Anomalous photon diffusion in atomic vapors

The multiple scattering of photons in a hot, resonant, atomic vapor is investigated and shown to exhibit a Lévy flight-like behavior. Monte Carlo simulations give insights into the frequency redistribution process that originates the long steps characteristic of this class of random walk phenomena.     

高气压微波氢等离子体发射光谱诊断

在2.45GHz,800W级的高气压微波等离子体放电系统中,通过测量不同微波功率和放电气压下氢等离子体的Balmer线系的发射光谱,从测量的谱线总展宽中卷积去掉具有高斯线形的Doppler展宽和仪器展宽得到谱线的Stark展宽,并通过Stark展宽测量氢等离子体的电子数密度和电场强度。结果表明:等离子体的电子数密度和电场强度随着放电气压的升高都是先增大后减小,随着微波功率的增加呈现逐渐增大的趋势。微波功率为800W时,气压在25kPa时电子数密度和电场强度都达到最大值,等离子体的电子数密度和内部的电场强度分别为3.55×1012cm-3及4.01kV/cm。     

高气压微波氢等离子体发射光谱诊断

在2.45 GHz,800 W级的高气压微波等离子体放电系统中,通过测量不同微波功率和放电气压下氢等离子体的Balmer线系的发射光谱,从测量的谱线总展宽中卷积去掉具有高斯线形的Doppler展宽和仪器展宽得到谱线的Stark展宽,并通过Stark展宽测量氢等离子体的电子数密度和电场强度。结果表明：等离子体的电子数密度和电场强度随着放电气压的升高都是先增大后减小,随着微波功率的增加呈现逐渐增大的趋势。微波功率为800 W时,气压在25 kPa时电子数密度和电场强度都达到最大值,等离子体的电子数密度和内部的电场强度分别为3.55×1012 cm-3及4.01 kV/cm。     

Coherent slowing of a supersonic beam with an atomic paddle

We report the slowing of a supersonic beam by elastic reflection from a receding atomic mirror. We use a pulsed supersonic nozzle to generate a 511+/-9 m/s beam of helium that we slow by reflection from a Si(111)-H(1x1) crystal placed on the tip of a spinning rotor. We were able to reduce the velocity of helium by 246 m/s and show that the temperature of the slowed beam is lower than 250 mK in the comoving frame.     

Generation of a gas-discharge air plasma in a supersonic magnetohydrodynamic channel

A method for ionizing a supersonic air flow is developed to obtain a flow conductivity sufficient for a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) interaction and generation of a magnetically induced current in a supersonic nozzle. The efficiencies of several (high-frequency, multiple-pulse high-voltage, and combined) methods for initiating a gas discharge used for ionizing air are compared. The supersonic air flow is ionized by a pulse-periodic high-voltage discharge producing an air plasma with a conductivity of up to 20 S/m. The experimentally obtained magnetically induced current of 0.1 A is smaller than the rated value owing to the Hall effect and the electrode voltage drop. The theoretical possibility of obtaining a magnetically induced current in a supersonic air flow is demonstrated; such currents can subsequently be used for controlling the flow in air inlets of aircraft.     

Muonium/muonic hydrogen formation in atomic hydrogen

The muonium/muonic hydrogen atom formation in μ^±−H collisions is investigated, using a two-state approximation in a time dependent formalism. It is found that muonium cross-section results are similar to the cross-section results obtained for positronium formation in e⁺-H collision. Muonic hydrogen atom formation cross-sections in μ^--H collision are found to be significant in a narrow range of energy (5 eV–25 eV).     

Parity mixing in atomic hydrogen

Unified theories of electromagnetic and weak interactions predict a possible parity mixing of atomic states. We investigate such an effect in the n = 2 level of atomic hydrogen. Measurement of this effect could determine the spin- dependent weak interaction coupling constant between electron and proton.     

Dynamics of a supersonic plume moving along a magnetized plasma

A particle-in-cell code is used to investigate the evolution of a density plume moving through a background plasma with supersonic speed directed along the confinement magnetic field. For scale lengths representative of laboratory and auroral phenomena, the major nonlinear effects identified by the present simulations are the formation of a bipolar current system from the ballistic electrons, the appearance of transient potential layers, and the carving of deep density cavities. A 3D magnetic topology is generated by the self-consistent ballistic and diamagnetic currents that accompany highly localized potential layers.     

Numerical and analytical modelling of entropy noise in a supersonic nozzle with a shock

Analytical and numerical assessments of the indirect noise generated through a nozzle are presented. The configuration corresponds to an experiment achieved at DLR by Bake et al. [The entropy wave generator (EWG): a reference case on entropy noise, Journal of Sound and Vibration 326 (2009) 574-598] where an entropy wave is generated upstream of a nozzle by an electrical heating device. Both 3-D and 2-D axisymmetric simulations are performed to demonstrate that the experiment is mostly driven by linear acoustic phenomena, including pressure wave reflection at the outlet and entropy-to-acoustic conversion in the accelerated regions. Moreover, the spatial inhomogeneity of the upstream entropy fluctuation has no visible effect for the investigated frequency range (0-100 Hz). Similar results are obtained with a purely analytical method based on the compact nozzle approximation of Marble and Candel [Acoustic disturbances from gas nonuniformities convected through a nozzle, Journal of Sound and Vibration 55 (1977) 225-243] demonstrating that the DLR results can be reproduced simply on the basis of a low-frequency compact-elements approximation. Like in the present simulations, the analytical method shows that the acoustic impedance downstream of the nozzle must be accounted for to properly recover the experimental pressure signal. The analytical method can also be used to optimize the experimental parameters and avoid the interaction between transmitted and reflected waves.     

Anomalous conductance oscillations and half-metallicity in atomic Ag-O chains

Using spin density functional theory, we study the electronic and magnetic properties of atomically thin, suspended chains containing silver and oxygen atoms in an alternating sequence. Chains longer than 4 atoms develop a half-metallic ground state implying fully spin-polarized charge carriers. The conductances of the chains exhibit weak even-odd oscillations around an anomalously low value of 0.1G0 (G0=2e2/h) which coincide with the averaged experimental conductance in the long chain limit. The unusual conductance properties are explained in terms of a resonating-chain model, which takes the reflection probability and phase shift of a single bulk-chain interface as the only input. The model also explains the conductance oscillations for other metallic chains.     

Cross-beam atomic collision experiment between ultra-low-energy antiprotons and a supersonic gas jet

The antiproton is a unique projectile in the study of atomic collision physics. With an aim to produce an antiproton beam at atomic-physics energies for ‘pure’ collision experiments, we have so far developed techniques to decelerate, cool and confine antiprotons in vacuo. Our recent success in stable extraction of the beam has opened up the possibility to study ionization and atomic capture processes between an antiproton and an atom at an unprecedented low energy from 10 eV to 1 keV under the single-collision condition. We have prepared a powerful supersonic helium gas jet to be crossed with the antiproton beam. The reaction rate is of the order of 10^???4, and rigorous identification of particles is required for reduction of huge background counts. The reaction events are recognized by an electron signal followed by antiproton annihilation with an appropriate interval in the time of flight. Our design and strategy of the experiment are presented.     

Bow shock formation in a complex plasma

A bow shock is observed in a two-dimensional supersonic flow of charged microparticles in a complex plasma. A thin conducting needle is used to make a potential barrier as an obstacle for the particle flow in the complex plasma. The flow is generated and the flow velocity is controlled by changing a tilt angle of the device under the gravitational force. A void, microparticle-free region, is formed around the potential barrier surrounding the obstacle. The flow is bent around the leading edge of the void and forms an arcuate structure when the flow is supersonic. The structure is characterized by the bow shock as confirmed by a polytropic hydrodynamic theory as well as numerical simulation.     

Anomalous heating of a system of dust particles in a gas-discharge plasma

The coexistence of regions of negatively charged macroparticles with substantially different kinetic temperatures in a highly nonideal dusty plasma in a dc glow discharge has been observed experimentally. An explanation of the observed anomalous heating of the system of dust particles in a gas-discharge plasma is proposed on the basis of a molecular-dynamics model. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 6, 392–397 (25 September 1997)     

Anomalous scattering of a relativistic electron beam in a beam created plasma

Measurements of the velocity angular distribution of a relativistic electron beam (0.8 MV, 6 kA, 150 ns) after propagation through hydrogen gas are presented. At a pressure of 25 Pa scattering of the beam electrons into a preferential angular interval is observed. At 190 Pa anomalously large scattering is observed, up to an angular width of 90°, during about 30 ns.