THAT'S OUR ATOMIC JOHN HANCOCK Industries that need to track a chemical through a complex process or distinguish their product from an exact copy now can make use of an atomic signature. Any chemical can be tagged with an isotope -- a nonradioactive, synthetic atomic species of an element -- that can be read only by extremely sensitive tests. The tracer isotopes can be added in amounts far too small to affect a product or process. Los Alamos' Clean Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory can detect and analyze samples as small as one trillionth of a gram. Nevertheless, isotopic tags provide an unambiguous signature to identify a manufacturer or source. For example, isotopic tags could be used to help identify the source of iron impurities in microchips or help sort out sources of contamination in an industrial waste stream. Gary Kliewer, (505) 665-2085, [email protected]
HIGH-SPEED MINE SPOTTING Scientists have found a new mission for a camera system developed to image nuclear tests before the test ban. Capturing images of a nuclear detonation's first microseconds was accomplished by extremely high-speed electronic cameras that sent a signal "uphole" just ahead of the damaging shock wave and radiation. The imaging elements in the cameras are the familiar silicon-based detectors that convert light into an electric charge registered by individual pixels. The charge levels in each pixel thus form a pattern of the final image. Now this technology is helping the military detect mines in the water. A pulsed laser mounted along with the fast-imaging camera system in an airplane can rapidly image large areas using the reflected laser light. Within a matter of seconds, these images are transmitted from the airplane to a waiting ship or other remote location where the image can be analyzed for possible mine fields. Kathy DeLucas, (505) 665-9201, [email protected]
BEAMING DOWN IMPROVED COATINGS
A Los Alamos scientist has patented a device useful to any industry that desires tightly adhered, thin coatings on materials, whether it be laying down corrosion-resistant surfaces on automotive or aircraft parts or forming multiple thin layers for semiconductors. The device forms a beam of ions, or electrically charged atoms, from essentially any material that can be vaporized. It mixes electrons into the ion beam so that overall the beam is electrically neutral, which has advantages for coating non-conductive materials. The device makes use of a plasma, or highly energetic charged gas, to create an energetic ion beam consisting of the feed gas and evaporating material that forms the coating. By manipulating the plasma gas, the device can be used to alter the chemical makeup of the layer being formed, allowing electrical properties, for example, to be tailored during the coating operation. The technique also provides superior adhesion. Experiments with a thin layer of gold deposited on glass with this device showed that the glass fractured before the gold's surface bond gave way; with other methods, the gold can be removed by applying and lifting a piece of tape. James E. Rickman, (505) 665-9203, [email protected]
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