Multi-quasiparticle gamma-band structure in neutron-deficient Ce and Nd isotopes

The newly developed multi-quasiparticle triaxial projected shell model approach is employed to study the high-spin band structures in neutron-deficient even-even Ce- and Nd-isotopes. It is observed that gamma-bands are built on each intrinsic configuration of the triaxial mean-field deformation. Due to the fact that a triaxial configuration is a superposition of several K-states, the projection from these states results in several low-lying bands originating from the same intrinsic configuration. This generalizes the well-known concept of the surface gamma-oscillation in deformed nuclei based on the ground-state to gamma-bands built on multi-quasiparticle configurations. This new feature provides an alternative explanation on the observation of two I = 10 aligning states in Ce-134 and both exhibiting a neutron character. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discovery of Highly Excited Long-Lived Isomers in Neutron-Rich Hafnium and Tantalum Isotopes through Direct Mass Measurements

A study of cooled Au-197 projectile-fragmentation products has been performed with a storage ring. This has enabled metastable nuclear excitations with energies up to 3 MeV, and half-lives extending to minutes or longer, to be identified in the neutron-rich nuclides Hf-183,Hf-184,Hf-186 and Ta-186,Ta-187. The results support the prediction of a strongly favored isomer region near neutron number 116.

Two-quasiparticle K-isomeric states in strongly deformed neutron-rich Nd and Sm isotopes: a projected shell-model analysis

Motivated by recent spectroscopy data from fission experiments, we apply the projected shell model to study systematically the structure of strongly deformed, neutron-rich, even-even Nd and Sm isotopes with neutron number from 94 to 100. We perform calculations for rotational bands up to spin I = 20 and analyze the band structure of low-lying states with quasiparticle excitations, with emphasis given to rotational bands based on various negative-parity two-quasiparticle (2-qp) isomers. Experimentally known isomers in these isotopes are described well. The calculations further predict proton 2-qp bands based on a 5(-) and a 7(-) isomer and neutron 2-qp bands based on a 4(-) and an 8(-) isomer. The properties for the yrast line are discussed, and quantities to test the predictions are suggested for future experiment.

Study on transfer and interfacial kinetics of neodymium and samarium in membrane based extraction

Extraction and interfacial kinetics of Nd3+ and Sm3+ with HER/EHP-kerosene in a hollow fiber membrane extractor were studied. The results show that the extraction reactions in the hollow fiber membrane extractor are the same as those in the liquid-liquid extraction, which can be expressed as a quasi-first-order reaction. The effect of acidity in aqueous phase, concentrations of extractant, Nd3+ and Sm3+ on extraction rate were discussed and the corresponding reaction series were obtained. The reaction equations, reaction rate constants and the separation constant were obtained.

Sol-gel deposition and luminescent properties of oxyapatite Ca-2(Y,Gd)(8)(SiO4)(6)O-2 phosphor films doped with rare earth and lead ions

Rare-earth and lead ions (Eu3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Pb2+) doped Ca2Y8 (SiO4)(6)O-2 and Ca2Gd8(SiO4)(6)O-2 thin films have been dip- coated on silicon and quartz glass substrates through the sol- gel route. X- Ray diffraction (XRD), TG- DTA, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), FT- IR and luminescence excitation and emission spectra as well as luminescence decays were used to characterize the resulting films. The results of XRD reveal that these films remain amorphous below 700 degreesC, begin to crystallize at 800 degreesC and crystallize completely around 1000 degreesC with an oxyapatite structure. The grain structure of the film can be seen clearly from SEM and AFM micrographs, where particles with various shapes and average size of 250 nm can be resolved. Eu3+ and Tb3+ show their characteristic red (D-5(0)-F-7(2)) and green (D-5(4) - F-7(5)) emission in the films with a quenching concentration of 10 and 6 mol% (of Y3+), respectively. The lifetime and emission intensity of Eu3+ increase with the temperature treatment from 700 to 1100 degreesC, while those of Tb3+ show a maximum at 800 degreesC. Energy transfer phenomena have been observed by activating the oxyapatite film host- lattice Ca2Gd8(SiO4)(6)O-2 with Tb3+ (Dy3+). In addition, Pb2+ can sensitize the Gd3+ sublattice in Ca2Gd8(SiO4)(6)O-2.

PREPARATION AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF METHYLBIS(TERT-BUTYLCYCLOPENTADIENYL)NEODYMIUM AND METHYLBIS(TERT-BUTYLCYCLOPENTADIENYL)GADOLINIUM

Bis(t-butylcyclopentadienyl)lanthanide chloride (Ln = Nd or Gd) reacts with one equivalent of methyllithium in ether/tetrahydrofuran to give the complex [(C5H4tBu)2LnCH3]2 (Ln = Nd or Gd). The structure of [(C5H4tBu)2NdCH3]2 has been determined by X-ray analysis. The crystals are monoclinic of space group Cm with a = 9.538(2), b = 23.298(4), c = 9.505(3) angstrom, beta = 119.53(2)-degrees, V = 1828.0(7) angstrom 3, D(calc.) = 1.458 g/cm3 and Z = 2 for the dimer. The two (C5H4tBu)2Nd units in the dimer are connected by asymmetrical methyl bridges with independent Nd-C bond lengths of 2.70(2) and 2.53(2) angstrom and Nd-C-Nd angles of 94.7(9) and 87.3(6)-degrees.

Evolution and variation of the Tsushima warm current during the late Quaternary: Evidence from planktonic foraminifera, oxygen and carbon isotopes

The evolution and variation history of the Tsushima warm current during the late Quaternary was reconstructed based on the quantitative census data of planktonic foraminiferal fauna, together with oxygen and carbon isotope records of mixed layer dweller a ruber and thermocline dweller N. dutertrei in piston core CSH1 and core DGKS9603 collected separately from the Tsushima warm current and the Kuroshio dominated area. The result showed that the Tsushima warm current vanished in the lowstand period during 40-24 cal ka BP, while the Kuroshio still flowed across the Okinawa Trough, arousing strong upwelling in the northern Trough. Meanwhile, the influence of freshwater greatly increased in the northern Okinawa Trough, as the broad East China Sea continental shelf emerged. The freshwater reached its maximum during the last glacial maximum (LGM), when the upwelling obviously weakened for the lowest sea-level and the depression of the Kuroshio. The modern Tsushima warm current began its development since 16 cal ka BP, and the impact of the Kuroshio increased in the middle and northern Okinawa Trough synchronously during the deglaciation and gradually evolved as the main water source of the Tsushima current. The modern Tsushima current finally formed at about 8.5 cal ka BP, since then the circulation structure has been relatively stable. The water of the modern Tsushima current primarily came from the Kuroshio axis. A short-term wiggle of the current occurred at about 3 cal ka BP, probably for the influences from the enhancement of the winter monsoon and the depression of the Kuroshio. The cold water masses greatly strengthened during the wiggle.

Biosorption of copper (II) and lead (II) from aqueous solutions by nonliving green algae Cladophora fascicularis: Equilibrium, kinetics and environmental effects

Biosorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ by Cladophora fascicularis was investigated as a function of initial pH, initial heavy metal concentrations, temperature and other co-existing ions. Adsorption equilibriums were well described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacities were 1.61 mmol/ g for Cu2+ and 0.96 mmol/ g for Pb2+ at 298K and pH 5.0. The adsorption processes were endothermic and biosorption heats calculated by the Langmuir constant b were 39.0 and 29.6 kJ/ mol for Cu2+ and Pb2+, respectively. The biosorption kinetics followed the pseudo- second order model. No significant effect on the uptake of Cu2+ and Pb2+ by co-existing cations and anions was observed, except EDTA. Desorption experiments indicated that Na(2)EDTA was an efficient desorbent for the recovery of Cu2+ and Pb2+ from biomass. The results showed that Cladophora fascicularis was an effective and economical biosorbent material for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from wastewater.

Enrichment of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of plant populations and plateau pikas along altitudes

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were measured in plant populations and plateau pikas to determine enrichment in stable isotopes of three alpine meadow ecosystems at different elevations in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results indicated that stable carbon isotope signatures of plant populations at the three locations showed significant variations, delta C-13 of plant populations showed an enrichment of 0.86 parts per thousand per 1000 in over the linear proportion of the altitudinal response, while stable nitrogen isotopes showed no apparent difference. The stable nitrogen isotopes of plateau pikas became significantly isotopically heavier along altitudinal gradients and showed an enrichment of 3.17 parts per thousand/km. Stable carbon isotopes showed no significance, however, and the enrichment of 0.448 parts per thousand/km. delta C-13 and delta N-15 in plateau pikas were not significantly correlated. There appeared to be segregation between the metabolism of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of plateau pikas. Variances in metabolic rate at lower water availability and temperatures are presumed to be the main cause of enrichment of stable nitrogen isotopes along altitudinal gradients. Attention should be paid to construct trophic positions and to trace food chain information based oil an isotopic enrichment model.

Analysis of diets of upland buzzards using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes

We measured the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios for muscles of the upland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius) and their potential food sources, plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae), Qinghai voles (Lasiopodomys fuscus), plateau zokors (Myospalax fontanierii), and several passerine bird species at the alpine meadow in Maduo county, Guoluo prefecture of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, to provide diet information of upland buzzards, highlighting different diet composition of upland buzzards exposed to different locations. The results demonstrated that stable carbon isotope ratios of upland buzzards, passerine birds, plateau pikas, plateau zokors, and Qinghai voles were -24.42 +/- 0.25parts per thousand, -22.89 +/- 1.48parts per thousand, -25.30 +/- 1.47parts per thousand, -25.78 +/- 0.22parts per thousand, and -25.41 +/- 0.01parts per thousand, respectively, and stable nitrogen isotope ratios were 7.89 +/- 0.38parts per thousand, 8.37 +/- 2.05parts per thousand, 5.83 +/- 1.10parts per thousand, 5.23 +/- 0.34parts per thousand, and 8.86 +/- 0.06parts per thousand, respectively. Fractionation of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios between upland buzzards and their food were 1.03parts per thousand and 2.11parts per thousand, respectively. Based on mass balance principle of stable isotopes and the Euclidean distance mixing model, upland buzzards depended mainly on plateau pikas as food (74.56%). Plateau zokors, Qinghai voles, and passerine birds only contributed a small proportion (25.44%) to diets of upland buzzards. The results were closely accordant with analyses of stomach contents and food pellets, which firmly supported the feasibility of using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios to investigate diet information of upland buzzards. Another study based on stable carbon isotopes showed that upland buzzards living in the Haibei prefecture (another prefecture located in the southeast Qinghai province) mainly preyed on passerine birds (64.96% or more) as food supply. We were alarmed by the preliminary results that widespread poisoning activities of small mammals could reshape the food composition of upland buzzards, influencing the stability and sustainability of the alpine meadow. Bio-control on rodent pests should be carried out rather than the chemical measures.