Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for ultra-sensitive detection of energetic materials

The prospect of ultra-sensitive detection of molecular species, particularly those of energetic materials, has prompted the present research initiative. The combination of metal surface nano-technology and Raman spectroscopy has given rise to ‘Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy’ (SERS). This is a very sensitive technique and has proved to be capable of detecting a single molecule. SERS was demonstrated by recording Raman spectra of the sample molecules adsorbed on various specially prepared SER-active surfaces both in the form of a colloidal suspension and on the solid roughened surfaces. Using a gold colloidal suspension, pyridine has been detected down to 10-11 molar (M) concentration. A silver slab was roughened to a dimension of a nano-scale by etching in nitric acid solution to make SER-active surface. Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) explosive was detected using this surface after its 10-2 M solution was dropped, dried and washed (of any residue) from the surface. Lithographically engineered silver structures in the form of nanoarrays having a number of silver structures of approximately 106 in a region of 0.1 mm2 have been used for SERS. The major noise contribution to the scattering from impurities in an ordinary glass substrate has been eliminated by replacing glasses as substrates with pure quartz discs. The headspace vapours from peroxide explosives, Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) and Hexamethylene Triperoxide Diamine (HMTD), were detected at approximately 70 parts per million (ppm) and 0.3 ppm concentrations respectively using a portable commercial Raman Spectrometer. PETN was also detected from its headspace vapour at about 18 parts per trillion (ppt) in spite of it having a much lower vapour pressure. The possibility of desorption of adsorbed molecules from a nano-structured surface by laser irradiation has been demonstrated experimentally with the aim of reusability of SER-active surfaces. Also demonstrated was the enhancement in Raman intensity through resonance Raman effect spectroscopy for the future use in surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS).EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The CLEO-III Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector

The CLEO-III Detector upgrade for charged particle identification is discussed. The RICH design uses solid LiF crystal radiators coupled with multi-wire chamber photon detectors, using TEA as the photosensor, and low-noise Viking readout electronics. Results from our beam test at Fermilab are presented.Comment: Invited talk by R.J. Mountain at ``The 3rd International Workshop on Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detectors," a research workshop of the Israel Science Foundation, Ein-Gedi, Dead-Sea, Israel, Nov. 15-20, 1998, 14 pages, 9 figure

Performance of the CLEO III LiF-TEA Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector in a High Energy Muon Beam

The CLEO III Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector uses LiF radiators to generate Cherenkov photons which are then detected by proportional wire chambers using a mixture of CH$_4$ and TEA gases. The first two photon detector modules which were constructed, were taken to Fermilab and tested in a beam dump that provided high momentum muons. We report on results using both plane and "sawtooth" shaped radiators. Specifically, we discuss the number of photoelectrons observed per ring and the angular resolution. The particle separation ability is shown to be sufficient for the physics of CLEO III

Flavor-Specific Inclusive B Decays to Charm

We have measured the branching fractions for B -> D_bar X, B -> D X, and B -> D_bar X \ell^+ \nu, where ``B'' is an average over B^0 and B^+, ``D'' is a sum over D^0 and D^+, and``D_bar'' is a sum over D^0_bar and D^-. From these results and some previously measured branching fractions, we obtain Br(b -> c c_bar s) = (21.9 $\pm$ 3.7)%, Br(b -> s g) K^- \pi^+) = (3.69 $\pm$ 0.20)%. Implications for the ``B semileptonic decay problem'' (measured branching fraction being below theoretical expectations) are discussed. The increase in the value of Br(b -> c c_bar s) due to $B -> D X$ eliminates 40% of the discrepancy.Comment: 12 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Radiative Decay Modes of the D0D^{0} Meson

Using data recorded by the CLEO-II detector at CESR we have searched for four radiative decay modes of the $D^0$ meson: $D^0\to\phi\gamma$, $D^0\to\omega\gamma$, $D^0\to\bar{K}^{*}\gamma$, and $D^0\to\rho^0\gamma$. We obtain 90% CL upper limits on the branching ratios of these modes of $1.9\times 10^{-4}$, $2.4\times 10^{-4}$, $7.6\times 10^{-4}$ and $2.4\times 10^{-4}$ respectively.Comment: 15 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Measurement of Br(D0→K−π+)Br(D^{0}\to K^{-}\pi^{+}) using Partila Reconstruction of Bˉ→D∗+Xℓ−νˉ\bar{B}\to D^{*+}X\ell^{-}\bar{\nu}

We present a measurement of the absolute branching fraction for $D^0 -> K^- pi^+$ using the reconstruction of the decay chain $Bbar -> D^{*+} X l^- nubar$, $D^{*+} -> D^0 pi^+$ where only the lepton and the low-momentum pion from the $D^{*+}$ are detected. With data collected by the CLEO II detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we have determined $Br(D^0 -> K^- pi^+)= [3.81 +- 0.15(stat.) +- 0.16(syst.)]$.Comment: 10 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Measurement of the Mass Splittings between the bbˉχb,J(1P)b\bar{b}\chi_{b,J}(1P) States

We present new measurements of photon energies and branching fractions for the radiative transitions: Upsilon(2S)->gamma+chi_b(J=0,1,2). The masses of the chi_b states are determined from the measured radiative photon energies. The ratio of mass splittings between the chi_b substates, r==(M[J=2]-M[J=1])/(M[J=1]-M[J=0]) with M the chi_b mass, provides information on the nature of the bbbar confining potential. We find r(1P)=0.54+/-0.02+/-0.02. This value is in conflict with the previous world average, but more consistent with the theoretical expectation that r(1P)<r(2P); i.e., that this mass splittings ratio is smaller for the chi_b(1P) triplet than for the chi_b(2P) triplet.Comment: 11 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Study of Semileptonic Decays of B Mesons to Charmed Baryons

Using data collected by the CLEO II detector at the center-of-mass energy on or near the Upsilon(4S) resonance, we have determined the 90% confidence level upper limit B(Bbar --> Lambda_c^+ e- X)/B(Bbar --> Lambda_c^+ X, Lambdabar_c^- X) < 0.05 for electrons with momentum above 0.6 GeV/c. We have also derived the ratio B(B^- --> Lambda_c^+ pbar e- nubar_e)/B(Bbar --> Lambda_c^+ pbar X) < 0.04 at the 90% confidence level and measured the ratio B(Bbar --> Lambda_c^+ pbar X)/B(Bbar --> Lambda_c^+ X, Lambdabar_c^- X) = 0.57 +- 0.05 +- 0.05.Comment: 9 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Observation of Exclusive Two-Body B Decays to Kaons and Pions

We have studied two-body charmless hadronic decays of B mesons into the final states $\pi\pi$, $K \pi$, and $KK$. Using 3.3 million $B\bar{B}$ pairs collected with the CLEO-II detector, we have made the first observation of the decays $B^0\to K^+\pi^-$, $B^+\to K^0\pi^+$, and the sum of $B^+ \to \pi^+\pi^0$ and $B^+ \to K^+\pi^0$ decays (an average over charge-conjugate states is always implied). We place upper limits on branching fractions for the remaining decay modes.Comment: 9 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN