Atomic lifetimes of selected levels in Neon I and Argon I were measured using a method of delayed coincidence. Pulsed rf was used to excite a discharge tube containing the neon and argon gas. The radiation emitted from the excited atoms of the gas was passed through a monochromator so only the desired wavelength would be observed. Each time an excitation pulse ended, the decay of light intensity was detected by a photomultiplier tube. By measuring the decay time of the light intensity using the delayed coincidence technique, the average lifetime of the desired level was determined. The values of lifetimes determined in this study were found to contain considerable error. Several factors contributing to these errors were thought to be the shape of the rf pulses and an effort known as cascading which was caused by the use of rf for excitation of the gas.

The transmission of neon line radiation through the positive column of a neon dc glow discharge has been measured. Six lengths of the column were used and a graphical comparison of the theoretical and experimental transmissions were made. This permitted a determination of the absorption coefficient of the gas, for the case of Doppler-broadened spectral lines. The relative transition probabilities for transitions with the same lower level were obtained from the values of the absorption coefficients. Radial variation of the density of absorbing atoms and the presence of isotopes in the column were taken into account. The relative intensities of several pairs of spectral lines emitted by neon gas excited by a pulsed electron beam have been measured. The neon was at a low pressure (.1 mm Hg) and excited for a short time (200 nsec) to suppress self-absorption of the emitted radiation. The relative transition probabilities for lines with the same upper level were determined from the intensity measurements. A weighted averaging technique was used to connect the relative transition probabilities of the absorption and emission measurements and a complete set of relative transition probabilities was obtained. The probabilities were placed on an absolute scale using the results of a lifetime measurement recently made by van Andel /17/. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) were evaluated for the measurement of selenium (Se) and Se stable isotope ratios. GCMS and ICPMS were found to be accurate for quantitative Se analysis in biological matrices by isotope dilution using Se-78 and Se-76 as internal standards, respectively. A higher precision was obtained for ICPMS than GCMS enabling a smaller quantity of the tracer to be administered to subjects in labelling experiments. The isotopes of choice for metabolic tracers were Se-76 when sample analysis was by GCMS and Se-77 and Se-82 when analysis was by ICPMS. The influence of copper (Cu) on endogenous fecal Se excretion and true absorption of Se in nonlactating Holstein cows was examined by the use of Se stable isotopes as tracers. The method involved the application of conventional balance techniques in conjunction with isotopic enrichment of the body Se pools. Selenium in several tissues following oral and intravenous routes of isotope administration were evaluated as the precursors of endogenous fecal Se. Two cows fed a Se deficient diet (0.035 mg kg⁻¹) were administered 4 mg Se-76 orally, daily, for 5 d. After a 10-d equilibration period total collection of feces was made daily for two 5-d periods. The animals were then sacrificed and samples obtained from all major tissues and fluids. Se-7 6 enrichment (tracer/tracee mass percent, TTMP) in tissues was variable (< 0.56 - 13.4). However, enrichment was similar (9.8 - 12.9) in the tissues considered as potential contributors to endogenous fecal Se (serum, epithelium of the stomach, liver, bile, pancreas, small intestine and colon). Enrichment in serum and liver was used to calculate endogenous fecal Se. Apparent absorption of Se in the two cows was negative (-37 and -147 µg d⁻¹). Correction of apparent absorption for the fecal Se of endogenous origin gave a true Se absorption (% of intake) of 10 and 16%. The percentage of total fecal Se of endogenous origin was 23 and 36%. In two trials, 5 or 6 cows were assigned to one of two Cu-supplemented treatment diets: 0 mg kg⁻¹ or 17 mg kg⁻¹. The basal diet contained 0.19 mg Se kg⁻¹ and 13 mg Cu kg⁻¹. To each cow ~4.6 mg Se-77 and ~1.3 mg Se-82 were administered by oral and intravenous routes, respectively. After a 14-d equilibration period, total collection of feces and urine were made daily for two 5-d periods. Serum was collected on the first, third and fifth days of each period. Liver biopsies were taken 2 d following the completion of the balance periods. The estimates of endogenous fecal Se ( d⁻¹) from enrichment in the serum (256) and liver (235) following oral administration of the tracer and from enrichment in serum (241) following intravenous administration were not significantly different (P>0.05) but were higher than the estimate from the enrichment in liver (197) (P<0.05). No significant differences (P>0.05) were present when true absorption ( µg d⁻¹) was determined from enrichment in serum (290) or liver (268) following oral administration or from enrichment in serum (274) or liver (230) following intravenous administration. It was concluded the analysis of serum or liver with oral administration or the analysis of serum with intravenous administration of the tracer would provide reliable methods for estimation of endogenous fecal Se and true absorption. There was no effect of Cu on endogenous fecal Se excretion or true absorption of Se. Apparent and true absorption were 3.2 and 11%, respectively. Approximately 90% of the total Se excreted was in the feces, of which, 9.7% was of endogenous origin. The use of Se stable isotopes as metabolic tracers in dairy cattle provided a safe alternative to the use of radioactive tracers and enabled experiments requiring multi-isotopic enrichment to be performed. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

We have performed a careful measurement of the shape of the beta spectrum of He⁶. A detailed study of the phenomenon of electron scattering in our thin lens magnetic spectrometer enabled us to interpret the spectrum shape from the end point at Wₒ = 3.50 ± .02 Mev. down to 1/14 Wₒ = 0.250 Mev. The experimental shape has been compared with the theoretically predicted shape for allowed spectra. The influence of the pseudoscalar interaction on the shape of the He⁶ spectrum has also been considered. From these measurements we have been able to set limits on the Fierz interference in the Gamow-Teller interaction as well as on the magnitude of the pseudoscalar coupling constants. These limits have been interpreted in terms of the relative magnitudes of the axial vector, pseudoscalar, and tensor coupling constants using the two component theory of the neutrino and assuming that the complete beta decay Hamiltonian proposed by Lee and Yang is or is not invariant under time reversal. We have also calculated the effect on the spectrum shape of the production of inner Bremsstrahlung in beta decay and have shown this effect to be at the limit of experimental detectability.

This study consists of four major areas of research. First, the relationship between and was extended to Lrl nil homoallylic couplings and was used to determine the relative degree of puckering in a series of dihydroaromatic carboxylic acids. Second, the effect of coupling contributions transmitted through space were examined by theoretical calculations of the intermediate neglect of differential overlap finite perturbation theory type (INDO-FPT) including selective overlap reduction experiments to determine the sign and magnitude of the major through-space contributions and the effect of the orientation of the substituent upon the vicinal carbon3 carbon coupling. Third, the dependence of the J upon substituent orientation in norbornanes was empirically investigated by the synthesis of a series of lactones and cyclic ethers whose conformation was rigid and known. Fourth, a large number of norbornanes substituted with methyls in the 1, 3, and 7 position and a carbon-13 labeled substituent in the 2 position were synthesized and studied in order to obtain a variety of vicinal C-C couplings; all the NMR parameters for this series of compounds were determined while the carbon13 labeled substituent was varied from methyl to methylene to carbinol to aldehyde and to carboxylic acid.

Radioactive xenon gas is a fission product released in the detonation of nuclear devices that can be detected in atmospheric samples far from the detonation site. In order to improve the capabilities of radioxenon detection systems, this work produces [beta-gamma] coincidence spectra of individual isotopes of radioxenon. Previous methods of radioxenon production consisted of the removal of mixed isotope samples of radioxenon gas released from fission of contained fissile materials such as ²³⁵U. In order to produce individual samples of the gas, isotopically enriched stable xenon gas is irradiated with neutrons. The detection of the individual isotopes is also modeled using Monte Carlo simulations to produce spectra. The experiment shows that samples of [superscript 131m]Xe, ¹³³Xe, and ¹³⁵Xe with a purity greater than 99% can be produced, and that a sample of [superscript 133m]Xe can be produced with a relatively low amount of ¹³³Xe background. These spectra are compared to models and used as essential library data for the Spectral Deconvolution Analysis Tool (SDAT) to analyze atmospheric samples of radioxenon for evidence of nuclear events. / text

Hu Hong Bing. / "May 2004." / "13" in title is superscript. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

by Zhou ping. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 160-170). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Shaped pulses can be used for uniform spin-1 excitation. The effects of the pulses on spin-1 excitation is seen as distortion of two types: phase distortions and amplitude distortions. By reducing the distortions a spin-1 excitation becomes more uniform. In the case of time-symmetric shaped pulses, spin-1 excitation is free of phase distortions. The spin-1 excitation in that case can be made uniform over a larger frequency bandwidth. The number of possible shaped pulses is so large that a computer-aided search is needed to find the desirable shaped pulses. A theoretical analysis is used to find the connection between a shaped pulse and the corresponding spin-1 excitation. The theoretical analysis in density matrix formalism gives the spin-1 excitation in closed-form expressions that are too complicated. In such a case the connection between a shpaed pulse and spin-1 excitation is not straightforward. A brute-force search for a desirable shaped pulse can consume too much computer time and thus time the scope of the search. By using the formalism of quaternions in the theoretical analysis, spin-1 excitation is presented in simple closed form expressions. It is then shown tht if the choice is limited to time-symmetric shaped pulses then these closed form expressions become much simpler. It is also shown that a spin-1 excitation is free of phase distortions in that case. These simple closed form expressions can be used as the building blocks of a much more concise program code for the computer aided search. As a result a computer aided search for a desirable shaped pulse becomes much faster in speed and larger in scope. More shaped pulses for improved spin-1 can be found. / xiii, 99 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

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