Motivated by the need for establishing a reliable database useful for the application of x-ray spectroscopic tools for the diagnostic of very high temperature plasmas, high-resolution crystal spectrometer measurements have been performed investigating the characteristic K-shell radiation of highly charged krypton and xenon. The measurements, which have been performed at the Electron-Beam-Ion-Trap (EBIT) facility of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, include the investigation of the n = 2 {yields} 1 transitions in heliumlike krypton (Kr{sup 34+}) and innershell excited lithiumlike krypton (Kr{sup 33+}) utilizing a conventional reflection-type crystal spectrometer of von Hamos geometry. The electron-excitation-energy selective measurements map the contribution of the dielectronic recombination lines providing the means of accurate interpretation of the line profiles of the characteristic K{alpha} x-ray emission of plasmas. The high-resolution measurements of the n = 2 {yields} 1 transitions in heliumlike xenon (Xe{sup 52+}) and hydrogenlike xenon (Xe{sup 53+}) were based on a new transmission-type crystal spectrometer of DuMond geometry. The resolving power of the developed spectrometer was sufficient for charge state specific observation allowing the determination of the electron-impact excitation cross section for the hydrogen- and heliumlike K{alpha} transitions. The disagreement with theoretically predicted values is a measure of the magnitude of the Breit …

Objective is to determine if conventional slow-growth methods will be successful for growing single quasicrystals in this system. Reaction schemes, isopleths, and a ternary liquidus diagram were constructed using DTA, XRD, microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Results suggest a peak in the liquidus near the predicted compositions of Al{sub 65}Cu{sub 23}Ru{sub 12} or Al{sub 65}Cu{sub 20}Ru{sub 15} in the face-centered icosahedral phase field. Further study is needed to verify the existence of a congruently melting phase. There appears to be composition for which slow-growth methods will produce a single-quasicrystal. Directional solidification studies were done on 65Al25Cu10Ru.

This dissertation is focused on three problem areas in the performance of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. The noise characteristics of aerosols produced by ICP nebulizers are investigated. A laser beam is scattered by aerosol and detected by a photomultiplier tube and the noise amplitude spectrum of the scattered radiation is measured by a spectrum analyzer. Discrete frequency noise in the aerosol generated by a Meinhard nebulizer or a direct injection nebulizer is primarily caused by pulsation in the liquid flow from the pump. A Scott-type spray chamber suppresses white noise, while a conical, straight-pass spray chamber enhances white noise, relative to the noise seen from the primary aerosol. Simultaneous correction for both spectral interferences and matrix effects in ICP atomic emission spectrometry (AES) can be accomplished by using the generalized standard additions method (GSAM). Results obtained with the application of the GSAM to the Perkin-Elmer Optima 3000 ICP atomic emission spectrometer are presented. The echelle-based polychromator with segmented-array charge-coupled device detectors enables the direct, visual examination of the overlapping lines Cd (1) 228.802 nm and As (1) 228.812 nm. The slit translation capability allows a large number of data points to be sampled, therefore, the advantage of noise averaging …

Laser-induced fluorescence line narrowing and non-line narrowing spectroscopic methods were applied to conformational studies of stable DNA adducts of the 7{beta}, 8{alpha}-dihydoxy-9{alpha}, l0{alpha}-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo[{alpha}]pyrene (anti-BPDE). Stereochemically distinct (+)-trans-, ({minus})-trans-, (+)-cis- and ({minus})-cis adducts of anti-BPDE bound to exocyclic amino group of the central guanine in an 11-mer oligonucleotide, exist in a mixture of conformations in frozen aqueous buffer matrices. The (+)-trans adduct adopts primarily an external conformation with a smaller fraction ( {approximately} 25 %) exists in a partially base-stacked conformation. Both cis adducts were found to be intercalated with significant {pi}-{pi} stacking interactions between the pyrenyl residues and the bases. Conformations of the trans-adduct of (+)-anti -BPDE in 11-mer oligonucleotides were studied as a function of flanking bases. In single stranded form the adduct at G{sub 2} or G{sub 3} (5 ft-flanking, base guanine) adopts a conformation with strong, interaction with the bases. In contrast, the adduct with a 5ft-flanking, thymine exists in a primarily helixexternal conformation. Similar differences were observed in the double stranded oligonucleotides. The nature of the 3ft-flanking base has little influence on the conformational equilibrium of the (+)-trans-anti BPDE-dG adduct. The formation and repair of BPDE-N{sup 2}-dG in DNA isolated from the skin of mice …

Purpose is to understand how the mobilization, dielectric, orientation, composition, coverage, and structure of self-assembled organic monolayers on metal surfaces affects the surface reactivities and properties of these films in order to facilitate the construction of desired films. Two model systems were used: tiols at Au and aromatic acids at Pt. Surface analysis methods, including contact angle, electrochemistry, ellipsometry, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), and x-ray photospectroscopy, were used to study the self-assembled organic monolayers on Au and Pt. IRRAS, contact angle, and electrochemistry were used to determine the surface pK{sub a} of phenylcarboxylic acids and pyridylcarboxylic acids monolayers on Pt. These techniques were also used to determine the orientation of polymethylene chain axis and the carboxylic follow the structural evolution of the chains and end group of the thiolate monolayers during formation. IRRAS was also used to assess the carboxylic acid group in terms of its possible existence as the non-hydrogen-bonded species, the hydrogen-bonded dimeric group, and the hydrogen-bonded polymeric group. These different forms of the end group were also followed vs coverage, as well as the reactivity vs solution pH. IRRAS and contact angle were used to calculate the rate constant of the esterification of carboxylic acid-terminated monolayers …