Yes / The changes induced by γ-ray pre-irradiated grafting of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with alkalo-amines such as Monoethanolamine (MEA), Diethanolamine (DEA) and Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) solvents were investigated. Samples of the commercially available fluoropolymer, i.e. PTFE film membranes were irradiated with 60Co source γ-radiation with absorbed doses of 30 to 90 kGy. Effects of the grafting conditions of the amines onto the pre-irradiated PTFE, such as grafting time, reaction temperature and pre-irradiation doses on the resulting grafting yield are reported. The grafted PTFE was characterized by the FT-IR spectroscopy and FESEM.The gravimeteric analysis showed that the maximum grafting yield obtained is 2.9% for the 30 kGy irradiated MDEA grafted PTFE (MDEA-g-PTFE) at 10 min grafting time. However, at 60 min grafting time the maximum grafting yield reduced to 1.05% for the same sample. Consequently, therefore, for the low dose γ-ray pre-irradiated samples, the effects of applied dose and grafting time were found to be remarkably insignificant.

Previously developed Zn decay schemes were limited by a number of factors including low production rates and detector efficiencies making it impossible to place weak transitions. Furthermore, most of the published results are from initial exploratory measurements while subsequent studies in this region either ignored the data obtained from the Zn decays or was not analyzed due to the focus on more exotic nuclei. In the current experiments, a nearly pure beam of the Cu isotope was provided by the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) for the study of the Cu -> Zn -> Ga -> Ge β-decay chain using the Low-energy Radioactive Ion Beam Spectroscopy Station (LeRIBSS) setup. The high efficiency of the detector system along with the nearly pure primary beam allowed a detailed study of the γ-ray emission from the decay chain without any member of the decay chain being dominant. The γγ and βγ gamma coincidence data obtained from the experiment was used to develop revised decay schemes in which statistical significance for each observed coincidence peak was determined quantitatively. Presented in this work are updated and expanded decay schemes with new energy levels along with new βeeding intensities and logft values for the Zn -> Ga decays. In each of the Zn decays, a number of new energy levels and transitions have been proposed to the structure of respective Ga isotopes in addition to correcting discrepancies from previous works. The 74Zn β decay now has 29 new γ rays assigned to 74Ga in addition to previous 35 transitions (Winger et al., 1989} depopulating 19 energy states, including 7 new ones. The maximum level energy is increased from previous 1086- to 1555-keV. Similarly, the updated 75Zn decay scheme has its level energy increased from previous (Ekstrom et al., 1986) 3209- to 3924-keV, with addition of 37 new energy levels and 53 new γ rays. New decay scheme for 76Zn is established up to 2603 keV, similar to previous literature (Ekstrom et al.) with addition of 4 new energy levels and total of 5 new γ-ray transitions. In case of 77Zn decay, we proposed the decay scheme up to 3948 keV with addition of 8 new energy levels and 10 new γ-ray transitions.

Nuclei at closed shells tend to be spherical and are well-described by the shell model, while those between closed shells are deformed and better described by collective models. The nuclei which are in transitional regions between spherical and deformed may be studied to gain insight into the nature of this transition. The stable isotopes of zirconium and xenon span such transitional regions and are the subject of this dissertation. Gamma-ray spectroscopy following inelastic neutron scattering has been performed on the stable isotopes of Zr as well as 132,134Xe at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory. Level lifetimes have been measured using the Doppler-shift attenuation method, which allow the determination of transition probabilities that are of utmost importance in elucidating the structure of these nuclei. The lifetime measurements were the focus of the study of the Zr isotopes. Previously measured level lifetimes in 94Zr by our group were called into question by recent electron scattering experiments. This motivated a re-measurement of these lifetimes and led to a study of the role of the chemical properties of the scattering samples employed in the measurements. Various Zr-containing compounds were characterized with powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy and were employed as scattering samples. These studies revealed the impact of using amorphous materials and those composed of small particles as scattering samples on the resulting lifetimes, and has important implications for future lifetime measurements employing the Doppler-shift attenuation method. For the xenon experiments, highly enriched (>99.9%) 132Xe and 134Xe gases were converted to solid 132XeF2 and 134XeF2, and were used as scattering samples. The xenon isotopes have not been particularly well-studied as elemental targets are gases under ambient conditions, which introduces difficulties into the measurements. Much new information was obtained for these nuclei, including the placement of many new transitions and levels, and measurement of many new level lifetimes, allowing the determination of reduced transition probabilities. This additional information provided important insight into the structure of these two transitional nuclei.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第24405号 / 理博第4904号 / 新制||理||1700(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科物理学・宇宙物理学専攻 / (主査)教授 鶴 剛, 教授 井岡 邦仁, 教授 永江 知文 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Les sursauts gamma (GRBs pour "Gamma-Ray Bursts" en anglais) sont de brèves bouffées très énergétiques de rayonnement de haute énergie qui sont émises sur de courtes échelles de temps (fraction de seconde à plusieurs minutes). L'émission intense des sursauts gamma à haute énergie est supposée provenir d'un trou noir de masse stellaire nouvellement formé, accompagné d'un vent collimaté (i.e. un jet) se propageant à vitesse relativiste. L'émission est observée suivant deux phases successives, la phase prompte très erratique, et la phase de rémanence, moins lumineuse. Les deux instruments embarqués sur le satellite Fermi, le "Gamma-ray Burst Monitor" (GBM) et le "Large Area Telescope" (LAT), permettent d'étudier l'émission prompte des sursauts gamma sur une grande plage d'énergie (de ~10 keV à ~100 GeV). L'objectif principal de ma thèse est l'analyse et l'interprétation des propriétés spectrales et temporelles de l'émission prompte des GRBs observés par Fermi, en particulier avec les nouvelles données du LAT (Pass 8) qui ont été rendues publiques en juin 2015.La première partie de mon travail est une analyse spectrale résolue en temps de la phase prompte du sursaut GRB 090926A avec les données du GBM et du LAT. Mes résultats confirment avec un meilleur niveau de confiance la présence d'une cassure spectrale à ~400 MeV, qui est observée en coincidence avec un pic d'émission très court. Ils révèlent que cette atténuation spectrale est présente durant toute l'émission prompte du sursaut, et que l'énergie de cassure augmente jusqu'au GeV. L'interprétation de la cassure spectrale en termes d'absorption gamma ou de courbure naturelle du spectre d'émission Compton inverse (CI) dans le régime Klein-Nishina fournit des contraintes fortes sur le facteur de Lorentz du jet. Mes résultats conduisent en outre à des rayons d'émission R ∼10^14 cm qui sont compatibles avec une origine interne de l'émission du keV au GeV au-dessus de la photosphère du jet.La seconde partie de mon travail est une exploration du modèle de chocs internes développé par des collaborateurs à l'Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP). Ce modèle simule la dynamique du jet et les processus d'émission (synchrotron et CI) d'une population d'électrons accélérés aux chocs. J'ai simulé la réponse instrumentale de Fermi à un sursaut synthétique fourni par ce code numérique, et j'ai construit une fonction paramétrique qui peut être utilisée pour ajuster le modèle aux spectres de sursauts du keV au MeV. J'ai appliqué cette fonction avec succès à un échantillon de 64 sursauts brillants détectés par le GBM. J'ai aussi confronté le modèle de l'IAP au spectre d'émission prompte de GRB 090926A. Mes résultats montrent un bon accord, et j'ai identifié quelques pistes pour les améliorer. Les spectres synthétiques sont plus larges que tous les spectres dans l'échantillon du GBM. En conséquence, je discute brièvement quelques pistes de développements théoriques qui pourraient améliorer l'accord du modèle avec les observations, ainsi que des avancées observationnelles attendues dans le futur. / Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are very energetic and brief flashes of high-energy radiations which are emitted in a short time scale (fraction of a second to several minutes). The GRB bright emission is thought to be powered by a newly formed stellar-mass black hole that is accompanied by a collimated outflow (i.e. a jet) moving at a relativistic speed. The emission is observed as two successive phases: the highly variable “prompt” phase and the late and less luminous “afterglow” phase. The two instruments on board the Fermi space telescope, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and the Large Area Telescope (LAT), allow the study of GRB prompt emission over a broad energy range (from ~10 keV to ~100 GeV). In June 2015, a new set of LAT data (Pass 8) was publicly released, which were generated using improved algorithms of reconstruction and classification of gamma-ray events. The main goal of my thesis is the analysis and interpretation of the spectral and temporal properties of the prompt emission phase of the GRBs observed by Fermi, especially using LAT Pass8 data.In the first part of my work, I performed a detailed time-resolved spectral analysis of the prompt phase of GRB 090926A with GBM and LAT data. My results confirm with a greater significance the spectral break at ∼400 MeV that is observed during a fast variability pulse, and they also reveal the presence of a spectral attenuation throughout the GRB prompt emission, as well as an increase of the break energy up to the GeV domain. I interpreted the spectral break in terms of gamma-ray absorption or as a natural curvature of the inverse Compton (IC) emission in the Klein-Nishina regime. Strong constraints on the jet Lorentz factor were obtained in both scenarios. My results lead also to emission radii R ∼10^14 cm, which are consistent with an internal origin of both the keV-MeV and GeV prompt emissions above the jet photosphere.The second part of my work is an exploration of the internal shock model that has been developed by collaborators at the "Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris" (IAP). This model simulates the GRB jet dynamics and the radiations (synchrotron and IC processes) from a population of shock-accelerated electrons. I simulated the response of the Fermi instruments to the synthetic GRB spectra provided by this numerical code. From these simulations, I built a new parametric function that can be used to fit the keV-MeV spectra of GRBs with the model. I applied successfully this function to a sample of 64 GBM bright GRBs. I confronted also the IAP model to the prompt emission spectrum of GRB 090926A. I obtained a relatively good agreement and I identified a couple of solutions that may improve it. The synthetic spectra are wider than any GRB spectra in the GBM sample. I present some theoretical developments that could improve the data-model agreement in the future, and I discuss possible advances from future GRB missions as well.

La spectrométrie γ dose en une seule mesure tous les émetteurs γ dans un échantillon. L’auto-absorption des rayonnements γ dans des échantillons se manifeste par des pertes ou des gains d'impulsions. Pour caractériser une nouvelle géométrie de comptage, des améliorations du dispositif existant ont été apportées par des simulations MCNPX. Avec ce nouveau dispositif nous avons pu spécifier les doses absorbées et efficaces annuelles ainsi que les facteurs de conversion de dose des radioisotopes naturels pour des matériaux de construction et des prélèvements de sols. Des simulations ont montré l’influence des seuils de détection des rayonnements γ donc sur les facteurs de conversion de dose et la nécessité d’une mise à jour de ces facteurs. L’analyse par spectrométrie γ in situ du sol fait appel à des efficacités de détection simulées par MCNPX pour une source aux dimensions semi-infinies. Une application a été réalisée autour d’une centrale nucléaire et une autre pour une société. / Γ-ray spectrometry enables determining all γ-ray emitters in a sample with a single measurement. Self-absorption of γ-rays in samples is manifest by a loss or a gain of pulses that results in a poor estimation of the counting efficiency. To characterize a new counting geometry improvements of the existing set-up were made with MCNPX simulations. With the new geometry we could specify absorbed and annual effective doses as well as dose conversion factors for the natural radioisotopes of several building materials and soil samples. Simulations show the influence of detection limits of γ-radiation on dose conversion factors and the need for updating these factors. γ-ray measurements of soil in situ require different counting efficiencies simulated by MCNPX for a semi-infinite source. Two in-situ soil analyses were made, one around a nuclear power and the other for a private company.