Heavy Ion Impact Research Articles

The Impact of Heavy Metal Ions on Arginase Produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Sewage

Background: Researchers remain captivated by the impact of heavy metal ions, commonly found in sewage, on arginase synthesis. Objective: The study examines the presence and characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 24 sewage samples, identifying 18 isolates (75%). It assesses DNA concentration and purity, utilizes PCR-based methods for subtype analysis and investigates the inhibitory effects of heavy metals on purified enzymes. Methods: Between November 2022 and April 2023, 52 samples were collected from various sewage sites in Baghdad, Iraq. These samples were cultured in brain heart infusion broth and on nutrient agar plates. The isolates were then subjected to laboratory procedures, including biochemical tests, analysis with the Vitek2 system and PCR to identify Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Biochemical testing specifically focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. DNA extraction was performed on P.aeruginosa isolates from sewage, which had already been identified through morphological and biochemical tests as P.aeruginosa. This was accomplished by screening for the presence of the 16SrRNA gene using PCR. Result: Metal ion effects on L-arginase were tested at various concentrations (100mM, 50mM, 25mM, 12.5 mM). Metal ions were obtained via the cutting method and added 15 minutes before the substrate. Enzyme activity was measured and the activity ratio (enzyme activity with and without metal ions) calculated. Activity was assessed in the absence of 100% metal ions.Arginase isolated and purified from Pseudomonas aeruginosa from sewage, heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, cobalt) has effect on arginase, mercuric chloride and cadmium chloride inhibit and decrease enzyme activity, while Cobalt chloride increases enzyme activity.

Experimental subshell vacancies in a multiply ionised Sn atom by heavy ion impact

The adoption of Heavy Ion PIXE for elemental quantification remains limited by the lack of fundamental atomic parameters needed for the calculation of X-ray production cross section data. Widely adapted theoretical models used for approximating ionisation cross sections, as well as other atomic physical parameters such as X-ray fluorescence yields, are calculated based on single-hole vacancy production post ion-atom impact. This renders the use of conventional ‘protonic’ models invalid for heavy ion-atom collisions. The degree to which Multiple Ionisation (MI) manifests in different heavy ion-atom collision symmetries significantly modifies atomic physical parameters. This is due to the significant number of introduced spectator vacancies in higher subshells, especially where near-symmetry is approached and MI is more pronounced. Knowledge of the mean number of vacancies in upper subshells is thus important for modifying atomic parameters that are needed for the translation of ionisation to X-ray production cross sections. In the present study, MI effects for Sn L-shell X-rays were studied using characteristic X-ray energy shifts measured using a standard PIXE spectrometer induced by Si, Cu and I projectile ions with incident energies up to 0.75 MeV/u. MI satellite distributions were studied using a Wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometer (WDS) for high resolution PIXE, induced by C and Si projectile ions with incident ion energies up to 1.25 MeV/u. The mean number of subshell vacancies in the M- and N- shell for energy shifted Sn Lα X-ray lines were determined using both standard and high resolution PIXE spectrometers.

Exploring metastable phase formation: Swift heavy ion effects on partially stabilized zirconia

Zirconium dioxide shows great potential for use in the nuclear power industry. It exhibits high radiation stability (neutron and heavy ions) and can withstand harsh environments. The paper presents a study on the effects of 710 MeV Bi ion irradiation on polycrystalline partially yttria-stabilized zirconia using the combination of experimental techniques - X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It was revealed that bismuth ion induced tracks retain their crystalline structure and their density tends to saturate at ∼1 × 1012 cm−2. As a result of dense ionization stimulated structural modification a t → t'' phase transformation was observed. The radiation stability of t'' phase against swift heavy ion impact was found to be higher compared to the t phase. No amorphization was detected up to Bi ion fluence of 2 × 1013 cm−2.

Study on micron Zero-valent Iron (mZVI) material for adsorption and removal of antimony (V)

In this study, micron Zero-valent Iron (mZVI), an affordable and well-dispersible reducing agent, was investigated for its potential application in removing Sb(V) from wastewater. Since Sb(V) primarily exists as Sb(OH)6- in aqueous solutions, the lower the pH, the more effective mZVI is in removing Sb(V). At a pH level of 3, mZVI (1.0 g/L) was able to remove more than 99 % of Sb(V) (20 mg/L) from the wastewater. The study also compared the influence of cations and anions on mZVI and found that anions had a greater impact on the material's performance. The paper further examined the impact of different heavy metal ions on mZVI and determined that the adsorption capacity of mZVI towards these ions follows the order of their reducing ability. Summarizing the removal mechanism of Sb(V) by mZVI, it was found that both adsorption and redox reactions played crucial roles and Sb(V) is ultimately removed from water through coprecipitation by combining with Fe-O on the mZVI surface. Theoretically, the maximum adsorption capacity of the mZVI material used in this study could reach 21.60 mg/g for Sb(V). This makes mZVI a promising environmental adsorption material and a potential solution for treating water pollution caused by antimony mining.

Promoting the denitrification process by heavy metals in Liaohe Estuary sediment

The impact of heavy metal ions on the biodenitrification process remains unknown, which is the key to understand the nitrogen cycle in estuarine areas. Here, denitrification rate and the abundance of five denitrifying enzyme genes (narG, nirK, napA, norB and nosZ) in Liaohe Estuary sediments were examined, and the community structure of nirK denitrifying bacteria was also analyzed. The results demonstrate a significant positive correlation between heavy metal content (Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cr) and the denitrification rate, and the abundance of napA/norB (periplasmic nitrate reductase and nitric-oxide reductase) in sediments. The dominant narG denitrifiers were Pseudomonas, Hydrogenophaga, and Serratia known to be tolerant to heavy metal pollution. Sediment particle size, NO3−, NO2−, Zn2+, and Cd2+ were the key factors influencing the denitrifying community structure. These findings suggest that heavy metals may enhance the aerobic denitrification process in sediments and mitigate the adverse effects of high dissolved oxygen levels.

Feasibility of Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation to Enhance the Internal Stability of Loess under Zn-Contaminated Seepage Conditions

Loess is widely distributed in Northwestern China and serves as the preferred engineering construction material for anti-fouling barriers. Heavy metal contamination in soil presents significant challenges to the engineering safety of vulnerable loess structures. Hence, there is an urgent need to investigate the impact of heavy metal ions on their percolation performance. In order to investigate the effectiveness of microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) using Sporosarcina pasturii (CGMCC1.3687) bacteria in reducing internal seepage erosion, a saturated permeability test was conducted on reshaped loess under constant water head saturation conditions. The response of loess to deionized water (DW) and ZnCl2 solution seepages was analyzed by monitoring changes in cation concentration over time, measuring Zeta potential, and using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the hydrolysis of Zn2+ creates an acidic environment, leading to the dissolution of carbonate minerals in the loess, which enhances its permeability. The adsorption of Zn2+ ions and the resulting diffusion double-layer (DDL) effect reduce the thickness of the diffusion layer and increase the number of free water channels. Additionally, the permeability of loess exposed to ZnCl2 solution seepage significantly increased by 554.5% compared to loess exposed to deionized water (DW) seepage. Following the seepage of ZnCl2 solutions, changes in micropore area ratio were observed, decreasing by 48.80%, while mesopore areas increased by 23.9%. MICP treatment helps reduce erosion and volume shrinkage in contaminated loess. Carbonate precipitation enhances the erosion resistance of contaminated loess by absorbing or coating fine particles and creating bridging connections with coarse particles. These research results offer new perspectives on enhancing the seepage properties of saturated loess in the presence of heavy metal erosion and the geochemical mechanisms involved.

Probing the luminescence behavior of Dy3+/Eu3+ co-doped gadolinium molybdate phosphors under the impact of swift heavy ions

Probing the luminescence behavior of Dy3+/Eu3+ co-doped gadolinium molybdate phosphors under the impact of swift heavy ions

Overlooked role of aqueous chromate (VI) as a photosensitizer in enhancing the photochemical reactivity of ferrihydrite and production of hydroxyl radical

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) photochemically generated from natural iron minerals have gained significant attention. Amidst the previous studies on the impact of heavy metal ions on ROS generation, our study addresses the role of the anion Cr(VI), with its intrinsic photoactivity, in influencing ROS photochemical generation with the co-presence of minerals. We investigated the transformation of inorganic/organic pollutants (Cr(VI) and benzoic acid) at the ferrihydrite interface, considering sunlight-mediated conversion processes (300–1000 nm). Increased photochemical reactivity of ferrihydrite was observed in the presence of aqueous Cr(VI), acting as a photosensitizer. Meanwhile, a positive correlation between hydroxyl radical (•OH) production and concentrations of aqueous Cr(VI) was observed, with a 650% increase of •OH generation at 50 mg L−1 Cr(VI) compared to systems without Cr(VI). Our photochemical batch experiments elucidated three potential pathways for •OH photochemical production under varying wet chemistry conditions: (1) ferrihydrite hole-mediated pathway, (2) chromium intermediate O-I-mediated pathway, and (3) chromium intermediates CrIV/V-mediated pathway. Notably, even in the visible region (> 425 nm), the promotion of aqueous Cr(VI) on •OH accumulation was observed in the presence of ferrihydrite and TiO2 suspensions, attributed to Cr(VI) photosensitization at the mineral interface. This study sheds light on the overlooked role of aqueous Cr(VI) in the photochemical reactivity of minerals, thereby enhancing our understanding of pollutant fate in acid mining-impacted environments.

Computational investigation of impact of Pb(II) and Ni(II) ions on hUNG enzyme: insights from molecular dynamics simulations

Human uracil DNA glycosylase (hUNG), a crucial player in the initiation of the base excision repair pathway, is susceptible to alterations in function and conformation induced by the accumulation of toxic metals. Despite the recognized impact of toxic metals on DNA repair enzymes, there exists a notable deficiency in theoretical investigations addressing this phenomenon. This study investigates the impact of toxic heavy metal ions, Pb(II) and Ni(II), on the stability of hUNG through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The initial analysis involved the identification of key cavities in the hUNG enzyme. Notably, the active site cavity emerged as a promising site for ligand binding. Subsequently, AutoDockTools software was employed to dock Pb(II) and Ni(II) onto the identified cavities, followed by extensive MD simulations. The MD analysis, encompassing parameters such as root mean square deviation, radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area, hydrogen bond variations, Ramachandran plot, principal component analysis, and root mean square fluctuations, collectively revealed distinct alterations in the behavior of the enzyme upon complexation with Pb(II) and Ni(II). Interestingly, the enzyme exhibited enhanced structural stability, reduced flexibility, and modified hydrogen bonding patterns in the presence of these toxic metal ions. The observed limitation in structural flexibility implies a more rigid and stable conformation when the enzyme complex with Pb(II) and Ni(II) compared to its free form. This structural alteration may lead to a potential reduction in enzymatic activity, suggesting that toxic metal ions influence the functional dynamics of hUNG. These computational findings offer valuable insights into the molecular interactions between metal ions and enzymes. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Nonthermal effects in solids after swift heavy ion impact

This contribution is a brief introduction to nonthermal effects related to modifications of the interatomic potential upon ultrafast excitation of the electronic system of solids, primarily focusing on the swift heavy ion track problem. We clarify the difference between the exchange of the kinetic energy of electrons (and holes) scattering on the lattice (electron–phonon coupling, “thermal effects”) and the relaxation of the nonequilibrium potential energy of a solid (“nonthermal effects”). We discuss that at different degrees of electronic excitation, the modification of the interatomic potential may result in various phase transitions without an increase of the atomic temperature, i.e., at room temperature (nonthermal melting, formation of the superionic state), or in atomic acceleration causing “nonthermal heating” of the target atoms. Examples of various theoretically predicted effects are given, supported by known experimental observations.

Impact of heavy ions on a-Si:H/PolySi bilayer thin film transistors with Schottky barrier source and drain based on Nickel Silicide

This study investigates the influence of heavy ion irradiation on thin film transistors (TFTs) based on an a-Si:H/PolySi active layer and Schottky barrier-based source and drain. Through the use of Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) simulations, we analyze the impact on device performance. We examine the ambipolar device characteristics by varying the thickness of the active layer (Poly-Si) and studying the corresponding physics. Our results reveal that reducing the active layer thickness from 140 to 80 nm decreases the magnitude of the threshold voltage (|VT|) for both nMOS and pMOS operating voltages. Additionally, the subthreshold slope is reduced for both nMOS and pMOS as the active layer thickness is decreased from 140 to 80 nm.Further, we investigated the transient response of the drain current to heavy ion irradiation in the sensitive regions across the Schottky barrier-based source and drain. We specifically analyze the phenomenon of bipolar amplification for various Linear Energy Transfer (LET) values, ranging from 0.1 MeV cm2/mg to 100 MeV cm2/mg. Our findings indicate that increasing the LET values from 0.1 MeV cm2/mg to 100 MeV cm2/mg results in amplified bipolar behavior and a drain current overshoot of over 10 % for both pMOS and nMOS operating voltages. To summarize, this work highlights the effects of heavy ion irradiation on TFTs with an a-Si:H/PolySi active layer and Schottky barrier-based source and drain. The study explores the influence of active layer thickness on device characteristics and demonstrates the transient response of drain current under different LET values. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the behavior and performance of TFTs subjected to heavy ion irradiation.

Semi-empirical parameterization of HI/p L-shell X-ray production cross section ratios in Bi for Heavy Ion PIXE

Quantitative analysis of materials from Heavy Ion PIXE spectra remains impeded by the lack of reliable X-ray production cross section (XPCS) data. Although efforts at experimental Heavy Ion induced XPCS measurements still continue, Multiple Ionisation (MI) effects, which are not fully described by theory, render simulations of heavy ion PIXE data unreliable for large Z1/Z2 collisions, especially at low energies. This is also exacerbated by the random selection of projectile-target combinations for measured and reported experimental data available to validate theory. This study explored heavy ion induced X-ray production cross section deviations from those induced by protons at the same ion velocity. This enabled evaluations of the degree to which cross sections are enhanced through MI effects, with the aim of predicting XPCS due to heavy ion impact. The evaluation was carried out through the scaling of experimental heavy ion to theoretical proton cross section ratios (R), which were then used for the interpolation of XPCS in the same target element for ‘missing’ projectiles within the range of evaluation. Here we present measurements of heavy ion induced total L-shell XPCS in Bi, carried out to determine HI/p MI induced deviations due to C, F, Cl and Ti projectiles at an ion velocity range of (0.2–1.0) MeV/nucleon.

On the double channel engineering of dual gate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs for heavy ion sensing applications

This work investigates the influence of Single Event Transient (SET) effect on Double Channel Dual Gate (DC-DG) AlGaN/GaN HEMT using TCAD simulations. Both Single Channel (SC) and Double Channel HEMT have been calibrated with reported experimental results and further extended by introducing a second gate in the structures to analyze its sensitivity towards heavy ion strike. The effective gate length has been optimized in such a way that the saturation currents and threshold voltage of dual gate devices is similar to that of the single gate devices. The DC-DG HEMT improves the heavy ion sensitivity, thus making it a more viable device for sensing application (mainly radiation). Different biases and gate materials have been used to observe the influence of SET on the DC-DG AlGaN/GaN HEMT. Further, the impact of the graded AlGaN barrier on the device current as well as on the sensitivity of the DC-DG HEMT towards SET is studied. To ascertain the performance of DC-DG HEMT for dosimeter applications, its sensitivity toward heavy ion impact in switched mode is monitored. Investigation reveals that the device current returns to its original order of magnitude after every ion impact, and therefore can be effectively used as a dosimeter.

Study on structural properties of swift heavy ion induced damage in Al2O3

Polycrystalline α-Al2O3 is irradiated using 100 MeV Au ion, with fluences range extended from 1 × 1012 to 1 × 1014 ions/cm2. The objective of this work is to study the impact of swift heavy ion (SHI) on structural and morphological properties of α-Al2O3 and confirm the predicted results with the help of thermal spike (TS) model. XRD result reveals that there is a decrease in peak intensities with an increase in ion fluence. The reduction of peak intensity indicates the increased disorder or defect formation in α-Al2O3 due to SHI irradiation. Further, PL results also corroborated with the XRD outcome. Information on damage formation and molten track radius is extracted from the XRD data, and the molten track radius is obtained to be ∼2.42 ± 0.13 nm. Morphological changes due to SHI irradiation are studied using FESEM and AFM techniques and reveal the increase of surface roughness with the SHI fluences. Furthermore, the radius of latent track formation and radiation-induced lattice temperature spike are estimated for SHI irradiated Al2O3 using three cases; elastic TS model (only Sn), inelastic TS model (only Se), and unified TS model (Sn + Se). The numerically calculated latent track considering the combined contribution of Sn and Se in the unified TS model is around 2.6 nm, which is in good agreement with the experimental determination. The present study investigates the overall performance of structural properties of Al2O3 for SHI irradiation and explains the radiation tolerance of ceramic for corresponding ion fluence.

Heavy Ion Induced Degradation Investigation on 4H-SiC JBS Diode with Different P+ Intervals

The heavy ion radiation response and degradation of SiC junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes with different P+ implantation intervals (S) are studied in detail. The experimental results show that the larger the S, the faster the reverse leakage current increases, and the more serious the degradation after the experiment. TCAD simulation shows that the electric field of sensitive points directly affects the degradation rate of devices with different structures. The large transient energy introduced by the heavy ion impact can induce a local temperature increase in the device resulting in lattice damage and the introduction of defects. The reverse leakage current of the degraded device is the same at low voltage as before the experiment, and is gradually dominated by space-charge-limited-conduction (SCLC) as the voltage rises, finally showing ballistic transport characteristics at high voltage.

Impact of Heavy Ions on the Structure of Current Sheets in the Gravity Field of Exoplanets and Stars

Boundary current sheets (CSs) can be formed in collisionless space plasmas in the environment of exoplanets and cold stars. Usually they represent curved surfaces carrying the electric current analogous to the well-known planetary ionospheres, magnetopauses, or stellar coronas surrounding celestial bodies. At smaller local scales, some of them can be imagined as planar current layers of a finite scale located parallel to the surface of a celestial object and, correspondingly, perpendicular to the direction of the gravitational force. In some cases, this force crossed with magnetic field can influence the dynamics of charged particles in CSs and substantially change the structure of both the current layer and the magnetic field. We have generalized our prior model, taking into account a multi-ion plasma composition and a magnetic field configuration with a shear. It is shown that, due to the drift motion of plasma particles in the crossed gravitational and magnetic fields, the structure of CSs becomes more complex, accruing asymmetric and shifted profiles of the current and plasma densities that depend on dominating current carriers and the characteristics of the magnetic shear. We discuss possible applications of the results to the interpretation of observations of boundary layers in different space plasmas.

Understanding the impact of heavy ions and tailoring the optical properties of large-area monolayer WS2 using focused ion beam

Focused ion beam (FIB) is an effective tool for precise nanoscale fabrication. It has recently been employed to tailor defect engineering in functional nanomaterials such as two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), providing desirable properties in TMDC-based optoelectronic devices. However, the damage caused by the FIB irradiation and milling process to these delicate, atomically thin materials, especially in extended areas beyond the FIB target, has not yet been fully characterised. Understanding the correlation between lateral ion beam effects and optical properties of 2D TMDCs is crucial in designing and fabricating high-performance optoelectronic devices. In this work, we investigate lateral damage in large-area monolayer WS2 caused by the gallium focused ion beam milling process. Three distinct zones away from the milling location are identified and characterised via steady-state photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy. The emission in these three zones have different wavelengths and decay lifetimes. An unexpected bright ring-shaped emission around the milled location has also been revealed by time-resolved PL spectroscopy with high spatial resolution. Our findings open up new avenues for tailoring the optical properties of TMDCs by charge and defect engineering via focused ion beam lithography. Furthermore, our study provides evidence that while some localised damage is inevitable, distant destruction can be eliminated by reducing the ion beam current. It paves the way for the use of FIB to create nanostructures in 2D TMDCs, as well as the design and realisation of optoelectrical devices on a wafer scale.

The SHI irradiation induced transition to negative dielectric constant phase in K2Bi4Ti4WO18

In present communication, a new Aurivillius family compound K2Bi4Ti4WO18 was synthesized, and the impact of swift heavy ion (SHI), Ni+11 irradiation on its surface and dielectric properties has been studied in detail. The phase formation in this complex oxide, and crystallization to B2cb symmetry was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction. However, post irradiation the XRD, SEM and AFM studies shows the surface amorphization, in agreement with the theoretical calculations. Furthermore, the effect of irradiation was also observed in the bulk dielectric properties as the system transform to a phase with negative dielectric constant above 350 K in the radio frequencies. This transition is in correlation with significant change in other dielectric parameters such enhancement in AC conductivity, a helical Nyquist plot and multiple dielectric relaxations. This conspicuous changes in the dielectric response post irradiation is attributed to the SHI induced defect formation, modification of energy barriers and their consequences on the electronic structure. Thus, current study suggests that the dielectric properties of Aurivillius K2Bi4Ti4WO18 could be tailored by ion irradiation and opens a new possibility of tuning functional properties.

Effect of the thermalization of secondary electron energies on plasma formation during the irradiation of heavy ions

This study aims at understanding the effect of the thermalization of secondary electrons produced by incident heavy-ion impact ionization on plasma formation. The motions of the secondary electrons were simulated using pseudo-initial secondary electron energy distribution functions. These simulations allowed us to estimate the times when thermalization occurred and the probabilities of secondary electrons escaping the electric field created near the incident ion path according to the initial secondary electron energy distribution functions. The probabilities and thermalization processes were found to be almost independent of these functions which indicated that the secondary electrons were thermalized before the plasma was formed.

Response of Bilayer and Trilayer Graphene to High-Energy Heavy Ion Irradiation

High-energy heavy ion irradiation is a very useful tool for the nanostructuring of 2D materials because defects can be introduced in a controlled way. This approach is especially attractive for the mass production of graphene nanomembranes when nanopore size and density can easily be tuned by ion irradiation parameters such as ion energy and applied fluence. Therefore, understanding the basic mechanisms in nanopore formation due to high-energy heavy ion impact is of the highest importance. In the present work, we used Raman spectroscopy to investigate the response of bilayer and trilayer graphene to this type of irradiation. Spectra obtained from graphene samples irradiated with 1.8 MeV I, 23 MeV I, 3 MeV Cu, 18 MeV Cu, and 12 MeV Si beams were analysed using the Lucchese model. It was found that the efficiency of damage production scales strongly with nuclear energy loss. Therefore, even for the most energetic 23 MeV I beam, the electronic energy loss does not contribute much to damage formation and ion tracks are unlikely to be formed.