70 research outputs found
Tracer Applications of Noble Gas Radionuclides in the Geosciences
The noble gas radionuclides, including 81Kr (half-life = 229,000 yr), 85Kr
(11 yr), and 39Ar (269 yr), possess nearly ideal chemical and physical
properties for studies of earth and environmental processes. Recent advances in
Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA), a laser-based atom counting method, have
enabled routine measurements of the radiokrypton isotopes, as well as the
demonstration of the ability to measure 39Ar in environmental samples. Here we
provide an overview of the ATTA technique, and a survey of recent progress made
in several laboratories worldwide. We review the application of noble gas
radionuclides in the geosciences and discuss how ATTA can help advance these
fields, specifically determination of groundwater residence times using 81Kr,
85Kr, and 39Ar; dating old glacial ice using 81Kr; and an 39Ar survey of the
main water masses of the oceans, to study circulation pathways and estimate
mean residence times. Other scientific questions involving deeper circulation
of fluids in the Earth's crust and mantle also are within the scope of future
applications. We conclude that the geoscience community would greatly benefit
from an ATTA facility dedicated to this field, with instrumentation for routine
measurements, as well as for research on further development of ATTA methods
Quantification of 37Ar emanation fractions from irradiated natural rock samples and field applications.
Underground-produced 37Ar can be used for underground nuclear explosions (UNE) detection and for groundwater dating. The quantification of the emanation, that is the fraction of activity produced in the rock that escapes to the pore space, is essential for predicting the background activity expected in natural environments. We propose an experiment in which artificial CaCO3 powder and natural rock particles are irradiated with neutrons in a routinely operated medical cyclotron, whose energy spectrum is experimentally measured. The produced activity was quantified and compared with the emanated activity to determine the emanating fraction. The results showed consistent and reproducible patterns with a dominance of the recoil process at small scales (<2 mm). We observed emanation values â€1% with a dependency on the grain size and the inner geometry of particles. Soil weathering and the presence of water increased the recoil emanation. The atoms produced that were instantaneously recoiled in the intra- or inter-granular pore space left macroscopic samples by diffusion on timescales of days to weeks (Deff = 10-12 - 10-16 m2 s-1). This diffusive transport determines the activity that prevails in the fluid-filled pore space accessible for groundwater or soil gas sampling
A New Method of Measuring 81Kr and 85Kr Abundances in Environmental Samples
We demonstrate a new method for determining the 81Kr/Kr ratio in
environmental samples based upon two measurements: the 85Kr/81Kr ratio measured
by Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) and the 85Kr/Kr ratio measured by Low-Level
Counting (LLC). This method can be used to determine the mean residence time of
groundwater in the range of 10^5 - 10^6 a. It requires a sample of 100 micro-l
STP of Kr extracted from approximately two tons of water. With modern
atmospheric Kr samples, we demonstrate that the ratios measured by ATTA and LLC
are directly proportional to each other within the measurement error of +/-
10%; we calibrate the 81Kr/Kr ratio of modern air measured using this method;
and we show that the 81Kr/Kr ratios of samples extracted from air before and
after the development of the nuclear industry are identical within the
measurement error
Operational Experience with a Cryogenic Axial-Centrifugal Compressor
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), presently under construction at CERN, requires large refrigeration capacity at 1.8 K. Compression of gaseous helium at cryogenic temperatures is therefore inevitable. Together with subcontractors, Linde Kryotechnik has developed a prototype machine. This unit is based on a cryogenic axial-centrifugal compressor, running on ceramic ball bearings and driven by a variable-frequency electrical motor operating at ambient temperature. Integrated in a test facility for superconducting magnets the machine has been commissioned without major problems and successfully gone through the acceptance test in autumn 1995. Subsequent steps were initiated to improve efficiency of this prototype. This paper describes operating experience gained so far and reports on measured performance prior to and after constructional modifications
Ar-39 Detection at the 10^-16 Isotopic Abundance Level with Atom Trap Trace Analysis
Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA), a laser-based atom counting method, has been
applied to analyze atmospheric Ar-39 (half-life = 269 yr), a cosmogenic isotope
with an isotopic abundance of 8x10^-16. In addition to the superior selectivity
demonstrated in this work, counting rate and efficiency of ATTA have been
improved by two orders of magnitude over prior results. Significant
applications of this new analytical capability lie in radioisotope dating of
ice and water samples and in the development of dark matter detectors
Atmospheric 81Kr as an integrator of cosmic-ray flux on the hundred-thousand-year timescale
The atmospheric abundance of 81Kr is a global integrator of cosmic rays. It is insensitive to climate shifts, geographical variations, and short-term solar cycle activity, making it an ideal standard to test models of cosmic-ray flux on the time scale of 105 years. Here we present the first calculation of absolute 81Kr production rates in the atmosphere, and a measurement of the atmospheric 81Kr/Kr abundance via the Atom Trap Trace Analysis method. The measurement result significantly deviates from previously reported values. The agreement between measurement and model prediction supports the current understanding of the production mechanisms. Additionally, the calculated 81Kr atmospheric inventory over the past 1.5 Myr provides a more accurate input function for radiokrypton dating
Ar39 Detection at the 10\u3csup\u3e-\u3c/sup\u3e16 Isotopic Abundance Level with Atom Trap Trace Analysis
Atom trap trace analysis, a laser-based atom counting method, has been applied to analyze atmospheric Ar39 (half-life=269yr), a cosmogenic isotope with an isotopic abundance of 8Ă10-16. In addition to the superior selectivity demonstrated in this work, the counting rate and efficiency of atom trap trace analysis have been improved by 2 orders of magnitude over prior results. The significant applications of this new analytical capability lie in radioisotope dating of ice and water samples and in the development of dark matter detectors. © 2011 American Physical Society
Stellar ArAr reactions and their effect on light neutron-rich nuclide synthesis
The ArAr ( = 35 d) and
ArAr (269 y) reactions were studied for the first time
with a quasi-Maxwellian ( keV) neutron flux for Maxwellian Average
Cross Section (MACS) measurements at stellar energies. Gas samples were
irradiated at the high-intensity Soreq applied research accelerator
facility-liquid-lithium target neutron source and the Ar/Ar and
Ar/Ar ratios in the activated samples were determined by
accelerator mass spectrometry at the ATLAS facility (Argonne National
Laboratory). The Ar activity was also measured by low-level counting at
the University of Bern. Experimental MACS of Ar and Ar, corrected
to the standard 30 keV thermal energy, are 1.9(3) mb and 1.3(2) mb,
respectively, differing from the theoretical and evaluated values published to
date by up to an order of magnitude. The neutron capture cross sections of
Ar are relevant to the stellar nucleosynthesis of light neutron-rich
nuclides; the two experimental values are shown to affect the calculated mass
fraction of nuclides in the region A=36-48 during the weak -process. The new
production cross sections have implications also for the use of Ar and
Ar as environmental tracers in the atmosphere and hydrosphere.Comment: 18 pages + Supp. Mat. (13 pages) Accepted for publication in Phys.
Rev. Let
Rapid processing of âžâ”5 Kr/Kr ratios using Atom Trap Trace Analysis
We report a methodology for measuring âžâ” Kr/Kr isotopic abundances using Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) that increases sample measurement throughput by over an order of magnitude to six samples per 24 h. The noble gas isotope âžâ” Kr (half-life 510.7 years) is a useful tracer for young groundwater in the age range of 5â50 years. ATTA, an efficient and selective laser-based atom counting method, has recently been applied to âžâ” Kr/Kr isotopic abundance measurements, requiring 5â10 ÎŒL of krypton gas at STP extracted from 50 to 100 L of water. Previously, a single such measurement required 48 h. Our new method demonstrates that we can measure 85Kr/Kr ratios with 3â5% relative uncertainty every 4 h, on average, with the same sample requirements
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