Operation of a high purity germanium crystal in liquid argon as a Compton suppressed radiation spectrometer

A high purity germanium crystal was operated in liquid argon as a Compton suppressed radiation spectrometer. Spectroscopic quality resolution of less than 1% of the full-width half maximum of full energy deposition peaks was demonstrated. The construction of the small apparatus used to obtain these results is reported. The design concept is to use the liquid argon bath to both cool the germanium crystal to operating temperatures and act as a scintillating veto. The scintillation light from the liquid argon can veto cosmic-rays, external primordial radiation, and gamma radiation that does not fully deposit within the germanium crystal. This technique was investigated for its potential impact on ultra-low background gamma-ray spectroscopy. This work is based on a concept initially developed for future germanium-based neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments.Comment: Paper presented at the SORMA XI Conference, Ann Arbor, MI, May 200

Lump-Sum Bonus Satisfaction: Testing the Construct Validity of a New Pay Satisfaction Dimension

There are both practical and theoretical reasons to measure lump-sum bonus satisfaction. The practical need for such a measure stems from its increased use as a component in modern compensation practices. Based on the means of administering and allocating lump-sum bonuses, a theoretical case can be built suggesting that lump-sum bonus satisfaction constitutes a separate component of pay satisfaction fitting into the Pay Satisfaction Questionaire\u27s (PSQ) theoretical framework. We develop 4 questions that complement the PSQ, and use a series of techniques to test the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure. Empirical evidence shows that bonus-related items are more related to the lump-sum bonus satisfaction measure than other PSQ dimensions. We also demonstrate that the dimension of lump-sum bonus satisfaction has a substantive relationship with attitudinal variables beyond that provided by pay level variables and the PSQ. The development of this measure should foster greater accuracy when assessing pay satisfaction levels and the effects of lump-sum bonus pay policies

A study of selected properties of rhenium sulphide dispersion

Due to potential application of rhenium sulphide in medicine and industry, this study is focused on the properties of synthetic and commercial rhenium sulphide. The main reaction of rhenium sulphide preparation involves potassium perrhenate and sodium thiosulphate in the acidic environment giving a mixture of rhenium sulphide and sulphur. The next step is removing sulphur by its dissolution in ether. Stabilization by Povidone K-25 is needed to obtain rhenium sulphide dispersed with the grain size of 0.5–4 m. The extrapolated value of pHiep for synthesised rhenium sulphide is 2.3 whereas for commercial samples this value is lower than 2. For synthetic sample a dependence of zeta potential on the carrier electrolyte concentration is found. It is larger than that for the commercial sample, probably due to surface oxidation during synthesis or purification