Study of the conditions for the effective energy transfer in a process of acceleration and collision of the thin metal disks with the massive target

Efficiency studies of laser driven thin metal disks acceleration using the first harmonic (λ₁=1.315 μm) of the Prague Asterix Laser System (PALS) and subsequent craters creation produced by collisions of these disks with massive targets are presented. Several different disks made of aluminium and copper foils with diameters of 300 μm and 600 μm and thicknesses of 11 μm (Al) and 3.6 μ m (Cu) were employed. Disks were placed at the distance of either 100 μ m or 300 μm in front of aluminium massive targets. The following irradiation conditions were used: the laser beam energy of 120 J, the focal spot diameter of 200 μm, and the pulse duration of 0.4 ns (FWHM). A three-frame interferometric system was employed to determine electron density distributions in plasma corona. Shape and volume of craters were obtained by crater replica technology and microscopy measurements. The aim of these investigations was to analyse conditions leading to the most effective energy transfer in the process of collision of the accelerated disks with solid targets. The overall efficiency of these processes was characterized by the volume of craters produced in such targets.     

Critical temperature of Bose-Einstein condensation for weakly interacting bose gas in a potential trap

It has been a long history to study Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of weakly in-teracting Bose gas, and several theoretical models have been developed to research uni-form and weakly interacting Bose gas. Ref. [1] summarized all of these models and the corresponding results, which gave a derivation of critical temperature from ideal case 1/30Tc c n,?T = α (1) with a wide spread of parameter c from 0.7 to 2.33, where α is the scattering length of s wave and n is atom number density. Due…     

Study of transients in the propagation of nonlinear waves in some reaction diffusion systems

We study the transient dynamics of single species reaction diffusion systems whose reaction terms f(u) vary nonlinearly near u ≈ 0, specifically as f(u) ≈ u² and f(u) ≈ u³. We consider three cases, calculate their traveling wave fronts and speeds analytically and solve the equations numerically with different initial conditions to study the approach to the asymptotic front shape and speed. Observed time evolution is found to be quite sensitive to initial conditions and to display in some cases nonmonotonic behavior, ascribable to the disparity in time scales between the evolution of the front interior and the front tail.     

Corrugated neat thin-film conjugated polymer distributed-feedback lasers

Wave-guided thin-film distributed-feedback (DFB) polymer lasers are fabricated by spin coating a PPV-derived semiconducting polymer, thianthrene-DOO-PPV, onto oxidised silicon wafers with corrugated second-order periodic gratings. The gratings are written by reactive ion beam etching. Laser action is achieved by transverse pumping with picosecond laser pulses (wavelength 347.15 nm, duration 35 ps). The DFB-laser surface emission and edge emission are analysed. Outside the grating region the polymer film is used for comparative wave-guided travelling wave laser (amplified spontaneous emission (ASE)) studies. The pump pulse threshold energy density for wave-guided DFB-laser action (4–9 μJ cm^-2) is found to be approximately a factor of two lower than the threshold for wave-guided travelling wave laser action. The spectral width of the DFB laser (down to Δλ_DFB≈0.07 nm) is considerably narrower than that of the travelling wave laser (Δλ_TWL≈14 nm). The DFB-laser emission is highly linearly polarised transverse to the grating axis (TE mode). Only at high pump pulse energy densities does an additional weak TM mode build up. The surface-emitted DFB-laser radiation has a low divergence along the grating direction. For both the DFB lasers and the travelling wave lasers, gain saturation occurs at high excitation energy densities. Received: 7 January 2002 / Revised version: 15 February 2002 / Published online: 14 March 2002     

Chain orientation in natural rubber, Part II: 2H-NMR study

Stress-induced crystallisation (SIC) and stress-induced melting (SIM) in natural rubbers (NR), unfilled and filled with carbon black (CB) have been studied by ²H-NMR measurements. Various materials have been swollen with small amount (< 2%) of deuterated alkane chains. The orientation of the amorphous chains, then the local deformation of the amorphous chains during deformation cycles and during stress relaxation, permits to clarify the SIC and SIM processes during hardening and recovery. By mechanical, WAXS and NMR measurements one determines the same critical draw ratio for appearance λ_A and disappearance λ_E of the crystallites. It is demonstrated that the hysteresis observed by the different techniques (stress σ, crystallinity χ, NMR splitting Δν) are due to the supercooling effect ( λ_A > λ_E, at constant temperature). During hardening at constant strain rate it is found that the local draw ratio remains constant and equal to λ_A, whereas the crystallinity increases linearly with the macroscopic draw ratio λ. The hardening σ ∼ (λ - λ_A)² is then interpreted as a reinforcement effect due to the crystallites, which act as new crosslinks. This confirms the prediction of Flory. In filled rubber the same effects are observed, and the stress amplification factor is determined as a function of the CB content. It is found that the fillers act as nucleation centres for the NR crystallites. The reinforcement of such materials is due principally to this nucleation effect and to the presence of a super network formed by both the NR crystallites and the CB fillers.     

A laser system providing tunable, narrow-band radiation from 35 nm to 2 μm

We describe a laser system that readily provides radiation tunable from 2 μm in the infra-red to 35 nm in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. The broad spectral range is covered through a range of non-linear processes such as Raman shifting and high-order harmonic generation. Pulses with duration of tens of picoseconds are obtained. The relative bandwidth of the radiation is δλ/λ=10^-4, comparable with what can be achieved by using high-resolution monochromators at state-of-the-art synchrotron beamlines. We discuss different methods for characterising the radiation in this wide wavelength regime. We also discuss the capabilities of the system from the measured parameters. Received: 12 December 2000 / Revised version: 8 March 2001 / Published online: 27 April 2001     

Cross-sections of large-angle hadron production in proton- and pion-nucleus interactions I: beryllium nuclei and beam momenta of +8.9 GeV/c and −8.0 GeV/c

We report on double-differential inclusive cross-sections of the production of secondary protons, deuterons, and charged pions and kaons, in the interactions with a 5% λ _abs thick stationary beryllium target, of a +8.9 GeV/c proton and pion beam, and a −8.0 GeV/c pion beam. Results are given for secondary particles with production angles 20^○<θ<125^○. On leave of absence at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale, Lausanne, Switzerland.     

Harmonic generation in an ionized gas medium with a 100-femtosecond, high repetition rate laser source at intermediate intensities

 We report the realization of a vacuum-ultraviolet radiation source based on high-order harmonic generation in noble-gas samples, operating at high repetition rate. In particular, we observed up to the 13th harmonic (λ=61 nm) of the fundamental frequency of a short pulse, high repetition rate titanium–sapphire laser after its interaction with a Xe gas jet. The effects of the propagation of the fundamental and harmonic beams through an ionized medium are studied by analysing the spectral profile of the 9th and 7th harmonics. Finally, we report a study of the dependence of the harmonic conversion efficiency on relative position of the focus and the gas target. Received: 29 March 1996/Revised version: 25 July 1996     

400 mW and 16.5% wavelength conversion efficiency at 488 nm using a diode laser and a PPLN crystal in single pass configuration

Continuous wave power of more than 400 mW at 488 nm has been generated by frequency doubling of 2.45 W at 976 nm obtained from a distributed Bragg reflector tapered diode laser. This results in a wavelength conversion efficiency of 16.5% and an electrical-to-optical efficiency of more than 4.5%. We used a 50 mm long periodically poled MgO:LiNbO₃ bulk crystal in single-pass configuration for the second harmonic generation. This is to the author’s knowledge the highest output power and the highest wavelength conversion efficiency at 488 nm generated by a monolithic semiconductor laser device in single pass configuration with a bulk crystal. A deviation from the quadratic dependency of the frequency doubling is explained by the decrease of the beam quality of the fundamental wave.     

Nanoscale focusing of atoms with a pulsed standing wave

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the focusing properties of a detuned pulsed standing wave onto a beam of neutral atoms. In close analogy to the continuous-wave situation the dipole force leads to a periodic focusing of atoms with a period of λ/2, provided an adiabatic condition is fulfilled. Pulsed laser light is conveniently converted to short wavelengths and hence offers advantages in the application of atom lithography with elements of technological interest having blue or UV resonance lines. Received: 6 October 1999 / Revised version: 3 February 2000 / Published online: 5 April 2000     

Spontaneous bending of 2D molecular bottle-brush

Using a scaling approach we consider a 2D comb copolymer brush under bending deformations. We show that the rectilinear brush is locally stable and can be characterized by a persistence length λ increasing with the molecular weight of grafting side chains as λ ∼ M³. A bending instability due to redistribution of the side chains appears in the non-linear regime where bending is strong. Arguments are presented that the brush conformations consist of alternating rectilinear and bent sections corresponding to the different free-energy minima.     

Mixing and sorting of bidisperse two-dimensional bubbles

We have examined a number of candidates for the minimum-surface-energy arrangement of two-dimensional clusters composed of N bubbles of area 1 and N bubbles of area λ ( λ≤1). These include hexagonal bubbles sorted into two monodisperse honeycomb tilings, and various mixed periodic tilings with at most four bubbles per unit cell. We identify, as a function of λ, the minimal configuration for N → ∞. For finite N, the energy of the external (i.e., cluster-gas) boundary and that of the interface between honeycombs in “phase-separated” clusters have to be taken into account. We estimate these contributions and find the lowest total energy configuration for each pair (N,λ). As λ is varied, this alternates between a circular cluster of one of the mixed tilings, and “partial wetting” of the monodisperse honeycomb of bubble area 1 by the monodisperse honeycomb of bubble area λ. Received 1 August 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: paulo@ist.utl.pt     

Weak chaos and metastability in a symplectic system of many long-range-coupled standard maps

We introduce, and numerically study, a system of N symplectically and globally coupled standard maps localized in a d=1 lattice array. The global coupling is modulated through a factor r^-α, being r the distance between maps. Thus, interactions are long-range (nonintegrable) when 0≤α≤1, and short-range (integrable) when α>1. We verify that the largest Lyapunov exponent λ_M scales as λ_M ∝ N^-κ(α), where κ(α) is positive when interactions are long-range, yielding weak chaos in the thermodynamic limit N↦∞ (hence λ_M→0). In the short-range case, κ(α) appears to vanish, and the behaviour corresponds to strong chaos. We show that, for certain values of the control parameters of the system, long-lasting metastable states can be present. Their duration t_c scales as t_c ∝N^β(α), where β(α) appears to be numerically in agreement with the following behavior: β>0 for 0 ≤α< 1, and zero for α≥1. These results are consistent with features typically found in nonextensive statistical mechanics. Moreover, they exhibit strong similarity between the present discrete-time system, and the α-XY Hamiltonian ferromagnetic model.     

Relationships between a microscopic parameter and the stochastic equations for interface's evolution of two growth models

The relationship between a microscopic parameter p, that is related to the probability of choosing a mechanism of deposition, and the stochastic equation for the interface's evolution is studied for two different models. It is found that in one model, that is similar to ballistic deposition, the corresponding stochastic equation can be represented by a Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation where both λ and ν depend on p in the following way: ν(p) = νp and λ(p) = λp ^3/2. Furthermore, in the other studied model, which is similar to random deposition with relaxation, the stochastic equation can be represented by an Edwards-Wilkinson (EW) equation where ν depends on p according to ν(p) = νp ². It is expected that these results will help to find a framework for the development of stochastic equations starting from microscopic details of growth models. Received 26 August 2002 / Received in final form 20 November 2002 Published online 6 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: ealbano@inifta.unlp.edu.ar     

Excimer laser-induced crystallization of CdSe thin films

We have investigated ArF (λ=193 nm) excimer laser-induced crystallization of amorphous CdSe semiconductor thin films. The crystallization has been monitored by a related photoluminescence emission in the free-exciton and defect-band transition regions. For different irradiation conditions, we have observed formation of nanorods, up to 2 μm long, as well as the formation of arrays of CdSe nanobeads with a narrow size distribution and characteristic dimensions corresponding to λ/2 and λ/8. The successful crystallization has also been confirmed by confocal Raman spectroscopy.     

The underdamped Josephson junction subjected to colored noises

The properties of the underdamped Josephson junction subjected to colored noises were investigated with large and small phase difference (φ). For the case of the large φ, we found numerically that: (i) the probability distribution function of φ exhibits monostability → bistability → monostability transitions as the autocorrelation rate (λ) of a colored noise increases; (ii) in the bistability region the multiplicative noise drives the phase difference to turn over periodically; (iii) the slope K of the linear response of the junction potential difference (〈V 〉) can be somewhat reduced by means of tuning an optimal λ; (iv) the amplitude of φ in response to external sinusoidal signals changes with λ. For the case of small φ, after deriving the analytical expressions of the potential difference amplitude (〈V 〉_max) and the K in the presence of a dichotomous noise, we found nonmonotonic behavior of 〈V 〉_max and the slope K as a function of λ.     

On a Competitive Model of Laplacian Growth

We introduce a competitive model of Laplacian growth in both stochastic and deterministic versions. This defines two different aggregation laws with probabilities λ and 1−λ. The parameter λ varying from 0 to 1 is used to weight a ratio between the inner and outer harmonic measures that leads to a competition between the Eden-like process and the DLA solved with site-sticking conditions. We perform numerical and qualitative analysis of the competitive growth.     

Seven-terawatt Ti:sapphire laser system operating at 50 Hz with high beam quality for laser Compton femtosecond X-ray generation

We present a 7-TW Ti:sapphire laser system operating at 50 Hz for laser Compton femtosecond X-ray generation. This laser system delivers 8.4 W of average output power at a repetition rate of 50 Hz with a pulse width of 24 fs. It demonstrates successful management using a dynamically stable resonator in the regenerative amplifier and compensation for thermal lensing by a convex mirror in a ring-type four-pass power amplifier. We also present the results of closed-loop corrections for distorted wavefronts of amplified and compressed laser pulses, using an adaptive optical system consisting of a Shack–Hartmann-type wavefront sensor and a deformable mirror. This closed-loop correction results in dramatic improvements, reducing wavefront distortions below 0.05 λ rms. Received: 31 October 2002 / Revised version: 3 March 2003 / Published online: 5 May 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +81-298/61-3349, E-mail: ito@festa.or.jp     

Planarity and stability of shock driven directly by the ninth laser beam from “Shenguang-II" laser facility

Using the ninth laser beam (converted to 2ω) of “Shenguang-II” laser facility and the beam smoothing technology of lens-array [Appl. Opt. 25, 377 (1986); Phys. Plasmas. 9, 3201 (1995)], a shock wave with 700 μm (the root-mean-square of shock breakout time (RMS) RMS ≈ 6.32 ps) flat top was created. An Al-Al four-step target was designed to do research on shock wave stability in an Al target. And the shock stability experiment with the Al-Al four-step target indicated that the shock wave steadily propagated in the Al target of thickness of about 20–45 μm under the power density of ~ 1.0×10¹⁴ W/cm².     

Characterisation of laser-produced tungsten plasma using optical spectroscopy method

This paper describes results of spectroscopic investigation of laser-produced tungsten plasma. The laser intensity on the target surface reached up to 30 GW/cm² depending on the focusing conditions. Optical spectra emitted from plasma plumes which were formed under vacuum conditions in front of the tungsten target due to the interaction of Nd-YAG laser pulses (1.06 μm, 0.5 J), were characterised by means of an optical spectrometer (λ/Δλ= 900) in the wavelength range from 300 to 1100 nm. The spectra were recorded automatically with the use of a CCD detector with exposition time varied from 100 ns to 50 ms. On the basis of WI and WII lines it was possible to estimate electron temperature and electron density which corresponded to the expansion phase of the plasma. T_e and N_e were measured as 1.1 eV and 8×10¹⁶ cm^-3, respectively. The spectra collected by the ion energy analyser showed that the plasma included tungsten ions up to 6+ ion charge. Signals from the ion collector allowed to estimate the average value of ion energy of tungsten as 4.6 keV. Basing on this value the electron temperature corresponding to the initial stage of the plasma formation was estimated to be about 320 eV. Optical microscope investigation showed that laser irradiation caused structural changes on the surface of the target.