Ab initio molecular orbital studies of polyethylene deformation

A molecular LCAO Hartree-Fock procedure was used to calculate total energies of axially stretched normal paraffins containing up to nine carbon atoms. The results are used to model the mechanical properties of polyethylene.     

Measurement of internal magnetic field fluctuations in a reversed-field pinch by Faraday rotation

Magnetic field fluctuations (and the associated current perturbation) have been measured in the core of a high-temperature reversed-field pinch using a newly developed fast-polarimetry system. Radial magnetic field fluctuation levels of approximately 1% are measured in standard-reversed-field pinch discharges which increase to approximately 4% during the sawtooth crash (enhanced dynamo). The fluctuation level is reduced fourfold for high-confinement plasmas where the core-resonant tearing modes are suppressed.     

Bifurcation to 3D helical magnetic equilibrium in an axisymmetric toroidal device

We report the first direct measurement of the internal magnetic field structure associated with a 3D helical equilibrium generated spontaneously in the core of an axisymmetric toroidal plasma containment device. Magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium bifurcation occurs in a reversed-field pinch when the innermost resonant magnetic perturbation grows to a large amplitude, reaching up to 8% of the mean field strength. Magnetic topology evolution is determined by measuring the Faraday effect, revealing that, as the perturbation grows, toroidal symmetry is broken and a helical equilibrium is established.     

The application of homodyne spectroscopy to the study of low-frequency microturbulence in the TEXT tokamak

Summary The wave propagation direction of microturbulence in a tokamak plasma has been accurately measured by application of a new homodyne spectroscopy technique. This method has been used in conjunction with a collective far-infrared laser scattering experiment on TEXT. The low-frequency density fluctuations are observed to propagate primarily in the electron diamagnetic drift direction, however, the broadband spectra also possess an appreciable level of fluctuations traveling in the ion drift direction. Application of the homodyne spectroscopy technique represents an inexpensive and easily implemented alternative to the more technically demanding heterodyne schemes available in the far-infrared.     

Selenium crystallization induced by corotron charging

Amorphous selenium films were exposed to corotron charging and simultaneous photo discharging. Corotron charging increased considerably the rate of crystallization compared to photocrystallization. This increase was manifested as a higher top surface nucleation rate in the corotron charged regions. An ion recombination mechanism is proposed to explain the enhanced crystallization due to corotron charging.