Stepped-up development of accelerator mass spectrometry method for the detection of ^(60)Fe with the HI-13 tandem accelerator

The Moon provides a unique environment for investigating nearby astrophysical events such as supernovae.Lunar samples retain valuable information from these events,via detectable long-lived“fingerprint”radionuclides such as^(60)Fe.In this work,we stepped up the development of an accelerator mass spectrometry(AMS)method for detecting^(60)Fe using the HI-13tandem accelerator at the China Institute of Atomic Energy(CIAE).Since interferences could not be sufficiently removed solely with the existing magnetic systems of the tandem accelerator and the following Q3D magnetic spectrograph,a Wien filter with a maximum voltage of±60 kV and a maximum magnetic field of 0.3 T was installed after the accelerator magnetic systems to lower the detection background for the low abundance nuclide^(60)Fe.A 1μm thick Si_(3)N_(4) foil was installed in front of the Q3D as an energy degrader.For particle detection,a multi-anode gas ionization chamber was mounted at the center of the focal plane of the spectrograph.Finally,an^(60)Fe sample with an abundance of 1.125×10^(-10)was used to test the new AMS system.These results indicate that^(60)Fe can be clearly distinguished from the isobar^(60)Ni.The sensitivity was assessed to be better than 4.3×10^(-14)based on blank sample measurements lasting 5.8 h,and the sensitivity could,in principle,be expected to be approximately 2.5×10^(-15)when the data were accumulated for 100 h,which is feasible for future lunar sample measurements because the main contaminants were sufficiently separated.

Recent progress in nuclear astrophysics research and its astrophysical implications at the China Institute of Atomic Energy

Nuclear astrophysics is a rapidly developing interdisciplinary feld of research that has received extensive attention from the scientifc community since the midtwentieth century.Broadly,it uses the laws of extremely small atomic nuclei to explain the evolution of the universe.Owing to the complexity of nucleosynthesis processes and our limited understanding of nuclear physics in astrophysical environments,several critical astrophysical problems remain unsolved.To achieve a better understanding of astrophysics,it is necessary to measure the cross sections of key nuclear reactions with the precision required by astrophysical models.Direct measurement of nuclear reaction cross sections is an important method of investigating how nuclear reactions infuence stellar evolution.Given the challenges involved in measuring the extremely low crosssections of nuclear reactions in the Gamow peak and preparing radioactive targets,indirect methods,such as the transfer reaction,coulomb dissociation,and surrogate ratio methods,have been developed over the past several decades.These are powerful tools in the investigation of,for example,neutron-capture(n,r)reactions with short-lived radioactive isotopes.However,direct measurement is still preferable,such as in the case of reactions involving light and stable nuclei.As an essential part of stellar evolution,these low-energy stable nuclear reactions have been of particular interest in recent years.To overcome the diffculties in measurements near or deeply within the Gamow window,the combination of an underground laboratory and high-exposure accelerator/detector complex is currently the optimal solution.Therefore,underground experiments have emerged as a new and promising direction of research.In addition,to better simulate the stellar environment in the laboratory,research on nuclear physics under laser-driven plasma conditions has gradually become a frontier hotspot.In recent years,the CIAE team conducted a series of distinctive nuclear astrophysics studies,relying on the Jinping Underground Nuclear Astrophysics platform and accelerators in Earth’s surface laboratories,including the Beijing Radioactive Ion beam Facility,as well as other scientifc platforms at home and abroad.This research covered nuclear theories,numerical models,direct measurements,indirect measurements,and other novel approaches,achieving great interdisciplinary research results,with high-level academic publications and signifcant international impacts.This article reviews the above research and predicts future developments.

流道与肋宽比对气体扩散层性能影响的数值研究

由于装配压力的作用,气体扩散层产生形变,对质子交换膜燃料电池性能产生影响。国内外学者主要研究气体扩散层形变后对燃料电池性能产生的影响,但对不同流道宽度的燃料电池探究尚不明确。本文采用有限元法建立一个单流道质子交换膜燃料电池三维模型,研究了不同装配压力以及三种流道与肋度比(流道与肋宽比分别为3:2、1:1、2:3)下,气体扩散层厚度变化规律以及它们对孔隙率和电导率的影响。结果显示,随着装配压力的增加,肋下气体扩散层厚度变薄,孔隙率减小,电导率增加;在相同装配压力下,流道与肋宽度比值越大,肋下孔隙率越小,电导率越大。

Compact CubeSat Gamma-ray detector for GRID mission

Gamma-Ray Integrated Detectors(GRID)mis-sion is a student project designed to use multiple gamma-ray detectors carried by nanosatellites(CubeSats),forming a full-time all-sky gamma-ray detection network that monitors the transient gamma-ray sky in the multi-mes-senger astronomy era.A compact CubeSat gamma-ray detector,including its hardware and firmware,was designed and implemented for the mission.The detector employs four Gd 2 Al 2 Ga 3 O 12:Ce(GAGG:Ce)scintillators coupled with four silicon photomultiplier(SiPM)arrays to achieve a high gamma-ray detection efficiency between 10 keV and 2 MeV with low power and small dimensions.The first detector designed by the undergraduate student team onboard a commercial CubeSat was launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit on October 29,2018.The detector was in a normal observation state and accumulated data for approximately one month after on-orbit functional and performance tests,which were conducted in 2019.

Regulation of solvation structure and the cooperation environment of potassium bonds for wider-temperature adaptive potassium storage

Antimony selenide(Sb_(2)Se_(3))is one of the perspective candidates for potassium-ion batteries due to its advanced virtues stem including featured high capacity,fertile reserves and the relative narrow band gap.Despite the unique advantages,it is still plagued by the unstable interface compatibility and poor wider-temperature adaptability.The optimization of microstructure and the construction of inorganic-organic hybrids with a low desolvation barrier and rapid kinetics behaviors are efficient to address these issues.The Sb_(2)Se_(3)nanorods enclosed by the S-doped carbon layer(SC),further crosslinked by the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PM)film(PM@Sb_(2)Se_(3)@SC),were artificially fabricated,and it displays the enrichment ion aggregated model as well as contacted ion pair state,the well-tailored cooperation environment of potassium bonds,assuring a homogeneous potassium deposition and an excellent widertemperature adaptability.The complicated experimental studies and theoretical calculations authenticate the synergistic effects of geometric conformation and compositional design for the tremendously enhanced potassium storage.Moreover,the full device over PM@Sb_(2)Se_(3)@SC anode and the potassium Prussian blue cathode manifests impressively durable cycling life and wider-temperature adaptability,verifying the glorious contribution from the finely manipulation in solvation structure and potassium bonds to enhancing the potassium storage behaviors.

Tuning sodium wettability and pore tortuosity for superior sodium storage

Abundant FeS2 with high theoretical capacity is one of the promising anode candidates in sodium-ion batteries(SlBs),however,the uneven sodium deposition due to the poor interface compatibility and sluggish reaction kinetics because of the high activation barrier still plague its practical application.Herein,we synthesized the ordered porous carbon matrix wrapped FeS2 nanoparticles(FeS_2@OCN)with high sodium wettability and low pore tortuosity to economically enhance the interface compatibility as well as to lower the energy barrier in SIBs.The synergistic effects of low tortuosity pores and strong sodium wettability homogenize the Na+flux distribution,bring the electron dislocation via the enrichment of edgenitrogen(Pyridinic N and Pyrrolic N),thus achieving the dendrite-free sodium deposition and dramatically enhanced reaction kinetics.Benefiting from exceptional structural/compositional/electronic merits,the resultant anode is endowed with exceptional structure stability,achieving long-term cycling stability of 451.9 mAh·g^(-1)after 1000cycles at 1 A·g^(-1)with specific capacity retention of 92.9%.Attenuated electrode tortuosity and high sodium wettability can corporately improve the interface compatibility and attenuate the activation barrier of the FeS_2 host and beyond.