Agronomic characteristics of the spring forms of the wheat landraces (einkorn, emmer, spelt, intermediate bread wheat) grown in organic farming

Organic farmers look to the possibilities of growing neglected crops, such as the spring forms of hulled wheat – einkorn, emmer and spelt – for support in developing the organic farming system. In 2008, 169 landraces from the gene bank at the Crop Research Institute in Prague were tested on certifi ed organic plots. The experiment was aimed at fi nding suitable varieties for the organic farming system. In summary, our fi ndings show that einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.) and emmer wheat [Triticum dicoccum Schrank (Schuebl)] are resistant to powdery mildew and brown rust, spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.) is less resistant to these two diseases, and the intermediate forms of bread wheat are very sensitive to such infestation. The varieties evaluated incline to lodging, as they have long and weak stems. Einkorn and emmer wheat have short and dense spikes and a low thousand grains weight, whereas spelt wheat has long and lax spikes. The level of the harvest index is low. Potentially useful varieties were found during the fi eld experiment and evaluation, and our future efforts will therefore focus on improving resistance to lodging and increasing the productivity of the spike

X-ray fluorescence from the element with atomic number Z = 120

Accepted for publication in Physical Review LettersAn atomic clock based on X-ray fluorescence yields has been used to estimate the mean characteristic time for fusion followed by fission in reactions 238U + 64Ni at 6.6 MeV/A. Inner shell vacancies are created during the collisions in the electronic structure of the possibly formed Z=120 compound nuclei. The filling of these vacancies accompanied by X-ray emission with energies characteristic of Z=120 can take place only if the atomic transitions occur before nuclear fission. Therefore, the X-ray yield characteristic of the united atom with 120 protons is strongly related to the fission time and to the vacancy lifetimes. K X-rays from the element with Z = 120 have been unambiguously identified from a coupled analysis of the involved nuclear reaction mechanisms and of the measured photon spectra. A minimum mean fission time $\tau$_f$ = 2.5×10−18s has been deduced for Z=120 from the measured X-ray multiplicity

Light response and efficiency calibration of EJ309 liquid scintillator between 3 and 45 MeV

International audienceThe Neutrons For Science (NFS) facility will provide intense neutron beams in the energy range between 1 MeV and 40 MeV. The neutron monitoring will be ensured by a detector consisting of a glass cell containing EJ309 liquid scintillator coupled to a photomultiplier. The goal of this study was the characterization of this monitor. Two experiments were performed to measure the light response of the scintillator from 3.6 MeV to 45 MeV as well as the detection efficiency between 3.6 MeV and 15.9 MeV. The obtained light response was used to adapt the simulation program SCINFUL to EJ309 scintillator. SCINFUL was then used to reproduce within 5 percent uncertainty the detector efficiency determined experimentally

Long lifetime components in the decay of excited super-heavy nuclei

For nuclear reactions in which super-heavy nuclei can be formed, the essential difference between the fusion process followed by fission and non-equilibrium processes leading to fission-like fragments is there action time. Quite probable non-equilibrium processes, characterized by very short reaction times, are highlighted thanks to mass-angle correlations. However, long lifetime components associated with fission following fusion have been observed with two independent experimental techniques, providing evidence for the formation of compound nuclei with Z = 120 and 124, followed by mass asymmetric fission