (author)

Comparison of gaseous oxidized Hg measured by KCl-coated denuders, and nylon and cation exchange membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jiaoyan; Miller, Matthieu B; Weiss-Penzias, Peter; Gustin, Mae Sexauer

2013-07-02

The chemical compounds that make up gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in the atmosphere, and the reactions responsible for their formation, are not well understood. The limitations and uncertainties associated with the current method applied to measure these compounds, the KCl-coated denuder, are not known due to lack of calibration and testing. This study systematically compared the uptake of specific GOM compounds by KCl-coated denuders with that collected using nylon and cation exchange membranes in the laboratory and field. In addition, a new method for identifying different GOM compounds using thermal desorption is presented. Different GOM compounds (HgCl2, HgBr2, and HgO) were found to have different affinities for the denuder surface and the denuder underestimated each of these compounds. Membranes measured 1.3 to 3.7 times higher GOM than denuders in laboratory and field experiments. Cation exchange membranes had the highest collection efficiency. Thermodesorption profiles for the release of GOM compounds from the nylon membrane were different for HgO versus HgBr2 and HgCl2. Application of the new field method for collection and identification of GOM compounds demonstrated these vary as a function of location and time of year. Understanding the chemistry of GOM across space and time has important implications for those developing policy regarding this environmental contaminant.

Weathering as the limiting factor of denudation in the Western escarpment of the Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Abbühl, L. M.; Schlunegger, F.; Kracht, O.; Ramseyer, K.; Rieke-Zapp, D.; Aldahan, A.; von Blanckenburg, F.

2009-04-01

A crucial issue in process geomorphology is the search for the scale and the extent to which precipitation, and climate in general, influences the nature and the rates of sediment transfer (weathering, erosion, sediment transport and deposition). We present an analysis of the possible interplay between precipitation, weathering and denudation rates for the western Andean slope between the Cordillera and the Pacific coast. It is based on morphometric studies and quantitative 10Be denudation rate estimates of three transverse river systems (Piura at 5°S, Pisco at 13°S, and Lluta at 18°S) draining the Western escarpment of the Peruvian and North Chilean Andes. The systems originate at elevations >3000 m above sea level, cover an area between 3000 and 10'000 km2 and discharge into the Pacific Ocean. The precipitation rate pattern implies a hyperarid climate at the coast, and semi-arid to semi-humid conditions in the Cordillera where the streams rise. There, climatic conditions are generally controlled by the easterlies that deliver moisture from the Atlantic Ocean via the low level Andean jet. The precipitation rate pattern of the Cordillera shows a North-South decreasing trend, from ca. 1000 mm/yr in Northern Peru to 150 mm/yr in Northern Chile. In these higher regions of the drainage basins, hillslopes are convex with nearly constant curvatures and are mantled by a >1 m thick regolith cover. In addition, hillslope erosion is limited to the regolith-bedrock interface. We interpret these geomorphic features to indicate weathering-controlled sediment discharge. In the lower river segments, beyond tectonic knickzones, regular precipitation is almost absent. For the case of the Piura river in Northern Peru, precipitation in this segment occurs in relation to highly episodic El Niño events related to the westerlies. This results in a supply-limited sediment discharge, leading to predominance of channelized processes on the hillslopes, a spare regolith cover and an

Modes, tempo and spatial variability of Cenozoic cratonic denudation: morphoclimatic constraints from West Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Beauvais, Anicet; Chardon, Dominique

2010-05-01

After the onset of Gondwana break-up in the Early Mesozoic, the emerged part of the African plate underwent long Greenhouse effect climatic periods and epeirogeny. The last Greenhouse effect period in the Early Cenozoic and the alternation of wet and dry climatic periods since the Eocene enhanced episodes of rock chemical weathering and laterite production, forming bauxites and ferricretes, interrupted by drier periods of dominantly mechanical denudation, shaping glacis [1]. In Sub-Saharan West Africa, this evolution resulted in pulsate and essentially climatically-forced denudation that has shaped an ubiquitous sequence of five stepped lateritic paleosurfaces that synchronously developed over Cenozoic times. The modes, timing and spatial variability of continental denudation of the region are investigated by combining geomorphologic and geochronological data sets. The geomorphologic data set comprises the altitudinal distribution of the lateritic paleosurfaces relicts and their differential elevation from 42 locations in Sub-Saharan West Africa where the sequence (or part of it) has been documented. The geochronological data set consists in the age ranges of each paleosurface tackled by radiometric 39Ar-40Ar dating of the neoformed oxy-hydroxides (i.e., cryptomelane, K1-2Mn8O16, nH2O, [4]) carried by their laterites at the Tambao reference site, Burkina Faso [1, 3]. Five groups of 39Ar-40Ar ages, ~ 59 - 45 Ma, ~ 29 - 24 Ma, ~ 18 - 11.5 Ma, ~ 7.2 - 5.8 Ma, and ~ 3.4 - 2.9 Ma, characterize periods of chemical weathering whereas the time laps between these groups of ages correspond to episodes of mechanical denudation that reflect physical shaping of the paleosurfaces. For the last 45 Ma, the denudation rate estimates (3 to 8 m Ma-1) are comparable with those derived on shorter time scale (103 to 106 y.) in the same region by the cosmogenic radionuclide method [2]. Combined with the geomorphologic data set, these age ranges allow the visualization of the regional

Tectonic uplift and denudation rate influence soil chemical weathering intensity in a semi-arid environment, southeast Spain: physico-chemical and mineralogical evidence

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Ameijeiras-Mariño, Yolanda; Opfergelt, Sophie; Schoonejans, Jérôme; Vanacker, Veerle; Sonnet, Philippe; Delmelle, Pierre

2015-04-01

Tectonic uplift is known to influence denudation rates. Denudation, including chemical weathering and physical erosion, affects soil production rates and weathering intensities. At topographic steady state, weathering can be transport- or weathering-limited. In the transport-limited regime, low denudation rates should lead to comparatively high weathering intensities, while in the weathering-limited case high denudation rates are associated with lower weathering intensities. Here, we test if this relationship applies to semi-arid environments where chemical weathering is generally slow. Three catchments (EST, FIL and CAB) were studied in the Internal Zone of the Betic Cordillera in southeast Spain, spanning a range of increasing uplift rates (10-170 mm/kyr) and increasing denudation rates (20-250 mm/kyr) from EST to CAB. In each catchment, two ridgetop soil profiles were sampled down to the bedrock. The three catchments have similar vegetation and climatic conditions, with precipitation of 250- 315 mm/yr and mean annual temperature of 15-17 °C. The mineralogy of the bedrock, as determined by XRD, is similar across the three catchments and is characterized by the presence of quartz, muscovite, clinochlore, biotite and plagioclase. This primary mineral assemblage is also found in the catchment soils, indicating that the soils studied derive from the same parent material. The soil clay-size fraction is dominated by kaolinite, vermiculite and illite. However, the proportions of the soil primary and secondary minerals vary between the catchment sites. The abundance of biotite decreases from CAB (14%) to EST (4%), whereas the quartz and clay contents show an opposite tendency (from 30 to 69% and 9.9 to 14.3%, respectively). Further, the abundance of vermiculite increases from CAB to EST. The results are interpreted in terms of increasing weathering intensity from CAB to EST by weathering of biotite into vermiculite and enrichment of soils on more weathering resistant

Chemical weathering in response to tectonic uplift and denudation rate in a semi-arid environment, southeast Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Ameijeiras-Mariño, Yolanda; Opfergelt, Sophie; Schoonejans, Jérôme; Vanacker, Veerle; Sonnet, Philippe; Delmelle, Pierre

2014-05-01

Soil thickness reflects the balance between soil production and denudation by chemical weathering and physical erosion. At topographic steady state, the soil weathering intensity is expected to be higher at low denudation rate (transport-limited) than at high denudation rate (weathering-limited). We tested this hypothesis for the first time in a semi-arid environment where chemical weathering processes are generally slow. The study site is the Internal Zone of the Betic Cordillera in Southeast Spain, Almeria province. The lithology is mainly mica-schist and quartzite with local presence of phyllite. Three catchments (EST, FIL, CAB) were selected upstream local faults along a gradient of increasing uplift rates (10-170 mm/kyr) and increasing denudation rates (20-250 mm/kyr), following the sequence ESTsampled down to the bedrock. The presence of secondary pedogenic carbonates (in the CAB catchment) was taken into account to estimate soil weathering intensity. Three independent indices were used to compare soil weathering intensity across the EST, FIL and CAB catchments: the Total Reserve in Bases (TRB = [Ca2+] + [Na+] + [K+] + [Mg2+]); the soil Fed/Fet ratio that reflects the formation of secondary Fe-oxides, and the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) that varies with the amount of secondary clay minerals and organic matter. The difference in TRB between the soil and the bedrock (ΔTRB = TRB soil - TRB bedrock) should be more negative as weathering increases, whereas the Fed/Fet ratio is expected to augment with the intensity of weathering. Since these soils have low organic carbon content, the CEC should increase with weathering degree. Our results indicate that the ΔTRB (cmolc.kg-1) is -8±14 (n=8), -79±2 (n=8) and -51±38 (n=9) for CAB, FIL and EST, respectively. The Fed/Fet ratio for CAB, FIL and EST is 0.20±0.05 (n=8), 0.20±0.03 (n=8) and 0.29±0.05 (n=9), respectively. The CEC (cmolc.kg-1) increases from 3.3�

Paragenesis of thermal denudation with gas-emission crater and lake formation, Yamal Peninsula, Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Babkina, Elena; Khomutov, Artem; Leibman, Marina; Dvornikov, Yury; Kizyakov, Alexander; Babkin, Evgeny

2017-04-01

Gas-emission craters (GECs) found in the North of West Siberia in 2014 occur in an area of wide tabular ground ice (TGI) distribution. TGI observed in the GEC walls also provokes thermal denudation: a complex of processes responsible for formation of thermocirques (TCs). TCs are semi-circle shaped depressions resulting from TGI thaw and removal of detached material downslope. Shores of many lakes are terraced and have ancient to recent traces of thermal denudation activity. TCs are numerous in the GEC area giving reason to assume that GEC, TGI, TC, and lakes are interrelated. First found Yamal crater (GEC-1) expanded from initial 18 m wide deep hole in 2013 to an irregularly-shaped lake up to 85 meters wide in 2016. Expansion of the GEC was controlled by TGI thaw. This can be considered in terms of thermal denudation and analyzed on the basis of TC study in the adjacent area. In summer 2014 and 2015 (the lifetime of the GEC-1) its wall retreat covered the area of 1730 square meters, which gives 865 square meters per year. In 2016, which was the warmest for the period of observation at weather station Marre-Sale, retreat area increased to 2200 square meters per year. TC, which exposed TGI similar to that in the walls of GEC-1, is observed on the nearest lakeshore. TC activation probably started in 2012 as elsewhere on Yamal. In 2015 its area according to GPS survey reached 4400 square meters (a four-year average 1100 square meters). Since September 2015 and till October 2016 its area expanded by 2600 square meters, thus increased by 59%, and more than twice compared to previous annual average. Lake adjacent to GEC-1 in 2016 was separated from crater edge by only a 13 meter wide isthmus, most likely both GEC-1 lake and adjacent lake merge in few years. Therefore, single basis of erosion for thermal denudation appear. After lakes merge, it would become hard to determine what the initial process for the lake formation was if not for the occasional discovery of the GEC

Reseeding of mussels on denuded rocky shores: preliminary studies ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A method is developed to establish clumps of mussels Perna perna in denuded areas on high-energy rocky shores on the south-east coast of South Africa. A total of 20 small (20–30 mm total length) mussels is placed under a 30 cm half-section of perforated PVC drainage pipe bolted to the rock surface. The pipe is left in ...

Diffusion in Altered Tonalite Sample Using Time Domain Diffusion Simulations in Tomographic Images Combined with Lab-scale Diffusion Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Voutilainen, M.; Sardini, P.; Togneri, L.; Siitari-Kauppi, M.; Timonen, J.

2010-12-01

In this work an effect of rock heterogeneity on diffusion was investigated. Time domain diffusion simulations were used to compare behavior of diffusion in homogeneous and heterogeneous 3D media. Tomographic images were used as heterogeneous rock media. One altered tonalite sample from Sievi, Finland, was chosen as test case for introduced analysis procedure. Effective diffusion coefficient of tonalite sample was determined with lab-scale experiments and the same coefficient was used also for homogeneous media. Somewhat technically complicated mathematical solution for analysis of through diffusion experiment is shortly described. Computed tomography (CT) is already quite widely used in many geological, petrological, and paleontological applications when the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the material is of interest, and is an excellent method for gaining information especially about its heterogeneity, grain size, or porosity. In addition to offering means for quantitative characterization, CT provides a lot of qualitative information [1]. A through -diffusion laboratory experiment using radioactive tracer was fitted using the Time Domain Diffusion (TDD) method. This rapid particle tracking method allows simulation of the heterogeneous diffusion based on pore-scale images and local values of diffusivities [2]. As a result we found out that heterogeneity has only a small effect to diffusion coefficient and in-diffusion profile for used geometry. Also direction dependency was tested and was found to be negligible. Whereas significant difference between generally accepted value and value obtained from simulations for constant m in Archie’s law was found. [1] Voutilainen, M., Siitari-Kauppi, M., Sardini, P., and Timonen, J., (2010). On pore-space characterization of an altered tonalite by X-ray µCT and the 14C-PMMA method (in progress). [2] Sardini, P., Robinet, J., Siitari-Kauppi, M., Delay, F., and Hellmuth, K-H, (2007). On direct simulation of heterogeneous

Investigating the tradeoffs between spatial resolution and diffusion sampling for brain mapping with diffusion tractography: time well spent?

Science.gov (United States)

Calabrese, Evan; Badea, Alexandra; Coe, Christopher L; Lubach, Gabriele R; Styner, Martin A; Johnson, G Allan

2014-11-01

Interest in mapping white matter pathways in the brain has peaked with the recognition that altered brain connectivity may contribute to a variety of neurologic and psychiatric diseases. Diffusion tractography has emerged as a popular method for postmortem brain mapping initiatives, including the ex-vivo component of the human connectome project, yet it remains unclear to what extent computer-generated tracks fully reflect the actual underlying anatomy. Of particular concern is the fact that diffusion tractography results vary widely depending on the choice of acquisition protocol. The two major acquisition variables that consume scan time, spatial resolution, and diffusion sampling, can each have profound effects on the resulting tractography. In this analysis, we determined the effects of the temporal tradeoff between spatial resolution and diffusion sampling on tractography in the ex-vivo rhesus macaque brain, a close primate model for the human brain. We used the wealth of autoradiography-based connectivity data available for the rhesus macaque brain to assess the anatomic accuracy of six time-matched diffusion acquisition protocols with varying balance between spatial and diffusion sampling. We show that tractography results vary greatly, even when the subject and the total acquisition time are held constant. Further, we found that focusing on either spatial resolution or diffusion sampling at the expense of the other is counterproductive. A balanced consideration of both sampling domains produces the most anatomically accurate and consistent results. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

New approach to resolve the amount of Quaternary uplift and associated denudation of the mountain ranges in the Japanese Islands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shigeru Sueoka

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Low-temperature thermochronology is a widely used tool for revealing denudation histories of mountain ranges. Although this technique has been applied mainly to continental orogens, such as the European Alps, Himalayas, and Andes, recent technological development of low-temperature thermochronology has made it applicable to a wider variety of mountain ranges with various sizes and tectonic histories. The Japanese Islands comprise young and active island arcs, where an early stage of mountain range formation is observed. Numerous attempts have been made to constrain the uplift and denudation histories of the mountains in the Japanese Islands using geologic, geomorphologic, or geodetic methods. However, the number of thermochronometric attempts has been limited primarily due to the small amount of total denudation since the initiation of the uplift. In this review paper, we introduce the tectonic and geomorphic settings of the mountain ranges in the Japanese Islands, and discuss previous attempts to estimate uplift or denudation of the Japanese mountains using methods other than thermochronology. Furthermore, we discuss problems of the thermochronometric applications in revealing denudation histories of the Japanese mountains. Finally, we present a case study of the Kiso Range in central Japan and discuss the current effectiveness and applicability of low-temperature thermochronology to the Japanese mountainous areas.

Uncertainties of Gaseous Oxidized Mercury Measurements Using KCl-Coated Denuders, Cation-Exchange Membranes, and Nylon Membranes: Humidity Influences.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jiaoyan; Gustin, Mae Sexauer

2015-05-19

Quantifying the concentration of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and identifying the chemical compounds in the atmosphere are important for developing accurate local, regional, and global biogeochemical cycles. The major hypothesis driving this work was that relative humidity affects collection of GOM on KCl-coated denuders and nylon membranes, both currently being applied to measure GOM. Using a laboratory manifold system and ambient air, GOM capture efficiency on 3 different collection surfaces, including KCl-coated denuders, nylon membranes, and cation-exchange membranes, was investigated at relative humidity ranging from 25 to 75%. Recovery of permeated HgBr2 on KCl-coated denuders declined by 4-60% during spikes of relative humidity (25 to 75%). When spikes were turned off GOM recoveries returned to 60 ± 19% of permeated levels. In some cases, KCl-coated denuders were gradually passivated over time after additional humidity was applied. In this study, GOM recovery on nylon membranes decreased with high humidity and ozone concentrations. However, additional humidity enhanced GOM recovery on cation-exchange membranes. In addition, reduction and oxidation of elemental mercury during experiments was observed. The findings in this study can help to explain field observations in previous studies.

Differential denudation across the Judea Range, Israel, suggests the persistence of a rain-shadow since mid Miocene

Science.gov (United States)

Ryb, U.; Matmon, A.; Erel, Y.; Haviv, I.; Benedetti, L. C.

2013-12-01

The Judea Range which is composed of a thick sequence of Cretaceous marine carbonate rises up to ~1000 m between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea basins. The western flank of the range faces predominant winds which deliver humidity from the Mediterranean and thus maintains a sub-humid Mediterranean climate (Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) of 500-700 mm). Over the eastern, leeward side, rain-shadow orographic effect imposes a climatic gradient from Mediterranean near the water divide to hyper-arid near the Dead Sea rift escarpment (MAPMAP values, indicating that chemical weathering is the dominant process of erosion. Long-term denudation rates of interfluves reflect the climatic gradient between the two flanks of the Judea range; over the western, windward, flank of the Judea range, exposed bedrock denude at an average rate of 21×7 mm kyr-1, while over the leeward flank denudation rates drop dramatically, reaching 1-3 mm kyr-1 near the Dead Sea rift escarpment. As a rough measure to the erosion of the Judea Range since it began uplifting in Senonian time, we compare the present envelope-topography (T) of the range with the top-Turonian structural datum (S). We found that over the windward flank topography lay ~300 meters below the datum, while over the leeward flank topography generally follows the datum. Can this difference result from differential denudation, similar to the one observed over 10-1-105 year timescales? S-T values are well correlated with present MAP values, suggesting a positive answer. Assuming that the late Pleistocene denudation pattern calculated from 36Cl data was maintained, ~15 million years are required to form the observed 300 difference between the eastern and western flanks of the range. Indeed, previous studies suggest that by mid Miocene the Judea Range was uplifted to about ~500 m above sea level, while the Mediterranean was the immediate source for humidity in the region as of the early Miocene. The integrated data could

Tracer gas diffusion sampling test plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohay, V.J.

1993-01-01

Efforts are under way to employ active and passive vapor extraction to remove carbon tetrachloride from the soil in the 200 West Area an the Hanford Site as part of the 200 West Area Carbon Tetrachloride Expedited Response Action. In the active approach, a vacuum is applied to a well, which causes soil gas surrounding the well to be drawn up to the surface. The contaminated air is cleaned by passage through a granular activated carbon bed. There are questions concerning the radius of influence associated with application of the vacuum system and related uncertainties about the soil-gas diffusion rates with and without the vacuum system present. To address these questions, a series of tracer gas diffusion sampling tests is proposed in which an inert, nontoxic tracer gas, sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), will be injected into a well, and the rates of SF 6 diffusion through the surrounding soil horizon will be measured by sampling in nearby wells. Tracer gas tests will be conducted at sites very near the active vacuum extraction system and also at sites beyond the radius of influence of the active vacuum system. In the passive vapor extraction approach, barometric pressure fluctuations cause soil gas to be drawn to the surface through the well. At the passive sites, the effects of barometric ''pumping'' due to changes in atmospheric pressure will be investigated. Application of tracer gas testing to both the active and passive vapor extraction methods is described in the wellfield enhancement work plan (Rohay and Cameron 1993)

Denudational slope processes and slope response to global climate changes and other disturbances: insights from the Nepal Himalayas.

Science.gov (United States)

Fort, Monique

2016-04-01

Hillslope geomorphology results from a large range of denudational processes mainly controlled by relief, structure, lithology, climate, land-cover and land use. In most areas of the world, the "critical zone" concept is a good integrator of denudation that operates on a long-term scale. However, in large and high mountain areas, short-time scale factors often play a significant role in the denudational pattern, accelerating and/or delaying the transfer of denudation products and fluxes, and creating specific, spatially limited disturbances. We focus on the Nepal Himalayas, where the wide altitudinal range of bio-climatic zones and the intense geodynamic activity create a complex mosaic of landforms, as expressed by the present geomorphology of mountain slopes. On the basis of examples selected in the different Himalayan mountain belts (Siwaliks hills, middle mountains, High Himalaya), we illustrate different types of slopes and disturbances induced by active tectonics, climate extremes, and climate warming trends. Special attention is paid to recent events, such as landslide damming, triggered by either intense rainfalls (Kali Gandaki and Sun Kosi valleys) or the last April-May 2015 Gorkha seismic sequence (southern Khumbu). Lastly, references to older, larger events show that despite the highly dynamic environment, landforms caused by large magnitude disturbances may persist in the landscape in the long term.

Neuroependymal Denudation is in Progress in Full-term Human Foetal Spina Bifida Aperta

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sival, Deborah A.; Guerra, Montserrat; den Dunnen, Wilfred F. A.; Batiz, Luis F.; Alvial, Genaro; Castaneyra-Perdomo, Agustin; Rodriguez, Esteban M.

In human spina bifida aperta (SBA), cerebral pathogenesis [hydrocephalus, Sylvius aqueduct (SA) stenosis and heterotopias] is poorly understood. In animal models, loss of ventricular lining (ependymal denudation) causes SA stenosis and hydrocephalus. We aimed to investigate whether ependymal

Tectono-denudation process of Nanxiong fault and its relations to uranium metallogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yuehui

1994-01-01

A large mylonite zone is distributed on the foot wall of Nanxiong fault, which is parallel to the fault. On the hanging wall, there is a Meso-Cenozoic basin. As sedimentation centers are moved towards the side of the fault, the strata become more younger. By investigation of the mylonite zone along the profile on the foot wall of the fault, the author studies in detail various kinds of ductile deformation fabrics in mylonite such as S-C fabrics, rotational porphyroclasts and stretching lineation etc. In the light of the kinematic direction of deformation fabrics, together with the characteristics of brittle tectonites in the fault and the distribution of normal faults in the basin, the author believes that Nanxiong fault is a big-size denudation fault. According to the formation and evolution of the denudation fault, its rock and ore-controlling roles, the relations between the fault and uranium metallogenesis are also preliminarily discussed

Event-triggered synchronization for reaction-diffusion complex networks via random sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Tao; Wang, Aijuan; Zhu, Huiyun; Liao, Xiaofeng

2018-04-01

In this paper, the synchronization problem of the reaction-diffusion complex networks (RDCNs) with Dirichlet boundary conditions is considered, where the data is sampled randomly. An event-triggered controller based on the sampled data is proposed, which can reduce the number of controller and the communication load. Under this strategy, the synchronization problem of the diffusion complex network is equivalently converted to the stability of a of reaction-diffusion complex dynamical systems with time delay. By using the matrix inequality technique and Lyapunov method, the synchronization conditions of the RDCNs are derived, which are dependent on the diffusion term. Moreover, it is found the proposed control strategy can get rid of the Zeno behavior naturally. Finally, a numerical example is given to verify the obtained results.

Diffusion probe for gas sampling in undisturbed soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Søren O

2014-01-01

Soil-atmosphere fluxes of trace gases such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are determined by complex interactions between biological activity and soil conditions. Soil gas concentration profiles may, in combination with other information about soil conditions, help to understand emission...... controls. This note describes a simple and robust diffusion probe for soil gas sampling as part of flux monitoring programs. It can be deployed with minimum disturbance of in-situ conditions, also at sites with a high or fluctuating water table. Separate probes are used for each sampling depth...... on peat soils used for grazing showed soil gas concentrations of CH4 and N2O as influenced by topography, site conditions, and season. The applicability of the diffusion probe for trace gas monitoring is discussed....

Efficient estimation for ergodic diffusions sampled at high frequency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Michael

A general theory of efficient estimation for ergodic diffusions sampled at high fre- quency is presented. High frequency sampling is now possible in many applications, in particular in finance. The theory is formulated in term of approximate martingale estimating functions and covers a large class...

Luminescence of quartz and feldspar fingerprints provenance and correlates with the source area denudation in the Amazon River basin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sawakuchi, A.O.; Jain, M.; Mineli, T.D.

2018-01-01

The Amazon region hosts the world's largest watershed spanning from high elevation Andean terrains to lowland cratonic shield areas in tropical South America. This study explores variations in optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals in suspended...... silt and riverbed sands retrieved from major Amazon rivers. These rivers drain Pre-Cambrian to Cenozoic source rocks in areas with contrasting denudation rates. In contrast to the previous studies, we do not observe an increase in the OSL sensitivity of quartz with transport distance; for example...... shield areas (denudation rate ξ=0.04 mmyr−1), while low sensitivity quartz occurs in less stable Andean terrains (ξ=0.24 mmyr−1). An apparent linear correlation between quartz OSL sensitivity and denudation rate suggests that OSL sensitivity may be used as a proxy for erosion rates in the Amazon basin...

Constraints on early Cenozoic underplating-driven uplift and denudation of western Scotland from low temperature thermochronometry

Science.gov (United States)

Persano, Cristina; Barfod, Dan N.; Stuart, Finlay M.; Bishop, Paul

2007-11-01

Apatite (U-Th)/He and fission track data from profiles in western Scotland constrain the timing and magnitude of denudation during the early Cenozoic when the north Atlantic region was the site of intense magmatic activity related to the proto-Icelandic plume. Apatite helium ages vary from 77 ± 8 to 265 ± 27 Ma (± 2 σ) at Sgorr Dhonuill, Ballachulish, and from 104 ± 10 Ma to 166 ± 17 Ma at Clisham, Outer Hebrides. At both locations apatite fission track (AFT) ages are older than the corresponding He ages; at Clisham they vary from 189 ± 28 Ma to 242 ± 26 Ma, and from 186 ± 6 Ma to 257 ± 12 Ma at Sgorr Dhonuill. Apatite He ages increase linearly with elevation suggesting that the cooling rate remained constant in the late Mesozoic. However, the apatite He age profile requires a period of rapid cooling after ˜ 100 Ma. Apatite He ages predicted from the AFT-derived thermal histories are indistinguishable from measured He ages for a rapid cooling event of 1 to 10 Myr duration between 61 and 47 Ma at Sgorr Dhonuill and 65 to 49 Ma at Clisham. The combined apatite FT- and He-derived thermal histories constrain the early Cenozoic geothermal gradient at 39 ± 9 °C/km at Sgorr Dhonuill and 19 ± 6 °C/km at Clisham. Amounts of denudation related to the rapid cooling event vary from 1330 ± 230 m at Sgorr Dhonuill to 2250 ± 750 m at Clisham, in agreement with models that predict greater amounts of denudation where magmatic underplating is thicker. However, the direct correlation between underplating-driven surface uplift and denudation may only be apparent and a more complex link between spatial variation of surface uplift and denudation is suggested. The integration of results from multiple low-temperature thermochronometers, combined with inverse and forward modelling, provides a convincing and quantitative method to deduce onshore erosional histories, and provides critical information about the spatial distribution of erosion that cannot be derived from the

Shaping the Australian crust over the last 300 million years: insights from fission track thermotectonic imaging and denudation studies of key terranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohn, B.P.; Gleadow, A.J.W.; Brown, R.W.; O'Sullivan, P.B.; Foster, D.A.; Gallagher, K.

2002-01-01

Apatite fission track thermochronology is a well-established tool for reconstructing the low-temperature thermal and tectonic evolution of continental crust. The variation of fission track ages and distribution of fission track lengths are primarily controlled by cooling, which may be initiated by earth movements and consequent denudation at the Earth's surface and/or by changes in the thermal regime. Using numerical forward-modelling procedures these parameters can be matched with time-temperature paths that enable thermal and tectonic processes to be mapped out in considerable detail. This study describes extensive Australian regional fission track datasets that have been modelled sequentially and inverted into time-temperature solutions for visualisation as a series of time-slice images depicting the cooling history of present-day surface rocks during their passage through the upper crust. The data have also been combined with other datasets, including digital elevation and heat flow, to image the denudation history and the evolution of palaeo-topography. These images provide an important new perspective on crustal processes and landscape evolution and show how important tectonic and denudation events over the last 300 million years can be visualised in time and space. The application of spatially integrated denudation-rate chronology is also demonstrated for some key Australian terranes including the Lachlan and southern New England Orogens of southeastern Australia, Tasmania, the Gawler Craton, the Mt lsa lnlier, southwestern Australian crystalline terranes (including the Yilgarn Craton) and the Kimberley Block. This approach provides a readily accessible framework for quantifying the otherwise undetectable, timing and magnitude of long-term crustal denudation in these terranes, for a part of the geological record previously largely unconstrained. Discrete episodes of enhanced denudation occurred principally in response to changes in drainage, base

Antioxidants attenuate atherosclerotic plaque development in a balloon-denuded and -radiated hypercholesterolemic rabbit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leborgne, Laurent; Fournadjiev, Jana; Pakala, Rajbabu; Dilcher, Christian; Cheneau, Edouard; Wolfram, Roswitha; Hellinga, David; Seaborn, Rufus; O'Tio, Fermin; Waksman, Ron

2003-01-01

Background: Oxidation of lipoproteins is considered to be a key contributor to atherogenesis. Antioxidants are potential antiatherogenic agents because they can inhibit lipoprotein oxidation. Radiation has been shown to increase oxidative stress leading to increased atherogenesis. This study is designed to test the potential of antioxidants to inhibit atherosclerotic plaque progression in balloon-denuded and -radiated rabbits. Methods and Results: Two groups of New Zealand white rabbits (n=36) were fed with 1% cholesterol diet (control diet) or with 1% cholesterol diet containing a mixture of various antioxidants for 1 week. Iliac arteries in all the animals were balloon denuded and continued to fed with 0.15% cholesterol diet or 0.15% cholesterol diet containing antioxidants (antioxidant diet). Four weeks after balloon denudation one iliac artery in 12 animals from each group was radiated and all the animals were continued to be fed with the same diet. Four weeks after radiation animals were sacrificed and morphometric analysis of iliac arteries (n=12) in nonradiated and radiated animals were performed. Plaque area (PA) in the rabbits that were fed with cholesterol diet is 0.2±0.12 mm 2 , and it is increased by 2.75-fold (P<.05) in the radiated arteries of animals fed with cholesterol diet. Plaque area in the animals fed with antioxidant diet is 50% less then the one in the animals fed with cholesterol diet. Similarly, plaque area in radiated arteries of the animals fed with antioxidant diet is 50% less then the animals fed with cholesterol diet. Conclusion: Antioxidants significantly attenuate atherosclerotic plaque progression in balloon-injured and -radiated hypercholesterolemic rabbits

Determination of nitrous acid in air using wet effluent diffusion denuder–FIA technique

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikuška, Pavel; Motyka, Kamil; Večeřa, Zbyněk

2008-01-01

Roč. 77, č. 2 (2008), s. 635-641 ISSN 0039-9140. [International Conference on Flow Injection Analysis and Related Techniques. Berlin, 02.09.2007-07.09.2007] R&D Projects: GA MŽP SP/1B7/189/07 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40310501 Keywords : nitrous acid * wet effluent diffusion denuder * FIA Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 3.206, year: 2008

Review of denudation processes and quantification of weathering and erosion rates at a 0.1 to 1 Ma time scale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olvmo, Mats (Univ. of Goeteborg, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Earth Sciences)

2010-06-15

The Forsmark and Laxemar areas are quite similar from a geomorphological point of view. Both sites are situated within intact parts of the Sub-Cambrian Peneplain with extremely low relief. The peneplain is considered to be intact at both sites, i.e. the present relief is quite close to the original surface of this old denudation surface. The total amount of glacial erosion up to present is estimated to be relatively low at both sites (less than 10 m on average), but may have been quite important for stripping of old regolith, especially along fracture zones. This is most obvious in the vicinity of the Forsmark site where the dissected coastline 15 km south of the site is interpreted as a result of glacial erosion along old fracture zones. Therefore, from a strict glacial erosion perspective the Laxemar site is somewhat better than Forsmark. However, given the presented long-term denudation up to present, the expected amount of glacial erosion during a future glacial cycle, if similar to the last glacial cycle, is probably very limited for both sites, in the order of 2-5 m. Excluding glacial erosion, the long-term denudation rates of the two sites is fairly low as a consequence of the very low relief and the proximity to base level. The figures estimated for the long term denudation rates are in agreement with reports of denudation rates in shield areas and lie within the range 0 to 10 m/Ma for both sites. A scenario with a five-fold increase of relief that could be the effect of tectonic uplift, in a time perspective considerably longer than the coming 100,000 years, does not significantly change the picture. Even if the local relief is raised to above 100 m at both sites the estimated non-glacial denudation is very low. However, it should be noted that the effect of a relief change on the glacial system is not included in the calculations. Again, such a change on the pattern of glacial erosion would be more pronounced in the Forsmark area, since the coastline is

Review of denudation processes and quantification of weathering and erosion rates at a 0.1 to 1 Ma time scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olvmo, Mats

2010-06-01

The Forsmark and Laxemar areas are quite similar from a geomorphological point of view. Both sites are situated within intact parts of the Sub-Cambrian Peneplain with extremely low relief. The peneplain is considered to be intact at both sites, i.e. the present relief is quite close to the original surface of this old denudation surface. The total amount of glacial erosion up to present is estimated to be relatively low at both sites (less than 10 m on average), but may have been quite important for stripping of old regolith, especially along fracture zones. This is most obvious in the vicinity of the Forsmark site where the dissected coastline 15 km south of the site is interpreted as a result of glacial erosion along old fracture zones. Therefore, from a strict glacial erosion perspective the Laxemar site is somewhat better than Forsmark. However, given the presented long-term denudation up to present, the expected amount of glacial erosion during a future glacial cycle, if similar to the last glacial cycle, is probably very limited for both sites, in the order of 2-5 m. Excluding glacial erosion, the long-term denudation rates of the two sites is fairly low as a consequence of the very low relief and the proximity to base level. The figures estimated for the long term denudation rates are in agreement with reports of denudation rates in shield areas and lie within the range 0 to 10 m/Ma for both sites. A scenario with a five-fold increase of relief that could be the effect of tectonic uplift, in a time perspective considerably longer than the coming 100,000 years, does not significantly change the picture. Even if the local relief is raised to above 100 m at both sites the estimated non-glacial denudation is very low. However, it should be noted that the effect of a relief change on the glacial system is not included in the calculations. Again, such a change on the pattern of glacial erosion would be more pronounced in the Forsmark area, since the coastline is

Uncertainties in observational data on organic aerosol: An annual perspective of sampling artifacts in Beijing, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Yuan; He, Ke-bin

2015-01-01

Current understanding of organic aerosol (OA) is challenged by the large gap between simulation results and observational data. Based on six campaigns conducted in a representative mega city in China, this study provided an annual perspective of the uncertainties in observational OA data caused by sampling artifacts. Our results suggest that for the commonly-used sampling approach that involves collection of particles on a bare quartz filter, the positive artifact could result in a 20–40 % overestimation of OA concentrations. Based on an evaluation framework that includes four criteria, an activated carbon denuder was demonstrated to be able to effectively eliminate the positive artifact with a long useful time of at least one month, and hence it was recommended to be a good choice for routine measurement of carbonaceous aerosol. - Highlights: • Positive artifact can cause an overestimation of OA concentrations by up to 40%. • It remains a challenge to measure semivolatile OA based on filter sampling. • The positive artifact can be effectively removed by an ACM denuder. • The ACM denuder is small in size, easy to use and multi-functional. • The ACM denuder is recommended for routine measurement of OA. - Accounting for sampling artifacts can help to bridge the gap between simulated and observed OA concentrations.

The effects of climate and landscape position on chemical denudation and mineral transformation in the Santa Catalina mountain critical zone observatory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lybrand, Rebecca; Rasmussen, Craig; Jardine, Angie; Troch, Peter; Chorover, Jon

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Depth to paralithic contact generally increased with elevation. → Q/P ratios were higher in divergent landscape positions compared to adjacent convergent hollows. → Clay mineral assemblages changed as a function of elevation. → Climate, landscape position and erosion interactively control soil and regolith development. - Abstract: Understanding the interactions of climate, physical erosion, chemical weathering and pedogenic processes is essential when considering the evolution of critical zone systems. Interactions among these components are particularly important to predicting how semiarid landscapes will respond to forecasted changes in precipitation and temperature under future climate change. The primary goal of this study was to understand how climate and landscape structure interact to control chemical denudation and mineral transformation across a range of semiarid ecosystems in southern Arizona. The research was conducted along the steep environmental gradient encompassed by the Santa Catalina Mountains Critical Zone Observatory (SCM-CZO). The gradient is dominated by granitic parent materials and spans significant range in both mean annual temperature (>10 deg. C) and precipitation (>50 cm a -1 ), with concomitant shift in vegetation communities from desert scrub to mixed conifer forest. Regolith profiles were sampled from divergent and convergent landscape positions in five different ecosystems to quantify how climate-landscape position interactions control regolith development. Regolith development was quantified as depth to paralithic contact and degree of chemical weathering and mineral transformation using a combination of quantitative and semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of bulk soils and specific particle size classes. Depth to paralithic contact was found to increase systematically with elevation for divergent positions at approximately 28 cm per 1000 m elevation, but varied inconsistently for convergent

The effects of climate and landscape position on chemical denudation and mineral transformation in the Santa Catalina mountain critical zone observatory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lybrand, Rebecca, E-mail: rlybrand@email.arizona.edu [Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Rasmussen, Craig [Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Jardine, Angie; Troch, Peter [Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Chorover, Jon [Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2011-06-15

Highlights: > Depth to paralithic contact generally increased with elevation. > Q/P ratios were higher in divergent landscape positions compared to adjacent convergent hollows. > Clay mineral assemblages changed as a function of elevation. > Climate, landscape position and erosion interactively control soil and regolith development. - Abstract: Understanding the interactions of climate, physical erosion, chemical weathering and pedogenic processes is essential when considering the evolution of critical zone systems. Interactions among these components are particularly important to predicting how semiarid landscapes will respond to forecasted changes in precipitation and temperature under future climate change. The primary goal of this study was to understand how climate and landscape structure interact to control chemical denudation and mineral transformation across a range of semiarid ecosystems in southern Arizona. The research was conducted along the steep environmental gradient encompassed by the Santa Catalina Mountains Critical Zone Observatory (SCM-CZO). The gradient is dominated by granitic parent materials and spans significant range in both mean annual temperature (>10 deg. C) and precipitation (>50 cm a{sup -1}), with concomitant shift in vegetation communities from desert scrub to mixed conifer forest. Regolith profiles were sampled from divergent and convergent landscape positions in five different ecosystems to quantify how climate-landscape position interactions control regolith development. Regolith development was quantified as depth to paralithic contact and degree of chemical weathering and mineral transformation using a combination of quantitative and semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of bulk soils and specific particle size classes. Depth to paralithic contact was found to increase systematically with elevation for divergent positions at approximately 28 cm per 1000 m elevation, but varied inconsistently for convergent

Repopulation of denuded tracheal grafts with alveolar type II cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, N.F.

1988-01-01

Repopulation of denuded heterotopic tracheal grafts with populations of specific epithelial cell types is one approach to study the differentiation potential of various cell types. This technique has been adopted to delineate the differentiation pathways of alveolar type II cells isolated from rat lungs. Under the conditions of this experiment, the reestablished epithelial lining was alveolar-like, however, ultrastructural analysis of the cells showed them to be like Clara cells. These preliminary results suggest that the secretary cells of the lung parenchyma and terminal airways may share a common ancestry. (author)

Diffusion of anionic species in borecore samples of Boda claystone formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lazar, K.; Megyeri, J. [Inst. of Isotopes, Budapest, P.O.B. 77, H-1525 (Hung ary)]. e-mail: lazar@iki.kfki.hu; Mathe, Z. [Mecsekerc Co., Esztergar L. 19, Pec s, H-7633 (Hungary)

2007-06-15

Diffusion of {sup 99}Tc and {sup 14}C radioisotopes in anionic forms of TcO{sub 4} - and H{sup 14}CO{sub 3} - were studied in samples originated from Boda Claystone Formation by using break-through measurements. The {sup 99}Tc solution was spiked (5 x 10{sup -4} mol/l), whereas the HCO{sub 3} - concentration was the same as in the respective ground water of the formation (1.2 x 10{sup -2} mol/l). The apparent diffusivity constants were estimated from the slope of the increase of the activity concentrations observed within 230 day period. Similar values were obtained: 1.1 x 10{sup -12}/m{sup 2}/s for technetate and 1.3 x 10{sup -12}/m{sup 2}/s for hydrocarbonate. These results can be compared with previous studies carried out under similar conditions with {sup 125}I, where practically the same value was obtained for the apparent diffusivity. Thus, it can be concluded that anionic species migrate with a similar rate in the studied Boda Claystone samples, and do not interact noticeably with the rock. In correlation with the diffusion of TcO{sub 4} - the actual redox state of the rock sample was characterized by determining the Fe{sup 3+}/Fe{sup 2+} ratio with Moessbauer spectroscopy. In spite of the significant amount of ferrous iron present, the redox processes probably do not considerably influence the migration rate of the studied anions.

Uncertainties in monitoring of SVOCs in air caused by within-sampler degradation during active and passive air sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Melymuk, Lisa; Bohlin-Nizzetto, Pernilla; Prokeš, Roman; Kukučka, Petr; Přibylová, Petra; Vojta, Šimon; Kohoutek, Jiří; Lammel, Gerhard; Klánová, Jana

2017-10-01

Degradation of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) occurs naturally in ambient air due to reactions with reactive trace gases (e.g., ozone, NOx). During air sampling there is also the possibility for degradation of SVOCs within the air sampler, leading to underestimates of ambient air concentrations. We investigated the possibility of this sampling artifact in commonly used active and passive air samplers for seven classes of SVOCs, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) typically covered by air monitoring programs, as well as SVOCs of emerging concern. Two active air samplers were used, one equipped with an ozone denuder and one without, to compare relative differences in mass of collected compounds. Two sets of passive samplers were also deployed to determine the influence of degradation during longer deployment times in passive sampling. In active air samplers, comparison of the two sampling configurations suggested degradation of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with concentrations up to 2× higher in the denuder-equipped sampler, while halogenated POPs did not have clear evidence of degradation. In contrast, more polar, reactive compounds (e.g., organophosphate esters and current use pesticides) had evidence of losses in the sampler with denuder. This may be caused by the denuder itself, suggesting sampling bias for these compounds can be created when typical air sampling apparatuses are adapted to limit degradation. Passive air samplers recorded up to 4× higher concentrations when deployed for shorter consecutive sampling periods, suggesting that within-sampler degradation may also be relevant in passive air monitoring programs.

Automated sample preparation station for studying self-diffusion in porous solids with NMR spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Hedin, Niklas; DeMartin, Gregory J.; Reyes, Sebastián C.

2006-03-01

In studies of gas diffusion in porous solids with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy the sample preparation procedure becomes very important. An apparatus is presented here that pretreats the sample ex situ and accurately sets the desired pressure and temperature within the NMR tube prior to its introduction in the spectrometer. The gas manifold that supplies the NMR tube is also connected to a microbalance containing another portion of the same sample, which is kept at the same temperature as the sample in the NMR tube. This arrangement permits the simultaneous measurement of the adsorption loading on the sample, which is required for the interpretation of the NMR diffusion experiments. Furthermore, to ensure a good seal of the NMR tube, a hybrid valve design composed of titanium, a Teflon® seat, and Kalrez® O-rings is utilized. A computer controlled algorithm ensures the accuracy and reproducibility of all the procedures, enabling the NMR diffusion experiments to be performed at well controlled conditions of pressure, temperature, and amount of gas adsorbed on the porous sample.

Current denudation rates in dolostone karst from central Spain: Implications for the formation of unroofed caves

Science.gov (United States)

Krklec, Kristina; Domínguez-Villar, David; Carrasco, Rosa M.; Pedraza, Javier

2016-07-01

Rock tablets of known weight were buried in the soil of a karst region in Central Spain to evaluate the carbonate weathering during a period of a year. The experiment was conducted at two different soil depths: 5-10 and 50-55 cm from the surface. The parental rock used in the experiment is composed of dolomite and magnesite with variable proportion of accessory minerals and minor elements. Soil mineral and chemical composition as well as its texture was also characterized. Meteorological conditions at the site together with temperature and CO2 in both soil levels were monitored. Sets of tablets were retrieved after 6 and 12 months of the start of the experiment to account for seasonal weathering. Different lithologies do not exhibit significant differences in weathering, although a large inter-sample variability is attributed to variable size and distribution of the porosity. Results show an enhanced weathering during the wet and cold season that accounts for 78 ± 1% of the total annual weathering. Rock tablets examined under scanning electron microscopy prior and after exposure to natural environment show that most of the material lost occurred along cracks, edges or large pores. Although dissolution is a common process, most of the weathering is due to crystal detachment. Rock tablets at the depth of 5-10 cm were weathered 68 ± 1% more than those set at 50-55 cm from the surface. Higher soil moisture and concentration of CO2 were found deeper in the soil, which likely enhanced the dissolution of carbonate. However, physical weathering dominated weight loss of rock tablets at both soil depths; especially at the 5-10 cm level where soil thermal and moisture cycles were more frequent and greater. Denudation rate calculated from the 12 months set provides values of 2.48 ± 1.07 μm/yr and 1.75 ± 0.66 μm/yr at the depths of 5-10 and 50-55 cm, respectively. Since the conditions at the average contact between soil and bedrock are similar to those at the 50-55 cm

Analysis of Product Sampling for New Product Diffusion Incorporating Multiple-Unit Ownership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhineng Hu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Multiple-unit ownership of nondurable products is an important component of sales in many product categories. Based on the Bass model, this paper develops a new model considering the multiple-unit adoptions as a diffusion process under the influence of product sampling. Though the analysis aims to determine the optimal dynamic sampling effort for a firm and the results demonstrate that experience sampling can accelerate the diffusion process, the best time to send free samples is just before the product being launched. Multiple-unit purchasing behavior can increase sales to make more profit for a firm, and it needs more samples to make the product known much better. The local sensitivity analysis shows that the increase of both external coefficients and internal coefficients has a negative influence on the sampling level, but the internal influence on the subsequent multiple-unit adoptions has little significant influence on the sampling. Using the logistic regression along with linear regression, the global sensitivity analysis gives a whole analysis of the interaction of all factors, which manifests the external influence and multiunit purchase rate are two most important factors to influence the sampling level and net present value of the new product, and presents a two-stage method to determine the sampling level.

Visualization and quantification of heterogeneous diffusion rates in granodiorite samples by X-ray absorption imaging. Diffusion within gouge materials, altered rim and intact rock matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Altman, S.J.; Tidwell, V.C. [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Uchida, M. [Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Ibaraki (Japan)

2001-08-01

Matrix diffusion is one of the most important contaminant migration retardation processes in crystalline rocks. Performance assessment calculations in various countries assume that only the area of the fracture surface where advection is active provides access to the rock matrix. However, accessibility to the matrix could be significantly enhanced with diffusion into stagnant zones, fracture fillings, and through an alteration rim in the matrix. Laboratory visualization experiments were conducted on granodiorite samples to investigate and quantify diffusion rates within different zones of a Cretaceous granodiorite. Samples were collected from the Kamaishi experimental site in the northern part of the main island of Japan. Diffusion of iodine out of the sample is visualized and rates are measured using x-ray absorption imaging. X-ray images allow for measurements of relative iodine concentration and relative iodine mass as a function of time and two-dimensional space at a sub-millimeter spatial resolution. In addition, two-dimensional heterogeneous porosity fields (at the same resolution as the relative concentration fields) are measured. This imaging technique allows for a greater understanding of the spatial variability of diffusion rates than can be accomplished with standard bulk measurements. It was found that diffusion rates were fastest in partially gouge-filled fractures. Diffusion rates in the recrystallized calcite-based fracture-filling material were up to an order of magnitude lower than in gouge-filled fractures. Diffusion in altered matrix around the fractures was over an order of magnitude lower than that in the gouge-filled fractures. Healed fractures did not appear to have different diffusion rates than the unaltered matrix.

Visualization and quantification of heterogeneous diffusion rates in granodiorite samples by X-ray absorption imaging. Diffusion within gouge materials, altered rim and intact rock matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altman, S.J.; Tidwell, V.C.; Uchida, M.

2001-01-01

Matrix diffusion is one of the most important contaminant migration retardation processes in crystalline rocks. Performance assessment calculations in various countries assume that only the area of the fracture surface where advection is active provides access to the rock matrix. However, accessibility to the matrix could be significantly enhanced with diffusion into stagnant zones, fracture fillings, and through an alteration rim in the matrix. Laboratory visualization experiments were conducted on granodiorite samples to investigate and quantify diffusion rates within different zones of a Cretaceous granodiorite. Samples were collected from the Kamaishi experimental site in the northern part of the main island of Japan. Diffusion of iodine out of the sample is visualized and rates are measured using x-ray absorption imaging. X-ray images allow for measurements of relative iodine concentration and relative iodine mass as a function of time and two-dimensional space at a sub-millimeter spatial resolution. In addition, two-dimensional heterogeneous porosity fields (at the same resolution as the relative concentration fields) are measured. This imaging technique allows for a greater understanding of the spatial variability of diffusion rates than can be accomplished with standard bulk measurements. It was found that diffusion rates were fastest in partially gouge-filled fractures. Diffusion rates in the recrystallized calcite-based fracture-filling material were up to an order of magnitude lower than in gouge-filled fractures. Diffusion in altered matrix around the fractures was over an order of magnitude lower than that in the gouge-filled fractures. Healed fractures did not appear to have different diffusion rates than the unaltered matrix

Developing a passive trap for diffusive atmospheric {sup 14}CO{sub 2} sampling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, Jennifer C.; Xu, Xiaomei [Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA (United States); Fahrni, Simon M. [Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA (United States); Institute of Particle Physics, ETH, Zurich (Switzerland); Lupascu, Massimo [Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA (United States); Department of Geography, National University of Singapore (Singapore); Czimczik, Claudia I. [Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA (United States)

2015-10-15

{sup 14}C-CO{sub 2} measurement is an unique tool to quantify source-based emissions of CO{sub 2} for both the urban and natural environments. Acquiring a sample that temporally integrates the atmospheric {sup 14}C-CO{sub 2} signature that allows for precise {sup 14}C analysis is often necessary, but can require complex sampling devices, which can be difficult to deploy and maintain, especially for multiple locations. Here we describe our progress in developing a diffusive atmospheric CO{sub 2} molecular sieve trap, which requires no power to operate. We present results from various cleaning procedures, and rigorously tested for blank and memory effects. Traps were tested in the environment along-side conventional sampling flasks for accuracy. Results show that blank and memory effects can be minimized with thorough cleaning and by avoiding overheating, and that diffusively collected air samples agree well with traditionally canister-sampled air.

A multi-probe thermophoretic soot sampling system for high-pressure diffusion flames

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vargas, Alex M.; Gülder, Ömer L. [Institute for Aerospace Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T6 (Canada)

2016-05-15

Optical diagnostics and physical probing of the soot processes in high pressure combustion pose challenges that are not faced in atmospheric flames. One of the preferred methods of studying soot in atmospheric flames is in situ thermophoretic sampling followed by transmission electron microscopy imaging and analysis for soot sizing and morphology. The application of this method of sampling to high pressures has been held back by various operational and mechanical problems. In this work, we describe a rotating disk multi-probe thermophoretic soot sampling system, driven by a microstepping stepper motor, fitted into a high-pressure chamber capable of producing sooting laminar diffusion flames up to 100 atm. Innovative aspects of the sampling system design include an easy and precise control of the sampling time down to 2.6 ms, avoidance of the drawbacks of the pneumatic drivers used in conventional thermophoretic sampling systems, and the capability to collect ten consecutive samples in a single experimental run. Proof of principle experiments were performed using this system in a laminar diffusion flame of methane, and primary soot diameter distributions at various pressures up to 10 atm were determined. High-speed images of the flame during thermophoretic sampling were recorded to assess the influence of probe intrusion on the flow field of the flame.

The determination of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons in air. Sampling rate and efficiency of diffuse samplers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giese, U.; Stenner, H.; Kettrup, A.

1989-05-01

When applicating diffusive sampling-systems to workplace air-monitoring it is necessary to know the behaviour of the diffusive-rate and the efficiency in dependence of concentration, exposition time and the type of pollutant. Especially concerning mixtures of pollutants there are negative influences by competition and mutual displacement possible. Diffusive-rate and discovery for CH/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ and CHCl/sub 3/ were investigated using two different types of diffuse samplers. For this it was necessary to develop suitable defices for standard gas generation and for the exposition of diffusive-samplers to a standard gas mixture. (orig.).

Evaluation Of Gas Diffusion Through Plastic Materials Used In Experimental And Sampling Equipment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjeldsen, Peter

1993-01-01

. Calculations show that diffusion of oxygen through plastic tubing and reactors into anoxic water can be a serious problem for a series of plastic materials. Comparison of the method for turbulent and laminar flow in tubings shows that the difference is insignificant for most cases. Calculations show also......Plastic materials are often used in experimental and sampling equipment. Plastics are not gas tight, since gases are able to diffuse through the walls of tubing and containers made of plastic. Methods for calculating the significance of gas diffusion through the walls of containers and the walls...... of tubings for both turbulent and laminar flow conditions is presented. A more complex model for diffusion under laminar flow conditions is developed. A comprehensive review on gas diffusion coefficients for the main gases (O2, N2, CO2, CH4 etc.) and for a long range of plastic materials is also presented...

Luminescence of quartz and feldspar fingerprints provenance and correlates with the source area denudation in the Amazon River basin

Science.gov (United States)

Sawakuchi, A. O.; Jain, M.; Mineli, T. D.; Nogueira, L.; Bertassoli, D. J.; Häggi, C.; Sawakuchi, H. O.; Pupim, F. N.; Grohmann, C. H.; Chiessi, C. M.; Zabel, M.; Mulitza, S.; Mazoca, C. E. M.; Cunha, D. F.

2018-06-01

The Amazon region hosts the world's largest watershed spanning from high elevation Andean terrains to lowland cratonic shield areas in tropical South America. This study explores variations in optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals in suspended silt and riverbed sands retrieved from major Amazon rivers. These rivers drain Pre-Cambrian to Cenozoic source rocks in areas with contrasting denudation rates. In contrast to the previous studies, we do not observe an increase in the OSL sensitivity of quartz with transport distance; for example, Tapajós and Xingu Rivers show more sensitive quartz than Solimões and Madeira Rivers, even though the latter have a significantly larger catchment area and longer sediment transport distance. Interestingly, high sensitivity quartz is observed in rivers draining relatively stable Central Brazil and Guiana shield areas (denudation rate ξ = 0.04 mmyr-1), while low sensitivity quartz occurs in less stable Andean terrains (ξ = 0.24 mmyr-1). An apparent linear correlation between quartz OSL sensitivity and denudation rate suggests that OSL sensitivity may be used as a proxy for erosion rates in the Amazon basin. Furthermore, luminescence sensitivity measured in sand or silt arises from the same mineral components (quartz and feldspar) and clearly discriminates between Andean and shield sediments, avoiding the grain size bias in provenance analysis. These results have implications for using luminescence sensitivity as a proxy for Andean and shield contributions in the stratigraphic record, providing a new tool to reconstruct past drainage configurations within the Amazon basin.

Decreased Neointimal Extracellular Matrix Formation in RAGE-Knockout Mice After Microvascular Denudation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groezinger, Gerd, E-mail: gerd.groezinger@med.uni-tuebingen.de; Schmehl, Joerg, E-mail: joerg.schmehl@med.uni-tuebingen.de; Bantleon, Ruediger, E-mail: ruediger.bantleon@med.uni-tuebingen.de; Kehlbach, Rainer, E-mail: rainer.kehlbach@uni-tuebingen.de [University of Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology (Germany); Mehra, Tarun, E-mail: tarun.mehra@med.uni-tuebingen.de [University of Tuebingen, Department of Dermatology (Germany); Claussen, Claus, E-mail: gerd.groezinger@med.uni-tuebingen.de; Wiesinger, Benjamin, E-mail: benjamin.wiesinger@med.uni-tuebingen.de [University of Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology (Germany)

2012-12-15

Purpose: To evaluate in vivo the role of RAGE (receptor for advanced glycated end products) in the development of restenosis and neointimal proliferation in RAGE-deficient knockout (KO) mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice in an animal model. Materials and Methods: Sixteen WT and 15 RAGE-deficient mice underwent microvascular denudation of the common femoral artery under general anaesthesia. Contralateral arteries underwent a sham operation and served as controls. Four weeks after the intervention, all animals were killed, and paraformaldehyde-fixed specimens of the femoral artery were analysed with different stains (hematoxylin and eosin and Elastica van Gieson) and several different types of immunostaining (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, {alpha}-actin, collagen, von Willebrand factor, RAGE). Luminal area, area of the neointima, and area of the media were measured in all specimens. In addition, colony-formation assays were performed, and collagen production by WT smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and RAGE-KO SMCs was determined. For statistical analysis, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Four weeks after denudation, WT mice showed a 49.6% loss of luminal area compared with 14.9% loss of luminal area in RAGE-deficient mice (sham = 0% loss) (P < 0.001). The neointima was 18.2 (*1000 {mu}m{sup 2} [n = 15) in the WT group compared with only 8.4 (*1000 {mu}m{sup 2} [n = 16]) in the RAGE-KO group. RAGE-KO SMCs showed significantly decreased proliferation activity and production of extracellular matrix protein. Conclusion: RAGE may be shown to play a considerable role in the formation of neointima leading to restenosis after vascular injury.

Thermal diffusivity and electron transport properties of NTC samples obtained by the photoacoustic method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savic, S.M.; Aleksic, O.S.; Nikolic, M.V.; Lukovic, D.T.; Pejovic, V.Z.; Nikolic, P.M.

2006-01-01

Thermal diffusivity and electron transport parameters of sintered NTC samples were determined by the photoacoustic (PA) technique. Powder mixtures composed of MnO, NiO, CoO and Fe 2 O 3 were milled to nanometer particle size. NTC discs were dry powder pressed and sintered at different temperatures in the range from 900 deg. C to 1300 deg. C for 30 min. A second group of NTC discs was sintered at 1200 deg. C with the sintering time varying from 30 min to 360 min. These NTC samples were polished and exposed to a chopped laser beam in order to plot a response in the acoustic range. The thermal diffusivity of sintered NTC layers based on a metal oxide powder mixture was measured at room temperature by the photoacoustic technique. An increase of thermal diffusivity with the sintering temperature and time of sintering was observed

Thermal diffusivity and electron transport properties of NTC samples obtained by the photoacoustic method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Savic, S.M. [Institute of Technical Sciences of SASA, Knez Mihailova 35/IV, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Aleksic, O.S. [Center for Multidisciplinary Studies of the University of Belgrade, Kneza Viseslava 1, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Nikolic, M.V. [Center for Multidisciplinary Studies of the University of Belgrade, Kneza Viseslava 1, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Lukovic, D.T. [Institute of Technical Sciences of SASA, Knez Mihailova 35/IV, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Pejovic, V.Z. [Center for Multidisciplinary Studies of the University of Belgrade, Kneza Viseslava 1, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Nikolic, P.M. [Institute of Technical Sciences of SASA, Knez Mihailova 35/IV, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia)]. E-mail: nikolic@sanu.ac.yu

2006-07-15

Thermal diffusivity and electron transport parameters of sintered NTC samples were determined by the photoacoustic (PA) technique. Powder mixtures composed of MnO, NiO, CoO and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} were milled to nanometer particle size. NTC discs were dry powder pressed and sintered at different temperatures in the range from 900 deg. C to 1300 deg. C for 30 min. A second group of NTC discs was sintered at 1200 deg. C with the sintering time varying from 30 min to 360 min. These NTC samples were polished and exposed to a chopped laser beam in order to plot a response in the acoustic range. The thermal diffusivity of sintered NTC layers based on a metal oxide powder mixture was measured at room temperature by the photoacoustic technique. An increase of thermal diffusivity with the sintering temperature and time of sintering was observed.

Air sampling program at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hulett, S.H.

1975-01-01

An extensive air sampling program has been developed at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant for monitoring the concentrations of radioactive aerosols present in the atmosphere on plantsite as well as in the environs. The program is designed to minimize exposures of employees and the environment to airborne radioactive particulates. Five different air sampling systems, utilizing either filtration or impaction, are employed for measuring airborne alpha and beta-gamma activity produced from 235 U and 234 Th, respectively. Two of the systems have particle selection capabilities: a personal sampler with a 10-mm nylon cyclone eliminates most particles larger than about 10 microns in diameter; and an Annular Kinetic Impactor collects particulates greater than 0.4 microns in diameter which have a density greater than 12-15 gm/cm 3 . A Hi-Volume Air Sampler and an Eberline Model AIM-3 Scintillation Air Monitor are used in collecting short-term samples for assessing compliance with ''ceiling'' standards or peak concentration limits. A film-sort aperture IBM card system is utilized for continuous 8-hour samples. This sampling program has proven to be both practical and effective for assuring accurate monitoring of the airborne activity associated with plant operations

Dilution of 10Be in detrital quartz by earthquake-induced landslides: Implications for determining denudation rates and potential to provide insights into landslide sediment dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

West, A. Joshua; Hetzel, Ralf; Li, Gen; Jin, Zhangdong; Zhang, Fei; Hilton, Robert G.; Densmore, Alexander L.

2014-06-01

The concentration of 10Be in detrital quartz (10Beqtz) from river sediments is now widely used to quantify catchment-wide denudation rates but may also be sensitive to inputs from bedrock landslides that deliver sediment with low 10Beqtz. Major landslide-triggering events can provide large amounts of low-concentration material to rivers in mountain catchments, but changes in river sediment 10Beqtz due to such events have not yet been measured directly. Here we examine the impact of widespread landslides triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on 10Beqtz in sediment samples from the Min Jiang river basin, in Sichuan, China. Landslide deposit material associated with the Wenchuan earthquake has consistently lower 10Beqtz than in river sediment prior to the earthquake. River sediment 10Beqtz decreased significantly following the earthquake downstream of areas of high coseismic landslide occurrence (i.e., with greater than ∼0.3% of the upstream catchment area affected by landslides), because of input of the 10Be-depleted landslide material, but showed no systematic changes where landslide occurrence was low. Changes in river sediment 10Beqtz concentration were largest in small first-order catchments but were still significant in large river basins with areas of 104-105 km. Spatial and temporal variability in river sediment 10Beqtz has important implications for inferring representative denudation rates in tectonically active, landslide-dominated environments, even in large basins. Although the dilution of 10Beqtz in river sediment by landslide inputs may complicate interpretation of denudation rates, it also may provide a possible opportunity to track the transport of landslide sediment. The associated uncertainties are large, but in the Wenchuan case, calculations based on 10Be mixing proportions suggest that river sediment fluxes in the 2-3 years following the earthquake increased by a similar order of magnitude in the 0.25-1 mm and the mixing calculations and

Mélange versus forearc contributions to sedimentation and uplift, during rapid denudation of a young Banda forearc-continent collisional belt

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duffy, Brendan; Kalansky, Julie; Bassett, Kari; Harris, Ron; Quigley, Mark; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J J; Strachan, Lorna J.; Rosenthal, Yair

2017-01-01

New sedimentary geochemistry and petrographic analyses provide the most extensive sedimentary documentation yet of the rapid denudation of the young Timor orogen. The data from three basins including two widely-separated, well-dated sections of the Synorogenic Megasequence of Timor-Leste, and a

Denuded zone in Czochralski silicon wafer with high carbon content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jiahe; Yang Deren; Ma Xiangyang; Que Duanlin

2006-01-01

The thermal stability of the denuded zone (DZ) created by high-low-high-temperature annealing in high carbon content (H[C]) and low carbon content (L[C]) Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) has been investigated in a subsequent ramping and isothermal 1050 deg. C annealing. The tiny oxygen precipitates which might occur in the DZ were checked. It was found in the L[C] Cz-Si that the DZ shrank and the density of bulk micro-defects (BMDs) reduced with the increase of time spent at 1050 deg. C. Also, the DZs above 15 μm of thickness present in the H[C] Cz-Si wafers continuously and the density and total volume of BMDs first decreased then increased and finally decreased again during the treatments. Moreover, tiny oxygen precipitates were hardly generated inside the DZs, indicating that H[C] Cz-Si wafers could support the fabrication of integrated circuits

Denuded zone in Czochralski silicon wafer with high carbon content

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiahe; Yang, Deren; Ma, Xiangyang; Que, Duanlin

2006-12-01

The thermal stability of the denuded zone (DZ) created by high-low-high-temperature annealing in high carbon content (H[C]) and low carbon content (L[C]) Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) has been investigated in a subsequent ramping and isothermal 1050 °C annealing. The tiny oxygen precipitates which might occur in the DZ were checked. It was found in the L[C] Cz-Si that the DZ shrank and the density of bulk micro-defects (BMDs) reduced with the increase of time spent at 1050 °C. Also, the DZs above 15 µm of thickness present in the H[C] Cz-Si wafers continuously and the density and total volume of BMDs first decreased then increased and finally decreased again during the treatments. Moreover, tiny oxygen precipitates were hardly generated inside the DZs, indicating that H[C] Cz-Si wafers could support the fabrication of integrated circuits.

Diffusion of HTO, {sup 36}Cl{sup -}, {sup 125}I{sup -} and {sup 22}Na{sup +} in Opalinus Clay: Effect of Confining Pressure, Sample Orientation, Sample Depth and Temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Loon, L.R.; Soler, J.M

2004-02-01

Effective diffusion coefficients (D{sub e}), rock capacity factors ({alpha}) and diffusion-accessible porosities ({epsilon}) were measured using the through-diffusion technique. Transport (diffusion) was measured both perpendicular and parallel to the bedding. Special cells that allowed the application of an axial confining pressure were designed. The pressures applied ranged from 1 to 5 MPa for Mont Terri samples and between 4 and 15 MPa for Benken samples, the upper values representing the in-situ confining pressure at both locations. The test solutions used in the experiments were synthetic Opalinus Clay pore water, which has Na and Cl as main components (Mont Terri: I = 0.39 M; Benken: I = 0.20 M). Pressure only had a small effect on the value of the effective diffusion coefficients. In the case of Mont Terri samples, increasing the pressure from 1 to 5 MPa resulted in a decrease of the effective diffusion coefficient of 20% for HTO, 27% for {sup 36}Cl{sup -}, 29% for {sup 125}I{sup -} and 17 % for {sup 22}Na{sup +}. In the case of Benken samples, increasing the pressure from 4 to 15 MPa resulted in a decrease of D{sub e} of 17% for HTO, 22% for {sup 36}Cl{sup -}, 32% for {sup 125}I{sup -} and 17 % for {sup 22}Na{sup +}. Moreover, the effective diffusion coefficients for for {sup 36}Cl{sup -}are smaller than for HTO, which is consistent with an effect arising from anion exclusion. This ion exclusion effect is smaller in samples from Mont Terri than in samples from Benken, which can be explained by the higher ionic strength of the Mont Terri water used in the experiments. The diffusion of {sup 22}Na{sup +} is similar to that of HTO in the case of Mont Terri OPA. For Benken OPA, the D{sub e} value of {sup 22}Na{sup +} is a factor of 2 higher than that of HTO. This last observation cannot be explained so far but is comparable to experimental data from ANDRA (1999) on Callovo-Oxfordian claystones from the Meuse/Haute Same site. {sup 125}I{sup -} is retarded with

Phanerozoic burial, uplift and denudation of the Equatorial Atlantic margin of South America

Science.gov (United States)

Japsen, Peter; Bonow, Johan M.; Green, Paul F.; dall'Asta, Massimo; Roig, Jean-Yves; Theveniaut, Hervé

2017-04-01

We have initiated a study aimed at understanding the history of burial, uplift and denudation of the South American Equatorial Atlantic Margin (SAEAM Uplift) including the Guiana Shield to provide a framework for investigating the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the offshore region. We report first results including observations from fieldwork at the northern and southern flank of the Guiana Shield. The study combines apatite fission-track analysis (AFTA) and vitrinite reflectance data from samples of outcrops and drillcores, sonic velocity data from drill holes and stratigraphic landscape analysis (mapping of peneplains) - all constrained by geological evidence, following the methods of Green et al. (2013). The study will thus combine the thermal history from AFTA data with the denudation history from stratigraphic landscape analysis to provide magnitudes and timing of vertical movements (Japsen et al. 2012, 2016). Along the Atlantic margin of Suriname and French Guiana, tilted and truncated Lower Cretaceous strata rest on Precambrian basement (Sapin et al. 2016). Our AFTA data show that the basement underwent Mesozoic exhumation prior to deposition of the Lower Cretaceous cover. Sub-horizontal peneplains define the landscape of the Guiana Shield at elevations up to 500 m a.s.l. As these sub-horizontal peneplains truncate the tilted, sub-Cretaceous surface along the Atlantic margin, these peneplains were therefore formed and uplifted in post-Cretaceous time. This interpretation is in good agreement with our AFTA data that define Paleogene exhumation along the margin and with the results of Theveniaut and Freyssinet (2002) who used palaeomagnetic data to conclude that bauxitic surfaces across basement at up to 400 m a.s.l. on the Guiana Shield formed during the Palaeogene. Integration of the results from AFTA with stratigraphic landscape analysis (currently in progress) and geological evidence will provide a robust reconstruction of the tectonic development of the

A method to measure the diffusion coefficient by neutron wave propagation for limited samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woznicka, U.

1986-03-01

A study has been made of the use of the neutron wave and pulse propagation method for measurement of thermal neutron diffusion parameters. Earlier works an homogenous and heterogeneous media are reviewed. A new method is sketched for the determination of the diffusion coefficient for samples of limited size. The principle is to place a relatively thin slab of the material between two blocks of a medium with known properties. The advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed. (author)

Comparison of diffusion- and pumped-sampling methods to monitor volatile organic compounds in ground water, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, July 1999-December 2002

Science.gov (United States)

Archfield, Stacey A.; LeBlanc, Denis R.

2005-01-01

To evaluate diffusion sampling as an alternative method to monitor volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations in ground water, concentrations in samples collected by traditional pumped-sampling methods were compared to concentrations in samples collected by diffusion-sampling methods for 89 monitoring wells at or near the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod. Samples were analyzed for 36 VOCs. There was no substantial difference between the utility of diffusion and pumped samples to detect the presence or absence of a VOC. In wells where VOCs were detected, diffusion-sample concentrations of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) were significantly lower than pumped-sample concentrations. Because PCE and TCE concentrations detected in the wells dominated the calculation of many of the total VOC concentrations, when VOC concentrations were summed and compared by sampling method, visual inspection also showed a downward concentration bias in the diffusion-sample concentration. The degree to which pumped- and diffusion-sample concentrations agreed was not a result of variability inherent within the sampling methods or the diffusion process itself. A comparison of the degree of agreement in the results from the two methods to 13 quantifiable characteristics external to the sampling methods offered only well-screen length as being related to the degree of agreement between the methods; however, there is also evidence to indicate that the flushing rate of water through the well screen affected the agreement between the sampling methods. Despite poor agreement between the concentrations obtained by the two methods at some wells, the degree to which the concentrations agree at a given well is repeatable. A one-time, well-bywell comparison between diffusion- and pumped-sampling methods could determine which wells are good candidates for the use of diffusion samplers. For wells with good method agreement, the diffusion-sampling method is a time

Novel diffusion cell for in vitro transdermal permeation, compatible with automated dynamic sampling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosman, I.J; Lawant, A.L; Avegaart, S.R.; Ensing, K; de Zeeuw, R.A

The development of a new diffusion cell for in vitro transdermal permeation is described. The so-called Kelder cells were used in combination with the ASPEC system (Automatic Sample Preparation with Extraction Columns), which is designed for the automation of solid-phase extractions (SPE). Instead

Denudation and uplift of the Mawson Escarpment (eastern Lambert Graben, Antarctica) as indicated by apatite fission track data and geomorphological observation

Science.gov (United States)

Lisker, F.; Gibson, H.; Wilson, C.J.; Läufer, A.

2007-01-01

Analysis of three vertical profiles from the southern Mawson Escarpment (Lambert Graben) reveals apatite fission track (AFT) ages ranging from 102±20 to 287±23 Ma and mean lengths of 12.2 to 13.0 μm. Quantitative thermal histories derived from these data consistently indicate onset of slow cooling below 110°C began sometime prior to 300 Ma, and a second stage of rapid cooling from paleotemperatures up to ≤100°C to surface temperatures occurred in the Late Cretaceous – Paleocene. The first cooling phase refers to Carboniferous – Jurassic basement denudation up to 5 km associated with the initial rifting of the Lambert Graben. The presence of the ancient East Antarctic Erosion Surface and rapid Late Cretaceous – Paleocene cooling indicate a second denudational episode during which up to 4.5 km of sedimentary cover rocks were removed, and that is likely linked to the Cretaceous Gondwana breakup between Antarctica and India and subsequent passive continental margin formation.

Dentoalveolar growth inhibition induced by bone denudation on palates: a study of two isolated cleft palates with asymmetric scar tissue distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikawa, H; Iwasaki, H; Tsukada, H; Chu, S; Nakamura, S; Yamamoto, K

1999-09-01

This report presents two cases of isolated cleft palate with asymmetric distribution of postsurgical scar tissue determined by laser Doppler flowmetry. To determine the effect of mucoperiosteal denudation of the bone on maxillary alveolar growth, the analysis of dentoalveolar structures compared the affected side to the unaffected side of each case. Two Japanese girls with isolated cleft palates were examined. Both subjects had undergone pushback operations (a modified version of the procedure of Wardill) for palatal repair at 18 months of age. Palatal blood flow was examined by laser Doppler flowmetry when the girls were 12 years old to determine the extent of postsurgical scar tissue over the denuded bone. To analyze the maxillary dentoalveolar structures three dimensionally, the whole surface of the upper dental cast was measured and recorded by an optical measuring device when the girls were 7 years old. Analysis via flowmetry showed that the palatal scar tissue area was limited to the anterior tooth region on the right (unaffected) side but extended posteriorly to the premolar region on the left (affected) side in both subjects. The two girls had similar dentoalveolar structures, with the dental and alveolar arches deflected lingually at the deciduous molar area on the affected side. There were no differences in the buccolingual inclination of deciduous molars or in the vertical growth of the alveolar processes between the affected and unaffected sides. In both girls, bone denudation in the premolar region appeared to result in less than 3 mm of displacement of the teeth palatally, with no change in lingual inclination. Any effects of scar tissue on the vertical development of the alveolus were not substantiated.

Comparison of low cost measurement techniques for long-term monitoring of atmospheric ammonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutton, M A; Miners, B; Tang, Y S; Milford, C; Wyers, G P; Duyzer, J H; Fowler, D

2001-10-01

An inter-comparison of techniques for long-term sampling of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) was conducted with a view to establishing a national network with > 50 sites. Key requirements were for: a low cost system, simplicity and durability to enable a postal exchange with local site operators, a precision of sampling at expected NH3 concentrations of 1-2 micrograms m-3, a detection limit sufficient to resolve the small NH3 concentrations (sampling methods were compared: A, a commercially available membrane diffusion tube (exposed in triplicate), with membranes removed immediately after sampling; B, the above method, with the membranes left in place until analysis; C, open-ended diffusion tubes (exposed with 4 replicates); D, a new active sampling diffusion denuder system; and E, an active sampling bubbler system. Method D consisted of two 0.1 m acid coated glass denuders in series with sampling at approximately 0.3 l min-1. These methods were deployed at 6 locations in the UK and the Netherlands and compared against reference estimates. Method D was the most precise and sensitive of the techniques compared, with a detection limit of 3 micrograms m-3), but were less precise and overestimated NH3 at smaller concentrations. Of the passive methods, A was the most precise and C the least precise. On the basis of the results, method D has been implemented in the national network, together with application of method A to explore spatial variability in regions with expected high NH3 concentrations.

Geoprospective study of a nuclear waste repository. Process of erosion and denudation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laville, P.; Lajoinie, J.P.

1985-01-01

Within the frame of a contract with the CEC dealing with storage and disposal of radioactive wastes in geological formations, the B.R.G.M. has been involved in a research on process of erosion and denudation. The study is based on a literature survey. It shows that the amplitude of relief is the dominant factor to be considered for ranking erosion rates. Extreme figures of 50 and 500mm per 1,000 years are therefore proposed as mean values of erosion rates, respectively for plains-hills and mountains, for indurated rocks and for non-periglacial climates. Coefficients must correct these values when dealing with softer rocks or periglacial climates. All these factors are liable to change as functions of the surface areas of the morphological units considered

Climate-driven unsteady denudation and sediment flux in a high-relief unglaciated catchment-fan using 26Al and 10Be: Panamint Valley, California

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Cody C.; Romans, Brian W.

2018-06-01

Environmental changes within erosional catchments of sediment routing systems are predicted to modulate sediment transfer dynamics. However, empirical and numerical models that predict such phenomena are difficult to test in natural systems over multi-millennial timescales. Tectonic boundary conditions and climate history in the Panamint Range, California, are relatively well-constrained by existing low-temperature thermochronology and regional multi-proxy paleoclimate studies, respectively. Catchment-fan systems present there minimize sediment storage and recycling, offering an excellent natural laboratory to test models of climate-sedimentary dynamics. We used stratigraphic characterization and cosmogenic radionuclides (CRNs; 26Al and 10Be) in the Pleasant Canyon complex (PCC), a linked catchment-fan system, to examine the effects of Pleistocene high-magnitude, high-frequency climate change on CRN-derived denudation rates and sediment flux in a high-relief, unglaciated catchment-fan system. Calculated 26Al/10Be burial ages from 13 samples collected in an ∼180 m thick outcropping stratigraphic succession range from ca. 1.55 ± 0.22 Ma in basal strata, to ca. 0.36 ± 0.18-0.52 ± 0.20 Ma within the uppermost part of the succession. The mean long-term CRN-derived paleodenudation rate, 36 ± 8 mm/kyr (1σ), is higher than the modern rate of 24 ± 0.6 mm/kyr from Pleasant Canyon, and paleodenudation rates during the middle Pleistocene display some high-frequency variability in the high end (up to 54 ± 10 mm/kyr). The highest CRN-derived denudation rates are associated with stratigraphic evidence for increased precipitation during glacial-pluvial events after the middle Pleistocene transition (post ca. 0.75 Ma), suggesting 100 kyr Milankovitch periodicity could drive the observed variability. We investigated the potential for non-equilibrium sedimentary processes, i.e. increased landslides or sediment storage/recycling, to influence apparent paleodenudation rates

Hydrogeochemical cycling and chemical denudation in the Fort River Watershed, central Massachusetts: An appraisal of mass-balance studies

Science.gov (United States)

Yuretich, Richard F.; Batchelder, Gail L.

1988-01-01

The Fort River watershed in central Massachusetts receives precipitation with a composition similar to that in Hubbard Brook (New Hampshire), yet the average stream water chemistry is substantially different, showing higher pH and TDS. This is largely a function of bedrock and surficial geology, and chemical differences among small streams within the Fort River watershed are apparently controlled by the composition and thickness of the prevailing surficial cover. The surficial deposits determine groundwater and surface water flow paths, thereby affecting the resultant contact time with mineral matter and the chemistry of the runoff. Despite the rural setting, over 95% of the annual sodium and chloride in the streams comes from road salt; after correcting for this factor, cation denudation rates are about equal to those at Hubbard Brook. However, silica removal is occurring at a rate more than 30% greater in the Fort River. When climatic conditions in Hubbard Brook and Fort River are normalized, weathering rates appear consistently higher in the Fort River, reflecting differences in weathering processes (i.e., cation exchange and silicate breakdown) and hydrogeology. Because of uncertainties in mechanisms of cation removal from watersheds, the silica denudation rate may be a better index of weathering intensity.

A comparison of three terrain parameters that may be used to identify denudation surfaces within a GIS: A case study from Wales, United Kingdom

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rowberry, Matthew David

2012-01-01

Roč. 43, JUN (2012), s. 147-158 ISSN 0098-3004 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30460519 Keywords : denudation surfaces * slope angle * relative relief Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 1.834, year: 2012

Method for more accurate transmittance measurements of low-angle scattering samples using an integrating sphere with an entry port beam diffuser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, Annica M.; Jonsson, Andreas; Jonsson, Jacob C.; Roos, Arne

2011-01-01

For most integrating sphere measurements, the difference in light distribution between a specular reference beam and a diffused sample beam can result in significant errors. The problem becomes especially pronounced in integrating spheres that include a port for reflectance or diffuse transmittance measurements. The port is included in many standard spectrophotometers to facilitate a multipurpose instrument, however, absorption around the port edge can result in a detected signal that is too low. The absorption effect is especially apparent for low-angle scattering samples, because a significant portion of the light is scattered directly onto that edge. In this paper, a method for more accurate transmittance measurements of low-angle light-scattering samples is presented. The method uses a standard integrating sphere spectrophotometer, and the problem with increased absorption around the port edge is addressed by introducing a diffuser between the sample and the integrating sphere during both reference and sample scan. This reduces the discrepancy between the two scans and spreads the scattered light over a greater portion of the sphere wall. The problem with multiple reflections between the sample and diffuser is successfully addressed using a correction factor. The method is tested for two patterned glass samples with low-angle scattering and in both cases the transmittance accuracy is significantly improved.

Long Term Sorption Diffusion Experiment (LTDE-SD). Supporting laboratory program - Sorption diffusion experiments and rock material characterisation. With supplement of adsorption studies on intact rock samples from the Forsmark and Laxemar site investigations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widestrand, Henrik; Byegaard, Johan; Selnert, Eva; Skaalberg, Mats; Hoeglund, Susanne; Gustafsson, Erik (Geosigma AB, Uppsala (Sweden))

2010-12-15

The LTDE-SD experiment, (Long Term Sorption Diffusion Experiment) aims at increasing the scientific knowledge of sorption and diffusion under in situ conditions and to provide data for performance and safety assessment calculations. In this report, performance and results of laboratory sorption and diffusion experiments and porosity investigations using site-specific crushed and intact rock materials are presented, including a geological and mineralogical characterization of the samples. A synthetic groundwater and a part of the radionuclide tracer cocktail that was used for the in situ experiment were used also in the laboratory experiments. 13 radionuclide tracers were analysed in the laboratory experiments. The method descriptions from SKB Site Investigations were applied in order to enable comparisons with Site Investigations data. The water saturation porosity of 10 unaltered matrix rock samples from KA3065A02 and A03 is 0.26 +- 0.08% and two fracture material samples show porosities of 2.4% and 5.2% respectively. 14C-methylmethacrylate impregnation (the PMMA-method) show that the unaltered rock matrix porosity is relatively homogeneous with grain boundary porosity, while the porosity of fracture samples is heterogeneous and have increased porosity up to more than 10% in some parts. Through-diffusion experiments using tritiated water (H3HO) give a matrix diffusivity in the range from 2.7centre dot10-14 to 6.5centre dot10-14 m2/s in four samples from KA3065A02 and A03. The results of the porosity and diffusion measurements are coherent in ranges with earlier LTDE-SD measurements and are also in line with the SKB Site Investigations results. In the batch sorption experiments using crushed rock material, two matrix rock samples of Aevroe granodiorite, one red-stained altered Aevroe granodiorite sample and two chlorite-calcite dominated fracture samples were analysed for three different size fractions as a function of time up to 186 days contact time. The

Cooling and denudation history of the Tsuruga body of Kojaku granite, southwest Japan, constrained from multi-system thermochronology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sueoka, Shigeru; Shimada, Koji; Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Umeda, Koji; Yasue, Ken-ichi; Niwa, Masakazu; Danhara, Tohru; Iwano, Hideki; Yagi, Koshi

2016-01-01

In this study, multi-system thermochronology, i.e., fission-track (FT), K-Ar and U-Pb methods are used to identify the cooling and denudation history of the Tsuruga body of Kojaku granite, southwest Japan. Apatite FT age of 51.8 ± 6.5 Ma, zircon FT age of 70.4 ± 2.0 Ma, biotite K-Ar ages of 66.7–62.0 Ma, and zircon U-Pb age of 68.5 ± 0.7 Ma were obtained for granitic samples, whereas plagioclase K-Ar ages of 19.1–18.8 Ma and whole-rock K-Ar age of 19.0 ± 2.9 Ma were inferred for the basaltic dyke intruding into the granite. The zircon FT lengths are not significantly shorter than their initial lengths, implying rapid cooling at the zircon FT partial annealing zone (PAZ). On the other hand, the apatite FT length distribution shows a typical pattern for granitic pluton without reheating, indicating a slow cooling history at the apatite FT PAZ. Based on the results of these thermochronometric analyses, inverse thermal calculations using the FT data, and simple thermal conduction modeling of the granitic body, the cooling and denudation histories of the Tsuruga body are reconstructed: (1) the Tsuruga body intruded at ca. 68 Ma, late Cretaceous, at a depth of several kilometers, (2) rapidly cooled to below the zircon FT PAZ by heat conduction within a few million years or less, and (3) slowly cooled due to peneplanation during the past 50–60 million years. On the other hand, the whole-rock Rb-Sr age previously reported for the Kojaku body is younger than when the cooling curve of the Tsuruga body obtained by this study intersects with the closure temperature of the whole-rock Rb-Sr system. This may imply a time lag between the formation ages of these bodies, but more thermochronometric studies are required to draw a definitive conclusion. The K-Ar ages of the basaltic dyke are interpreted as its formation age, indicating that dyke intrusion was associated with the Green Tuff movement. (author)

Lab-scale development of a high temperature aerosol particle sampling probe system for field measurements in thermochemical conversion of biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindskog, M.; Malik, A.; Pagels, J.; Sanati, M. [Lund Univ., Lund (Sweden). Div. of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology

2010-07-01

Thermochemical conversion of biomass requires both combustion in an oxygen rich environment and gasification in an oxygen deficient environment. Therefore, the mass concentration of fly ash from combustion processes is dominated by inorganic compounds, and the particulate matter obtained from gasification is dominated by carbonaceous compounds. The fine fly ash particles can initiate corrosion and fouling and also increases emissions of fine particulates to the atmosphere. This study involved the design of a laboratory scale setup consisting of a high temperature sampling probe and an aerosol generation system to study the formation of fine particle from biomass gasification processes. An aerosol model system using potassium chloride (KCl) as the ash compound and Di Octyl Sebacate oil (DOS) as the volatile organic part was used to test the high temperature sampling probe. Tests conducted at 200 degrees C showed good reproducibility of the aerosol generator. The tests also demonstrated suitable dilution ratios which enabled the denuder to absorb all of the gaseous organic compounds in the set up, thus enabling measurement of only the particle phase. Condensable organic concentrations of 1-68 mg/m{sup 3} were easily handled by the high temperature sampling probe system, indicating that the denuder worked well. Additional tests will be performed using an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMST) to verify that the denuder can capture all of the gaseous organic compounds also when condensed onto agglomerated soot particles. 6 refs., 1 tab., 9 figs.

Effects of humidity and filter material on diffusive sampling of isocyanates using reagent-coated filters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Henneken, H.; Vogel, M.; Karst, U.

2006-01-01

Diffusive sampling of methyl isocyanate (MIC) on 4-nitro-7-piperazinobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBDPZ)-coated glass fibre (GF) filters is strongly affected by high relative humidity (RH) conditions. It is shown that the humidity interference is a physical phenomenon, based on displacement of reagent

Potential contamination of shipboard air samples by diffusive emissions of PCBs and other organic pollutants: implications and solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohmann, Rainer; Jaward, Foday M; Durham, Louise; Barber, Jonathan L; Ockenden, Wendy; Jones, Kevin C; Bruhn, Regina; Lakaschus, Soenke; Dachs, Jordi; Booij, Kees

2004-07-15

Air samples were taken onboard the RRS Bransfield on an Atlantic cruise from the United Kingdom to Halley, Antarctica, from October to December 1998, with the aim of establishing PCB oceanic background air concentrations and assessing their latitudinal distribution. Great care was taken to minimize pre- and post-collection contamination of the samples, which was validated through stringent QA/QC procedures. However, there is evidence that onboard contamination of the air samples occurred,following insidious, diffusive emissions on the ship. Other data (for PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs)) and examples of shipboard contamination are presented. The implications of these findings for past and future studies of global POPs distribution are discussed. Recommendations are made to help critically appraise and minimize the problems of insidious/diffusive shipboard contamination.

Inhibition of PKC-dependent extracellular Ca2+ entry contributes to the depression of contractile activity in long-term pressure-overloaded endothelium-denuded rat aortas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padilla, J.; López, R.M.; López, P.; Castillo, M.C.; Querejeta, E.; Ruiz, A.; Castillo, E.F.

2014-01-01

We examined the contractile responsiveness of rat thoracic aortas under pressure overload after long-term suprarenal abdominal aortic coarctation (lt-Srac). Endothelium-dependent angiotensin II (ANG II) type 2 receptor (AT 2 R)-mediated depression of contractions to ANG II has been reported in short-term (1 week) pressure-overloaded rat aortas. Contractility was evaluated in the aortic rings of rats subjected to lt-Srac or sham surgery (Sham) for 8 weeks. ANG I and II levels and AT 2 R protein expression in the aortas of lt-Srac and Sham rats were also evaluated. lt-Srac attenuated the contractions of ANG II and phenylephrine in the aortas in an endothelium-independent manner. However, lt-Srac did not influence the transient contractions induced in endothelium-denuded aortic rings by ANG II, phenylephrine, or caffeine in Ca 2+ -free medium or the subsequent tonic constrictions induced by the addition of Ca 2+ in the absence of agonists. Thus, the contractions induced by Ca 2+ release from intracellular stores and Ca 2+ influx through stored-operated channels were not inhibited in the aortas of lt-Srac rats. Potassium-elicited contractions in endothelium-denuded aortic rings of lt-Srac rats remained unaltered compared with control tissues. Consequently, the contractile depression observed in aortic tissues of lt-Srac rats cannot be explained by direct inhibition of voltage-operated Ca 2+ channels. Interestingly, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced contractions in endothelium-denuded aortic rings of lt-Srac rats were depressed in the presence but not in the absence of extracellular Ca 2+ . Neither levels of angiotensins nor of AT 2 R were modified in the aortas after lt-Srac. The results suggest that, in rat thoracic aortas, lt-Srac selectively inhibited protein kinase C-mediated activation of contraction that is dependent on extracellular Ca 2+ entry

Acquisition of reproducible transmission near-infrared (NIR) spectra of solid samples with inconsistent shapes by irradiation with isotropically diffused radiation using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) beads.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jinah; Duy, Pham Khac; Yoon, Jihye; Chung, Hoeil

2014-06-21

A bead-incorporated transmission scheme (BITS) has been demonstrated for collecting reproducible transmission near-infrared (NIR) spectra of samples with inconsistent shapes. Isotropically diffused NIR radiation was applied around a sample and the surrounding radiation was allowed to interact homogeneously with the sample for transmission measurement. Samples were packed in 1.40 mm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) beads, ideal diffusers without NIR absorption, and then transmission spectra were collected by illuminating the sample-containing beads using NIR radiation. When collimated radiation was directly applied, a small portion of the non-fully diffused radiation (NFDR) propagated through the void space of the packing and eventually degraded the reproducibility. Pre-diffused radiation was introduced by placing an additional PTFE disk in front of the packing to diminish NFDR, which produced more reproducible spectral features. The proposed scheme was evaluated by analyzing two different solid samples: density determination for individual polyethylene (PE) pellets and identification of mining locality for tourmalines. Because spectral collection was reproducible, the use of the spectrum acquired from one PE pellet was sufficient to accurately determine the density of nine other pellets with different shapes. The differentiation of tourmalines, which are even more dissimilar in appearance, according to their mining locality was also feasible with the help of the scheme.

Modes and implications of mantle and lower-crust denudation at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Timothy John

Slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges (Cann, 1993, Cannat, 1993). Extension at mid-ocean ridges is most commonly manifested by slip on high angle (˜60°) normal faults that dip into, and define the rift valley walls (Smith and Cann, 1993). Less commonly, extension occurs by long periods of slip along low-angle normal faults that penetrate to structurally deep levels of oceanic lithosphere and denude gabbro and/or pendotite to the seafloor in domal massifs termed "oceanic core complexes" (Dick et al., 1981; Dick et al., 1991; Tucholke et al., 1998; Mutter and Karson, 1992; Cann et al., 1997; MacLeod et al., 2002). This dissertation addresses processes and implications of tectonic extension at two oceanic core complexes. Atlantis Massif (30°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge) is formed dominantly of serpentinized peridotite with lesser gabbro, and Atlantis Bank (57°E, Southwest Indian Ridge) is dominated by gabbro. Localization of brittle strain at Atlantis Massif occurred by reaction-softening processes associated with metasomatic alteration of peridotite and serpentmite to amphibole-, chlorite- and talc-bearing assemblages. Ductile strain at Atlantis Massif and Atlantis Bank is localized into intervals of highly-fractionated, oxide-rich gabbro. Two-oxide geothermometry of gabbro indicates that it was not penetratively deformed below ˜500°C. Denuded peridotite at Atlantis Massif is host to hydrothermal circulation driven in part by exothermic serpentinization reactions. Serpentinization decreases the seismic velocity of peridotite and leads to acquisition of a magnetic signature. Venting of highly-alkaline, methane- and hydrogen-rich serpentinization-derived fluids leads to lithification of seafloor carbonate ooze by precipitation of carbonate cement in a zone of mixing with "normal" seawater. This process may be the primary depositional mechanism of ophicalcite deposits and likely occurs wherever peridotite is exposed near the Earth's surface and is fractured to permit water

Relationship between knee pain and the presence, location, size and phenotype of femorotibial denuded areas of subchondral bone as visualized by MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Cotofana, S; Wyman, B T; Benichou, O; Dreher, D; Nevitt, M; Gardiner, J; Wirth, W; Hitzl, W; Kwoh, C K; Eckstein, F; Frobell, R B

2013-09-01

Conflicting associations between imaging biomarkers and pain in knee osteoarthritis (OA) have been reported. A relation between pain and denuded areas of subchondral bone (dABs) has been suggested and this study explores this relationship further by relating the presence, phenotype, location and size of dABs to different measures of knee pain. 633 right knees from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) (250 men, age 61.7 ± 9.6 yrs, BMI 29.4 ± 4.7 kg/m(2)) were included. Manual segmentation of the femorotibial cartilage plates was performed on 3 T coronal fast low angle shot with water excitation (FLASHwe) images. dABs were defined as areas where the subchondral bone was uncovered by cartilage. The following measures of pain were used: weightbearing-, non-weightbearing-, moderate-to-severe-, infrequent- and frequent knee pain. Using pain measures from subjects without dABs as a reference, those with at least one dAB had a 1.64-fold higher prevalence ratio [PR, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-2.18] to have frequent and 1.45-fold higher for moderate-to-severe knee pain (95% CI 1.13-1.85). Subjects with dABs in central subregions had a 1.53-fold increased prevalence of having weightbearing pain (95% CI 1.20-1.97), especially when the central subregion was moderately (>10%) denuded (PR 1.81, 95% CI 1.35-2.42). Individuals with cartilage-loss-type dABs had a slightly higher prevalence (PR 1.13, 95% CI 1.00-1.27) of having frequent knee pain compared to individuals with intra-chondral-osteophyte-type dABs. This study supports a positive relation between femorotibial dABs and knee pain, especially when the dABs are located centrally (i.e., in weightbearing regions) or when the respective central subregion is moderately denuded. Copyright © 2013 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Mechanical Impact Energy on the Sorption and Diffusion of Moisture in Reinforced Polymer Composite Samples on Variation of Their Sizes

Science.gov (United States)

Startsev, V. O.; Il'ichev, A. V.

2018-05-01

The effect of mechanical impact energy on the sorption and diffusion of moisture in polymer composite samples on variation of their sizes was investigated. Square samples, with sides of 40, 60, 80, and 100 mm, made of a KMKU-2m-120.E0,1 carbon-fiber and KMKS-2m.120.T10 glass-fiber plastics with different resistances to calibrated impacts, were compared. Impact loading diagrams of the samples in relation to their sizes and impact energy were analyzed. It is shown that the moisture saturation and moisture diffusion coefficient of the impact-damaged materials can be modeled by Fick's second law with account of impact energy and sample sizes.

Some geomorphological features of the Orhaneli Pluton: Implications for denudation history

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Evren ERGİNAL

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The granitic intrusions of the variable age of cooling, size and mineral composition are widely exposed in the northwest Anatolia, Turkey. The nearly circular Orhaneli Pluton emplaced during the Early Eocene with some 15 km in diameter, is one of such plutonic bodies. Geomorphological features of the pluton are discussed here with special emphasis given on the denudation history. To this end, evidence from two isolated Inselberglike hills as remnants of roof rocks in the centre of the pluton and episodically emergence of granite landforms of etch origin after unroofing process were investigated. Field data reveal the absence of granodiorite clasts within Early to Middle Miocene lacustrine deposits in the north of the pluton, implying that the pluton might not have been exposure prior to Upper Miocene as a whole. After the first exposure, the granite landforms, such as boulders, corestones and tors constituting sound evidence of an etch origin, became exposure by continual removing of regolith cover by surficial runoff. These forms of various scale were formed at first by subsurface weathering and shaped by surficial weathering processes after any stages of removal of the regolith cover. Drainage segments accounted for removal of regolith is mostly structurally controlled defined by NW-SE, NE-SW and N-S-aligned fracture systems.

Summary of micrographic analysis of selected core samples from Well ER-20-6n number 1 in support of matrix diffusion testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

ER-20-6number s ign1 was cored to determine fracture and lithologic properties proximal to the BULLION test cavity. Selected samples from ER-20-6number s ign1 were subjected to matrix and/or fracture diffusion experiments to assess solute movement in this environment. Micrographic analysis of these samples suggests that the similarity in bulk chemical composition results in very similar mineral assemblages forming along natural fractures. These samples are all part of the mafic-poor Calico Hills Formation and exhibit fracture-coating mineral assemblages dominated by mixed illite/smectite clay and illite, with local opaline silica (2,236 and 2, 812 feet), and zeolite (at 2,236 feet). Based on this small sample population, the magnitude to which secondary phases have formed on fracture surfaces bears an apparently inverse relationship to the competency of the host lithology, reflected by variations in the degree of fracturing and the development of secondary phases on fracture surfaces. In the flow breccia at 2,851 feet, thinly developed, localized coatings are developed along persistent open fracture apertures in this competent rock type. Fractures in the devitrified lava from 2,812 feet are irregular, and locally blocked by secondary mineral phases. Natural fractures on the zeolitized tuff from 2,236 feet are discontinuous and irregular and typically obstructed with secondary mineral phases. There are also a second set of clean fractures in the 2,236 foot sample which lack secondary mineral phases and are interpreted to have been induced by the BULLION test. Based on these results, it is expected that matrix diffusion will be enhanced in samples where potentially transmissive fractures exhibit the greatest degree of obstruction (2,236>2,812=2,835>2,851). It is unclear what influence the induced fractures observed at 2,236 feet may have on diffusion given the lack of knowledge on their extent. It is assumed that the bulk matrix diffusion characteristics of the

A wet effluent denuder/mist-chamber coupled to ion chromatography for the continuous measurement of atmospheric HONO, HNO{sub 3}, NO{sub 3}{sup -} and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zellweger, C.; Baltensperger, U. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland); Hofer, P. [EMPA, Duebendorf (Switzerland)

1997-09-01

A denuder/mist chamber system has been developed for the continuous automated measurement of low level concentrations of HONO, HNO{sub 3} as well as of NO{sub 3}{sup -} and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}. (author) 2 figs., 1 ref.

Diffusion barrier characteristics and shear fracture behaviors of eutectic PbSn solder/electroless Co(W,P) samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Hung-Chun; Hsieh, Tsung-Eong

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Diffusion barrier features, activation energies of IMC growth and mechanical behaviors of electroless Co(W,P)/PbSn joints. ► Amorphous Co(W,P) is a sacrificial- plus stuffed-type barrier while polycrystalline Co(W,P) is a sacrificial-type barrier. ► Ductile mode dominates the failure of Co(W,P)/PbSn joints. ► Phosphorus content of Co(W,P) is crucial to the barrier capability and microstructure evolution at Co(W,P)/PbSn interface. ► Diffusion barrier capability is governed by the nature of chemical bonds, rather than the crystallinity of materials. - Abstract: Diffusion barrier characteristics, activation energy (E a ) of IMC growth and bonding properties of amorphous and polycrystalline electroless Co(W,P) (termed as α-Co(W,P) and poly-Co(W,P)) to eutectic PbSn solder are presented. Intermetallic compound (IMC) spallation and an nano-crystalline P-rich layer were observed in PbSn/α-Co(W,P) samples subjected to liquid-state aging at 250 °C. In contrast, IMCs resided on the P-rich layer in PbSn/α-Co(W,P) samples subjected to solid-state aging at 150 °C. Thick IMCs neighboring to an amorphous W-rich layer was seen in PbSn/poly-Co(W,P) samples regardless of the aging type. α-Co(W,P) was found to be a sacrificial- plus stuffed-type barrier while poly-Co(W,P) is mainly a sacrificial-type barrier. The values of E a 's for PbSn/α-Co(W,P) and PbSn/poly-Co(W,P) systems were 338.6 and 167.5 kJ/mol, respectively. Shear test revealed the ductile mode dominates the failure in both α- and poly-Co(W,P) samples. Analytical results indicated the high P content in electroless layer might enhance the barrier capability but degrade the bonding strength.

Inhibition of PKC-dependent extracellular Ca{sup 2+} entry contributes to the depression of contractile activity in long-term pressure-overloaded endothelium-denuded rat aortas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padilla, J.; López, R.M.; López, P.; Castillo, M.C.; Querejeta, E.; Ruiz, A.; Castillo, E.F. [Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, DF (Mexico)

2014-08-01

We examined the contractile responsiveness of rat thoracic aortas under pressure overload after long-term suprarenal abdominal aortic coarctation (lt-Srac). Endothelium-dependent angiotensin II (ANG II) type 2 receptor (AT{sub 2}R)-mediated depression of contractions to ANG II has been reported in short-term (1 week) pressure-overloaded rat aortas. Contractility was evaluated in the aortic rings of rats subjected to lt-Srac or sham surgery (Sham) for 8 weeks. ANG I and II levels and AT{sub 2}R protein expression in the aortas of lt-Srac and Sham rats were also evaluated. lt-Srac attenuated the contractions of ANG II and phenylephrine in the aortas in an endothelium-independent manner. However, lt-Srac did not influence the transient contractions induced in endothelium-denuded aortic rings by ANG II, phenylephrine, or caffeine in Ca{sup 2+}-free medium or the subsequent tonic constrictions induced by the addition of Ca{sup 2+} in the absence of agonists. Thus, the contractions induced by Ca{sup 2+} release from intracellular stores and Ca{sup 2+} influx through stored-operated channels were not inhibited in the aortas of lt-Srac rats. Potassium-elicited contractions in endothelium-denuded aortic rings of lt-Srac rats remained unaltered compared with control tissues. Consequently, the contractile depression observed in aortic tissues of lt-Srac rats cannot be explained by direct inhibition of voltage-operated Ca{sup 2+} channels. Interestingly, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced contractions in endothelium-denuded aortic rings of lt-Srac rats were depressed in the presence but not in the absence of extracellular Ca{sup 2+}. Neither levels of angiotensins nor of AT{sub 2}R were modified in the aortas after lt-Srac. The results suggest that, in rat thoracic aortas, lt-Srac selectively inhibited protein kinase C-mediated activation of contraction that is dependent on extracellular Ca{sup 2+} entry.

Geomorphology, denudation rates, and stream channel profiles reveal patterns of mountain building adjacent to the San Andreas fault in northern California, USA

Science.gov (United States)

DeLong, Stephen B.; Hilley, George E.; Prentice, Carol S.; Crosby, Christopher J.; Yokelson, Intan N.

2017-01-01

Relative horizontal motion along strike-slip faults can build mountains when motion is oblique to the trend of the strike-slip boundary. The resulting contraction and uplift pose off-fault seismic hazards, which are often difficult to detect because of the poor vertical resolution of satellite geodesy and difficulty of locating offset datable landforms in active mountain ranges. Sparse geomorphic markers, topographic analyses, and measurement of denudation allow us to map spatiotemporal patterns of uplift along the northern San Andreas fault. Between Jenner and Mendocino, California, emergent marine terraces found southwest of the San Andreas fault record late Pleistocene uplift rates between 0.20 and 0.45 mm yr–1 along much of the coast. However, on the northeast side of the San Andreas fault, a zone of rapid uplift (0.6–1.0 mm yr–1) exists adjacent to the San Andreas fault, but rates decay northeastward as the coast becomes more distant from the San Andreas fault. A newly dated 4.5 Ma shallow-marine deposit located at ∼500 m above sea level (masl) adjacent to the San Andreas fault is warped down to just 150 masl 15 km northeast of the San Andreas fault, and it is exposed at just 60–110 masl to the west of the fault. Landscape denudation rates calculated from abundance of cosmogenic radionuclides in fluvial sediment northeast of, and adjacent to, the San Andreas fault are 0.16–0.29 mm yr–1, but they are only 0.03–0.07 mm yr–1 west of the fault. Basin-average channel steepness and the denudation rates can be used to infer the erosive properties of the underlying bedrock. Calibrated erosion rates can then be estimated across the entire landscape using the spatial distribution of channel steepness with these erosive properties. The lower-elevation areas of this landscape that show high channel steepness (and hence calibrated erosion rate) are distinct from higher-elevation areas with systematically lower channel steepness and denudation rates

Non-Gaussian diffusion in static disordered media

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Liang; Yi, Ming

2018-04-01

Non-Gaussian diffusion is commonly considered as a result of fluctuating diffusivity, which is correlated in time or in space or both. In this work, we investigate the non-Gaussian diffusion in static disordered media via a quenched trap model, where the diffusivity is spatially correlated. Several unique effects due to quenched disorder are reported. We analytically estimate the diffusion coefficient Ddis and its fluctuation over samples of finite size. We show a mechanism of population splitting in the non-Gaussian diffusion. It results in a sharp peak in the distribution of displacement P (x ,t ) around x =0 , that has frequently been observed in experiments. We examine the fidelity of the coarse-grained diffusion map, which is reconstructed from particle trajectories. Finally, we propose a procedure to estimate the correlation length in static disordered environments, where the information stored in the sample-to-sample fluctuation has been utilized.

Combining land use information and small stream sampling with PCR-based methods for better characterization of diffuse sources of human fecal pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Peed, Lindsay A; Nietch, Christopher T; Kelty, Catherine A; Meckes, Mark; Mooney, Thomas; Sivaganesan, Mano; Shanks, Orin C

2011-07-01

Diffuse sources of human fecal pollution allow for the direct discharge of waste into receiving waters with minimal or no treatment. Traditional culture-based methods are commonly used to characterize fecal pollution in ambient waters, however these methods do not discern between human and other animal sources of fecal pollution making it difficult to identify diffuse pollution sources. Human-associated quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) methods in combination with low-order headwatershed sampling, precipitation information, and high-resolution geographic information system land use data can be useful for identifying diffuse source of human fecal pollution in receiving waters. To test this assertion, this study monitored nine headwatersheds over a two-year period potentially impacted by faulty septic systems and leaky sanitary sewer lines. Human fecal pollution was measured using three different human-associated qPCR methods and a positive significant correlation was seen between abundance of human-associated genetic markers and septic systems following wet weather events. In contrast, a negative correlation was observed with sanitary sewer line densities suggesting septic systems are the predominant diffuse source of human fecal pollution in the study area. These results demonstrate the advantages of combining water sampling, climate information, land-use computer-based modeling, and molecular biology disciplines to better characterize diffuse sources of human fecal pollution in environmental waters.

PGDP [Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant]-UF6 handling, sampling, analysis and associated QC/QA and safety related procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, R.L.

1987-01-01

This document is a compilation of Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant procedures on UF 6 handling, sampling, and analysis, along with associated QC/QA and safety related procedures. It was assembled for transmission by the US Department of Energy to the Korean Advanced Energy Institute as a part of the US-Korea technical exchange program

Carbonate landscapes evolution: Insights from 36Cl

Science.gov (United States)

Godard, Vincent; Thomas, Franck; Ollivier, Vincent; Bellier, Olivier; Shabanian, Esmaeil; Miramont, Cécile; Fleury, Jules; Benedetti, Lucilla; Guillou, Valéry; Aster Team

2017-04-01

Carbonate landscapes cover a significant fraction of the Earth surface, but their long-term dynamics is still poorly understood. When comparing with the situation in areas underlain by quartz-rich lithologies, where the routine use of 10Be-derived denudation rates has delivered fundamental insights on landscape evolution processes, this knowledge gap is particularly notable. Recent advances in the measurement of 36Cl and better understanding of its production pathways has opened the way to the development of a similar physically-based and quantitative analysis of landscape evolution in carbonate settings. However, beyond these methodological considerations, we still face fundamental geomorphological open questions, as for example the assessment of the importance of congruent carbonate dissolution in long-wavelength topographic evolution. Such unresolved problems concerning the relative importance of physical and chemical weathering processes lead to question the applicability of standard slope-dependent Geomorphic Transport Laws in carbonate settings. These issues have been addressed studying the geomorphological evolution of selected limestone ranges in Provence, SE France, where 36Cl concentration measurements in bedrock and stream sediment samples allow constraining denudation over 10 ka time-scale. We first identify a significant denudation contrast between the summit surface and the flanks of the ranges, pointing to a substantial contribution of gravity-driven processes to the landscape evolution, in addition to dissolution. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the relationships between hillslope morphology and hilltop denudation allow to identify a fundamental transition between two regimes: (1) a dynamics where hillslope evolution is controlled by linear diffusive downslope regolith transport; and, (2) a domain where denudation is limited by the rate at which physical and chemical weathering processes can produce clasts and lower the hilltop. Such an abrupt

Helium diffusion in nickel at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philipps, V.

1980-09-01

Helium has been implanted at certain temperatures between 800 and 1250 0 C into single and polycrystalline Ni-samples with implantation depths between 15 and 90 μm. Simultaneously the helium reemission from the sample is measured by a mass-spectrometer. It has been shown that the time dependence of the observed reemission rate is governed by volume diffusion of the helium. Measuring this time dependence as a function of temperature the helium diffusion constant has been determined. The He-diffusion is interpreted as a interstitial diffusion hindered by thermal vacancies. Depending on the implantation depth more or less of the implanted helium remains in the sample and forms large helium bubbles. (orig./GSCH)

Particle Sampling and Real Time Size Distribution Measurement in H2/O2/TEOS Diffusion Flame

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, K.H.; Jung, C.H.; Choi, M.; Lee, J.S.

2001-01-01

Growth characteristics of silica particles have been studied experimentally using in situ particle sampling technique from H 2 /O 2 /Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) diffusion flame with carefully devised sampling probe. The particle morphology and the size comparisons are made between the particles sampled by the local thermophoretic method from the inside of the flame and by the electrostatic collector sampling method after the dilution sampling probe. The Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) image processed data of these two sampling techniques are compared with Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) measurement. TEM image analysis of two sampling methods showed a good agreement with SMPS measurement. The effects of flame conditions and TEOS flow rates on silica particle size distributions are also investigated using the new particle dilution sampling probe. It is found that the particle size distribution characteristics and morphology are mostly governed by the coagulation process and sintering process in the flame. As the flame temperature increases, the effect of coalescence or sintering becomes an important particle growth mechanism which reduces the coagulation process. However, if the flame temperature is not high enough to sinter the aggregated particles then the coagulation process is a dominant particle growth mechanism. In a certain flame condition a secondary particle formation is observed which results in a bimodal particle size distribution

Physical bases for diffusion welding processes optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulygina, S.M.; Berber, N.N.; Mukhambetov, D.G.

1999-01-01

One of wide-spread method of different materials joint is diffusion welding. It has being brought off at the expense of mutual diffusion of atoms of contacting surfaces under long-duration curing at its heating and compression. Welding regime in dependence from properties of welding details is defining of three parameters: temperature, pressure, time. Problem of diffusion welding optimization concludes in determination less values of these parameters, complying with requirements for quality of welded joint. In the work experiments on diffusion welding for calculated temperature and for given surface's roughness were carried out. Tests conduct on samples of iron and iron-nickel alloy with size 1·1·1 cm 3 . Optimal regime of diffusion welding of examined samples in vacuum is defined. It includes compression of welding samples, heating, isothermal holding at temperature 650 deg C during 0.5 h and affords the required homogeneity of joint

Measurements of cesium and strontium diffusion in biotite gneiss

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skagius, K.; Neretnieks, I.

1988-01-01

A significant retardation of radionuclides transported by flowing water from an underground repository can be expected if the nuclides are able to diffuse into the water filled micropores in the rock. This diffusion into the pores will also increase the surface available to interactions between the nuclides in the ground water and the rock material, such as sorption. To calculate the retardation, it is necessary to know the sorption properties and the diffusivities in the rock matrix for the radionuclides. Diffusion experiments with cesium and strontium in biotite gneiss samples have been performed. Both the transport of strontium and cesium through rock samples and the concentration profiles of cesium and strontium inside rock samples have been determined. The result shows that diffusion of cesium and strontium occurs in the rock material. A diffusion model has been used to evaluate the diffusivity. Both pore diffusion and surface diffusion had to be included in the model to give good agreement with the experimental data. If surface diffusion is not included in the model, the effective pore diffusivity that gives the best fit to the experimental data is found to be higher than expected from earlier measurement of iodide diffusion in the same type of rock material. This indicates that the diffusion of cesium and strontium (sorbing components) in rock material is caused by both pore diffusion and surface diffusion acting in parallel

Diffusion measurements of cesium and strontium in biotite gneiss

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skagius, K.; Neretnieks, I.

1985-01-01

A significant retardation of radionuclides transported by flowing water from an underground repository can be expected if the nuclides are able to diffuse into the water filled micropores in the rock. This diffusion into the pores will also increase the surface available to interaction between the nuclides in the groundwater and the rock material, such as sorption. To calculate the retardation it is necessary to know the sorption properties and the diffusivities in the rock matrix for the radionuclides. Diffusion experiments with cesium and strontium in biotite gneiss samples have been performed. Both the transport of strontium and cesium through rock samples and the concentration profiles of cesium and strontium inside rock samples have been determined. The result show that diffusion of cesium and strontium occurs in the rock material. A diffusion model has been used to evaluate the diffusivity. Both pore diffusion and surface diffusion had to be included in the model to give good agreement with the experimental data. If surface diffusion is not included in the model, the effective pore diffusivity that gives the best fit to the experimental data is found to be higher than expected from earlier measurements of iodide diffusion in the same type of rock material. This indicates that the diffusion of cesium and strontium (sorbing components) in rock material is caused by both pore diffusion and surface diffusion acting in parallel. (author)

Diffuse reflectance relations based on diffusion dipole theory for large absorption and reduced scattering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bremmer, Rolf H.; van Gemert, Martin J. C.; Faber, Dirk J.; van Leeuwen, Ton G.; Aalders, Maurice C. G.

2013-01-01

Diffuse reflectance spectra are used to determine the optical properties of biological samples. In medicine and forensic science, the turbid objects under study often possess large absorption and/or scattering properties. However, data analysis is frequently based on the diffusion approximation to

The ESO Diffuse Interstellar Bands Large Exploration Survey (EDIBLES) . I. Project description, survey sample, and quality assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Nick L. J.; Cami, Jan; Farhang, Amin; Smoker, Jonathan; Monreal-Ibero, Ana; Lallement, Rosine; Sarre, Peter J.; Marshall, Charlotte C. M.; Smith, Keith T.; Evans, Christopher J.; Royer, Pierre; Linnartz, Harold; Cordiner, Martin A.; Joblin, Christine; van Loon, Jacco Th.; Foing, Bernard H.; Bhatt, Neil H.; Bron, Emeric; Elyajouri, Meriem; de Koter, Alex; Ehrenfreund, Pascale; Javadi, Atefeh; Kaper, Lex; Khosroshadi, Habib G.; Laverick, Mike; Le Petit, Franck; Mulas, Giacomo; Roueff, Evelyne; Salama, Farid; Spaans, Marco

2017-10-01

The carriers of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are largely unidentified molecules ubiquitously present in the interstellar medium (ISM). After decades of study, two strong and possibly three weak near-infrared DIBs have recently been attributed to the C60^+ fullerene based on observational and laboratory measurements. There is great promise for the identification of the over 400 other known DIBs, as this result could provide chemical hints towards other possible carriers. In an effort tosystematically study the properties of the DIB carriers, we have initiated a new large-scale observational survey: the ESO Diffuse Interstellar Bands Large Exploration Survey (EDIBLES). The main objective is to build on and extend existing DIB surveys to make a major step forward in characterising the physical and chemical conditions for a statistically significant sample of interstellar lines-of-sight, with the goal to reverse-engineer key molecular properties of the DIB carriers. EDIBLES is a filler Large Programme using the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope at Paranal, Chile. It is designed to provide an observationally unbiased view of the presence and behaviour of the DIBs towards early-spectral-type stars whose lines-of-sight probe the diffuse-to-translucent ISM. Such a complete dataset will provide a deep census of the atomic and molecular content, physical conditions, chemical abundances and elemental depletion levels for each sightline. Achieving these goals requires a homogeneous set of high-quality data in terms of resolution (R 70 000-100 000), sensitivity (S/N up to 1000 per resolution element), and spectral coverage (305-1042 nm), as well as a large sample size (100+ sightlines). In this first paper the goals, objectives and methodology of the EDIBLES programme are described and an initial assessment of the data is provided.

An analytical method for trifluoroacetic Acid in water and air samples using headspace gas chromatographic determination of the methyl ester.

Science.gov (United States)

Zehavi, D; Seiber, J N

1996-10-01

An analytical method has been developed for the determination of trace levels of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), an atmospheric breakdown product of several of the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) replacements for the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants, in water and air. TFA is derivatized to the volatile methyl trifluoroacetate (MTFA) and determined by automated headspace gas chromatography (HSGC) with electron-capture detection or manual HSGC using GC/MS in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The method is based on the reaction of an aqueous sample containing TFA with dimethyl sulfate (DMS) in concentrated sulfuric acid in a sealed headspace vial under conditions favoring distribution of MTFA to the vapor phase. Water samples are prepared by evaporative concentration, during which TFA is retained as the anion, followed by extraction with diethyl ether of the acidified sample and then back-extraction of TFA (as the anion) in aqueous bicarbonate solution. The extraction step is required for samples with a relatively high background of other salts and organic materials. Air samples are collected in sodium bicarbonate-glycerin-coated glass denuder tubes and prepared by rinsing the denuder contents with water to form an aqueous sample for derivatization and analysis. Recoveries of TFA from spiked water, with and without evaporative concentration, and from spiked air were quantitative, with estimated detection limits of 10 ng/mL (unconcentrated) and 25 pg/mL (concentrated 250 mL:1 mL) for water and 1 ng/m(3) (72 h at 5 L/min) for air. Several environmental air, fogwater, rainwater, and surface water samples were successfully analyzed; many showed the presence of TFA.

Denudational slope processes on weathered basalt in northern California: 130 ka history of soil development, periods of slope stability and colluviation, and climate change

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Eric; Harrison, Bruce; Baldwin, John; Page, William; Rood, Dylan

2017-04-01

The geomorphic history of hillslope evolution is controlled by multiple types of denudational processes. Detailed analysis of hillslope soil-stratigraphy provides a means to identify the timing of periods of slope stability and non-stability, evidence of the types of denudational processes, and possible links to climatic drivers. Moreover, the degree of soil formation and the presence of buried or truncated soils provide evidence of the relative age of alternating periods of colluviation and stability. We use evaluation of soil stratigraphy, for a small forested hillslope (soils and slope colluvium are derived from highly weathered basalt. Stratigraphic interpretation is reinforced with soil profile development index (PDI) derived age estimates, tephrochronology, luminescence ages on colluvium, and He3 nuclide exposure dates. Soils formed along hilltop ridges are well developed and reflect deep (>2-3 m) in-situ weathering of the basalt bedrock. PDI age estimates and He3 exposure dates indicate that these hilltop soils had been in place for 100-130 ka, implying a long period of relative surface stability. At about 40-30 ka, soil stratigraphy indicates the onset of 3 distinct cycles of denudation of the hilltop and slopes. Evidence for changes in stability and onset of soil erosion is the presence of several buried soils formed in colluvium downslope of the hilltop. These buried soils have formed in sediment derived from erosion of the hilltop soils (i.e. soil parent material of previously weathered soil matrix and basalt cobbles). The oldest buried soil indicates that slope stability was re-established between 32-23 ka, with stability and soil formation lasting to about 10 ka. Soil-stratigraphy indicates that two additional intervals of downslope transport of sediment between 6-10 ka, and 2-5 ka. Soil properties indicate that the primary method of downslope transport is largely due to tree throw and faunal burrowing. Onset of slope instability at 40-30 ka appears to

Diffuse reflectance relations based on diffusion dipole theory for large absorption and reduced scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Bremmer, Rolf H; van Gemert, Martin J C; Faber, Dirk J; van Leeuwen, Ton G; Aalders, Maurice C G

2013-08-01

Diffuse reflectance spectra are used to determine the optical properties of biological samples. In medicine and forensic science, the turbid objects under study often possess large absorption and/or scattering properties. However, data analysis is frequently based on the diffusion approximation to the radiative transfer equation, implying that it is limited to tissues where the reduced scattering coefficient dominates over the absorption coefficient. Nevertheless, up to absorption coefficients of 20  mm-1 at reduced scattering coefficients of 1 and 11.5  mm-1, we observed excellent agreement (r2=0.994) between reflectance measurements of phantoms and the diffuse reflectance equation proposed by Zonios et al. [Appl. Opt.38, 6628-6637 (1999)], derived as an approximation to one of the diffusion dipole equations of Farrell et al. [Med. Phys.19, 879-888 (1992)]. However, two parameters were fitted to all phantom experiments, including strongly absorbing samples, implying that the reflectance equation differs from diffusion theory. Yet, the exact diffusion dipole approximation at high reduced scattering and absorption also showed agreement with the phantom measurements. The mathematical structure of the diffuse reflectance relation used, derived by Zonios et al. [Appl. Opt.38, 6628-6637 (1999)], explains this observation. In conclusion, diffuse reflectance relations derived as an approximation to the diffusion dipole theory of Farrell et al. can analyze reflectance ratios accurately, even for much larger absorption than reduced scattering coefficients. This allows calibration of fiber-probe set-ups so that the object's diffuse reflectance can be related to its absorption even when large. These findings will greatly expand the application of diffuse reflection spectroscopy. In medicine, it may allow the use of blue/green wavelengths and measurements on whole blood, and in forensic science, it may allow inclusion of objects such as blood stains and cloth at crime

Diffusion through statically compacted clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, C.L.; Shebl, M.A.A.

1994-01-01

This paper presents experimental work on the effect of compaction on contaminant flow through clay liners. The experimental program included evaluation of soil properties, compaction, permeability and solute diffusion. A permeameter was built of non reactive materials to test samples compacted at different water contents and compactive efforts. The flow of a permeating solute, LiCl, was monitored. Effluent samples were collected for solute concentration measurements. The concentrations were measured by performing atomic adsorption tests. The analyzed results showed different diffusion characteristics when compaction conditions changed. At each compactive effort, permeability decreased as molding water content increased. Consequently, transit time (measured at relative concentration 50%) increased and diffusivity decreased. As compactive effort increased for soils compacted dry of optimum, permeability and diffusion decreased. On the other hand, as compactive effort increased for soils compacted wet of optimum, permeability and diffusivity increased. Tortuosity factor was indirectly measured from the diffusion and retardation rate. Tortuosity factor also decreased as placement water content was increased from dry of optimum to wet of optimum. Then decreases were more pronounced for low compactive effort tests. 27 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs

Permeability, porosity, dispersion-, diffusion-, and sorption characteristics of chalk samples from Erslev, Mors, Denmark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsen, L.; Batsberg, W.; Skytte Jensen, B.; Bo, P.

1981-08-01

A series of chalk samples from the cretaceous formation overlying the Erslev salt dome have been studied in order to establish permeabilities, porosities, dispersion-, diffusion-, and sorption characteristics of the chalk, Predominantly the investigations have been carried out by application of a liquid chromatographic technique. The chalk was found to be porous (epsilon approximately 0.4), however, of rather low permeability (k approximately 10 -7 cm/sec). It was found that the material exhibits a retarding effect on the migration of cationic species as Cs + , Sr 2+ , Co 2+ , and Eu 3+ , whereas anionic species as Cl - and TcO - 4 move with the water front. The geochemical implications are discussed. (author)

High-fidelity meshes from tissue samples for diffusion MRI simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Panagiotaki, Eleftheria; Hall, Matt G; Zhang, Hui; Siow, Bernard; Lythgoe, Mark F; Alexander, Daniel C

2010-01-01

This paper presents a method for constructing detailed geometric models of tissue microstructure for synthesizing realistic diffusion MRI data. We construct three-dimensional mesh models from confocal microscopy image stacks using the marching cubes algorithm. Random-walk simulations within the resulting meshes provide synthetic diffusion MRI measurements. Experiments optimise simulation parameters and complexity of the meshes to achieve accuracy and reproducibility while minimizing computation time. Finally we assess the quality of the synthesized data from the mesh models by comparison with scanner data as well as synthetic data from simple geometric models and simplified meshes that vary only in two dimensions. The results support the extra complexity of the three-dimensional mesh compared to simpler models although sensitivity to the mesh resolution is quite robust.

Efficient Estimation for Diffusions Sampled at High Frequency Over a Fixed Time Interval

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Nina Munkholt; Sørensen, Michael

Parametric estimation for diffusion processes is considered for high frequency observations over a fixed time interval. The processes solve stochastic differential equations with an unknown parameter in the diffusion coefficient. We find easily verified conditions on approximate martingale...

AN APPLICATION OF FLOW INJECTION ANALYSIS WITH GAS DIFFUSION AND SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETECTION FOR THE MONITORING OF DISSOLVED SULPHIDE CONCENTRATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malwina Cykowska

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The monitoring of the concentration of sulphide is very important from the environment point of view because of high toxicity of hydrogen sulphide. What is more hydrogen sulphide is an important pollution indicator. In many cases the determination of sulphide is very difficult due to complicated matrix of some environmental samples, which causes that most analytical methods cannot be used. Flow injection analysis allows to avoid matrix problem what makes it suitable for a wide range of applications in analytical laboratories. In this paper determination of dissolved sulphide in environmental samples by gas-diffusion flow injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection was presented. Used gas-diffusion separation ensures the elimination of interferences caused by sample matrix and gives the ability of determination of sulphides in coloured and turbid samples. Studies to optimize the measurement conditions and to determine the value of the validation parameters (e.g. limit of detection, limit of quantification, precision, accuracy were carried out. Obtained results confirm the usefulness of the method for monitoring the concentration of dissolved sulphides in water and waste water. Full automation and work in a closed system greatly reduces time of analysis, minimizes consumption of sample and reagents and increases safety of analyst’s work.

X-ray diffuse scattering holography of a centrosymmetric sample

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kopecký, Miloš; Fábry, Jan; Kub, Jiří; Bussetto, E.; Lausi, A.

2005-01-01

Roč. 87, č. 23 (2005), 231914/1-231914/3 ISSN 0003-6951 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100100529 Grant - others:EU(XE) HPRI-CT-1999-00033 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : x-ray holography * diffuse scattering Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 4.127, year: 2005

Large scale laboratory diffusion experiments in clay rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Gutierrez, M.; Missana, T.; Mingarro, M.; Martin, P.L.; Cormenzana, J.L.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Clay formations are potential host rocks for high-level radioactive waste repositories. In clay materials the radionuclide diffusion is the main transport mechanism. Thus, the understanding of the diffusion processes and the determination of diffusion parameters in conditions as similar as possible to the real ones, are critical for the performance assessment of deep geological repository. Diffusion coefficients are mainly measured in the laboratory using small samples, after a preparation to fit into the diffusion cell. In addition, a few field tests are usually performed for confirming laboratory results, and analyse scale effects. In field or 'in situ' tests the experimental set-up usually includes the injection of a tracer diluted in reconstituted formation water into a packed off section of a borehole. Both experimental systems may produce artefacts in the determination of diffusion coefficients. In laboratory the preparation of the sample can generate structural change mainly if the consolidated clay have a layered fabric, and in field test the introduction of water could modify the properties of the saturated clay in the first few centimeters, just where radionuclide diffusion is expected to take place. In this work, a large scale laboratory diffusion experiment is proposed, using a large cylindrical sample of consolidated clay that can overcome the above mentioned problems. The tracers used were mixed with clay obtained by drilling a central hole, re-compacted into the hole at approximately the same density as the consolidated block and finally sealed. Neither additional treatment of the sample nor external monitoring are needed. After the experimental time needed for diffusion to take place (estimated by scoping calculations) the block was sampled to obtain a 3D distribution of the tracer concentration and the results were modelled. An additional advantage of the proposed configuration is that it could be used in 'in situ

Calibration of diffusion barrier charcoal detectors and application to radon sampling in dwellings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montero C, M.E.; Colmenero S, L.; Villalba, L.; Saenz P, J.; Cano J, A.; Moreno B, A.; Renteria V, M.; Herrera P, E.F.; Cruz G, S. De la; Lopez M, A.

2003-01-01

Some calibration conditions of diffusion barrier charcoal canister (DBCC) detectors for measuring radon concentration in air were studied. A series of functional expressions and graphs were developed to describe relationship between radon concentration in air and the activity adsorbed in DBCC, when placed in small chambers. A semi-empirical expression for the DBCC calibration was obtained, based on the detector integration time and the adsorption coefficient of radon on activated charcoal. Both, the integration time for 10 % of DBCC of the same batch, and the adsorption coefficient of radon for the activated charcoal used in these detectors, were experimentally determined. Using these values as the calibration parameters, a semi-empirical calibration function was used for the interpretation of the radon activities in the detectors used for sampling more than 200 dwellings in the major cities of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. (Author)

Calibration of diffusion barrier charcoal detectors and application to radon sampling in dwellings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montero C, M.E.; Colmenero S, L.; Villalba, L.; Saenz P, J.; Cano J, A.; Moreno B, A.; Renteria V, M.; Herrera P, E.F. [Cento de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, S. C. Miguel de Cervantes 120, Complejo Industrial Chihuahua, Chihuahua, (Mexico); Cruz G, S. De la [Facultad de Enfermeria y Nutriologia, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Av. Politecnico Nacional 2714, Chihuahua, (Mexico); Lopez M, A. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Apartado Postal 18-1027, 11801 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2003-07-01

Some calibration conditions of diffusion barrier charcoal canister (DBCC) detectors for measuring radon concentration in air were studied. A series of functional expressions and graphs were developed to describe relationship between radon concentration in air and the activity adsorbed in DBCC, when placed in small chambers. A semi-empirical expression for the DBCC calibration was obtained, based on the detector integration time and the adsorption coefficient of radon on activated charcoal. Both, the integration time for 10 % of DBCC of the same batch, and the adsorption coefficient of radon for the activated charcoal used in these detectors, were experimentally determined. Using these values as the calibration parameters, a semi-empirical calibration function was used for the interpretation of the radon activities in the detectors used for sampling more than 200 dwellings in the major cities of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. (Author)

A study of the diffusion mechanisms in amorphous metallic alloys: diffusion and diffusion under high pressure in an amorphous NiZr alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grandjean, A.

1996-01-01

The aim of this work is a better understanding of the diffusion mechanism in amorphous metallic alloys. Then interdiffusion and hafnium diffusion in amorphous NiZr alloy have been studied. Samples used are made by sputtering co-deposition under vacuum and are well relaxed before the diffusion measurements. The time evolution of resistivity during annealing due to the decay of a composition modulated film has been measured and from this change in resistivity interdiffusion coefficients have been determined. Dependence of Hf diffusion on temperature and pressure has been studied using (SIMS). In this two cases, the diffusion process obeys an Arrhenius law and gives an activation energy of 1.33 eV for interdiffusion, and 0.76 eV for Hf diffusion. An effect of pressure on Hf diffusion has been found leading to an activation volume of 8.5 angstrom 3 . Thanks to these results, two approaches of the diffusion mechanisms in these systems have been proposed. The first comes from a comparison with the diffusion mechanisms in crystalline metals, that is to say by point defects. The second is an hypothesis of collective motions in these non crystalline alloys. (author)

Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-Transform spectra of selected organic compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harmon, S.H.; Caton, J.E.

1982-05-01

Diffuse reflectance infrared spectra of a variety of different organic compounds have been determined. Profiles of the spectra along with the location and relative intensity of the principal bands have been included for each compound studied. In addition both diffuse reflectance and transmittance infrared spectra were obtained for the same samples, and the spectral results were compared. Although some minor variations are observed between a diffuse reflectance spectrum and the corresponding transmittance spectrum, the diffuse reflectance is quite useful and may be a superior technique for the study of many samples because it possesses an inherently higher signal-to-noise response, requires less sample preparation and allows a very wide range of samples (solids, liquids of low volatility, neat sample, or sample diluted in a reflecting medium) to be studied under very similar conditions.

Semivolatile Particulate Organic Material Southern Africa during SAFARI 2000

Science.gov (United States)

Eatough, D. J.; Eatough, N. L.; Pang, Y.; Sizemore, S.; Kirchstetter, T. W.; Novakov, T.

2005-01-01

During August and September 2000, the University of Washington's Cloud and Aerosol Research Group (CARG) with its Convair-580 research aircraft participated in the Southern African Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative (SAFARI) 2000 field study in southern Africa. Aboard this aircraft was a Particle Concentrator-Brigham Young University Organic Sampling System (PC-BOSS), which was used to determine semivolatile particulate material with a diffusion denuder sampler. Denuded quartz filters and sorbent beds in series were used to measure nonvolatile and semivolatile materials, respectively. Results obtained with the PC-BOSS are compared to those obtained with conventional quartz-quartz and Teflon-quartz filter pack samplers. Various 10-120 min integrated samples were collected during flights through the h e troposphere, in the atmospheric boundary layer, and in plumes from savanna fires. Significant fine particulate semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC) were found in all samples. The SVOC was not collected by conventional filter pack samplers and therefore would not have been determined in previous studies that used only filter pack samplers. The SVOC averaged 24% of the fine particulate mass in emissions from the fires and 36% of the fine particulate mass in boundary layer samples heavily impacted by aged emissions from savanna fires. Concentrations of fine particulate material in the atmospheric mixed layer heavily impacted by aged savanna frre emissions averaged 130 micrograms per cubic meter. This aerosol was 85% carbonaceous mated.

In vivo P-31 MR diffusion spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moonen, C.T.W.; Vanzijl, P.C.M.; LeBihan, D.

1988-01-01

This paper discusses the Stejskal-Tanner diffusion spin-echo sequence modified for the in vivo diffusion spectroscopy. The apparent diffusion constant D α was measured as a function of the diffusion time. Contrary to the results in phantom samples, a strong dependency of the D α for phosphocreatine (PCr) in the rat muscle tissue on diffusion time was observed, clearly indicating restricted diffusion effects and allowing an approximation of the size of the restricted volume (8-13 μm). This size fits well with the known dimensions of a normal muscle cell

Hunner-Type (Classic Interstitial Cystitis: A Distinct Inflammatory Disorder Characterized by Pancystitis, with Frequent Expansion of Clonal B-Cells and Epithelial Denudation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daichi Maeda

Full Text Available Interstitial cystitis (IC is a chronic bladder disease with urinary frequency, bladder discomfort or bladder pain of unknown etiology. Based on cystoscopic findings, patients with IC are classified as either Hunner-type/classic IC (HIC, presenting with a specific Hunner lesion, or non-Hunner-type IC (NHIC, presenting with no Hunner lesion, but post-hydrodistension mucosal bleeding. Inflammatory cell infiltration, composed predominantly of lymphocytes, plasma cells and epithelial denudation, has in the past been documented as a major pathological IC finding. However, the significance of the pathological evaluation of IC, especially with regard to the difference between HIC and NHIC, has been downplayed in recent years. In this study, we performed immunohistochemical quantification of infiltrating T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes and plasma cells, and measured the amount of residual epithelium in urinary bladder biopsy specimens taken from patients with HIC and NHIC, and those with no IC, using image analysis software. In addition, in situ hybridization of the light chains was performed to examine clonal B-cell expansion. Lymphoplasmacytic infiltration was significantly more severe in HIC specimens than in NHIC specimens (P <0.0001. Substantial lymphoplasmacytic inflammation (≥200 cells/mm2 was observed in 93% of HIC specimens, whereas only 8% of NHIC specimens were inflamed. Plasmacytic infiltration was more prominent in HIC specimens compared with NHIC and non-IC cystitis specimens (P <0.005. Furthermore, expansion of light-chain-restricted B-cells was observed in 31% of cases of HIC. The amount of residual epithelium was decreased in HIC specimens compared with NHIC specimens and non-IC cystitis specimens (P <0.0001. These results suggest that NHIC and HIC are distinct pathological entities, with the latter characterized by pancystitis, frequent clonal B-cell expansion and epithelial denudation. An abnormality in the B-cell population may be

Oxygen diffusion in zircon

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, E. B.; Cherniak, D. J.

1997-05-01

Oxygen diffusion in natural, non-metamict zircon was characterized under both dry and water-present conditions at temperatures ranging from 765°C to 1500°C. Dry experiments were performed at atmospheric pressure by encapsulating polished zircon samples with a fine powder of 18O-enriched quartz and annealing the sealed capsules in air. Hydrothermal runs were conducted in cold-seal pressure vessels (7-70 MPa) or a piston cylinder apparatus (400-1000 MPa) on zircon samples encapsulated with both 18O-enriched quartz and 18O water. Diffusive-uptake profiles of 18O were measured in all samples with a particle accelerator, using the 18O(p, α) 15N reaction. For dry experimental conditions at 1100-1500°C, the resulting oxygen diffusivities (24 in all) are well described by: D dry (m 2/s) = 1.33 × 10 -4exp(-53920/T) There is no suggestion of diffusive anisotropy. Under wet conditions at 925°C, oxygen diffusion shows little or no dependence upon P H 2O in the range 7-1000 MPa, and is insensitive to total pressure as well. The results of 27 wet experiments at 767-1160°C and 7-1000 MPa can be described a single Arrhenius relationship: D wet (m 2/s) = 5.5 × 10 -12exp(-25280/T) The insensitivity of oxygen diffusion to P H 2O means that applications to geologic problems can be pursued knowing only whether the system of interest was 'wet' (i.e., P H 2O > 7MPa ) or 'dry'. Under dry conditions (presumably rare in the crust), zircons are extremely retentive of their oxygen isotopic signatures, to the extent that δ 18O would be perturbed at the center of a 200 μm zircon only during an extraordinarily hot and protracted event (e.g., 65 Ma at 900°C). Under wet conditions, δ 18O may or may not be retained in the central regions of individual crystals, cores or overgrowth rims, depending upon the specific thermal history of the system.

The effect of thickness in the through-diffusion experiment. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valkiainen, M.; Aalto, H.; Lehikoinen, J.; Uusheimo, K.

1996-01-01

The report contains an experimental study of diffusion in the water-filled pores of rock samples. The samples studied are rapakivi granite from Loviisa, southern Finland. The drill-core sample was sectioned perpendicularly with a diamond saw and three cylindrical samples were obtained. The nominal thicknesses (heights of the cylinders) are 2, 4 and 6 cm. For the diffusion measurement the sample holders were pressed between two chambers. One of the chambers was filled with 0.0044 molar sodium chloride solution spiked with tracers. Another chamber was filled with inactive solution. Tritium (HTO) considered to be a water equivalent tracer and anionic 36 Cl - were used as tracers. The through diffusion was monitored about 1000 days after which time the diffusion cells were emptied and the sample holders dismantled. The samples were sectioned into 1 cm slices and the tracers were leached from the slices. The porosities of the slices were determined by the weighing method. The rock-capacity factors could be determined from the leaching results obtained. It was seen that the porosity values were in accordance with the rock capacity factors obtained with HTO. An anion exclusion can be seen comparing the results obtained with HTO and 36 Cl - . The concentration profile through even the thickest sample had reached a constant slope and the rate of diffusion was practically at a steady state. An anion exclusion effect was also seen in the effective diffusion coefficients. The effect of thickness on diffusion shows that the connectivity of the pores decreases in the thickness range 2-4 cm studied. The decrease as reflected in the diffusion coefficient was not dramatic and it can be said that especially for studying chemical interactions during diffusion, the thickness of 2 cm is adequate. (orig.) (12 refs.)

Results on positron diffusion in Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, B.; Lynn, K.G.; Vehanen, A.; Schultz, P.J.

1984-10-01

Positron diffusion in Si(100) and Si(111) has been measured using a variable energy positron beam. The diffusion related parameter, E 0 is found to be 4.2 +- 0.2 keV, significantly longer than previously reported values. The positron diffusion coefficient is estimated at D/sub +/ = 2.3 +- 0.4 cm 2 /sec, the uncertainty arising mainly from the characteristics of the assumed positron implantation profile. A drastic reduction in E 0 is found after heating the sample to 1300 0 K, showing that previously reported low values of E 0 are associated with the thermal history of the sample. A high sensitivity to defects introduced by low energy ion bombardment is found, and the defect recovery was followed during heat treatments. Reconstruction of the Si(111) surface into the so-called 7 x 7 structure had no detectable influence on the positron diffusion behavior. No changes in the positron diffusion was observed after covering the surface with atomic hydrogen. However the yield of positronium formation at the surface was enhanced, attributed to an increased density of states at the surface

Understanding erosion rates in the Himalayan orogen: A case study from the Arun Valley

Science.gov (United States)

Olen, Stephanie M.; Bookhagen, Bodo; Hoffmann, Bernd; Sachse, Dirk; Adhikari, D. P.; Strecker, Manfred R.

2015-10-01

Understanding the rates and pattern of erosion is a key aspect of deciphering the impacts of climate and tectonics on landscape evolution. Denudation rates derived from terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCNs) are commonly used to quantify erosion and bridge tectonic (Myr) and climatic (up to several kiloyears) time scales. However, how the processes of erosion in active orogens are ultimately reflected in 10Be TCN samples remains a topic of discussion. We investigate this problem in the Arun Valley of eastern Nepal with 34 new 10Be-derived catchment-mean denudation rates. The Arun Valley is characterized by steep north-south gradients in topography and climate. Locally, denudation rates increase northward, from <0.2 mm yr-1 to ~1.5 mm yr-1 in tributary samples, while main stem samples appear to increase downstream from ~0.2 mm yr-1 at the border with Tibet to 0.91 mm yr-1 in the foreland. Denudation rates most strongly correlate with normalized channel steepness (R2 = 0.67), which has been commonly interpreted to indicate tectonic activity. Significant downstream decrease of 10Be concentration in the main stem Arun suggests that upstream sediment grains are fining to the point that they are operationally excluded from the processed sample. This results in 10Be concentrations and denudation rates that do not uniformly represent the upstream catchment area. We observe strong impacts on 10Be concentrations from local, nonfluvial geomorphic processes, such as glaciation and landsliding coinciding with areas of peak rainfall rates, pointing toward climatic modulation of predominantly tectonically driven denudation rates.

Extreme robustness of scaling in sample space reducing processes explains Zipf’s law in diffusion on directed networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corominas-Murtra, Bernat; Hanel, Rudolf; Thurner, Stefan

2016-01-01

It has been shown recently that a specific class of path-dependent stochastic processes, which reduce their sample space as they unfold, lead to exact scaling laws in frequency and rank distributions. Such sample space reducing processes offer an alternative new mechanism to understand the emergence of scaling in countless processes. The corresponding power law exponents were shown to be related to noise levels in the process. Here we show that the emergence of scaling is not limited to the simplest SSRPs, but holds for a huge domain of stochastic processes that are characterised by non-uniform prior distributions. We demonstrate mathematically that in the absence of noise the scaling exponents converge to −1 (Zipf’s law) for almost all prior distributions. As a consequence it becomes possible to fully understand targeted diffusion on weighted directed networks and its associated scaling laws in node visit distributions. The presence of cycles can be properly interpreted as playing the same role as noise in SSRPs and, accordingly, determine the scaling exponents. The result that Zipf’s law emerges as a generic feature of diffusion on networks, regardless of its details, and that the exponent of visiting times is related to the amount of cycles in a network could be relevant for a series of applications in traffic-, transport- and supply chain management. (paper)

Matrix diffusion in crystalline rocks: coupling of anion exclusion, surface diffusion and surface complexation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olin, M.; Valkiainen, M.; Aalto, H.

1997-12-01

This report includes both experimental and modelling parts. Also, a novel approach to the diffusion experiments is introduced, where ions of the same electric charge diffuse in opposite directions through the same rock sample. Six rock-types from Olkiluoto radioactive waste disposal investigation site were used in the experiments: granite, weathered granite, mica gneiss, weathered mica gneiss, tonalite and altered mica gneiss/migmatite. The experiments consisted of the determination of the effective diffusion coefficient and the rock capacity factor for tritium, chloride (Cl-36) and sodium (Na-22). The modelling consisted of a chemical model for small pores (< 100 nm), a model for counter ion diffusion and models for the laboratory experiments

Matrix diffusion in crystalline rocks: coupling of anion exclusion, surface diffusion and surface complexation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olin, M.; Valkiainen, M.; Aalto, H. [VTT Chemical Technology, Espoo (Finland)

1997-12-01

This report includes both experimental and modelling parts. Also, a novel approach to the diffusion experiments is introduced, where ions of the same electric charge diffuse in opposite directions through the same rock sample. Six rock-types from Olkiluoto radioactive waste disposal investigation site were used in the experiments: granite, weathered granite, mica gneiss, weathered mica gneiss, tonalite and altered mica gneiss/migmatite. The experiments consisted of the determination of the effective diffusion coefficient and the rock capacity factor for tritium, chloride (Cl-36) and sodium (Na-22). The modelling consisted of a chemical model for small pores (< 100 nm), a model for counter ion diffusion and models for the laboratory experiments. 21 refs.

Two-dimensional numerical simulation of boron diffusion for pyramidally textured silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Fa-Jun; Duttagupta, Shubham; Shetty, Kishan Devappa; Meng, Lei; Hoex, Bram; Peters, Ian Marius; Samudra, Ganesh S.

2014-01-01

Multidimensional numerical simulation of boron diffusion is of great relevance for the improvement of industrial n-type crystalline silicon wafer solar cells. However, surface passivation of boron diffused area is typically studied in one dimension on planar lifetime samples. This approach neglects the effects of the solar cell pyramidal texture on the boron doping process and resulting doping profile. In this work, we present a theoretical study using a two-dimensional surface morphology for pyramidally textured samples. The boron diffusivity and segregation coefficient between oxide and silicon in simulation are determined by reproducing measured one-dimensional boron depth profiles prepared using different boron diffusion recipes on planar samples. The established parameters are subsequently used to simulate the boron diffusion process on textured samples. The simulated junction depth is found to agree quantitatively well with electron beam induced current measurements. Finally, chemical passivation on planar and textured samples is compared in device simulation. Particularly, a two-dimensional approach is adopted for textured samples to evaluate chemical passivation. The intrinsic emitter saturation current density, which is only related to Auger and radiative recombination, is also simulated for both planar and textured samples. The differences between planar and textured samples are discussed

A study of the diffusion mechanisms in amorphous metallic alloys: diffusion and diffusion under high pressure in an amorphous NiZr alloy; Contribution a l`etude des mecanismes de transport dans les materiaux metalliques amorphes: diffusion et diffusion sous pression dans NiZr amorphe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grandjean, A.

1996-03-01

The aim of this work is a better understanding of the diffusion mechanism in amorphous metallic alloys. Then interdiffusion and hafnium diffusion in amorphous NiZr alloy have been studied. Samples used are made by sputtering co-deposition under vacuum and are well relaxed before the diffusion measurements. The time evolution of resistivity during annealing due to the decay of a composition modulated film has been measured and from this change in resistivity interdiffusion coefficients have been determined. Dependence of Hf diffusion on temperature and pressure has been studied using (SIMS). In this two cases, the diffusion process obeys an Arrhenius law and gives an activation energy of 1.33 eV for interdiffusion, and 0.76 eV for Hf diffusion. An effect of pressure on Hf diffusion has been found leading to an activation volume of 8.5 angstrom{sup 3}. Thanks to these results, two approaches of the diffusion mechanisms in these systems have been proposed. The first comes from a comparison with the diffusion mechanisms in crystalline metals, that is to say by point defects. The second is an hypothesis of collective motions in these non crystalline alloys. (author).

Diffusion of 51Cr along high-diffusivity paths in Ni-Fe alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cermak, J.

1990-01-01

Penetration profiles of 51 Cr in polycrystalline alloys Ni-xFe (x = 0, 20, 40, and 60 wt.% Fe) after diffusion anneals at temperatures between 693 and 1473 K are studied. Sectioning of diffusion zones of samples annealed above 858 K is carried out by grinding, at lower temperatures by DC glow discharge sputtering. The concentration of 51 Cr in depth x is assumed to be proportional to relative radioactivity of individual sections. With help of volume and pipe self-diffusion data taken from literature, the temperature dependence of product P = δD g (δ and D g are grain boundary width and grain boundary diffusion coefficient, respectively) is obtained: P = (2.68 - 0.88 +1.3 ) x 10 -11 exp [-(221.3 ± 3.0) kJ/mol/RT]m 3 /s. This result agrees well with the previous measurements of 51 Cr diffusivity in Fe-18 Cr-12 Ni and Fe-21 Cr-31 Ni. It indicates that the mean chemical composition of Fe-Cr-Ni ternary alloys is not a dominant factor affecting the grain boundary diffusivity of Cr in these alloys. (author)

Deuterium permeation and diffusion in high-purity beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abramov, E.; Riehm, M.P.; Thompson, D.A.; Smeltzer, W.W.

1990-01-01

The permeation rate of deuterium through high-purity beryllium membranes was measured using the gas-driven permeation technique. The time-dependent and the steady-state deuterium flux data were analyzed and the effective diffusivities of the samples were determined. Using multilayer permeation theory the effects of surface oxide were eliminated and the diffusion coefficients of the bulk beryllium determined. The diffusion parameters obtained for the extra-grade beryllium samples (99.8%) are D 0 =6.7x10 -9 m 2 /s and E D =28.4 kJ/mol. For the high-grade beryllium samples (99%) the parameters are D 0 =8.0x10 -9 m 2 /s and E D =35.1 kJ/mol. (orig.)

Influence of gas-particle partitioning on ammonia and nitric acid fluxes above a deciduous forest in the Midwestern USA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Kristina; Sørensen, Lise Lotte; Hornsby, Karen E.

to bi-directionality of the flux, and the dynamics of the chemical gas/aerosol equilibrium of NH3 and HNO3 (or other atmospheric acids) with aerosol-phase ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-). NH3 and HNO3 are both very reactive and typically exhibit higher deposition velocities than aerosol NH4...... diffusion denuders with detection by florescence and half-hourly flux measurements are calculated. HNO3 REA system is based on gas capture on sodium chloride (NaCl) coated denuders with subsequent analysis by ion-chromatography, and the resulting fluxes have a resolution of 3-4 hours. CO2 fluxes...

Studies of matrix diffusion in gas phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartikainen, K.; Timonen, J.; Vaeaetaeinen, K.; Pietarila, H.

1994-03-01

The diffusion of solutes from fractures into rock matrix is an important factor in the safety analysis of disposal of radioactive waste. Laboratory measurements are needed to complement field investigations for a reliable determination of the necessary transport parameters. Measurements of diffusion coefficients in tight rock samples are usually time consuming because the diffusion processes are slow. On the other hand it is well known that diffusion coefficients in the gas phase are roughly four orders of magnitude larger than those in the liquid phase. Therefore, for samples whose structures do not change much upon drying, it is possible to estimate the diffusion properties of the liquid phase when the properties of the gas phase are known. Advantages of the gas method are quick and easy measurements. In the measurements nitrogen was used as the carrier gas and helium as the tracer gas, and standard techniques have been used for helium detection. Techniques have been developed for both channel flow and through-diffusion measurements. The breakthrough curves have been measured in every experiment and all measurements have been modelled by using appropriate analytical models. As a result matrix porosities and effective diffusion coefficients in the gas phase have been determined. (12 refs., 21 figs., 6 tabs.)

Exploiting gas diffusion for non-invasive sampling in flow analysis: determination of ethanol in alcoholic beverages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone Vicente

2006-03-01

Full Text Available A tubular gas diffusion PTFE membrane is exploited for non-invasive sampling in flow analysis, aiming to develop an improved spectrophotometric determination of ethanol in alcoholic beverages. The probe is immersed into the sample, allowing ethanol to diffuse through the membrane. It is collected into the acceptor stream (acidic dichromate solution, leading to formation of Cr(III, monitored at 600 nm. The analytical curve is linear up to 50% (v/v ethanol, baseline drift is Uma membrana tubular de PTFE permeável a espécies gasosas foi empregada como sonda em sistemas de análises em fluxo visando a proposta de uma estratégia de amostragem não invasiva. Como aplicação, foi selecionada a determinação espectrofotométrica de etanol em bebidas alcoólicas. A sonda é imersa na amostra, permitindo que o analito se difunda através desta e seja coletado pelo fluxo aceptor (solução ácida de dicromato, levando à formação de Cr(III, o qual é monitorado a 600 nm. Linearidade da curva analítica é verificada até 50,0% (v/v de etanol (r > 0,998; n = 8, derivas de linha base são menores do que 0,005 absorbância durante períodos de 4 horas de operação e a velocidade analítica é de 30 h-1 o que corresponde a 0.6 mmol K2Cr2O7 por determinação. Os resultados são precisos (d.p.r. < 2% e concordantes com aqueles obtidos por um método oficial.

Continuous diffusion signal, EAP and ODF estimation via Compressive Sensing in diffusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlet, Sylvain L; Deriche, Rachid

2013-07-01

In this paper, we exploit the ability of Compressed Sensing (CS) to recover the whole 3D Diffusion MRI (dMRI) signal from a limited number of samples while efficiently recovering important diffusion features such as the Ensemble Average Propagator (EAP) and the Orientation Distribution Function (ODF). Some attempts to use CS in estimating diffusion signals have been done recently. However, this was mainly an experimental insight of CS capabilities in dMRI and the CS theory has not been fully exploited. In this work, we also propose to study the impact of the sparsity, the incoherence and the RIP property on the reconstruction of diffusion signals. We show that an efficient use of the CS theory enables to drastically reduce the number of measurements commonly used in dMRI acquisitions. Only 20-30 measurements, optimally spread on several b-value shells, are shown to be necessary, which is less than previous attempts to recover the diffusion signal using CS. This opens an attractive perspective to measure the diffusion signals in white matter within a reduced acquisition time and shows that CS holds great promise and opens new and exciting perspectives in diffusion MRI (dMRI). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deformation associated with the denudation of mantle-derived rocks at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge 13°-15°N: The role of magmatic injections and hydrothermal alteration

Science.gov (United States)

Picazo, Suzanne; Cannat, Mathilde; Delacour, AdéLie; EscartíN, Javier; RouméJon, StéPhane; Silantyev, Sergei

2012-09-01

Outcrops of deeply derived ultramafic rocks and gabbros are widespread along slow spreading ridges where they are exposed in the footwall of detachment faults. We report on the microstructural and petrological characteristics of a large number of samples from ultramafic exposures in the walls of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) axial valley at three distinct locations at lat. 13°N and 14°45'N. One of these locations corresponds to the footwall beneath a corrugated paleo-fault surface. Bearing in mind that dredging and ROV sampling may not preserve the most fragile lithologies (fault gouges), this study allows us to document a sequence of deformation, and the magmatic and hydrothermal history recorded in the footwall within a few hundred meters of the axial detachment fault. At the three sampled locations, we find that tremolitic amphiboles have localized deformation in the ultramafic rocks prior to the onset of serpentinization. We interpret these tremolites as hydrothermal alteration products after evolved gabbroic rocks intruded into the peridotites. We also document two types of brittle deformation in the ultramafic rocks, which we infer could produce the sustained low magnitude seismicity recorded at ridge axis detachment faults. The first type of brittle deformation affects fresh peridotite and is associated with the injection of the evolved gabbroic melts, and the second type affects serpentinized peridotites and is associated with the injection of Si-rich hydrothermal fluids that promote talc crystallization, leading to strain localization in thin talc shear zones. We also observed chlorite + serpentine shear zones but did not identify samples with serpentine-only shear zones. Although the proportion of magmatic injections in the ultramafic rocks is variable, these characteristics are found at each investigated location and are therefore proposed as fundamental components of the deformation in the footwall of the detachment faults associated with denudation of

Deuterium permeation and diffusion in high purity beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abramov, E.

1990-05-01

The permeation rate of deuterium through high-purity beryllium membranes was measured using the gas-driven permeation technique. The time-dependent and the steady-state deuterium flux data were analyzed and the effective diffusivities of the samples were determined. A multilayer permeation theory was used in order to eliminate the surface oxide effects and the diffusion coefficients of the bulk beryllium were determined. The diffusion parameters obtained for the extra-grade beryllium samples (99.8%) are D 0 = 6.7 x 10 -9 [m 2 /s] and E D = 28.4 [KJ/mol]; and for the high-grade beryllium samples (99%) the parameters are D 0 = 8.0 x 10 -9 [m 2 /s] and E D = 35.1 [KJ/mol

Diffusion in ordered Fe-Si alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sepiol, B.; Vogl, G.

1995-01-01

The measurement of the diffusional Moessbauer line broadening in single crystalline samples at high temperatures provides microscopic information about atomic jumps. We can separate jumps of iron atoms between the various sublattices of Fe-Si intermetallic alloys (D0 3 structure) and measure their frequencies. The diffusion of iron in Fe-Si samples with Fe concentrations between 75 and 82 at% shows a drastic composition dependence: the jump frequency and the proportion between jumps on Fe sublattices and into antistructure (Si) sublattice positions change greatly. Close to Fe 3 Si stoichiometry iron diffusion is extremely fast and jumps are performed exclusively between the three Fe sublattices. The change in the diffusion process when changing the alloy composition from stoichiometric Fe 3 Si to the iron-rich side is discussed. (orig.)

Tiny Molybdenites Tell Diffusion Tales

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, H. J.; Hannah, J. L.

2014-12-01

Diffusion invokes micron-scale exchange during crystal growth and dissolution in magma chambers on short time-scales. Fundamental to interpreting such data are assumptions on magma-fluid dynamics at all scales. Nevertheless, elemental diffusion profiles are used to estimate time scales for magma storage, eruption, and recharge. An underutilized timepiece to evaluate diffusion and 3D mobility of magmatic fluids is high-precision Re-Os dating of molybdenite. With spatially unique molybdenite samples from a young ore system (e.g., 1 Ma) and a double Os spike, analytical errors of 1-3 ka unambiguously separate events in time. Re-Os ages show that hydrous shallow magma chambers locally recharge and expel Cu-Mo-Au-silica as superimposed stockwork vein networks at time scales less than a few thousand years [1]. Re-Os ages provide diffusion rates controlled by a dynamic crystal mush, accumulation and expulsion of metalliferous fluid, and magma reorganization after explosive crystallization events. Importantly, this approach has broad application far from ore deposits. Here, we use Re-Os dating of molybdenite to assess time scales for generating and diffusing metals through the deep crust. To maximize opportunity for chemical diffusion, we use a continental-scale Sveconorwegian mylonite zone for the study area. A geologically constrained suite of molybdenite samples was acquired from quarry exposures. Molybdenite, previously unreported, is extremely scarce. Tiny but telling molybdenites include samples from like occurrences to assure geologic accuracy in Re-Os ages. Ages range from mid-Mesoproterozoic to mid-Neoproterozoic, and correspond to early metamorphic dehydration of a regionally widespread biotite-rich gneiss, localized melting of gneiss to form cm-m-scale K-feldspar ± quartz pods, development of vapor-rich, vuggy mm stringers that serve as volatile collection surfaces in felsic leucosomes, and low-angle (relative to foliation) cross-cutting cm-scale quartz veins

Recent topographic evolution and erosion of the deglaciated Washington Cascades inferred from a stochastic landscape evolution model

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Seulgi; Shelef, Eitan; Hilley, George E.

2015-05-01

In this study, we model postglacial surface processes and examine the evolution of the topography and denudation rates within the deglaciated Washington Cascades to understand the controls on and time scales of landscape response to changes in the surface process regime after deglaciation. The postglacial adjustment of this landscape is modeled using a geomorphic-transport-law-based numerical model that includes processes of river incision, hillslope diffusion, and stochastic landslides. The surface lowering due to landslides is parameterized using a physically based slope stability model coupled to a stochastic model of the generation of landslides. The model parameters of river incision and stochastic landslides are calibrated based on the rates and distribution of thousand-year-time scale denudation rates measured from cosmogenic 10Be isotopes. The probability distributions of those model parameters calculated based on a Bayesian inversion scheme show comparable ranges from previous studies in similar rock types and climatic conditions. The magnitude of landslide denudation rates is determined by failure density (similar to landslide frequency), whereas precipitation and slopes affect the spatial variation in landslide denudation rates. Simulation results show that postglacial denudation rates decay over time and take longer than 100 kyr to reach time-invariant rates. Over time, the landslides in the model consume the steep slopes characteristic of deglaciated landscapes. This response time scale is on the order of or longer than glacial/interglacial cycles, suggesting that frequent climatic perturbations during the Quaternary may produce a significant and prolonged impact on denudation and topography.

Thermal diffusivity measurement for p-Si and Ag/p-Si by photoacoustic technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hussein, Mohammed Jabbar; Yunus, W. Mahmood Mat; Kamari, Halimah Mohamed; Zakaria, Azmi, E-mail: mohammed55865@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti PutraMalaysia (UPM), Serdang (Malaysia)

2015-10-15

Thermal diffusivity (TD) of p-Si and Ag/p-Si samples were measured by photoacoustic technique using open photoacoustic cell (OPC). The samples were annealed by heating them at 960, 1050, 1200, and 1300 °C for 3 h in air. The thermal diffusivity of Ag-coated samples was obtained by fitting the photoacoustic experimental data to the thermally thick equation for Rosencwaig and Gersho (RG) theory. For the single layer samples, the thermal diffusivity can be obtained by fitting as well as by obtaining the critical frequency f{sub c.} In this study, the thermal diffusivity of the p-Si samples increased with increasing the annealing temperature. The thermal diffusivity of the Ag/p-Si samples, after reaching the maximum value of about 2.73 cm{sup 2}/s at a temperature of 1200 °C, decreased due to the silver complete melt in the surface of the silicon. (author)

Thermal Diffusivity Measurement for p-Si and Ag/p-Si by Photoacoustic Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Hussein, Mohammed Jabbar; Yunus, W. Mahmood Mat; Kamari, Halimah Mohamed; Zakaria, Azmi

2015-10-01

Thermal diffusivity (TD) of p-Si and Ag/p-Si samples were measured by photoacoustic technique using open photoacoustic cell (OPC). The samples were annealed by heating them at 960, 1050, 1200, and 1300 °C for 3 h in air. The thermal diffusivity of Ag-coated samples was obtained by fitting the photoacoustic experimental data to the thermally thick equation for Rosencwaig and Gersho (RG) theory. For the single layer samples, the thermal diffusivity can be obtained by fitting as well as by obtaining the critical frequency f c . In this study, the thermal diffusivity of the p-Si samples increased with increasing the annealing temperature. The thermal diffusivity of the Ag/p-Si samples, after reaching the maximum value of about 2.73 cm2/s at a temperature of 1200 °C, decreased due to the silver complete melt in the surface of the silicon.

Development and application of a sampling method for the determination of reactive halogen species in volcanic gas emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Rüdiger, Julian; Bobrowski, Nicole; Liotta, Marcello; Hoffmann, Thorsten

2017-04-01

Volcanoes are a potential large source of several reactive atmospheric trace gases including sulfur and halogen containing species. Besides the importance for atmospheric chemistry, the detailed knowledge of halogen chemistry in volcanic plumes can help to get insights into subsurface processes. In this study a gas diffusion denuder sampling method, using a 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene (1,3,5-TMB) coating for the derivatization of reactive halogen species (RHS), was characterized by dilution chamber experiments. The coating proved to be suitable to collect selectively gaseous bromine species with oxidation states (OS) of +1 or 0 (such as Br2, BrCl, BrO(H) and BrONO2), while being ignorant to HBr (OS -1). The reaction of 1,3,5-TMB with reactive bromine species gives 1-bromo-2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene (1-bromo-2,4,6-TMB) - other halogens give corresponding products. Solvent elution of the derivatized analytes and subsequent analysis with gas chromatography mass spectrometry gives detection limits of 10 ng or less for Br2, Cl2, and I2. In 2015 the method was applied on volcanic gas plumes at Mt. Etna (Italy) giving reactive bromine mixing ratios from 0.8 ppbv to 7.0 ppbv. Total bromine mixing ratios of 4.7 ppbv to 27.5 ppbv were obtained by simultaneous alkaline trap sampling (by a Raschig-tube) followed by analysis with ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. This leads to the first results of in-situ measured reactive bromine to total bromine ratios, spanning a range between 12±1 % and 36±2 %. Our finding is in an agreement with previous model studies, which imply values < 44 % for plume ages < 1 minute, which is consistent with the assumed plume age at the sampling sites.

Label-free monitoring of diffusion in microfluidics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Kristian Tølbøl; Kristensen, Anders

2017-01-01

Label-free, real-time detection of concentration gradients is demonstrated in a microfluidic H-filter, using an integrated photonic crystal slab sensor to monitor sample refractive index with spatial resolution. The recorded diffusion profiles reveal root-mean-square diffusion lengths for non...

Thermal diffusivity effect in opto-thermal skin measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, P; Imhof, R E; Cui, Y; Ciortea, L I; Berg, E P

2010-01-01

We present our latest study on the thermal diffusivity effect in opto-thermal skin measurements. We discuss how thermal diffusivity affects the shape of opto-thermal signal, and how to measure thermal diffusivity in opto-thermal measurements of arbitrary sample surfaces. We also present a mathematical model for a thermally gradient material, and its corresponding opto-thermal signal. Finally, we show some of our latest experimental results of this thermal diffusivity effect study.

Diffusion of Implanted Radioisotopes in Solids

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

Implantation of radioisotopes into metal and semiconductor samples is performed. The implanted isotope or its decay-product should have a half-life long enough for radiotracer diffusion experiments. Such radioisotopes are utilized to investigate basic diffusion properties in semiconductors and metals and to improve our understanding of the atomic mechanisms of diffusion. For suitably chosen systems the combination of on-line production and clean implantation of radioisotopes at the ISOLDE facility opens new possibilities for diffusion studies in solids. \\\\ \\\\ The investigations are concentrated on diffusion studies of $^{195}$Au in amorphous materials. The isotope $^{195}$Au was obtained from the mass 195 of the mercury beam. $^{195}$Hg decays into $^{195}$Au which is a very convenient isotope for diffusion experiments. \\\\ \\\\ It was found that $^{195}$Au is a slow diffusor in amorphous Co-Zr alloys, whereas Co is a fast diffusor in the same matrix. The ``asymmetry'' in the diffusion behaviour is of considerab...

Quantum diffusion of light interstitials in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMullen, T.; Bergersen, B.

1978-01-01

A quantum theory of diffusion of self-trapped light interstitials in metals is presented. The theory encompasses both coherent and incoherent tunneling, but the approximation used neglects the dependence of the interstitial transfer matrix element on the vibrational state of the crystal. The coherent tunneling contribution is estimated by fitting the incoherent diffusion rate to experimental data for hydrogen and muon diffusion. It is predicted that coherent diffusion should be dominant below approximately 80 K for H in Nb and below approximately 190 K for μ + in Cu. Experimental verifications of these predictions would require high purity strain free samples and low concentrations of the diffusing species. (author)

Chloride diffusion in partially saturated cementitious material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Erik Pram; Geiker, Mette Rica

2003-01-01

The paper proposes a combined application of composite theory and Powers' model for microstructural development for the estimation of the diffusion coefficient as a function of the moisture content of a defect-free cementitious material. Measurements of chloride diffusion in mortar samples (440 kg...

Ammonia and ammonium over the southern Baltic Sea. Part 1. Preparation of aerosol and air samples for the determination of ammonia by the indophenol method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucyna Falkowska

2004-06-01

Full Text Available 1997 saw the start of a study into the spatial and temporal changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere over the littoral and offshore waters of the Baltic Sea. Collection of samples and their subsequent chemical analysis was preceded by meticulous laboratory experiments concerning the validation and adaptation of the analytical procedures. The colorimetric indophenol blue technique was used to analyse the aerosol samples for the concentration of ammonium ions and the air samples for their gaseous ammonia. The samples were collected with PTFE-filters and Whatman 41 filters coated with 5% orthophosphoric acid. This acid enhances the aerosol sampling efficacy but reduces the pH of the reaction in which indophenol is formed. The pH of the aerosol samples thus had to be raised, and this in turn required an alteration to the original procedure prior to ammonia determination. It was demonstrated that the addition of 0.1 N KOH to the filters coated with H3PO4 increases the pH of the reaction medium to the required level of pH = 8-11.5 and does not substantially influence the precision of the determination; the error of the modified procedure was of the order of 5.2%.      Air samples for the determination of gaseous ammonia were collected with annular denuders. Oxalic acid and citric acid are the usual impregnating agents. In the present experiments oxalic acid was used for denuder impregnation; it turned out to be more effective than citric acid under the conditions of the southern Baltic Sea.      The detection limit of the indophenol blue method in these laboratory experiments was 0.045 mmol dm-3. The respective relative standard deviations (RSD within the range of higher and lower concentrations were 0.64% and 4.53%.

Diffuse pollution by persistent organic pollutants as measured in plastic pellets sampled from various beaches in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Karapanagioti, H K; Endo, S; Ogata, Y; Takada, H

2011-02-01

Plastic pellets found stranded on beaches are hydrophobic organic materials and thus, they are a favourable medium for persistent organic pollutants to absorb to. In the present study, plastic pellets are used to determine the diffuse pollution of selected Greek beaches. Samples of pellets were taken from these beaches and were analyzed for PCBs, DDTs, HCHs, and PAHs. The observed differences among pellets from various sampling sites are related to the pollution occurring at each site. Plastic pellets collected in Saronikos Gulf beaches demonstrate much higher pollutant loading than the ones collected in a remote island or close to an agricultural area. Based on data collected in this study and the International Pellet Watch program, pollution in Saronikos Gulf, Greece, is comparable to other heavily industrialized places of the world. The present study demonstrates the potential of pellet watch to be utilized as a detailed-scale monitoring tool within a single country. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Boron-enhanced diffusion in excimer laser annealed Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monakhov, E.V.; Svensson, B.G.; Linnarsson, M.K.; La Magna, A.; Privitera, V.; Fortunato, G.; Mariucci, L.

2004-01-01

The effect of excimer laser annealing (ELA) and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on B redistribution in B-implanted Si has been studied by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and spreading resistance probe (SRP). B has been implanted with an energy of 1 keV and a dose of 10 16 cm -2 forming a distribution with a width of 20-30 nm and a peak concentration of ∼5 x 10 21 cm -3 . It has been found that ELA with 10 pulses of the energy density of 850 mJ/cm 2 results in a uniform B distribution over the ELA-molten region with an abrupt profile edge. SRP measurements demonstrate good activation of the implanted B after ELA, with the concentration of the activated fraction (∼10 21 cm -3 ) exceeding the solid solubility level. RTA (30 s at 1100 deg. C) of the as-implanted and ELA-treated samples leads to a diffusion of B with diffusivities exceeding the equilibrium one and the enhancement is similar for both of the samples. It is also found that RTA decreases the activated B in the ELA-treated sample to the solid solubility limit (2 x 10 20 cm -3 ). The similarity of the B diffusivity for the as-implanted and ELA-treated samples suggests that the enhancement of the B diffusivity is due to the so-called boron-enhanced diffusion (BED). Possible mechanisms of BED are discussed

Diffusion Experiments in Opalinus Clay: Laboratory, Large-Scale Diffusion Experiments and Microscale Analysis by RBS.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia-Gutierrez, M.; Alonso de los Rios, U.; Missana, T.; Cormenzana, J.L.; Mingarro, M.; Morejon, J.; Gil, P.

2008-08-06

The Opalinus Clay (OPA) formation in the Zurcher Weiland (Switzerland) is a potential host rock for a repository for high-level radioactive waste. Samples collected in the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory (URL), where the OPA formation is located at a depth between -200 and -300 m below the surface, were used to study the radionuclide diffusion in clay materials. Classical laboratory essays and a novel experimental set-up for large-scale diffusion experiments were performed together to a novel application of the nuclear ion beam technique Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), to understand the transport properties of the OPA and to enhance the methodologies used for in situ diffusion experiments. Through-Diffusion and In-Diffusion conventional laboratory diffusion experiments were carried out with HTO, 36{sup C}l-, I-, 22{sup N}a, 75{sup S}e, 85{sup S}r, 233{sup U}, 137{sup C}s, 60{sup C}o and 152{sup E}u. Large-scale diffusion experiments were performed with HTO, 36{sup C}l, and 85{sup S}r, and new experiments with 60{sup C}o, 137{sup C}s and 152{sup E}u are ongoing. Diffusion experiments with RBS technique were done with Sr, Re, U and Eu. (Author) 38 refs.

Effects of microstructure of clay on diffusion behavior of radionuclides in buffer materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohashi, Hiroshi; Sato, Seichi; Kozaki, Tamotsu

2001-03-01

Diffusion behavior of radionuclides in compacted bentonite plays an important role in the performance assessment of bentonite buffer material in geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Microstructure of bentonite is considered to be one of the key parameters to affect on the diffusion behavior. In this study, therefore, two kinds of montmorillonite (major clay mineral of bentonite) with different particle sizes were prepared, and characterized with several methods. In addition, the apparent and effective diffusion coefficients of HTO, Cl - , and Cs + were determined using the montmorillonite samples with different particle sizes and dry densities. In the sample characterization, the specific surface areas of montmorillonite samples with different particle sizes were determined by the BET and the EGME methods, and the particle size distributions of each sample were analyzed by laser diffraction/scattering particle size analysis. Microstructure of the samples was also observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The BET method gave a higher specific surface area of the fine grained sample than of the coarse sample, while the EGME method gave same values for both samples. The laser diffraction/scattering particle size analysis using ethanol as a dispersion medium gave different particle size distributions, but when the samples were dispersed in water with Na 6 (PO 3 ) 6 , the particle size distributions were similar. These findings indicate that the montmorillonite layers, which compose the montmorillonite particles, have the same size, even if the particle sizes of the samples are different. In the diffusion experiments, it was found that the apparent diffusion coefficients of HTO and Cl - for the fine grained sample were higher than for the coarse grained sample at two dry densities, 1.0 and 1.8 Mg m -3 , while the opposite particle size effect was observed for Cs + ions. These findings cannot be explained by changes

Landscape evolution on Mars - A model of aeolian denudation in Gale Crater

Science.gov (United States)

Day, M. D.; Kocurek, G.; Grotzinger, J. P.

2015-12-01

Aeolian erosion has been the dominant geomorphic agent to shape the surface of Mars for the past ~3.5 billion years. Although individual geomorphic features evidencing aeolian activity are well understood (e.g., yardangs, dune fields, and wind streaks), landscapes formed by aeolian erosion remain poorly characterized. Intra-crater sedimentary mounds are hypothesized to have formed by wind deflation of craters once filled with flat-lying strata, and, therefore, should be surrounded by landscapes formed by aeolian erosion. Here we present a landscape evolution model that provides both an initial characterization of aeolian landscapes, and a mechanism for large-scale excavation. Wind excavation of Gale Crater to form the 5 km high Mount Sharp would require removal of 6.4 x 104 km3 of sediment. Imagery in Gale Crater from satellites and the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity shows a surface characterized by first-cycle aeolian erosion of bedrock. The overall landscape is interpreted to represent stages in a cycle of aeolian deflation and excavation, enhanced by physical weathering (e.g., thermal fracturing, cratering). Initial wind erosion of bedrock is enhanced along fractures, producing retreating scarps. Underlying less resistant layers then erode faster than the armoring cap rock, increasing relief in scarps to form retreating mesas. As scarp retreat continues, boulders from the armoring cap unit break away and cover the hillslopes of less resistant material below the scarps. Eventually all material from the capping unit is eroded away and a boulder-capped hill remains. Winnowing of fine material flattens hillslope topography, leaving behind a desert pavement. Over long enough time, this pavement is breached and the cycle begins anew. This cycle of landscape denudation by the wind is similar to that of water, but lacks characteristic subaqueous features such as dendritic drainage networks.

Mid infrared upconversion spectroscopy using diffuse reflectance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanders, Nicolai Højer; Kehlet, Louis M.; Dam, Jeppe Seidelin

2014-01-01

specifically that upconversion methods can be deployed using a diffuse reflectance setup where the test sample is irradiated by a thermal light source, i.e. a globar. The diffuse reflectance geometry is particularly well suited when a transmission setup cannot be used. This situation may happen for highly...

Adsorption and diffusion of hydrogen in Zircaloy-4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, E.; Desquines, J.; Baietto, M.C.; Coret, M.; Wehling, F.; Blat-Yrieix, M.; Ambard, A.

2015-01-01

Hydrogen in zirconium alloys is considered in many nuclear safety issues. Below 500 Celsius degrees, rather limited knowledge is available on the combined hydrogen adsorption at the sample surface and diffusion in the metal. A modeling of hydrogen gaseous charging has been established starting with a set of relevant laws and parameters derived from open literature. Simulating the hydrogen charging process requires simultaneous analysis of gaseous surface adsorption, hydrogen solid-solution diffusion and precipitation, when exceeding the material solubility limit. The modeling has been extended to reproduce the solid-gas exchange. Gaseous charging experiments have been performed at 420 C. degrees on Stress Relieved Annealed (SRA) Zircaloy-4 cladding samples to validate the model. The sample hydrogen content has been systematically measured after charging and compared to the calculated value thus providing a validation of the adsorption modeling. Complementary tests have been carried out on Recrystallized Annealed (RXA) Zircaloy-4 rods to characterize the combined diffusion and adsorption process. The hydrogen concentration distribution has been characterized using an inverse technique based on destructive analyses of the samples. This additional set of data was relevant for the validation of the hydrogen combined adsorption/diffusion modeling up to 420 C. degrees. (authors)

A simple approach to determine the diffusivity of americium in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, L.; Feng, X.; Liang, J.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, J.

2009-01-01

The diffusivities of the key radionuclides in host rock are important for the performance assessment of repositories. One of the conventional methods for determining the diffusivities of radionuclides is to grind the rock tablet layer by layer and then to measure the radioactivity remaining on the rock tablet before each grinding cycle. Since grinding hard rock samples, especially those with radioactivity, is very difficult, we developed a new approach to determine the diffusivity of americium in granite. The new approach mainly includes two parts: one is to measure the radioactivities from both sides of a rock disk sample by autoradiography with phosphor imaging technique; the other is to study the relationship between the radioactivities and the apparent diffusivity of americium in granite by computer modelling. Because the high contamination risk of grinding radioactive rock samples has been avoided, the new approach is much simpler than the conventional method. It may be a better choice of measuring the diffusivities of radionuclides in rock, especially for those laboratories in which grinding radioactive rock samples is inconvenient. (orig.)

Anisotropic Diffusion In Layered Argillaceous Rocks: A Case Study With Opalinus Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Loon, L.R.; Soler, J.; Mueller, W.; Bradbury, M.H.

2003-01-01

Anisotropic diffusion was studied in Opalinus Clay, a potential host rock for the disposal of spent fuel, vitrified high-level waste and intermediate-level waste. Diffusion parallel to the bedding was measured using a radial through-diffusion technique, while diffusion perpendicular to the bedding was measured using the classical (planar) through-diffusion method. The materials used were samples from Mont Terri (MT) and Benken (BE), respectively. Diffusion of Tritiated Water (HTO), parallel and perpendicular to the bedding, was studied under confining pressures of 7 MPa (MT) and 14 MPa (BE), respectively. The effective diffusion coefficient for diffusion parallel to the bedding, D e , was found to be 3.20(±0.26)x10 11 m 2 s -1 and for the Benken 5.39(±0.43)x10 -11 m 2 s-1 for the Mont Terri samples. The diffusion accessible porosity was ∼ 0.15(±0.02) in both cases. For diffusion perpendicular to the bedding, the effective diffusion coefficient was 5.44(±0.35)x10 -12 m 2 s-1 and 1.37(±0.08)x10 -11 m 2 s -1 for the Benken and Mont Terri samples, respectively. The diffusion accessible porosity was also ∼0.15(±0.02) in both cases. These first results indicate that diffusion parallel to bedding is larger than that perpendicular to the bedding by a factor of 4 to 6. This might be explained in terms of smaller path lengths (tortuosity) for species diffusing parallel to the fabric. (author)

Anisotropic Diffusion In Layered Argillaceous Rocks: A Case Study With Opalinus Clay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Loon, L.R.; Soler, J.; Mueller, W.; Bradbury, M.H

2003-03-01

Anisotropic diffusion was studied in Opalinus Clay, a potential host rock for the disposal of spent fuel, vitrified high-level waste and intermediate-level waste. Diffusion parallel to the bedding was measured using a radial through-diffusion technique, while diffusion perpendicular to the bedding was measured using the classical (planar) through-diffusion method. The materials used were samples from Mont Terri (MT) and Benken (BE), respectively. Diffusion of Tritiated Water (HTO), parallel and perpendicular to the bedding, was studied under confining pressures of 7 MPa (MT) and 14 MPa (BE), respectively. The effective diffusion coefficient for diffusion parallel to the bedding, D{sub e}, was found to be 3.20({+-}0.26)x10{sup 11} m{sup 2}s{sup -1} and for the Benken 5.39({+-}0.43)x10{sup -11} m{sup 2}s-1 for the Mont Terri samples. The diffusion accessible porosity was {approx} 0.15({+-}0.02) in both cases. For diffusion perpendicular to the bedding, the effective diffusion coefficient was 5.44({+-}0.35)x10{sup -12} m{sup 2}s-1 and 1.37({+-}0.08)x10{sup -11} m{sup 2}s{sup -1} for the Benken and Mont Terri samples, respectively. The diffusion accessible porosity was also {approx}0.15({+-}0.02) in both cases. These first results indicate that diffusion parallel to bedding is larger than that perpendicular to the bedding by a factor of 4 to 6. This might be explained in terms of smaller path lengths (tortuosity) for species diffusing parallel to the fabric. (author)

A laboratory flow reactor with gas particle separation and on-line MS/MS for product identification in atmospherically important reactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. F. Bennett

2009-12-01

Full Text Available A system to study the gas and particle phase products from gas phase hydrocarbon oxidation is described. It consists of a gas phase photochemical flow reactor followed by a diffusion membrane denuder to remove gases from the reacted products, or a filter to remove the particles. Chemical analysis is performed by an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. A diffusion membrane denuder is shown to remove trace gases to below detectable limits so the particle phase can be studied. The system was tested by examining the products of the oxidation of m-xylene initiated by HO radicals. Dimethylphenol was observed in both the gas and particle phases although individual isomers could not be identified. Two furanone isomers, 5-methyl-2(3Hfuranone and 3-methyl-2(5Hfuranone were identified in the particulate phase, but the isobaric product 2,5 furandione was not observed. One isomer of dimethyl-nitrophenol was identified in the particle phase but not in the gas phase.

The solubility and diffusion coefficient of helium in uranium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Kunihisa; Serizawa, Hiroyuki; Shirasu, Noriko; Haga, Yoshinori; Arai, Yasuo

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► The solubility and diffusivity of He in single-crystal UO 2 were determined. ► The determined He solubility lay within the scatter of the available data. ► The determined He diffusivity was in good agreement with recent experimental data. ► The He behavior was analyzed in terms of a simple interstitial diffusion mechanism. ► The experimental diffusivity was much lower than that analyzed theoretically. - Abstract: The solubility and diffusion coefficient of helium in the single-crystal UO 2 samples were determined by a Knudsen-effusion mass-spectrometric method. The measured helium solubilities were found to lie within the scatter of the available data, but to be much lower than those for the polycrystalline samples. The diffusion analysis was conducted based on a hypothetical equivalent sphere model and the simple Fick’s law. The helium diffusion coefficient was determined by using the pre-exponential factor and activation energy as the fitting parameters for the measured and calculated fractional releases of helium. The optimized diffusion coefficients were in good agreement with those obtained by a nuclear reaction method reported in the past. It was also found that the pre-exponential factors of the determined diffusion coefficients were much lower than those analyzed in terms of a simple interstitial diffusion mechanism.

Studies about diffusion through grain boundary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allevato, C.E.

1983-01-01

Samples with layers of gold-silver and silver-chromium were deposited in high vacuum (10 -5 -10 -6 Torr) on glass and sodium chloride substrates. After deposition, these films were annealed at different temperatures and analysed by Rutherford Backscattering, Auger Spesctroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy. A simulated convolution was done using a computer in order to evalute the precision of the particle detector employed in the backscattering. The concentration profiles used to determine the diffusion coefficient were obtained by Auger electron spectroscopy. This technique demanded a study of sputtering rate to convert time of sputtering in thickness. This rate was determined by two methods. Analyses of the samples of silver-chromium, heated up to 250 0 C, by transmission electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy, indicated the presence of oxide in small isolated regions, as crystallites. Values of the diffusion coefficient and activation energy related to the diffusion through the volume and by the grain boundary were determined by Suzuoka's method. The system Ag/Cr, due to its high grain boundary density, led to an increase of the diffusion coefficient so that this coefficient and the activation energy were obtained only from the grain boundary. (Author) [pt

Diffusion and surface alloying of gradient nanostructured metals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenbo Wang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Gradient nanostructures (GNSs have been optimized in recent years for desired performance. The diffusion behavior in GNS metals is crucial for understanding the diffusion mechanism and relative characteristics of different interfaces that provide fundamental understanding for advancing the traditional surface alloying processes. In this paper, atomic diffusion, reactive diffusion, and surface alloying processes are reviewed for various metals with a preformed GNS surface layer. We emphasize the promoted atomic diffusion and reactive diffusion in the GNS surface layer that are related to a higher interfacial energy state with respect to those in relaxed coarse-grained samples. Accordingly, different surface alloying processes, such as nitriding and chromizing, have been modified significantly, and some diffusion-related properties have been enhanced. Finally, the perspectives on current research in this field are discussed.

Massively parallel diffuse optical tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandusky, John V.; Pitts, Todd A.

2017-09-05

Diffuse optical tomography systems and methods are described herein. In a general embodiment, the diffuse optical tomography system comprises a plurality of sensor heads, the plurality of sensor heads comprising respective optical emitter systems and respective sensor systems. A sensor head in the plurality of sensors heads is caused to act as an illuminator, such that its optical emitter system transmits a transillumination beam towards a portion of a sample. Other sensor heads in the plurality of sensor heads act as observers, detecting portions of the transillumination beam that radiate from the sample in the fields of view of the respective sensory systems of the other sensor heads. Thus, sensor heads in the plurality of sensors heads generate sensor data in parallel.

Production of a table of diffusion of light at small angles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desert, Sylvain

2001-01-01

This thesis reports the development of an optical table for the analysis, in absolute unit, of the light diffused by samples in air within an angle range from 1 to 25 degrees, by using a 16 bit Ccd camera. In this installation, a sample is located in a parallelepiped vessel where it is illuminated by a laser beam, and the power of this laser is controlled by means of a polarizer system. A lens is placed behind the sample, and the sensor (a Ccd camera) behind its focal point. After some generalities about light diffusion (Van de Huist criterion, Rayleigh diffusion, Mie theory), the author presents the different components of the experimental set-up, reports its calibration and the measurement of its performance (linearity, dynamics and detectability, angular range and resolution). He describes how a diffusion measurement is performed: experimental protocol, data processing, experimental limitations. He reports the application to light diffusion by latexes [fr

Fractional Diffusion Equations and Anomalous Diffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Evangelista, Luiz Roberto; Kaminski Lenzi, Ervin

2018-01-01

Preface; 1. Mathematical preliminaries; 2. A survey of the fractional calculus; 3. From normal to anomalous diffusion; 4. Fractional diffusion equations: elementary applications; 5. Fractional diffusion equations: surface effects; 6. Fractional nonlinear diffusion equation; 7. Anomalous diffusion: anisotropic case; 8. Fractional Schrödinger equations; 9. Anomalous diffusion and impedance spectroscopy; 10. The Poisson–Nernst–Planck anomalous (PNPA) models; References; Index.

Thermal diffusivity measurement by lock-in photothermal shadowgraph method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cifuentes, A. [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Unidad Legaria, Ciudad de México 11500 (Mexico); Departamento de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Alvarado, S. [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Unidad Legaria, Ciudad de México 11500 (Mexico); Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, Heverlee B-3001 (Belgium); Cabrera, H. [Centro Multidisciplinario de Ciencias, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, IVIC, Mérida 5101, Venezuela and SPIE-ICTP Anchor Research in Optics Program Lab, International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Strada Costiera 11, Trieste (Italy); Calderón, A.; Marín, E., E-mail: emarinm@ipn.mx [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Unidad Legaria, Ciudad de México 11500 (Mexico)

2016-04-28

Here, we present a novel application of the shadowgraph technique for obtaining the thermal diffusivity of an opaque solid sample, inspired by the orthogonal skimming photothermal beam deflection technique. This new variant utilizes the shadow projected by the sample when put against a collimated light source. The sample is then heated periodically by another light beam, giving rise to thermal waves, which propagate across it and through its surroundings. Changes in the refractive index of the surrounding media due to the heating distort the shadow. This phenomenon is recorded and lock-in amplified in order to determine the sample's thermal diffusivity.

Diffusion of insoluble carbon in zirconium oxides

CERN Document Server

Vykhodets, V B; Koester, U; Kondrat'ev, V V; Kesarev, A G; Hulsen, C; Kurennykh, T E

2011-01-01

The diffusion coefficient of insoluble carbon in zirconium oxides has been obtained for the temperature range of 900-1000A degrees C. There are no published data on the diffusion of insoluble impurities; these data are of current interest for the diffusion theory and nuclear technologies. Tracer atoms 13C have been introduced into oxides by means of ion implantation and the kinetics of their emission from the samples in the process of annealing in air has been analyzed. The measurements have been performed using the methods of nuclear microanalysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The diffusion activation energy is 2.7 eV and the carbon diffusion coefficient is about six orders of magnitude smaller than that for oxygen self-diffusion in the same systems. This result indicates the strong anomaly of the diffusion properties of carbon in oxides. As a result, zirconium oxides cannot be used in some nuclear technologies, in particular, as a material of sources for accelerators of short-lived carbon isotopes.

THE DETERMINATION OF DIFFUSION COEFFICIENT OF INVERT MATERIALS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

P. Heller and J. Wright

2000-01-01

The Engineered Barrier System (EBS) Testing Department is performing tests in the Department of Energy's Atlas Facility to evaluate the performance of various means for increasing the time for breakthrough of radionuclides from the waste package to the base of the invert. This includes testing various barriers in the invert as a means of increasing breakthrough time through the process of diffusion. A diffusion barrier may serve as an invert material for the emplacement drifts. The invert material may consist of crushed tuff from the repository excavation at Yucca Mountain or silica sand. The objective of this report is to determine the diffusion coefficient of the crushed tuff and silica sand invert materials specified by the EBS Testing Department. The laboratory derived information from the testing was used in the Nernst-Einstein equation (Jurinak et al. 1987, p. 626) to determine the diffusion coefficient of the invert material. This report transmits the results and describes the methodology and interpretation. The scope of this report is to determine the diffusion coefficients of the invert materials mentioned above using the centrifuge at UFA Ventures. Standard laboratory procedures, described in Section 2 of this report, were used. The diffusion coefficients are to be determined over a range of moisture contents. The report contains the diffusion coefficients calculated by the Nernst-Einstein equation (Jurinak et al. 1987, p. 626) that become a part of the Technical Database. Raw data is also included in the report, however this data does not become part of the Technical Database as per Section 3.23 of AP-SIII.3Q ''Submittal and Incorporation of Data to the Technical Data Management System''. A sieve analysis of the samples was not conducted as part of this report, but sieve analysis may be accomplished as part of other reports. Two samples of crushed tuff and two samples of silica sand were tested

Phylogeography by diffusion on a sphere: whole world phylogeography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Remco Bouckaert

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Techniques for reconstructing geographical history along a phylogeny can answer many questions of interest about the geographical origins of species. Bayesian models based on the assumption that taxa move through a diffusion process have found many applications. However, these methods rely on diffusion processes on a plane, and do not take the spherical nature of our planet in account. Performing an analysis that covers the whole world thus does not take in account the distortions caused by projections like the Mercator projection. Results In this paper, we introduce a Bayesian phylogeographical method based on diffusion on a sphere. When the area where taxa are sampled from is small, a sphere can be approximated by a plane and the model results in the same inferences as with models using diffusion on a plane. For taxa sampled from the whole world, we obtain substantial differences. We present an efficient algorithm for performing inference in a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC algorithm, and show applications to small and large samples areas. We compare results between planar and spherical diffusion in a simulation study and apply the method by inferring the origin of Hepatitis B based on sequences sampled from Eurasia and Africa. Conclusions We describe a framework for performing phylogeographical inference, which is suitable when the distortion introduced by map projections is large, but works well on a smaller scale as well. The framework allows sampling tips from regions, which is useful when the exact sample location is unknown, and placing prior information on locations of clades in the tree. The method is implemented in the GEO_SPHERE package in BEAST 2, which is open source licensed under LGPL and allows joint tree and geography inference under a wide range of models.

Comparison of Experimental Methods for Estimating Matrix Diffusion Coefficients for Contaminant Transport Modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Telfeyan, Katherine Christina [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ware, Stuart Douglas [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Reimus, Paul William [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Birdsell, Kay Hanson [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-11-06

Diffusion cell and diffusion wafer experiments were conducted to compare methods for estimating matrix diffusion coefficients in rock core samples from Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site (NNSS). A diffusion wafer method, in which a solute diffuses out of a rock matrix that is pre-saturated with water containing the solute, is presented as a simpler alternative to the traditional through-diffusion (diffusion cell) method. Both methods yielded estimates of matrix diffusion coefficients that were within the range of values previously reported for NNSS volcanic rocks. The difference between the estimates of the two methods ranged from 14 to 30%, and there was no systematic high or low bias of one method relative to the other. From a transport modeling perspective, these differences are relatively minor when one considers that other variables (e.g., fracture apertures, fracture spacings) influence matrix diffusion to a greater degree and tend to have greater uncertainty than diffusion coefficients. For the same relative random errors in concentration measurements, the diffusion cell method yields diffusion coefficient estimates that have less uncertainty than the wafer method. However, the wafer method is easier and less costly to implement and yields estimates more quickly, thus allowing a greater number of samples to be analyzed for the same cost and time. Given the relatively good agreement between the methods, and the lack of any apparent bias between the methods, the diffusion wafer method appears to offer advantages over the diffusion cell method if better statistical representation of a given set of rock samples is desired.

Comparison of experimental methods for estimating matrix diffusion coefficients for contaminant transport modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Telfeyan, Katherine; Ware, S. Doug; Reimus, Paul W.; Birdsell, Kay H.

2018-02-01

Diffusion cell and diffusion wafer experiments were conducted to compare methods for estimating effective matrix diffusion coefficients in rock core samples from Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site (NNSS). A diffusion wafer method, in which a solute diffuses out of a rock matrix that is pre-saturated with water containing the solute, is presented as a simpler alternative to the traditional through-diffusion (diffusion cell) method. Both methods yielded estimates of effective matrix diffusion coefficients that were within the range of values previously reported for NNSS volcanic rocks. The difference between the estimates of the two methods ranged from 14 to 30%, and there was no systematic high or low bias of one method relative to the other. From a transport modeling perspective, these differences are relatively minor when one considers that other variables (e.g., fracture apertures, fracture spacings) influence matrix diffusion to a greater degree and tend to have greater uncertainty than effective matrix diffusion coefficients. For the same relative random errors in concentration measurements, the diffusion cell method yields effective matrix diffusion coefficient estimates that have less uncertainty than the wafer method. However, the wafer method is easier and less costly to implement and yields estimates more quickly, thus allowing a greater number of samples to be analyzed for the same cost and time. Given the relatively good agreement between the methods, and the lack of any apparent bias between the methods, the diffusion wafer method appears to offer advantages over the diffusion cell method if better statistical representation of a given set of rock samples is desired.

The effect of thickness in the through-diffusion experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehikoinen, J.; Uusheimo, K.; Valkiainen, M.

1994-01-01

The publication contains an experimental study of diffusion in the water filled pores of rock samples. The samples studied are rapakivi granite from Loviisa, southern Finland. The drill-core sample was sectioned perpendicularly with diamond saw and three cylinder formed samples were obtained. The nominal thicknesses (heights of the cylinders) are 2, 4 and 6 cm. For the diffusion measurement the sample holders were pressed between two chambers. One of the chambers was filled with 0.0044 molar sodium chloride solution spiked with tracers. Another chamber was filled with inactive solution. Tritium (HTO) considered to be water equivalent tracer and anionic 36 Cl were used as tracers. (9 refs., 19 figs., 2 tabs.)

Diffusion coefficients of tracers in glassy polymer systems prepared by gamma radiolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonge, M.P.; Gilbert, R.G.

1996-01-01

Diffusion-controlled reactions are common in free radical polymerisation reactions, especially in glassy polymer matrices. Such reactions commonly have an important influence on the polymerisation process and final polymer properties. For example, the dominant growth-stopping event (bimolecular termination) is generally diffusion-controlled. In glassy polymer systems, where molecular mobility is very low, the chain growth mechanism (propagation) may become diffusion-controlled. At present, the mechanism for propagation in glassy polymers is poorly understood, but it is expected by the Smoluchowski expression applied to propagation to depend strongly on the diffusion coefficient of monomer. The objective of this study is to measure reliable diffusion coefficients of small tracer molecules in glassy polymers, and compare these with propagation rate coefficients in similar systems, by the prediction above. Samples were initially prepared in a sealed sampled cell containing monomer, inert diluent, and tracer dye. After irradiation for several days, complete conversion of monomer to polymer can be obtained. The diffusion coefficients for two tracer dyes have been measured as a function of weight fraction polymer glassy poly(methyl methacrylate) samples

Improved backward ray tracing with stochastic sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Seung Taek; Yoon, Kyung-Hyun

1999-03-01

This paper presents a new technique that enhances the diffuse interreflection with the concepts of backward ray tracing. In this research, we have modeled the diffuse rays with the following conditions. First, as the reflection from the diffuse surfaces occurs in all directions, it is impossible to trace all of the reflected rays. We confined the diffuse rays by sampling the spherical angle out of the reflected rays around the normal vector. Second, the traveled distance of reflected energy from the diffuse surface differs according to the object's property, and has a comparatively short reflection distance. Considering the fact that the rays created on the diffuse surfaces affect relatively small area, it is very inefficient to trace all of the sampled diffused rays. Therefore, we set a fixed distance as the critical distance and all the rays beyond this distance are ignored. The result of this research is that as the improved backward ray tracing can model the illumination effects such as the color bleeding effects, we can replace the radiosity algorithm under the limited environment.

Diffusion of tritiated water in coastal areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, M.; Kasai, A.; Imai, T.; Amano, H.; Yanase, N.

1980-01-01

The diffusion of tritiated water discharged by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute at shore line has been investigated. In continuous discharge, the concentration of tritiated water in samples taken at a point downstream fluctuates largely. To reveal the cause, dye diffusion experiments were made in the coastal area. The shapes of dye cloud were photographed by a remote-control camera suspended from a captive balloon as color pictures. The movement of dye is so complex that a three-dimensional model must be employed to assess the diffusion in coastal areas

Thermal Diffusivity in Bone and Hydroxyapatite

Science.gov (United States)

Calderón, A.; Peña Rodríguez, G.; Muñoz Hernández, R. A.; Díaz Gongora, J. A. I.; Mejia Barradas, C. M.

2004-09-01

We report thermal diffusivity measurements in bull bone and commercial hydroxyapatite (HA), both in powder form, in order to determinate the thermal compatibility between these materials. Besides this, we report a comparison between these measured values and those of metallic samples frequently used in implants, as high purity titanium and stainless steel. Our results show a good thermal compatibility (74%) between HA and bone, both in powder form. Finally, it was obtained a one order of magnitude difference between the thermal diffusivity values of metallic samples and those corresponding values to bone and HA being this difference greater in titanium than in stainless steel, which is important to consider in some biomedical and dental applications.

Quantifying the influence of sediment source area sampling on detrital thermochronometer data

Science.gov (United States)

Whipp, D. M., Jr.; Ehlers, T. A.; Coutand, I.; Bookhagen, B.

2014-12-01

Detrital thermochronology offers a unique advantage over traditional bedrock thermochronology because of its sensitivity to sediment production and transportation to sample sites. In mountainous regions, modern fluvial sediment is often collected and dated to determine the past (105 to >107 year) exhumation history of the upstream drainage area. Though potentially powerful, the interpretation of detrital thermochronometer data derived from modern fluvial sediment is challenging because of spatial and temporal variations in sediment production and transport, and target mineral concentrations. Thermochronometer age prediction models provide a quantitative basis for data interpretation, but it can be difficult to separate variations in catchment bedrock ages from the effects of variable basin denudation and sediment transport. We present two examples of quantitative data interpretation using detrital thermochronometer data from the Himalaya, focusing on the influence of spatial and temporal variations in basin denudation on predicted age distributions. We combine age predictions from the 3D thermokinematic numerical model Pecube with simple models for sediment sampling in the upstream drainage basin area to assess the influence of variations in sediment production by different geomorphic processes or scaled by topographic metrics. We first consider a small catchment from the central Himalaya where bedrock landsliding appears to have affected the observed muscovite 40Ar/39Ar age distributions. Using a simple model of random landsliding with a power-law landslide frequency-area relationship we find that the sediment residence time in the catchment has a major influence on predicted age distributions. In the second case, we compare observed detrital apatite fission-track age distributions from 16 catchments in the Bhutan Himalaya to ages predicted using Pecube and scaled by various topographic metrics. Preliminary results suggest that predicted age distributions scaled

Improved diffusion technique for 15N:14N analysis of ammonium and nitrate from aqueous samples by stable isotope spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goerges, T.; Dittert, K.

1998-01-01

Nitrogen (N) isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) by Dumas combustion and continuous flow mass spectrometry has become a wide-spread tool for the studies of N turnover. The speed and labor efficiency of 15N determinations from aqueous solutions such as soil solutions or soil extracts are often limited by sample preparation. Several procedures for the conversion of dissolved ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate NO3- to gaseous ammonia and its subsequent trapping in acidified traps have been elaborated in the last decades. They are based on the use of acidified filters kept either above the respective solution or in floating PTFE envelopes. In this paper, we present an improved diffusion method with a fixed PTFE trap. The diffusion containers are continuously kept in a vertical rotary shaker. Quantitative diffusion can thus be achieved in only three days. For solutions with NH4+ levels of only 1 mg N kg-1 and NO3- concentrations of 12 mg N kg-1, recovery rates of 98.8-102% were obtained. By addition of 15N labeled and non-labeled NH4+ and NO3- it was shown that no cross-contamination from NH4+ to NO3- or vice versa takes place even when one form is labeled to more than 1 at %15N while the other form has natural 15N content. The method requires no intermediate step of ammonia volatilization before NO3- conversion

Experimental study of radon and thoron diffusion through barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durcik, M; Havlik, F [Inst. of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, 83301 Bratislava (Slovakia)

1996-12-31

The measurement results of diffusion parameters for radon (radon-222) and thoron (radon-220) through barriers, experimental equipment and theoretical background of diffusion are presented in this paper. The diffusion barriers are used for measuring radon and thoron by passive detectors in order to test the reduction techniques in houses. Six samples (filter paper, rubber, polyethylene, glass laminate, polypropylene) were studied for radon diffusion. The thickness barriers were from 0.012 mm to 2 mm, the diffusion area was 16 cm{sup 2} and the volume V{sub 2} was 30 dm{sup 3}. The diffusion constants D were obtained using given expressions and the data from measurements. The procedures used in experiments are useful for study of diffusion ability of radon and thoron in barriers and determination diffusion parameters from short term measurements. (J.K.). 2 figs., 1 tab., 3 refs.

Experimental study of radon and thoron diffusion through barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durcik, M.; Havlik, F.

1995-01-01

The measurement results of diffusion parameters for radon (radon-222) and thoron (radon-220) through barriers, experimental equipment and theoretical background of diffusion are presented in this paper. The diffusion barriers are used for measuring radon and thoron by passive detectors in order to test the reduction techniques in houses. Six samples (filter paper, rubber, polyethylene, glass laminate, polypropylene) were studied for radon diffusion. The thickness barriers were from 0.012 mm to 2 mm, the diffusion area was 16 cm 2 and the volume V 2 was 30 dm 3 . The diffusion constants D were obtained using given expressions and the data from measurements. The procedures used in experiments are useful for study of diffusion ability of radon and thoron in barriers and determination diffusion parameters from short term measurements. (J.K.). 2 figs., 1 tab., 3 refs

Diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubaschewski, O.

1983-01-01

The diffusion rate values of titanium, its compounds and alloys are summarized and tabulated. The individual chemical diffusion coefficients and self-diffusion coefficients of certain isotopes are given. Experimental methods are listed which were used for the determination of diffusion coefficients. Some values have been taken over from other studies. Also given are graphs showing the temperature dependences of diffusion and changes in the diffusion coefficient with concentration changes

Insights into cadmium diffusion mechanisms in two-stage diffusion profiles in solar-grade Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biderman, N. J.; Sundaramoorthy, R.; Haldar, Pradeep; Novak, Steven W.; Lloyd, J. R.

2015-01-01

Cadmium diffusion experiments were performed on polished copper indium gallium diselenide (Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 or CIGS) samples with resulting cadmium diffusion profiles measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. Experiments done in the annealing temperature range between 275 °C and 425 °C reveal two-stage cadmium diffusion profiles which may be indicative of multiple diffusion mechanisms. Each stage can be described by the standard solutions of Fick's second law. The slower cadmium diffusion in the first stage can be described by the Arrhenius equation D 1  = 3 × 10 −4  exp (− 1.53 eV/k B T) cm 2  s −1 , possibly representing vacancy-meditated diffusion. The faster second-stage diffusion coefficients determined in these experiments match the previously reported cadmium diffusion Arrhenius equation of D 2  = 4.8 × 10 −4  exp (−1.04 eV/k B T) cm 2  s −1 , suggesting an interstitial-based mechanism

Miocene denudation history of Himalaya deduced from IODP Exp. 354 Bengal Fan

Science.gov (United States)

Kohki, Y.; Cruz, J. W.; Osaki, A.; Manoj, M. C.; Hatano, N.; France-Lanord, C.; Spiess, V.; Klaus, A.

2017-12-01

The submarine Bengal Fan is the largest submarine fan on Earth and covers the whole Bay of Bengal. The sediments are fed by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers reflecting India-Asia plate collision. The sediments recovered from IODP Expedition 354 Bengal Fan record the uplift history of the Himalayan orogenic system. We examined the chemical composition of detrital garnets in the Miocene deposits from Site U1451, where drilling reached to basal horizon of the fan deposits, in order to reveal the detailed denudation history of Himalayan metamorphic rocks. For this purpose, the comparison of chemical composition between detrital garnet in the Bengal Fan deposits and metamorphic garnet in Himalayan metamorphic rocks was carried out. The chemical composition of the metamorphic garnet from Higher Himalayan Crystalline (HHC) in Karnali and Kaligandaki areas, western Nepal, was examined for chemical reference to detrital garnets in Bengal Fan. The metamorphic garnets in "Formation I (Le Fort, 1975)" in HHC are characterized by almandine-rich garnet with high pyrope content. Also, the garnets in "Formation II" are remarked by two types of garnets, i.e., almandine-rich and grandite-rich garnets. Meanwhile, the composition of garnets in "Formation III" is almandine-rich garnet with low pyrope content. In the Bengal Fan deposits, the characteristic garnets, which show the similarity to the metamorphic garnet in HHC, is not found from the Lower Miocene (Burdigalian) deposits. In the Middle and Upper Miocene deposits, the almandine-rich garnets characteristic in Formation I, are normally included. At the basal part of the Middle Miocene (Langhian), almandine-rich garnets with low pyrope content, suggesting the derivation from Formation III, are remarkable. The grandite-rich garnets from Formation II are sporadically found In the Upper Miocene deposits (Tortonian-Messinian). Above chemical comparison between the detrital garnets in Bengal Fan and metamorphic garnets from HHC

Molecular exchange of n-hexane in zeolite sieves studied by diffusion-diffusion and T{sub 1}-diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance exchange spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neudert, Oliver; Stapf, Siegfried; Mattea, Carlos, E-mail: carlos.mattea@tu-ilmenau.de [Fachgebiet Technische Physik II/Polymerphysik, Institute of Physics, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, PO Box 100 565, 98684 Ilmenau (Germany)

2011-03-15

Molecular exchange properties and diffusion of n-hexane embedded in a bimodal pore structure with characteristic length scales in the order of nano and micrometres, respectively, formed by packing of zeolite particles, are studied. Two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) diffusion correlation experiments together with relaxation-diffusion correlation experiments are performed at low magnetic field using a single-sided NMR scanner. The exchange time covers a range from 10{sup -3} to 10{sup -1} s. The molecular exchange properties are modulated by transport inside the zeolite particles. Different exchange regimes are observed for molecules starting from different positions inside the porous sample. The influence of the spin-lattice relaxation properties of the fluid molecules inside the zeolite particles on the signal intensity is also studied. A Monte Carlo simulation of the exchange process is performed and is used to support the analysis of the experimental data.

Wet effluent diffusion technique and determination of C1-C5 alcohols in air

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sklenská, Jana; Pařízek, Petr; Večeřa, Zbyněk

2001-01-01

Roč. 8, č. 1 (2001), s. 121-127 ISSN 1231-7098 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/98/0943 Grant - others:COPERNICUS(BE) SUB-AERO EVK2-1999-000327 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4031919 Keywords : wet effluent difussion denuder * determination * air Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation

Inter-diffusion study of rhodium and tantalum by RBS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuttens, V.E.; Hubert, R.L.; Bodart, F.; Lucas, S.

2005-01-01

The inter-diffusion of rhodium and tantalum has been studied with the goal of synthesizing an alloy acting as a diffusion barrier for high temperature applications. Rh/Ta sandwiched samples were annealed in vacuum at temperature ranging from 800 to 900 deg. C and from 1000 to 1075 deg. C. The diffusion profiles were obtained by RBS. They suggest the formation of two clearly different phases in each temperature range considered

Passive sampling of DDT, DDE and DDD in sediments: accounting for degradation processes with reaction-diffusion modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Tcaciuc, A Patricia; Borrelli, Raffaella; Zaninetta, Luciano M; Gschwend, Philip M

2018-01-24

Passive sampling is becoming a widely used tool for assessing freely dissolved concentrations of hydrophobic organic contaminants in environmental media. For certain media and target analytes, the time to reach equilibrium exceeds the deployment time, and in such cases, the loss of performance reference compounds (PRCs), loaded in the sampler before deployment, is one of the common ways used to assess the fractional equilibration of target analytes. The key assumption behind the use of PRCs is that their release is solely diffusion driven. But in this work, we show that PRC transformations in the sediment can have a measurable impact on the PRC releases and even allow estimation of that compound's transformation rate in the environment of interest. We found that in both field and lab incubations, the loss of the 13 C 2,4'-DDT PRC from a polyethylene (PE) passive sampler deployed at the sediment-water interface was accelerated compared to the loss of other PRCs ( 13 C-labeled PCBs, 13 C-labeled DDE and DDD). The DDT PRC loss was also accompanied by accumulation in the PE of its degradation product, 13 C 2,4'-DDD. Using a 1D reaction-diffusion model, we deduced the in situ degradation rates of DDT from the measured PRC loss. The in situ degradation rates increased with depth into the sediment bed (0.14 d -1 at 0-10 cm and 1.4 d -1 at 30-40 cm) and although they could not be independently validated, these rates compared favorably with literature values. This work shows that passive sampling users should be cautious when choosing PRCs, as degradation processes can affect some PRC's releases from the passive sampler. More importantly, this work opens up the opportunity for novel applications of passive samplers, particularly with regard to investigating in situ degradation rates, pathways, and products for both legacy and emerging contaminants. However, further work is needed to confirm that the rates deduced from model fitting of PRC loss are a true reflection of DDT

Scanning, non-contact, hybrid broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy system.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Johannes D; Mireles, Miguel; Morales-Dalmau, Jordi; Farzam, Parisa; Martínez-Lozano, Mar; Casanovas, Oriol; Durduran, Turgut

2016-02-01

A scanning system for small animal imaging using non-contact, hybrid broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy (ncDOS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (ncDCS) is presented. The ncDOS uses a two-dimensional spectrophotometer retrieving broadband (610-900 nm) spectral information from up to fifty-seven source-detector distances between 2 and 5 mm. The ncDCS data is simultaneously acquired from four source-detector pairs. The sample is scanned in two dimensions while tracking variations in height. The system has been validated with liquid phantoms, demonstrated in vivo on a human fingertip during an arm cuff occlusion and on a group of mice with xenoimplanted renal cell carcinoma.

Diffusion and adhesion properties of Cu films on polyimide substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, T.X.; Liu, Y.Q.; Fu, Z.Q.; Luo, T.Y.; Zhang, K.Y.

2005-01-01

Copper thin films were prepared on polyimide (PI) substrates by physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Titanium nitride (TiN) diffusion barrier layers were deposited between the copper films and the PI substrates by PVD. Auger electron spectroscopy compositional depth profile showed that TiN barrier layer was very effective in preventing copper diffusion into PI substrate even after the Cu/TiN/PI samples were annealed at 300 deg. C for 5 h. For the as-deposited CVD-Cu/PI, CVD-Cu/TiN/PI, and as-deposited PVD-Cu/PI samples, the residual stress in Cu films was very small. Relatively larger residual stress existed in Cu films for PVD-Cu/TiN/PI samples. For PVD-Cu/TiN/PI samples, annealing can increase the peeling strength to the level observed without a diffusion barrier. The adhesion improvement of Cu films by annealing treatment can be attributed to lowering of the residual tensile stress in Cu films

Diffusion archeology for diffusion progression history reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sefer, Emre; Kingsford, Carl

2016-11-01

Diffusion through graphs can be used to model many real-world processes, such as the spread of diseases, social network memes, computer viruses, or water contaminants. Often, a real-world diffusion cannot be directly observed while it is occurring - perhaps it is not noticed until some time has passed, continuous monitoring is too costly, or privacy concerns limit data access. This leads to the need to reconstruct how the present state of the diffusion came to be from partial diffusion data. Here, we tackle the problem of reconstructing a diffusion history from one or more snapshots of the diffusion state. This ability can be invaluable to learn when certain computer nodes are infected or which people are the initial disease spreaders to control future diffusions. We formulate this problem over discrete-time SEIRS-type diffusion models in terms of maximum likelihood. We design methods that are based on submodularity and a novel prize-collecting dominating-set vertex cover (PCDSVC) relaxation that can identify likely diffusion steps with some provable performance guarantees. Our methods are the first to be able to reconstruct complete diffusion histories accurately in real and simulated situations. As a special case, they can also identify the initial spreaders better than the existing methods for that problem. Our results for both meme and contaminant diffusion show that the partial diffusion data problem can be overcome with proper modeling and methods, and that hidden temporal characteristics of diffusion can be predicted from limited data.

Chlorine diffusion in uranium dioxide under heavy ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pipon, Y.; Bererd, N.; Moncoffre, N.; Peaucelle, C.; Toulhoat, N.; Jaffrezic, H.; Raimbault, L.; Sainsot, P.; Carlot, G.

2007-01-01

The radiation enhanced diffusion of chlorine in UO 2 during heavy ion irradiation is studied. In order to simulate the behaviour of 36 Cl, present as an impurity in UO 2 , 37 Cl has been implanted into the samples (projected range 200 nm). The samples were then irradiated with 63.5 MeV 127 I at two fluxes and two temperatures and the chlorine distribution was analyzed by SIMS. The results show that, during irradiation, the diffusion of the implanted chlorine is enhanced and slightly athermal with respect to pure thermal diffusion. A chlorine gain of 10% accumulating near the surface has been observed at 510 K. This corresponds to the displacement of pristine chlorine from a region of maximum defect concentration. This behaviour and the mean value of the apparent diffusion coefficient found for the implanted chlorine, around 2.5 x 10 -14 cm 2 s -1 , reflect the high mobility of chlorine in UO 2 during irradiation with fission products

Chlorine diffusion in uranium dioxide under heavy ion irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Pipon, Y.; Bérerd, N.; Moncoffre, N.; Peaucelle, C.; Toulhoat, N.; Jaffrézic, H.; Raimbault, L.; Sainsot, P.; Carlot, G.

2007-04-01

The radiation enhanced diffusion of chlorine in UO2 during heavy ion irradiation is studied. In order to simulate the behaviour of 36Cl, present as an impurity in UO2, 37Cl has been implanted into the samples (projected range 200 nm). The samples were then irradiated with 63.5 MeV 127I at two fluxes and two temperatures and the chlorine distribution was analyzed by SIMS. The results show that, during irradiation, the diffusion of the implanted chlorine is enhanced and slightly athermal with respect to pure thermal diffusion. A chlorine gain of 10% accumulating near the surface has been observed at 510 K. This corresponds to the displacement of pristine chlorine from a region of maximum defect concentration. This behaviour and the mean value of the apparent diffusion coefficient found for the implanted chlorine, around 2.5 × 10-14 cm2 s-1, reflect the high mobility of chlorine in UO2 during irradiation with fission products.

Contribution to the study of zirconium self-diffusion in zirconium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Chul

1972-01-01

The objective of this research thesis is to determine experimental conditions allowing the measurement of the self-diffusion coefficient of zirconium in zirconium carbide. The author reports the development of a method of preparation of zirconium carbide samples. He reports the use of ion implantation as technique to obtain a radio-tracer coating. The obtained results give evidence of the impossibility to use sintered samples with small grains because of the demonstrated importance of intergranular diffusion. The self-diffusion coefficient is obtained in the case of zirconium carbide with grains having a diameter of few millimetres. The presence of 95 Nb from the disintegration of 95 Zr indicates that these both metallic elements have very close diffusion coefficients at 2.600 C [fr

Diffusing diffusivity: Rotational diffusion in two and three dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Rohit; Sebastian, K. L.

2017-06-01

We consider the problem of calculating the probability distribution function (pdf) of angular displacement for rotational diffusion in a crowded, rearranging medium. We use the diffusing diffusivity model and following our previous work on translational diffusion [R. Jain and K. L. Sebastian, J. Phys. Chem. B 120, 3988 (2016)], we show that the problem can be reduced to that of calculating the survival probability of a particle undergoing Brownian motion, in the presence of a sink. We use the approach to calculate the pdf for the rotational motion in two and three dimensions. We also propose new dimensionless, time dependent parameters, αr o t ,2 D and αr o t ,3 D, which can be used to analyze the experimental/simulation data to find the extent of deviation from the normal behavior, i.e., constant diffusivity, and obtain explicit analytical expressions for them, within our model.

On copper diffusion in silicon measured by glow discharge mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Modanese, Chiara; Gaspar, Guilherme; Arnberg, Lars; Di Sabatino, Marisa

2014-11-01

Copper contamination occurs frequently in silicon for photovoltaic applications due to its very fast diffusion coupled with a low solid solubility, especially at room temperature. The combination of these properties exerts a challenge on the direct analysis of Cu bulk concentration in Si by sputtering techniques like glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS). This work aims at addressing the challenges in quantitative analysis of fast diffusing elements in Si matrix by GDMS. N-type, monocrystalline (Czochralski) silicon samples were intentionally contaminated with Cu after solidification and consequently annealed at 900 °C to ensure a homogeneous distribution of Cu in the bulk. The samples were quenched after annealing to control the extent of the diffusion to the surface prior to the GDMS analyses, which were carried out at different time intervals from within few minutes after cooling onward. The Cu profiles were measured by high-resolution GDMS operating in a continuous direct current mode, where the integration step length was set to ∼0.5 μm over a total sputtered depth of 8-30 μm. The temperature of the samples during the GDMS analyses was also measured in order to evaluate the diffusion. The Cu contamination of n-type Si samples was observed to be highly material dependent. The practical impact of Cu out-diffusion on the calculation of the relative sensitivity factor (RSF) of Cu in Si is discussed.

Laser-induced diffusion decomposition in Fe–V thin-film alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polushkin, N.I., E-mail: nipolushkin@fc.ul.pt [Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Instituto de Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais e Superfícies, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Duarte, A.C.; Conde, O. [Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Instituto de Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais e Superfícies, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Alves, E. [Associação Euratom/IST e Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Barradas, N.P. [Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 2695-066 Bobadela LRS (Portugal); García-García, A.; Kakazei, G.N.; Ventura, J.O.; Araujo, J.P. [Departamento de Física, Universidade do Porto e IFIMUP, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); Oliveira, V. [Instituto de Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais e Superfícies, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, 1959-007 Lisboa (Portugal); Vilar, R. [Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Instituto de Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais e Superfícies, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal)

2015-05-01

Highlights: • Irradiation of an Fe–V alloy by femtosecond laser triggers diffusion decomposition. • The decomposition occurs with strongly enhanced (∼4 orders) atomic diffusivity. • This anomaly is associated with the metallic glassy state achievable under laser quenching. • The ultrafast diffusion decomposition is responsible for laser-induced ferromagnetism. - Abstract: We investigate the origin of ferromagnetism induced in thin-film (∼20 nm) Fe–V alloys by their irradiation with subpicosecond laser pulses. We find with Rutherford backscattering that the magnetic modifications follow a thermally stimulated process of diffusion decomposition, with formation of a-few-nm-thick Fe enriched layer inside the film. Surprisingly, similar transformations in the samples were also found after their long-time (∼10{sup 3} s) thermal annealing. However, the laser action provides much higher diffusion coefficients (∼4 orders of magnitude) than those obtained under standard heat treatments. We get a hint that this ultrafast diffusion decomposition occurs in the metallic glassy state achievable in laser-quenched samples. This vitrification is thought to be a prerequisite for the laser-induced onset of ferromagnetism that we observe.

Measuring Restriction Sizes Using Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melanie Martin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This article reviews a new concept in magnetic resonance as applied to cellular and biological systems. Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging can be used to infer information about restriction sizes of samples being measured. The measurements rely on the apparent diffusion coefficient changing with diffusion times as measurements move from restricted to free diffusion regimes. Pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE measurements are limited in the ability to shorten diffusion times and thus are limited in restriction sizes which can be probed. Oscillating gradient spin echo (OGSE measurements could provide shorter diffusion times so smaller restriction sizes could be probed.

Diffusion Driven Combustion Waves in Porous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Aldushin, A. P.; Matkowsky, B. J.

2000-01-01

Filtration of gas containing oxidizer, to the reaction zone in a porous medium, due, e.g., to a buoyancy force or to an external pressure gradient, leads to the propagation of Filtration combustion (FC) waves. The exothermic reaction occurs between the fuel component of the solid matrix and the oxidizer. In this paper, we analyze the ability of a reaction wave to propagate in a porous medium without the aid of filtration. We find that one possible mechanism of propagation is that the wave is driven by diffusion of oxidizer from the environment. The solution of the combustion problem describing diffusion driven waves is similar to the solution of the Stefan problem describing the propagation of phase transition waves, in that the temperature on the interface between the burned and unburned regions is constant, the combustion wave is described by a similarity solution which is a function of the similarity variable x/square root of(t) and the wave velocity decays as 1/square root of(t). The difference between the two problems is that in the combustion problem the temperature is not prescribed, but rather, is determined as part of the solution. We will show that the length of samples in which such self-sustained combustion waves can occur, must exceed a critical value which strongly depends on the combustion temperature T(sub b). Smaller values of T(sub b) require longer sample lengths for diffusion driven combustion waves to exist. Because of their relatively small velocity, diffusion driven waves are considered to be relevant for the case of low heat losses, which occur for large diameter samples or in microgravity conditions, Another possible mechanism of porous medium combustion describes waves which propagate by consuming the oxidizer initially stored in the pores of the sample. This occurs for abnormally high pressure and gas density. In this case, uniformly propagating planar waves, which are kinetically controlled, can propagate, Diffusion of oxidizer decreases

Orientationally invariant metrics of apparent compartment eccentricity from double pulsed field gradient diffusion experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, Sune Nørhøj; Lundell, Henrik; Sønderby, Casper Kaae

2013-01-01

Pulsed field gradient diffusion sequences (PFG) with multiple diffusion encoding blocks have been indicated to offer new microstructural tissue information, such as the ability to detect nonspherical compartment shapes in macroscopically isotropic samples, i.e. samples with negligible directional...

The Measurement of Thermal Diffusivity in Conductor and Insulator by Photodeflection Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Achathongsuk, U.; Rittidach, T.; Tipmonta, P.; Kijamnajsuk, P.; Chotikaprakhan, S.

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study is to estimate thermal diffusivities of high thermal diffusivity bulk material as well as low thermal diffusivity bulk material by using many types of fluid such as Ethyl alcohol and water. This method is studied by measuring amplitude and phase of photodeflection signal in various frequency modulations. The experimental setup consists of two laser lines: 1) a pump laser beams through a modulator, varied frequency, controlled by lock-in amplifier and focused on sample surface by lens. 2) a probe laser which parallels with the sample surface and is perpendicular to the pump laser beam. The probe laser deflection signal is obtained by a position sensor which controlled by lock-in amplifier. Thermal diffusivity is calculated by measuring the amplitude and phase of the photodeflection signal and compared with the thermal diffusivity of a standard value. The thermal diffusivity of SGG agrees well with the literature but the thermal diffusivity of Cu is less than the literature value by a factor of ten. The experiment requires further improvement to measure the thermal diffusivity of Cu. However, we succeed in using ethyl alcohol as the coupling medium instead of CCl4 which is highly toxic.

Influence of the Mineral Composition and the Groundwater pH on the Diffusion of {sup 99}TcO{sub 4}{sup -} and H{sup 14}CO{sub 3}{sup -} Anions through Borecore Samples of Boda Claystone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lazar, K. [Inst. of Isotopes, Budapest, P.O.B. 77, H-1525 (Hungary)]. e-mail : lazar@iki.kfki.hu; Megyeri, J.; Mathe, Z. [Mecsekerc Co., Esztergar L. 19, Pec s, H-7633 (Hungary)

2007-06-15

Diffusion rates of TcO{sub 4}{sup -} and H{sup 14}CO{sub 3}{sup -} anions are compared in break-through experiments performed on bore core samples with different mineral compositions. Measurements were carried out using synthetic ground water of different pH (8 and 12). Significant increase of the apparent diffusivities was observed in samples containing smectite constituent for both anions in experiments performed at pH = 8. Rock capacity factors were also different in dependence of the composition in experiments with H{sup 14}CO{sub 3}{sup -} at pH = 8. The presence of smectite is assumed to result in formation of microcracks, providing additional free volume for diffusion. In the diffusion of H{sup 14}CO{sub 3}{sup -} the isotope exchange between the carbonate forms, CO{sub 3}{sup 2-} solution . CO{sub 3}{sup 2-} rock, plays probably also a role in the migration process.

Ageing dynamics of translational and rotational diffusion in a colloidal glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabbari-Farouji, Sara; Eiser, Erika; Wegdam, Gerard H; Bonn, Daniel

2004-01-01

We study the dynamics of translational and rotational diffusion during the ageing of a colloidal glass of Laponite using polarized and depolarized dynamic light scattering. The dynamics are qualitatively similar between the two degrees of freedom. The short-time diffusion is independent of the time elapsed since the sample preparation. The intermediate- and long-time diffusion, on the other hand, slows down by several orders of magnitude during the ageing. The slowing down of the rotational diffusion is found to be much faster than that of the translational diffusion. (letter to the editor)

The passive diffusion of Leptospira interrogans

Science.gov (United States)

Koens, Lyndon; Lauga, Eric

2014-12-01

Motivated by recent experimental measurements, the passive diffusion of the bacterium Leptospira interrogans is investigated theoretically. By approximating the cell shape as a straight helix and using the slender-body-theory approximation of Stokesian hydrodynamics, the resistance matrix of Leptospira is first determined numerically. The passive diffusion of the helical cell is then obtained computationally using a Langevin formulation which is sampled in time in a manner consistent with the experimental procedure. Our results are in excellent quantitative agreement with the experimental results with no adjustable parameters.

Study of uranium-titanium diffusion; Etude de la diffusion uranium-titane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adda, Y; Philibert, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires; Institut de Recherches de la Siderurgie Francaise (IRSID), 78 - Saint-Germain-en-Laye (France)

1959-07-01

In the overall scheme of research on the chemical diffusion of uranium and the transition metals we have studied the uranium-titanium system. The diffusion couples are prepared by welding together small plates of uranium and titanium under pressure, using a technique already described by us. After diffusion under vacuum, polished sections of the samples were micro-graphically examined. This inspection showed that intergranular diffusion occurred at temperatures below 650 deg. C. At higher temperatures, the diffusion occurred uniquely throughout the volume of the metal, and the diffusion zone appeared as a succession of micro-graphically distinguishable bands. Study of the rate of increase of these corresponding 'penetration coefficients'. In addition, we have observed important variations in microhardness within the diffusion zone, we have tried to relate these variations to the variation of concentration. This is measured with the Castaing microprobe. We have thus accurately established the concentration-penetration curves for temperatures between 950 and 1075 deg. C. From these curves, we have calculated the diffusion coefficient D as a function of the concentration using Matano's method. At all temperatures, D(c) curve has a U form as for the U-Zr system. The activation energy has a maximum value of 42 kcal/g atom at an atomic concentration of 0,5. Even though we have rarely seen pores in the diffusion zone, we have nevertheless observed an important Kirkendall-effect by studying the displacements x{sub i} of the interface using tungsten wires as markers. These displacements can be expressed as a function of time and temperature by the equation: x{sub i} = 0,9 t {sup 1/2} exp ( - 14600/(RT)). Finally, using Darken's equations we calculated the intrinsic diffusion coefficients Du and Dti as well as the corresponding activation energies. These energies are similar (QU = 38,5 and QTi = 40 kcal/at. g) and also almost the same as those found for the U-Zr system

Study of cation diffusion in Zn O using 65Zn as radioactive tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferraz, Wilmar B.; Correa, Ricardo F.; Nogueira, Maria A.N.; Ramos, Marcelo; Sabioni, Antonio C.S.

2000-01-01

Zinc self-diffusion coefficient were measured in polycrystalline Zn O of high purity (99,999%) prepared by conventional sintering at 1393 deg C, 4 h, in oxygen atmosphere. The Zn O samples had high density (>99% of the theoretical density) and grain size of 20 μm. These samples were resintered for 72 h at 1400 deg C in order to increase the grain-size higher than 50 μ m. Samples of 15 x 15 x 2 mm 3 were polished with diamond paste, and pre-annealed under the same conditions of temperature and atmosphere of the diffusion annealing. A thin film of 65 Zn - radioactive tracer - applied to the polished surface was oxidized in oxygen atmosphere for a short time before diffusion annealing. The diffusion experiments were performed between 1002 and 1201 deg C in oxygen atmosphere. The 65 Zn diffusion profiles were measured by sectioning in conjunction with residual-activity measurements. The results of the determination of the zinc in Zn O diffusion coefficients in function of temperature are presented and a comparison of these results obtained by the two radioactive method is showed. (author)

Thermal diffusivity of diamond films using a laser pulse technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albin, S.; Winfree, W.P.; Crews, B.S.

1990-01-01

Polycrystalline diamond films were deposited using a microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. A laser pulse technique was developed to measure the thermal diffusivity of diamond films deposited on a silicon substrate. The effective thermal diffusivity of a diamond film on silicon was measured by observing the phase and amplitude of the cyclic thermal waves generated by laser pulses. An analytical model is presented to calculate the effective inplane (face-parallel) diffusivity of a two-layer system. The model is used to reduce the effective thermal diffusivity of the diamond/silicon sample to a value for the thermal diffusivity and conductivity of the diamond film

Effect of sodium diffused into Bridgman CuInSe{sub 2+x}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sunyoung, E-mail: sunyoung.park@mail.mcgill.ca; Champness, Clifford H.; Shih, Ishiang

2016-10-15

Highlights: For elemental Na diffused into Bridgman CuInSe2 samples: • Diffusion is deep and relatively fast, with a coefficient of 10{sup −10} to 10{sup −8} cm{sup 2}/s at 250 °C. • Creates clear n/p homojunctions in the chalcopyrite. • Creates, after subsequent air annealing, an XPS Se 3d peak at 59 eV for Na{sub 2}SeO{sub 3}. • Increases the XPS-determined [Se]/[Cu] concentration ratio at the sample surface. - Abstract: The study describes diffusion of elemental sodium into p-type samples of Bridgman-grown CuInSe{sub 2+x}, causing a change from p- to n-type behavior at the surface and deep into the material. This resulted in the creation of Na 1s and Se 3d XPS peaks at binding energies of 1071 and 54.5 eV respectively, where the latter has been attributed to CuInSe{sub 2} itself. Subsequent annealing of the samples in air gave rise to a second Se 3d peak at 59 eV, attributed to Na{sub 2}SeO{sub 3} by oxidation of Na{sub 2}Se. However, SeO{sub 2} also gives a peak at about the same binding energy. The presence of the diffused-in Na up to about 10% at the surface appears to promote the creation of a high ratio [Se]/[Cu] compound at the expense of the chalcopyrite at the sample surface. The diffused-in samples showed n/p homojunctions at depths of tens of microns for stoichiometric CuInSe{sub 2} and at smaller depths for CuInSe{sub 2.2}, with excess Se content. Estimates of the diffusion coefficient for Na into the Bridgman samples at 250 °C were in the range of 10{sup −10}–10{sup −8} cm{sup 2}/s.

Insights into cadmium diffusion mechanisms in two-stage diffusion profiles in solar-grade Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biderman, N. J.; Sundaramoorthy, R.; Haldar, Pradeep [Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, New York 12203 (United States); U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, Albany, New York 12203 (United States); Novak, Steven W.; Lloyd, J. R. [Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, New York 12203 (United States)

2015-12-07

Cadmium diffusion experiments were performed on polished copper indium gallium diselenide (Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} or CIGS) samples with resulting cadmium diffusion profiles measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. Experiments done in the annealing temperature range between 275 °C and 425 °C reveal two-stage cadmium diffusion profiles which may be indicative of multiple diffusion mechanisms. Each stage can be described by the standard solutions of Fick's second law. The slower cadmium diffusion in the first stage can be described by the Arrhenius equation D{sub 1} = 3 × 10{sup −4} exp (− 1.53 eV/k{sub B}T) cm{sup 2} s{sup −1}, possibly representing vacancy-meditated diffusion. The faster second-stage diffusion coefficients determined in these experiments match the previously reported cadmium diffusion Arrhenius equation of D{sub 2} = 4.8 × 10{sup −4} exp (−1.04 eV/k{sub B}T) cm{sup 2} s{sup −1}, suggesting an interstitial-based mechanism.

Sample container for neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lersmacher, B.; Verheijke, M.L.; Jaspers, H.J.

1983-01-01

The sample container avoids contaminating the sample substance by diffusion of foreign matter from the wall of the sample container into the sample. It cannot be activated, so that the results of measurements are not falsified by a radioactive container wall. It consists of solid carbon. (orig./HP) [de

Verification of the integrity of barriers using gas diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, D.B.; Williams, C.V.

1997-06-01

In-situ barrier materials and designs are being developed for containment of high risk contamination as an alternative to immediate removal or remediation. The intent of these designs is to prevent the movement of contaminants in either the liquid or vapor phase by long-term containment, essentially buying time until the contaminant depletes naturally or a remediation can be implemented. The integrity of the resultant soil-binder mixture is typically assessed by a number of destructive laboratory tests (leaching, compressive strength, mechanical stability with respect to wetting and freeze-thaw cycles) which as a group are used to infer the likelihood of favorable long-term performance of the barrier. The need exists for a minimally intrusive yet quantifiable methods for assessment of a barrier's integrity after emplacement, and monitoring of the barrier's performance over its lifetime. Here, the authors evaluate non-destructive measurements of inert-gas diffusion (specifically, SF 6 ) as an indicator of waste-form integrity. The goals of this project are to show that diffusivity can be measured in core samples of soil jet-grouted with Portland cement, validate the experimental method through measurements on samples, and to calculate aqueous diffusivities from a series of diffusion measurements. This study shows that it is practical to measure SF 6 diffusion rates in the laboratory on samples of grout (Portland cement and soil) typical of what might be used in a barrier. Diffusion of SF 6 through grout (Portland cement and soil) is at least an order of magnitude slower than through air. The use of this tracer should be sensitive to the presence of fractures, voids, or other discontinuities in the grout/soil structure. Field-scale measurements should be practical on time-scales of a few days

Accurate photopyroelectric measurements of thermal diffusivity of (semi)liquids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dadarlat, D.; Neamtu, C.; Surducan, E.; Sahraoui, A.H.; Longuemart, S.; Bicanic, D.

2002-01-01

The back photopyroelectric (PPE) configuration, with opaque sample and thermally thick sample and sensor, was applied in order to obtain room temperature values of the thermal diffusivity of some (semi)liquid materials. The methodology is based on a sample's thickness scan, and not on a frequency

The passive diffusion of Leptospira interrogans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koens, Lyndon; Lauga, Eric

2014-01-01

Motivated by recent experimental measurements, the passive diffusion of the bacterium Leptospira interrogans is investigated theoretically. By approximating the cell shape as a straight helix and using the slender-body-theory approximation of Stokesian hydrodynamics, the resistance matrix of Leptospira is first determined numerically. The passive diffusion of the helical cell is then obtained computationally using a Langevin formulation which is sampled in time in a manner consistent with the experimental procedure. Our results are in excellent quantitative agreement with the experimental results with no adjustable parameters. (paper)

Oxygen diffusion in bilayer polymer films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Lars; Zebger, Ingo; Tofte, Jannik Pentti

2004-01-01

Experiments to quantify oxygen diffusion have been performed on polymer samples in which a film of poly(ethylene-co-norbornene) was cast onto a film of polystyrene which, in turn, was cast onto an oxygen-impermeable substrate. In the technique employed, the time evolution of oxygen transport...... through the film of poly(ethylene-co-norbornene) and into the polystyrene film was monitored using the phosphorescence of singlet oxygen as a spectroscopic probe. To analyze the data, it was necessary to solve Fick's second law of diffusion for both polymer films. Tractable analytical and numerical...

A high-resolution, nanomembrane-based, thermal diffusivity biosensor for living cells

KAUST Repository

Elafandy, Rami T.; Ooi, Boon S.

2017-01-01

A method for measuring thermal diffusivity/conductivity of a microscale sample includes placing a metallic disk atop the sample, and disposing a nanomembrane over the sample and over the metallic disk so that the nanomembrane, so that the metallic disk, the nanomembrane and the sample are in thermal equilibrium with one another. A laser beam is directed to fall onto the nanomembrane over the sample, while a radiation sensor is operated to detect photoluminescent radiation emitted by the nanomembrane in response to the laser beam. A spectral shift in the detected photoluminescent radiation emitted by the nanomembrane is determined, and thermal diffusivity/conductivity is calculated from the determined spectral shift of the photoluminescence.

A high-resolution, nanomembrane-based, thermal diffusivity biosensor for living cells

KAUST Repository

El Afandy, Rami Tarek

2017-07-27

A method for measuring thermal diffusivity/conductivity of a microscale sample includes placing a metallic disk atop the sample, and disposing a nanomembrane over the sample and over the metallic disk so that the nanomembrane, so that the metallic disk, the nanomembrane and the sample are in thermal equilibrium with one another. A laser beam is directed to fall onto the nanomembrane over the sample, while a radiation sensor is operated to detect photoluminescent radiation emitted by the nanomembrane in response to the laser beam. A spectral shift in the detected photoluminescent radiation emitted by the nanomembrane is determined, and thermal diffusivity/conductivity is calculated from the determined spectral shift of the photoluminescence.

Diffuse axonal injury: detection of changes in anisotropy of water diffusion by diffusion-weighted imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, J.H.M.; Tsui, E.Y.K.; Yuen, M.K.; Peh, W.C.G.; Fong, D.; Fok, K.F.; Leung, K.M.; Fung, K.K.L.

2003-01-01

Myelinated axons of white matter demonstrate prominent directional differences in water diffusion. We performed diffusion-weighted imaging on ten patients with head injury to explore the feasibility of using water diffusion anisotropy for quantitating diffuse axonal injury. We showed significant decrease in diffusion anisotropy indices in areas with or without signal abnormality on T2 and T2*-weighted images. We conclude that the water diffusion anisotropy index a potentially useful, sensitive and quantitative way of diagnosing and assessing patients with diffuse axonal injury. (orig.)

Diffusion in the pore water of compacted crushed salt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fluegge, Judith; Herr, Sebastian; Lauke, Thomas; Meleshyn, Artur; Miehe, Ruediger; Ruebel, Andre

2016-07-15

Diffusion of dissolved radionuclides in the pore water of compacted crushed salt in the long-term is the most relevant process for the release of radionuclides from a dedicated repository for high-level waste in a salt formation as has been shown in latest safety assessments and research projects /BUH 16/. So far, diffusion coefficients for free water have been applied for the diffusion in pore water in models for long-term safety assessments. This conservative assumption was used, because data on the diffusion coefficient of dissolved substances in crushed salt have been missing. Furthermore, the diffusion coefficient in the pore water was assumed to be constant and independent from the degree of compaction of the crushed salt. The work presented in this report was intended to contribute to fill this gap of knowledge about how the diffusion of radionuclides takes place in the compacted backfill of a repository in salt. For the first time, the pore diffusion coefficient as well as its dependence on the porosity of the crushed salt was determined experimentally by means of through-diffusion experiments using caesium as tracer. The results achieved in this project suggest that the diffusion in compacted crushed salt is not fully comparable to that in a homogeneous, temporally stable porous medium like sand or clay. The results obtained from four diffusion experiments show a remarkably different behaviour and all yield unique concentration versus time plots which includes highly temporal variable tracer fluxes with even full interruptions of the flux for longer periods of time. This effect cannot be explained by assuming a tracer transport by diffusion in a temporarily invariant pore space and / or under temporally invariant experimental conditions. From our point of view, a restructuring of the pore space seems to lead to closed areas of pore water in the sample which may open up again after some time, leading to a variable pore space and hence variable diffusive

Radionuclide diffusion in soils. III

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cipakova, A.; Szabova, T.

1988-01-01

Samples were taken of five soil types for determining diffusion coefficients, namely chernozem, illimerized brown soil, degraded chernozem, gleizated brown soil and heavy loamy brown soil. 5 layers of soil having a thickness of 1 cm each were placed in diffusion columns. 20 ml of water with 0.45 MBq 85 Sr of distilled water was poured over the columns. 10 ml of distilled water was poured over the columns every 5 days for monitoring the effect of the amount of precipitation and its distribution - a similarity with rainfall in the driest month, 41 ml of distilled water was then poured over the column every 5 days or 82 ml of distilled water every 10 days - imitating the month with the highest rainfall level. The effect of salts and various concentrations of salt mixtures on the value of the diffusion coefficient were monitored in solutions of NaNO 3 , KNO 3 and Ca(NO 3 ) 2 with added activity 0.45 MGq of 85 SrCl 2 . Diffusion was monitored for 101 days. All measured values are tabulated. The smallest diffusion coefficient was found in chernozem in the presence of H 2 O and the highest value was found in illimerized brown soil in the presence of 0.15 M of KNO 3 . (E.S.). 2 tabs., 10 refs

Taking a step back: Himalayan erosion as seen from Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Lupker, M.; France-Lanord, C.; Lavé, J.; Blard, P.; Galy, V.

2012-12-01

The Himalayan range represents the archetype of mountain building and is considered in many studies as the locus of intense interactions between climate, denudation and tectonics. A better understanding of these interactions requires that the flux of material removed from the system through erosion is known. The products of Himalayan erosion are exported to the Bengal fan and the Indian Ocean by two major rivers: the Ganga and Brahmaputra. These rivers provide the opportunity to quantify the Himalayan denudation rates as they integrate surface and tectonic processes across the entire basin. Basin wide erosion or denudation rates have classically been derived from the gauging of sediments fluxes. By coping with the inherent spatial and temporal variability of sediment concentration in rivers, sediment budgets yield average denudation rate over the observational period ranging from years to decades. Cosmogenic nuclides such as 10-Be allow the estimation of basin-wide denudation rates averaged over typical time scales of hundreds to thousand of years, from a single measurement in river sediments. We compare these methods for the case of the Ganga basin that drains the central part of the Himalayan range. By using a distal point of view, i.e. by sampling and evaluating the sediment flux at the outlet of the Ganga in Bangladesh we are able to propose an average denudation rate of the entire, central part of the Himalayan range. This sampling location offers the benefit of integrating the entire basin and its distance from the sediment source makes it also less prone to perturbations in the headwaters. However, the effects of 500 to 1000 km floodplain transfer on the sedimentary signal needs to be correctly evaluated. The gauged sediment flux can mainly be impacted by the sequestration of sediments in the floodplain. For the Ganga basin, sequestration is limited to ca. 10 % of the eroded sediment flux as deduced from geochemical mass balance approaches [1]. On their side

Monte Carlo Finite Volume Element Methods for the Convection-Diffusion Equation with a Random Diffusion Coefficient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a framework for the construction of Monte Carlo finite volume element method (MCFVEM for the convection-diffusion equation with a random diffusion coefficient, which is described as a random field. We first approximate the continuous stochastic field by a finite number of random variables via the Karhunen-Loève expansion and transform the initial stochastic problem into a deterministic one with a parameter in high dimensions. Then we generate independent identically distributed approximations of the solution by sampling the coefficient of the equation and employing finite volume element variational formulation. Finally the Monte Carlo (MC method is used to compute corresponding sample averages. Statistic error is estimated analytically and experimentally. A quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC technique with Sobol sequences is also used to accelerate convergence, and experiments indicate that it can improve the efficiency of the Monte Carlo method.

Spin-diffusions and diffusive molecular dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Brittan; Luskin, Mitchell; Plecháč, Petr; Simpson, Gideon

2017-12-01

Metastable configurations in condensed matter typically fluctuate about local energy minima at the femtosecond time scale before transitioning between local minima after nanoseconds or microseconds. This vast scale separation limits the applicability of classical molecular dynamics (MD) methods and has spurned the development of a host of approximate algorithms. One recently proposed method is diffusive MD which aims at integrating a system of ordinary differential equations describing the likelihood of occupancy by one of two species, in the case of a binary alloy, while quasistatically evolving the locations of the atoms. While diffusive MD has shown itself to be efficient and provide agreement with observations, it is fundamentally a model, with unclear connections to classical MD. In this work, we formulate a spin-diffusion stochastic process and show how it can be connected to diffusive MD. The spin-diffusion model couples a classical overdamped Langevin equation to a kinetic Monte Carlo model for exchange amongst the species of a binary alloy. Under suitable assumptions and approximations, spin-diffusion can be shown to lead to diffusive MD type models. The key assumptions and approximations include a well-defined time scale separation, a choice of spin-exchange rates, a low temperature approximation, and a mean field type approximation. We derive several models from different assumptions and show their relationship to diffusive MD. Differences and similarities amongst the models are explored in a simple test problem.

The Trouble with Diffusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.T. DeHoff

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The phenomenological formalism, which yields Fick's Laws for diffusion in single phase multicomponent systems, is widely accepted as the basis for the mathematical description of diffusion. This paper focuses on problems associated with this formalism. This mode of description of the process is cumbersome, defining as it does matrices of interdiffusion coefficients (the central material properties that require a large experimental investment for their evaluation in three component systems, and, indeed cannot be evaluated for systems with more than three components. It is also argued that the physical meaning of the numerical values of these properties with respect to the atom motions in the system remains unknown. The attempt to understand the physical content of the diffusion coefficients in the phenomenological formalism has been the central fundamental problem in the theory of diffusion in crystalline alloys. The observation by Kirkendall that the crystal lattice moves during diffusion led Darken to develop the concept of intrinsic diffusion, i.e., atom motion relative to the crystal lattice. Darken and his successors sought to relate the diffusion coefficients computed for intrinsic fluxes to those obtained from the motion of radioactive tracers in chemically homogeneous samples which directly report the jump frequencies of the atoms as a function of composition and temperature. This theoretical connection between tracer, intrinsic and interdiffusion behavior would provide the basis for understanding the physical content of interdiffusion coefficients. Definitive tests of the resulting theoretical connection have been carried out for a number of binary systems for which all three kinds of observations are available. In a number of systems predictions of intrinsic coefficients from tracer data do not agree with measured values although predictions of interdiffusion coefficients appear to give reasonable agreement. Thus, the complete

Coupling of physical erosion and chemical weathering after phases of intense human activity

Science.gov (United States)

Schoonejans, Jerome; Vanacker, Veerle; Opfergelt, Sophie; Ameijeiras-Mariño, Yolanda; Kubik, Peter W.

2014-05-01

Anthropogenic disturbance of natural vegetation profoundly alters the lateral and vertical fluxes of soil nutrients and particles at the land surface. Human-induced acceleration of soil erosion can thereby result in an imbalance between physical erosion, soil production and chemical weathering. The (de-)coupling between physical erosion and chemical weathering in ecosystems with strong anthropogenic disturbances is not yet fully understood, as earlier studies mostly focused on natural ecosystems. In this study, we explore the chemical weathering intensity for four study sites located in the Internal Zone of the Spanish Betic Cordillera. Most of the sites belong to the Nevado-Filabres complex, but are characterized by different rates of long-term exhumation, 10Be catchment-wide denudation and hill slope morphology. Denudation rates are generally low, but show large variation between the three sites (from 23 to 246 mm kyr-1). The magnitude of denudation rates is consistent with longer-term uplift rates derived from marine deposits, fission-track measurements and vertical fault slip rates. Two to three soil profiles were sampled per study site at exposed ridge tops. All soils overly fractured mica schist, and are very thin (< 60cm). In each soil profile, we sampled 5 depth slices, rock fragments and the (weathered) bedrock. In total, 38 soil and 20 rock samples were analyzed for their chemical composition. The chemical weathering intensity is constrained by the Chemical Depletion Fraction that is based on a chemical mass balance approach using Zr as an immobile element. Chemical weathering accounts for 5 to 35% of the total mass lost due to denudation. We observe systematically higher chemical weathering intensities (CDFs) in sites with lower denudation rates (and vice versa), suggesting that weathering is supply-limited. Our measurements of soil elemental losses from 10 soil profiles suggest that the observed variation in chemical weathering is strongly associated

Diffusion of antimony in silicon in the presence of point defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Xiangkun; Ma, K.B.; Chen, Q.Y.; Wang Xuemei; Liu Jiarui; Chu, W.-K.; Shao Lin; Thompson, Phillip E.

2007-01-01

We have investigated the diffusion of Sb in Si in the presence of defects injected by high-energy implantation of Si ions at room temperature. MeV ion implantation increases the concentrations of vacancies, which induce transient-enhanced diffusion of Sb deposited in Si. We observed a significant enhancement of Sb diffusion. Secondary ions mass spectroscopy has been performed on the implanted samples before and after annealing. Rutherford-backscattering spectrometry has been used to characterize the high-energy implantation damage. By fitting diffusion profiles to a linear diffusive model, information about atomic scale diffusion of Sb, i.e. the generation rate of mobile state Sb and its mean migration length were extracted

Observation of diffusion phenomena of liquid phase with multiple components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eguchi, Wataru

1979-01-01

The diffusion phenomena of liquid phase with multiple components was directly observed, and the factors contributing to complex material transfer were investigated, comparing to the former experimental results. The most excellent method of observing the diffusion behavior of liquid phase used heretofore is to trace the time history of concentration distribution for each component in unsteady diffusion process. The method of directly observing the concentration distribution is usually classified into the analysis of diffused samples, the checking of radioactive isotope tracers, and the measurement of light refraction and transmission. The most suitable method among these is to trace this time history by utilizing the spectrophotometer of position scanning type. An improved spectrophotometer was manufactured for trial. The outline of the measuring system and the detail of the optical system of this new type spectrophotometer are explained. The resolving power for position measurement is described with the numerical calculation. As for the observation examples of the diffusion phenomena of liquid phase with multiple components, the diffusion of multiple electrolytes in aqueous solution, the observation of the material transfer phenomena accompanied by heterogeneous and single phase chemical reaction, and the observation of concentration distribution in the liquid diaphragm in a reaction absorption system are described. For each experimental item, the test apparatus, the sample material, the test process, the test results and the evaluation are explained in detail, and the diffusion phenomena of liquid phase with multiple components were pretty well elucidated. (Nakai, Y.)

Nonadiabatic transition path sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherman, M. C.; Corcelli, S. A.

2016-01-01

Fewest-switches surface hopping (FSSH) is combined with transition path sampling (TPS) to produce a new method called nonadiabatic path sampling (NAPS). The NAPS method is validated on a model electron transfer system coupled to a Langevin bath. Numerically exact rate constants are computed using the reactive flux (RF) method over a broad range of solvent frictions that span from the energy diffusion (low friction) regime to the spatial diffusion (high friction) regime. The NAPS method is shown to quantitatively reproduce the RF benchmark rate constants over the full range of solvent friction. Integrating FSSH within the TPS framework expands the applicability of both approaches and creates a new method that will be helpful in determining detailed mechanisms for nonadiabatic reactions in the condensed-phase.

Impact of glaciations on the long-term erosion in Southern Patagonian Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Simon-Labric, Thibaud; Herman, Frederic; Baumgartner, Lukas; Shuster, David L.; Braun, Jean; Reiners, Pete W.; Valla, Pierre G.; Leuthold, Julien

2014-05-01

The Southern Patagonian Andes are an ideal setting to study the impact of Late-Cenozoic climate cooling and onset of glaciations impact on the erosional history of mountain belts. The lack of tectonic activity during the last ~12 Myr makes the denudation history mainly controlled by surface processes, not by tectonics. Moreover, the glaciations history of Patagonia shows the best-preserved records within the southern hemisphere (with the exception of Antarctica). Indeed, the dry climate on the leeward side of Patagonia and the presence of lava flows interbedded with glacial deposits has allowed an exceptional preservation of late Cenozoic moraines with precise dating using K-Ar analyses on lava flow. The chronology of moraines reveals a long history covering all the Quaternary, Pliocene, and up to the Upper Miocene. The early growth of large glaciers flowing on eastern foothills started at ~7-6 Myr, while the maximum ice-sheet extent dates from approximately 1.1 Myr. In order to quantify the erosion history of the Southern Patagonian Andes and compare it to the glaciations sediment record, we collected samples along an age-elevation profile for low-temperature thermochronology in the eastern side of the mountain belt (Torres del Paine massif). The (U-Th)/He age-elevation relationship shows a clear convex shape providing an apparent long-term exhumation rate of ~0.2 km/Myr followed by an exhumation rate increase at ~6 Myr. Preliminary results of 4He/3He thermochronometry for a subset of samples complete the erosion history for the Plio-Pleistocene epoch. We used inverse procedure predicting 4He distributions within an apatite grain using a radiation-damage and annealing model to quantify He-diffusion kinetics in apatite. The model also allows quantifying the impact of potential U-Th zonation throughout each apatite crystal. Inversion results reveal a denudation history composed by a pulse of denudation at ~6 Ma, as suggested by the age-elevation relationship

Exciton diffusion in WSe2 monolayers embedded in a van der Waals heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Cadiz, F.; Robert, C.; Courtade, E.; Manca, M.; Martinelli, L.; Taniguchi, T.; Watanabe, K.; Amand, T.; Rowe, A. C. H.; Paget, D.; Urbaszek, B.; Marie, X.

2018-04-01

We have combined spatially resolved steady-state micro-photoluminescence with time-resolved photoluminescence to investigate the exciton diffusion in a WSe2 monolayer encapsulated with hexagonal boron nitride. At 300 K, we extract an exciton diffusion length of LX = 0.36 ± 0.02 μm and an exciton diffusion coefficient of DX = 14.5 ± 2 cm2/s. This represents a nearly 10-fold increase in the effective mobility of excitons with respect to several previously reported values on nonencapsulated samples. At cryogenic temperatures, the high optical quality of these samples has allowed us to discriminate the diffusion of the different exciton species: bright and dark neutral excitons, as well as charged excitons. The longer lifetime of dark neutral excitons yields a larger diffusion length of LXD=1.5 ±0.02 μ m.

Cohort change and the diffusion of environmental concern: A cross-national analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nawrotzki, Raphael J; Pampel, Fred C

2013-09-01

This study explores value change across cohorts for a multinational population sample. Employing a diffusion-of-innovations approach, we combine competing theories predicting the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and environmentalism: post-materialism and affluence theories, and global environmentalism theory. The diffusion argument suggests that high-SES groups first adopt pro-environmental views, but as time passes by, environmentalism diffuses to lower-SES groups. We test the diffusion argument using a sample of 18 countries for two waves (years 1993 and 2000) from the International Social Survey Project (ISSP). Cross-classified multilevel modeling allows us to identify a non-linear interaction between cohort and education, our core measure of SES, in predicting environmental concern, while controlling for age and period. We find support for the diffusion argument and demonstrate that the positive effect of education on environmental concern first increases among older cohorts, then starts to level off until a bend-point is reached for individuals born around 1940 and becomes progressively weaker for younger cohorts.

Thermal diffusivity of diamond nanowires studied by laser assisted atom probe tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Arnoldi, L.; Spies, M.; Houard, J.; Blum, I.; Etienne, A.; Ismagilov, R.; Obraztsov, A.; Vella, A.

2018-04-01

The thermal properties of single-crystal diamond nanowires (NWs) have been calculated from first principles but have never been measured experimentally. Taking advantage of the sharp geometry of samples analyzed in a laser assisted atom probe, this technique is used to measure the thermal diffusivity of a single NW at low temperature (ab-initio calculations and confirms that thermal diffusivity in nanoscale samples is lower than in bulk samples. The results impact the design and integration of diamond NWs and nanoneedles in nanoscale devices for heat dissipation.

Size-differentiated composition of inorganic atmospheric aerosols of both marine and polluted continental origin

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Roy M.; Pio, Casimiro A.

Atmospheric aerosols were sampled with a high volume impactor/diffusion battery system and the collected fractions analysed for their major water-soluble inorganic constituents. Sulphate, nitrate and chloride showed bimodal distributions; sulphate and nitrate were mainly associated with NH 4+, having approximately log-normal distributions with modes at 1.0 μm. In unpolluted maritime air, chlorides appeared as salts of sodium and magnesium with average modes at c. 5 μm, whilst in polluted air masses significant concentrations of ammonium chloride sub-μm aerosols were detected. Sodium nitrate and sodium sulphate aerosols having average modes of c. 3.5 μm were observed in mixed maritime/polluted air masses. The dimensions of these particles indicate formation from absorption of H 2SO 4 and HNO 3 at the surface of marine NaCl particles. The concentration of H + was very low, but the possibility of its neutralization by atmospheric ammonia during sampling was ruled out by parallel air sampling using an 'ammonia denuder'.

A continuous analyzer for soluble anionic constituents and ammonium in atmospheric particulate matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Horr, Rida; Samanta, Gautam; Dasgupta, Purnendu K

2003-12-15

A new continuous soluble particle collector (PC) that does not use steam is described. Preceded by a denuder and interfaced with an ion chromatograph, this compact collector (3 in. o.d., approximately 5 in. total height) permits collection and continuous extraction of soluble components in atmospheric particulate matter. The PC is mounted atop a parallel plate wetted denuder for removal of soluble gases. The soluble gas denuded air enters the PC through an inlet. One version of the PC contained an integral cyclone-like inlet. For this device, penetration of particles as a function of size was characterized. In the simpler design, the sampled air enters the PC through a nozzle, and deionized water flows through a capillary tube placed close to the exit side of the nozzle by Venturi action or is forcibly pumped. Some growth of the aerosol occurs in the highly humid mist-chamber environment, but the dominant aerosol capture mechanism involves capture by the water film that forms on the hydrophobic PTFE membrane filter that constitutes the top of the PC and the airflow exit. Water drops coalesce on the filter and fall below into a purpose-machined cavity equipped with a liquid sensor. The water and the dissolved constituents are aspirated by a pump onto serial cation and anion preconcentrator columns. NH4+ captured by the cation preconcentrator is eluted with NaOH and is passed across an asymmetric membrane device. NH3 diffuses from the alkaline donor stream into a deionized water flowing countercurrent; the conductivity of the latter provides a measure of ammonium. The anions on the anion preconcentrator column are eluted and measured by a fully automated ion chromatography system. The total system thus provides automated semicontinuous measurement of soluble anions and ammonium. With a 15 min analytical cycle and a sampling rate of 5 L/min, the limit of detection (LOD) for ammonium is 8 ng/m3 and those for sulfate, nitrate, and oxalate are < or = 0.1 ng/m3. The

Methodological study of the diffusion of interacting cations through clays. Application: experimental tests and simulation of coupled chemistry-diffusion transport of alkaline ions through a synthetical bentonite; Etude methodologique de la diffusion de cations interagissants dans les argiles. Application: mise en oeuvre experimentale et modelisation du couplage chimie-diffusion d'alcalins dans une bentonite synthetique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melkior, Th

2000-07-01

The subject of this work deals with the project of underground disposal of radioactive wastes in deep geological formations. It concerns the study of the migration of radionuclides through clays. In these materials, the main transport mechanism is assumed to be diffusion under natural conditions. Therefore, some diffusion experiments are conducted. With interacting solutes which present a strong affinity for the material, the duration of these tests will be too long, for the range of concentrations of interest. An alternative is to determine on one hand the geochemical retention properties using batch tests and crushed rock samples and, on the other hand, to deduce the transport parameters from diffusion tests realised with a non-interacting tracer, tritiated water. These data are then used to simulate the migration of the reactive elements with a numerical code which can deal with coupled chemistry-diffusion equations. The validity of this approach is tested by comparing the numerical simulations with the results of diffusion experiments of cations through a clay. The subject is investigated in the case of the diffusion of cesium, lithium and sodium through a compacted sodium bentonite. The diffusion tests are realised with the through-diffusion method. The comparison between the experimental results and the simulations shows that the latter tends to under estimate the propagation of the considered species. The differences could be attributed to surface diffusion and to a decrease of the accessibility to the sites of fixation of the bentonite, from the conditions of clay suspensions in batch tests to the situation of compacted samples. The influence of the experimental apparatus used during the diffusion tests on the results of the measurement has also been tested. It showed that these apparatus have to be taken into consideration when the experimental data are interpreted. A specific model has been therefore developed with the numerical code CASTEM 2000. (author)

Diffusion tensor imaging of the human calf: Variation of inter- and intramuscle-specific diffusion parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlaffke, Lara; Rehmann, Robert; Froeling, Martijn; Kley, Rudolf; Tegenthoff, Martin; Vorgerd, Matthias; Schmidt-Wilcke, Tobias

2017-10-01

To investigate to what extent inter- and intramuscular variations of diffusion parameters of human calf muscles can be explained by age, gender, muscle location, and body mass index (BMI) in a specific age group (20-35 years). Whole calf muscles of 18 healthy volunteers were evaluated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed using a 3T scanner and a 16-channel Torso XL coil. Diffusion-weighted images were acquired to perform fiber tractography and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis for each muscle of both legs. Fiber tractography was used to separate seven lower leg muscles. Associations between DTI parameters and confounds were evaluated. All muscles were additionally separated in seven identical segments along the z-axis to evaluate intramuscular differences in diffusion parameters. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for each muscle with low standard deviations (SDs) (SD FA : 0.01-0.02; SD MD : 0.07-0.14(10 -3 )). We found significant differences in FA values of the tibialis anterior muscle (AT) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles between men and women for whole muscle FA (two-sample t-tests; AT: P = 0.0014; EDL: P = 0.0004). We showed significant intramuscular differences in diffusion parameters between adjacent segments in most calf muscles (P < 0.001). Whereas muscle insertions showed higher (SD 0.03-0.06) than muscle bellies (SD 0.01-0.03), no relationships between FA or MD with age or BMI were found. Inter- and intramuscular variations in diffusion parameters of the calf were shown, which are not related to age or BMI in this age group. Differences between muscle belly and insertion should be considered when interpreting datasets not including whole muscles. 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1137-1148. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Cesium diffusion in Bure mud-rock: effect of cesium sorption and of the surface structure of the clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melkior, T.; Motellier, S.; Yahiaoui, S.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: This work is devoted to cesium diffusion through mud-rock samples from Bure (Meuse/Haute- Marne, France). This rock is mainly composed of interstratified illite/smectite, quartz and calcite. According to published data, positively charged solutes exhibit high diffusion coefficients in argillaceous media compared to neutral species. This effect was actually observed for cesium in Bure mud-rock samples: the effective diffusion coefficients (De) of tritiated water and cesium were found to be ca. 2 x 10 -11 m 2 s -1 and 2.5 x 10 -10 m 2 s -1 , respectively. Some authors assign this 'enhanced diffusion' of cations to the particular migration of ions within the electrical double layer, next to mineral surfaces (surface diffusion mechanism). To assess the role of sorbed ions in the diffusive transfer, cesium diffusion coefficients in Bure mud-rock were measured at different cesium concentrations. The distribution coefficient of cesium onto Bure mud-rock was measured in batch: it significantly varies over the concentration range investigated in the diffusion tests (between 2 x 10 -6 M and 2 x 10 -2 M). If sorbed ions contribute to the transfer, the effective diffusion coefficients deduced from these different tests should depend on cesium concentration. Nevertheless, the measured effective diffusion coefficients are found to be relatively unaffected by cesium concentration. It is thus concluded that ions at the sorbed state play a minor role in the diffusion. Following the assumption of an 'accelerated' transfer due to ions located in the diffuse double layer, the charge of the clay particles should affect the 'enhanced diffusion' of cesium. Therefore, a mud-rock sample was first crushed and contacted with a cationic surfactant at different solid/liquid ratios. The conditions were adjusted to obtain suspensions having positive, neutral and negative zeta potentials respectively. Three compact samples were then made with these different

Atomic diffusion in laser surface modified AISI H13 steel

Science.gov (United States)

Aqida, S. N.; Brabazon, D.; Naher, S.

2013-07-01

This paper presents a laser surface modification process of AISI H13 steel using 0.09 and 0.4 mm of laser spot sizes with an aim to increase surface hardness and investigate elements diffusion in laser modified surface. A Rofin DC-015 diffusion-cooled CO2 slab laser was used to process AISI H13 steel samples. Samples of 10 mm diameter were sectioned to 100 mm length in order to process a predefined circumferential area. The parameters selected for examination were laser peak power, pulse repetition frequency (PRF), and overlap percentage. The hardness properties were tested at 981 mN force. Metallographic study and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) were performed to observe presence of elements and their distribution in the sample surface. Maximum hardness achieved in the modified surface was 1017 HV0.1. Change of elements composition in the modified layer region was detected in the laser modified samples. Diffusion possibly occurred for C, Cr, Cu, Ni, and S elements. The potential found for increase in surface hardness represents an important method to sustain tooling life. The EDXS findings signify understanding of processing parameters effect on the modified surface composition.

Grain boundary and triple junction diffusion in nanocrystalline copper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wegner, M., E-mail: m.wegner@uni-muenster.de; Leuthold, J.; Peterlechner, M.; Divinski, S. V., E-mail: divin@uni-muenster.de [Institut für Materialphysik, Universität Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, D-48149, Münster (Germany); Song, X., E-mail: xysong@bjut.edu.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, 100124 Beijing (China); Wilde, G. [Institut für Materialphysik, Universität Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, D-48149, Münster (Germany); Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, 200444 Shanghai (China)

2014-09-07

Grain boundary and triple junction diffusion in nanocrystalline Cu samples with grain sizes, 〈d〉, of ∼35 and ∼44 nm produced by spark plasma sintering were investigated by the radiotracer method using the {sup 63}Ni isotope. The measured diffusivities, D{sub eff}, are comparable with those determined previously for Ni grain boundary diffusion in well-annealed, high purity, coarse grained, polycrystalline copper, substantiating the absence of a grain size effect on the kinetic properties of grain boundaries in a nanocrystalline material at grain sizes d ≥ 35 nm. Simultaneously, the analysis predicts that if triple junction diffusion of Ni in Cu is enhanced with respect to the corresponding grain boundary diffusion rate, it is still less than 500⋅D{sub gb} within the temperature interval from 420 K to 470 K.

Experimental methods for studying the diffusion of radioactive gases in solids. VII. Sorption method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekman, I.N.

1983-01-01

The details of the use of a sorption method in the study of the diffusion of gasses and vapors labeled with radioactive tracers in solids have been considered. Three variants of diffusion systems, which permit the determination of the diffusion coefficient and the solubility constant of gases both from the increase in the amount of diffusate in the sample and from the decrease in its amount in the reservoir, have been tested. Different ways of conducting the experiment have been discussed. A universal method for taking into account the processes of the absorption and scattering of radiation in the material of the sample has been proposed. The experimental results were treated with the aid of a specially developed program package, which is realized on computers of the BESM-6 type. Various mathematical models of the diffusion of gases in solids have been analyzed. Solutions of the diffusion equations under the boundary conditions of the sorption method for the cases of diffusion with trapping, dissociative diffusion, and diffusion in a plate containing spherical inclusions have been obtained. The method has been tested in the example case of the diffusion of a radiative inert gas, viz., radon-22, in low-density polyethylene

Adsorption and diffusion of plutonium in soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Relyea, J.F.; Brown, D.A.

1978-01-01

The behavior of plutonium in soil--water systems was studied by measuring its apparent diffusion coefficient in the aqueous and solid phases and by finding the adsorption--desorption relationships between soil and solution. Apparent diffusion coefficients of plutonium in soil were measured using a quick-freeze method. Aqueous diffusion was studied in a capillary-tube diffusion cell. Adsorption studies were done by equilibrating a tagged soil--water mixture on a rotary shaker before centrifuging and sampling. As expected from high adsorption coefficients (Kd) (300--10,000), the apparent diffusion coefficients were low compared with normal soil cations (1.4 x 10 -8 cm 2 /sec in a sandy soil to less than 2.4 x 10 -11 cm 2 /sec in a silt loam). The Kd of plutonium in aqueous solution containing the chelate ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was reduced compared with the Kd in dilute HNO 3 . As the EDTA concentration was increased, the Kd was decreased. The chelate diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) reduced the Kd more than EDTA at comparable concentrations. The aqueous diffusion coefficients varied from 3.1 x 10 -7 cm 2 /sec in a solution extracted from the silt loam up to 2.7 x 10 -5 cm 2 /sec in a solution extracted from the sandy soil

SR-Can. Data and uncertainty assessment. Matrix diffusivity and porosity in situ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jinsong Liu; Loefgren, Martin; Neretnieks, Ivars

2006-12-01

The molecular diffusion in microscopically small pores of crystalline rock matrices allows radionuclides to enter the stagnant matrix water. The water volume in the matrix is orders of magnitude larger than the mobile water in the flowing fractures. This effect will retard the nuclide migration. A further retardation effect is due to the sorption of the sorbing nuclides on the interior surfaces of the matrix. The internal surfaces are on the order of 100,000 times larger than the surfaces of the flowing fractures. It is therefore important to ensure that matrix diffusion will take place in intact rock under the stresses which prevail at repository depths. Laboratory experiments on drill cores have shown that the matrix porosity is connected over distances of at least several tens of centimetres for un-stressed samples. Samples that have been re-stressed to repository depth stresses have also been found to have connected porosity. Diffusivities in re-stressed samples were found to be up to three times lower than in un-stressed samples. This was found both using actual through-diffusion experiments as well as electrical conductivity measurements. Diffusion experiments are very time consuming, costly and difficult to make in deeply lying rock under undisturbed conditions. An alternative way of measuring the mobility of charged species in porous rock is by using electric current to carry the ions. For bulk water this has a long-standing theoretical basis and is used to determine ion diffusivities. The method has also long been used in laboratory investigation to measure diffusivities in porous rocks. It has been shown to give electrical conductivities that agree well with that expected from diffusivity measurements. A number of tests have been made with AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current) to measure resistivities as well as using DC current to conduct ions through rock samples. These tests clearly confirm that the different methods give comparable results

SR-Can. Data and uncertainty assessment. Matrix diffusivity and porosity in situ

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jinsong Liu; Loefgren, Martin; Neretnieks, Ivars [Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)

2006-12-15

The molecular diffusion in microscopically small pores of crystalline rock matrices allows radionuclides to enter the stagnant matrix water. The water volume in the matrix is orders of magnitude larger than the mobile water in the flowing fractures. This effect will retard the nuclide migration. A further retardation effect is due to the sorption of the sorbing nuclides on the interior surfaces of the matrix. The internal surfaces are on the order of 100,000 times larger than the surfaces of the flowing fractures. It is therefore important to ensure that matrix diffusion will take place in intact rock under the stresses which prevail at repository depths. Laboratory experiments on drill cores have shown that the matrix porosity is connected over distances of at least several tens of centimetres for un-stressed samples. Samples that have been re-stressed to repository depth stresses have also been found to have connected porosity. Diffusivities in re-stressed samples were found to be up to three times lower than in un-stressed samples. This was found both using actual through-diffusion experiments as well as electrical conductivity measurements. Diffusion experiments are very time consuming, costly and difficult to make in deeply lying rock under undisturbed conditions. An alternative way of measuring the mobility of charged species in porous rock is by using electric current to carry the ions. For bulk water this has a long-standing theoretical basis and is used to determine ion diffusivities. The method has also long been used in laboratory investigation to measure diffusivities in porous rocks. It has been shown to give electrical conductivities that agree well with that expected from diffusivity measurements. A number of tests have been made with AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current) to measure resistivities as well as using DC current to conduct ions through rock samples. These tests clearly confirm that the different methods give comparable results

Defining an adequate sample of earlywood vessels for retrospective injury detection in diffuse-porous species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Estelle Arbellay

Full Text Available Vessels of broad-leaved trees have been analyzed to study how trees deal with various environmental factors. Cambial injury, in particular, has been reported to induce the formation of narrower conduits. Yet, little or no effort has been devoted to the elaboration of vessel sampling strategies for retrospective injury detection based on vessel lumen size reduction. To fill this methodological gap, four wounded individuals each of grey alder (Alnus incana (L. Moench and downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh. were harvested in an avalanche path. Earlywood vessel lumina were measured and compared for each tree between the injury ring built during the growing season following wounding and the control ring laid down the previous year. Measurements were performed along a 10 mm wide radial strip, located directly next to the injury. Specifically, this study aimed at (i investigating the intra-annual duration and local extension of vessel narrowing close to the wound margin and (ii identifying an adequate sample of earlywood vessels (number and intra-ring location of cells attesting to cambial injury. Based on the results of this study, we recommend analyzing at least 30 vessels in each ring. Within the 10 mm wide segment of the injury ring, wound-induced reduction in vessel lumen size did not fade with increasing radial and tangential distances, but we nevertheless advise favoring early earlywood vessels located closest to the injury. These findings, derived from two species widespread across subarctic, mountainous, and temperate regions, will assist retrospective injury detection in Alnus, Betula, and other diffuse-porous species as well as future related research on hydraulic implications after wounding.

Reconstruction of Post-Deccan topographies from mapping of relict lateritic paleosurfaces: Implications for long-term denudation of Peninsular India

Science.gov (United States)

Jean, Amandine; Beauvais, Anicet; Chardon, Dominique; Bonnet, Nicolas; Mudlappa, Jayananda; Janwari, Shazia; Mathé, Pierre-Etienne

2017-04-01

retrieved in both the lowland and the highland to reconstruct successive topographies across the WGE and estimate relief evolution and erosion budgets for major time steps. The results suggest that the denudation did not exceed 10 m/my in the Highland since 45 Ma, and is less than 11 m/my since mitigation of chemical weathering ca. 23 Ma ago. In the lowland, denudation was limited to 5 m/my since 45 Ma and less than 6 m/my since 19 Ma, implying negligible reworking of the WGE, which stabilized at least 50 Ma ago [2]. These results have major implications for relief evolution of South India. They imply very low relief growth since the Eocene and do not require a tilt of the Peninsula. They further put constraints on sedimentary supplies to both margins of the Peninsula over the last 50 Ma. [1] Bonnet et al., 2016, Chemical Geology 446, 33-53. [2] Beauvais et al., 2016, Geology 44, 299-302.

Anisotropy in "isotropic diffusion" measurements due to nongaussian diffusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, Sune Nørhøj; Olesen, Jonas Lynge; Ianuş, Andrada

2017-01-01

Designing novel diffusion-weighted NMR and MRI pulse sequences aiming to probe tissue microstructure with techniques extending beyond the conventional Stejskal-Tanner family is currently of broad interest. One such technique, multidimensional diffusion MRI, has been recently proposed to afford...... model-free decomposition of diffusion signal kurtosis into terms originating from either ensemble variance of isotropic diffusivity or microscopic diffusion anisotropy. This ability rests on the assumption that diffusion can be described as a sum of multiple Gaussian compartments, but this is often...

Diffusion phenomenon at the interface of Cu-brass under a strong gravitational field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogata, Yudai; Tokuda, Makoto; Januszko, Kamila; Khandaker, Jahirul Islam; Mashimo, Tsutomu, E-mail: mashimo@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp [Institute of Pulsed Power Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Iguchi, Yusuke [Department of Solid State Physics, Debrecen University, 4032 Debrecen (Hungary); Ono, Masao [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan)

2015-03-28

To investigate diffusion phenomenon at the interface between Cu and brass under a strong gravitational field generated by ultracentrifuge apparatus, we performed gravity experiments on samples prepared by electroplating with interfaces normal and parallel to the direction of gravity. For the parallel-mode sample, for which sedimentation cannot occur thorough the interface, the concentration change was significant within the lower gravity region; many pores were observed in this region. Many vacancies arising from crystal strain due to the strong gravitational field moved into the lower gravity region, and enhanced the atoms mobilities. For the two normal-mode samples, which have interface normal to the direction of gravity, the composition gradient of the brass-on-Cu sample was steeper than that for Cu-on-brass. This showed that the atoms of denser Cu diffuse in the direction of gravity, whereas Zn atoms diffuse in the opposite direction by sedimentation. The interdiffusion coefficients became higher in the Cu-on-brass sample, and became lower in the brass-on-Cu sample. This rise may be related to the behavior of the vacancies.

A new in-situ method to determine the apparent gas diffusion coefficient of soils

Science.gov (United States)

Laemmel, Thomas; Paulus, Sinikka; Schack-Kirchner, Helmer; Maier, Martin

2015-04-01

Soil aeration is an important factor for the biological activity in the soil and soil respiration. Generally, gas exchange between soil and atmosphere is assumed to be governed by diffusion and Fick's Law is used to describe the fluxes in the soil. The "apparent soil gas diffusion coefficient" represents the proportional factor between the flux and the gas concentration gradient in the soil and reflects the ability of the soil to "transport passively" gases through the soil. One common way to determine this coefficient is to take core samples in the field and determine it in the lab. Unfortunately this method is destructive and needs laborious field work and can only reflect a small fraction of the whole soil. As a consequence insecurity about the resulting effective diffusivity on the profile scale must remain. We developed a new in-situ method using new gas sampling device, tracer gas and inverse soil gas modelling. The gas sampling device contains several sampling depths and can be easily installed into vertical holes of an auger, which allows for fast installation of the system. At the lower end of the device inert tracer gas is injected continuously. The tracer gas diffuses into the surrounding soil. The resulting distribution of the tracer gas concentrations is used to deduce the diffusivity profile of the soil. For Finite Element Modeling of the gas sampling device/soil system the program COMSOL is used. We will present the results of a field campaign comparing the new in-situ method with lab measurements on soil cores. The new sampling pole has several interesting advantages: it can be used in-situ and over a long time; so it allows following modifications of diffusion coefficients in interaction with rain but also vegetation cycle and wind.

Disorder-induced transition from grain boundary to bulk dominated ionic diffusion in pyrochlores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perriot, Romain; Dholabhai, Pratik P.; Uberuaga, Blas P.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the role of grain boundaries (GBs) on ionic diffusion in pyrochlores, as a function of the GB type, chemistry of the compound, and level of cation disorder. We observe that the presence of GBs promotes oxygen transport in ordered and low-disordered systems, as the GBs are found to have a higher concentration of mobile carriers with higher mobilities than in the bulk. Thus, in ordered samples, the ionic diffusion is 2D, localized along the grain boundary. When cation disorder is introduced, bulk carriers begin to contribute to the overall diffusion, while the GB contribution is only slightly enhanced. In highly disordered samples, the diffusive behavior at the GBs is bulk-like, and the two contributions (bulk vs. GB) can no longer be distinguished. There is thus a transition from 2D/GB dominated oxygen diffusivity to 3D/bulk dominated diffusivity versus disorder in pyrochlores. Finally, these results provide new insights into the possibility of using internal interfaces to enhance ionic conductivity in nanostructured complex oxides.

Quantifying Diffuse Contamination: Method and Application to Pb in Soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabian, Karl; Reimann, Clemens; de Caritat, Patrice

2017-06-20

A new method for detecting and quantifying diffuse contamination at the continental to regional scale is based on the analysis of cumulative distribution functions (CDFs). It uses cumulative probability (CP) plots for spatially representative data sets, preferably containing >1000 determinations. Simulations demonstrate how different types of contamination influence elemental CDFs of different sample media. It is found that diffuse contamination is characterized by a distinctive shift of the low-concentration end of the distribution of the studied element in its CP plot. Diffuse contamination can be detected and quantified via either (1) comparing the distribution of the contaminating element to that of an element with a geochemically comparable behavior but no contamination source (e.g., Pb vs Rb), or (2) comparing the top soil distribution of an element to the distribution of the same element in subsoil samples from the same area, taking soil forming processes into consideration. Both procedures are demonstrated for geochemical soil data sets from Europe, Australia, and the U.S.A. Several different data sets from Europe deliver comparable results at different scales. Diffuse Pb contamination in surface soil is estimated to be contamination sources and can be used to efficiently monitor diffuse contamination at the continental to regional scale.

Thermal diffusion (1963); Diffusion thermique (1963)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

1963-07-01

This report brings together the essential principles of thermal diffusion in the liquid and gaseous phases. The macroscopic and molecular aspects of the thermal diffusion constant are reviewed, as well as the various measurement method; the most important developments however concern the operation of the CLUSIUS and DICKEL thermo-gravitational column and its applications. (author) [French] Ce rapport rassemble les principes essentiels de la diffusion thermique en phase liquide et en phase gazeuse. Les aspects macroscopique et moleculaire de la constante de diffusion thermique sont passes en revue ainsi que ses differentes methodes de mesure; mais les developpements les plus importants concernent le fonctionnement de ls colonne thermogravitationnelle de CLUSIUS et DICKEL et ses applications. (auteur)

Diffusion of hydrogen in yttrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorobyov, V.V.; Ryabchikov, L.N.

1966-01-01

In this work the diffusion coefficients of hydrogen in yttrium were determined from the rate at which the hydrogen was released from yttrium samples under a vacuum at temperatures of 450 to 850 0 C and from the quantity of hydrogen retained by yttrium at hydrogen pressures below 5 x 10 - 4 mm Hg in the same temperature range

Preparation of standard mixtures of gas hydrocarbons in air by the diffusion dilution method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, M. R.; Perez, M. M.

1979-01-01

An original diffusion system able to produce continuously gaseous samples is described. This system can generate samples with concentrations of benzene in air from 0.1 to 1 ppm a reproducible way. The diffusion dilution method used Is also studied. The use of this diffusion system has been extended to the preparation of binary mixtures (benzene-toluene). Whit a secondary dilution device is possible preparing these mixtures over a wide range of concentrations (0.11 to 0.04 ppm for benzene and 0.06 to 0.02 for toluene). (Author) 7 refs

Simulation study on the measurements of diffusion coefficients in solid materials by short-lived radiotracer beams

CERN Document Server

Jeong, S C; Kawakami, H

2003-01-01

We have examined, by a computer simulation, an on-line measurement of diffusion coefficients by using a short-lived alpha particle emitter, sup 8 Li (half life of 0.84s), as a radiotracer. The energy spectra of alpha particles emitted from diffusing sup 8 Li primarily implanted in the sample of LiAl ar simulated as a measure of the diffusion of sup 8 Li in the sample. As a possible time sequence for the measurement, a time cycle of 6s, i.e. the implantation of sup 8 Li for 1.5s and subsequent diffusion for 4.5s, is supposed. The sample is primarily set on a given temperature for the measurement. The time-dependent yields of alpha particles during the time cycle reveal the possibility to measure the diffusion coefficient with an accuracy of 10% if larger than 1 x 10 sup - sup 9 cm sup 2 /s, by the comparison with the experimental spectra measured at the temperature, i.e. at a certain diffusion coefficient. (author)

Measuring nanoparticle diffusion in an ABELtrap

Science.gov (United States)

Dienerowitz, M.; Dienerowitz, F.; Börsch, M.

2018-03-01

Monitoring the Brownian motion of individual nanoscopic objects is key to investigate their transport properties and interactions with their close environment. Most techniques rely on transient diffusion through a detection volume or immobilisation, which restrict observation times or motility. We measure the diffusion coefficient and surface charge of individual nanoparticles and DNA molecules in an anti-Brownian electrokinetic trap (ABELtrap). This instrument is an active feedback trap confining the Brownian motion of a nanoparticle to the detection site by applying an electric field based on the particle’s current position. We simulate the Brownian motion of nanospheres in our sample geometry, including wall effects, due to partial confinement in the third dimension. The theoretically predicted values are in excellent agreement with our diffusion measurements in the ABELtrap. We also demonstrate the ABELtrap’s ability to measure varying sizes of DNA origami structures during denaturation.

Methodological study of the diffusion of interacting cations through clays. Application: experimental tests and simulation of coupled chemistry-diffusion transport of alkaline ions through a synthetical bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melkior, Th.

2000-01-01

The subject of this work deals with the project of underground disposal of radioactive wastes in deep geological formations. It concerns the study of the migration of radionuclides through clays. In these materials, the main transport mechanism is assumed to be diffusion under natural conditions. Therefore, some diffusion experiments are conducted. With interacting solutes which present a strong affinity for the material, the duration of these tests will be too long, for the range of concentrations of interest. An alternative is to determine on one hand the geochemical retention properties using batch tests and crushed rock samples and, on the other hand, to deduce the transport parameters from diffusion tests realised with a non-interacting tracer, tritiated water. These data are then used to simulate the migration of the reactive elements with a numerical code which can deal with coupled chemistry-diffusion equations. The validity of this approach is tested by comparing the numerical simulations with the results of diffusion experiments of cations through a clay. The subject is investigated in the case of the diffusion of cesium, lithium and sodium through a compacted sodium bentonite. The diffusion tests are realised with the through-diffusion method. The comparison between the experimental results and the simulations shows that the latter tends to under estimate the propagation of the considered species. The differences could be attributed to surface diffusion and to a decrease of the accessibility to the sites of fixation of the bentonite, from the conditions of clay suspensions in batch tests to the situation of compacted samples. The influence of the experimental apparatus used during the diffusion tests on the results of the measurement has also been tested. It showed that these apparatus have to be taken into consideration when the experimental data are interpreted. A specific model has been therefore developed with the numerical code CASTEM 2000. (author)

Irradiation enhanced diffusion and irradiation creep tests in stainless steel alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loelgen, R.H.; Cundy, M.R.; Schuele, W.

1977-01-01

A review is given of investigations on the rate of phase changes during neutron and electron irradiation in many different fcc alloys showing either precipitation or ordering. The diffusion rate was determined as a function of the irradiation flux, the irradiation temperature and the irradiation dose. It was found that the radiation enhanced diffusion in all the investigated alloys is nearly temperature independent and linearly dependent on the flux. From these results conclusions were drawn concerning the properties of point defects and diffusion mechanisms rate determining during irradiation, which appears to be of a common nature for fcc alloys having a similar structure to those investigated. It has been recognized that the same dependencies which are found for the diffusion rate were also observed for the irradiation creep rate in stainless steels, as reported in literature. On the basis of this observation a combination of measurements is suggested, of radiation enhanced diffusion and radiation enhanced creep in stainless steel alloys. The diffusion tests will be performed at the Euratom Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, and the irradiation creep tests will be carried out in the High Flux Reactor /9/ of the Euratom Joint Research Centre in Petten, The Netherlands. In order to investigate irradiation creep on many samples at a time two special rigs were developed which are distinguished only by the mode of stress applied to the steel specimens. In the first type of rig about 50 samples can be tested uniaxially under tension with various combinations of irradiation temperature and stress. The second type of rig holds up to 70 samples which are tested in bending, again with various combinations of irradiation temperature and stress

Cohort change and the diffusion of environmental concern: A cross-national analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; Pampel, Fred C.

2013-01-01

This study explores value change across cohorts for a multinational population sample. Employing a diffusion-of-innovations approach, we combine competing theories predicting the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and environmentalism: post-materialism and affluence theories, and global environmentalism theory. The diffusion argument suggests that high-SES groups first adopt pro-environmental views, but as time passes by, environmentalism diffuses to lower-SES groups. We test the diffusion argument using a sample of 18 countries for two waves (years 1993 and 2000) from the International Social Survey Project (ISSP). Cross-classified multilevel modeling allows us to identify a non-linear interaction between cohort and education, our core measure of SES, in predicting environmental concern, while controlling for age and period. We find support for the diffusion argument and demonstrate that the positive effect of education on environmental concern first increases among older cohorts, then starts to level off until a bend-point is reached for individuals born around 1940 and becomes progressively weaker for younger cohorts. PMID:24179313

Ballistic and Diffusive Thermal Conductivity of Graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Riichiro; Masashi, Mizuno; Dresselhaus, Mildred S.

2018-02-01

This paper is a contribution to the Physical Review Applied collection in memory of Mildred S. Dresselhaus. Phonon-related thermal conductivity of graphene is calculated as a function of the temperature and sample size of graphene in which the crossover of ballistic and diffusive thermal conductivity occurs at around 100 K. The diffusive thermal conductivity of graphene is evaluated by calculating the phonon mean free path for each phonon mode in which the anharmonicity of a phonon and the phonon scattering by a 13C isotope are taken into account. We show that phonon-phonon scattering of out-of-plane acoustic phonon by the anharmonic potential is essential for the largest thermal conductivity. Using the calculated results, we can design the optimum sample size, which gives the largest thermal conductivity at a given temperature for applying thermal conducting devices.

The characterization of high quality multicrystalline silicon by the electron beam induced current method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J; Sekiguchi, T; Nara, S; Yang, D

2004-01-01

Multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) manufactured by a multi-stage solidification control casting method has been characterized by the electron beam induced current (EBIC) method. The average diffusion length of the ingot was over 250 μm, which was much longer than that of conventional mc-Si. The EBIC study revealed that the electrical activities of grain boundaries (GBs) varied with the ingot position due to the impurity contamination level. The main impurity detected was iron. The concentration of iron in the central position was much lower than that at the bottom and top positions. GBs in the central position showed no significant EBIC contrast at 300 K, suggesting low contamination level. GBs in the top and bottom positions, however, showed strong EBIC contrast at 300 K, suggesting high contamination level. At 100 K, a denuded zone with bright contrast developed around GBs in the top and bottom positions. The existence of the denuded zone suggested that impurities were gettered at the GBs. It was considered that the variation of the diffusion length in the ingot was related to the variation of recombination activities of GBs in the different positions, which mainly depended on the impurity contamination

Dynamics and diffusive-conformational coupling in polymer bulk samples and surfaces: a molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vree, C; Mayr, S G

2010-01-01

The impact of free surfaces on the mobility and conformational fluctuations of model polymer chains is investigated with the help of classical molecular dynamics simulations over a broad temperature range. Below a critical temperature, T*, similar to the critical temperature of the mode coupling theory, the center-of-mass displacements and temporal fluctuations of the radius of gyration of individual chains-as a fingerprint of structural reconfigurations-reveal a strong enhancement close to surfaces, while this effect diminishes with increasing temperature and observation time. Interpreting conformational fluctuations as a random walk in conformational space, identical activation enthalpies for structural reconfigurations and diffusion are obtained within the error bars in the bulk and at the surfaces, thus indicating a coupling of diffusive and conformational dynamics.

Erbium diffusion in titanium dioxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louise Basse

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The diffusivity of erbium in the anatase phase of titanium dioxide (TiO2 has been studied for various temperatures ranging from 800 °C to 1, 000 °C. Samples of TiO2, with a 10 nm thick buried layer containing 0.5 at% erbium, were fabricated by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and subsequently heat treated. The erbium concentration profiles were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry, allowing for determination of the temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients. These were found to follow an Arrhenius law with an activation energy of ( 2.1 ± 0.2 eV. X-ray diffraction revealed that the TiO2 films consisted of polycrystalline grains of size ≈ 100 nm.

Preliminary study of diffusion effects in Fricke gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quiroga, A.; Vedelago, J.; Valente, M.

2014-08-01

Diffusion of ferric ions in ferrous sulfate (Fricke) gels represents one of the main drawbacks of some radiation detectors, like Fricke gel dosimeters. In practice, this disadvantage can be overcome by prompt dosimeter analysis, constraining strongly the time between irradiation and analysis. Due to required integral accuracy levels, special dedicated protocols are implemented with the aim of minimizing signal blurring due to diffusion effects. This work presents dedicated analytic modelling and numerical calculations of diffusion coefficients in Fricke gel radiation sensitive material. Samples are optically analysed by means of visible light transmission measurements capturing images with a Ccd camera provided with a monochromatic 585 nm filter corresponding to the X O-infused Fricke solution absorbance peak. Dose distributions in Fricke gels are suitably delivered in order to assess specific initial conditions further studied by periodical sample image acquisitions. In a first analytic approach, experimental data are fit with linear models in order to achieve a value for the diffusion coefficient. The second approach to the problem consists on a group of computational algorithms based on inverse problem formulation, along with suitable 2D diffusion model capable of estimating diffusion coefficients by fitting the obtained algorithm numerical solutions with the corresponding experimental data. Comparisons are performed by introducing an appropriate functional in order to analyse both experimental and numerical values. Solutions to second order diffusion equation are calculated in the framework of a dedicated method that incorporates Finite Element Method. Moreover, optimised solutions can be attained by gradient type minimisation algorithms. Knowledge about diffusion coefficient for Fricke gel radiation detector might be helpful in accounting for effects regarding elapsed time between dosimeter irradiation and further analysis. Hence, corrections might be included

Diffusion of anions and cations in compacted sodium bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muurinen, A.

1994-02-01

The thesis presents the results of studies on the diffusion mechanisms of anions and cations in compacted sodium bentonite, which is planned to be used as a buffer material in nuclear waste disposal in Finland. The diffusivities and sorption factors were determined by tracer experiments. The pore volume accessible to chloride, here defined as effective porosity, was determined as a function of bentonite density and electrolyte concentration in water, and the Stern-Gouy double-layer model was used to explain the observed anion exclusion. The sorption of Cs + and Sr 2+ was studied in loose and compacted bentonite samples as a function of the electrolyte concentration in solution. In order to obtain evidence of the diffusion of exchangeable cations, defined as surface diffusion, the diffusivities of Cs + and Sr 2+ in compacted bentonite were studied as a function of the sorption factor, which was varied by electrolyte concentration in solution. The measurements were performed both by a non-steady state method and by a through-diffusion method. (89 refs., 35 fig., 4 tab.)

Microvascular denudation of the femoral artery of the mouse as a model for restenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feuls, R.; Bantleon, R.; Henning, E.B.; Tepe, G.; Khorchidi, S.; Reis, E.D.; Duda, S.H.; Chereshnev, I.

2003-01-01

Objective: To present technique and results of a microvascular denudation of the common femoral artery of the mouse as a model for inducing intimal hyperplasia in interventional radiology. Materials and methods: Under general anesthesia introduced by intraperitoneal injection, 14 B6129F1 hybrid mice (7 females and 7 males) at a mean age of 12.1±1.8 weeks and a mean weight of 28±2.8 grams had a groin incision of the vascular bundle directly distal to the inguinal ligament in preparation of placing a vascular clamp. Thereafter, the femoral artery was dissected distal to the origin of the epigastric artery and a loop prepared for a ligation proximal to the planned arteriotomy. Through an arteriotomy performed free-hand with a pair of micro scissors, a 0.010'' (=0.25 mm) guidewire was introduced into the vessel and advanced to the aortic bifurcation. The guidewire was moved back and forth three times. The same procedure was performed on the other side as sham-operation, i.e., without introduction and passage of a guidewire. The resulting changes of the vessel wall were evaluated by histology and morphometry. Results: Four weeks after intervention, the mean intima-to-media-ratio (IMR) was 1.80±0.28. A significant difference was observed between the sexes, with an IMR of 1.41±0.29 in females and an IMR of 2.24±0.45 in males (p=0.0173). The neointima led to an overall luminal loss of 50.2%±8.3% without significant sex difference (p=0.09), but the average lumina loss was still more severe in females, amounting to 43.9% in comparison to 56.1% in males. This technique induces a significant neointima formation in a reproducible manner. The internal elastic membrane was preserved in all vessels. Conclusion: This technique is an excellent model to examine the differences between genetically modified mice to clarify the role of putative key molecules in the pathophysiology of restenosis. (orig.) [de

Denudation of the continental shelf between Britain and France at the glacial–interglacial timescale

Science.gov (United States)

Mellett, Claire L.; Hodgson, David M.; Plater, Andrew J.; Mauz, Barbara; Selby, Ian; Lang, Andreas

2013-01-01

The erosional morphology preserved at the sea bed in the eastern English Channel dominantly records denudation of the continental shelf by fluvial processes over multiple glacial–interglacial sea-level cycles rather than by catastrophic flooding through the Straits of Dover during the mid-Quaternary. Here, through the integration of multibeam bathymetry and shallow sub-bottom 2D seismic reflection profiles calibrated with vibrocore records, the first stratigraphic model of erosion and deposition on the eastern English Channel continental shelf is presented. Published Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and 14C ages were used to chronometrically constrain the stratigraphy and allow correlation of the continental shelf record with major climatic/sea-level periods. Five major erosion surfaces overlain by discrete sediment packages have been identified. The continental shelf in the eastern English Channel preserves a record of processes operating from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to MIS 1. Planar and channelised erosion surfaces were formed by fluvial incision during lowstands or relative sea-level fall. The depth and lateral extent of incision was partly conditioned by underlying geology (rock type and tectonic structure), climatic conditions and changes in water and sediment discharge coupled to ice sheet dynamics and the drainage configuration of major rivers in Northwest Europe. Evidence for major erosion during or prior to MIS 6 is preserved. Fluvial sediments of MIS 2 age were identified within the Northern Palaeovalley, providing insights into the scale of erosion by normal fluvial regimes. Seismic and sedimentary facies indicate that deposition predominantly occurred during transgression when accommodation was created in palaeovalleys to allow discrete sediment bodies to form. Sediment reworking over multiple sea-level cycles (Saalian–Eemian–early Weichselian) by fluvial, coastal and marine processes created a multi-lateral, multi-storey succession of

Denudation of the continental shelf between Britain and France at the glacial-interglacial timescale.

Science.gov (United States)

Mellett, Claire L; Hodgson, David M; Plater, Andrew J; Mauz, Barbara; Selby, Ian; Lang, Andreas

2013-12-01

The erosional morphology preserved at the sea bed in the eastern English Channel dominantly records denudation of the continental shelf by fluvial processes over multiple glacial-interglacial sea-level cycles rather than by catastrophic flooding through the Straits of Dover during the mid-Quaternary. Here, through the integration of multibeam bathymetry and shallow sub-bottom 2D seismic reflection profiles calibrated with vibrocore records, the first stratigraphic model of erosion and deposition on the eastern English Channel continental shelf is presented. Published Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and 14 C ages were used to chronometrically constrain the stratigraphy and allow correlation of the continental shelf record with major climatic/sea-level periods. Five major erosion surfaces overlain by discrete sediment packages have been identified. The continental shelf in the eastern English Channel preserves a record of processes operating from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to MIS 1. Planar and channelised erosion surfaces were formed by fluvial incision during lowstands or relative sea-level fall. The depth and lateral extent of incision was partly conditioned by underlying geology (rock type and tectonic structure), climatic conditions and changes in water and sediment discharge coupled to ice sheet dynamics and the drainage configuration of major rivers in Northwest Europe. Evidence for major erosion during or prior to MIS 6 is preserved. Fluvial sediments of MIS 2 age were identified within the Northern Palaeovalley, providing insights into the scale of erosion by normal fluvial regimes. Seismic and sedimentary facies indicate that deposition predominantly occurred during transgression when accommodation was created in palaeovalleys to allow discrete sediment bodies to form. Sediment reworking over multiple sea-level cycles (Saalian-Eemian-early Weichselian) by fluvial, coastal and marine processes created a multi-lateral, multi-storey succession of

Coercivity enhancement of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets by the eutectic grain boundary diffusion process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Lihua; Sepehri-Amin, H.; Ohkubo, T.; Yano, M.; Kato, A.; Shoji, T.; Hono, K.

2016-01-01

Nd-M (M = Al, Cu, Ga, Zn, Mn) alloys with compositions close to eutectic points were investigated as diffusion sources for the grain boundary diffusion process to hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets. Coercivity enhancement was observed for most of the alloys. Among them, the sample processed with Nd 90 Al 10 exhibited the highest coercivity of 2.5 T at room temperature. However, the sample processed with Nd 70 Cu 30 exhibited the highest coercivity of 0.7 T at 200 ° C. Microstructural observations using scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) showed that nonferromagnetic Nd-rich intergranular phase envelops the Nd 2 Fe 14 B grains after the diffusion process. Abnormal grain growth and the dissolution of Al into the Nd 2 Fe 14 B grains were observed in the sample processed with Nd 90 Al 10 , which explains its inferior thermal stability of coercivity compared to the sample processed with Nd 70 Cu 30 . The coercivity enhancement and poor thermal stability of the coercivity of the Nd 90 Al 10 diffusion-processed sample are discussed based on microstructure studies by transmission electron microscopy. - Highlights: • Coercivity of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets is enhanced by the infiltration of various R-TM eutectic alloys. • The sample infiltrated with Nd 90 Al 10 shows the highest coercivity of 2.5 T at room temperature. • At 200 °C, Nd 70 Cu 30 diffusion-processed sample possesses the highest coercivity of 0.7 T.

Microfluidic diffusivity meter: a tool to optimize CO2 driven enhanced oil recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Puneeth, S. B.; Kim, Young Ho; Goel, Sanket

2017-02-01

As the energy demands continue to swell with growing population and there persists a lack of unexploited oilfields, the prime focus of any nation would be to maximize the oil recovery factor from existing oil fields. CO2-Enhanced oil recovery is a process to improve the recovery of crude oil from an oil field and works at high pressure and in very deep conditions. CO2 and oil are miscible at high pressure, resulting in low viscosity and oil swells. This swelling can be measured based on mathematical calculations in real time and correlated with the CO2 concentration. This process has myriad advantages over its counterparts which include being able to harness oil trapped in reservoirs besides being cheaper and more efficient. A Diffusivity meter is inevitable in the measurement of the diffusion co-efficient of two samples. Diffusivity meters currently available in the market are weighed down by disadvantages like the requirement of large samples for testing, high cost and complexity. This elicits the need for a Microfluidic based diffusivity meter capable of analyzing Nano-liter sample volumes besides being more precise and affordable. The scope of this work involves the design and development of a Microfluidic robust and inexpensive prototype diffusivity meter using a capillary tube and endorsing its performance by comparison of results with known diffusivity range and supervision of the results with an electronic microscope coupled to PC and Data Acquisition System. The prototype produced at the end of the work is expected to outweigh disadvantages in existing products in terms of sample size, efficiency and time saving.

Speciation of neptunium after diffusion in Opalinus Clay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reich, Tobias; Amayri, Samer; Drebert, Jakob; Froehlich, Daniel R.; Grolimund, Daniel; Rosemann, Jonathan [Mainz Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Nuclear Chemistry; Kaplan, Ugras [Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen (Switzerland). Swiss Light Source

2015-07-01

Argillaceous rock formations are under consideration as a potential host rock for the construction of high-level nuclear waste repositories. Under environmental conditions the most stable oxidation states of {sup 237}Np (t{sub 1/2}=2.1 x 10{sup 6} a) are Np(IV) and Np(V). We have investigated the sorption and diffusion of the more mobile Np(V) in Opalinus Clay (OPA, Mont Terri, Switzerland) (Wu et al. 2009, Froehlich et al. 2011 and 2012 a). OPA, which is present in Switzerland and southern Germany, possesses a micro-scale heterogeneity and is composed of several types of clay minerals, but also of calcite, quartz and iron(II)-bearing minerals. In our previous diffusion (Wu et al. 2009) and anaerobic sorption experiments (Froehlich et al. 2011), we observed higher distribution coefficients, K{sub d}, than expected from batch experiments performed in air, indicating that a partial reduction of Np(V) to Np(IV) had occurred. To test this hypothesis, different sorption and diffusion samples with Np(V) were prepared at pH 7.6 for spatially resolved molecular-level investigations at the microXAS beamline at the Swiss Light Source (PSI, Villigen, Switzerland) (Froehlich et al. 2012 b). Elemental distributions of Ca, Fe and Np have been determined by μ-XRF mapping. Regions of high Np concentration were subsequently investigated by Np L{sub III}-edge μ-XANES. In most samples Np spots with considerable amounts of tetravalent Np could be found, even when the experiments were performed under ambient-air conditions. In some cases, almost pure Np(IV) L{sub III}-edge XANES spectra were recorded. In case of the anaerobic sorption sample, a clear correlation between Np and Fe was observed by μ-XRF, indicating that iron(II)-bearing minerals could be responsible for the reduction of Np(V). μ-XRD measurements of this sample showed that pyrite is at least one of the redox-active phases determining the speciation of Np in OPA. In this case, Np was accumulated on pyrite, indicating

Understanding and eliminating artifact signals from diffusely scattered pump beam in measurements of rough samples by time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Bo [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117576 (Singapore); Koh, Yee Kan, E-mail: mpekyk@nus.edu.sg [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117576 (Singapore); Centre of Advanced 2D Materials, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 (Singapore)

2016-06-15

Time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) is a pump-probe technique frequently applied to measure the thermal transport properties of bulk materials, nanostructures, and interfaces. One of the limitations of TDTR is that it can only be employed to samples with a fairly smooth surface. For rough samples, artifact signals are collected when the pump beam in TDTR measurements is diffusely scattered by the rough surface into the photodetector, rendering the TDTR measurements invalid. In this paper, we systemically studied the factors affecting the artifact signals due to the pump beam leaked into the photodetector and thus established the origin of the artifact signals. We find that signals from the leaked pump beam are modulated by the probe beam due to the phase rotation induced in the photodetector by the illumination of the probe beam. As a result of the modulation, artifact signals due to the leaked pump beam are registered in TDTR measurements as the out-of-phase signals. We then developed a simple approach to eliminate the artifact signals due to the leaked pump beam. We verify our leak-pump correction approach by measuring the thermal conductivity of a rough InN sample, when the signals from the leaked pump beam are significant. We also discuss the advantages of our new method over the two-tint approach and its limitations. Our new approach enables measurements of the thermal conductivity of rough samples using TDTR.

Cohort change and the diffusion of environmental concern: A cross-national analysis

OpenAIRE

Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; Pampel, Fred C.

2012-01-01

This study explores value change across cohorts for a multinational population sample. Employing a diffusion-of-innovations approach, we combine competing theories predicting the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and environmentalism: post-materialism and affluence theories, and global environmentalism theory. The diffusion argument suggests that high-SES groups first adopt pro-environmental views, but as time passes by, environmentalism diffuses to lower-SES groups. We test th...

A theoretical signal processing framework for linear diffusion MRI: Implications for parameter estimation and experiment design.

Science.gov (United States)

Varadarajan, Divya; Haldar, Justin P

2017-11-01

The data measured in diffusion MRI can be modeled as the Fourier transform of the Ensemble Average Propagator (EAP), a probability distribution that summarizes the molecular diffusion behavior of the spins within each voxel. This Fourier relationship is potentially advantageous because of the extensive theory that has been developed to characterize the sampling requirements, accuracy, and stability of linear Fourier reconstruction methods. However, existing diffusion MRI data sampling and signal estimation methods have largely been developed and tuned without the benefit of such theory, instead relying on approximations, intuition, and extensive empirical evaluation. This paper aims to address this discrepancy by introducing a novel theoretical signal processing framework for diffusion MRI. The new framework can be used to characterize arbitrary linear diffusion estimation methods with arbitrary q-space sampling, and can be used to theoretically evaluate and compare the accuracy, resolution, and noise-resilience of different data acquisition and parameter estimation techniques. The framework is based on the EAP, and makes very limited modeling assumptions. As a result, the approach can even provide new insight into the behavior of model-based linear diffusion estimation methods in contexts where the modeling assumptions are inaccurate. The practical usefulness of the proposed framework is illustrated using both simulated and real diffusion MRI data in applications such as choosing between different parameter estimation methods and choosing between different q-space sampling schemes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laser interferometric method for determining the carrier diffusion length in semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manukhov, V. V. [Saint Petersburg State University (Russian Federation); Fedortsov, A. B.; Ivanov, A. S., E-mail: ivaleks58@gmail.com [Saint Petersburg Mining University (Russian Federation)

2015-09-15

A new laser interferometric method for measuring the carrier diffusion length in semiconductors is proposed. The method is based on the interference–absorption interaction of two laser radiations in a semiconductor. Injected radiation generates additional carriers in a semiconductor, which causes a change in the material’s optical constants and modulation of the probing radiation passed through the sample. When changing the distance between carrier generation and probing points, a decrease in the carrier concentration, which depends on the diffusion length, is recorded. The diffusion length is determined by comparing the experimental and theoretical dependences of the probe signal on the divergence of the injector and probe beams. The method is successfully tested on semiconductor samples with different thicknesses and surface states and can be used in scientific research and the electronics industry.

Determination of diffusion profiles in thin film couples by means of X-ray-diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagendristel, A.

1975-01-01

An X-ray method for the determination of concentration profiles in thin film diffusion couples is presented. This method is based on the theory of Fourier analysis of X-ray diffraction profiles which is generalized to polycrystalline samples showing non-uniform lattice parameter. A Fourier synthesis of the concentration spectrum is possible when the influences of the particle size and the strain in the sample as well as the instrumental function are eliminated from the measured diffraction profile. This can be done by means of reference profiles obtained from layers of the diffusion components. Absorption of the radiation in the sample is negligible when diffusion couples of symmetrical sandwich structure are used. The method is tested experimentally in the system Au-Cu. (orig.) [de

Effect of voids-controlled vacancy supersaturations on B diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcelot, O.; Claverie, A.; Cristiano, F.; Cayrel, F.; Alquier, D.; Lerch, W.; Paul, S.; Rubin, L.; Jaouen, H.; Armand, C.

2007-01-01

We present here preliminary results on boron diffusion in presence of pre-formed voids of different characteristics. The voids were fabricated by helium implantation followed by annealing allowing the desorption of He prior to boron implantation. We show that under such conditions boron diffusion is always largely reduced and can even be suppressed in some cases. Boron diffusion suppression can be observed in samples not containing nanovoids in the boron-rich region. It is suggested that direct trapping of Si(int)s by the voids is not the mechanism responsible for the reduction of boron diffusion in such layers. Alternatively, our experimental results suggest that this reduction of diffusivity is more probably due to the competition between two Ostwald ripening phenomena taking place at the same time: in the boron-rich region, the competitive growth of extrinsic defects at the origin of TED and, in the void region, the Ostwald ripening of the voids which involves large supersaturations of Vs

Effect of voids-controlled vacancy supersaturations on B diffusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marcelot, O. [CEMES/CNRS, 29 rue Jeanne Marvig, 31055 Toulouse (France)]. E-mail: marcelot@cemes.fr; Claverie, A. [CEMES/CNRS, 29 rue Jeanne Marvig, 31055 Toulouse (France); Cristiano, F. [LAAS/CNRS, 7 av. du Col. Roche, 31077 Toulouse (France); Cayrel, F. [LMP, Universite de Tours, 16 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, BP 7155, 37071 Tours (France); Alquier, D. [LMP, Universite de Tours, 16 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, BP 7155, 37071 Tours (France); Lerch, W. [Mattson Thermal Products GmbH, Daimlerstr. 10, D-89160 Dornstadt (Germany); Paul, S. [Mattson Thermal Products GmbH, Daimlerstr. 10, D-89160 Dornstadt (Germany); Rubin, L. [Axcelis Technologies, 108 Cherry Hill Drive, Beverly MA 01915 (United States); Jaouen, H. [STMicroelectronics, 850 rue Jean Monnet, 38926 Crolles (France); Armand, C. [LNMO/INSA, Service analyseur ionique, 135 av. de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse (France)

2007-04-15

We present here preliminary results on boron diffusion in presence of pre-formed voids of different characteristics. The voids were fabricated by helium implantation followed by annealing allowing the desorption of He prior to boron implantation. We show that under such conditions boron diffusion is always largely reduced and can even be suppressed in some cases. Boron diffusion suppression can be observed in samples not containing nanovoids in the boron-rich region. It is suggested that direct trapping of Si(int)s by the voids is not the mechanism responsible for the reduction of boron diffusion in such layers. Alternatively, our experimental results suggest that this reduction of diffusivity is more probably due to the competition between two Ostwald ripening phenomena taking place at the same time: in the boron-rich region, the competitive growth of extrinsic defects at the origin of TED and, in the void region, the Ostwald ripening of the voids which involves large supersaturations of Vs.

Fission track dating evidence on tectonic activities of northern Himalaya block

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Wanming; Wang Shicheng; Wang Lanfen

2002-01-01

Fission track ages (FTA) of 4 apatite samples collected from Langkazi to Yarlung Zangbo thrust zone range between 13.6 and 17.2 Ma, reflecting the time of continent-continent collision and differing from previous data. The negative correlation between the FTA and sample elevations shows there was rapid uplifting during the continent-continent collision with uplifting rate of 176 m/Ma. Denudation degree, denudation rate and cooling rate were ∼2.9 km, 213 m/Ma and 7 degree C/Ma respectively since 13.6 Ma. FTA of 3 zircon samples are different significantly and have x 2 test value of < 0.1%, confirming the orogeny within continent went under low temperature

Influence of extrinsic operational parameters on salt diffusion during ultrasound assisted meat curing.

Science.gov (United States)

Inguglia, Elena S; Zhang, Zhihang; Burgess, Catherine; Kerry, Joseph P; Tiwari, Brijesh K

2018-02-01

The present study investigated the effect of geometric parameters of the ultrasound instrument during meat salting in order to enhance salt diffusion and salt distribution in pork meat on a lab scale. The effects of probe size (∅2.5 and 1.3cm) and of different distances between the transducer and the meat sample (0.3, 0.5, and 0.8cm) on NaCl diffusion were investigated. Changes in the moisture content and NaCl gain were used to evaluate salt distribution and diffusion in the samples, parallel and perpendicular to ultrasound propagation direction. Results showed that 0.3cm was the most efficient distance between the probe and the sample to ensure a higher salt diffusion rate. A distance of 0.5cm was however considered as a trade-off distance to ensure salt diffusion and maintenance of meat quality parameters. The enhancement of salt diffusion by ultrasound was observed to decrease with increased horizontal distance from the probe. This study is of valuable importance for meat processing industries willing to apply new technologies on a larger scale and with defined operational standards. The data suggest that the geometric parameters of ultrasound systems can have strong influence on the efficiency of ultrasonic enhancement of NaCl uptake in meat and can be a crucial element in determining salt uptake during meat processing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal conductivity and diffusivity of Permian Basin bedded salt at elevated pressure and temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durham, W.B.; Boro, C.O.; Beiriger, J.M.; Montan, D.N.

1983-10-01

Measurements of thermal conductivity and diffusivity were made on five core samples of bedded rock salt from the Permian Basin in Texas to determine its suitability as an underground nuclear waste repository. The sample size was 100 mm in diameter by 250 mm in length. Measurements were conducted under confining pressures ranging from 3.8 to 31.0 MPa and temperatures from room temperature to 473 K. Conductivity showed no dependence on confining pressure but evidenced a monotonic, negative temperature dependence. Four of the five samples showed conductivities clustered in a range of 5.6 +- 0.5 W/m.K at room temperature, falling to 3.6 +- 0.3 W/m.K at 473 K. These values are approximately 20% below those for pure halite, reflecting perhaps the 5 to 20%-nonhalite component of the samples. Diffusivity also showed a monotonic, negative temperature dependence, with four of the five samples clustered in a range of 2.7 +- 0.4 x 10 -6 m 2 /s at room temperature, and 1.5 +- 0.3 x 10 -6 m 2 /s at 473 K, all roughly 33% below the values for pure halite. One sample showed an unusually high conductivity (it also had the highest diffusivity), about 20% higher than the others; and one sample showed an unusually low diffusivity (it also had the lowest conductivity), roughly a factor of 2 lower than the others. 27 references, 8 figures, 4 tables

Diffusion tensor MR microscopy of tissues with low diffusional anisotropy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajd, Franci; Mattea, Carlos; Stapf, Siegfried; Sersa, Igor

2016-06-01

Diffusion tensor imaging exploits preferential diffusional motion of water molecules residing within tissue compartments for assessment of tissue structural anisotropy. However, instrumentation and post-processing errors play an important role in determination of diffusion tensor elements. In the study, several experimental factors affecting accuracy of diffusion tensor determination were analyzed. Effects of signal-to-noise ratio and configuration of the applied diffusion-sensitizing gradients on fractional anisotropy bias were analyzed by means of numerical simulations. In addition, diffusion tensor magnetic resonance microscopy experiments were performed on a tap water phantom and bovine articular cartilage-on-bone samples to verify the simulation results. In both, the simulations and the experiments, the multivariate linear regression of the diffusion-tensor analysis yielded overestimated fractional anisotropy with low SNRs and with low numbers of applied diffusion-sensitizing gradients. An increase of the apparent fractional anisotropy due to unfavorable experimental conditions can be overcome by applying a larger number of diffusion sensitizing gradients with small values of the condition number of the transformation matrix. This is in particular relevant in magnetic resonance microscopy, where imaging gradients are high and the signal-to-noise ratio is low.

Determination of spatially dependent diffusion parameters in bovine bone using Kalman filter.

Science.gov (United States)

Shokry, Abdallah; Ståhle, Per; Svensson, Ingrid

2015-11-07

Although many studies have been made for homogenous constant diffusion, bone is an inhomogeneous material. It has been suggested that bone porosity decreases from the inner boundaries to the outer boundaries of the long bones. The diffusivity of substances in the bone matrix is believed to increase as the bone porosity increases. In this study, an experimental set up is used where bovine bone samples, saturated with potassium chloride (KCl), were put into distilled water and the conductivity of the water was followed. Chloride ions in the bone samples escaped out in the water through diffusion and the increase of the conductivity was measured. A one-dimensional, spatially dependent mathematical model describing the diffusion process is used. The diffusion parameters in the model are determined using a Kalman filter technique. The parameters for spatially dependent at endosteal and periosteal surfaces are found to be (12.8 ± 4.7) × 10(-11) and (5 ± 3.5) × 10(-11)m(2)/s respectively. The mathematical model function using the obtained diffusion parameters fits very well with the experimental data with mean square error varies from 0.06 × 10(-6) to 0.183 × 10(-6) (μS/m)(2). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oxygen-induced high diffusion rate of magnesium dopants in GaN/AlGaN based UV LED heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Michałowski, Paweł Piotr; Złotnik, Sebastian; Sitek, Jakub; Rosiński, Krzysztof; Rudziński, Mariusz

2018-05-23

Further development of GaN/AlGaN based optoelectronic devices requires optimization of the p-type material growth process. In particular, uncontrolled diffusion of Mg dopants may decrease the performance of a device. Thus it is meaningful to study the behavior of Mg and the origins of its diffusion in detail. In this work we have employed secondary ion mass spectrometry to study the diffusion of magnesium in GaN/AlGaN structures. We show that magnesium has a strong tendency to form Mg-H complexes which immobilize Mg atoms and restrain their diffusion. However, these complexes are not present in samples post-growth annealed in an oxygen atmosphere or Al-rich AlGaN structures which naturally have a high oxygen concentration. In these samples, more Mg atoms are free to diffuse and thus the average diffusion length is considerably larger than for a sample annealed in an inert atmosphere.

Simultaneous Absorptance and Thermal-Diffusivity Determination of Optical Components with Laser Calorimetry Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanru; Li, Bincheng

2012-11-01

The laser calorimetry (LCA) technique is used to determine simultaneously the absorptances and thermal diffusivities of optical components. An accurate temperature model, in which both the finite thermal conductivity and the finite sample size are taken into account, is employed to fit the experimental temperature data measured with an LCA apparatus for a precise determination of the absorptance and thermal diffusivity via a multiparameter fitting procedure. The uniqueness issue of the multiparameter fitting is discussed in detail. Experimentally, highly reflective (HR) samples prepared with electron-beam evaporation on different substrates (BK7, fused silica, and Ge) are measured with LCA. For the HR-coated sample on a fused silica substrate, the absorptance is determined to be 15.4 ppm, which is close to the value of 17.6 ppm, determined with a simplified temperature model recommended in the international standard ISO11551. The thermal diffusivity is simultaneously determined via multiparameter fitting to be approximately 6.63 × 10-7 m2 · s-1 with a corresponding square variance of 4.8 × 10-4. The fitted thermal diffusivity is in reasonably good agreement with the literature value (7.5 × 10-7 m2 · s -1). Good agreement is also obtained for samples with BK7 and Ge substrates.

Diffusion mechanisms of strontium, cesium and cobalt in compacted sodium bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muurinen, A.; Rantanen, J.; Penttilae-Hiltunen, P.

1986-01-01

For a porous water-saturated material where diffusion in the porewater, sorption on the solid material and diffusion of the sorbed ions (surface diffusion) occur, a diffusion equation can be derived where the apparent diffusivity includes two terms. One represents diffusion in the pore-water, the other surface diffusion. In this research diffusion mechanisms were studied. The apparent diffusivities of strontium, cesium and cobalt in compacted sodium bentonite were measured by a non-steady state method. The sorption factors were adjusted using different sodium chloride solutions, groundwater and addition of EDTA for saturation of the bentonite samples. The corresponding sorption factors were measured by a batch method. The results suggest that cations diffuse also while being sorbed. A combined pore diffusion-surface diffusion model has been used to explain the transport and the corresponding diffusivities have been evaluated. The surface diffusivities (D/sub s/) of Sr and Cs were 8-9 x 10 -12 m 2 /s and 4-7 x 10 -13 m 2 /s respectively. The pore diffusivity epsilon D/sub p/ of Cs was 3.5 x 10 -11 m 2 /s which has been used also for Sr. The sorption mechanisms of Co seems to be different from that of Sr or Cs and the results allow no specific conclusions of the diffusion mechanisms of Co. The apparent diffusivity of Co ranged from 2 x 10 -14 to 7 x 10 -14 m 2 /s. The anionic Co-EDTA seems to follow some other diffusion mechanism than the cations

Diffusivity and electrical resistivity measurements in rock matrix around fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumpulainen, H.; Uusheimo, K.

1989-12-01

Microfracturing of rock matrix around permeable fractures was studied experimentally from drill core samples around major fractures. The methods used were diffusion measurements using a 36 Cl-tracer and electrical resistivity measurements. Rock samples were from the Romuvaara investigation site, the granite specimen around a partially filled carbonate fracture (KR4/333 m) and gneiss specimen around a slickenside fracture (KR1/645 m). A consistent difference of one to two orders of magnitude in the levels of the methods with regard to the effective diffusion coefficients for Cl - -ion was found, the electrical resistivity measurement giving higher values. On the basis of the diffusion measurements the diffusion porosities could be calculated but these remained one to two orders of magnitude lower than that expected for granitic rocks using the water saturation method. A possible reason for these differences could have been the low, in some cases 0.004 M NaC1-concentration in the diffusion experiments vs. the 1 M NaCl-concentration used in the electrical resistivity measurements. Due to the small number of specimens and cross sectional areas of only 2 cm 2 , rock inhomogeneity effects were significant making the interpretation of the results somewhat troublesome. Porosities on fracture surfaces seemed to be higher than in the deeper, more intact rock matrix

In-utero three dimension high resolution fetal brain diffusion tensor imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Shuzhou; Xue, Hui; Counsell, Serena; Anjari, Mustafa; Allsop, Joanna; Rutherford, Mary; Rueckert, Daniel; Hajnal, Joseph V

2007-01-01

We present a methodology to achieve 3D high resolution in-utero fetal brain DTI that shows excellent ADC as well as promising FA maps. After continuous DTI scanning to acquire a repeated series of parallel slices with 15 diffusion directions, image registration is used to realign the images to correct for fetal motion. Once aligned, the diffusion images are treated as irregularly sampled data where each voxel is associated with an appropriately rotated diffusion direction, and used to estimate the diffusion tensor on a regular grid. The method has been tested successful on eight fetuses and has been validated on adults imaged at 1.5T.

Maximum likelihood estimation for integrated diffusion processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baltazar-Larios, Fernando; Sørensen, Michael

We propose a method for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of parameters in diffusion models when the data is a discrete time sample of the integral of the process, while no direct observations of the process itself are available. The data are, moreover, assumed to be contaminated...... EM-algorithm to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters in the diffusion model. As part of the algorithm, we use a recent simple method for approximate simulation of diffusion bridges. In simulation studies for the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and the CIR process the proposed method works...... by measurement errors. Integrated volatility is an example of this type of observations. Another example is ice-core data on oxygen isotopes used to investigate paleo-temperatures. The data can be viewed as incomplete observations of a model with a tractable likelihood function. Therefore we propose a simulated...

Calculation of calcium diffusion coefficient of cement hardenings using minute pore data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hitomi, Takashi; Takeda, Nobufumi; Iriya, Keishiro

2009-01-01

This report describes the calculations of the diffusion coefficient of the Ca ion of cement hardenings using minute pore data. The observed hardenings were ordinary Portland cement (OPC), low-heat Portland cement with fly ash (LPC+FA) and highly fly ash containing silica fume cement (HFSC). The samples were cured in the standard and artificially leached by accelerated test. Minute pore datas of the cement hardenings were acquired with image processing of internal structural information obtained from high resolution X-ray computed tomography observations. Upon analysis, several voxels are combined into one bigger voxel, the diffusion coefficient of the voxels were determined in proportion to the number of voxels which were included in. The results reveal that the change in the calcium diffusion coefficient of OPC due to leaching was large, but the LPC+FA and HFSC cements exhibited even greater changes than OPC. It is suggested that the diffusion coefficients are proportional to the Ca/Si ratio of the samples. (author)

Diffusion of Zonal Variables Using Node-Centered Diffusion Solver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, T B

2007-08-06

Tom Kaiser [1] has done some preliminary work to use the node-centered diffusion solver (originally developed by T. Palmer [2]) in Kull for diffusion of zonal variables such as electron temperature. To avoid numerical diffusion, Tom used a scheme developed by Shestakov et al. [3] and found their scheme could, in the vicinity of steep gradients, decouple nearest-neighbor zonal sub-meshes leading to 'alternating-zone' (red-black mode) errors. Tom extended their scheme to couple the sub-meshes with appropriate chosen artificial diffusion and thereby solved the 'alternating-zone' problem. Because the choice of the artificial diffusion coefficient could be very delicate, it is desirable to use a scheme that does not require the artificial diffusion but still able to avoid both numerical diffusion and the 'alternating-zone' problem. In this document we present such a scheme.

Sensitivity analysis of an experimental methodology to determine radionuclide diffusion coefficients in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, U.; Missana, T.; Garcia-Gutierrez, M.; Patelli, A.; Rigato, V.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The long-term quantitative analysis of the migration behaviour of the relevant radionuclides (RN) within the geological barrier of a radioactive waste repository requires, amongst other data, the introduction of reliable transport parameters, as diffusion coefficients. Since the determination of diffusion coefficients within crystalline rocks is complex and requires long experimental times even for non-sorbing radionuclides, the data available in the literature are very scarce. The nuclear ion beam technique RBS (Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry) that is successfully used to determine diffusion profiles in thin film science is here examined as possible suitable technique to determine the diffusion coefficients of different RN within granite. As first step, the technique sensitivity and limitations to analyse diffusion coefficients in granite samples is evaluated, considering that the technique is especially sensitive to heavy elements. The required experimental conditions in terms of experimental times, concentration and methodology of analysis are discussed. The diffusants were selected accounting the RBS sensitivity but also trying to cover different behaviours of critical RN and a wide range of possible oxidation states. In particular, Cs(I) was chosen as representative fission product, while as relevant actinides or homologues, the diffusion of Th(IV), U(IV) and Eu (III) was studied. The diffusion of these above-mentioned cations is compared to the diffusion of Re, and I as representative of anionic species. The methodology allowed evaluating diffusion coefficients in the granite samples and, for most of the elements, the values obtained are in agreement with the values found in the literature. The diffusion coefficients calculated ranged from 10 -13 to 10 -16 m 2 /s. It is remarkable that the RBS technique is especially promising to determine diffusion coefficients of high-sorbing RN and it is applicable to a wide range

Fractional diffusion equations and anomalous diffusion

CERN Document Server

Evangelista, Luiz Roberto

2018-01-01

Anomalous diffusion has been detected in a wide variety of scenarios, from fractal media, systems with memory, transport processes in porous media, to fluctuations of financial markets, tumour growth, and complex fluids. Providing a contemporary treatment of this process, this book examines the recent literature on anomalous diffusion and covers a rich class of problems in which surface effects are important, offering detailed mathematical tools of usual and fractional calculus for a wide audience of scientists and graduate students in physics, mathematics, chemistry and engineering. Including the basic mathematical tools needed to understand the rules for operating with the fractional derivatives and fractional differential equations, this self-contained text presents the possibility of using fractional diffusion equations with anomalous diffusion phenomena to propose powerful mathematical models for a large variety of fundamental and practical problems in a fast-growing field of research.

Diffusion in solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwari, G.P.; Kale, G.B.; Patil, R.V.

1999-01-01

The article presents a brief survey of process of diffusion in solids. It is emphasised that the essence of diffusion is the mass transfer through the atomic jumps. To begin with formal equations for diffusion coefficient are presented. This is followed by discussions on mechanisms of diffusion. Except for solutes which form interstitial solid solution, diffusion in majority of cases is mediated through exchange of sites between an atom and its neighbouring vacancy. Various vacancy parameters such as activation volume, correlation factor, mass effect etc are discussed and their role in establishing the mode of diffusion is delineated. The contribution of dislocations and grain boundaries in diffusion process is brought out. The experimental determination of different types of diffusion coefficients are described. Finally, the pervasive nature of diffusion process in number of commercial processes is outlined to show the importance of diffusion studies in materials science and technology. (author)

Instrumentation for thermal diffusivity determination of sintered materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turquetti Filho, R.

1990-01-01

A new procedure to measure the sinterized materials thermal diffusivity, using the heat pulse method was developed in this work. The experimental data were performed at room temperature with UO sub(2), ThO sub(2), and Al sub(2)O sub(3) samples with 94%, 95%, and 96% of theoretical densities, respectively. Nondimensional root mean square deviation for theoretical function fitting was found to be on the order, of 10 sup(-3). The total error associated with the measurements for thermal diffusivity was ± 5%. (author)

Metabolic fingerprinting of fresh lymphoma samples used to discriminate between follicular and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Barba, Ignasi; Sanz, Carolina; Barbera, Angels; Tapia, Gustavo; Mate, José-Luis; Garcia-Dorado, David; Ribera, Josep-Maria; Oriol, Albert

2009-11-01

To investigate if proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolic profiling was able to differentiate follicular lymphoma (FL) from diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and to study which metabolites were responsible for the differences. High-resolution (1)H NMR spectra was obtained from fresh samples of lymph node biopsies obtained consecutively at one center (14 FL and 17 DLBCL). Spectra were processed using pattern-recognition methods. Discriminant models were able to differentiate between the two tumor types with a 86% sensitivity and a 76% specificity; the metabolites that most contributed to the discrimination were a relative increase of alanine in the case of DLBCL and a relative increase of taurine in FL. Metabolic models had a significant but weak correlation with Ki67 expression (r(2)=0.42; p=0.002) We have proved that it is possible to differentiate between FL and DLBCL based on their NMR metabolic profiles. This approach may potentially be applicable as a noninvasive tool for diagnostic and treatment follow-up in the clinical setting using conventional magnetic resonance systems.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging: Application to the Study of the Developing Brain

Science.gov (United States)

Cascio, Carissa J.; Gerig, Guido; Piven, Joseph

2007-01-01

Objective: To provide an overview of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and its application to the study of white matter in the developing brain in both healthy and clinical samples. Method: The development of DTI and its application to brain imaging of white matter tracts is discussed. Forty-eight studies using DTI to examine diffusion properties of…

Current strain accumulation in the hinterland of the northwest Himalaya constrained by landscape analyses, basin-wide denudation rates, and low temperature thermochronology

Science.gov (United States)

Morell, Kristin D.; Sandiford, Mike; Kohn, Barry; Codilean, Alexandru; Fülöp, Réka-H.; Ahmad, Talat

2017-11-01

Rupture associated with the 25 April 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha (Nepal) earthquake highlighted our incomplete understanding of the structural architecture and seismic cycle processes that lead to Himalayan mountain building in Central Nepal. In this paper we investigate the style and kinematics of active mountain building in the Himalayan hinterland of Northwest India, approximately 400 km to the west of the hypocenter of the Nepal earthquake, via a combination of landscape metrics and long- (Ma) and short-term (ka) erosion rate estimates (from low temperature thermochronometry and basin-wide denudation rate estimates from 10Be concentrations). We focus our analysis on the area straddling the PT2, the physiographic transition between the Lesser and High Himalaya that has yielded important insights into the nature of hinterland deformation across much of the Himalaya. Our results from Northwest India reveal a distinctive PT2 that separates a Lesser Himalaya region with moderate relief (∼1000 m) and relatively slow erosion (400 km distance between them, similar spatiotemporal patterns of erosion and deformation observed in Northwest India and Central Nepal suggest both regions experience similar styles of active strain accumulation and both are susceptible to large seismic events.

Radionuclide diffusion into undisturbed and altered crystalline rocks

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Havlová, V.; Večerník, P.; Najser, J.; Sosna, K.; Breiter, Karel

2012-01-01

Roč. 76, Dec. 2012 (2012), s. 3191-3201 ISSN 0026-461X Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : disposal * granite * radionuclide diffus * ion * sampling protocols Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 2.212, year: 2012

Gas Diffusivity-Based Design and Characterization of Greenhouse Growth Substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deepagoda Thuduwe Kankanamge Kelum, Chamindu; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, Markus

2013-01-01

combinations thereof, are commonly used as growth media, detailed and comparable physical characterization is key to identify the best performing media. In this study, five potential growth media and two mixtures thereof were characterized based on soil gas diffusivity (Dp/Do, where Dp and Do are gas diffusion...... coefficients in soil air and free air, respectively) and an operationally defined critical window of diffusivity (CWD) representing the interval of air-filled porosity between critical air filled porosity where Dp/Do ≈ 0.02 and interaggregate porosity. The Dp measurements were conducted with 100-cm3 samples...

Investigation of radiation-enhanced oxygen diffusion in Li-Ti ferrites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surzhikov, A.P.; Pritulov, A.M.; Gyngazov, S.A.; Lysenko, E.N.

1999-01-01

The radiation-enhanced oxygen diffusion in polycrystalline Li-Ti ferrites was investigated. The electron accelerator ELV-6 (Institute of Nuclear Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences) was used to generate the radiothermal annealing. The radiation effects were established by comparison of diffusion profiles of the samples, which were radiothermally treated, and data obtained during the thermal annealing in the resistance furnace. It was discovered that there was an increase of numerical values of Ed (activation diffusion energy) and Do (preexponential factor) during the radiothermal annealing, if compared with the thermal one. The investigations were financed by the Russian Fundamental Research Fund

Measuring minority-carrier diffusion length using a Kelvin probe force microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shikler, R.; Fried, N.; Meoded, T.; Rosenwaks, Y.

2000-01-01

A method based on Kelvin probe force microscopy for measuring minority-carrier diffusion length in semiconductors is described. The method is based on measuring the surface photovoltage between the tip of an atomic force microscope and the surface of an illuminated semiconductor junction. The photogenerated carriers diffuse to the junction and change the contact potential difference between the tip and the sample, as a function of the distance from the junction. The diffusion length L is then obtained by fitting the measured contact potential difference using the minority-carrier continuity equation. The method was applied to measurements of electron diffusion length in GaP pn and Schottky junctions. The measured diffusion length was found to be ∼2 μm, in good agreement with electron beam induced current measurements

Nitrogen diffusion in near-surface range of ion doped molybdenum

CERN Document Server

Zamalin, E Y

2001-01-01

The dynamics of change in nitrogen near-the-surface concentration in the Mo ion-alloyed monocrystalline foil is studied through the Auger-electron spectroscopy and the secondary ion mass spectrometry. The implantation dose constituted 5 x 10 sup 1 sup 7 ion/cm sup 2 and the implantation energy equaled 50 and 100 keV. The samples diffusion annealing was performed at the temperature of 800-900 deg C. The evaluation of the nitrogen diffusion coefficient indicates the values by 3-5 orders lesser than the diffusion coefficient in the nitrogen solid-state solution in the molybdenum. At the same time the molybdenum self-diffusion coefficient value is by 3-5 orders lesser as compared to the obtained value. The supposition is made, the the surplus nitrogen relative to the solubility limit is deposited on the radiation defects and in the process of the diffusion annealing it nitrates together with them

Diffusion of oxygen in cork.

Science.gov (United States)

Lequin, Sonia; Chassagne, David; Karbowiak, Thomas; Simon, Jean-Marc; Paulin, Christian; Bellat, Jean-Pierre

2012-04-04

This work reports measurements of effective oxygen diffusion coefficient in raw cork. Kinetics of oxygen transfer through cork is studied at 298 K thanks to a homemade manometric device composed of two gas compartments separated by a cork wafer sample. The first compartment contains oxygen, whereas the second one is kept under dynamic vacuum. The pressure decrease in the first compartment is recorded as a function of time. The effective diffusion coefficient D(eff) is obtained by applying Fick's law to transient state using a numerical method based on finite differences. An analytical model derived from Fick's law applied to steady state is also proposed. Results given by these two methods are in close agreement with each other. The harmonic average of the effective diffusion coefficients obtained from the distribution of 15 cork wafers of 3 mm thickness is 1.1 × 10(-9) m(2) s(-1) with a large distribution over four decades. The statistical analysis of the Gaussian distribution obtained on a 3 mm cork wafer is extrapolated to a 48 mm cork wafer, which length corresponds to a full cork stopper. In this case, the probability density distribution gives a mean value of D(eff) equal to 1.6 × 10(-9) m(2) s(-1). This result shows that it is possible to obtain the effective diffusion coefficient of oxygen through cork from short time (few days) measurements performed on a thin cork wafer, whereas months are required to obtain the diffusion coefficient for a full cork stopper. Permeability and oxygen transfer rate are also calculated for comparison with data from other studies.

Diffusion of Nickel into Ferritic Steel Interconnects of Solid Oxide Fuel/Electrolysis Stacks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Molin, Sebastian; Chen, Ming; Bowen, Jacob R.

2013-01-01

diffusion of nickel from the Ni/YSZ electrode or the contact layer into the interconnect plate. Such diffusion can cause austenization of the ferritic structure and could possibly alter corrosion properties of the steel. Whereas this process has already been recognized by SOFC stack developers, only...... a limited number of studies have been devoted to the phenomenon. Here, diffusion of Ni into ferritic Crofer 22 APU steel is studied in a wet hydrogen atmosphere after 250 hours of exposure at 800 °C using Ni-plated (~ 10 micron thick coatings) sheet steel samples as a model system. Even after...... this relatively short time all the metallic nickel in the coating has reacted and formed solid solutions with iron and chromium. Diffusion of Ni into the steel causes formation of the austenite FCC phase. The microstructure and composition of the oxide scale formed on the sample surface after 250 hours is similar...

Preliminary study of diffusion effects in Fricke gel dosimeters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quiroga, A. [Centro de Investigacion y Estudios de Matematica de Cordoba, Oficina 318 FaMAF - UNC, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Cordoba (Argentina); Vedelago, J. [Laboratorio de Investigaciones e Instrumentacion en Fisica Aplicada a la Medicina e Imagenes por Rayos X, Laboratorio 448 FaMAF - UNC, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Cordoba (Argentina); Valente, M., E-mail: aiquiroga@famaf.unc.edu [Instituto de Fisica Enrique Gaviola, Oficina 102 FaMAF - UNC, Av. Luis Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Cordoba (Argentina)

2014-08-15

Diffusion of ferric ions in ferrous sulfate (Fricke) gels represents one of the main drawbacks of some radiation detectors, like Fricke gel dosimeters. In practice, this disadvantage can be overcome by prompt dosimeter analysis, constraining strongly the time between irradiation and analysis. Due to required integral accuracy levels, special dedicated protocols are implemented with the aim of minimizing signal blurring due to diffusion effects. This work presents dedicated analytic modelling and numerical calculations of diffusion coefficients in Fricke gel radiation sensitive material. Samples are optically analysed by means of visible light transmission measurements capturing images with a Ccd camera provided with a monochromatic 585 nm filter corresponding to the X O-infused Fricke solution absorbance peak. Dose distributions in Fricke gels are suitably delivered in order to assess specific initial conditions further studied by periodical sample image acquisitions. In a first analytic approach, experimental data are fit with linear models in order to achieve a value for the diffusion coefficient. The second approach to the problem consists on a group of computational algorithms based on inverse problem formulation, along with suitable 2D diffusion model capable of estimating diffusion coefficients by fitting the obtained algorithm numerical solutions with the corresponding experimental data. Comparisons are performed by introducing an appropriate functional in order to analyse both experimental and numerical values. Solutions to second order diffusion equation are calculated in the framework of a dedicated method that incorporates Finite Element Method. Moreover, optimised solutions can be attained by gradient type minimisation algorithms. Knowledge about diffusion coefficient for Fricke gel radiation detector might be helpful in accounting for effects regarding elapsed time between dosimeter irradiation and further analysis. Hence, corrections might be included

Matrix diffusion studies by electrical conductivity methods. Comparison between laboratory and in-situ measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohlsson, Y.; Neretnieks, I.

1998-01-01

Traditional laboratory diffusion experiments in rock material are time consuming, and quite small samples are generally used. Electrical conductivity measurements, on the other hand, provide a fast means for examining transport properties in rock and allow measurements on larger samples as well. Laboratory measurements using electrical conductivity give results that compare well to those from traditional diffusion experiments. The measurement of the electrical resistivity in the rock surrounding a borehole is a standard method for the detection of water conducting fractures. If these data could be correlated to matrix diffusion properties, in-situ diffusion data from large areas could be obtained. This would be valuable because it would make it possible to obtain data very early in future investigations of potentially suitable sites for a repository. This study compares laboratory electrical conductivity measurements with in-situ resistivity measurements from a borehole at Aespoe. The laboratory samples consist mainly of Aespoe diorite and fine-grained granite and the rock surrounding the borehole of Aespoe diorite, Smaaland granite and fine-grained granite. The comparison shows good agreement between laboratory measurements and in-situ data

Measurement of Three-Dimensional Anisotropic Thermal Diffusivities for Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastics Using Lock-In Thermography

Science.gov (United States)

Ishizaki, Takuya; Nagano, Hosei

2015-11-01

A new measurement technique to measure the in-plane thermal diffusivity, the distribution of in-plane anisotropy, and the out-of-plane thermal diffusivity has been developed to evaluate the thermal conductivity of anisotropic materials such as carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs). The measurements were conducted by using a laser-spot-periodic-heating method. The temperature of the sample is detected by using lock-in thermography. Thermography can analyze the phase difference between the periodic heat input and the temperature response of the sample. Two kinds of samples, unidirectional (UD) and cross-ply (CP) pitch-based CFRPs, were fabricated and tested in an atmospheric condition. All carbon fibers of the UD sample run in one direction [90°]. The carbon fibers of the CP sample run in two directions [0°/90°]. It is found that, by using lock-in thermography, it is able to visualize the thermal anisotropy and calculate the angular dependence of the in-plane thermal diffusivity of the CFRPs. The out-of-plane thermal diffusivity of CFRPs was also measured by analyzing the frequency dependence of the phase difference.

A technique to measure the thermal diffusivity of high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powers, C.E.

1991-01-01

High T(sub c) superconducting electrical current leads and ground straps will be used in cryogenic coolers in future NASA Goddard Space Flight Center missions. These superconducting samples are long, thin leads with a typical diameter of two millimeters. A longitudinal method is developed to measure the thermal diffusivity of candidate materials for this application. This technique uses a peltier junction to supply an oscillatory heat wave into one end of a sample and will use low mass thermocouples to follow the heat wave along the sample. The thermal diffusivity is calculated using both the exponential decay of the heat wave and the phase shift to the wave. Measurements are performed in a cryostat between 10 K and room temperature

Determination of Kd-values from diffusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, H.; Hecker, W.; Zimmerhackl, E.; Zeitler, G.; Menge, P.

1986-01-01

Results of diffusion measurements are reported, obtained with aqueous solutions of U-233, Ra-226, Ni-63, and Se-75 in contact with solid rock samples of the Konrad mine overlying rock. The subsequent derivation of K d -values and the method applied are explained. (orig.) [de

Contrast-enhanced transrectal ultrasonography for the detection of diffuse prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Y.; Liao, X.H.; Lu, L.; Wang, L.; Ma, Y.; Qin, H.Z.; Yan, X.; Guo, P.

2016-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced transrectal ultrasonography (CE-TRUS) versus baseline TRUS (combination of grey-scale and colour Doppler imaging) for diffuse prostate cancer. Materials and methods: Forty-six patients without an obvious focal mass on baseline TRUS (grey-scale and colour Doppler), underwent additional CE-TRUS and TRUS-guided biopsy due to elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA ≥4 ng/ml) and/or abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE). In all patients, CE-TRUS was performed with intravenous injection of a contrast agent (sulphur hexafluoride microbubble; SonoVue, 2.4 ml) before biopsy. TRUS-guided biopsy targeted suspicious areas detected on CE-TRUS imaging or sampled the outer gland of the normal prostate. The final diagnosis was based on results of the TRUS-guided biopsy. The diagnostic accuracy of baseline TRUS and CE-TRUS for diffuse prostatic lesions was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Diffuse prostate cancer was present in 32 (69.5%) patients and absent in 14 (30.5%) patients. Nineteen patients had diffuse prostate cancer that was not detected by baseline TRUS, whereas 15 cases were identified using CE-TRUS. Conversely, five patients had benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) that was diagnosed as cancer by CE-TRUS, and two of these patients were diagnosed with BPH by baseline TRUS. The combined sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 87.5%, 64.2%, and 80.4%, respectively, for CE-TRUS, and 40.6%, 78.5%, and 52.1%, respectively, for baseline TRUS. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) values for the diagnostic accuracy of baseline CE-TRUS versus TRUS for diffuse prostate cancer differed significantly at 0.904 and 0.667, respectively (Z=4.098, p<0.0001). Conclusion: CE-TRUS exhibited greater diagnostic accuracy for diffuse prostate cancer than baseline TRUS. CE-TRUS may improve cancer detection over baseline TRUS imaging for the diagnosis of diffuse

Experimental investigation on variation of physical properties of coal samples subjected to microwave irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Guozhong; Yang, Nan; Xu, Guang; Xu, Jialin

2018-03-01

The gas drainage rate of low-permeability coal seam is generally less than satisfactory. This leads to the gas disaster of coal mine, and largely restricts the extraction of coalbed methane (CBM), and increases the emission of greenhouse gases in the mining area. Consequently, enhancing the gas drainage rate is an urgent challenge. To solve this problem, a new approach of using microwave irradiation (MWR) as a non-contact physical field excitation method to enhance gas drainage has been attempted. In order to evaluate the feasibility of this method, the methane adsorption, diffusion and penetrability of coal subjected to MWR were experimentally investigated. The variation of methane adsorbed amount, methane diffusion speed and absorption loop for the coal sample before and after MWR were obtained. The findings show that the MWR can change the adsorption property and reduce the methane adsorption capacity of coal. Moreover, the methane diffusion characteristic curves for both the irradiated coal samples and theoriginal coal samples present the same trend. The irradiated coal samples have better methane diffusion ability than the original ones. As the adsorbed methane decreases, the methane diffusion speed increases or remain the same for the sample subjected to MWR. Furthermore, compared to the original coal samples, the area of the absorption loop for irradiated samples increases, especially for the micro-pore and medium-pore stage. This leads to the increase of open pores in the coal, thus improving the gas penetrability of coal. This study provides supports for positive MWR effects on changing the methane adsorption and improving the methane diffusion and the gas penetrability properties of coal samples.

Grain boundary engineering for control of tellurium diffusion in GH3535 alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Cai-Tao; Yinling, Wang; Chu, Xiang-Wei; Jiang, Li; Zhang, Wen-Zhu; Bai, Qin; Xia, Shuang; Leng, Bin; Li, Zhi-Jun; Ye, Xiang-Xi; Liu, Fang

2017-12-01

The effect of grain boundary engineering (GBE) on the Te diffusion along the surface grain boundaries was investigated in GH3535 alloy. It can be found that GBE treatment increases obviously the fraction of low-Σ coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries, especially the Σ3 ones, and introduces the large-size grain clusters. When the as-received (AR) and GBE-treated (GBET) specimens were exposed to Te vapor, only Σ3 boundaries were found to be resistant to Te diffusion. From the cross section and the surface, the fewer Te-attacked grain boundaries and the thinner corrosion layer can be observed in the GBET sample. The improvement of resistance to Te diffusion in the GBET sample can be attributed to the large size grain-clusters associated with high proportion of the Σ3n boundaries.

Diffusion in Solids Fundamentals, Methods, Materials, Diffusion-Controlled Processes

CERN Document Server

Mehrer, Helmut

2007-01-01

Diffusion is a vital topic in solid-state physics and chemistry, physical metallurgy and materials science. Diffusion processes are ubiquitous in solids at elevated temperatures. A thorough understanding of diffusion in materials is crucial for materials development and engineering. This book first gives an account of the central aspects of diffusion in solids, for which the necessary background is a course in solid state physics. It then provides easy access to important information about diffuson in metals, alloys, semiconductors, ion-conducting materials, glasses and nanomaterials. Several diffusion-controlled phenomena, including ionic conduction, grain-boundary and dislocation pipe diffusion, are considered as well. Graduate students in solid-state physics, physical metallurgy, materials science, physical and inorganic chemistry or geophysics will benefit from this book as will physicists, chemists, metallurgists, materials engineers in academic and industrial research laboratories.

Use of x-ray absorption imaging to evaluate the effects of heterogeneity on matrix diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altman, S.J.; Tidwell, V.C.; McKenna, S.A.; Meigs, L.C.

1998-01-01

An understanding of matrix diffusion is important in assessing potential nuclear waste repositories in geologic media, as it is a potentially significant process in retarding the transport of contaminant species. Recent work done in evaluating the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico has brought up two issues that complicate the incorporation of diffusion in Performance Assessment calculations. First, interpretations of single-well tracer test data suggest that the tracer was diffusing at multiple rates. Second, the estimated relevant rate(s) of diffusion are dependent on the time and length scales of the problem. To match the observed tracer test data, a model with a distribution of diffusion coefficients was required. This has led to the proposal of applying a model with multiple rates of diffusion, the multirate model, to Performance Assessment calculations for the WIPP. A series of laboratory- scale experiments have been designed for the purpose of evaluating heterogeneity and scaling properties of diffusion rates and to test the multirate model. X-ray absorption imaging was used to visualize and quantify the effects of matrix heterogeneity on the diffusion characteristics for four different centimeter-scale samples of dolomite. The samples were obtained from the Culebra dolomite at the WIPP site. Significant variations in diffusion rates were observed over relatively small length and time (months) scales for the preliminary laboratory experiments. A strong correlation between diffusion rate and porosity was also observed in each of the samples. Two sets of experiments are planned for 1998. The first set of experiments is similar to those described above. For these experiments, fourteen samples exhibiting a broader range of physical characteristics are being tested. The second set of experiments will visualize the combined effect of advection in a fracture and diffusion into adjacent matrix materials. Tracer solution will flow through

Dual wall reverse circulation drilling with multi-level groundwater sampling for groundwater contaminant plume delineation at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smuin, D.R.; Morti, E.E.; Zutman, J.L.; Pickering, D.A.

1995-01-01

Dual wall reverse circulation (DWRC) drilling was used to drill 48 borings during a groundwater contaminant investigation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky. This method was selected as an alternative to conventional hollow stem auger drilling for a number of reasons, including the expectation of minimizing waste, increasing the drilling rate, and reducing the potential for cross contamination of aquifers. Groundwater samples were collected from several water-bearing zones during drilling of each borehole. The samples were analyzed for volatile organic compounds using a field gas chromatograph. This approach allowed the investigation to be directed using near-real-time data. Use of downhole geophysical logging, in conjunction with lithologic descriptions of borehole cuttings, resulted in excellent correlation of the geology in the vicinity of the contaminant plume. The total volume of cuttings generated using the DWRC drilling method was less than half of what would have been produced by hollow stem augering; however, the cuttings were recovered in slurry form and had to be dewatered prior to disposal. The drilling rate was very rapid, often approaching 10 ft/min; however, frequent breaks to perform groundwater sampling resulted in an average drilling rate of < 1 ft/min. The time required for groundwater sampling could be shortened by changing the sampling methodology. Analytical results indicated that the drilling method successfully isolated the various water bearing zones and no cross contamination resulted from the investigation

Markov Jump Processes Approximating a Non-Symmetric Generalized Diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limić, Nedžad

2011-01-01

Consider a non-symmetric generalized diffusion X(⋅) in ℝ d determined by the differential operator A(x) = -Σ ij ∂ i a ij (x)∂ j + Σ i b i (x)∂ i . In this paper the diffusion process is approximated by Markov jump processes X n (⋅), in homogeneous and isotropic grids G n ⊂ℝ d , which converge in distribution in the Skorokhod space D([0,∞),ℝ d ) to the diffusion X(⋅). The generators of X n (⋅) are constructed explicitly. Due to the homogeneity and isotropy of grids, the proposed method for d≥3 can be applied to processes for which the diffusion tensor {a ij (x)} 11 dd fulfills an additional condition. The proposed construction offers a simple method for simulation of sample paths of non-symmetric generalized diffusion. Simulations are carried out in terms of jump processes X n (⋅). For piece-wise constant functions a ij on ℝ d and piece-wise continuous functions a ij on ℝ 2 the construction and principal algorithm are described enabling an easy implementation into a computer code.

Diffusion of implanted sodium in iron and AISI 316 Ti stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kehrel, A.; Lieb, K.P.; Scapellato, N.; Uhrmacher, M.

1990-01-01

Samples of polycrystalline iron and austenitic stainless steel were implanted with 250 keV Na + ions to a dose of 1.5x10 17 ions/cm 2 . The Na content was depth-profiled with the resonant nuclear reaction 23 Na(p,γ) 24 Mg, after the samples had been isochronally annealed between room temperature and 1060deg C. In both matrices a diffusion process of Na atoms towards the surface was observed which is discussed in the light of results on Na diffusion in other metals (Cr, Ni and Mo). (orig.)

Diffuse flow environments within basalt- and sediment-based hydrothermal vent ecosystems harbor specialized microbial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Barbara J; Polson, Shawn W; Zeigler Allen, Lisa; Williamson, Shannon J; Lee, Charles K; Wommack, K Eric; Cary, S Craig

2013-01-01

Hydrothermal vents differ both in surface input and subsurface geochemistry. The effects of these differences on their microbial communities are not clear. Here, we investigated both alpha and beta diversity of diffuse flow-associated microbial communities emanating from vents at a basalt-based hydrothermal system along the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and a sediment-based hydrothermal system, Guaymas Basin. Both Bacteria and Archaea were targeted using high throughput 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing analyses. A unique aspect of this study was the use of a universal set of 16S rRNA gene primers to characterize total and diffuse flow-specific microbial communities from varied deep-sea hydrothermal environments. Both surrounding seawater and diffuse flow water samples contained large numbers of Marine Group I (MGI) Thaumarchaea and Gammaproteobacteria taxa previously observed in deep-sea systems. However, these taxa were geographically distinct and segregated according to type of spreading center. Diffuse flow microbial community profiles were highly differentiated. In particular, EPR dominant diffuse flow taxa were most closely associated with chemolithoautotrophs, and off axis water was dominated by heterotrophic-related taxa, whereas the opposite was true for Guaymas Basin. The diversity and richness of diffuse flow-specific microbial communities were strongly correlated to the relative abundance of Epsilonproteobacteria, proximity to macrofauna, and hydrothermal system type. Archaeal diversity was higher than or equivalent to bacterial diversity in about one third of the samples. Most diffuse flow-specific communities were dominated by OTUs associated with Epsilonproteobacteria, but many of the Guaymas Basin diffuse flow samples were dominated by either OTUs within the Planctomycetes or hyperthermophilic Archaea. This study emphasizes the unique microbial communities associated with geochemically and geographically distinct hydrothermal diffuse flow environments.

SIMS study of oxygen diffusion in monoclinic HfO2

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Michael P.; De Souza, Roger A.

2018-01-01

The diffusion of oxygen in dense ceramics of monoclinic HfO2 was studied by means of (18O/16O) isotope exchange annealing and subsequent determination of isotope depth profiles by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. Anneals were performed in the temperature range of 573 ≤T /K ≤ 973 at an oxygen partial pressure of p O2=200 mbar . All measured isotope profiles exhibited two features: the first feature, closer to the surface, was attributed mainly to slow oxygen diffusion in an impurity silicate phase; the second feature, deeper in the sample, was attributed to oxygen diffusion in bulk monoclinic HfO2 . The activation enthalpy of oxygen tracer diffusion in bulk HfO2 was found to be ΔHD∗≈0.5 eV .

Short-term diffusive sampler for nitrogen dioxide monitoring in epidemiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michaud, J.P.; Quackenboss, J.

1991-01-01

An automated timed exposure diffusive sampler (TEDS) for sampling nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) was developed for use in epidemiological studies. The TEDS sequentially exposes four passive sampling devices (PSD) by microprocessor controlled valves while a pump and air flow guide prevent sampler starvation. Two TEDS units and two portable, real-time NO 2 monitors were tested for accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and linearity of response. The accuracy of the TEDS was within 10 percent of the means of the measured values. The TEDS sensitivity was 20 to 30 ppb-hour for NO 2 . Co-location of the TEDS with a chemiluminescent NO x monitor (EPA reference method) showed a similar responses to ambient NO 2 . TEDS allows better time resolution than traditional diffusive samplers (i.e., Palmes tube) while sharing their ability to sample a variety of gases

Principles and implementation of diffusion-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, Timothy P.L.; Schwartz, E.S.

2007-01-01

We review the physiological basis of diffusion-weighted imaging and discuss the implementation of diffusion-weighted imaging pulse sequences and the subsequent postprocessing to yield quantitative estimations of diffusion parameters. We also introduce the concept of directionality of ''apparent'' diffusion in vivo and the means of assessing such anisotropy quantitatively. This in turn leads to the methodological application of diffusion tensor imaging and the subsequent postprocessing, known as tractography. The following articles deal with the clinical applications enabled by such methodologies. (orig.)

Diffusion in intermetallic compounds studied using short-lived radioisotopes

CERN Multimedia

Diffusion – the long range movement of atoms – plays an important role in materials processing and in determining suitable applications for materials. Conventional radiotracer methods for measuring diffusion can determine readily how distributions of radioactive probe atoms in samples evolve under varying experimental conditions. It is possible to obtain limited information about atomic jump rates and pathways from these measurements; however, it is desirable to make more direct observations of the atomic jumps by using experimental methods that are sensitive to atomic scale processes. One such method is time-differential perturbed $\\gamma$–$\\gamma$-angular correlation spectroscopy (PAC). Two series of PAC experiments using $^{111m}$Cd are proposed to contribute to fundamental understanding of diffusion in intermetallic compounds. The goal of the first is to determine the dominant vacancy species in several Li$_{2}$-structured compounds and see if the previously observed change in diffusion mechanism th...

Diffusion archeology for diffusion progression history reconstruction

OpenAIRE

Sefer, Emre; Kingsford, Carl

2015-01-01

Diffusion through graphs can be used to model many real-world processes, such as the spread of diseases, social network memes, computer viruses, or water contaminants. Often, a real-world diffusion cannot be directly observed while it is occurring — perhaps it is not noticed until some time has passed, continuous monitoring is too costly, or privacy concerns limit data access. This leads to the need to reconstruct how the present state of the diffusion came to be from partial d...

Coercivity enhancement of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets by the eutectic grain boundary diffusion process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Lihua [Elements Strategy Initiative Center for Magnetic Materials, National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan); Graduate School of Pure and Applied Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577 (Japan); Sepehri-Amin, H.; Ohkubo, T. [Elements Strategy Initiative Center for Magnetic Materials, National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan); Yano, M.; Kato, A.; Shoji, T. [Toyota Motor Corporation, Advanced Material Engineering Div., Susono 410-1193 (Japan); Hono, K., E-mail: kazuhiro.hono@nims.go.jp [Elements Strategy Initiative Center for Magnetic Materials, National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan); Graduate School of Pure and Applied Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577 (Japan)

2016-05-05

Nd-M (M = Al, Cu, Ga, Zn, Mn) alloys with compositions close to eutectic points were investigated as diffusion sources for the grain boundary diffusion process to hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets. Coercivity enhancement was observed for most of the alloys. Among them, the sample processed with Nd{sub 90}Al{sub 10} exhibited the highest coercivity of 2.5 T at room temperature. However, the sample processed with Nd{sub 70}Cu{sub 30} exhibited the highest coercivity of 0.7 T at 200 {sup °}C. Microstructural observations using scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) showed that nonferromagnetic Nd-rich intergranular phase envelops the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B grains after the diffusion process. Abnormal grain growth and the dissolution of Al into the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B grains were observed in the sample processed with Nd{sub 90}Al{sub 10}, which explains its inferior thermal stability of coercivity compared to the sample processed with Nd{sub 70}Cu{sub 30}. The coercivity enhancement and poor thermal stability of the coercivity of the Nd{sub 90}Al{sub 10} diffusion-processed sample are discussed based on microstructure studies by transmission electron microscopy. - Highlights: • Coercivity of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets is enhanced by the infiltration of various R-TM eutectic alloys. • The sample infiltrated with Nd{sub 90}Al{sub 10} shows the highest coercivity of 2.5 T at room temperature. • At 200 °C, Nd{sub 70}Cu{sub 30} diffusion-processed sample possesses the highest coercivity of 0.7 T.

Thermal diffusivity of alumina-zirconia sintered with niobium additions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, W.N. dos; Paulin Filho, P.I.; Taylor, R.

1994-01-01

The effect of niobium oxide addition on the alumina-zirconia thermal diffusivity was investigated from 100 0 C to 1000 0 C by the laser flash method. It was observed that 4 to 6% addition of niobium oxide increases the thermal diffusivity when samples were sintered at 1450 0 C. This effect was due to elimination of porosity by formation of liquid please above 1420 0 C in the Al 2 O 3 - Nb 2 O 5 system. (author). 7 refs., 3 figs

Modelling and simulation of diffusive processes methods and applications

CERN Document Server

Basu, SK

2014-01-01

This book addresses the key issues in the modeling and simulation of diffusive processes from a wide spectrum of different applications across a broad range of disciplines. Features: discusses diffusion and molecular transport in living cells and suspended sediment in open channels; examines the modeling of peristaltic transport of nanofluids, and isotachophoretic separation of ionic samples in microfluidics; reviews thermal characterization of non-homogeneous media and scale-dependent porous dispersion resulting from velocity fluctuations; describes the modeling of nitrogen fate and transport

Spatial Mapping of Translational Diffusion Coefficients Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging: A Mathematical Description.

Science.gov (United States)

Shetty, Anil N; Chiang, Sharon; Maletic-Savatic, Mirjana; Kasprian, Gregor; Vannucci, Marina; Lee, Wesley

2014-01-01

In this article, we discuss the theoretical background for diffusion weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging. Molecular diffusion is a random process involving thermal Brownian motion. In biological tissues, the underlying microstructures restrict the diffusion of water molecules, making diffusion directionally dependent. Water diffusion in tissue is mathematically characterized by the diffusion tensor, the elements of which contain information about the magnitude and direction of diffusion and is a function of the coordinate system. Thus, it is possible to generate contrast in tissue based primarily on diffusion effects. Expressing diffusion in terms of the measured diffusion coefficient (eigenvalue) in any one direction can lead to errors. Nowhere is this more evident than in white matter, due to the preferential orientation of myelin fibers. The directional dependency is removed by diagonalization of the diffusion tensor, which then yields a set of three eigenvalues and eigenvectors, representing the magnitude and direction of the three orthogonal axes of the diffusion ellipsoid, respectively. For example, the eigenvalue corresponding to the eigenvector along the long axis of the fiber corresponds qualitatively to diffusion with least restriction. Determination of the principal values of the diffusion tensor and various anisotropic indices provides structural information. We review the use of diffusion measurements using the modified Stejskal-Tanner diffusion equation. The anisotropy is analyzed by decomposing the diffusion tensor based on symmetrical properties describing the geometry of diffusion tensor. We further describe diffusion tensor properties in visualizing fiber tract organization of the human brain.

A Passive Diffusion Sampler for HT- and HTO-in-Air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surette, R.A.; Nunes, J.C.

2005-01-01

Fusion research and tritium removal facilities potentially handle large inventories of tritium gas (HT). If any HT is released into the workplace, a fraction may be converted to tritiated water vapour (HTO). A convenient method to determine the activity concentration of each species is necessary to assess the potential hazard since the radiological hazard of HTO is more than 10 4 that due to HT. Passive samplers for measuring tritiated water vapour (HTO) have been shown to be suitable for use indoors and outdoors. These simple samplers consist of a standard 20-mL liquid scintillation vial with a diffusion orifice that determines the sampling rate.The total tritium samplers described herein are passive or diffusion samplers that contain a small amount of AECL-proprietary wet-proofed catalyst fixed to the underside of the sampling heads to allow conversion of the HT to HTO that is subsequently collected in the sink, (HTO), in the bottom of the sampler. After an appropriate sampling time, liquid scintillation cocktail is added to the vial and the activity collected determined by liquid scintillation analysis. When used in conjunction with the conventional HTO passive sampler the difference between the total and HTO samplers can be used to determine the HT fraction ((HT+HTO) - HTO HT). The sampling rates for the modified diffusion sampler were measured to be 4.6 and 8.1 L/d for HTO and HT, respectively. For a fifteen-minute sampling period, passive samplers can be used to measure tritium activity concentrations from 37 kBq/m 3 to 115 MBq/m 3

DNA Double-Strand Breaks Induce the Nuclear Actin Filaments Formation in Cumulus-Enclosed Oocytes but Not in Denuded Oocytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Hong Sun

Full Text Available As a gamete, oocyte needs to maintain its genomic integrity and passes this haploid genome to the next generation. However, fully-grown mouse oocyte cannot respond to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs effectively and it is also unable to repair them before the meiosis resumption. To compensate for this disadvantage and control the DNA repair events, oocyte needs the cooperation with its surrounding cumulus cells. Recently, evidences have shown that nuclear actin filament formation plays roles in cellular DNA DSB repair. To explore whether these nuclear actin filaments are formed in the DNA-damaged oocytes, here, we labeled the filament actins in denuded oocytes (DOs and cumulus-enclosed oocytes (CEOs. We observed that the nuclear actin filaments were formed only in the DNA-damaged CEOs, but not in DOs. Formation of actin filaments in the nucleus was an event downstream to the DNA damage response. Our data also showed that the removal of cumulus cells led to a reduction in the nuclear actin filaments in oocytes. Knocking down of the Adcy1 gene in cumulus cells did not affect the formation of nuclear actin filaments in oocytes. Notably, we also observed that the nuclear actin filaments in CEOs could be induced by inhibition of gap junctions. From our results, it was confirmed that DNA DSBs induce the nuclear actin filament formation in oocyte and which is controlled by the cumulus cells.

Time-optimized high-resolution readout-segmented diffusion tensor imaging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gernot Reishofer

Full Text Available Readout-segmented echo planar imaging with 2D navigator-based reacquisition is an uprising technique enabling the sampling of high-resolution diffusion images with reduced susceptibility artifacts. However, low signal from the small voxels and long scan times hamper the clinical applicability. Therefore, we introduce a regularization algorithm based on total variation that is applied directly on the entire diffusion tensor. The spatially varying regularization parameter is determined automatically dependent on spatial variations in signal-to-noise ratio thus, avoiding over- or under-regularization. Information about the noise distribution in the diffusion tensor is extracted from the diffusion weighted images by means of complex independent component analysis. Moreover, the combination of those features enables processing of the diffusion data absolutely user independent. Tractography from in vivo data and from a software phantom demonstrate the advantage of the spatially varying regularization compared to un-regularized data with respect to parameters relevant for fiber-tracking such as Mean Fiber Length, Track Count, Volume and Voxel Count. Specifically, for in vivo data findings suggest that tractography results from the regularized diffusion tensor based on one measurement (16 min generates results comparable to the un-regularized data with three averages (48 min. This significant reduction in scan time renders high resolution (1 × 1 × 2.5 mm(3 diffusion tensor imaging of the entire brain applicable in a clinical context.

Effect of dry density and salinity on Cl- diffusion of compacted Na-montmorillonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, T.; Gorai, M.; Kozaki, T.; Sato, S.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Compacted bentonite is candidate buffer material in geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). One of the expected functions of the buffer is to retard the migration of radionuclides from waste form to biosphere. Due to low hydraulic conductivity of the compacted bentonite, diffusion is considered to be predominant process in radionuclide migrations. Therefore, it is important for safety assessment of the geological disposal to clarify the diffusion behavior of radionuclides in montmorillonite, which is a major clay mineral of bentonite. However, detail diffusion mechanism has not been fully understood especially for the compacted bentonite saturated with groundwater having relatively high salt concentration. In this study, apparent diffusion coefficient (D a [m 2 s -1 ]) of Cl- ions was determined by one-dimensional, non-steady diffusion method for Na-montmorillonite saturated with NaCl solutions with different concentrations. Activation energy for Cl - diffusion (E a [kJ mol -1 ]) was also obtained from the temperature dependence of Da at each NaCl concentration. Based on these experimental results together with the basal spacing of the montmorillonite determined by XRD measurements, the diffusion mechanism of Cl - ions was discussed. The montmorillonite used in this study was Kunipia-F, a commercial product of Kunimine Industries Co. Ltd., Japan. The montmorillonite sample was homo-ionized into Na-type before use. The Na-montmorillonite was compacted into an acrylic resin cell (20 mm in diameter, 20 mm in height for diffusion experiment or 10 mm in height for XRD measurement) and fully saturated with NaCl solutions of concentration from 0 to 0.5 M. The dry densities of the Na-montmorillonite were 1.0 and 1.3 Mg m -3 for diffusion experiments, and from 0.7 to 1.4 Mg m -3 for the XRD measurements. The apparent diffusion coefficients of 36 Cl - ions in the solution-saturated, compacted

DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE DIFFUSION COEFFICIENT OF LARCH BOARD WITH FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiaofang Zhou

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the moisture diffusion coefficient of Dahurian Larch (Larix gmelinii Rupr. by use of the Finite Difference Method (FDM. To obtain moisture distributions the dimensional boards of Dahurian Larch were dried, from which test samples were cut and sliced evenly into 9 pieces in different drying periods, so that moisture distributions at different locations and times across the thickness of Dahurian Larch were obtained with a weighing method. With these experimental data, FDM was used to solve Fick’s one-dimensional unsteady-state diffusion equation, and the moisture diffusion coefficient across the thickness at specified time was obtained. Results indicated that the moisture diffusion coefficient decreased from the surface to the center of the Dahurian Larch wood, and it decreased with decreasing moisture content at constant wood temperature; as the wood temperature increased, the moisture diffusion coefficient increased, and the effect of the wood temperature on the moisture diffusion coefficient was more significant than that of moisture content. Moisture diffusion coefficients were different for the two experiments due to differing diffusivity of the specimens.

Correction Effect of Finite Pulse Duration for High Thermal Diffusivity Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Dae Gyu; Kim, Hee Moon; Baik, Seung Je; Yoo, Byoung Ok; Ahn, Sang Bok; Ryu, Woo Seok

2010-01-01

In the laser pulsed flash method, a pulse of energy is incident on one of two parallel faces of a sample. The subsequent temperature history of the opposite face is then related to the thermal diffusivity. When the heat pulse is of infinitesimal duration, the diffusivity is obtained from the transient response of the rear face temperature proposed by Parker et al. The diffusivity αis computed from relation 2222121.37cattαππ≡= (1) Where a is the sample thickness and is the time required for the rear face temperature to reach half-maximum, and t c ≡a 2 / π 2 t 1/2 is the characteristic rise time of the rear face temperature. When the pulse-time 1/2tτis not infinitesimal, but becomes comparable to tc, it is apparent that the rise in temperature of the rear face will be retarded, and will be greater than 1.37 t c . This retardation has been called the ' finite pulse-time effect.' Equation (1) is accurate to 1% for tc > ∼ 501/2tτ. For many substances, this inequality cannot be achieved with conventional optical sources (e.g. τ. 10 -3 sec for a solid state laser) unless the sample thickness is so large that its rise in temperature is too small for accurate measurement. One must therefore make an appropriate correction for the retardation of the temperature wave. Purpose of study are to observe impact of finite pulse time effect in appropriate sample thickness and to verify the effect of pulse correction using Cape and Lehman method for high thermal diffusivity materials

Actinide transport in Topopah Spring Tuff: Pore size, particle size, and diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchholtz ten Brink, M.; Phinney, D.L.; Smith, D.K.

1991-04-01

Diffusive transport rates for aqueous species in a porous medium are a function of sorption, molecular diffusion, and sample tortuosity. With heterogeneous natural samples, an understanding of the effect of multiple transport paths and sorption mechanisms is particularly important since a small amount of radioisotope traveling via a faster-than-anticipated transport path may invalidate the predictions of transport codes which assume average behavior. Static-diffusion experiments using aqueous 238 U tracer in tuff indicated that U transport was faster in regions of greater porosity and that apparent diffusion coefficients depended on the scale (m or μm) over which concentration gradients were measured in Topopah Spring Tuff. If a significant fraction of actinides in high-level waste are released to the environment in forms that do not sorb to the matrix, they may be similarly transported along fast paths in porous regions of the tuff. To test this, aqueous diffusion rates in tuff were measured for 238 U and 239 Pu leached from doped glass. Measured transport rates and patterns were consistent in both systems with a dual-porosity transported moeld. In addition, filtration or channelling of actinides associated with colloidal particles may significantly affect the radionuclide transport rate in Topopah Spring tuff. 9 refs., 7 figs

Model-free and analytical EAP reconstruction via spherical polar Fourier diffusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jian; Ghosh, Aurobrata; Jiang, Tianzi; Deriche, Rachid

2010-01-01

How to estimate the diffusion Ensemble Average Propagator (EAP) from the DWI signals in q-space is an open problem in diffusion MRI field. Many methods were proposed to estimate the Orientation Distribution Function (ODF) that is used to describe the fiber direction. However, ODF is just one of the features of the EAP. Compared with ODF, EAP has the full information about the diffusion process which reflects the complex tissue micro-structure. Diffusion Orientation Transform (DOT) and Diffusion Spectrum Imaging (DSI) are two important methods to estimate the EAP from the signal. However, DOT is based on mono-exponential assumption and DSI needs a lot of samplings and very large b values. In this paper, we propose Spherical Polar Fourier Imaging (SPFI), a novel model-free fast robust analytical EAP reconstruction method, which almost does not need any assumption of data and does not need too many samplings. SPFI naturally combines the DWI signals with different b-values. It is an analytical linear transformation from the q-space signal to the EAP profile represented by Spherical Harmonics (SH). We validated the proposed methods in synthetic data, phantom data and real data. It works well in all experiments, especially for the data with low SNR, low anisotropy, and non-exponential decay.

Acid aerosol measurement method intercomparisons: An outdoor smog chamber study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellestad, T.G.; Barnes, H.M.; Kamens, R.M.; McDow, S.R.; Sickles, J.E. II; Hodson, L.L.; Waldman, J.M.; Randtke, S.J.; Lane, D.D.; Springston, S.R.; Koutrakis, P.; Thurston, G.D.

1991-01-01

A workshop on the measurement of acid aerosols indicated that the sampling methods in use had not been intercompared. Following two laboratory pilot studies, EPA sponsored tests in an outdoor smog chamber with a variety of test aerosols, including sulfuric acid only, photochemical smog with added sulfuric acid, photo-chemical smog with added sulfuric acid and dust, and dust followed by photochemical smog with added sulfuric acid. Two experiments of each type were conducted. Six groups, several of which were active in ambient acid aerosol measurements, participated by operating duplicate samplers for each experiment. Five groups employed a similar method, in which ammonia is removed from the sample stream by diffusion, particles are removed by Teflon filter, and hydrogen ion on the Teflon filter is determined by pH electrode. However, differences existed in the method's implementation among groups in physical design, flow rate, procedures, and analysis. The sixth group's method did not use a diffusion denuder for ammonia and had several other important differences. Besides hydrogen ion, seven other species were reported by most of the groups, including particle phase sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate, and gas phase sulfur dioxide, ammonia, nitric acid, and nitrous acid. Results of the inter-comparison will be presented

Incipient boninitic arc crust built on denudated mantle: the Khantaishir ophiolite (western Mongolia)

Science.gov (United States)

Gianola, Omar; Schmidt, Max W.; Jagoutz, Oliver; Sambuu, Oyungerel

2017-12-01

The 570 Ma old Khantaishir ophiolite is built by up to 4 km harzburgitic mantle with abundant pyroxenites and dunites followed by 2 km of hornblende-gabbros and gabbronorites and by a 2.5 km thick volcanic unit composed of a dyke + sill complex capped by pillow lavas and some volcanoclastics. The volcanics are mainly basaltic andesites and andesites (or boninites) with an average of 58.2 ± 1.0 wt% SiO2, X Mg = 0.61 ± 0.03 ( X Mg = molar MgO/(MgO + FeOtot), TiO2 = 0.4 ± 0.1 wt% and CaO = 7.5 ± 0.6 wt% (errors as 2 σ). Normalized trace element patterns show positive anomalies for Pb and Sr, a negative Nb-anomaly, large ion lithophile elements (LILE) concentrations between N- and E-MORB and distinctly depleted HREE. These characteristics indicate that the Khantaishir volcanics were derived from a refractory mantle source modified by a moderate slab-component, similar to boninites erupted along the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction system and to the Troodos and Betts Cove ophiolites. Most strikingly and despite almost complete outcrops over 260 km2, there is no remnant of any pre-existing MORB crust, suggesting that the magmatic suite of this ophiolite formed on completely denudated mantle, most likely upon subduction initiation. The architecture of this 4-5 km thick early arc crust resembles oceanic crust formed at mid ocean ridges, but lacks a sheeted dyke complex; volcanic edifices are not observed. Nevertheless, low melting pressures combined with moderate H2O-contents resulted in high-Si primitive melts, in abundant hornblende-gabbros and in a fast enrichment in bulk SiO2. Fractional crystallization modeling starting from the observed primitive melts (56.6 wt% SiO2) suggests that 25 wt% pyroxene + plagioclase fractionation is sufficient to form the average Khantaishir volcanic crust. Most of the fractionation happened in the mantle, the observed pyroxenite lenses and layers in and at the top of the harzburgites account for the required cumulate volumes. Finally

An in situ method for real-time monitoring of soil gas diffusivity

Science.gov (United States)

Laemmel, Thomas; Maier, Martin; Schack-Kirchner, Helmer; Lang, Friederike

2016-04-01

Soil aeration is an important factor for the biogeochemistry of soils. Generally, gas exchange between soil and atmosphere is assumed to be governed by molecular diffusion and by this way fluxes can be calculated using by Fick's Law. The soil gas diffusion coefficient DS represents the proportional factor between the gas flux and the gas concentration gradient in the soil and reflects the ability of the soil to "transport passively" gas through the soil. One common way to determine DS is taking core samples in the field and measuring DS in the lab. Unfortunately this method is destructive and laborious and it can only reflect a small fraction of the whole soil. As a consequence, uncertainty about the resulting effective diffusivity on the profile scale, i.e. the real aeration status remains. We developed a method to measure and monitor DS in situ. The set-up consists of a custom made gas sampling device, the continuous injection of an inert tracer gas and inverse gas transport modelling in the soil. The gas sampling device has seven sampling depths (from 0 to -43 cm of depth) and can be easily installed into vertical holes drilled by an auger, which allows for fast installation of the system. Helium (He) as inert tracer gas was injected continuously at the lower end of the device. The resulting steady state distribution of He was used to deduce the DS depth distribution of the soil. For Finite Element Modeling of the gas-sampling-device/soil system the program COMSOL was used. We tested our new method both in the lab and in a field study and compared the results with a reference lab method using soil cores. DS profiles obtained by our in-situ method were consistent with DS profiles determined based on soil core analyses. Soil gas profiles could be measured with a temporal resolution of 30 minutes. During the field study, there was an important rain event and we could monitor the decrease in soil gas diffusivity in the top soil due to water infiltration. The effect

Flow, transport and diffusion in random geometries II: applications

KAUST Repository

Asinari, Pietro

2015-01-07

Multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) is an efficient and flexible solution for the propagation of uncertainties in complex models, where an explicit parametrization of the input randomness is not available or too expensive. We present several applications of our MLMC algorithm for flow, transport and diffusion in random heterogeneous materials. The absolute permeability and effective diffusivity (or formation factor) of micro-scale porous media samples are computed and the uncertainty related to the sampling procedures is studied. The algorithm is then extended to the transport problems and multiphase flows for the estimation of dispersion and relative permeability curves. The impact of water drops on random stuctured surfaces, with microfluidics applications to self-cleaning materials, is also studied and simulated. Finally the estimation of new drag correlation laws for poly-dispersed dilute and dense suspensions is presented.

Flow, transport and diffusion in random geometries II: applications

KAUST Repository

Asinari, Pietro; Ceglia, Diego; Icardi, Matteo; Prudhomme, Serge; Tempone, Raul

2015-01-01

Multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) is an efficient and flexible solution for the propagation of uncertainties in complex models, where an explicit parametrization of the input randomness is not available or too expensive. We present several applications of our MLMC algorithm for flow, transport and diffusion in random heterogeneous materials. The absolute permeability and effective diffusivity (or formation factor) of micro-scale porous media samples are computed and the uncertainty related to the sampling procedures is studied. The algorithm is then extended to the transport problems and multiphase flows for the estimation of dispersion and relative permeability curves. The impact of water drops on random stuctured surfaces, with microfluidics applications to self-cleaning materials, is also studied and simulated. Finally the estimation of new drag correlation laws for poly-dispersed dilute and dense suspensions is presented.

New insights into the developing rabbit brain using diffusion tensor tractography and generalized q-sampling MRI.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seong Yong Lim

Full Text Available The use of modern neuroimaging methods to characterize the complex anatomy of brain development at different stages reveals an enormous wealth of information in understanding this highly ordered process and provides clues to detect neurological and neurobehavioral disorders that have their origin in early structural and functional cerebral maturation. Non-invasive diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI is able to distinguish cerebral microscopic structures, especially in the white matter regions. However, DTI is unable to resolve the complicated neural structure, i.e., the fiber crossing that is frequently observed during the maturation process. To overcome this limitation, several methods have been proposed. One such method, generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI, can be applied to a variety of datasets, including the single shell, multi-shell or grid sampling schemes that are believed to be able to resolve the complicated crossing fibers. Rabbits have been widely used for neurodevelopment research because they exhibit human-like timing of perinatal brain white matter maturation. Here, we present a longitudinal study using both DTI and GQI to demonstrate the changes in cerebral maturation of in vivo developing rabbit brains over a period of 40 weeks. Fractional anisotropy (FA of DTI and generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA of GQI indices demonstrated that the white matter anisotropy increased with age, with GFA exhibiting an increase in the hippocampus as well. Normalized quantitative anisotropy (NQA of GQI also revealed an increase in the hippocampus, allowing us to observe the changes in gray matter as well. Regional and whole brain DTI tractography also demonstrated refinement in fiber pathway architecture with maturation. We concluded that DTI and GQI results were able to characterize the white matter anisotropy changes, whereas GQI provided further information about the gray matter hippocampus area. This developing rabbit brain

Thermal diffusion of chlorine in uranium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pipon, Y.; Toulhoat, N.; Moncoffre, N.; Jaffrezic, H.; Gavarini, S.; Martin, P.; Raimbault, L.; Scheidegger, A.M.

2006-01-01

In a nuclear reactor, isotopes such as 35 Cl present as impurities in the nuclear fuel are activated by thermal neutron capture. During interim storage or geological disposal of nuclear fuel, the activation products such as 36 Cl may be released from the fuel to the geo/biosphere and contribute to the ''instant release fraction'' as they are likely to migrate in defects and grain boundaries. In order to differentiate diffusion mechanisms due to ''athermal'' processes during irradiation from thermally activated diffusion, both irradiation and thermal effects must be assessed. This work concerns the measurement of the thermal diffusion coefficient of chlorine in UO 2 . 37 Cl was implanted at a 10 13 at/cm 2 fluence in depleted UO 2 samples which were then annealed in the 900-1200 C temperature range and finally analyzed by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to obtain 37 Cl depth profiles. The migration process appears to be rather complex, involving mechanisms such as atomic, grain boundary, directed diffusion along preferential patterns as well as trapping into sinks before successive effusion. However, using a diffusion model based on general equation of transport, apparent diffusion coefficients could be calculated for 1000 and 1100 C and a mean activation energy of 4.3 eV is proposed. This value is one of the lowest values compared to those found in literature for other radionuclides pointing out a great ability of chlorine to migrate in UO 2 at relatively low temperatures. In order to unequivocally determine the diffusion behaviour of both implanted and pristine chlorine before and after thermal annealing, the structural environment of chlorine in UO 2 was examined using micro X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) and micro X-ray absorption spectroscopy (micro-XAS). (orig.)

Modulated error diffusion CGHs for neural nets

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeulen, Pieter J. E.; Casasent, David P.

1990-05-01

New modulated error diffusion CGHs (computer generated holograms) for optical computing are considered. Specific attention is given to their use in optical matrix-vector, associative processor, neural net and optical interconnection architectures. We consider lensless CGH systems (many CGHs use an external Fourier transform (FT) lens), the Fresnel sampling requirements, the effects of finite CGH apertures (sample and hold inputs), dot size correction (for laser recorders), and new applications for this novel encoding method (that devotes attention to quantization noise effects).

A simple theoretical extension to the analysis of photothermal deflection signal for low thermal diffusivity evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ravi, Jyotsna; Lekshmi, S.; Nair, K.P.R.; Rasheed, T.M.A

2004-01-01

A modified amplitude method to analyze the photothermal probe beam deflection signal for the determination of low thermal diffusivity values of materials is proposed. This simple theoretical model, which is an extension of the amplitude method proposed by Quelin et al., takes into account the dependence of the photothermal signal on the height of the probe beam above the sample surface which affects mirage measurements when the thermal diffusivity of the coupling medium is greater than that of the sample. The present work is similar to the modification to the phase method proposed by Bertolotti et al. for determination of low thermal diffusivity. The method can be applied irrespective of whether the sample is optically transparent or optically opaque and is independent of thickness

Correlated diffusion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Alexander; Glaister, Jeffrey; Cameron, Andrew; Haider, Masoom

2013-01-01

Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the male population. Fortunately, the prognosis is excellent if detected at an early stage. Hence, the detection and localization of prostate cancer is crucial for diagnosis, as well as treatment via targeted focal therapy. New imaging techniques can potentially be invaluable tools for improving prostate cancer detection and localization. In this study, we introduce a new form of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging called correlated diffusion imaging, where the tissue being imaged is characterized by the joint correlation of diffusion signal attenuation across multiple gradient pulse strengths and timings. By taking into account signal attenuation at different water diffusion motion sensitivities, correlated diffusion imaging can provide improved delineation between cancerous tissue and healthy tissue when compared to existing diffusion imaging modalities. Quantitative evaluation using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, tissue class separability analysis, and visual assessment by an expert radiologist were performed to study correlated diffusion imaging for the task of prostate cancer diagnosis. These results are compared with that obtained using T2-weighted imaging and standard diffusion imaging (via the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)). Experimental results suggest that correlated diffusion imaging provide improved delineation between healthy and cancerous tissue and may have potential as a diagnostic tool for cancer detection and localization in the prostate gland. A new form of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging called correlated diffusion imaging (CDI) was developed for the purpose of aiding radiologists in cancer detection and localization in the prostate gland. Preliminary results show CDI shows considerable promise as a diagnostic aid for radiologists in the detection and localization of prostate cancer

Thermal diffusivity of Swedish meatballs, pork meat pate and tomato puree during high pressure processing

Science.gov (United States)

Landfeld, Ales; Strohalm, Jan; Stancl, Jaromir; Houska, Milan

2011-06-01

Our study is directed at the effects of high pressure on the thermal diffusivity of selected food samples - a fresh meat formulation for Swedish meatballs, pork meat pate and tomato puree. Preheated food samples were placed in a copper cell and tested at nominal pressures of 400 and 500 MPa in a high pressure chamber. The thermal diffusivity was estimated from the recorded time course of temperatures (at the center of the food sample, at the wall of the copper cell, and 7.5 mm from the wall) during the high pressure holding time. Measured time-temperature profiles were compared with predictions using the finite-element model to solve the problem of uneven heat conduction in an infinite, solid, linear cylinder using the linear temperature dependence of apparent thermal conductivity. Optimal parameters of the linear temperature dependence of apparent thermal conductivity were evaluated by comparing measured temperatures and temperatures calculated from the model. To minimize differences between measured and calculated temperatures, at the center of the sample, the Marquardt-Levenberg optimization method was used. The thermal diffusivity values of all food samples were linearly correlated with temperature for two levels of pressure. Thermal diffusivity values increased with increased pressure and temperature. † This paper was presented at the XLVIIIth European High Pressure Research Group (EHPRG 48) Meeting at Uppsala (Sweden), 25-29 July 2010.

Diffusion in membranes: Toward a two-dimensional diffusion map

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toppozini Laura

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For decades, quasi-elastic neutron scattering has been the prime tool for studying molecular diffusion in membranes over relevant nanometer distances. These experiments are essential to our current understanding of molecular dynamics of lipids, proteins and membrane-active molecules. Recently, we presented experimental evidence from X-ray diffraction and quasi-elastic neutron scattering demonstrating that ethanol enhances the permeability of membranes. At the QENS 2014/WINS 2014 conference we presented a novel technique to measure diffusion across membranes employing 2-dimensional quasi-elastic neutron scattering. We present results from our preliminary analysis of an experiment on the cold neutron multi-chopper spectrometer LET at ISIS, where we studied the self-diffusion of water molecules along lipid membranes and have the possibility of studying the diffusion in membranes. By preparing highly oriented membrane stacks and aligning them horizontally in the spectrometer, our aim is to distinguish between lateral and transmembrane diffusion. Diffusion may also be measured at different locations in the membranes, such as the water layer and the hydrocarbon membrane core. With a complete analysis of the data, 2-dimensional mapping will enable us to determine diffusion channels of water and ethanol molecules to quantitatively determine nanoscale membrane permeability.

Measurement of Retinalamin diffusion coefficient in human sclera by optical spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Genina, Elina A.; Bashkatov, Alexey N.; Zubkova, Elena A.; Kamenskikh, Tatiana G.; Tuchin, Valery V.

2008-12-01

The use of cytomedines (such as Retinalamin) in clinical practice has shown high effectiveness of the medicaments in ophthalmology. The study of diffusion of Retinalamin in scleral tissue is important for estimation of a drug dose delivered into inner tissue of eye, time of drug action, etc. In vitro measurements of spectral reflectance of sclera interacting with aqueous solution of Retinalamin have been carried out. Ten human sclera samples were included in the study. The results of the experiments have shown that penetration of Retinalamin into scleral tissue leads to the decrease of scleral reflectance due to optical immersion. Estimation of diffusion coefficient of studied solution has been made on the basis of analysis of optical reflectance dynamics of the sclera samples. The diffusion coefficient of Retinalamin in human scleral tissue was evaluated as (1.82±0.14)×10 -6 cm 2/s. The results are important for treatment of partial optic atrophy observed at primary open-angle glaucoma and others eye diseases.

An experimental investigation of the effect of shear-induced diffuse damage on transverse cracking in carbon-fiber reinforced laminates

KAUST Repository

Nouri, Hedi

2013-12-01

When subjected to in-plane loading, carbon-fiber laminates experience diffuse damage and transverse cracking, two major mechanisms of degradation. Here, we investigate the effect of pre-existing diffuse damage on the evolution of transverse cracking. We shear-loaded carbon fiber-epoxy pre-preg samples at various load levels to generate controlled configurations of diffuse damage. We then transversely loaded these samples while monitoring the multiplication of cracking by X-ray radiography. We found that diffuse damage has a great effect on the transverse cracking process. We derived a modified effective transverse cracking toughness measure, which enabled a better definition of coupled transverse cracking/diffuse damage in advanced computational models for damage prediction. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

SOUND FIELD DIFFUSIVITY AT THE TOP SURFACE OF SCHROEDER DIFFUSER BARRIERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. R. Monazzam

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Reactive barriers are one of the most promising and novel environmental noise barriers. In this case using Schroeder diffusers (e.g. quadratic residue diffusers on the top surface of the T-shape barrier was shown to significantly improve the performance of absorbent T-shape barriers. The reasons behind the high performance of diffuser barriers are considered in this investigation. A question about the diffusivity behavior of Schroeder diffusers when they are utilized on the top of barrier was raised. Diffusion coefficients of a diffuser in different conditions at some receiver locations were predicted by using a 2D boundary element method. It was found that the diffusion coefficient of diffuser at the top of barrier is so small that the diffusivity of the structure is almost the same as rigid T-shape barrier. To find the barrier’s cap behavior, the total field above the top surface of profile barriers was also predicted. It was found that the lowest total energy is at the receiver side of the cap very close to the top surface,which could demonstrate the effect of top surface on absorbing the energy as wave transfers from source edge toward the receiver side of the cap. In this case the amount of minimum total energy depends on the frequency and the configuration of the top surface. A comparison between the reductions of total field at the source side of the cap with the improvements of barrier’s performance was also done. It was shown that the amount of decrease in total field compared to that of an absorbent barrier “Ref” is directly associated to the amount of improvement in the insertion loss made by the diffuser barrier compared to the “Ref” barrier in the wide area on the ground at the shadow zone. Finally it was concluded that the diffuser on the top of barrier does not act as a diffuser and a kind of similarity between the contribution of diffuser and absorbent material on the top of T-profile barrier is seen.

SOUND FIELD DIFFUSIVITY AT THE TOP SURFACE OF SCHROEDER DIFFUSER BARRIERS

OpenAIRE

M. R. Monazzam

2006-01-01

Reactive barriers are one of the most promising and novel environmental noise barriers. In this case using Schroeder diffusers (e.g. quadratic residue diffusers) on the top surface of the T-shape barrier was shown to significantly improve the performance of absorbent T-shape barriers. The reasons behind the high performance of diffuser barriers are considered in this investigation. A question about the diffusivity behavior of Schroeder diffusers when they are utilized on the top of barrier wa...

Microstructure and thermal diffusivity in hydroxyapatite, dense bone and metals for biomedical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendez, M.; Diaz G, J.A.I.; Calderon, A. [CICATA-IPN, 11500 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2007-07-01

Full text: We report X-Ray diffraction and SEM analysis in hydroxyapatite obtained in powder form, as well as a SEM analysis in titanium, 316l stainless steel and dense bone in longitudinal and transversal cutting. Moreover, we realized a thermal diffusivity measurement in these materials in order to obtain the thermal compatibility between them. We use the photoacoustic technique in heat transmission configuration in order to obtain the thermal diffusivity values in the samples. Our results show a good thermal compatibility (74%) between hydroxyapatite and bone. Finally, it was obtained a one order of magnitude difference between the thermal diffusivity values of metallic samples and those corresponding values to bone and HA being this difference greater in titanium than in stainless steel, which is important to consider in some biomedical and dental applications. (Author)

Microstructure and thermal diffusivity in hydroxyapatite, dense bone and metals for biomedical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendez, M.; Diaz G, J.A.I.; Calderon, A. [CICATA-IPN, Legaria 694, 11500 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2006-07-01

We report X-Ray diffraction and SEM analysis in hydroxyapatite obtained in powder form, as well as a SEM analysis in titanium, 316l stainless steel and dense bone in longitudinal and transversal cutting. Moreover, we realized a thermal diffusivity measurement in these materials in order to obtain the thermal compatibility between them. We use the photoacoustic technique in heat transmission configuration in order to obtain the thermal diffusivity values in the samples. Our results show a good thermal compatibility (74%) between hydroxyapatite and bone. Finally, it was obtained a one order of magnitude difference between the thermal diffusivity values of metallic samples and those corresponding values to bone and HA being this difference greater in titanium than in stainless steel, which is important to consider in some biomedical and dental applications. (Author)

Microstructure and thermal diffusivity in hydroxyapatite, dense bone and metals for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendez, M.; Diaz G, J.A.I.; Calderon, A.

2006-01-01

We report X-Ray diffraction and SEM analysis in hydroxyapatite obtained in powder form, as well as a SEM analysis in titanium, 316l stainless steel and dense bone in longitudinal and transversal cutting. Moreover, we realized a thermal diffusivity measurement in these materials in order to obtain the thermal compatibility between them. We use the photoacoustic technique in heat transmission configuration in order to obtain the thermal diffusivity values in the samples. Our results show a good thermal compatibility (74%) between hydroxyapatite and bone. Finally, it was obtained a one order of magnitude difference between the thermal diffusivity values of metallic samples and those corresponding values to bone and HA being this difference greater in titanium than in stainless steel, which is important to consider in some biomedical and dental applications. (Author)

Forsmark site characterisation - Borehole KFM22 and KFM23: Derivation of porewater data by diffusion experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waber, H. N. [Rock Water Interaction, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Smellie, J. A. T. [Conterra AB, Partille (Sweden)

2012-04-15

Within the Detum Project (Detailed Investigations in Forsmark) a 'Methodology comparison for porewater extraction and characterisation techniques' was initiated. This has centred on two shallow boreholes drilled at Soederviken within the northern part of the Forsmark characterisation site. The comparison includes different methodologies to characterise the chemical and isotopic composition of porewater residing in the connected pore space of the rock matrix. The present report describes the chemical and isotopic information of the porewater obtained by out-diffusion experiments and the diffusive isotope equilibration technique applied to originally water saturated drillcore samples. In addition, petrophysical data and solute transport properties of the rock matrix, all necessary for porewater characterisation, have also been elaborated. Specially conditioned drillcore samples were obtained from depths of less than 100 m from boreholes KFM22 and KFM23. Porewater has been extracted successfully from seven samples by laboratory out-diffusion and diffusive isotope exchange methods. The methodology to extract and analyse the porewater is outlined and the analytical data are tabulated. The data are critically reviewed for potential experimental artefacts and their significance with respect to in situ conditions. The connected pore space in the core material representing borehole KFM22 and KFM23 was measured on different types of originally saturated drillcore samples using gravimetric and isotope mass balance methods. Out-diffusion experiments were performed on kg-sized drillcore samples to derive the in situ concentration of the chemically conservative compounds chloride and bromide. The attainment of equilibrium conditions in the out-diffusion experiments was monitored by the concentration change of chloride and bromide as a function of time. The water isotope composition of porewater was determined by the diffusive isotope equilibration technique and by

High-Temperature Thermal Diffusivity Measurements of Silicate Glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Pertermann, M.; Hofmeister, A. M.; Whittington, A. G.; Spera, F. J.; Zayac, J.

2005-12-01

Transport of heat in geologically relevant materials is of great interest because of its key role in heat transport, magmatism and volcanic activity on Earth. To better understand the thermal properties of magmatic materials at high temperatures, we measured the thermal diffusivity of four synthetic end-member silicate glasses with the following compositions: albite (NaAlSi3O8), orthoclase (KAlSi3O8), anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8), and diopside (CaMgSi2O6). Thermal diffusivity measurements were conducted with the laser-flash technique and data were acquired from room temperature to a maximum temperature near 1100°C, depending on the glass transition temperature. The presence of sub-mm sized bubbles in one of the orthoclase samples had no discernable effect on measured diffusivities. At room temperature, the three feldspar-type glasses have thermal diffusivity (D) values of 0.58-0.61 mm2/s, whereas the diopside glass has 0.52 mm2/s. With increasing temperature, D decreases by 5-10% (relative) for all samples and becomes virtually constant at intermediate temperatures. At higher temperatures, the anorthite and diopside glasses exhibit significant drops in thermal diffusivity over a 50-100°C interval, correlating with previously published heat capacity changes near the glass transition for these compositions. For anorthite, D (in mm2/s) decreases from 0.48 at 750-860°C to 0.36 at 975-1075°C; for diopside, D changes from 0.42 at 630-750°C to 0.30 at 850-910°C, corresponding to relative drops of 24 and 29%, respectively. Albite and orthoclase glasses do not exhibit this change and also lack significant changes in heat capacity near the glass transition. Instead, D is constant at 400-800°C for albite, and for orthoclase values go through a minimum at 500-600°C before increasing slightly towards 1100°C but it never exceeds the room temperature D. Our data on thermal diffusivity correlate closely with other thermophysical properties. Thus, at least in case of simple

Diffusive instabilities in hyperbolic reaction-diffusion equations

Science.gov (United States)

Zemskov, Evgeny P.; Horsthemke, Werner

2016-03-01

We investigate two-variable reaction-diffusion systems of the hyperbolic type. A linear stability analysis is performed, and the conditions for diffusion-driven instabilities are derived. Two basic types of eigenvalues, real and complex, are described. Dispersion curves for both types of eigenvalues are plotted and their behavior is analyzed. The real case is related to the Turing instability, and the complex one corresponds to the wave instability. We emphasize the interesting feature that the wave instability in the hyperbolic equations occurs in two-variable systems, whereas in the parabolic case one needs three reaction-diffusion equations.

Product diffusion through on-demand information-seeking behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Riedl, Christoph; Bjelland, Johannes; Canright, Geoffrey; Iqbal, Asif; Engø-Monsen, Kenth; Qureshi, Taimur; Sundsøy, Pål Roe; Lazer, David

2018-02-01

Most models of product adoption predict S-shaped adoption curves. Here we report results from two country-scale experiments in which we find linear adoption curves. We show evidence that the observed linear pattern is the result of active information-seeking behaviour: individuals actively pulling information from several central sources facilitated by modern Internet searches. Thus, a constant baseline rate of interest sustains product diffusion, resulting in a linear diffusion process instead of the S-shaped curve of adoption predicted by many diffusion models. The main experiment seeded 70 000 (48 000 in Experiment 2) unique voucher codes for the same product with randomly sampled nodes in a social network of approximately 43 million individuals with about 567 million ties. We find that the experiment reached over 800 000 individuals with 80% of adopters adopting the same product-a winner-take-all dynamic consistent with search engine driven rankings that would not have emerged had the products spread only through a network of social contacts. We provide evidence for (and characterization of) this diffusion process driven by active information-seeking behaviour through analyses investigating (a) patterns of geographical spreading; (b) the branching process; and (c) diffusion heterogeneity. Using data on adopters' geolocation we show that social spreading is highly localized, while on-demand diffusion is geographically independent. We also show that cascades started by individuals who actively pull information from central sources are more effective at spreading the product among their peers. © 2018 The Authors.

Parametric dictionary learning for modeling EAP and ODF in diffusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlet, Sylvain; Caruyer, Emmanuel; Deriche, Rachid

2012-01-01

In this work, we propose an original and efficient approach to exploit the ability of Compressed Sensing (CS) to recover diffusion MRI (dMRI) signals from a limited number of samples while efficiently recovering important diffusion features such as the ensemble average propagator (EAP) and the orientation distribution function (ODF). Some attempts to sparsely represent the diffusion signal have already been performed. However and contrarly to what has been presented in CS dMRI, in this work we propose and advocate the use of a well adapted learned dictionary and show that it leads to a sparser signal estimation as well as to an efficient reconstruction of very important diffusion features. We first propose to learn and design a sparse and parametric dictionary from a set of training diffusion data. Then, we propose a framework to analytically estimate in closed form two important diffusion features: the EAP and the ODF. Various experiments on synthetic, phantom and human brain data have been carried out and promising results with reduced number of atoms have been obtained on diffusion signal reconstruction, thus illustrating the added value of our method over state-of-the-art SHORE and SPF based approaches.

CO diffusing capacity in a general population sample: relationships with cigarette smoking and airflow obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Viegi, G; Paoletti, P; Carrozzi, L; Baldacci, S; Modena, P; Pedreschi, M; Di Pede, F; Mammini, U; Giuntini, C

1993-01-01

The single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCOsb) was measured together with ventilatory lung function tests as part of a survey of a general population sample living in Northern Italy (n = 2,481). Based on answers to an interviewer-administered questionnaire, subjects free of respiratory symptoms or diseases were identified. Data from subjects who had never regularly smoked cigarettes were used to derive reference equations for the test indexes, and data from the remaining subjects who had smoked were used to derive regression equations incorporating a term expressing cigarette consumption (cube root of pack-years) and a term indicating current smoking decrement, in order to obtain expected DLCOsb percent predicted. Neither number of cigarettes smoked daily or duration of smoking, in smokers, nor duration of smoking or years since quitting smoking, in ex-smokers, entered significantly the multiple-regression model. The mean values of DLCOsb were only slightly affected by the increasing degree of airway obstruction. When subjects with confirmed asthma were analyzed, after stratifying for different levels of FEV1/FVC ratio, increased mean value of DLCOsb (over 100%) was found in those with an FEV1/FVC ratio between 75 and 65%. This cross-sectional analysis suggests that there is a decrease in DLCOsb with cumulative cigarette consumption even in healthy subjects. Further, it confirms the clinical observations of high DLCOsb values in asthmatic patients, at least in those with an initial degree of chronic airflow obstruction.

Diffusion dynamics in liquid and undercooled Al-Ni alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stueber, Sebastian

2009-10-05

This work presents data on Ni self-diffusion in binary Al-Ni alloys with high precision. For this, we combined two techniques: containerless electromagnetic levitation to position the samples, and neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy to measure the decay of the self-correlation. This combination offers new measurement ranges, especially at low temperatures, several hundreds of Kelvin below the liquidus temperature. Because without container, the primary cristallization seeds for the metallic melt are avoided. But it is also possible to measure reactive samples, and at very high temperatures at and above 2000K, as problematic reactions with the containing cask won't occur. Furthermore this technique also enables measurements at higher momentum transfer q, as one does not have to limit the q-range of the measurement to avoid Bragg peaks of the solid container material. By this time-of-flight spectroscopy on levitated metallic melts, it is possible to determine the Ni self-diffusion in these alloys directly and on an absolute scale. The dependence of the Ni self-diffusion coefficient on temperature and concentration was studied in pure Ni and binary Al-Ni alloys. In a temperature range of several hundred degrees, we always found Arrhenius-like temperature dependence of the diffusion, irrespective of possible undercooling. In the context of these measurements, we also studied the interdependence between diffusivity in the metallic melt and its quasielastic structure factor. Time-of-flight spectroscopy made it also possible to derive the dynamic partial structure factors of the binary alloy Al{sub 80}Ni{sub 20}. All this to enable a better understanding of the atomic processes in the metallic melt, especially of the undercooled melt, as an alloy is always formed out of the (undercooled) melt of its stoichiometric compounds. For this, material transport and diffusion are immensely important. The final goal would be materials design from the melt, i.e. the prediction

Diffusion dynamics in liquid and undercooled Al-Ni alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stueber, Sebastian

2009-01-01

This work presents data on Ni self-diffusion in binary Al-Ni alloys with high precision. For this, we combined two techniques: containerless electromagnetic levitation to position the samples, and neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy to measure the decay of the self-correlation. This combination offers new measurement ranges, especially at low temperatures, several hundreds of Kelvin below the liquidus temperature. Because without container, the primary cristallization seeds for the metallic melt are avoided. But it is also possible to measure reactive samples, and at very high temperatures at and above 2000K, as problematic reactions with the containing cask won't occur. Furthermore this technique also enables measurements at higher momentum transfer q, as one does not have to limit the q-range of the measurement to avoid Bragg peaks of the solid container material. By this time-of-flight spectroscopy on levitated metallic melts, it is possible to determine the Ni self-diffusion in these alloys directly and on an absolute scale. The dependence of the Ni self-diffusion coefficient on temperature and concentration was studied in pure Ni and binary Al-Ni alloys. In a temperature range of several hundred degrees, we always found Arrhenius-like temperature dependence of the diffusion, irrespective of possible undercooling. In the context of these measurements, we also studied the interdependence between diffusivity in the metallic melt and its quasielastic structure factor. Time-of-flight spectroscopy made it also possible to derive the dynamic partial structure factors of the binary alloy Al 80 Ni 20 . All this to enable a better understanding of the atomic processes in the metallic melt, especially of the undercooled melt, as an alloy is always formed out of the (undercooled) melt of its stoichiometric compounds. For this, material transport and diffusion are immensely important. The final goal would be materials design from the melt, i.e. the prediction of alloy

An extended laser flash technique for thermal diffusivity measurement of high-temperature materials

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, F.; Khodadadi, J. M.

1993-01-01

Knowledge of thermal diffusivity data for high-temperature materials (solids and liquids) is very important in analyzing a number of processes, among them solidification, crystal growth, and welding. However, reliable thermal diffusivity versus temperature data, particularly those for high-temperature liquids, are still far from complete. The main measurement difficulties are due to the presence of convection and the requirement for a container. Fortunately, the availability of levitation techniques has made it possible to solve the containment problem. Based on the feasibility of the levitation technology, a new laser flash technique which is applicable to both levitated liquid and solid samples is being developed. At this point, the analysis for solid samples is near completion and highlights of the technique are presented here. The levitated solid sample which is assumed to be a sphere is subjected to a very short burst of high power radiant energy. The temperature of the irradiated surface area is elevated and a transient heat transfer process takes place within the sample. This containerless process is a two-dimensional unsteady heat conduction problem. Due to the nonlinearity of the radiative plus convective boundary condition, an analytic solution cannot be obtained. Two options are available at this point. Firstly, the radiation boundary condition can be linearized, which then accommodates a closed-form analytic solution. Comparison of the analytic curves for the temperature rise at different points to the experimentally-measured values will then provide the thermal diffusivity values. Secondly, one may set up an inverse conduction problem whereby experimentally obtained surface temperature history is used as the boundary conditions. The thermal diffusivity can then be elevated by minimizing the difference between the real heat flux boundary condition (radiation plus convection) and the measurements. Status of an experimental study directed at measuring the

The Pearson diffusions: A class of statistically tractable diffusion processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forman, Julie Lyng; Sørensen, Michael

The Pearson diffusions is a flexible class of diffusions defined by having linear drift and quadratic squared diffusion coefficient. It is demonstrated that for this class explicit statistical inference is feasible. Explicit optimal martingale estimating func- tions are found, and the corresponding...

Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells with Thin Silicon Passivation Film Deposited prior to Phosphorous Diffusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Tao Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate the performance improvement of p-type single-crystalline silicon (sc-Si solar cells resulting from front surface passivation by a thin amorphous silicon (a-Si film deposited prior to phosphorus diffusion. The conversion efficiency was improved for the sample with an a-Si film of ~5 nm thickness deposited on the front surface prior to high-temperature phosphorus diffusion, with respect to the samples with an a-Si film deposited on the front surface after phosphorus diffusion. The improvement in conversion efficiency is 0.4% absolute with respect to a-Si film passivated cells, that is, the cells with an a-Si film deposited on the front surface after phosphorus diffusion. The new technique provided a 0.5% improvement in conversion efficiency compared to the cells without a-Si passivation. Such performance improvements result from reduced surface recombination as well as lowered contact resistance, the latter of which induces a high fill factor of the solar cell.

Observation of structural universality in disordered systems using bulk diffusion measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Papaioannou, Antonios; Novikov, Dmitry S.; Fieremans, Els; Boutis, Gregory S.

2017-12-01

We report on an experimental observation of classical diffusion distinguishing between structural universality classes of disordered systems in one dimension. Samples of hyperuniform and short-range disorder were designed, characterized by the statistics of the placement of micrometer-thin parallel permeable barriers, and the time-dependent diffusion coefficient was measured by NMR methods over three orders of magnitude in time. The relation between the structural exponent, characterizing disorder universality class, and the dynamical exponent of the diffusion coefficient is experimentally verified. The experimentally established relation between structure and transport exemplifies the hierarchical nature of structural complexity—dynamics are mainly determined by the universality class, whereas microscopic parameters affect the nonuniversal coefficients. These results open the way for noninvasive characterization of structural correlations in porous media, complex materials, and biological tissues via a bulk diffusion measurement.

Semi-Nonparametric Estimation and Misspecification Testing of Diffusion Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Dennis

of the estimators and tests under the null are derived, and the power properties are analyzed by considering contiguous alternatives. Test directly comparing the drift and diffusion estimators under the relevant null and alternative are also analyzed. Markov Bootstrap versions of the test statistics are proposed...... to improve on the finite-sample approximations. The finite sample properties of the estimators are examined in a simulation study....

Diffusion Capillary Phantom vs. Human Data: Outcomes for Reconstruction Methods Depend on Evaluation Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah D. Lichenstein

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Diffusion MRI provides a non-invasive way of estimating structural connectivity in the brain. Many studies have used diffusion phantoms as benchmarks to assess the performance of different tractography reconstruction algorithms and assumed that the results can be applied to in vivo studies. Here we examined whether quality metrics derived from a common, publically available, diffusion phantom can reliably predict tractography performance in human white matter tissue. Material and Methods: We compared estimates of fiber length and fiber crossing among a simple tensor model (diffusion tensor imaging, a more complicated model (ball-and-sticks and model-free (diffusion spectrum imaging, generalized q-sampling imaging reconstruction methods using a capillary phantom and in vivo human data (N=14. Results: Our analysis showed that evaluation outcomes differ depending on whether they were obtained from phantom or human data. Specifically, the diffusion phantom favored a more complicated model over a simple tensor model or model-free methods for resolving crossing fibers. On the other hand, the human studies showed the opposite pattern of results, with the model-free methods being more advantageous than model-based methods or simple tensor models. This performance difference was consistent across several metrics, including estimating fiber length and resolving fiber crossings in established white matter pathways. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the construction of current capillary diffusion phantoms tends to favor complicated reconstruction models over a simple tensor model or model-free methods, whereas the in vivo data tends to produce opposite results. This brings into question the previous phantom-based evaluation approaches and suggests that a more realistic phantom or simulation is necessary to accurately predict the relative performance of different tractography reconstruction methods. Acronyms: BSM: ball-and-sticks model; d

Ammonia Diffusion through Nalophan Double Bags: Effect of Concentration Gradient Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Capelli, Laura; Boiardi, Emanuela; Del Rosso, Renato

2014-01-01

The ammonia loss through Nalophan bags has been studied. The losses observed for storage conditions and times as allowed by the reference standard for dynamic olfactometry (EN 13725:2003) indicate that odour concentration values due to the presence of small molecules may be significantly underestimated if samples are not analysed immediately after sampling. A diffusion model was used in order to study diffusion through the bag. The study discusses the effect of concentration gradient (ΔC) across the polymeric membrane of the analyte. The ΔC was controlled by using a setup bag called “double bags.” Experimental data show a reduction of ammonia percentage losses due to the effect of the external multibarrier. The expedient of the double bag loaded with the same gas mixture allows a reduced diffusion of ammonia into the inner bag. Comparing the inner bag losses with those of the single bag stored in the same conditions (T, P, u) and with equal geometrical characteristics (S/V, z), it was observed that the inner bag of the double bag displays a 16% loss while the single bag displays a 37% loss. Acting on the ΔC it is possible to achieve a gross reduction of 57% in the ammonia leakage due to diffusion. PMID:25506608

Ammonia diffusion through Nalophan double bags: effect of concentration gradient reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sironi, Selena; Eusebio, Lidia; Capelli, Laura; Boiardi, Emanuela; Del Rosso, Renato

2014-01-01

The ammonia loss through Nalophan bags has been studied. The losses observed for storage conditions and times as allowed by the reference standard for dynamic olfactometry (EN 13725:2003) indicate that odour concentration values due to the presence of small molecules may be significantly underestimated if samples are not analysed immediately after sampling. A diffusion model was used in order to study diffusion through the bag. The study discusses the effect of concentration gradient (ΔC) across the polymeric membrane of the analyte. The ΔC was controlled by using a setup bag called "double bags." Experimental data show a reduction of ammonia percentage losses due to the effect of the external multibarrier. The expedient of the double bag loaded with the same gas mixture allows a reduced diffusion of ammonia into the inner bag. Comparing the inner bag losses with those of the single bag stored in the same conditions (T, P, u) and with equal geometrical characteristics (S/V, z), it was observed that the inner bag of the double bag displays a 16% loss while the single bag displays a 37% loss. Acting on the ΔC it is possible to achieve a gross reduction of 57% in the ammonia leakage due to diffusion.

The magnetic diffusion of neutrons; La diffusion magnetique des neutrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koehler, W C [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1959-07-01

The purpose of this report is to examine briefly the diffusion of neutrons by substances, particularly by crystals containing permanent atomic or ionic magnetic moments. In other words we shall deal with ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic or paramagnetic crystals, but first it is necessary to touch on nuclear diffusion of neutrons. We shall start with the interaction of the neutron with a single diffusion centre; the results will then be applied to the magnetic interactions of the neutron with the satellite electrons of the atom; finally we shall discuss the diffusion of neutrons by crystals. (author) [French] Le but de ce rapport est d'examiner, brievement, la diffusion des neutrons par les substances, et surtout, par des cristaux qui contiennent des moments magnetiques atomiques ou ioniques permanents. C'est-a-dire que nous nous interesserons aux cristaux ferromagnetiques, antiferromagnetiques, ferrimagnetiques ou paramagnetiques; il nous faut cependant rappeler d'abord la diffusion nucleaire des neutrons. Nous commencerons par l'interaction du neutron avec un seul centre diffuseur; puis les resultats seront appliques aux interactions magnetiques du neutron avec les electrons satellites de l'atome; enfin nous discuterons la diffusion des neutrons par les cristaux. (auteur)

Plasma nitriding process by direct current glow discharge at low temperature increasing the thermal diffusivity of AISI 304 stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prandel, L. V.; Somer, A.; Assmann, A.; Camelotti, F.; Costa, G.; Bonardi, C.; Jurelo, A. R.; Rodrigues, J. B.; Cruz, G. K. [Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Grupo de Espectroscopia Optica e Fotoacustica de Materiais, Departamento de Fisica, Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, CEP 84030-900, Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil)

2013-02-14

This work reports for the first time on the use of the open photoacoustic cell technique operating at very low frequencies and at room temperature to experimentally determine the thermal diffusivity parameter of commercial AISI304 stainless steel and AISI304 stainless steel nitrided samples. Complementary measurements of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were also performed. The results show that in standard AISI 304 stainless steel samples the thermal diffusivity is (4.0 {+-} 0.3) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s. After the nitriding process, the thermal diffusivity increases to the value (7.1 {+-} 0.5) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s. The results are being associated to the diffusion process of nitrogen into the surface of the sample. Carrying out subsequent thermal treatment at 500 Degree-Sign C, the thermal diffusivity increases up to (12.0 {+-} 2) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s. Now the observed growing in the thermal diffusivity must be related to the change in the phases contained in the nitrided layer.

Modified micro-diffusion method for 15N-enriched soil solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aigner, M.

2000-01-01

The preparation of solutions for determination of 15 N/ 14 N isotope ratios is described, with special reference to dilute samples. A micro-diffusion method has been simplified to be more suitable for rapid isotope-ratio determination in soil solutions collected in tensionics. Ammonia expelled during micro-diffusion is captured on acidified filter discs fixed to the caps of gas-tight vials. The discs are transferred to tin capsules for shipment to the Soil Science Unit for 15 N-enrichment determination. (author)

Spatial gradient of chemical weathering and its coupling with physical erosion in the soils of the Betic Cordillera (SE Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Schoonejans, Jerome; Vanacker, Veerle; Opfergelt, Sophie; Ameijeiras-Mariño, Yolanda; Kubik, Peter

2015-04-01

The production and denudation of soil material are controlled by chemical weathering and physical erosion which influence one another. Better understanding and quantification of this relationship is critical to understand biogeochemical cycles in the critical zone. The intense silicate weathering that is taking place in young mountain ranges is often cited to be a negative feedback that involves a long-term reduction of the atmospheric CO2 and the temperature cooling. However the possible (de)coupling between weathering and erosion is not fully understood for the moment and could reduce the effect of the feedback. This study is conducted in the eastern Betic Cordillera located in southeast Spain. The Betic Cordillera is composed by several mountains ranges or so-called Sierras that are oriented E-W to SE-NW and rise to 2000m.a.s.l. The Sierras differ in topographic setting, tectonic activity, and slightly in climate and vegetation. The mountain ranges located in the northwest, such as the Sierra Estancias, have the lowest uplift rates ( ~20-30 mm/kyr); while those in the southeast, such as the Sierra Cabrera, have the highest uplift rates ( >150mm/kyr). The sampling was realised into four small catchments located in three different Sierras. In each of them, two to three soil profiles were excavated on exposed ridgetops, and samples were taken by depth slices. The long-term denudation rate at the sites is inferred from in-situ 10Be CRN measurements. The chemical weathering intensity is constrained using a mass balance approach that is based on the concentration of immobile elements throughout the soil profile (CDF). Our results show that the soil depth decreases with an increase of the denudation rates. Chemical weathering accounts for 5 to 35% of the total mass lost due to denudation. Higher chemical weathering intensities (CDFs) are observed in sites with lower denudation rates (and vice versa). The data suggest that chemical weathering intensities are strongly

Simulation of anisotropic diffusion by means of a diffusion velocity method

CERN Document Server

Beaudoin, A; Rivoalen, E

2003-01-01

An alternative method to the Particle Strength Exchange method for solving the advection-diffusion equation in the general case of a non-isotropic and non-uniform diffusion is proposed. This method is an extension of the diffusion velocity method. It is shown that this extension is quite straightforward due to the explicit use of the diffusion flux in the expression of the diffusion velocity. This approach is used to simulate pollutant transport in groundwater and the results are compared to those of the PSE method presented in an earlier study by Zimmermann et al.

Confocal fluorometer for diffusion tracking in 3D engineered tissue constructs

Science.gov (United States)

Daly, D.; Zilioli, A.; Tan, N.; Buttenschoen, K.; Chikkanna, B.; Reynolds, J.; Marsden, B.; Hughes, C.

2016-03-01

We present results of the development of a non-contacting instrument, called fScan, based on scanning confocal fluorometry for assessing the diffusion of materials through a tissue matrix. There are many areas in healthcare diagnostics and screening where it is now widely accepted that the need for new quantitative monitoring technologies is a major pinch point in patient diagnostics and in vitro testing. With the increasing need to interpret 3D responses this commonly involves the need to track the diffusion of compounds, pharma-active species and cells through a 3D matrix of tissue. Methods are available but to support the advances that are currently only promised, this monitoring needs to be real-time, non-invasive, and economical. At the moment commercial meters tend to be invasive and usually require a sample of the medium to be removed and processed prior to testing. This methodology clearly has a number of significant disadvantages. fScan combines a fiber based optical arrangement with a compact, free space optical front end that has been integrated so that the sample's diffusion can be measured without interference. This architecture is particularly important due to the "wet" nature of the samples. fScan is designed to measure constructs located within standard well plates and a 2-D motion stage locates the required sample with respect to the measurement system. Results are presented that show how the meter has been used to evaluate movements of samples through collagen constructs in situ without disturbing their kinetic characteristics. These kinetics were little understood prior to these measurements.

Diffusion in reactor materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedorov, G.B.; Smirnov, E.A.

1984-01-01

The monograph contains a brief description of the principles underlying the theory of diffusion, as well as modern methods of studying diffusion. Data on self-diffusion and diffusion of impurities in a nuclear fuel and fissionable materials (uranium, plutonium, thorium, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, beryllium, etc.) is presented. Anomalous diffusion, diffusion of components, and interdiffusion in binary and ternary alloys were examined. The monograph presents the most recent reference material on diffusion. It is intended for a wide range of researchers working in the field of diffusion in metals and alloys and attempting to discover new materials for application in nuclear engineering. It will also be useful for teachers, research scholars and students of physical metallurgy

Self-diffusion in isotopically enriched silicon carbide and its correlation with dopant diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rueschenschmidt, K.; Bracht, H.; Stolwijk, N.A.; Laube, M.; Pensl, G.; Brandes, G.R.

2004-01-01

Diffusion of 13 C and 30 Si in silicon carbide was performed with isotopically enriched 4H- 28 Si 12 C/ nat SiC heterostructures which were grown by chemical vapor phase epitaxy. After diffusion annealing at temperatures between 2000 deg. C and 2200 deg. C the 30 Si and 13 C profiles were measured by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry. We found that the Si and C diffusivity is of the same order of magnitude but several orders of magnitude lower than earlier data reported in the literature. Both Si and C tracer diffusion coefficients are in satisfactory agreement with the native point defect contribution to self-diffusion deduced from B diffusion in SiC. This reveals that the native defect which mediates B diffusion also controls self-diffusion. Assuming that B atoms within the extended tail region of B profiles are mainly dissolved on C sites, we propose that B diffuses via the kick-out mechanism involving C interstitials. Accordingly, C diffusion should proceed mainly via C interstitials. The mechanism of Si diffusion remains unsolved but Si may diffuse via both Si vacancies and interstitials, with the preference for either species depending on the doping level

Investigating international new product diffusion speed: A semiparametric approach

KAUST Repository

Hartman, Brian M.

2012-06-01

Global marketing managers are interested in understanding the speed of the new product diffusion process and how the speed has changed in our ever more technologically advanced and global marketplace. Understanding the process allows firms to forecast the expected rate of return on their new products and develop effective marketing strategies. The most recent major study on this topic [Marketing Science 21 (2002) 97-114] investigated new product diffusions in the United States.We expand upon that study in three important ways. (1) Van den Bulte notes that a similar study is needed in the international context, especially in developing countries. Our study covers four new product diffusions across 31 developed and developing nations from 1980-2004. Our sample accounts for about 80% of the global economic output and 60% of the global population, allowing us to examine more general phenomena. (2) His model contains the implicit assumption that the diffusion speed parameter is constant throughout the diffusion life cycle of a product. Recognizing the likely effects on the speed parameter of recent changes in the marketplace, we model the parameter as a semiparametric function, allowing it the flexibility to change over time. (3) We perform a variable selection to determine that the number of internet users and the consumer price index are strongly associated with the speed of diffusion. © Institute of Mathematical Statistics, 2012.

Factors affecting the diffusion of online end user literature searching.

Science.gov (United States)

Ash, J S

1999-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify factors that affect diffusion of usage of online end user literature searching. Fifteen factors clustered into three attribute sets (innovation attributes, organizational attributes, and marketing attributes) were measured to study their effect on the diffusion of online searching within institutions. A random sample of sixty-seven academic health sciences centers was selected and then 1,335 library and informatics staff members at those institutions were surveyed by mail with electronic mail follow-up. Multiple regression analysis was performed. The survey yielded a 41% response rate with electronic mail follow-up being particularly effective. Two dependent variables, internal diffusion (spread of diffusion) and infusion (depth of diffusion), were measured. There was little correlation between them, indicating they measured different things. Fifteen independent variables clustered into three attribute sets were measured. The innovation attributes set was significant for both internal diffusion and infusion. Significant individual variables were visibility for internal diffusion and image enhancement effects (negative relation) as well as visibility for infusion (depth of diffusion). Organizational attributes were also significant predictors for both dependent variables. No individual variables were significant for internal diffusion. Communication, management support (negative relation), rewards, and existence of champions were significant for infusion. Marketing attributes were not significant predictors. Successful diffusion of online end user literature searching is dependent on the visibility of the systems, communication among, rewards to, and peers of possible users who promote use (champions). Personal image enhancement effects have a negative relation to infusion, possibly because the use of intermediaries is still seen as the more luxurious way to have searches done. Management support also has a negative relation to

Fractal diffusion equations: Microscopic models with anomalous diffusion and its generalizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arkhincheev, V.E.

2001-04-01

To describe the ''anomalous'' diffusion the generalized diffusion equations of fractal order are deduced from microscopic models with anomalous diffusion as Comb model and Levy flights. It is shown that two types of equations are possible: with fractional temporal and fractional spatial derivatives. The solutions of these equations are obtained and the physical sense of these fractional equations is discussed. The relation between diffusion and conductivity is studied and the well-known Einstein relation is generalized for the anomalous diffusion case. It is shown that for Levy flight diffusion the Ohm's law is not applied and the current depends on electric field in a nonlinear way due to the anomalous character of Levy flights. The results of numerical simulations, which confirmed this conclusion, are also presented. (author)

Diffusion in molybdenum disilicide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salamon, M.; Mehrer, H.

2005-01-01

The diffusion behaviour of the high-temperature material molybdenum disilicide (MoSi 2 ) was completely unknown until recently. In this paper we present studies of Mo self-diffusion and compare our present results with our already published studies of Si and Ge diffusion in MoSi 2 . Self-diffusion of molybdenum in monocrystalline MoSi 2 was studied by the radiotracer technique using the radioisotope 99 Mo. Deposition of the radiotracer and serial sectioning after the diffusion anneals to determine the concentration-depth profiles was performed using a sputtering device. Diffusion of Mo is a very slow process. In the entire temperature region investigated (1437 to 2173 K), the 99 Mo diffusivities in both principal directions of the tetragonal MoSi 2 crystals obey Arrhenius laws, where the diffusion perpendicular to the tetragonal axis is faster by two to three orders of magnitude than parallel to it. The activation enthalpies for diffusion perpendicular and parallel to the tetragonal axis are Q perpendicular to = 468 kJ mol -1 (4.85 eV) and Q parallel = 586 kJ mol -1 (6.07 eV), respectively. Diffusion of Si and its homologous element Ge is fast and is mediated by thermal vacancies of the Si sublattice of MoSi 2 . The diffusion of Mo is by several orders of magnitude slower than the diffusion of Si and Ge. This large difference suggests that Si and Mo diffusion are decoupled and that the diffusion of Mo likely takes place via vacancies on the Mo sublattice. (orig.)

Water diffusion in clays with added organic surfactants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pineda-Pinon, J; Mendoza-Lopez, M L; Manzano-RamIrez, A; Perez-Robles, J F; Vega-Duran, J T

2007-01-01

Tensoactive agents may decrease water absorption in clay products like adobes. They modify the characteristics of the surface of clay particles. Characterization of water diffusion through the pores of modified clays is important to apply appropriate surface modifiers and to improve their performance. We established a simple model for water diffusion in test samples of defined dimensions to estimate real physical parameters and their effect on water absorption. Adsorption mechanisms are examined based on experimental results. The fitting of the experimental data to the model provides a deep understanding of water adsorption in chemically modified clays. A better agreement between the model and the experimental data is achieved for complex molecules

A time-efficient acquisition protocol for multipurpose diffusion-weighted microstructural imaging at 7 Tesla.

Science.gov (United States)

Sepehrband, Farshid; O'Brien, Kieran; Barth, Markus

2017-12-01

Several diffusion-weighted MRI techniques have been developed and validated during the past 2 decades. While offering various neuroanatomical inferences, these techniques differ in their proposed optimal acquisition design, preventing clinicians and researchers benefiting from all potential inference methods, particularly when limited time is available. This study reports an optimal design that enables for a time-efficient diffusion-weighted MRI acquisition scheme at 7 Tesla. The primary audience of this article is the typical end user, interested in diffusion-weighted microstructural imaging at 7 Tesla. We tested b-values in the range of 700 to 3000 s/mm 2 with different number of angular diffusion-encoding samples, against a data-driven "gold standard." The suggested design is a protocol with b-values of 1000 and 2500 s/mm 2 , with 25 and 50 samples, uniformly distributed over two shells. We also report a range of protocols in which the results of fitting microstructural models to the diffusion-weighted data had high correlation with the gold standard. We estimated minimum acquisition requirements that enable diffusion tensor imaging, higher angular resolution diffusion-weighted imaging, neurite orientation dispersion, and density imaging and white matter tract integrity across whole brain with isotropic resolution of 1.8 mm in less than 11 min. Magn Reson Med 78:2170-2184, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Diffusion-Weighted MRI for the Assessment of Liver Fibrosis: Principles and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Palmucci

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The importance of an early identification of hepatic fibrosis has been emphasized, in order to start therapy and obtain fibrosis regression. Biopsy is the gold-standard method for the assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases, but it is limited by complications, interobserver variability, and sampling errors. Several noninvasive methods have been recently introduced into clinical routine, in order to detect liver fibrosis early. One of the most diffuse approaches is represented by diffusion-weighted liver MRI. In this review, the main technical principles are briefly reported in order to explain the rationale for clinical applications. In addition, roles of apparent diffusion coefficient, intravoxel incoherent motion, and relative apparent diffusion coefficient are also reported, showing their advantages and limits.

Molecular dynamics simulation of self-diffusion processes in titanium in bulk material, on grain junctions and on surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Sushko, Gennady B; Verkhovtsev, Alexey V; Yakubovich, Alexander V; Schramm, Stefan; Solov'yov, Andrey V

2014-08-21

The process of self-diffusion of titanium atoms in a bulk material, on grain junctions and on surface is explored numerically in a broad temperature range by means of classical molecular dynamics simulation. The analysis is carried out for a nanoscale cylindrical sample consisting of three adjacent sectors and various junctions between nanocrystals. The calculated diffusion coefficient varies by several orders of magnitude for different regions of the sample. The calculated values of the bulk diffusion coefficient correspond reasonably well to the experimental data obtained for solid and molten states of titanium. Investigation of diffusion in the nanocrystalline titanium is of a significant importance because of its numerous technological applications. This paper aims to reduce the lack of data on diffusion in titanium and describe the processes occurring in bulk, at different interfaces and on surface of the crystalline titanium.

Structural characterisation of oxygen diffusion hardened alpha-tantalum PVD-coatings on titanium.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertl, C; Koll, L; Schmitz, T; Werner, E; Gbureck, U

2014-08-01

Titanium substrates were coated with tantalum layers of 5 μm thickness using physical vapour deposition (PVD). The tantalum layers showed a (110)-preferred orientation. The coated samples were hardened by oxygen diffusion. Using X-ray diffraction the crystallographic structure of the tantalum coatings was characterised, comparing untreated and diffusion hardened specimen conditions. Oxygen depth profiles were determined by glow discharge spectrometry. The hardening effect of the heat treatment was examined by Vickers microhardness testing. The increase of surface hardness caused by oxygen diffusion was at least 50%. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermogravimetric analysis for rapid assessment of moisture diffusivity in polydisperse powder and thin film matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Thirunathan, Praveena; Arnz, Patrik; Husny, Joeska; Gianfrancesco, Alessandro; Perdana, Jimmy

2018-03-01

Accurate description of moisture diffusivity is key to precisely understand and predict moisture transfer behaviour in a matrix. Unfortunately, measuring moisture diffusivity is not trivial, especially at low moisture values and/or elevated temperatures. This paper presents a novel experimental procedure to accurately measure moisture diffusivity based on thermogravimetric approach. The procedure is capable to measure diffusivity even at elevated temperatures (>70°C) and low moisture values (>1%). Diffusivity was extracted from experimental data based on "regular regime approach". The approach was tailored to determine diffusivity from thin film and from poly-dispersed powdered samples. Subsequently, measured diffusivity was validated by comparing to available literature data, showing good agreement. Ability of this approach to accurately measure diffusivity at a wider range of temperatures provides better insight on temperature dependency of diffusivity. Thus, this approach can be crucial to ensure good accuracy of moisture transfer description/prediction especially when involving elevated temperatures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Demonstration of non-Gaussian restricted diffusion in tumor cells using diffusion-time dependent diffusion weighted MR contrast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuva Roaldsdatter Hope

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The diffusion weighted imaging (DWI technique enables quantification of water mobility for probing microstructural properties of biological tissue, and has become an effective tool for collecting information about the underlying pathology of cancerous tissue. Measurements using multiple b-values have indicated a bi-exponential signal attenuation, ascribed to fast (high ADC and slow (low ADC diffusion components. In this empirical study, we investigate the properties of the diffusion time (∆ - dependent components of the diffusion-weighted (DW signal in a constant b-value experiment. A Xenograft GBM mouse was imaged using ∆ = 11 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 60 ms and b=500-4000 s/mm2 in intervals of 500s/mm2. Data was corrected for EPI distortions and the ∆-dependence on the DW signal was measured within three regions of interest (intermediate- and high-density tumor regions and normal appearing brain tissue regions (NAB. In this empirical study we verify the assumption that the slow decaying component of the DW-signal is non-Gaussian and dependent on ∆, consistent with restricted diffusion of the intracellular space. As the DW-signal as a function of ∆ is specific to restricted diffusion, manipulating ∆ at constant b-value (cb provides a complementary and direct approach for separating the restricted from the hindered diffusion component. Our results show that only tumor tissue signal of our data demonstrate ∆-dependence, based on a bi-exponential model with a restricted diffusion component, we successfully estimated the restricted ADC, signal volume fraction and cell size within each tumor ROI.

Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

... Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer Request Permissions Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board , 10/2017 What is hereditary diffuse gastric cancer? Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is a rare ...

Archaeological and taxonomic significance of ancient wood samples ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ancient wood samples from an archaeological excavation, Test Pit II, in Ahanve, near Badagry were analysed to ascertain their identity. Anatomical study of the wood samples revealed oval-circular xylem pores, diffuse apotracheal axial parenchyma, procumbent and homogeneous ray and non-septate fibres, all consistent ...

The anomalous self-diffusion in α-Zr

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hood, G.M.

1985-01-01

In a very recent publication, Horvath, Dyment and Mehrer, henceforth HDM, presented measurements of the self-diffusion coefficient Dsub(m) 0 for α-Zr as a function of temperature. The results of that study, done on a single crystal sample, were anomalous in the sense that a plot of log Dsub(m) 0 vs. 1/T(K -1 ) was not only non-linear, but exhibited two regions of downward curvature with increasing 1/T. HDM indicated that they were unable to see any explanation of their anomalous self-diffusion results. It is the purpose of this letter to indicate a means whereby these anomalous results may be ''explained'' and to suggest some experiments which might be undertaken to test the proposal. (orig./RK)

Simple simulation of diffusion bridges with application to likelihood inference for diffusions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bladt, Mogens; Sørensen, Michael

2014-01-01

the accuracy and efficiency of the approximate method and compare it to exact simulation methods. In the study, our method provides a very good approximation to the distribution of a diffusion bridge for bridges that are likely to occur in applications to statistical inference. To illustrate the usefulness......With a view to statistical inference for discretely observed diffusion models, we propose simple methods of simulating diffusion bridges, approximately and exactly. Diffusion bridge simulation plays a fundamental role in likelihood and Bayesian inference for diffusion processes. First a simple......-dimensional diffusions and is applicable to all one-dimensional diffusion processes with finite speed-measure. One advantage of the new approach is that simple simulation methods like the Milstein scheme can be applied to bridge simulation. Another advantage over previous bridge simulation methods is that the proposed...

Study of the uranium-zirconium diffusion; Etude de la diffusion uranium-zirconium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adda, Y; Mairy, C; Bouchet, P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1957-07-01

The intermetallic diffusion of uranium fuel and zirconium used as cladding is studied. Intermetallic diffusion can occur during the cladding of uranium rods and uranium can penetrate the zirconium cladding. Different parameters are involved in this mechanism as structure and mechanical properties of the diffusion area as well as presence of impurities in the metal. The uses of different analysis techniques (micrography, Castaing electronic microprobe, microhardness and autoradiography) have permitted to determine with great accuracy the diffusion coefficient in gamma phase (body centered cubic system) and the results have given important information on the intermetallic diffusion mechanisms. The existence of the Kirkendall effect in the U-Zr diffusion is also an argument in favor of the generality of the diffusion mechanism by vacancies in body centered cubic system. (M.P.)

Hydrogen diffusion and microstructure in undoped and boron-dope hydrogenated amorphous silicon: An IR and SIMS study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitra, S.

1991-01-01

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) prepared by rf sputtering of a polycrystalline Si target at various rf powers 50 ≤ P ≤ 550 W (0.27--2.97 W/cm 2 ), target to substrate distance 1 ≤ d ≤ 2 double-prime, and varying hydrogen partial pressures. Doping was accomplished by introducing diborane (B 2 H 6 ) in the plasma. Hydrogen diffusion was studied from the depth profiles obtained from the SIMS on multilayered a-Si:H/a-Si:(H,D)/a-Si:H samples. The properties of the samples were characterized by IR absorption, optical gap measurements and ESR. IR yielded quantitative and qualitative information total hydrogen content and the nature of the hydrogen bonding, respectively. Hence the hydrogen microstructure of the samples could be varied in a systematic manner and monitored from the hydrogen vibrational modes. The ESR gave information on the number of paramagnetic defects per unit volume in the samples. The IR absorption of both as-deposited and annealed samples were closely monitored and the results clearly demonstrate a strong correlation between hydrogen diffusion and its microstructure. It is shown that microvoids in a-Si:H play a critical role in the process of diffusion by inducing deep hydrogen trapping sites that render them immobile. Consequently, as the microvoid density increases beyond a critical density hydrogen diffusion is totally quenched. The diffusion results are discussed both in the context of multiple trapping transport of hydrogen in an exponential distribution of trapping sites and the floating bond model

Effects of repository environment on diffusion behavior of radionuclides in buffer materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozaki, Tamotsu; Sato, Seichi

2004-03-01

Compacted bentonite is considered as a candidate buffer material in the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. An important function of the compacted bentonite is to retard the transport of radionuclides from waste forms to the surrounding host rock after degradation of an overpack. Therefore, diffusion behavior of radionuclides in the compacted bentonite has been extensively studied by many researchers for the performance assessments of the geological disposal. However, diffusion mechanism of radionuclides in the bentonite cannot be fully understood, and most experimental data have been obtained at room temperature for the bentonite saturated with low salinity water, which would disagree often with real repository conditions. In this study, therefore, apparent diffusion coefficients were determined at various diffusion temperatures for chloride ions in Na-montmorillonite samples saturated with NaCl solution of high salinity. Activation energies for the apparent diffusion were also obtained from the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients at different salinity. As the salinity increased, the apparent diffusion coefficients of chloride ions in montmorillonite were found to increase slightly. On the other hand, the activation energies for the chloride diffusion were found to be almost constant (approximately 12 kJ mol -1 ) and less than that in free water (17.4 kJ mol -1 ). Effects of salinity on diffusion behavior of radionuclides in montmorillonite were discussed from the viewpoints of microstructure of montmorillonite and distribution of ions in the montmorillonite. As a result, the diffusion behavior of sodium ions could be explained by the changes of the predominant diffusion process among pore water diffusion, surface diffusion, and interlayer diffusion that could be caused by the increase of salinity. (author)

Diffusive retention of atmospheric gases in chert

Science.gov (United States)

Pettitt, E.; Cherniak, D. J.; Watson, E. B.; Schaller, M. F.

2016-12-01

Throughout Earth's history, the volatile contents (N2, CO2, Ar) of both deep and shallow terrestrial reservoirs has been dynamic. Volatiles are important chemical constituents because they play a significant role in regulating Earth's climate, mediating the evolution of complex life, and controlling the properties of minerals and rocks. Estimating levels of atmospheric volatiles in the deep geological past requires interrogation of materials that have acquired and retained a chemical memory from that time. Cherts have the potential to trap atmospheric components during formation and later release those gases for analysis in the laboratory. However, cherts have been underexploited in this regard, partly because their ability to retain a record of volatile components has not been adequately evaluated. Before cherts can be reliably used as indicators of past levels of major atmospheric gases, it is crucial that we understand the diffusive retentiveness of these cryptocrystalline silica phases. As the first step toward quantifying the diffusivity and solubility of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in chert, we have performed 1-atmosphere diffusive-uptake experiments at temperatures up to 450°C. Depth profiles of in-diffusing gases are measured by nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) to help us understand the molecular-scale transport of volatiles and thus the validity of using chert-bound volatiles to record information about Earth history. Data collected to date suggest that at least some cherts are ideal storage containers and can retain volatiles for a geologically long time. In addition to these diffusion experiments, preliminary online-crush fast-scan measurements using a quadrupole mass spectrometer indicate that atmospheric volatiles are released upon crushing various chert samples. By coupling such volatile-release measurements made by mass spectrometry with diffusion experiments, we are uniquely able to address the storage and fidelity of volatiles bound in crustal

Predicting X-ray diffuse scattering from translation–libration–screw structural ensembles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Benschoten, Andrew H.; Afonine, Pavel V.; Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Wall, Michael E.; Jackson, Colin J.; Sauter, Nicholas K.; Adams, Paul D.; Urzhumtsev, Alexandre; Fraser, James S.

2015-01-01

A method of simulating X-ray diffuse scattering from multi-model PDB files is presented. Despite similar agreement with Bragg data, different translation–libration–screw refinement strategies produce unique diffuse intensity patterns. Identifying the intramolecular motions of proteins and nucleic acids is a major challenge in macromolecular X-ray crystallography. Because Bragg diffraction describes the average positional distribution of crystalline atoms with imperfect precision, the resulting electron density can be compatible with multiple models of motion. Diffuse X-ray scattering can reduce this degeneracy by reporting on correlated atomic displacements. Although recent technological advances are increasing the potential to accurately measure diffuse scattering, computational modeling and validation tools are still needed to quantify the agreement between experimental data and different parameterizations of crystalline disorder. A new tool, phenix.diffuse, addresses this need by employing Guinier’s equation to calculate diffuse scattering from Protein Data Bank (PDB)-formatted structural ensembles. As an example case, phenix.diffuse is applied to translation–libration–screw (TLS) refinement, which models rigid-body displacement for segments of the macromolecule. To enable the calculation of diffuse scattering from TLS-refined structures, phenix.tls-as-xyz builds multi-model PDB files that sample the underlying T, L and S tensors. In the glycerophosphodiesterase GpdQ, alternative TLS-group partitioning and different motional correlations between groups yield markedly dissimilar diffuse scattering maps with distinct implications for molecular mechanism and allostery. These methods demonstrate how, in principle, X-ray diffuse scattering could extend macromolecular structural refinement, validation and analysis

Predicting X-ray diffuse scattering from translation–libration–screw structural ensembles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Benschoten, Andrew H. [University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158 (United States); Afonine, Pavel V. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Wall, Michael E. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Jackson, Colin J. [Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601 (Australia); Sauter, Nicholas K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Adams, Paul D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Urzhumtsev, Alexandre [Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS–INSERM–UdS, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch (France); Université de Lorraine, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy (France); Fraser, James S., E-mail: james.fraser@ucsf.edu [University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158 (United States)

2015-07-28

A method of simulating X-ray diffuse scattering from multi-model PDB files is presented. Despite similar agreement with Bragg data, different translation–libration–screw refinement strategies produce unique diffuse intensity patterns. Identifying the intramolecular motions of proteins and nucleic acids is a major challenge in macromolecular X-ray crystallography. Because Bragg diffraction describes the average positional distribution of crystalline atoms with imperfect precision, the resulting electron density can be compatible with multiple models of motion. Diffuse X-ray scattering can reduce this degeneracy by reporting on correlated atomic displacements. Although recent technological advances are increasing the potential to accurately measure diffuse scattering, computational modeling and validation tools are still needed to quantify the agreement between experimental data and different parameterizations of crystalline disorder. A new tool, phenix.diffuse, addresses this need by employing Guinier’s equation to calculate diffuse scattering from Protein Data Bank (PDB)-formatted structural ensembles. As an example case, phenix.diffuse is applied to translation–libration–screw (TLS) refinement, which models rigid-body displacement for segments of the macromolecule. To enable the calculation of diffuse scattering from TLS-refined structures, phenix.tls-as-xyz builds multi-model PDB files that sample the underlying T, L and S tensors. In the glycerophosphodiesterase GpdQ, alternative TLS-group partitioning and different motional correlations between groups yield markedly dissimilar diffuse scattering maps with distinct implications for molecular mechanism and allostery. These methods demonstrate how, in principle, X-ray diffuse scattering could extend macromolecular structural refinement, validation and analysis.