Atomic Ions Research Articles

A New Method for Quantifying Aluminum in Antiperspirant Lotion Using a Differential Refractometer and an HPLC Column Containing a Maleate Functional Group Kumarswamy Ummiti1*, Narayana Reddy Godi2 , Hanimi Reddy Bapatu2

Aluminum chlorohydrate is a chemical substance employed as an agent to reduce perspiration. As an active antiperspirant agent, it is present in over-the-counter hygiene products at a concentration of up to 25%. The concentration of aluminum chrohydrate will be estimated indirectly by measuring the concentration of free aluminum ions. Various methodological approaches, including atomic absorption spectroscopy, ion chromatography, and titration, can be employed for the estimation of aluminum. In this study, a novel reverse-phase isocratic liquid chromatography approach was created. The method utilized a differential refractometer, a column packed with a maleate group, and an eluent consisting of 2.0% v/v formic acid. The suggested methodology demonstrates a high degree of precision in quantifying the presence of aluminum in Aldry lotion. According to studies testing accuracy, linearity, and precision, the disclosed analytical technique for quantifying aluminum has a range of 0.125 mg/mL to 0.375 mg/mL. The proposed methodology has a significantly reduced execution time of 10 minutes and is characterized by its cost-effectiveness.

Excitation and ionization of OCS molecules in strong UV and NIR laser fields

Abstract Rydberg state excitation (RSE) is a highly non-linear physical phenomenon that is induced by the ionization of atoms or molecules in strong femtosecond laser fields. Here we observe that both parent and fragments (S, C, OC) of the tri-atomic molecule carbonyl sulfide (OCS) can survive strong 800 nm or 400 nm laser fields in high Rydberg states. The dependence of parent and fragment RSE yields on laser intensity and ellipticity is investigated in both laser fields, and the results are compared with those for strong-field ionization. Distinctly different tendencies for laser intensity and ellipticity are observed for fragment RSE compared with the corresponding ions. The mechanisms of RSE and strong-field ionization of OCS molecules in different laser fields are discussed based on the experimental results. Our study sheds some light on the strong-field excitation and ionization of molecules irradiated by femtosecond NIR and UV laser fields.

Formation of a periodic structure on the surface of InP crystal during irradiation with bismuth ions

This work is devoted to the study of the formation of periodic relief on the InP surface during ion sputtering by bismuth ions with an energy of 30 keV and an angle of incidence of 45° respect to normal incidence. We compared the reliefs formed by sputtering with atomic and cluster bismuth ions, as well as the relief appearing on the surface of the sample irradiated at elevated temperature (290 °C). Three different types of reliefs were found: surface waves with nanodots on the surface “waves”, nanodots with uniform distribution and relief in the form of columnar micro crystallites during sputtering of a heated target. With increasing irradiation dose, insignificant changes in characteristic surface dimensions were observed for all three reliefs. Based on the nonlinear character of surface sputtering (“thermal spot” sputtering mode), we described the formation of relief in the form of nano-dots and in the form of micro crystallites as a result of local melting areas formation and subsequent solidification (crystallization) on the target surface. Regarding wave relief, in our opinion, an adequate physical description is given by a model based on the stress driven dynamics of ion irradiated surface.

Photon–Photon Scattering in the Atomic Ion Field

Photon–Photon Scattering in the Atomic Ion Field

Generalized binary-encounter-Bethe model for electron impact ionization of atoms

A generalized binary-encounter-Bethe (GBEB) model is proposed to calculate the partial ionization cross sections of all shells. The present model improves the original version of Kim et al (2000 Phys. Rev.A 62 052710) by incorporating a physically constructed effective charge felt by the ejected electron in the empirical factor, which prevents the selection of specific factors for different shells. A generalized relativistic binary-encounter-Bethe (BEB) formula is also proposed and applied to different inner shells of C, Al, Fe, Ar, Ag, Xe, Sn, Pb, and Bi atoms for impact energies from the thresholds up to 106 keV. The present model improves the partial ionization cross sections in the low-energy region compared to other relativistic BEB models. The GBEB partial and total ionization cross sections of the Xe atom are compared with the original BEB results. The present calculations, combined with the contribution from the direct multiple ionization, show good agreement with the experimental measurements in the intermediate- and high-energy ranges. We conclude that the present GBEB model, without any fitting parameters and ad hoc corrections, improves the BEB prediction of partial and total ionization cross sections for a good variety of atomic targets.

Remineralisation of enamel and dentine with stabilised stannous fluoride dentifrices in a randomised cross-over in situ trial

ObjectivesTo compare the remineralisation efficacy and ion bioavailability of two novel SnF2-containing dentifrices in a blinded, cross-over, randomised in situ clinical study. MethodsSix participants wore removal palatal appliances holding human enamel and dentine blocks with subsurface lesions. Appliances were worn for two treatment periods of 14 consecutive days each, with a one-week washout period in-between. Participants were randomly allocated to rinse with a 1:5 diluted coded slurry of one of two dentifrices containing either 5 % casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) +1100 ppm F as SnF2 [MIPOP], or 1100 ppm F as SnF2 [CT], for 1 min, four times a day. Saliva was collected post-treatment and analysed for tin, calcium, inorganic phosphate and fluoride ions using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and ion chromatography. Enamel and dentine lesions were analysed for percent remineralisation (%R) using transverse microradiography and percent surface microhardness recovery (%SMHR). ResultsMIPOP released significantly higher F (3.00 ± 0.27 mM), Ca (15.23 ± 3.23 mM) and Sn (1.18 ± 0.13 mM) into saliva whereas CT released 2.89 ± 0.32 mM F and only 0.84 ± 0.11 mM Ca and 0.28 ± 0.10 mM Sn. MIPOP produced significantly higher %R than CT: 25.6 ± 1.5 % compared to 15.2 ± 0.7 % in enamel, and 33.6 ± 3.1 % compared to 20.6 ± 1.1 % in dentine. Additionally, MIPOP produced significantly higher %SMHR (18.2 ± 7.9 %) compared to CT (4.1 ± 0.6 %). ConclusionsBoth dentifrices promoted remineralisation, but the MIPOP dentifrice with added CPP-ACP and the ion-stabilising effects of CPP released higher amounts of bioavailable tin and produced significantly higher remineralisation and surface microhardness recovery. Clinical SignificanceModern dentifrices contain SnF2 for a range of oral health benefits. Challenges associated with stability of these formulations can affect ion bioavailability, reducing efficacy. Two dentifrices with SnF2 promoted remineralisation in situ, however the dentifrice with the added saliva biomimetic CPP-ACP was superior and therefore may produce greater health benefits.

Metal evaporation dynamics in electron cyclotron resonance ion sources: plasma role in the atom diffusion, ionisation, and transport

We present a numerical study of metals dynamics evaporated through resistively heated ovens in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma traps, used as metal ion beam injectors for accelerators and multi-disciplinary research in plasma physics. We use complementary numerical methods to perform calculations in the framework of the PANDORA trap. The diffusion and deposition of metal vapours at the plasma chamber’s surface are explored under molecular flow regime, with stationary and time-dependent particle fluid calculations via COMSOL Multiphysics®. The ionisation of vapours is then studied in the strongly energised ECR plasma. We have developed a Monte Carlo (MC) code to simulate the in-plasma metal ions’ dynamics, coupled to particle-in-cell simulations of the plasma physics in the trap. The presence of strongly inhomogeneous plasmas leads to charge-exchange and electron-impact ionisations of metals, in turn affecting the deposition rate/pattern of the metal on the walls of the trap. Results show how vapours dynamics depends both on evaporated metals and the plasma target. The 134Cs, 176Lu, and 48Ca isotopes were investigated, the first two being radioisotopes interesting for the PANDORA project, and the third as one of the most required rare isotope by the nuclear physics community. We present an application of the study: MC computing the γ activity due to the deposited radioactive neutral nuclei during the measurement time, we quantitatively estimated the overall γ-detection system’s efficiency using GEANT4, including the poisoning γ-signal from the walls of the trap, relevant for the γ-tagging of short-lived nuclei’s decay rate in the PANDORA experiment. This work can give valuable support both to the evaporation technique and plasma source optimisation, for improving the metal ion beam production, avoiding huge deposit/waste of metals known to affect the long-term source stability, as well as for radio-safety aspects and reducing material waste in case of rare isotopes.

A Full-Spectrum ZnS Photocatalyst with Gradient Distribution of Atomic Copper Dopants and Concomitant Sulfur Vacancies for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution.

A rarely discussed phenomenon in the realm of photocatalytic materials involves the presence of gradient distributed dopants and defects from the interior to the surface. This intriguing characteristic has been successfully achieved in the case of ZnS through the incorporation of atomic monovalent copper ions (Cu+) and concurrent sulfur vacancies (Vs), resulting in a photocatalyst denoted as G-CZS1-x. Through the cooperative action of these atomic Cu dopants and Vs, G-CZS1-x significantly extends its photoabsorption range to encompass the full spectrum (200-2100 nm), which improves the solar utilization ability. This alteration enhances the efficiency of charge separation and optimizes Δ(H*) (free energy of hydrogen adsorption) to approach 0 eV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). It is noteworthy that both surface-exposed atomic Cu and Vs act as active sites for photocatalysis. G-CZS1-x exhibits a significant H2 evolution rate of 1.01 mmol h-1 in the absence of a cocatalyst. This performance exceeds the majority of previously reported photocatalysts, exhibiting approximately 25-fold as ZnS, and 5-fold as H-CZS1-x with homogeneous distribution of equal content Cu dopants and Vs. In contrast to G-CZS1-x, the H adsorption on Cu sites for H-CZS1-x (ΔG(H*) = -1.22 eV) is excessively strong to inhibit the H2 release, and the charge separation efficiency for H-CZS1-x is relatively sluggish, revealing the positive role of a gradient distribution model of dopants and defects on activity enhancement. This work highlights the synergy of atomic dopants and defects in advancing photoactivity, as well as the significant benefit of the controllable distribution model of dopants and defects for photocatalysis.

Above-threshold ionization of atoms irradiated by sinusoidally phase-modulated pulses

Above-threshold ionization of atoms irradiated by sinusoidally phase-modulated pulses

Whispering-Gallery Mode Optoplasmonic Microcavities: From Advanced Single-Molecule Sensors and Microlasers to Applications in Synthetic Biology.

Optical microcavities, specifically, whispering-gallery mode (WGM) microcavities, with their remarkable sensitivity to environmental changes, have been extensively employed as biosensors, enabling the detection of a wide range of biomolecules and nanoparticles. To push the limits of detection down to the most sensitive single-molecule level, plasmonic nanorods are strategically introduced to enhance the evanescent fields of WGM microcavities. This advancement of optoplasmonic WGM sensors allows for the detection of single molecules of a protein, conformational changes, and even atomic ions, marking significant contributions in single-molecule sensing. This Perspective discusses the exciting research prospects in optoplasmonic WGM sensing of single molecules, including the study of enzyme thermodynamics and kinetics, the emergence of thermo-optoplasmonic sensing, the ultrasensitive single-molecule sensing on WGM microlasers, and applications in synthetic biology.

A multi-reflection time-of-flight setup for the study of atomic clusters produced by magnetron sputtering

The Greifswald multi-reflection time-of-flight setup has been extended with a magnetron sputtering gas aggregation source for the production of atomic cluster ions with sizes ranging from a single to thousands of atoms. This source, combined with a newly added quadrupole mass filter and a linear Paul trap, opens up the possibility of many new atomic-cluster studies not feasible with the setup before. The new components and their interfacing with the previous setup are described, and benchmarking as well as the first experimental results are presented. The capability of the system to handle singly charged ions with masses of several ten thousand atomic mass units is demonstrated.

Polarization control of above-threshold ionization spectrum in elliptically polarized two-color laser fields

We study the above-threshold ionization (ATI) process of atoms exposed to fundamental and high-frequency lasers with arbitrary ellipticity by applying the frequency-domain theory. It is found that the angular-resolved ATI spectrum is sensitive to ellipticities of two lasers and emitted angles of the photoelectron. Particularly for the photon energy of the high-frequency laser more than atomic ionization potential, the width of plateau tends to a constant with increasing ellipticity of fundamental field, the dip structure disappears with increasing ellipticity of the high-frequency field. With the help of the quantum channel analysis, it is shown that the angular distribution depends mainly on the ellipticity of high-frequency field in the case that its frequency is high. Moreover, one can see that the maximal and minimal energies in quantum numerical results are in good agreement with the classical prediction. Our investigation may provide theoretical support for experimental research on polarization control of ionization in elliptically polarized two-color laser fields.

The modeling non-sequential double ionization of helium atom under high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses with shielding charge approximation

In this study, we successfully extracted the ‘knee structure’ for non-sequential double ionization (NSDI) in the helium atom. To achieve this, for the first time, we solved the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in three dimensions for the helium atom, utilizing the shielding charge approximation. Our findings corroborate prior observations by Wang et al [Wang and Eberly, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 083001 (2010)], demonstrating that NSDI occurs within a narrower time window in circular polarization compared to linear polarization. As a result, the yield of linear polarization was higher than that of circular polarization, aligning with the previously reported results. Notably, in the case of circular polarization, the time window further narrows with increasing intensity, attributed to a decrease in the time-of-flight.

Control of Frustrated Nonsequential Double Ionization Channels With the Carrier-Envelope Phase of Elliptically Polarized Laser Pulses

Abstract Using a classical approach, we theoretically investigate the frustrated double ionization (FDI) of Ar atoms under elliptically polarized (EP) laser fields. The FDI yield is calculated as a function of laser intensity with different carrier-envelope phases (CEPs), and, similar to the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) dependence of nonsequential double ionization (NSDI), several knee-shaped structures appear. Moreover, both recollision and direct ionization trajectories are observed in FDI events for the “knee” structure regime. The footprints of which channel leads to FDI are encoded in the photoelectron momentum distributions. FDI events related to recollision excitation with subsequent ionization channels and recollision impact ionization channels can be controlled by CEP in EP laser fields.

Laser-induced layer-by-layer removal and thermo-mechanical action mechanisms of FeCo-based multilayer wave-absorbing coatings

The excellent performance of laser-induced removal has been widely recognized, yet the limitation of its applications has been gradually approached for complex multilayer coatings in practical situations. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the laser-induced removal mechanisms of different material layers, which may contribute to guiding precise and controllable layer-by-layer removal and subsequent repair. Herein, the laser-induced layer-by-layer removal of FeCo-based multilayer wave-absorbing coatings was designed and verified. The macro/micro morphologies and elemental analysis indicated that the removal of the topcoat and wave-absorbing layer was dominated by thermal ablation. Interestingly, experiments and simulations demonstrated that a shift in the removal mechanism, i.e., from the ablation mechanism to the stripping mechanism, occurred when the laser irradiated the primer. It is mainly attributed to the competing contributions of temperature rise and thermal stress to the removal effect. Subsequent macrodynamic behavior captured by a high-speed camera also validated the combination of both removal mechanisms. Additionally, the evolution of the crystalline phase and element valence state was revealed. Further laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy revealed the microscopic material motions during the layer-by-layer removal, including molecular bond breaking induced by multiphoton absorption, atomic ionization, excitation and compounding of electrons and ions, crystal lattice deformation caused by electron-phonon coupling, etc. Based on the above analysis, the thermo-mechanical action mechanisms and microscopic motion models of laser-induced layer-by-layer removal for FeCo-based multilayer wave-absorbing coatings were established, which is expected to be an ideal method for breaking through the limitation of laser-induced removal's applications.

Doping Effects and Relationship between Energy Band Gaps, Impact of Ionization Coefficient and Light Absorption Coefficient in Semiconductors

The doping process is very important in semiconductor technology that is widely used in the production of electronic devices. The effects of doping on the resistivity, mobility and energy band gap of semiconductors are significant and can greatly impact the performance of electronic devices. This thesis aims to investigate the impact of doping on the resistivity, mobility, energy band gap, impact of ionization coefficient, and light absorption coefficient of semiconductors. The study involves an in-depth analysis of the electronic properties of doped semiconductors and their behavior in various conditions. This thesis will provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of doping on the electronic properties of semiconductors. The energy band gap, impact of ionization coefficient, and Light absorption coefficient were observed in this thesis. In the experimental result, the relation between energy band gap and atomic density, light absorption coefficient and atomic density, impact ionization and atomic density, impact ionization coefficient and Light absorption coefficient, resistivity and mobility has been found.

Chemical characterization and speciation of the soluble fraction of Arctic PM10

The chemical composition of the soluble fraction of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and how these components can combine with each other to form different species affect the chemistry of the aqueous phase dispersed in the atmosphere: raindrops, clouds, fog, and ice particles. The study was focused on the analysis of the soluble fraction of Arctic PM10 samples collected at Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard Islands, Norwegian Arctic) during the year 2012. The concentration values of Na+, K+, NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Fe3+, Al3+, Cl−, NO2−, NO3−, SO42−, PO43−, formate, acetate, malonate, and oxalate in the water-soluble fraction of PM10 were determined by atomic spectroscopy and ion chromatography. Speciation models were applied to define the major species that would occur in aqueous solution as a function of pH (2–10). The model highlights that (i) the main cations such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ occur in the form of aquoions in the whole investigated pH range; (ii) Cu2+, Zn2+, and, in particular, Fe3+ and Al3+ are mostly present in their hydrolytic forms; and (iii) Al3+, Fe3+, and Cu2+ form solid hydrolytic species that precipitate at pH values slightly higher than neutrality. These latter metals show interesting interactions with oxalate and sulfate ions, too. The speciation models were also calculated considering the seasonal variability of the concentration of the components and at higher concentration levels than those found in water PM extracts, to better simulate concentrations actually found in the atmospheric aqueous phase. The results highlight the role of oxalate as the main organic ligand in solution.Graphical

Manipulating polarization effect in nonsequential double ionization.

We report on a theoretical study of nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) of magnesium atoms by using combined linearly and circularly polarized fields. By employing a concise model including the dynamic ionic dipole potential, we show that the polarization effects can be controlled by tuning the subcycle waveform of the electric field of the two-color pulses. We demonstrate that the influence of the dipole potential on NSDI depends on the symmetry of two-color laser fields by tracing back the electron trajectories. Furthermore, we propose a method allowing for manipulating the returning trajectories with the initial direction of the tunneled electrons almost unchanged.

Experimental study on the discharge of a xenon-assisted krypton Hall thruster

The theoretical specific impulse of Hall thrusters using a krypton propellant is much higher than that of those using xenon. However, the actual benefits of this improvement are limited by the difficulty in achieving krypton atom ionization, and its efficiency is much lower than that of xenon. In this study, the anode specific impulse and anode efficiency of Hall thrusters using krypton propellant were improved by adding a small quantity of xenon. A dual-channel supply of xenon and krypton was achieved by optimizing the discharge channel structure based on the design of the aft-loaded magnetic field. The effects of the xenon and krypton supply method and xenon fraction on the discharge characteristics of the Hall thruster were investigated by conducting discharge experiments using the mixed propellant. The results indicated that injecting a small quantity of xenon significantly improved the ionization of krypton, improved the ionization and acceleration efficiency of the thruster, and fully utilized the high specific impulse characteristics of krypton. Furthermore, the addition of a small quantity of xenon also significantly increased the upper limit of the discharge voltage for stable operation using krypton from 500 V. At the maximum tested xenon fraction, the maximum discharge voltage was loaded to 900 V. At a discharge voltage of 800 V, the optimal anode efficiency and anode specific impulse increased by 4.5 % and 534 s, respectively, compared with those for pure xenon propellant (with an anode efficiency of 54 % and anode specific impulse of 3034 s). The results of this study are of great significance for the design of high-efficiency, high-specific-impulse, and low-cost Hall thrusters.

Effect of Moisture Content on Ion Diffusion and Glass Transition Temperature in Wood Cell Walls.

Understanding and controlling the diffusion of ions and chemicals within the secondary plant cell walls are pivotal in various applications of biomasses. Recent studies have shown that inorganic ion diffusion through secondary cell walls is controlled by a moisture-induced glass transition in amorphous polysaccharides, including amorphous cellulose and hemicelluloses. Understanding the diffusion of ions in these structures has been the subject of numerous recent experiments; however, a deep understanding of the underlying mechanisms of interactions between ion atoms and water/hemicellulose molecules is still lacking. This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the diffusion mechanisms of potassium and chloride ions in the cell walls under varying moisture content. The results reveal that a higher moisture content leads to the formation of solvent layers around the ions and reduces the charge interaction between the functional groups of wood polymers and ions. Hence, a higher moisture content results in an improved diffusion rate of ions within the domain. The simulation results also show that higher moisture content lowers the glass transition temperature, promoting diffusion of ions in the system. In contrast, increases in the ion concentration increase the glass transition temperature of the system and degrade the diffusion of ions in the system.