Some current challenges in space plasma physics

An overview of the subject of space plasma physics is attempted. This encompasses a discussion of various ground-based and satellite studies of the near-Earth space environment, with its marked temporal and spatial variations, theoretical investigations, and numerical simulations. The important distinction is drawn between passive studies of elements of the natural system, aimed at the difficult task of understanding the self-consistent evolution of some natural processes, and active investigations, which either probe or modify natural processes, in order to improve understanding of cause and effect (e.g. of energy transformations) within the system. Linear, nonlinear, and chaotic processes can occur. Attention is paid to:

1. Energetic events on the Sun,
2. Large-scale features of the interplanetary medium, both observed directly and via scintillations of distant radio stars,
3. The magnetosphere in general, and the aurora in particular,
4. Wave-particle interactions, especially cyclotron resonance phenomena, and
5. The ionosphere, particularly when heated by powerful radio waves.

The approach adopted is to place these special topics in the context of the Solar Terrestrial Energy Program (STEP) of ICSU's SCOSTEP. Finally, mention is made of some benefits to humanity of studies of space plasma physics phenomena.     

Dynamical enhanced electron emission and discharges at contaminated surfaces

Broad-area electrodes show electron emission already at electric field strengthsF≈10⁷ V/m. This enhanced field emission (EFE) occurs only for contaminated surfaces. EFE is accompanied by photon emission and gas desorption yielding finally discharges. EFE is caused by dust and contaminants initiating the following effects:

an electron is stochastically emitted in a trigger zone

the electron gains energyΔE?eΔxF ^*

which excites electronic states

which relax by the emission of electrons, photons, and atoms

where the positive charges left behind enhanceF ^*=βF (β?1) initiating so an electron avalanche, i.e., a high conductivity channel. Because of charge migration and neutralization, this avalanche has a life time. This pulsating EFE is accompanied by light emission and gas desorption yielding finally a gas cloud and a discharge.

The pulsating, self-sustained EFE has the same root as:

the enhanced secondary emission found first by Malter

the conductivity switching exhibited by thin (≈ 1 μm) layers of semiconductors or insulators

the normal cathode fall and

the firing-wave instability in neurodynamics.

     

Absence of singular continuous spectrum for certain self-adjoint operators

We give a sufficient condition for a self-adjoint operator to have the following properties in a neighborhood of a pointE of its spectrum:

1. its point spectrum is finite;
2. its singular continuous spectrum is empty;
3. its resolvent satisfies a class of a priori estimates.

     

Astroparticle physics with high energy neutrinos: from AMANDA to IceCube

Kilometer-scale neutrino detectors such as IceCube are discovery instruments covering nuclear and particle physics, cosmology and astronomy. Examples of their multidisciplinary missions include the search for the particle nature of dark matter and for additional small dimensions of space. In the end, their conceptual design is very much anchored to the observational fact that Nature produces protons and photons with energies in excess of 10²⁰ eV and 10¹³ eV, respectively. The puzzle of where and how Nature accelerates the highest energy cosmic particles is unresolved almost a century after their discovery. The cosmic ray connection sets the scale of cosmic neutrino fluxes. In this context, we discuss the first results of the completed AMANDA detector and the science reach of its extension, IceCube. Similar experiments are under construction in the Mediterranean. Neutrino astronomy is also expanding in new directions with efforts to detect air showers, acoustic and radio signals initiated by super-EeV neutrinos. The outline of this review is as follows:

Introduction

Why kilometer-scale detectors?

Cosmic neutrinos associated with the highest energy cosmic rays

High energy neutrino telescopes: methodologies of neutrino detection

High energy neutrino telescopes: status

     

Unbounded derivations ofC*-algebras II

It is demonstrated that a closed symmetric derivation δ of aC?-algebra \(\mathfrak{A}\) generates a strongly continuous one-parameter group of automorphisms of aC?-algebra \(\mathfrak{A}\) if and only if, it satisfies one of the following three conditions

1. (αδ+1)(D(δ))= \(\mathfrak{A}\) , α∈?\{0}.
2. δ possesses a dense set of analytic elements.
3. δ possesses a dense set of geometric elements.

Together with one of the following two conditions

1. ∥(αδ+1)(A)∥≧∥A∥, α∈IR,A∈D(δ).
2. If α∈IR andA∈D(δ) then (αδ+1)(A)≧0 impliesA≧0.

Other characterizations are given in terms of invariant states and the invariance ofD(δ) under the square root operation of positive elements.     

Strong cluster properties for classical systems with finite range interaction

In a previous paper, “strong” decrease properties of the truncated correlation functions, taking into account the separation of all particles with respect to each other, have been presented and discussed. In this paper, we prove these properties for finite range interactions in various situations, in particular

1. at low activity for lattice and continuous systems,
2. at arbitrary activity and high temperature for lattice systems,
3. at ReH≠0, β arbitrary and atH=0 for appropriate temperatures in the case of ferromagnets.

We also give some general results, in particular an equivalence, on the links between analyticity and strong cluster properties of the truncated correlation functions.     

Nachwirkungsmechanismen in Ferriten

In ferrites a large number of after-effects are found, with time constants between nano-seconds and years. In this review the after-effects due to ion-and electron motion will be treated. One finds:

1. single-ion effects in combination with lattice deformations, e.g. Mn³⁺;
2. ion effects caused by mobile vacancies, e.g. Co²⁺;
3. effects due to electron transfer:
4. Co²⁺?Co³⁺
5. Me²⁺?Fe³⁺, in combination with Me⁴⁺ and vacancies.
6. Me⁴⁺?Fe²⁺, with Me=Si, Ti (photomagnetic effect).

The electron transfer is found to be related to electrical effects. In analogy to the photoelectric effect, one has found that illumination produces changes in magnetic properties. Generally speaking, one has in ferrites as many problems with donors and acceptors as in other semiconductors. Information from magnetic measurements helps to elucidate their nature.     

Three applications toSO(4) invariant systems of a theorem of L. Michel relating extremal points to invariance properties

We consider a theorem due to Michel [1] which relates the invariance properties in peculiar directions in a linear space on which we represent a Lie groupG to the extremal points of an arbitrary smoothG-invariant function. The group we are interested in isSO(4) and we apply the mathematical results to the following problems:

1. mixed linear Stark Zeeman effect in a hydrogen atom,
2. perturbation of a finite Robertson-Walker metric,
3. gas evolutions preserving angular momentum and vorticity.

     

Interaction of slow neutrons with the isotopes of molybdenum

Coherent neutron scattering lengths and total cross sections were measured on samples of ordinary Mo and isotopically enriched samples. From the experiments with neutrons of 0.57 meV and 1.26 eV the following values have been obtained:

1. the coherent scattering lengths (in fm) of the bound atoms of Mo (6.715±0.020) and for the isotopes with the mass numbers 92 (6.93±0.08), 94 (6.82±0.07), 95 (6.93±0.06), 96 (6.22±0.06), 97 (7.26±0.08), 98 (6.60±0.07) and 100 (6.75±0.07);
2. the incoherent scattering cross section at zero-energy for ordinary Mo: σ_i=0.02 ± 0.02 barn;
3. the absorption cross sections (in barn) for Mo (2.48 ± 0.04) and for the isotopes with the mass numbers 95(13.4 ± 0.3), 97(2.5 ± 0.2) and 100(0.4 ± 0.2). The relation of the present results to the resonance parameters of the neutron — Mo interaction has been discussed.

     

The unitary irreducible representations of\overline {SO} _0 (4,2)

An exhaustive classification of all irreducible Harish-Chandra \(\mathfrak{s}\mathfrak{o}\) (4,2)-modules, integrable to unitarizable projective representations of the conformal group, is established by infinitesimal methods: the classification is based

1. on the reduction upon the maximal compact subalgebra, associated with a lattice of points in ?³, and
2. on a set of additional parameters upon which the eigenvalues of central elements of the enveloping algebra depend polynomially.

     

The possibility of using a semiconductor thermal probe to investigate the power flow distribution in waveguides

Conclusions

1. The temperature profile of an absorbing film for a given microwave power flux distribution has been considered.
2. The conditions under which agreement is found between the temperature relief and the flux distribution has been clarified.
3. An experimental investigation has been carried out of the temperature profile in a matched film for the TE₁₀ mode.
4. The possibility of using a semiconductor thermal probe to investigate the microwave power flux distribution has been demonstrated.

     

Quasi-particles at finite temperatures

We study the consequences of the KMS-condition on the properties of quasi-particles, assuming their existence. We establish

1. If the correlation functions decay sufficiently, we can create them by quasi-free field operators.
2. The outgoing and incoming quasi-free fields coincide, there is no scattering.
3. There are may age-operatorsT conjugate toH. For special forms of the dispersion law ε(k) of the quasi-particles there is aT commuting with the number of quasi-particles and its time-monotonicity describes how the quasi-particles travel to infinity.

     

Two-dimensional quantum field theories containing a massless scalar field

The following new findings are briefly reported:

1. A consistent quantum theory can be formulated for a free massless scalar field in two-dimensional spacetime.
2. Satisfactory operator solutions in terms of asymptotic fields can be constructed in the Thirring and Schwinger models.
3. Gauge invariance is spontaneously broken in the Thirring model as well as in the Schwinger model.

     

Existence of phase transitions for quantum lattice systems

We prove that the following lattice systems:

1. anisotropic Heisenberg model,
2. Ising model with transverse magnetic field,
3. quantum lattice gas with hard cores extending over nearest neighbours,

exhibit phase transitions if the temperature is sufficiently low and the transverse (or kinetic) part of the interaction sufficiently small.     

New interferometric method for determining the refractive index of thin dielectric film,its thickness,the phase shift,and the order of interference

A new interferometric method is proposed, using white light fringes of equal chromatic order to determine simultaneously the following paramcters:

1. The refractive index of a thin dielectric film, and hence its dispersion.
2. The film thickness.
3. The correct value of the order of interference.
4. The phase shift occuring due to reflection at the dielectric/metal interface. In the present work, doubly silvered zinc sulphide (ZnS) thin dielectric film was used as an example in applying the proposed method.

     

Photoinduced nanocomposites—creation, modification, linear and nonlinear optical properties

UV irradiation of materials consisting of a polymer matrix that possesses precursors of noble metals followed by annealing results in creation of metal nanoparticles within the irradiated domains. Such photoinduced nanocomposites are promising for photonics applications due to the strong alteration of their optical properties compared to initial nonirradiated materials. We report our results on the synthesis and investigation of two kinds of these materials:

1. Photoinduced Au nanocomposites based on PMMA matrices, including bulk materials prepared by means of the polymerization technique;
2. photoinduced Ag nanocomposites with an organic–inorganic hybrid matrix based on TiO₂ gels.

The experimental data on evolution of absorption spectra of these materials due to laser irradiation at different wavelengths are presented. The linear and nonlinear refractive index changes in these materials owing to light-induced nanonstructuring are investigated.     

Symmetrieeigenschaften achtkomponentiger Spinorfelder im Gitterraum

Starting from the four component Dirac equation for free particles without mass W.Heisenberg und W.Pauli have shown that the interaction term is uniquely defined, if one requires that all symmetries of free particles are preserved. Here we obtain similar results if we start from the eight component Dirac equation for free particles without mass:

1. The symmetry group of the eight component Dirac equation for free particles without mass has 16 parameters. It is isomorph to the direct product of the SU 4 and a one-parametric group: SU 4× (1).
2. The interaction operator is uniquely defined if one requires to preserve as many symmetries as possible of those given in (1).
3. But some of the symmetries in (1) are necessarily broken, in particular that of SU 3. The symmetry of the interaction operator is given by SO 4× (1)× (1).

These results mean:

1. The Heisenberg theory is uniquely defined, only if one assumes that the free particle part of the equation is well known.
2. The theory can be changed without modifying the fundamental idea ofHeisenberg andPauli to deduce an uniquely defined interaction operator if one starts with a modified free particle part.
3. A special kind of modification of the free particle part leads essentially to the SU 4-symmetry including that of SU 3, which is necessarily broken by the interaction term.
4. The question arises if this break of the SU 3-symmetry has something to do with the real break. This question is not yet touched in this paper.

     

Detection of highly ionizing particles: Nonlinear near-surface phenomena in silicon radiation detectors

As far as the detection system is concerned, experimens on synthesis and study of the properties of superheavy nuclei is one of the most difficult tasks. In fact, these experiments can be considered extreme in many senses:

• —extremely low (fractions of a picobarn-picobarns) formation cross sections of the products under investigation
• —extremely high heavy ion beam intensities for example, ～1.1–1.5 pμA^{1 48}Ca
• —high radioactivity of actinide targets, which are used in the experiments aimed at the synthesis of super-heavy nuclei
• —very long duration of the experiment (as long as a year)
• —extremely low yield of the products under investigation (sometimes less than 1 per month)
• —very high sensitivity of the detection system
• —radical suppression of the background products (method of “active correlations”).

The two last points are the subject of the present paper, as well as the subject of two of my reviews published before. It is evident that without knowledge of the nature of the internal processes in semiconductor detectors it is virtually impossible to provide clear detection of ultra rare signals. In the present paper, the author reports on the investigation of near-surface phenomena in silicon radiation detectors, first of all bearing in mind the theoretical-methodological aspect of these phenomena. Non-equilibrium electron-hole recombination, pulse height defect formation, charge multiplication, and formation of “hot” electron system, are considered. With just these phenomena one can observe nonlinearity of energy-charge-amplitude conversion for heavy ion (recoil nucleus) registered by a silicon detector. Practical applications are also considered. One of them is a deeply modified method of “active correlations”. Projection of applying the method in the experiments with the modernized cyclotron (DC-280 FLNR project) is projected as well as possible applications in the heavy-ion-induced complete fusion nuclear reactions.     

Rigid Body Motion in Special Relativity

We study the acceleration and collisions of rigid bodies in special relativity. After a brief historical review, we give a physical definition of the term ‘rigid body’ in relativistic straight line motion. We show that the definition of ‘rigid body’ in relativity differs from the usual classical definition, so there is no difficulty in dealing with rigid bodies in relativistic motion. We then describe

1. The motion of a rigid body undergoing constant acceleration to a given velocity.
2. The acceleration of a rigid body due to an applied impulse.
3. Collisions between rigid bodies.