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Title: An analytical method for estimating the 14N nuclear quadrupole resonance parameters of organic compounds with complex free induction decays for radiation effects studies

Thesis/Dissertation ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/201683· OSTI ID:201683
 [1]
  1. Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

The use of 14N nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) as a radiation dosimetry tool has only recently been explored. An analytical method for analyzing 14N NQR complex free induction decays is presented with the background necessary to conduct pulsed NQR experiments. The 14N NQR energy levels and possible transitions are derived in step-by-step detail. The components of a pulsed NQR spectrometer are discussed along with the experimental techniques for conducting radiation effects experiments using the spectrometer. Three data analysis techniques -- the power spectral density Fourier transform, state space singular value decomposition (HSVD), and nonlinear curve fitting (using the downhill simplex method of global optimization and the Levenberg-Marquart method) -- are explained. These three techniques are integrated into an analytical method which uses these numerical techniques in this order to determine the physical NQR parameters. Sample data sets of urea and guanidine sulfate data are used to demonstrate how these methods can be employed to analyze both simple and complex free induction decays. By determining baseline values for biologically significant organics, radiation effects on the NQR parameters can be studied to provide a link between current radiation dosimetry techniques and the biological effects of radiation.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education, TN (United States); Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76OR00033
OSTI ID:
201683
Report Number(s):
DOE/OR/00033-T556; ON: DE94000850; TRN: 93:024019
Resource Relation:
Other Information: TH: Thesis (M.S.); PBD: 1992
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English