PIGE: A Useful Technique for the Study of Innovative Energy Related Materials. Technical Note on the Measurement of Gamma-ray Production Cross Sections

Abstract Particle induced gamma-rays are used more and more in materials quantitative characterization with ion beams, being absolutely competitive to other techniques, when low Z elements are involved and when dynamic processes are produced and monitored. Energy production involves such kind of materials, whose composition needs to be known and controlled under diverse and sometimes extreme conditions. This paper reviews some technical aspects associated with the knowledge of production cross sections, which is fundamental to any quantitative analysis, and the use of gamma detectors like their absolute efficiency

Proton radiative capture to 13N in the region of the second harmonic giant dipole resonance collective excitation

This work embraces the measurement of angular distributions and excitation functions for proton radiative capture to the ground and excited states of 13N, in energy steps from E p = 40 to E p = 52MeV. Legendre polynomial fits to the angular distributions are made and the energy variation of Legendre coefficients is established for several (p, 7 ) transitions involving states up to an excitation energy of 15 MeV. The polynomial coefficients are explained by large dipole-quadrupole interference effects, particularly interesting at excitation energies corresponding to twice (£„ ~ 46 MeV) the centroid value of the ground state based Giant Dipole Excitation. Broad resonances are found in the (p,7o) &nd the (p, 72+3) channels, which involve final states that are members of the same rotational band and therefore should present very similar internal structures as the almost equivalent Legendre coefficients substantiate. For other excited states similar trends have been found although within limits imposed by larger experimental errors. The 2hw -+ Ihuj transition is found largely superimposed on inelastic proton scattering channels, contrary to what was established in previous experiments. Upper limits for the excitation functions are extracted and only for the highest measured energy point are the two contributions clearly separated. This reasearch program is based on a newly-developed anti-coincidence large-volume scintillation spectrometer designed by means of a Monte Carlo simulation code. Sp jcific tests performed with Tandem accelerator beams, and routine application at higher energies, demonstrate the excellent correspondence of the design expectations with the performance as measured, for this spectrometer

Risk management in solitary agricultural work: new technologies for handling emergency and falls from great heights (SHADE)

Solitary work and agricultural activities are the scenarios of a large number of severe injuries and deaths, also because first aid may be difficult to achieve in isolated locations. This work proposes a technology available on smartphones that allows triggering an emergency call when a fall from height or an unconsciousness state is detected. The results of several tests, which include different detection algorithms and scenarios, are reported in this work. Tests performed with the aid of a dummy have allowed developing a reliable algorithm for the detection of dangerous situations. This system is available as an Android application

Risk management in solitary agricultural work: new technologies for handling emergency and falls from great heights (SHADE)

Solitary work and agricultural activities are the scenarios of a large number of severe injuries and deaths, also because first aid may be difficult to achieve in isolated locations. This work proposes a technology available on smartphones that allows triggering an emergency call when a fall from height or an unconsciousness state is detected. The results of several tests, which include different detection algorithms and scenarios, are reported in this work. Tests performed with the aid of a dummy have allowed developing a reliable algorithm for the detection of dangerous situations. This system is available as an Android application

Characterisation of early medieval frescoes by μ-PIXE, SEM and Raman spectroscopy

Abstract We have studied the VIII–IX century frescoes of the Longobard temple of Cividale del Friuli in Italy with noninvasive sampling and, for the first time in such a context, with high chemical and spatial sensitivity techniques (PIXE, SEM and Raman). Results demonstrate richness of manufacturing details and integrate in a substantial way the historic and artistic framework of this early medieval monument

Quantum tunneling of the excited rotational bands in the superdeformed nucleus 143Eu

The properties of the thermally excited rotational motion up to the region of rotational damping are studied experimentally in the superdeformed nucleus 143 Eu. The effective lifetime of the excited discrete rotational bands forming ridge structures in ‐ matrices is measured at the EUROBALL array using the DSAM technique, giving a quadrupole momentQt 10 e b, consistent with the deformation of the superdeformed yrast band. In addition, the effective number of excited superdeformed bands is extracted by a statistical analysis of the ridge structure, for transition energies down to the region where the effect of the decay-out into the normal deformed well shows up. The experimental data are compared with microscopic cranked shell model calculations including a residual interaction of surface delta type. Satisfactory agreement between data and theory is obtained when the quantum tunneling of the excited superdeformed states is included in the model. © 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V

Effect of E1 decay in the population of superdeformed structures

Abstract Spectra of the yrast and excited superdeformed bands, forming the E2 quasi-continuum, are measured with the EUROBALL array for the nucleus 143 Eu, in coincidence with high-energy γ-rays (Eγ>3 MeV). It is found that the intensity population of the superdeformed states is enhanced by a factor of ≈1.6 when a coincidence with a γ-ray with energy >6 MeV is required, in reasonable agreement with the increase of the line shape of the Giant Dipole Resonance built on a superdeformed configuration. This result shows that when an high energy E1 γ-ray is involved in the decay it is more likely connected with a SD rather than a ND nucleus. In addition, the analysis of the rotational quasi-continuum suggests the presence of a superdeformed component. The data are also compared and found consistent with simulation calculations of the relative intensities of the SD states, including the E1 decay of superdeformed nature

Archaeological and instrumental analyses of pottery and wood from the 'Leudo' wreck of Varazze, Italy

The wreck of a small boat found in the Ligurian sea (north west of Italy), known as 'Leudo del Mercante', and its cargo of pottery represent a unique case study of ceramic provenance and dating that can help in providing further insight about the coastal trade performed by minor ships in the Mediterranean regions. In this paper we review archaeological investigations on pottery and present results of instrumental analyses both on the cargo and on parts of the wooden hull. Our aim is to confirm the origin of the pottery and to try to solve the fundamental issue of dating. Elemental analysis of pottery was performed using PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission); dating of wood samples from the hull was performed by radiocarbon Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). Both kinds of measurements were performed at the LABEC laboratory in Florence. The elemental composition of ceramic bodies shows that the pottery could have been produced in the area of Savona or Albisola, not far from the shipwreck site. With the detailed archaeological study of the cargo and using radiocarbon data, we can deduce that the boat was built, sailed and sunk most probably during the first half of the 16th century

Los tiempos de los quimbayas. Aproximación a un modelo bayesiano de dataciones absolutas

Peer reviewe