X-ray Absorption Linear Dichroism at the Ti K-edge of TiO2 anatase single crystal

Anatase TiO2 (a-TiO2) exhibits a strong X-ray absorption linear dichroism with the X-ray incidence angle in the pre-edge, the XANES and the EXAFS at the titanium K-edge. In the pre-edge region the behaviour of the A1-A3 and B peaks, originating from the 1s-3d transitions, is due to the strong $p$-orbital polarization and strong $p-d$ orbital mixing. An unambiguous assignment of the pre-edge peak transitions is made in the monoelectronic approximation with the support of ab initio finite difference method calculations and spherical tensor analysis in quantitative agreement with the experiment. It is found that A1 is mostly an on-site 3d-4p hybridized transition, while peaks A3 and B are non-local transitions, with A3 being mostly dipolar and influence by the 3d-4p intersite hybridization, while B is due to interactions at longer range. Finally, peak A2 which was previously assigned to a transition involving pentacoordinated titanium atoms exhibits a quadrupolar angular evolution with incidence angle. These results pave the way to the use of the pre-edge peaks at the K-edge of a-TiO2 to characterize the electronic structure of related materials and in the field of ultrafast XAS where the linear dichroism can be used to compare the photophysics along different axes.Comment: 43 pages, 19 figure

Multimodal x-ray microanalysis of a UFeO4 : evidence for the environmental stability of ternary U(v) oxides from depleted uranium munitions testing

An environmentally aged radioactive particle of UFeO4 recovered from soil contaminated with munitions depleted uranium (DU) was characterised by microbeam synchrotron X-ray analysis. Imaging of uranium speciation by spatially resolved X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (μ-XAS) was used to localise UFeO4 in the particle, which was coincident with a distribution of U(V). The U oxidation state was confirmed using X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (μ-XANES) spectroscopy as +4.9 ± 0.15. Le-Bail fitting of the particle powder XRD pattern confirmed the presence of UFeO4 and a minor alteration product identified as chernikovite (H3O)(UO2)(PO4)·3H2O. Refined unit cell parameters for UFeO4 were in good agreement with previously published values. Uranium–oxygen interatomic distances in the first co-ordination sphere were determined by fitting of Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (μ-EXAFS) spectroscopy. The average first shell U–O distance was 2.148 ± 0.012 Å, corresponding to a U valence of +4.96 ± 0.13 using bond valence sum analysis. Using bond distances from the published structure of UFeO4, U and Fe bond valence sums were calculated as +5.00 and +2.83 respectively, supporting the spectroscopic analysis and confirming the presence of a U(V)/Fe(III) pair. Overall this investigation provides important evidence for the stability of U(V) ternary oxides, in oxic, variably moist surface environment conditions for at least 25 years

Speciation of neptunium during sorption and diffusion in natural clay

In argillaceous rocks, which are considered as a potential host rock for nuclear waste repositories, sorption and diffusion processes govern the migration behaviour of actinides like neptunium. For the safety analysis of such a repository, a molecular-level understanding of the transport and retardation phenomena of radioactive contaminants in the host rock is mandatory. The speciation of Np during sorption and diffusion in Opalinus Clay was studied at near neutral pH using a combination of spatially resolved synchrotron radiation techniques. During the sorption and diffusion experiments, the interaction of 8 μM Np(V) solutions with the clay lead to the formation of spots at the clay-water interface with increased Np concentrations as determined by μ-XRF. Several of these spots are correlated with areas of increased Fe concentration. Np L3-edge μ-XANES spectra revealed that up to 85% of the initial Np(V) was reduced to Np(IV). Pyrite could be identified by μ-XRD as a redox-active mineral phase responsible for the formation of Np(IV). The analysis of the diffusion profile within the clay matrix after an in-diffusion experiment for two months showed that Np(V) is progressively reduced with diffusion distance, i.e. Np(IV) amounted to ≈12% and ≈26% at 30 μm and 525 μm, respectively

Nitrogen cycle disruption through the application of de-icing salts on upland highways

It is hypothesized that episodic introductions of road salt severely disrupt the soil nitrogen cycle at a range of spatial and temporal scales. A field-scale study has confirmed impacts on the nitrogen cycle in soil, soil solution and river samples. There is evidence that ammonium-N retention on cation exchange sites has been reduced by the presence of sodium ions, and that ammonium-N has been flushed from the exchange sites. Increases in soil pH have been caused in naturally acidic uplands. These have enhanced mineralization of organic-N, especially nitrification, leading to a reduction in the mineralizable-N pool of roadside soils. There is evidence to support the hypothesis that organic matter content has been lowered over decades either through desorption or dispersal processes. Multiple drivers are identified that contribute to the disruption of nitrogen cycling processes, but their relative importance is difficult to quantify unequivocally. The influence of road salt on soil and soil solution declines with distance from the highway, but impacts on water chemistry in a local stream are still strongly evident at some distance from the road

Structural analysis of ultrafast extended x-ray absorption fine structure with subpicometer spatial resolution: Application to spin crossover complexes

We present a novel analysis of time-resolved extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra based on the fitting of the experimental transients obtained from optical pump/x-ray probe experiments. We apply it to the analysis of picosecond EXAFS data on aqueous [FeII (bpy)3] 2+, which undergoes a light induced conversion from its low-spin (LS) ground state to the short-lived (τ≈650 ps) excited high-spin (HS) state. A series of EXAFS spectra were simulated for a collection of possible HS structures from which the ground state fit spectrum was subtracted to generate transient difference absorption (TA) spectra. These are then compared with the experimental TA spectrum using a least-squares statistical analysis to derive the structural change. This approach reduces the number of required parameters by cancellation in the differences. It also delivers a unique solution for both the fractional population and the extracted excited state structure. We thus obtain a value of the Fe-N bond elongation in the HS state with subpicometer precision (0.203±0.008 Å). © 2009 American Institute of Physics.This work was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation via Contract Nos. 620–066145, 200021–107956, PP002–110464, 200020–116023, 200021–105239, and 200020-116533.Peer Reviewe

High Spatial Resolution Quantitative Imaging by Cross-calibration Using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Synchrotron Micro-X-ray Fluorescence Technique

High spatial resolution, quantitative chemical imaging is of importance to various scientific communities, however high spatial resolution and robust quantification are not trivial to attain at the same time. In order to achieve microscopic chemical imaging with enhanced quantification capabilities, the current study links the independent and complementary advantages of two micro-analytical techniques – Synchrotron Radiation-based micro X-ray Fluorescence (SR-microXRF) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). A cross-calibration approach is established between these two techniques and validated by one experimental demonstration. In the presented test case, the diffusion pattern of trace level Cs migrating into a heterogeneous geological medium is imaged quantitatively with high spatial resolution. The one-dimensional line scans and the two-dimensional chemical images reveal two distinct types of geochemical domains: calcium carbonate rich domains and clay rich domains. During the diffusion, Cs shows a much higher interfacial reactivity within the clay rich domain, and turns out to be nearly non-reactive in the calcium carbonate domains. Such information obtained on the micrometer scale improves our chemical knowledge concerning reactive solute transport mechanism in heterogeneous media. Related to the chosen demonstration study, the outcome of the quantitative, microscopic chemical imaging contributes to a refined safety assessment of potential host rock materials for deep-geological nuclear waste storage repositories

Protocol for evaluating a workplace intervention within the framework of consultations for suffering at work in French-speaking Switzerland.

Psychosocial suffering involves diverse human, social and economic costs. Some 34.4% of workers in Switzerland report chronic stress related to their jobs. Medical consultations for suffering at work aim to maintain-or renew-patients' abilities to make decisions and act following a diagnosis of psychological suffering related to their work; they also aim to help workers return to their workstations or remain there. Workplace interventions by consulting occupational physicians can go beyond the subjective issues: they can be offered to employees, in anticipation of a return to work when this appears feasible from the outset. To qualitatively evaluate perceptions of workplace interventions and identify their effects by collecting the verbatim statements of employees and their employers. Qualitative single-centre study of workplace interventions conducted by the Consultation Service for Suffering at Work's occupational physicians for patients seen between January 2015 to December 2017. Nineteen workplace interventions took place, out of 184 different consultations. The verbatim statements of employees and their employers will be collected over a variable timeframe, using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. These will then be recorded, transcribed and analysed. Fourteen patients refused the workplace intervention. Their professional path will be collected for comparison and exploratory purposes. This exploratory research project will provide a better understanding of the issues surrounding work-related psychological suffering and of which strategies support patients most effectively

Chemical state mapping of simulant Chernobyl lava-like fuel containing material using micro-focused synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy

Uranium speciation and redox behaviour is of critical importance in the nuclear fuel cycle. X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) is commonly used to probe the oxidation state and speciation of uranium, and other elements, at the macroscopic and microscopic scale, within nuclear materials. Two-dimensional (2D) speciation maps, derived from microfocus X-ray fluorescence and XANES data, provide essential information on the spatial variation and gradients of the oxidation state of redox active elements such as uranium. In the present work, we elaborate and evaluate approaches to the construction of 2D speciation maps, in an effort to maximize sensitivity to the U oxidation state at the U L3-edge, applied to a suite of synthetic Chernobyl lava specimens. Our analysis shows that calibration of speciation maps can be improved by determination of the normalized X-ray absorption at excitation energies selected to maximize oxidation state contrast. The maps are calibrated to the normalized absorption of U L3 XANES spectra of relevant reference compounds, modelled using a combination of arctangent and pseudo-Voigt functions (to represent the photoelectric absorption and multiple-scattering contributions). We validate this approach by microfocus X-ray diffraction and XANES analysis of points of interest, which afford average U oxidation states in excellent agreement with those estimated from the chemical state maps. This simple and easy-to-implement approach is general and transferrable, and will assist in the future analysis of real lava-like fuel-containing materials to understand their environmental degradation, which is a source of radioactive dust production within the Chernobyl shelter

Nanoscale depth-resolved coherent femtosecond motion in laser-excited bismuth

We employ grazing-incidence femtosecond x-ray diffraction to characterize the coherent, femtosecond laser-induced lattice motion of a bismuth crystal as a function of depth from the surface with a temporal resolution of 193 +/- 8 fs. The data show direct consequences on the lattice motion from carrier diffusion and electron-hole interaction, allowing us to estimate an effective diffusion rate of D=2.3 +/- 0.3 cm(2)/s for the highly excited carriers and an electron-hole interaction time of 260 +/- 20 fs