Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was tested to examine its applicability to remote and in suit analysis in inaccessible situation. Two types of liquid sample (slurry) prepared for simulating vitrification of liquid hazardous wastes was tested. In situ analysis ability makes the LIBS technique practical for analysis of the slurry samples during vitrification, which is in inaccessible situation. For the first slurry sample, two slurry circulation systems were devised to overcome major technical problems associated with LIBS measurements of slurry samples - namely sedimentation and change in the lens-to-sample distance (L.T.S.D) during measurement. The second slurry sample contained less water and is able to be managed in a small glass container during test. We applied direct analysis of slurry sample filled in glass container. Spectroscopic analysis was performed using two different detection systems: Czerny-Turner and Echelle spectrometer systems. In particular, spectroscopic analysis of data from an echelle spectrometer shows the high efficiency for simultaneously determining physical quantities of all elements of interest. We also evaluate LIBS technique to tin alloy samples for the purpose of quantitative analysis by using Echelle spectrometer system. Unknown samples without information of elemental composition were tested to estimate several sample compositions simultaneously. An artificial neural network, calibration method, and chemical analysis were applied to estimate the elemental concentrations of impurities in tin (Sn) alloy.

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<p> We investigated the local electronic properties of the triangular-lattice materials NaxCO2 (x = 0.3, 0.72) and the superconductor Na0.3Co02-1.3H20 by 59Co and 170 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance(NMR). For Na0.72Co02 , 59Co NMR line shape shows clearly that there are two types of Co sites - Co(A) site and Co(B) site. The electronic character of Co(A) site is close to that of the less magnetic Co+3-like ion with spin rv 0, while the electronic character of Co(B) site is close to that of the strongly magnetic Co+4-like ions with spin ~ 1/2. The temperature dependence of the Knight shifts suggests that the Co(A) and Co(B) sites are electronically coupled, which is not consistent with simple phase separation. The local Co electronic environments propagate to the adjacent 0 layers through p-d hybridization. Therefore, there are two types of oxygen sites, O(A) site and O(B) site. We introduced a different route to do K vs x plot analysis for the Co sites and determined that for the Co sites, Karbitat(A) is 1.816 % and Kspin(A) is about rv 0.2 %; Karbitat(B) is 4.0255 % and Kspin(B) is at least 1.5 %. For Na0 .3Co02 , 59Co NMR line shape shows that the Co valence is averaged out in this material. There are two types of oxygen sites, 0( C) site and O(D) site, presumably because of the nearest neighbor Na+ sites. The constant behavior of Knight shifts below 100 K for both the Co and 0 sites suggests the emergence of a low temperature canonical Fermi-liquid behavior. For the superconductor Na0.3CoO2-1.3H20, both 59Co and 170 NMR line shapes show that there is only one type of Co site and oxygen site. The Knight shifts of 59Co and 170 are temperature independent below 100 K down to Tc. Combined with our spin-lattice relaxation 1/T 1 T measurements, we can rule out the possibility of ferromagnetic scenario of spin excitations above Tc. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

In this dissertation I explore discourse around the environmental risks of nanotechnology, and through this study of nanotechnology make the case that the dominance in risk discourse of regulatory science is limiting policy debate on environmental risks, and that specific initiatives should be undertaken to broaden debate not just on nanotechnology, but generally on the risks of new technologies. I argue that the treatment of environmental risk in public policy debates has failed for industrial chemicals, is failing for nanotechnology, and most certainly will fail for synthetic biology and other new technologies unless we change how we describe the impacts to people and other living things from the development and deployment of technology. However, I also contend that the nanotechnology case provides reason for optimism that risk can be given different, and better, treatment in environmental policy debates. I propose specific policy initiatives to advance a richer discourse around the environmental implications of emerging technologies. Evidence of enriched environmental policy debates would be a decentering of language concerning risk by developing within discourse language and practice directed toward enriching the human and environmental condition. / Ph. D.