Natural magnetic black sands are known from several sites often located in areas of volcanic origin. Their elemental and mineral composition provides information on the geology of their territory and depends on severa...Natural magnetic black sands are known from several sites often located in areas of volcanic origin. Their elemental and mineral composition provides information on the geology of their territory and depends on several factors occurred during their formation. A sample of black sand was collected on the seashore of the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean and its magnetic part was investigated by means of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and MÖssbauer spectroscopy at room temperature. The mineral composition is dominantly magnetite, in good agreement with samples collected in other sites of volcanic origin. Contrary to pure magnetite, a relevant fraction of Ti was detected by EDS. The 16% Ti and 1% Mn content increase the magnetite lattice parameter to 8.4312 (25) Å. The broadening of XRD lines pointed towards a significant degree of disorder. This was confirmed by MÖssbauer spectroscopy and is attributed to the presence of Ti replacing Fe in the magnetite lattice. The presence of Ti modifies the local magnetic field on the Fe sites, leading to a broader and more complex MÖssbauer transmission spectrum with respect to the one of pure magnetite. To study the effect of temperature, samples were heated for 12 hours to 600°C and 800°C in argon and to 1000°C in air. Annealing in argon did not improve the crystallinity while annealing in air caused a complete decomposition of magnetite into hematite and pseudobrookite.展开更多
The study of natural magnetic sands is instrumental to investigate the geological aspects of their formation and of the origin of their territory. In particular, Mossbauer spectroscopy provides unique information on t...The study of natural magnetic sands is instrumental to investigate the geological aspects of their formation and of the origin of their territory. In particular, Mossbauer spectroscopy provides unique information on their iron content and on the oxidation state of iron in their mineral composition. The Italian coast on the Mediterranean Sea near Rome is known for the presence of highly magnetic black sands of volcanic origin. A study of the room temperature Mossbauer spectrum, powder X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements of a sample of black magnetic sand collected on the seashore of the town of Ladispoli is performed. This study reveals magnetite as main constituent with iron in both tetrahedral and octahedral sites. Minor constituents are the iron minerals hematite and ilmenite, the iron containing minerals diopsite, gossular, and allanite, as well as ubiquitous sanidine, quartz, and calcite.展开更多
A new search for two-neutrino double-beta(2νββ)decay of^(136)Xe to the 0+1 excited state of 136Ba is performed with the full EXO-200 dataset.A deep learning-based convolutional neural network is used to discriminat...A new search for two-neutrino double-beta(2νββ)decay of^(136)Xe to the 0+1 excited state of 136Ba is performed with the full EXO-200 dataset.A deep learning-based convolutional neural network is used to discriminate signal from background events.Signal detection efficiency is increased relative to previous searches by EXO-200 by more than a factor of two.With the addition of the Phase II dataset taken with an upgraded detector,the median 90%confidence level half-life sensitivity of 2νββdecay to the 0+1 state of 136Ba is 2.9×10^(24)yr using a total^(136)Xe exposure of 234.1 kg yr.No statistically significant evidence for 2νββdecay to the 0^(+)_(1)state is observed,leading to a lower limit of T2ν1/2(0^(+)→0^(+)_(1))>1.4×10^(24)yr at 90%confidence level,improved by 70%relative to the current world's best constraint.展开更多
文摘Natural magnetic black sands are known from several sites often located in areas of volcanic origin. Their elemental and mineral composition provides information on the geology of their territory and depends on several factors occurred during their formation. A sample of black sand was collected on the seashore of the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean and its magnetic part was investigated by means of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and MÖssbauer spectroscopy at room temperature. The mineral composition is dominantly magnetite, in good agreement with samples collected in other sites of volcanic origin. Contrary to pure magnetite, a relevant fraction of Ti was detected by EDS. The 16% Ti and 1% Mn content increase the magnetite lattice parameter to 8.4312 (25) Å. The broadening of XRD lines pointed towards a significant degree of disorder. This was confirmed by MÖssbauer spectroscopy and is attributed to the presence of Ti replacing Fe in the magnetite lattice. The presence of Ti modifies the local magnetic field on the Fe sites, leading to a broader and more complex MÖssbauer transmission spectrum with respect to the one of pure magnetite. To study the effect of temperature, samples were heated for 12 hours to 600°C and 800°C in argon and to 1000°C in air. Annealing in argon did not improve the crystallinity while annealing in air caused a complete decomposition of magnetite into hematite and pseudobrookite.
文摘The study of natural magnetic sands is instrumental to investigate the geological aspects of their formation and of the origin of their territory. In particular, Mossbauer spectroscopy provides unique information on their iron content and on the oxidation state of iron in their mineral composition. The Italian coast on the Mediterranean Sea near Rome is known for the presence of highly magnetic black sands of volcanic origin. A study of the room temperature Mossbauer spectrum, powder X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements of a sample of black magnetic sand collected on the seashore of the town of Ladispoli is performed. This study reveals magnetite as main constituent with iron in both tetrahedral and octahedral sites. Minor constituents are the iron minerals hematite and ilmenite, the iron containing minerals diopsite, gossular, and allanite, as well as ubiquitous sanidine, quartz, and calcite.
文摘A new search for two-neutrino double-beta(2νββ)decay of^(136)Xe to the 0+1 excited state of 136Ba is performed with the full EXO-200 dataset.A deep learning-based convolutional neural network is used to discriminate signal from background events.Signal detection efficiency is increased relative to previous searches by EXO-200 by more than a factor of two.With the addition of the Phase II dataset taken with an upgraded detector,the median 90%confidence level half-life sensitivity of 2νββdecay to the 0+1 state of 136Ba is 2.9×10^(24)yr using a total^(136)Xe exposure of 234.1 kg yr.No statistically significant evidence for 2νββdecay to the 0^(+)_(1)state is observed,leading to a lower limit of T2ν1/2(0^(+)→0^(+)_(1))>1.4×10^(24)yr at 90%confidence level,improved by 70%relative to the current world's best constraint.
