Detection of 135Cs & 137Cs in environmental samples by AMS

The detection of low abundances of 135Cs in environmental samples is of significant interest in different fields of environmental sciences, especially in combination with its shorter-lived sister isotope 137Cs. The method of Ion–Laser InterAction Mass Spectrometry (ILIAMS) for barium separation at the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator (VERA) was investigated and further improved for low abundance cesium detection. The difluorides BaF2- and CsF2- differ in their electron detachment energies and make isobar suppression with ILIAMS by more than 7 orders of magnitude possible. By this method, samples with ratios down to the order of 135,137Cs/133Cs ˜10-11 are measurable and the 135Cs/137Cs ratios of first environmental samples were determined by AMS

Ultrasensitive search for long-lived superheavy nuclides in the mass range A=288 to A=300 in natural Pt, Pb, and Bi

Theoretical models of superheavy elements (SHEs) predict a region of increased stability around the proton and neutron shell closures of Z = 114 and N = 184. Therefore a sensitive search for nuclides in the mass range from A = 288 to A = 300 was performed in natural platinum, lead, and bismuth, covering long-lived isotopes of Eka-Pt (Ds, Z = 110), Eka-Pb (Z = 114), and Eka-Bi (Z = 115). Measurements with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator (VERA) established upper limits for these SHE isotopes in Pt, Pb, and Bi with abundances of <2×10-15, <5×10-14, and <5×10-13, respectively. These results complement earlier searches for SHEs with AMS at VERA in natural thorium and gold, which now amounts to a total number of 37 SHE nuclides having been explored with AMS. In none of our measurements was evidence found for the existence of SHEs in nature at the reported sensitivity level. Even though a few events were observed in the window for Ek293a-Bi, a particularly strong pileup background did not allow a definite SHE isotope identification. The present result sets limits on nuclides around the center of the island of stability, essentially ruling out the existence of SHE nuclides with half-lives longer than ∼150 million years

Upper limits for the existence of long-lived isotopes of roentgenium in natural gold

A sensitive search for isotopes of a superheavy element (SHE) in natural gold materials has been performed with accelerator mass spectrometry at the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator, which is based on a 3-MV tandem accelerator. Because the most likely SHE in gold is roentgenium (Rg, Z=111), the search concentrated on Rg isotopes. Two different mass regions were explored: (i) For the neutron-deficient isotopes Rg261 and Rg265, abundance limits in gold of 3×10-16 were reached (no events observed). This is in stark contrast to the findings of Marinov, who reported positive identification of these isotopes with inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry in the (1-10)×10-10 abundance range. (ii) Theoretical models of SHEs predict a region of increased stability around the proton and neutron shell closures of Z = 114 and N = 184. We therefore investigated eight heavy Rg isotopes, ARg, A=289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, and 296. For six isotopes no events were observed, setting limits also in the 10-16 abundance range. For Rg291 and Rg294 we observed two and nine events, respectively, which results in an abundance in the 10-15 range. However, pileup of a particularly strong background in these cases makes a positive identification as Rg isotopes-even after pileup correction-unlikely

金融发展对经济增长的影响——来自APEC国家1981-2000年的证据

本研究使用修正的增长模型，考察APEC（APEC）国家1981-2000年的金融发展是否促进了经济增长。本文主要关注金融发展的三个方面对经济增长的影响：股票市场、银行业和资本流动。为了降低国别因素的影响，本模型把研究对象区分为发达成员国与发展中成员国以进行更深入的分析。结果显示，在上述三个方面中，只有股票市场的发展对经济增长产生了显著的增强效应，特别是在发达的成员国中。这一正相关关系即使在控制同步偏差（simultaneity bias）后仍然十分显著。因此，无证据表明，金融体系的发展水平一定会影响本研究中金融-增长的总体关系。译者单位：厦门理工学院外语#厦门大学外文学院(36100#361024

Nuclear data from AMS & nuclear data for AMS - some examples

We summarize some recent cross-section measurements using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). AMS represents an ultra-sensitive technique for measuring a limited, but steadily increasing number of longer-lived radionuclides. This method implies a two-step procedure with sample activation and subsequent AMS measurement. Applications include nuclear astrophysics, nuclear technology (nuclear fusion, nuclear fission and advanced reactor concepts and radiation dose estimations). A series of additional applications involves cosmogenic radionuclides in environmental, geological and extraterrestrial studies. Lack of information exists for a list of nuclides as pointed out by nuclear data requests. An overview of some recent measurements is given and the method is exemplified for some specific neutron-induced reactions.JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

Cosmogenic 26Al in the atmosphere and the prospect of a 26Al/10Be chronometer to date old ice

Cosmogenic radionuclides in the one-million-year half-life range offer unique possibilities for age determinations in geophysics. In measurements where the radioactive decay is being utilized as a clock, uncertainties in age determinations may be reduced if the ratio of two radioisotopes with different half-lives can be used as a chronometer. In this work we investigate the atomic ratio of atmospheric 26Al (t1/2= 0.717 Ma) to 10Be (t1/2=1.386 Ma) measured with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), and its potential as a chronometer for dating old ice. The 26Al/10Be ratio decreases with an effective half-life of t1/2(26Al/10Be)= 1.49 Ma. For its application as a chronometer, the atmospheric 26Al/10Be ratio has to be well characterized. However, the properties of atmospheric 26Al have been understood only poorly so far. At the VERA AMS facility of the University of Vienna, a first systematic study of the global variations of the 26Al/10Be ratio in the atmosphere and in surface firn has been carried out, and pilot measurements of the 26Al/10Be ratio in deep Antarctic ice have been performed. Our results indicate that this ratio is globally constant to within 5% in the atmosphere and in surface firn with a mean value of 1.89×10−3. The data also suggest that non-atmospheric sources of 26Al, such as extraterrestrial, in situ produced or re-suspended 26Al, do not contribute significantly to the observed 26Al/10Beratio. In addition, atmospheric mixing seems to exert only aminor influence. In a first application of the method,26Al/10Be ratios were measured in chips collected in connection with the drilling of the lowest part of an ice core (2250 to 2760 m) in Dronning Maud Land,Antarctica. Surprisingly, variable 26Al/10Be ratios ranging between0.5 and up to 2 times the atmospheric ratio were found at different locations in this deep ice core. While the cause for the ratios higher than atmospheric remains unexplained so far, the ratios lower than atmospheric may be caused by radioactive decay, allowing a first dating attempt using the 26Al/10Be ratio. Thus, at an ice depthof 2760 m an approximate date of (6.7±2.6)×105years was established

Systematic Investigations of 14C Measurements at the Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator

From the 16th International Radiocarbon Conference held in Gronigen, Netherlands, June 16-20, 1997.A newly operating accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility such as VERA has to go through an extensive testing phase in order to establish optimal conditions for 14C measurements, especially in the field of archaeological samples where an overall precision of 0.5% is desirable. We discuss the results of our measurements at the milligram carbon level as they relate to long-term stability, reproducibility, precision and isotope fractionation.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202