X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Fine Atmospheric Aerosols from a Site in Mexico City

DOI

10.15415/jnp.2016.41003

AUTHORS

A. E. Hernández-López, J. Miranda, J. C. Pineda

ABSTRACT

A study was performed in the Winter of the year 2015 in a Southwestern site in the MAMC (Ciudad Universitaria), collecting PM2.5 samples with a MiniVol. As a part of wider study focused to fully characterize aerosols at this site, an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer (based on an Rh X-ray tube) built to analyze environmental samples, was used to characterize the sample set. A total of 16 elements (Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) were detected in most samples and mean concentrations were calculated. Cluster analysis was also applied to the elemental concentrations to find possible correlations among the elements.

KEYWORDS

XRF, atmospheric aerosols

REFERENCES

• Díaz, R. V., López-Monroy, J., Miranda, J., Espinosa, A. A.. PIXE and XRF analysis of atmospheric aerosols from a site in the West area of Mexico City. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 318, 135-138, (2014). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2013.05.095
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Experimental Setups for Single Event Effect Studies

DOI

10.15415/jnp.2016.41002

AUTHORS

N. H. Medina, V. A. P. Aguiar, N. Added, F. Aguirre, E. L. A. Macchione, S. G. Alberton, M. A. G. Silve ira, J. Benfica, F. Vargas, B. Porcher

ABSTRACT

Experimental setups are being prepared to test and to qualify electronic devices regarding their tolerance to Single Event Effect (SEE). A multiple test setup and a new beam line developed especially for SEE studies at the São Paulo 8 UD Pelletron accelerator were prepared. This accelerator produces proton beams and heavy ion beams up to 107Ag. A Super conducting Linear accelerator, which is under construction, may fulfill all of the European Space Agency requirements to qualify electronic components for SEE.

KEYWORDS

Radiation effects, electronic devices, single event effects.

LINK: http://jnp.chitkara.edu.in/abstract.php?id=470#exactabstracts

REFERENCES

• Aguiar, V.A.P., et al., “Experimental Setup for Single Event Effects at Sao Paulo Pelletron Accelerator” Nucl. Inst. Meth. Phys. Res. B., 332, p. 397, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2014.02.105
• Barnaby, H.J., “Total-Ionization-Dose Effects in Modern CMOS Technologies”, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, vol. 53, no. 6, p. 3103-3121, 2006. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2006.885952
• Barnaby, H.J., Schrimpf, R.D., Sternberg, A.L., Berth, V., Cirba, C.R. and Pease, R.L., “Proton Radiation Response Mechanisms in Bipolar Analog Circuits”, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, vol. 48, no. 6, p. 2074–2080, 2001. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/23.983175
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• Medina, N.H., et al., “First Successful SEE Measurements in Brazil”, IEEE Radiation Effects Data Workshop (REDW), 2014, Paris, France. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/REDW.2014.7004571
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Revisiting Natural Radiation in Itacaré and Guarapari Beaches

AUTHORS

M. A. G. Silveira, J. M. Oliveira, V A. P. Aguiar, N. H. Medina

ABSTRACT

Human beings are constantly exposed to several types of natural radiation. This paper aims to study the total external dose from northwestern Brazilian beach sands. The samples were collected at Prainha in Itacaré, Bahia, and Praia de AreiaPreta in Guarapari, Espírito Santo. Gamma spectrometry is a very useful technique to estimate the effective dose due to naturally occurring radionuclides, such as 40K and daughters of 238U and 232Th. In order to confirm the high activity present in these two regions, the effective dose due to each natural radionuclide was determined. Moreover, the Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) microanalysis was used to characterize the soil composition and the minerals responsible for the high activity. In addition, the sand samples were separated in to magnetic and non-magnetic fractions in order to identify the contribution from each portion of the activity. Finally, the radionuclides and their dispersion in those places are consistent with previous studies, indicating effective doses above the world average that is between 0.3 mSv/year and 1.0 mSv/year.

KEYWORDS

Natural radionuclides, beach sands, gamma-ray spectrometry.

LINK: http://jnp.chitkara.edu.in/abstract.php?id=469#exactabstracts

REFERENCES

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Study of Excitation Functions of (p, n) Reactions for 56Fe and 57Fe Target from Threshold to 30 MeV

Damewan Suchiang1 and B. M. Jyrwa 2

1 Department of Physics, Tura Government College, Tura 794001, Meghalaya, India
2 Department of Physics, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, Meghalaya, India
*Email : bjyrwa@gmail.com

The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access at www.chitkara.edu.in/publications

Abstract: The theoretical calculation of the cross section for formation of 56,57Co in (p, n) reaction from 56,57Fe target have been study from reaction threshold to 30 MeV using TALYS-1.4 nuclear model reaction code whereby we have studied major nuclear reaction mechanisms, including direct, pre-equilibrium and compound nuclear reactions. These calculations were carried out by adjusting the effective imaginary potential, level density and shell damping parameters. It is observed that an excellent agreement between the theoretical calculated and experimental data is obtained with minimal effort on parameter fitting. We have also observed that there is significant contribution of pre-equilibrium emission in (p, n) reaction cross-section of 56Fe and 57Fe. The systematic increase in (p, n) cross-sections with increasing neutron number in reactions induced by protons on 56Fe and 57Fe is explained in terms of compound and pre-equilibrium mode.

Keywords: Iron target; Level density; shell correction; pairing interaction; Excitation function; Pre-equilibrium.

Nuclei Near and Far From β-Stability Line

R.L. Nayak, T. Sahoo and A. Acharya*
Department of physics, VSS University of Technology, Burla, Orissa, India
*Email: aacharya@iopb.res.in

This article is published with open access at www.chitkara.edu.in/publications

Abstract: Proton to neutron ratio around β-stability line presents an open challenge to the nuclear physicists. The prominent milestone in this regard is the discovery of the super heavy elements, nuclear halos in the lightest neutron-rich nuclei, experimental mapping of the nuclear shell structure near and far from stability. In this present paper, the behavior of the p- and n- halo nuclei near the β-stability line are discussed considering the variation of radius with respect to the mass number and N~Z for different nuclei. Our aim is to study the nuclear properties through neutron and proton skin. The isospin symmetry breaking is for heavy halo nuclei of strong interest.
Keywords: Neutron and proton drip line nuclei; β stability line; n- and p- skin