Electric hyperfine interaction in199Hg fluorides

With the current integration technique, the Mossbauer effect on the 158 keV, 5/2−→1/2− transition in199Hg was studied using the cubic HgF2 and the tetragonal Hg2F2 as absorbers; in the latter, a quadrupole splittingeQVzz=}- 9.0(2) mm/s was observed. Electron densities were calculated with the self-consistent-charge-extended-Hueckel-molecular-orbital method and δ〈r2〉=(3.26±0.11) fm2 derived. From the quadrupole splitting and the calculation, an effective antishielding factor almost twice that of the neutral Hg atom is derived.

Positrons and Electrons Emitted in Elastic and Dissipative Heavy Ion Collisions

The main research line of the Tori group is the study of the reaction dynamics of dissipative collisions between heavy ions ia positron and electron spectroscopy. The last five years since the Lahnstein-Conference1 are marked for our group by the installation of a new experimental device for detecting positrons and electrons emitted in these collisions, the so-called Tori spectrometer2. The first part of this report is devoted therefore to describe the main characteristics of this apparatus.

Mineralogy at Gusev Crater from the Mössbauer spectrometer on the Spirit Rover.

Mössbauer spectra measured on Mars by the Spirit rover during the primary mission are characterized by two ferrous iron doublets (olivine and probably pyroxene) and a ferric iron doublet (tentatively associated to nanophase ferric iron oxide). Two sextets resulting from nonstoichiometric magnetite are also present, except for a coating on the rock Mazatzal, where a hematite-like sextet is present. Greater proportions of ferric-bearing phases are associated with undisturbed soils and rock surfaces as compared to fresh rock surfaces exposed by grinding. The ubiquitous presence of olivine in soil suggests that physical rather than chemical weathering processes currently dominate at Gusev crat…

Estimates of the Nuclear Time Delay in Dissipative U + U and U + Cm Collisions Derived from the Shape of Positron andδ-Ray Spectra

Positron and delta-ray spectra have been measured in coincidence with quasielastic scattered particles and fission fragments from the bombardment of Pd, U, and Cm targets with U beams of energies between 5.9 and 8.4 MeV/u. For collisions leading to a fission reaction, the atomic positron and delta-ray spectra fall off more steeply at high energies than expected from calculations based on pure Rutherford trajectories. A quantitative analysis of this effect is in accord with a nuclear contact time of about 10/sup -21/ s.

Evidence for molecular-cluster states in222Th

The groundstate and a negative parity band of222Th have been observed in the208Pb (180, 4n)222Th reaction by conversion electron and γ-ray spectroscopy identifying the evaporation residues in a recoil separator. The de-excitation pattern is characterized by strong El transitions interconnecting the levels of alternating parity. The yrast levels may be interpreted as a molecularcluster band.

Magnetic hyperfine anomaly in muonic193Ir

The nuclear decay of the 5/2+ 139 keV state to the 3/2+ ground state was observed in muonic193Ir. The hyperfine splitting of the 3/2+ state and 5/2+ state was determined to be 640±100 eV and 1280±160 eV, respectively. The ground state splitting is about twice that of a point nucleus, an anomaly never observed this large. This is mainly due to the different radial distribution of spin and orbital magnetization of a d3/2 proton configuration for which these contributions nearly cancel to zero in the magnetic moment. But calculations including configuration mixing and coupling to a vibrating or a deformed core show deviations. The groundstate anomaly is in line with that observed by the Mossba…

Jarosite and hematite at Meridiani Planum from Opportunity's Mossbauer Spectrometer.

Mössbauer spectra measured by the Opportunity rover revealed four mineralogical components in Meridiani Planum at Eagle crater: jarosite- and hematite-rich outcrop, hematite-rich soil, olivine-bearing basaltic soil, and a pyroxene-bearing basaltic rock (Bounce rock). Spherules, interpreted to be concretions, are hematite-rich and dispersed throughout the outcrop. Hematitic soils both within and outside Eagle crater are dominated by spherules and their fragments. Olivine-bearing basaltic soil is present throughout the region. Bounce rock is probably an impact erratic. Because jarosite is a hydroxide sulfate mineral, its presence at Meridiani Planum is mineralogical evidence for aqueous proc…

Excited states in neutron deficient even-even thorium isotopes (218?A?222)

The nuclei218, 220, 222Th were investigated by conversion electron andγ-ray spectroscopy after compound nucleus reactions of14N with209Bi and16, 18O with208Pb. The intenseγ-background from fission was suppressed by spectroscopy of conversion electrons andγ-rays in coincidence with the evaporation residues or theirα-decay. Level schemes were determined for218Th up toIπ=10+ and for220Th and222Th up toIπ=15−. The observed structure of218Th may be explained in the spherical shell model with residual interaction by two neutron excitation. ForN≧130 completely different level schemes are observed showing very intense, collective electric dipole transitions (B(E1)−10−2 W.u.) with energies of typica…

Mössbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Gusev crater, Mars: Spirit's journey through weakly altered olivine basalt on the plains and pervasively altered basalt in the Columbia Hills

The Moessbauer spectrometer on Spirit measured the oxidation state of Fe, identified Fe-bearing phases, and measured relative abundances of Fe among those phases for surface materials on the plains and in the Columbia Hills of Gusev crater. Eight Fe-bearing phases were identified: olivine, pyroxene, ilmenite, magnetite, nanophase ferric oxide (npOx), hematite, goethite, and a Fe(3+)-sulfate. Adirondack basaltic rocks on the plains are nearly unaltered (Fe(3+)/Fe(sub T) Px), and minor npOx and magnetite. Columbia Hills basaltic rocks are nearly unaltered (Peace and Backstay), moderately altered (WoolyPatch, Wishstone, and Keystone), and pervasively altered (e.g., Clovis, Uchben, Watchtower, …

Positron-Electron Angular Correlations in Heavy Ion Collisions

Recent measurements of positrons in coincidence with electrons emitted in U+Th collisions near the Coulomb barrier show sharp line structures in the sum and difference energy spectra of the two leptons (ref. 1). A possible method to clarify the origin of these lines is to study the angular correlation of the leptons. In this short contribution we want to report on a positron-electron coincidence test measurement performed with the TORI spectrometer. This apparatus offers the possibility to measure positrons in coincidence with electrons emitted into the same and opposite hemisphere as well.

Poster contributions

In-beam spectroscopy of224Th

A rotational band with states of alternating parity has been populated in224Th via the208Pb(18O, 2n) reaction. Spins up to Iπ=10>+ (11−) are identified. Stretched El and E2 transitions compete in the deexcitation, the average ratio of the reduced transition probabilities being B(E1)/B(E2)=(1.5±0.4)×10−6 fm−2. This ratio implies that224Th has one of the largest intrinsic electric dipole moments observed so far.

Athena MIMOS II Mössbauer spectrometer investigation

[1] Mossbauer spectroscopy is a powerful tool for quantitative mineralogical analysis of Fe-bearing materials. The miniature Mossbauer spectrometer MIMOS II is a component of the Athena science payload launched to Mars in 2003 on both Mars Exploration Rover missions. The instrument has two major components: (1) a rover-based electronics board that contains power supplies, a dedicated central processing unit, memory, and associated support electronics and (2) a sensor head that is mounted at the end of the instrument deployment device (IDD) for placement of the instrument in physical contact with soil and rock. The velocity transducer operates at a nominal frequency of ∼25 Hz and is equipped…

Mössbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Meridiani Planum, Mars: Opportunity's journey across sulfate-rich outcrop, basaltic sand and dust, and hematite lag deposits

Additonal co-authors: P Gutlich, E Kankeleit, T McCoy, DW Mittlefehldt, F Renz, ME Schmidt, B Zubkov, SW Squyres, RE Arvidson