Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Box 2008, m.s. 6142
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
(423) 574-4922; (423) 574-8363 (fax)
qyp@ornl.gov e-mail Jack
EDUCATION
1955 Ph.D Indiana University Analytical Chemistry
EXPERIENCE
Staff Chemist and Senior Staff , 1955-present
Fellow, AAAS
PRESENT RESEARCH INTERESTS
Application of lasers to analytical chemistry
Raman spectroscopy
Analytical sensing in harsh environments
Chemical consequences of radioactive decay
Actinide chemistry
I have been active in many fields of analytical chemistry in my work at ORNL. In the past 20 years the research has been mainly in applications of lasers to analytical chemical research. In that area I was involved in the original resonance Ionization spectroscopy (RIS) and single atom detection studies carried out here.From these initial studies came studies in laser induced nuclear polarization (LINUP) of an americum fission isomer, and resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS). More recently we applied diode lasers to RIMS studies and to an optogalvanic determination of isotope ratios of uranium and other f-elements in a glow discharge.
From my experience with lasers and earlier molten salt work, I have developed interest in analytical sensing in harsh environments. Our research team developed an all silica fiberoptic sensor that has been applied to Raman sensing in molten salts , chlorides and fluorides, at high temperatures, > 700 C. We have also demonstrated applications of this sensor in other harsh environments, such as liquid nitrogen, molten plastics, solids at temperatures above 1000 C, etc. It can be applied to most scatter spectroscopies such as fluorescence, light scatter, Raman, diffuse reflectance , even solution absorbance in a back scattered situation.
Very early in my career , I was associated with analytical methods development for the molten salt reactor program (MSRE) in its various forms. I developed a windowless cell for doing absorption spectroscopy in the very corrosive molten fluoride salt solutions that were part of the progrom. I developed a spectrophotometric method for determining the tri/tetra valent ratio the uranium ions in the reactor fuel . This entailed puting the windowless cell technology into a hot cell and dealing with radioactive sample transport. From the above background , I moved into microspectrophotometry of transuranic element compounds. I was connected with a team in this effort ; we studied absorption spectra mainly of Es, Bk, and Cf halides and oxides. We developed an interest in and generated some empirical rules relating to the chemical and physical consequences of radioactive decay: namely; that the oxidation state of progeny element is controlled by the parent while the coordination of that progeny is controlled by the environment in which it is conceived. We are currently interested in testing these rules in transmutation areas where maintaining the parents oxidation state would be difficult if not impossible Another research area of current interest involves studies of U-233 and its daughter Th-229. We are interested in finding ways to couple energy into Th-229 nucleous either as a pure material or incorporated in the parent U-229. Again this study involves possible chemical and physical consequences of such energy coupling.
Some selected references covering recent work:
J.P. Young, R.W. Shaw, C..M. Barshick, J.M. Ramsey, "Determination of Actinide
Isotopic Ratios using Glow Discharge Optogalvanic Spectroscopy," Journal of Alloys and Comp. (1998) in press
Y.-H. Lee, Sheng Dai and J.P. Young, "Silver-Doped Sol-Gel Films as the Supstrate for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering," J. Ram. Spectrosc. (l997) 28, 635
J.P. Young, S. Dai, Y-H Lee, H. Xiao, "Application of Raman Spectroscopy to High-Temperature Analytical Measurements," Sensors and Modeling in Materials Processing: Techniques and Applications, S Viswanathan, R.G. Reddy, J.C. Malas,
Editors, The Mineral, Metals and Materials Societ y Publications, (1997) PP 215-223
S. Dai, Y-H Lee, J.P. Young, "Observation of the Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectrum of Uranyl Ion," Appl. Sectrosc. (1996) 50, 536
J.P. Young, and R.W. Shaw, "Selective Isotope Determination of Lanthanum by Diode Laser Initiated Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry" J. Opt. Soc. Am. (1995)B12, 1398
J.P. Young and Rosalyn S. Yalow, eds.,Radiation and Public Perception; Benefits and Risks, Advances in Chemistry Series 243, American Chemical Society, 1995