Noble Gas Research Articles

FFParam-v2.0: A Comprehensive Tool for CHARMM Additive and Drude Polarizable Force-Field Parameter Optimization and Validation.

Developing production quality CHARMM force-field (FF) parameters is a very detailed process involving a variety of calculations, many of which are specific for the molecule of interest. The first version of FFParam was developed as a standalone Python package designed for the optimization of electrostatic and bonded parameters of the CHARMM additive and polarizable Drude FFs by using quantum mechanical (QM) target data. The new version of FFParam has multiple new capabilities for FF parameter optimization and validation, with an emphasis on the ability to use condensed-phase target data in optimization. FFParam-v2 allows optimization of Lennard-Jones (LJ) parameters using potential energy scans of interactions between selected atoms in a molecule and noble gases, viz., He and Ne, and through condensed-phase calculations, from which experimental observables such as heats of vaporization and free energies of solvation may be obtained. This functionality serves as a gold standard for both optimizing parameters and validating the performance of the final parameters. A new bonded parameter optimization algorithm has been introduced to account for simultaneously optimizing multiple molecules sharing parameters. FFParam-v2 also supports the comparison of normal modes and the potential energy distribution of internal coordinates towards each normal mode obtained from QM and molecular mechanics calculations. Such comparison capability is vital to validate the balance among various bonded parameters that contribute to the complex normal modes of molecules. User interaction has been extended beyond the original graphical user interface to include command-line interface capabilities that allow for integration of FFParam in workflows, thereby facilitating the automation of parameter optimization. With these new functionalities, FFParam is a more comprehensive parameter optimization tool for both beginners and advanced users.

Imaging Rovibrational Excitation of Scattered YO Molecules in Inelastic Collisions with Kr and Ne.

Energy transfer between atoms and molecules is fundamental to many physical and chemical processes, and understanding the mechanisms and outcomes of energy transfer is crucial for various applications in physics and chemistry. Here, the rovibrational excitation of YO(X 2Σ+) molecules with the collision of Kr and Ne has been studied in the laser-ablation crossed beam and time-sliced ion velocity map imaging setup in combination with the resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization scheme. Significant changes in the angular distribution for different rovibrational excitations of YO molecules are observed with the collision of Kr. The sharp forward distribution for low rovibrational excitation of YO(v' = 0, 1) molecules suggest that the weak attractive potential between Kr and YO is dominant at large impact parameters. Comparatively, the strong sideway distribution for highly rovibrationally excited YO(v' = 1, 2, 3, and 5) is due to rainbow scattering from the stronger attractive potential of Kr···YO at relatively small impact parameters. The more isotropic angular distribution in the highly rovibrationally excited YO(v' = 11) indicates the formation of a short-lived complex. A change in the angular distribution of scattered YO with different rovibrational excitations was also observed in the collisions of Ne. For YO as a heteronuclear diatomic molecule, collisions of the Y- and the O-end of YO with rare gases would affect the contribution of inelastic processes at different impact parameters.

Calculations of solubilities of pure noble gases and He-CO2/CH4/N2 gas mixtures in aqueous solutions with accurate thermodynamic models

Calculations of solubilities of pure noble gases and He-CO2/CH4/N2 gas mixtures in aqueous solutions with accurate thermodynamic models

Presence of eimerias in weaned alpacas and control alternative without causing liver damage

Considering eimeriosisin alpacasitis a fatal disease, raising the aim of providing an alternative to prophylactic control in alpacas. 30 weaned alpacas from CICAS “La Raya” of Cusco in August 2022were evaluated. These have been distributed in 3 groups of 10 alpacas. Toltrazuril was administered: group1(G1) 15 mg/kpv, group2 (G2) 22.5 mg/kpv and group3 (G3) control. Qualitative coproparasitological analysis of concentration by flotation. And quantitative analysis has been carried out using the modified McMaster method pre and post treatment. Possible liver damage was evidenced by serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). As results, 93.33% of weaned alpacas have presented eimeriosis. It has been shown a higher prevalence of E. macusaniensis(63.33%). In addition, 22.5 mg/kpv Toltrazuril partially controled E. macusaniensis. While 15 and 22.5 mg/kpv effectively control E. lamae. Furthermore, serum AST and ALT levels were 5.7 IU/L and 195.8 IU/L,respectively, post treatment with 22.5 mg/kpv Toltrazuril. In conclusion, Toltrazuril manages to control pathogenic eimeriae in alpacas, partially E. macusaniensis; buteffectively small eimeriae such as E. lamae. These doses do not alter liver function in weaned alpacas.

Presence of non-solar derived krypton and xenon unveiled by Chang'e-5 lunar soils

The extent of volatile elements on the surface and interior of the Moon remains a highly debated topic. Previous studies conducted on bulk lunar soil samples and solar wind samples collected by the Genesis mission indicate a discernible isotope mass- or non-mass-dependent fractionation of krypton and xenon. However, a detailed investigation of these processes is missing, particularly in determining the possible incorporation of cometary volatiles in the lunar regolith. New lunar soil samples returned by the Chang'e-5 mission provide a chance to answer these key questions. In this study, noble gas isotopes of nine subsamples from a Chang'e-5 scooped sample were analysed through stepwise-heating and total fusion laser extraction. The results reveal that a simple binary mixture of solar wind and cosmogenic components did not explain alone the isotopic composition of these samples. The Xe data shows insignificant amounts of atmospheric Xe and presents clear evidence of cometary contributions to the lunar regolith, with a significant depletion of 134,136Xe compared to that in the solar wind. Additionally, a meteoritic component is identified. Compared to the Apollo results, our findings further validate the theory of Earth's atmospheric escape, substantiate the plausibility of these exogenous admixtures to elucidate the isotopic fractionation mechanisms of Kr and Xe within the lunar regolith, and provide novel insights into long-term constancy in the solar wind composition.

Probing the electronic structure and ground state symmetry of gas phase C60+ via VUV photoionization and comparison with theory.

Recently, some of us reviewed and studied the photoionization dynamics of C60 that are of great interest to the astrochemical community as four of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) have been assigned to electronic transitions in the C60+ cation. Our previous analysis of the threshold photoelectron spectrum (TPES) of C60 [Hrodmarsson et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 22, 13880-13892 (2020)] appeared to give indication of D3d ground state symmetry, in contrast to theoretical predictions of D5d symmetry. Here, we revisit our original measurements taking account of a previous theoretical spectrum presented in the work of Manini et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91(19), 196402 (2003), obtained within a vibronic model parametrized on density functional theory/local-density approximation electronic structure involving all hg Jahn-Teller active modes, which couple to the 2Hu components of the ground state of the C60+ cation. By reanalyzing our measured TPES of the ground state of the C60 Buckminsterfullerene, we find a striking resemblance to the theoretical spectrum calculated in the work of Manini et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91(19), 196402 (2003), and we provide assignments for many of the hg modes. In order to obtain deeper insights into the temperature effects and possible anharmonicity effects, we provide complementary modeling of the photoelectron spectrum via classical molecular dynamics (MD) involving density functional based tight binding (DFTB) computations of the electronic structure for both C60 and C60+. The validity of the DFTB modeling is first checked vs the IR spectra of both species which are well established from IR spectroscopic studies. To aid the interpretation of our measured TPES and the comparisons to the abinitio spectrum we showcase the complementarity of utilizing MD calculations to predict the PES evolution at high temperatures expected in our experiment. The comparison with the theoretical spectrum presented in the work of Manini et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91(19), 196402 (2003), furthermore, provides further evidence for a D5d symmetric ground state of the C60+ cation in the gas phase, in complement to IR spectroscopy in frozen noble gas matrices. This not only allows us to assign the first adiabatic ionization transition and thus determine the ionization energy of C60 with greater accuracy than has been achieved at 7.598 ± 0.005eV, but we also assign the two lowest excited states (2E1u and 2E2u) which are visible in our TPES. Finally, we discuss the energetics of additional DIBs that could be assigned to C60+ in the future.

Pressure-induced formation of KrO2 from first-principles study

By first-principles study, we propose a hypothetical crystal (with space group P42/MNM) Krypton dioxide (KrO2) which might be synthesized at a pressure over 95[Formula: see text]GPa. At a pressure around 95[Formula: see text]GPa noticeable charge transfer from Kr atom to O atom occurs and chemical bonds are formed. Mechanism of this phenomena is analyzed using the electron-hopping mechanism. The formed Kr–O bond at high pressure can exist with retreated pressure down to 5[Formula: see text]GPa. The electron hopping mechanism might be applicable to the fabrication of other noble gas compounds.

Sublimation of volatiles from H2O:CO2 bulk ices in the context of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. II. Noble gases

The ROSINA instrument on board the Rosetta spacecraft measured, among others, the outgassing of noble gases from comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The interpretation of this dataset and unravelling underlying desorption mechanisms requires detailed laboratory studies. We aim to improve our understanding of the desorption patterns, trapping, and fractionation of noble gases released from the H$_ $O:CO$_ $-dominated ice of comet 67P. In the laboratory, ice films of neon, argon, krypton, or xenon (Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) mixed in CO$_ $:H$_ $O were prepared at 15 K. Temperature-programmed desorption mass spectrometry is employed to analyse the desorption behaviour of the noble gases. Mass spectrometric ROSINA data of 67P were analysed to determine the fraction of argon associated with CO$_ $ and H$_ $O, respectively. CO$_ $ has a significant effect on noble gas desorption behaviour, resulting in the co-release of noble gases with CO$_ $, decreasing the amount of noble gas trapped within water, shifting the pure phase noble gas peak desorption temperature to lower temperatures, and prolonging the trapping of neon. These effects are linked to competition for binding sites in the water ice and the formation of crystalline CO$_ $. Desorption energies of the pure phase noble gas release were determined and found to be higher than those previously reported in the literature. Enhancement of the Ar/Kr and Ar/Xe ratios are at best 40<!PCT!> and not significantly influenced by the addition of CO$_ $. Analysis of ROSINA mass spectrometric data shows that the fraction of argon associated with H$_ $O is 0.53 pm 0.30, which cannot be explained by our laboratory results. Multicomponent ice mixtures affect the desorption behaviour of volatiles compared to simple binary mixtures and experiments on realistic cometary ice analogues are vital to understanding comet outgassing.

Effect of gas components on the post-discharge temporal behavior of OH and O of a non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma driven by nanosecond voltage pulses

OH radicals and O atoms are two of the most important reactive species of non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma (NAPP), which plays an important role in applications such as plasma medicine. However, experimental studies on how the gas content affects the post-discharge temporal evolutions of OH and O in the noble gas ns-NAPP are very limited. In this work, the effect of the percentages of O2, N2, and H2O on the amounts of OH and O productions and their post-discharge temporal behaviors in ns-NAPP is investigated by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method. The results show that the productions of OH and O increase and then decrease with the increase of O2 percentage. Both OH and O densities reach their maximum when about 0.8% O2 is added. Further increase of the O2 concentration results in a decrease of the initial densities of both OH and O, and leads to their faster decay. The increase of N2 percentage also results in the increase and then decrease of the OH and O densities, but the change is smaller. Furthermore, when the H2O concentration is increased from 100 to 3000 ppm, the initial OH density increases slightly, but the OH density decays much faster, while the initial density of O decreases with the increase of the H2O concentration. After analysis, it is found that OH and O are mainly produced through electron collisional dissociation. O(1D) is critical for OH generation. O3 accelerates the consumption processes of OH and O at high O2 percentage. The addition of H2O in the NAPP considerably enhances the electronegativity, while it decreases the overall plasma reactivity, accelerates the decay of OH, and reduces the O atom density.

A Rotational Study of 2-tert-Butylphenol and Its 1 : 1 Argon Complex.

The chirped-pulse Fourier Transform microwave spectrum of 2-tert-butylphenol, an industrial intermediate for the production of antioxidants, has been investigated in the 2-8 GHz frequency range. The spectral analysis has allowed obtaining precise structural information on the most stable conformer and its complex with argon. The conformation of the monomer reveals that the hydroxyl group is coplanar with the ring but points in the opposite direction to the tert-butyl group, reducing steric interactions. In the tert-butyl group one methyl group is coplanar and the other two are symmetrically staggered respect to the ring. The complex shows the rare gas sitting above the aromatic ring. Interestingly, neither the monomer nor the complex exhibit large-amplitude hydroxyl torsion motions, previously observed in 2,6-disubstituted phenols such as 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol or propofol. The experimental results are supported by computational calculations, validating the molecular structure. Additionally, symmetry-adapted perturbation theory has allowed determining the van der Waals intermolecular interaction energy of the complex.

Synergistic Effect of He for the Fabrication of Ne and Ar Gas-Charged Silicon Thin Films as Solid Targets for Spectroscopic Studies.

Sputtering of silicon in a He magnetron discharge (MS) has been reported as a bottom-up procedure to obtain He-charged silicon films (i.e., He nanobubbles encapsulated in a silicon matrix). The incorporation of heavier noble gases is demonstrated in this work with a synergistic effect, producing increased Ne and Ar incorporations when using He-Ne and He-Ar gas mixtures in the MS process. Microstructural and chemical characterizations are reported using ion beam analysis (IBA) and scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM). In addition to gas incorporation, He promotes the formation of larger nanobubbles. In the case of Ne, high-resolution X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies (XPS and XAS) are reported, with remarkable dependence of the Ne 1s photoemission and the Ne K-edge absorption on the nanobubble's size and composition. The gas (He, Ne and Ar)-charged thin films are proposed as "solid" targets for the characterization of spectroscopic properties of noble gases in a confined state without the need for cryogenics or high-pressure anvils devices. Also, their use as targets for nuclear reaction studies is foreseen.

A Review on Natural Gas Origin and Composition

Natural gas is obtained naturally. It is a hydrocarbon mixture. Natural gas is clean fossil fuel. It is safe when transported. Methane is main constituent of natural gas. It may also contain higher order hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen sulphide and noble gases. World is facing problem of environmental pollution. To combat menace of pollution alternative sources of energy should be used. Natural gas is the cleanest fuel. Demand of natural gas all over the world is increasing.

Deuterium retention in tungsten co-deposits with neon and argon inclusions

Deuterium (D) retention in tungsten (W) co-deposited layers, in the presence of neon (Ne) and argon (Ar), was investigated using the bipolar High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (BP-HiPIMS) technique. The deposited layers have a polycrystalline structure, with a preferential growth of W(110) phase. The concentration of D and noble gases (Ne and Ar) is almost constant throughout the depth of the layers. In a D2-Ar discharge, the deposited layers exhibit compressive stress, indicating that Ar is mostly incorporated into the interstitial sites of the W crystal lattice. D retention increases when Ne is added in the discharge, especially when the deposited layer is bombarded with highly energetic ions. Low energy Ne ions (below the W damaging threshold) induce compressive stress, indicating that Ne atoms occupy interstitial sites in the W crystal lattice. High energy Ne ions induce tensile stress, a sign that Ne is trapped in the grain boundaries as inert-gas-vacancy defects, leading to a grain-boundary relaxation. In the presence of Ne, the ion acceleration towards the layer from 0 V to 300 V results in an increase of the D content of about three times, from 3.2 at.% to 8.6 at.%.

Extrapolation of Monte Carlo–Derived Noble Gas Air-Submersion Effective Dose Rate Coefficients for Selected Occupational Settings to Other Geometries and Radionuclides

External exposures to airborne radioactivity at nuclear power sites are typically based on semi-infinite clouds with uniform concentrations and corresponding effective dose rate coefficients (EDRCs), along with the simplifying assumption that the radioactive clouds extend to infinity around the receptor of interest. The two regulatory models that are typically employed for finite-cloud adjustments to submersion doses, namely, Regulatory Guide 1.183 for hemispherical clouds and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) document ICRP-30 for spherical clouds, were purposely oversimplified to facilitate their implementation. As a result, dose projections can be significantly underestimated under certain circumstances, particularly with radionuclides emitting low-energy photons and/or particles. In addition, these adjustments do not account for scatter radiation off surrounding walls, ceilings, and floors of typical occupational settings. In recognition of these limitations and for the mitigation thereof, Veinot et al. published an article [Rad. and Environ. Biophy., Vol. 56, p. 453 (2017)] that provided monoenergetic photon, electron, and positron EDRCs based on elaborate Monte Carlo computations for submersion in three typical occupational settings at nuclear facilities (namely, an office, a laboratory, and a warehouse). Included in the article were also EDRCs for exposure to 45 noble gases airborne within the said occupational settings. However, extrapolation of the results to other settings was limited due to geometry variations. Even so, as described in the present paper, the Veinot et al. article provided the basis for the definition of a straightforward model for extrapolation of the Monte Carlo–derived EDRCs to other occupational settings and radionuclides. The objective of the EDRC extrapolation model in this paper is to provide a simple but comprehensive approach to licensing-basis submersion dose calculations consistent with the recommendations in ICRP Publication 103. The model is reasonably accurate and applicable to submersion volumes that are smaller than an office and larger than a typical warehouse, as would be needed for control room habitability evaluations. It is emphasized that the model is only suitable for the external dose computation of airborne noble gases and particulates; dose contributions via the inhalation pathway and from direct shine from contaminated surfaces need to be evaluated separately. The EDRC extrapolation model was programmed into an Excel workbook (OccuSetEDRCs-R0.xlsx) that is available to interested parties; see Supplementary Data section for further details. The model can handle all 1252 radionuclides in ICRP-107 and submersion volumes ranging between about 40 and 4000 m3, with an upper estimated error of about 10% on average for large submersion volumes.

Studying the Effects of Dissolved Noble Gases and High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Spherical DOPC Bilayer Using Molecular Dynamic Simulations.

Fine-grained molecular dynamics simulations have been conducted to depict lipid objects enclosed in water and interacting with a series of noble gases dissolved in the medium. The simple point-charge (SPC) water system, featuring a boundary composed of 1,2-Dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) molecules, maintained stability throughout the simulation under standard conditions. This allowed for the accurate modeling of the effects of hydrostatic pressure at an ambient pressure of 25 bar. The chosen pressure references the 240 m depth of seawater: the horizon frequently used by commercial divers, who comprise the primary patient population of the neurological complication of inert gas narcosis and the consequences of high-pressure neurological syndrome. To quantify and validate the neurological effects of noble gases and discriminate them from high hydrostatic pressure, we reduced the dissolved gas molar concentration to 1.5%, three times smaller than what we previously tested for the planar bilayer (3.5%). The nucleation and growth of xenon, argon and neon nanobubbles proved consistent with the data from the planar bilayer simulations. On the other hand, hyperbaric helium induces only a residual distorting effect on the liposome, with no significant condensed gas fraction observed within the hydrophobic core. The bubbles were distributed over a large volume-both in the bulk solvent and in the lipid phase-thereby causing substantial membrane distortion. This finding serves as evidence of the validity of the multisite distortion hypothesis for the neurological effect of inert gases at high pressure.

Two new 222Rn emanation sources – a comparison study

Abstract. More than 50 % of naturally occurring radiation exposure to the general public is due to the noble gas radon (222Rn) and its progenies, causing considerable health risks. Therefore, the European Union has implemented Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM to measure 222Rn activity concentrations and to identify radon priority areas (RPAs) to specify areas where countermeasures are most needed. Although 222Rn measurements are far spread across Europe, traceability to the International System of Units (SI) is still lacking for radon activity concentrations below 300 Bq m−3. Consequently, measurement results cannot be reliably compared with each other. The European Metrology Research Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR) 19ENV01 traceRadon project aimed to address this issue and has developed two new 222Rn emanation sources, intended to be used as calibration standards for reference instruments. The goal of this paper is to investigate and compare the two sources to ensure their quality by comparing the calibration factors estimated from both sources for the same reference instrument. This was done for three reference instruments in total at two experimental sites. Differences in calibration factors for one reference instrument of up to 0.07 were derived. Despite the small differences between the calibration factors, all uncertainties are well within the intended target uncertainty of 10 % for k = 1.

Breaking the limitation of thermodynamic cycle efficiency of the plasma synthetic jet actuator: Noble gases

The low thermodynamic cycle efficiency of the plasma synthetic jet actuator (PSJA) limits its application in flow control of supersonic aircraft. To improve the thermodynamic cycle efficiency of the PSJA, the energy conversion process of the PSJA under single discharge has been investigated by thermodynamic theory analysis and numerical simulation. The relations between thermodynamic cycle efficiency, specific heat ratio of gas medium, non-dimensional energy deposition and heating efficiency are established by theoretical deduction. Employing the three-dimensional nonconstant electrode center energy deposition model, energy conversion processes in the PSJA with six different gas mediums have been investigated. The simulation results show that the thermodynamic cycle efficiency of the PSJA with noble gas medium can exceed 3.2 %, which is 1.92 times of the PSJA with air medium due to their low volume specific heat. The maximum jet x-velocity of helium can reach 493.11 m/s, which is 3.3 times higher than that of air. Consequently, noble gases prove to be effective in improving the thermodynamic cycle efficiency of the PSJA and enhancing the strength of the synthetic jet. The advancement in the performance of the PSJA contributes to their enhanced capabilities in the field of active flow control.

Fructose improves titanium dioxide nanoparticles induced alterations in developmental competence of mouse oocytes

AimsWe investigated the effects of intraperitoneal injections of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs, 100 mg/kg) for 5 consecutive days on the developmental competence of murine oocytes. Furthermore, study the effects of TiO2 NPs on antioxidant and oxidative stress biomarkers, as well as their effects on expression of apoptotic and hypoxia inducing factor-1α (HIF1A) protein translation. Moreover, the possible ameliorating effects of intraperitoneal injections of fructose (2.75 mM/ml) was examined.Materials and methodsThirty sexually mature (8–12 weeks old; ~ 25 g body weight) female mice were used for the current study. The female mice were assigned randomly to three treatment groups: Group1 (G1) mice were injected intraperitoneal (ip) with deionized water for 5 consecutive days; Group 2 (G2) mice were injected ip with TiO2 NPs (100 mg/kg BW) for 5 consecutive days; Group 3 (G3) mice were injected ip with TiO2 NPs (100 mg/kg BW + fructose (2.75 mM) for 5 consecutive days.ResultsNano-titanium significantly decreased expression of GSH, GPx, and NO, expression of MDA and TAC increased. The rates of MI, MII, GVBD and degenerated oocytes were significantly less for nano-titanium treated mice, but the rate of activated oocytes was significantly greater than those in control oocytes. TiO2 NPs significantly increased expression of apoptotic genes (BAX, Caspase 3 and P53) and HIF1A. Intraperitoneal injection of fructose (2.75 mM/kg) significantly alleviated the detrimental effects of TiO2 NPs. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that fructose mitigated adverse effects of TiO2 NPs to alter the cell surface of murine oocytes.ConclusionResults of this study suggest that the i/p infusion of fructose for consecutive 5 days enhances development of murine oocytes and decreases toxic effects of TiO2 NPs through positive effects on oxidative and antioxidant biomarkers in cumulus-oocyte complexes and effects to inhibit TiO2-induced increases in expression of apoptotic and hypoxia inducing factors.

Effectiveness of Noble Gas Addition for Plasma Synthesis of Ammonia in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor

Non-thermal plasma driven ammonia synthesis has great potential for future industrial applications due to its low theoretical energy requirements. To achieve technological advancement and environmental sustainability, it is crucial to boost the energy yield in plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis. Therefore, optimizing energy transfer and utilization are key strategies for enhancing energy efficiency. In this study, dielectric barrier discharge driven by a nanosecond pulsed power supply is used to enhance plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis by controlling the energy transfer through the addition of noble gases. It was found that the addition of noble gases changed the plasma characteristics, significantly improved the uniformity of the discharge, and achieved a high energy yield for ammonia synthesis. The effects of additive amounts of argon (Ar) and helium (He), as well as the pulse parameters including the pulse voltage, pulse repetition frequency, pulse width, and pulse rise time on the energy yield of ammonia synthesis are discussed. The inclusion of noble gases expanded the pathway for gas-phase reactions, with the active components of critical reactions examined through optical emission spectra. This analysis revealed an increased presence of both N2+ and N2* particles in the reaction’s rate-limiting step, attributed to the addition of noble gases. Finally, a zero-dimensional (0D) plasma chemical kinetic model was established to investigate the influence of Ar addition on the reaction mechanism of ammonia synthesis.

GanESS: detecting coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering with noble gases

The recent detection of the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEνNS) opens the possibility to use neutrinos to explore physics beyond standard model with small size detectors. However, the CEνNS process generates signals at the few keV level, requiring very sensitive detecting technologies for its detection. The European Spallation Source (ESS) has been identified as an optimal source of low energy neutrinos offering an opportunity for a definitive exploration of all phenomenological applications of CEνNS.GanESS will use a high-pressure noble gas time projection chamber to measure CEνNS at ESS in gaseous Xe, Ar and Kr. Such technique appears extraordinarily promising for detecting the process, although characterization of the response to few-keV nuclear recoils will be necessary. With this goal, we are currently commissioning GaP, a small prototype capable of operating up to 50 bar. GaP will serve to fully evaluate the low energy response of the technique, with a strong focus on measuring the quenching factor for the different noble gases that will later be used at GanESS. An overview of the GanESS project with a focus on the status of GaP and its short-term plans is presented.