Momentum transfer theory of ion transport under the influence of resonant charge transfer collisions: the case of argon and neon ions in parent gases

Transport properties of ion swarms in presence of Resonant Charge Transfer (RCT) collisions are studied using Momentum Transfer Theory (MTT). It was shown that, not surprisingly, RCT collisions may be represented as a special case of elastic scattering. Using the developed MTT we tested a previously available anisotropic set of cross-sections for Ar+Ar ⁺ collisions by making the comparisons with the available data for the transverse diffusion coefficient. We also developed an anisotropic set of Ne+Ne ⁺ integral cross-sections based on the available data for mobility, longitudinal and transverse diffusion. Anisotropic sets of cross-sections are needed for Monte Carlo simulations of ion transport and plasma models. Received 16 June 2002 / Received in final form 2nd August 2002 Published online 24 September 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: vrhovac@phy.bg.ac.yu RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: zoran@phy.bg.ac.yu     

High-spin states in the <Superscript>97</Superscript>Tc nucleus

High-spin states in the ⁹⁷Tc nucleus have been studied by in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy with the reaction ⁸²Se(¹⁹F,4nγ) at 68 MeV incident energy. Excited states have been observed up to about 8 MeV excitation and spin 43/2. The observed level scheme is compared with results of shell model calculations. Received: 22 November 2002 / Accepted: 23 December 2002 / Published online: 18 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: bucurescu@tandem.nipne.ro RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Università di Padova, Padova, Italy. Communicated by C. Signorini     

Measuring a colloidal particle's interaction with a flat surface under nonequilibrium conditions

A new and general approach is proposed to analyze the dynamics of a colloidal particle interacting with a nearby wall. This analysis can be used to determine the acting forces even when the system is non-stationary. As an illustration, we use total internal reflection microscopy to investigate the forces acting on a polystyrene sulfate latex particle as it is receding from a charged glass surface. Received 10 October 2002 Published online: 16 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Present address: Department of Polymer Physics, BASF Aktiengesellschaft, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany RID="b" ID="b"Present address: Arryx. Inc., Chicago, IL 60601, USA     

Directed spiral site percolation on the square lattice

A new site percolation model, directed spiral percolation (DSP), under both directional and rotational (spiral) constraints is studied numerically on the square lattice. The critical percolation threshold p _c ≈ 0.655 is found between the directed and spiral percolation thresholds. Infinite percolation clusters are fractals of dimension d _f ≈ 1.733. The clusters generated are anisotropic. Due to the rotational constraint, the cluster growth is deviated from that expected due to the directional constraint. Connectivity lengths, one along the elongation of the cluster and the other perpendicular to it, diverge as p → p _c with different critical exponents. The clusters are less anisotropic than the directed percolation clusters. Different moments of the cluster size distribution P _s(p) show power law behaviour with | p - p _c| in the critical regime with appropriate critical exponents. The values of the critical exponents are estimated and found to be very different from those obtained in other percolation models. The proposed DSP model thus belongs to a new universality class. A scaling theory has been developed for the cluster related quantities. The critical exponents satisfy the scaling relations including the hyperscaling which is violated in directed percolation. A reasonable data collapse is observed in favour of the assumed scaling function form of P _s(p). The results obtained are in good agreement with other model calculations. Received 10 November 2002 / Received in final form 20 February 2003 Published online 23 May 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: santra@iitg.ernet.in     

Chaotic dynamics in a storage-ring free electron laser

The temporal dynamics of a storage-ring Free Electron Laser is here investigated with particular attention to the case in which an external modulation is applied to the laser-electron beam detuning. The system is shown to produce bifurcations as well as chaotic regimes. The peculiarities of this phenomenon with respect to the analogous behaviour displayed by conventional laser sources are pointed out. Theoretical results, obtained by means of a phenomenological model reproducing the evolution of the main statistical parameters of the system, are shown to be in a good agreement with experiments carried out on the Super-ACO Free Electron Laser. Received 27 March 2002 / Received in final form 17 July 2002 Published online 21 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Present address: Sincrotone Trieste, 34012 Trieste, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: fanelli@nada.kth.se     

Interaction of coupled higher order nonlinear Schrödinger equation solitons

The novel inelastic collision properties of two-soliton interaction for an n-component coupled higher order nonlinear Schr?dinger equation are studied. Some interesting features of three soliton interactions, related to the integrability of the n-component coupled higher order nonlinear Schr?dinger equation are also discussed. Received 17 April 2002 Published online 2 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: abhijit@iitg.ernet.in RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: sasanka@iitg.ernet.in RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: sudipta@iitg.ernet.in     

Metastable states of the Ising chain with Kawasaki dynamics

We consider a ferromagnetic Ising chain evolving under Kawasaki dynamics at zero temperature. We investigate the statistics of the blocking time, as well as various characteristics of the metastable configurations reached by the system, including the statistics of the final energy, the spin correlations, and the distribution of domain sizes. Results of extensive numerical simulations are compared with analytical predictions made for the a priori ensemble of all blocked configurations with equal weights. Qualitative differences are found, e.g. in the domain sizes, which are found to be neither statistically independent nor exponentially distributed. Received 24 October 2002 / Received in final form 13 January 2003 Published online 1st April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: luck@spht.saclay.cea.fr RID="b" ID="b"URA 2306 of CNRS     

Elasticity and plasticity of two-dimensional amorphous solid layers of β-lactoglobulin

We investigate the mechanical properties of a two-dimensional amorphous solid. It is formed spontaneously by the adsorption of a protein (the β-lactoglobulin) at the surface of water. We measure its mechanical response in both elastic and plastic regimes by applying a point-like force (using a glass fiber). We compare our results with previous measurements of shear moduli using a floating torsion device. Received: 10 February 2003 / Accepted: 23 April 2003 / Published online: 27 May 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Present address: Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK; e-mail: sc374@phy.cam.ac.uk RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: graner@ujf-grenoble.fr     

Isomeric states in proton-unbound 187, 189Bi isotopes

Prompt and delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy of very neutron-deficient bismuth isotopes ^{187, 189}Bi has been performed using the Recoil Decay Tagging (RTD) method. The isomeric i _13/2 states have been identified and their lifetimes have been measured. The systematics of these long-lived M2 isomers has been extended to the proton-unbound isotopes. The general behaviour of single-proton states is discussed within the systematics and interpreted within the shell-model framework. Received: 2 May 2002 / Accepted: 3 June 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: wkorten@cea.fr RID="b" ID="b"Present address: GANIL, Caen, France. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 14, FIN-00881 Helsinki. Communicated by D. Schwalm     

In-beam spectroscopy of 253, 254No

In-beam conversion electron spectroscopy experiments have been performed on the transfermium nuclei ^{253, 254}No using the conversion electron spectrometer SACRED in nearly collinear geometry in conjunction with the gas-filled separator RITU at the University of Jyv?skyl?. The experimental setup is discussed and the spectra are compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The implications for the ground-state configuration of ²⁵³No are discussed. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: rdh@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk RID="b" ID="b"Present address: GANIL, F-14021 Caen, France. RID="c" ID="c"Permanent address: IReS Strasbourg, IN2P3-CNRS, F-67037-Strasbourg, France. RID="d" ID="d"Present address: CEA/DIF DCRE/SDE/LDN F-91680 Bruyeres-le-Chatel. RID="e" ID="e"Present address: Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury WA4 4AD, UK. RID="f" ID="f"Permanent address: IPN Lyon, IN2P3-CNRS, F-69037 Lyon, France.     

Atomic coherent states studied by virtue of the EPR entangled state and their Wigner functions

Based on the newly constructed Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR) entangled state representation we introduce macroscopic classical functions associated with atomic coherent state τ with angular momentum value j. These functions are proportional to the ordinary one-variable Hermite polynomials of order 2j. The corresponding Wigner quasiprobability function for τ in phase space is also derived which turns out to be a two-variable Hermite polynomial H _{2j, 2j}. In so doing, a new classical-quantum correspondence scheme for angular momentum system is established. Received 7 August 2002 / Received in final form 14 December 2002 Published online 24 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Work supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant 10175057. RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: fhym@sjtu.edu.en     

Slow regions percolate near glass transition

A nanosecond scale in situ probe reveals that a bulk linear polymer undergoes a sharp phase transition as a function of the degree of conversion, as it nears the glass transition. The scaling behaviour is in the same universality class as percolation. The exponents γ and β are found to be 1.7±0.1 and 0.41±0.01 in agreement with the best percolation results in three dimensions. Received 29 August 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: erzan@gursey.gov.tr e-mail: erzan@itu.edu.tr     

Electroweak interactions between intense neutrino beams and dense electron-positron magnetoplasmas

The electroweak coupling between intense neutrino beams and strongly degenerate relativistic dense electron-positron magnetoplasmas is considered. The intense neutrino bursts interact with the plasma due to the weak Fermi interaction force, and their dynamics is governed by a kinetic equation. Our objective here is to develop a kinetic equation for a degenerate neutrino gas and to use that equation to derive relativistic magnetohydrodynamic equations. The latter are useful for studying numerous collective processes when intense neutrino beams nonlinearly interact with degenerate, relativistic, dense electron-positron plasmas in strong magnetic fields. If the number densities of the plasma particles are of the order of 10³³ cm^-3, the pair plasma becomes ultra-relativistic, which strongly affects the potential energy of the weak Fermi interaction. The new system of equations allows several neutrino-driven streaming instabilities involving new types of relativistic Alfvén-like waves. The relevance of our investigation to the early universe and supernova explosions is discussed. Received 11 September 2002 Published online 4 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Permanent address: Department of Physics, Tbilisi State University, Chavchavadze 3, Tbilisi 38028, Georgia. RID="b" ID="b"Also at the Department of Plasma Physics, Ume? University, 90187 Ume?, Sweden; and the Center for Interdisciplinary Plasma Science, Max-Planck Institut für Plasmaphysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching, Germany. e-mail: ps@tp4.ruhr-uni-bochum.de RID="c" ID="c"Permanent address: Department of Plasma Physics, Ume?University, 90187 Ume?, Sweden.     

Production of high quality shocks for equation of state experiments

In this paper we describe the quality requirements that a shock wave must fulfil to make equation of state (EOS) measurements possible: planarity, no-preheating and stationarity of the shock. Experimental measurements have been performed at the Max Planck Institut für Quantenoptik (Garching). We also present simple analytical models that allow to verify shock stationarity and absence of preheating. Received 17 June 2002 Published online 21 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: batani@mib.infn.it RID="b" ID="b"Present address: Pro-beam, Behrinsta?e 6, 85152 Planegg b. München, Germany. RID="c" ID="c"UMR 7605     

In situ measurement of high-temperature thermal diffusivity in a combustion-synthesized ceramic

A simple method to calculate thermal diffusivity in situ after a combustion synthesis reaction is presented. The combustion reaction was analyzed via time-resolved X-ray diffraction analysis and infrared thermography. Thermal diffusivity was estimated and used to calculate temperature profiles based on temperature profiles one second earlier. For a sample of TiC formed from Ti and C, a value of 2.00×10^-6±0.20×10^-6 m² s^-1 was calculated for temperatures between 1000 and 1900 K. This method is rapid and can avoid some problems associated with furnace-based measurements of thermal diffusivity, such as recrystallization and destruction of non-equilibrium phases. Received 29 November 2002 / Received in final form 19 March 2003 Published online 23 May 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: vrel@limhp.univ-paris13.fr RID="b" ID="b"UPR 1311 RID="c" ID="c"UMR 6630     

Dielectric resonances in disordered media

Binary disordered systems are usually obtained by mixing two ingredients in variable proportions: conductor and insulator, or conductor and super-conductor. They present very specific properties, in particular the second-order percolation phase transition, with its fractal geometry and the multi-fractal properties of the current moments. These systems are naturally modeled by regular bi-dimensional or tri-dimensional lattices, on which sites or bonds are chosen randomly with given probabilities. The two significant parameters are the ratio h = σ ₁/σ of the complex conductances, σ and σ ₁, of the two components, and their relative abundances p (or, respectively, 1 - p). In this article, we calculate the impedance of the composite by two independent methods: the so-called spectral method, which diagonalises Kirchhoff's Laws via a Green function formalism, and the Exact Numerical Renormalization method (ENR). These methods are applied to mixtures of resistors and capacitors (R-C systems), simulating e.g. ionic conductor-insulator systems, and to composites constituted of resistive inductances and capacitors (LR-C systems), representing metal inclusions in a dielectric bulk. The frequency dependent impedances of the latter composites present very intricate structures in the vicinity of the percolation threshold. In this paper, we analyse the LR-C behavior of compounds formed by the inclusion of small conducting clusters (“n-legged animals”) in a dielectric medium. We investigate in particular their absorption spectra who present a pattern of sharp lines at very specific frequencies of the incident electromagnetic field, the goal being to identify the signature of each animal. This enables us to make suggestions of how to build compounds with specific absorption or transmission properties in a given frequency domain. Received 16 August 2002 Published online 14 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: laurent.raymond@l2mp.fr RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: steffen.schaefer@l2mp.fr RID="c" ID="c"UMR CNRS 6137     

Nucleon form factors from a covariant quark core: Limits in their description

In treating the relativistic 3-quark problem, a dressed-quark propagator parameterization is used which is compatible with recent lattice data and pion observables. Furthermore 2-quark correlations are modeled as a series of quark loops in the scalar and axialvector channel. The resulting reduced Faddeev equations are solved for nucleon and delta. Nucleon electromagnetic form factors are calculated in a fully covariant and gauge-invariant scheme. Whereas the proton electric form factor G _E and the nucleon magnetic moments are described correctly, the neutron electric form factor and the ratio G _E/G _M for the proton appear to be quenched. The influence of vector mesons on the form factors is investigated which amounts to a 25% modification of the electromagnetic proton radii within this framework. Received: 16 April 2002 / Accepted: 29 August 2002 / Published online: 17 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Supported by a Feodor-Lynen fellowship of the Alexander-von-Humboldt foundation and the Australian Research Council. RID="b" ID="b"Address after April 30: MPI für Metallforschung, Heisenbergstr. 1, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: Reinhard.Alkofer@uni-tuebingen.de Communicated by A. Sch?fer     

Dynamic fracture model for acoustic emission

We consider the spin-glass phase of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model in the presence of a magnetic field. The series expansion of the Parisi function q(x) is computed at high orders in powers of τ = T _c - T and H. We find that none of the Parisi-Toulouse scaling hypotheses on the q(x) behavior strictly holds, although some of them are violated only at high orders. The series is resummed yielding results in the whole spin-glass phase which are compared with those from a numerical evaluation of the q(x). At the high order considered, the transition turns out to be third order on the Almeida-Thouless line, a result which is confirmed rigorously computing the expansion of the solution near the line at finite τ. The transition becomes smoother for infinitesimally small field while it is third order at strictly zero field. Received 3 March 2003 Published online 4 June 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: andrea.crisanti@phys.uniroma1.it RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: tommaso.rizzo@phys.uniroma1.it RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: temtam@helios.elte.hu     

In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of 42Ca

High-spin states of the ⁴²Ca nucleus, populated in the 68 MeV ¹⁸O + ³⁰Si reaction, have been studied in a γ-γ-recoil coincidence experiment. The level scheme of ⁴²Ca has been extended up to 13.7 MeV. An elaborate decay pattern with various paths, together with high-quality DCO and polarization information assigns spins and parities for almost all observed levels. The sequence of non-yrast positive-parity states is discussed and compared with highly deformed bands in ³⁶Ar and ⁴⁰Ca. Received: 26 November 2002 / Accepted: 11 December 2002 / Published online: 18 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: Malgorzata.Lach@ifj.edu.pl RID="b" ID="b"Present address: TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada. RID="†" ID="†"Deceased. Communicated by D. Schwalm