378 research outputs found
Regulating Signal Enhancement with Coordination-Coupled Deprotonation of a Hydrazone Switch
Proton relay plays an important role in many biocatalytic pathways. In order to mimic such processes in the context of molecular switches, we developed coordination-coupled deprotonation (CCD) driven signaling and signal enhancement sequences. This was accomplished by using the zinc(ii)-initiated CCD of a hydrazone switch to instigate an acid catalyzed imine bond hydrolysis that separates a quencher from a fluorophore thus leading to emission amplification. Because CCD is a reversible process, we were able to show that the catalysis can be regulated and turned “on” and “off” using a metalation/demetalation cycle
Precision mass measurements on neutron-rich rare-earth isotopes at JYFLTRAP - reduced neutron pairing and implications for the -process calculations
The rare-earth peak in the -process abundance pattern depends sensitively
on both the astrophysical conditions and subtle changes in nuclear structure in
the region. This work takes an important step elucidating the nuclear structure
and reducing the uncertainties in -process calculations via precise atomic
mass measurements at the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap. Nd, Pm,
Sm, and Gd have been measured for the first time and the
precisions for Nd, Pm, Eu, Gd, and
Tb have been improved considerably. Nuclear structure has been probed
via two-neutron separation energies and neutron pairing energy metrics
. The data do not support the existence of a subshell closure at .
Neutron pairing has been found to be weaker than predicted by theoretical mass
models. The impact on the calculated -process abundances has been studied.
Substantial changes resulting in a smoother abundance distribution and a better
agreement with the solar -process abundances are observed.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Letter
Beta-decay of nuclei around Se-90. Search for signatures of a N=56 sub-shell closure relevant the r-process
Nuclear structure plays a significant role on the rapid neutron capture
process (r-process) since shapes evolve with the emergence of shells and
sub-shells. There was some indication in neighboring nuclei that we might find
examples of a new N=56 sub-shell, which may give rise to a doubly magic Se-90
nucleus. Beta-decay half lives of nuclei around Se-90 have been measured to
determine if this nucleus has in fact a doubly-magic character. The
fragmentation of Xe-136 beam at the National Superconducting Cyclotron
Laboratory at Michigan State University was used to create a cocktail of nuclei
in the A=90 region. We have measured the half lives of twenty-two nuclei near
the r-process path in the A=90 region. The half lives of As-88 and Se-90 have
been measured for the first time. The values were compared with theoretical
predictions in the search for nuclear-deformation signatures of a N=56
sub-shell, and its possible role in the emergence of a potential doubly-magic
Se-90. The impact of such hypothesis on the synthesis of heavy nuclei,
particularly in the production of Sr, Y and Zr elements was investigated with a
weak r-process network. The new half lives agree with results obtained from a
standard global QRPA model used in r-process calculations, indicating that
Se-90 has a quadrupole shape incompatible with a closed N=56 sub-shell in this
region. The impact of the measured Se-90 half-life in comparison with a former
theoretical predication associated with a spherical half-life on the
weak-r-process is shown to be strong
Beta-delayed-neutron studies of Sb and I performed with trapped ions
Beta-delayed-neutron (n) spectroscopy was performed using the
Beta-decay Paul Trap and an array of radiation detectors. The n
branching ratios and energy spectra for Sb and I were
obtained by measuring the time of flight of recoil ions emerging from the
trapped ion cloud. These nuclei are located at the edge of an isotopic region
identified as having n branching ratios that impact the r-process
abundance pattern around the A~130 peak. For Sb and I,
n branching ratios of 14.6(11)%, 17.6(28)%, and 7.6(28)% were
determined, respectively. The n energy spectra obtained for Sb
and I are compared with results from direct neutron measurements, and
the n energy spectrum for Sb has been measured for the first
time
Measurement of conversion electrons with the reaction and derivation of the shell model proton neutron hole interaction from the properties of
Conversion electrons from 208Bi have been measured using singles and coincidence techniques with the 208Pb(p,n)208Bi reaction at 9 MeV. The new information on multipolarities and spins complements that available from recent gamma-gamma-coincidence studies with the same reaction [Boutachkov et al., Nucl. Phys. A768, 22 (2006)]. The results on electromagnetic decays taken together with information on spectroscopic factors from earlier single-particle transfer reaction measurements represent an extensive data set on the properties of the one-proton one-neutron-hole states below 3 MeV, a spectrum which is virtually complete. Comparison of the experimental observables, namely, energies, spectroscopic factors, and gamma-branching ratios, with those calculated within the shell model allows extraction of the matrix elements of the shell model residual interaction. More than 100 diagonal and nondiagonal elements can be determined in this way, through a least squares fit to the experimental data. This adjustment of the interaction significantly affects the calculated properties of the gamma-ray transitions. Nevertheless, the matrix elements thus obtained are remarkably similar to those of a realistic interaction calculated from free-nucleon scattering. Characteristic features of the interaction are discussed
The sensitivity of LaBr3:Ce scintillation detectors to low energy neutrons: Measurement and Monte Carlo simulation
AbstractThe neutron sensitivity of a cylindrical ⊘1.5in.×1.5in. LaBr3:Ce scintillation detector was measured using quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams in the energy range from 40keV to 2.5MeV. In this energy range the detector is sensitive to γ-rays generated in neutron inelastic and capture processes. The experimental energy response was compared with Monte Carlo simulations performed with the Geant4 simulation toolkit using the so-called High Precision Neutron Models. These models rely on relevant information stored in evaluated nuclear data libraries. The performance of the Geant4 Neutron Data Library as well as several standard nuclear data libraries was investigated. In the latter case this was made possible by the use of a conversion tool that allowed the direct use of the data from other libraries in Geant4. Overall it was found that there was good agreement with experiment for some of the neutron data bases like ENDF/B-VII.0 or JENDL-3.3 but not with the others such as ENDF/B-VI.8 or JEFF-3.1
TOF-Brho Mass Measurements of Very Exotic Nuclides for Astrophysical Calculations at the NSCL
Atomic masses play a crucial role in many nuclear astrophysics calculations.
The lack of experimental values for relevant exotic nuclides triggered a rapid
development of new mass measurement devices around the world. The
Time-of-Flight (TOF) mass measurements offer a complementary technique to the
most precise one, Penning trap measurements, the latter being limited by the
rate and half-lives of the ions of interest. The NSCL facility provides a
well-suited infrastructure for TOF mass measurements of very exotic nuclei. At
this facility, we have recently implemented a TOF-Brho technique and performed
mass measurements of neutron-rich nuclides in the Fe region, important for
r-process calculations and for calculations of processes occurring in the crust
of accreting neutron stars.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Journal of Physics G, proceedings of
Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics II
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