Direct Observation of Hyperfine Quenching of the (2)3p0 Level in Helium-Like Nickel

Journals published by the American Physical Society can be found at http://publish.aps.org/We report a clear demonstration of the effect of hyperfine quenching of a forbidden transition by direct comparison of the lifetimes of the 2 3P0 level in the heliumlike isotopes Ni-61(26+) and Ni-58(26+). We find the quenched lifetime of the 2 3P0 level in Ni-61(26+) to be 470(50) ps. From this we deduce the 2 3P0-2 3P1 energy splitting to be 2.33(15) eV. We also report a measurement of the lifetime of the 2 3P2 level in Ni-58(26+), which is found to be 70(3) ps

A new 14 GHz Electron-Cyclotron-Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) for the heavy ion accelerator facility ATLAS

A 14 GHz Electron-Cyclotron-Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) has been designed and built at Argonne National Laboratory. The source is a modification of the AECR at Berkeley and incorporates the latest results from ECR developments to produce intense beams of highly charged ions, including an improved magnetic confinement of the plasma electrons with an axial mirror ratio of 3.5. The aluminum plasma chamber and extraction electrode as well as a biased disk on axis at the microwave injection side donates additional electrons to the plasma, making use of the large secondary electron yield from aluminum oxide. The source is capable of ECR plasma heating using two different frequencies simultaneously to increase the electron energy gain for the production of high charge states. The main design goal is to produce several e{mu}A of at least {sup 238}U{sup 35+} in order to accelerate the beam to coulomb-barrier energies without further stripping. First charge state distributions for gaseous elements have been measured and 210 e{mu}A {sup 16}O{sup 7+} has been achieved. A normalized 90% emittance from 0.1 to 0.2 {pi} mm{sm_bullet}mrad for krypton and oxygen beam has been found

A new 14 GHz electron-cyclotron-resonance ion source (ECRIS) for the heavy ion accelerator facility ATLAS: a status report

A new 14 GHz ECRIS has been designed and built over the last 2 years. The source, a modification of the Berkeley AECR, incorporates the latest results from ECR developments to produce intense beams of highly charged ions, i.e., an improved electron confinement with an axial magnetic mirror ratio of 3.5 and a radial magnetic field inside the plasma chamber of 1.0 T. The aluminium plasma chamber and extraction electrode as well as a biased disk on axis at the microwave injection side donate additional electrons to the plasma, making use of the large secondary electron yield from Al oxide. Slots in the plasma chamber allow for radial pumping which increases the AECR performance. The source will also be capable of additional ECR plasma heating using two frequencies simultaneously to increase the electron energy gain for producing high charge states. To be able to deliver usable intensities of the heaviest ion beams, the design will also allow for axial access for metal evaporation ovens and solid material samples using plasma sputtering. Main design goal is to produce several e{mu}A of U{sup 34+} in order to obtain Coulomb- barrier energies from ATLAS without further stripping

Evolution by Any Other Name: Antibiotic Resistance and Avoidance of the E-Word

The word "evolution" is rarely used in papers from medical journals describing antimicrobial resistance, which may directly impact public perception of the importance of evolutionary biology in our everyday lives

Predictors of Performance during a 161 km Mountain Footrace

Training volume and cardiovascular dynamics influence endurance performance. However, there is limited information on the interplay between training volume, cardiovascular dynamics, and performance in ultra-marathon athletes. PURPOSE: We aimed to determine predictors of performance in finishers of the 2023 Western States Endurance Run (WSER). METHODS: Sixty participants who finished the race (49 males/11 females; mean age: 44.7 ± 9.6 y, range: 26–66 y; BMI: 22.7 ± 2.2 kg/m2) completed pre-race surveys including average training volume (AV) and peak training volume (PV), as well as resting cardiovascular measures including resting heart rate (RHR) and augmentation index (AIx), a measure of wave reflection characteristics. Based on WSER completion time, we calculated average running velocity (RV). We assessed associations among 22 variables using bivariate correlation analysis (Pearson’s Correlation for normally distributed data and Spearman’s Rank Correlation if normality was not met). Within our listed variables, normality was met in age and AV. Additionally, we completed multiple regression analyses for predictors. We present descriptive data as mean ± SD. RESULTS: Participants had an average RV of 6.33 ± 0.97 km/h (3.93 ± 0.6 mph), and reported an AV of 91.9 ± 24.5 km/wk (57.1 ± 15.2 miles/wk) and a PV of 141.0 ± 47.2 km/wk (87.6 ± 29.3 miles/wk). We observed significant associations between RV and age (r(58) = -0.57, p r(58) = 0.41, p r(58) = 0.34, p R2 = 0.37; F(3,56) = 12.4, pb1 = 0.013; t(56) = 2.57, p = 0.013), resulting in a 0.33 km/h increase in RV for every 25-km increase in AV. Last, significant relations existed between RV and AIx (r(58) = -0.30, p = 0.022); and RHR (r(58) = -0.26, p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: We found that (1) average weekly training volume is a significant predictor of performance in elite ultra-marathon athletes and (2) race performance was inversely associated with resting arterial wave reflection characteristics and heart rate

A shorter \u3csup\u3e146\u3c/sup\u3eSm half-life measured and implications for \u3csup\u3e146\u3c/sup\u3eSm-\u3csup\u3e142\u3c/sup\u3eNd chronology in the solar system

The extinct p-process nuclide 146Sm serves as an astrophysical and geochemical chronometer through measurements of isotopic anomalies of its α-decay daughter 142Nd. Based on analyses of 146Sm/147Sm α-activity and atom ratios, we determined the half-life of 146Sm to be 68 ± 7 (1σ) million years, which is shorter than the currently used value of 103 ± 5 million years. This half-life value implies a higher initial 146Sm abundance in the early solar system, (146Sm/144Sm)0 = 0.0094 ± 0.0005 (2σ), than previously estimated. Terrestrial, lunar, and martian planetary silicate mantle differentiation events dated with 146Sm-142Nd converge to a shorter time span and in general to earlier times, due to the combined effect of the new 146Sm half-life and (146Sm/144Sm)0 values

The 40Ca(alpha,gamma)44Ti reaction in the energy regime of supernova nucleosynthesis

The 44Ti(t1/2 = 59 y) nuclide, an important signature of supernova nucleosynthesis, has recently been observed as live radioactivity by gamma-ray astronomy from the Cas A remnant. We investigate in the laboratory the major 44Ti production reaction, 40Ca(alpha,gamma)44Ti (E_cm = 0.6-1.2 MeV/u), by direct off- line counting of 44Ti nuclei. The yield, significantly higher than inferred from previous experiments, is analyzed in terms of a statistical model using microscopic nuclear inputs. The associated stellar rate has important astrophysical consequences, increasing the calculated supernova 44Ti yield by a factor ~2 over previous estimates and bringing it closer to Cas A observations.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev. lett., 4 pages, 1 table, 2 figure