Parity nonconservation in deuteron photoreactions

We calculate the asymmetries in parity-nonconserving deuteron photodisintegration due to circularly polarized photons $ \vec \gamma d \to np $ \vec \gamma d \to np with the photon laboratory energy ranging from the threshold up to 10MeV and the radiative capture of thermal polarized neutrons by protons $ \vec np \to \gamma d $ \vec np \to \gamma d . We use the leading-order electromagnetic Hamiltonian neglecting the smaller nuclear exchange currents. Comparative calculations are done by using the Reid93 and Argonne v₁₈ potentials for the strong interaction and the DDH and FCDH “best” values for the weak couplings in a weak one-meson exchange potential. A weak NΔ transition potential is used to incorporate also the Δ(1232) -isobar excitation in the coupled-channels formalism.     

Production of strange secondaries in high-energy Σ<Superscript>−</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis> collisions

The WA89 Collaboration experimental data on production of Λ, Σ⁻, Σ⁺, Ξ⁻, Ω⁻ baryons, $ \bar \Lambda $ \bar \Lambda and $ \bar \Xi ^ + $ \bar \Xi ^ + antibaryons in Σ⁻ collisions with C and Cu targets at 345 GeV/c ($ \sqrt {s_{\Sigma N} } $ \sqrt {s_{\Sigma N} } ≈ 25.5 GeV) in the frame of the Quark-Gluon String Model is described. The comparison of the theoretical results with the experimental data is discussed. Finally, some relations among the values of the model parameters obtained with the help of quark combinatorics are presented.     

Neutron diffraction studies of the negative thermal expansion in a layered indium selenide crystal

The neutron diffraction patterns have been analyzed for a layered single crystal and a powder of the γ-polytype of indium selenide in the temperature range 10–300 K. In the temperature range 10–50 K, the excitation of bending vibrations due to the charge density waves changes the phonon spectrum and gives rise to a negative thermal expansion in the plane of layers, i.e., α_‖c = −2.2 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹, which is characteristic of two-dimensional structures. The average (over the range T = 50–300 K) coefficients of thermal expansion along the principal crystallographic directions have been calculated: $ \bar \alpha _{ \bot c} $ \bar \alpha _{ \bot c} = 10.48 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ and $ \bar \alpha _{\parallel c} $ \bar \alpha _{\parallel c} = 12.97 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹, which agree with the X-ray diffraction data previously obtained by the authors at T = 290 K.     

Mechanism of the appearance of angular distribution anisotropy for evaporation neutrons in center-of-mass systems emitting their thermalized fission fragments

Anisotropy in the angular distributions of cascade-evaporation neutrons in center-of-mass systems emitting their fission fragments is analyzed in the context of the quantum theory of fission. It is emphasized that such anisotropy is caused not by bending but by wriggling oscillations of the fissioning nucleus in the vicinity of its point of scission; these lead to the appearance of high-value spins of primary fission fragments [(J)\vec]₁\vec J_1 and [(J)\vec]₂\vec J_2 oriented in a plane perpendicular to direction [(n)\vec]₀\vec n_0 of the axis of symmetry of the fissioning nucleus at the instant of scission. This direction coincides with the asymptotic direction of the emission of fission fragments with a high degree of accuracy. The analytical dependences of the anisotropy coefficient on the orbital momentum l and total spin j in angular distributions of cascade-evaporation neutrons are calculated using the methods developed in analyzing angular distributions of cascade-evaporation gamma quanta. The proper spin of a neutron is shown to have almost no effect on the aforesaid anisotropy coefficient due to the weak dependence of the neutron transmission coefficient T _lj ([`(e)]\bar \varepsilon ) on the values of j.     

Explaining GRB in the light of energy deposition rate for v+ [`(n)] \bar \nu → e+ + e? in a compact star

We have studied the v+ $ \bar \nu $ \bar \nu → e ⁺ + e ⁻ energy deposition rate near a rotating compact star which is important for the study of gamma ray bursts (GRB). The General relativistic (GR) and rotational effects increase the efficiency of the process immensely. The rotational effect also brings about an asymmetry in the deposition rate of the star.     

Designing Klod detector prototypes and results of their experimental tests

The projected KLOD facility is intended for finding and investigating the ultrarare decay K _L ⁰ → π⁰ν$ \bar \nu $ \bar \nu ; its branching ratio predicted by the Standard Model is Br = (3.0 ± 0.6) × 10⁻¹¹. Designing and testing the prototype of the decay-volume veto system and beam veto calorimeter, which are the most important detectors of the facility, are considered. It is shown that the proposed beam veto calorimeter is able to detect γ rays with a high efficiency at the neutron flux of 300 MHz.     

Beam-induced radiation in the compact muon solenoid tracker at the Large Hadron Collider

The intense radiation environment at the Large Hadron Collider, CERN at a design energy of $ \sqrt s $ \sqrt s = 14 TeV and a luminosity of 10³⁴ cm⁻² s⁻¹ poses unprecedented challenges for safe operation and performance quality of the silicon tracker detectors in the CMS and ATLAS experiments. The silicon trackers are crucial for the physics at the LHC experiments, and the inner layers, being situated only a few centimeters from the interaction point, are most vulnerable to beam-induced radiation. We have recently carried out extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies using MARS program to estimate particle fluxes and radiation dose in the CMS silicon pixel and strip trackers from proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt s $ \sqrt s = 14 TeV and from machine-induced background such as beam-gas interactions and beam halo. We will present results on radiation dose, particle fluxes and spectra from these studies and discuss implications for radiation damage and performance of the CMS silicon tracker detectors.     

Confinement singularities in two-pion decays of mesons

We consider as an example the two-pion decay of the ρ meson, the ³ S ₁ q $ \bar q $ \bar q state of the constituent quarks—the decay being determined by the transition q $ \bar q $ \bar q → ππ contains information about confinement interactions. One can specify in this decay two types of transitions: (i) the bremsstrahlung radiation of a pion q → q + π (or $ \bar q $ \bar q → $ \bar q $ \bar q + π) with a subsequent fusion q $ \bar q $ \bar q → π, and (ii) the direct transition q $ \bar q $ \bar q → ππ. We demonstrate how in the amplitudes of the corresponding transitions the quark singularities have to disappear, i.e., what is the way the quark confinement at relatively short distances can be realized. We calculate and estimate the contributions of processes with bremsstrahlung radiation of the pion and of the direct transition q $ \bar q $ \bar q → ππ. The estimates demonstrate that the processes involving the direct transition q $ \bar q $ \bar q → ππ are necessary, but they cannot be determined unambiguously by the decay ρ(775) → ππ. We conclude that for the determination of the q $ \bar q $ \bar q → ππ transition more complete data on the resonance decays into the ππ channels are needed than those available at the moment.     

Internal waves in a compressible two-layer model atmosphere: Hamiltonian description

We consider slow, compared to the speed of sound, motions of an ideal compressible fluid (gas) in a gravitational field in the presence of two isentropic layers with a small specific-entropy difference between them. Assuming the flow to be potential in each of the layers (v _{1, 2} = ▿ϕ_{1, 2}) and neglecting the acoustic degrees of freedom (div($ \bar \rho $ \bar \rho (z)▿ϕ_{1, 2}) ≈ 0, where $ \bar \rho $ \bar \rho (z) is the average equilibrium density), we derive the equations of motion for the boundary in terms of the shape of the surface z = η(x, y, t) itself and the difference between the boundary values of the two velocity field potentials: ψ(x, y, t) = ψ₁ − ψ₂. We prove the Hamilto nian structure of the derived equations specified by a Lagrangian of the form ℒ = ∫$ \bar \rho $ \bar \rho (η)η _t ψdxdy − ℋ{η, ψ}. The system under consideration is the simplest theoretical model for studying internal waves in a sharply stratified atmosphere in which the decrease in equilibrium gas density due to gas compressibility with increasing height is essentially taken into account. For plane flows, we make a generalization to the case where each of the layers has its own constant potential vorticity. We investigate a system with a model dependence $ \bar \rho $ \bar \rho (z) ∝ e ^−2αz with which the Hamiltonian ℋ{η, ψ} can be represented explicitly. We consider a long-wavelength dynamic regime with dispersion corrections and derive an approximate nonlinear equation of the form u _t + auu _x − b[−$ \hat \partial _x^2 $ \hat \partial _x^2 + α²]^1/2 u _x = 0 (Smith’s equation) for the slow evolution of a traveling wave.     

Supersymmetric quantum mechanics living on topologically non-trivial Riemann surfaces

Supersymmetric quantum mechanics is constructed in a new non-Hermitian representation. Firstly, the map between the partner operators H ^(±) is chosen antilinear. Secondly, both these components of a super-Hamiltonian $ \mathcal{H} $ \mathcal{H} are defined along certain topologically non-trivial complex curves r ^(±)(x) which spread over several Riemann sheets of the wave function. The non-uniqueness of our choice of the map $ \mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{T} between ‘tobogganic’ partner curves r ⁽⁺⁾(x) and r ⁽⁻⁾(x) is emphasized.     

Fine and hyperfine structure of the muonic <Superscript>3</Superscript>He ion

On the basis of quasipotential approach to the bound state problem in QED we calculate the vacuum polarization, relativistic, recoil, structure corrections of orders α ⁵ and α ⁶ to the fine structure interval ΔE ^fs = E(2P _3/2) − E(2P _1/2) and to the hyperfine structure of the energy levels 2P _1/2 and 2P _3/2 in muonic ₂³He ion. The resulting values ΔE ^fs = 144 803.15 μeV, Δ$ \tilde E $ \tilde E ^hfs(2P _1/2) = −58 712.90 μeV, Δ$ \tilde E $ \tilde E ^hfs(2P _3/2) = −24 290.69 μeV provide reliable guidelines in performing a comparison with the relevant experimental data.     

Production of π<Superscript>−</Superscript> mesons in CTa interactions at a momentum of 4.2 GeV/<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis> per nucleon

New experimental data on π⁻-meson production in interactions between carbon and tantalum nuclei at amomentumof 4.2 GeV/c per nucleon are presented. These results are compared with predictions based of themodel of quark-gluon strings (QGS) that is adapted to intermediate energies ($ \sqrt 4 $ \sqrt 4 ≤ 4 GeV). It is shown that the QGS model only qualitatively reproduces the behavior of experimental kinematical features of π⁻ mesons.     

Collisional effect on the Weibel instability in the limit of high plasma temperature

The Weibel instability (WI) of relativistic electron beam (REB) penetrating an infinite collisional plasma was studied in the following models: (i) REB model, where the total equilibrium distribution function f ₀($ \vec p $ \vec p ) is approximated by nonrelativistic background electron and REB distribution functions and (ii) relativistic monoenergetic beam (RMB) model, where f ₀($ \vec p $ \vec p ) is approximated by nonrelativistic background electrons and RMB distribution functions.     

Mechanisms of excitation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis>-odd correlations for prescission gamma rays and structure of these correlations

Conditions for the appearance and observation of prescission gamma rays emitted by a fissioning nucleus prior to its separation into fission fragments were investigated within quantum-mechanical fission theory. It is shown that these conditions are realizable in the gamma decay of isovector electric giant dipole resonances in a fissile nucleus that are excited because of nonadiabaticity of the collective deformation motion of the nucleus at the ultimate stages of its prefission evolution. Angular and energy distributions of prescission gamma rays emitted by unpolarized fissioning nuclei are analyzed. Features of T-odd correlations in angular distributions of gamma rays arising in the fission of unpolarized target nuclei that is induced by polarized cold neutrons are investigated, and it is shown that these correlations are similar in nature to T-odd ROT correlations discovered earlier for alpha particles emitted in the ternary fission of nuclei.     

Generation of coherent thermal phonons in amorphous dielectrics at room temperature induced by four-photon interaction

Resonant responses of Mandelshtam-Brillouin scattering from longitudinal and transverse acoustic waves at frequencies of ν _LS = ±1.15 cm⁻¹ and ν _TS = ±0.7 cm⁻¹, respectively, and at frequency of ν _SS = ν _TS $ \sqrt 3 $ \sqrt 3 = ±0.43 cm⁻¹ were detected in K8 optical glass at room temperature using four-photon spectroscopy. We attribute this effect to the induced generation of a second sound wave (coherent thermal phonons). The mechanisms of generation and the possibility of practical application of the observed effect for express diagnostics of the quality of transparent materials are discussed.     

Spontaneous breakdown of $$ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $$ symmetry in the complex Coulomb potential

The $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} symmetry of the Coulomb potential and its solutions are studied along trajectories satisfying the $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} symmetry requirement. It is shown that with appropriate normalization constant the general solutions can be chosen $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} -symmetric if the L parameter that corresponds to angular momentum in the Hermitian case is real. $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} symmetry is spontaneously broken, however, for complex L values of the form L = −1/2 + iλ. In this case the potential remains $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} -symmetric, while the two independent solutions are transformed to each other by the $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} operation and at the same time, the two series of discrete energy eigenvalues turn into each other’s complex conjugate.     

Laser-induced optical activity in range of Rydberg autoionizing states of xenon

Optical activity of xenon atoms in the vacuum UV range induced by circularly polarized laser light is studied theoretically. The optical activity arises in the vicinity of the autoionizing state 5p ⁵(² P _1/2)8s′$ \left[ {\frac{1} {2}} \right]_1 $ \left[ {\frac{1} {2}} \right]_1 as a result of its coupling via the laser field with the discrete state 5p ⁵(² P _3/2)7p $ \left[ {\frac{1} {2}} \right]_1 $ \left[ {\frac{1} {2}} \right]_1 . Polarization variations of the vacuum UV radiation upon its propagation through the atomic medium are calculated, and the possibility of controlling this polarization is discussed. Manifestations of nonresonant coupling of the discrete state with the broad autoionizing state 5p ⁵(² P _1/2)6d′$ \left[ {\frac{1} {2}} \right]_1 $ \left[ {\frac{1} {2}} \right]_1 induced by the overlap of the Rydberg autoionizing series in xenon are studied.     

Two-photon decays of pseudotensor mesons <Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript>(1670), <Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript>(2250), and <Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript>(2510)

In terms of relativistic and gauge-invariant spectral-integral technique, we calculate amplitude for the π ₂ → γγ decay as a three-step transition π ₂ → q $ \bar q $ \bar q (2⁻⁺) → γ + q $ \bar q $ \bar q (1⁻⁻) → γγ. Using wave functions of the q $ \bar q $ \bar q components of photon (hep-ph/0406320) and those of pseudotensor mesons π ₂(1670), π ₂(2000), π ₂(2250), and π ₂(2510) (hep-ph/0511109), we obtain the following values for partial widths: Γ _{π2(1670)→γγ} = 0.072 ± 0.007 keV, Γ _{π2(2000)→γγ} = 0.037 ± 0.004 keV, Γ _{π2(2250)→γγ} = 0.027 ± 0.003 keV, and Γ _{π2(2510)→γγ} = 0.022 ± 0.002 keV. In the calculations, we use the momentum operator expansion, and, in this connection, discuss the problem of nilpotent operators inherent in the considered amplitude. It should be emphasized that measurement of two-photon decays of the π ₂ states can give valuable information about the long-range quark-antiquark forces which, as one may guess, are related to the quark confinement.     

Level crossings in complex two-dimensional potentials

Two-dimensional $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} -symmetric quantum-mechanical systems with the complex cubic potential V ₁₂ = x ² + y ² + igxy ² and the complex Hénon-Heiles potential V _HH = x ² +y ² +ig(xy ² −x ³/3) are investigated. Using numerical and perturbative methods, energy spectra are obtained to high levels. Although both potentials respect the $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} $ \mathcal{P}\mathcal{T} symmetry, the complex energy eigenvalues appear when level crossing happens between same parity eigenstates.