Chalk River Laboratories

About: Chalk River Laboratories is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Neutron diffraction & Neutron scattering. The organization has 2297 authors who have published 2700 publications receiving 73287 citations.

Orientation dependence of stress distributions in polycrystals deforming elastoplastically under biaxial loadings

Abstract: The influence of biaxiality of the loading on the crystallographic orientation dependence of crystal stress distributions is examined for polycrystalline solids deformed well into the elastoplastic regime. The examination is couched in terms of two decompositions of the stress. The first is a split of the tensor into its hydrostatic and deviatoric components; the second is a spectral decomposition of the deviatoric stress from which we express the relative values of the principal components as a function of the biaxiality of the stress. Using the framework provided by these decompositions, we investigate trends observed in the lattice strains in polycrystals subjected to biaxial loadings, comparing strains measured by neutron diffraction with finite element simulations. We conclude by showing how the orientation dependence of the stress distributions is influenced by the load biaxiality and by connecting features of the distributions to the elastic and plastic properties of the crystals. Implications of the results are discussed relative to the modeling of strain hardening and defect initiation.

Smearing of gravity core profiles in soft sediments

Abstract: Gravity coring of soft sediments can result in smearing of sediment between adjacent vertical sections in a core. We have quantified this artifact in a laboratory experiment with soft, highly porous gyttja using radiotracers to label the surface of the sediments. After coring, extrusion, and sectioning, the radiotracers were measured down to 5 cm in inner core sections and to 10 cm in outer core sections. We have estimated the impact of smearing on the interpretation of concentration-depth profiles, and gradients calculated from smeared profiles can be less than those occurring in situ in the sediments. This effect seems most pronounced near the mud— water interface. We have simulated radionuclide profiles in sediments from Chernobyl fallout (e.g. 134Cs) and natural emissions (e.g. 210Pb) to examine this problem. Concentration gradients of these radionuclides and of other contaminants used to establish geochronologies can be altered significantly depending on sediment type. A tracer layered on the surface of the sediments can be used to quantitate smearing effects, and corrections can then be made to concentration-depth profiles.

Distribution coefficients of210Pb and210Po in laboratory and natural aquatic systems

Abstract: We have measured the distribution coefficient (Kd) of210Po and210Pb in laboratory systems and in natural freshwater systems. In the laboratory systems, an inverse relationship was observed between the particle concentration of sand or lake sediment, and the distribution coefficients of210Po and210Pb. The slope of the log-linearK d vs particle concentration relation is consistent with existingK d-particle concentration theories. These laboratory observations are consistent with similar measurements in two lakes. TheK d values of Po and Pb for the bottom sediment-pore water system with a high particle concentration were 10 to 100 times lower than those for dilute concentrations of particles suspended in the lake water. TheK d of210Pb in the sediments was >104 so that the diffusive transport of210Pb has only a small influence on the interpretation of210Pb concentration-depth profiles and the210Pb dating of these sediments.

Elastic recoil detection (ERD) with extremely heavy ions

Abstract: Extremely heavy-ion beams such as 209Bi in elastic recoil detection (ERD) make ERD a uniquely valuable technique for thin-film analysis of elements with mass ≤ 100. We report ERD measurements of compositional analysis of dinosaur eggshells and bones. We also show the capability of the ERD technique on studies of thin-film, high-temperature superconductors.