High temperature equation of state of metallic hydrogen

The equation of state of liquid metallic hydrogen is solved numerically. Investigations are carried out at temperatures from 3000 to 20 000 K and densities from 0.2 to 3 mol/cm³, which correspond both to the experimental conditions under which metallic hydrogen is produced on earth and the conditions in the cores of giant planets of the solar system such as Jupiter and Saturn. It is assumed that hydrogen is in an atomic state and all its electrons are collectivized. Perturbation theory in the electron-proton interaction is applied to determine the thermodynamic potentials of metallic hydrogen. The electron subsystem is considered in the randomphase approximation with regard to the exchange interaction and the correlation of electrons in the local-field approximation. The proton-proton interaction is taken into account in the hard-spheres approximation. The thermodynamic characteristics of metallic hydrogen are calculated with regard to the zero-, second-, and third-order perturbation theory terms. The third-order term proves to be rather essential at moderately high temperatures and densities, although it is much smaller than the second-order term. The thermodynamic potentials of metallic hydrogen are monotonically increasing functions of density and temperature. The values of pressure for the temperatures and pressures that are characteristic of the conditions under which metallic hydrogen is produced on earth coincide with the corresponding values reported by the discoverers of metallic hydrogen to a high degree of accuracy. The temperature and density ranges are found in which there exists a liquid phase of metallic hydrogen.     

Effect of neutral particles on high-frequency conductivity of plasma

Diagram technique of the temperature-dependent Green's functions is used to study the effect of neutral particles on the high-frequency conductivity of high-temperature plasma in the Born approximation. Assuming that the frequency of the electric field is much larger than the collision frequency of the electrons with neutral particles, expressions are derived for Re ^en () in two cases: 1. the neutral particles and electrons are regarded as hard, elastic spheres, 2. the neutral particles are hydrogen atoms in the ground state.In conclusion the author thanks J. Teichmann, C.Sc., for suggesting this work and for valuable discussions.     

Collisional and radiative processes with participation of highly excited states of atoms and molecules

A number of processes in which highly excited states of atoms and molecules participate are investigated. These processes are of interest for the kinetics of a low-temperature plasma, for atomic and molecular spectroscopy, and for astrophysics. A quasiclassical theory is developed for transitions between Rydberg states with change of the principal quantum number, and also for the processes of direct and associative ionization of highly excited atoms, which result from collisions between a neutral particle and its atomic core. The state of the inner electrons of a quasimolecular (molecular) ion is not altered by transitions of the outer electrons. Specific calculations are carried out for the case of the collision of hydrogen H(n) with helium He (1s²) atoms. It is shown that the cross sections and the rate constants of these processes are determined in this case by the mechanism investigated in the paper, and not by scattering of the Rydberg electron by the neutral particle. The cross sections for dipole excitation and dissociation of molecular ions from high vibrational energy levels by electron impact is calculated in the Born-Coulomb approximation. The cross sections and the rates of dissociative and three-particle attachment of electrons to ions are determined. The processes of autoionization and autodissociation decay of Rydberg states of vibrationally excited molecules are determined. Also investigated are radiative transitions near the dissociation limit of diatomic molecular ions and neutral molecules, viz., photodissociation and radiative decay of high vibrational levels, and photodissociation and translational (inverse-bremsstrahlung) absorption in collision of atomic particles.Translated from Trudy Ordena Lenina Fizicheskogo Instituta im. P. Lebedeva AN SSSR, Vol. 145, pp. 80–130, 1984.     

Scattering of low-energy atoms by metallic surfaces

The problem of a neutral low-energy atom impinging on a well-defined metallic surface is approached from first principles. The solid and its potential energy of interaction with the incident atom is treated in the most general way, but under the following assumptions: (a) the conduction electrons interact adiabatically with the lattice ions and the gas atom; (b) no chemical reactions occur; (c) the one-phonon approximation is valid. The scattering amplitudes for surface and bulk mode excitations are obtained in terms of the dynamical properties of the metallic surface. Direct collisions of the incident atoms with the lattice ions are shown to give a negligible contribution to the scattering. The most important contribution comes from the interaction of the gas atom with the surface conduction electrons; the excitation of lattice vibrational modes occurs through the electron-phonon term of the Hamiltonian. The general expressions for the scattering amplitudes obtained show that the scattering is incoherent. With further assumptions one obtains a separation of the scattering amplitude into a coherent and incoherent part.     

Observability of a projected new state of matter: a metallic superfluid

Dissipationless quantum states, such as superconductivity and superfluidity, have attracted interest for almost a century. A variety of systems exhibit these macroscopic quantum phenomena, ranging from superconducting electrons in metals to superfluid liquids, atomic vapors, and even large nuclei. It was recently suggested that liquid metallic hydrogen could form two new and unusual dissipationless quantum states, namely, the metallic superfluid and the superconducting superfluid. Liquid metallic hydrogen is projected to occur only at an extremely high pressure of about 400 GPa, with pressures on hydrogen of 320 GPa having already been reported. The issue to be addressed is whether this state could be experimentally observable in principle. We propose four experimental probes for detecting it.     

Solid hydrogen. Ground-state energy,pressure, compressibility and phase transition at high densities

The ground-state energy, the pressure and the compressibility of solid molecular hydrogen is calculated by means of a modified Brueckner theory. The Bethe-Gold-stone equation is solved to give the reaction matrix or the effective interaction in coordinate space, and the ground-state energy for hcp and fcp hydrogen is calculated. Also, the pressure and the compressibility is estimated from the dependence of the ground-state energy on density or molar volume. The possibility of a phase transition from solid molecular hydrogen into a metallic atomic phase is also considered. The ground-state energy and pressure for bcc atomic hydrogen is calculated, and a phase transition is found to occur at a pressure of 1.2·10⁶ atm.     

Electron-forbidden energy gap of hydrogen in a wide pressure interval

A simple model is used for estimating the bottom energy of the electron conduction band and the electron-forbidden gap energy. It is shown that electrons in liquid hydrogen are localized not in electron bubbles, as was considered previously, but in molecular negative ions surrounded by voids about 0.5 nm in radius. The conductivity of fluid hydrogen at not very high pressures is connected to transfer of positively charged clusters and negatively charged bubbles. As the pressure and density increase, molecular dissociation occurs and electron localization on atoms becomes more favorable, also with the creation of a void around atomic negative ions. At a sufficiently high concentration of atoms, the probability of tunnel transition of an electron from one atom to another becomes close to unity, the energy level of the negative ion degenerates in the band, and the conductivity is caused by the transfer of these quasifree electrons. It is supposed that this charge transfer mechanism may play an important role in the region of fluid hydrogen metallization.     

Time-domain investigation of electron recapture via post-collision interaction in a double photoionization continuum

Picosecond laser pulses have been used to sequentially photoionize both valence electrons from neutral Ba atoms, producing two radially localized continuum wave packets. The Coulomb interaction between the two outgoing electrons can result in the recapture of one of the electrons by the parent ion. The energy distribution of Rydberg ions formed via this "post-collision" interaction is measured as a function of the delay between the ionizing laser pulses. The experimental data are in agreement with the results of both a quantum sudden approximation and a classical simulation.     

Galvanomagnetic and Thermomagnetic Properties of a Nonideal Xenon Plasma at Megabar Pressures in Megagauss Magnetic Fields

A method has been developed for the calculation of tensors of the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity of a nonideal plasma in a magnetic field within a unified approach where the kinetic coefficients are calculated together with the equation of state of the nonideal plasma within a quasichemical model. The calculations have shown that the Seebeck coefficient in xenon reaches 3 mV/K, which is slightly smaller than that in hydrogen or deuterium, and the figure of merit appears to be insignificantly higher in xenon. Consequently, the transition from hydrogen (deuterium) to xenon does not result in the expected noticeable improvement of thermoelectric properties. This is due to lower values of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity, as well as to a fast increase in the thermal conductivity of neutral xenon with an increase in its density. It has been shown for the first time that there is a density range where all components of the Seebeck tensor in xenon change their sign because of the Ramsauer minimum in the cross section for scattering of electrons on neutral atoms in the region of comparable values of cyclotron and transport frequencies of electrons.     

金属靶和绝缘靶对飞秒激光吸收的比较

利用脉宽为150fs、强度为8×10¹⁵W/cm²的P偏振飞秒激光研究了与 金属靶和绝缘靶 相互作用过程中的激光能量吸收、超热电子产额及超热电子能谱. 实验发现，由于绝缘靶电 导率小，因此其电荷分离势大于金属靶，从而导致绝缘靶比金属靶具有较小的激光能量吸收 、较少的超热电子发射和较高的超热电子温度. 关键词： 金属靶 绝缘靶 激光吸收 超热电子     

Effects of atomic number Z on the energy distribution of hot electrons generated by femtosecond laser interaction with metallic targets

The effects of atomic number Z on the energy distribution of hot electrons generated by the interaction of 60fs, 130mJ, 800nm, and 7×10^17W/cm^2 laser pulses with metallic targets have been studied experimentally. The results show that the number and the effective temperature of hot electrons increase with the atomic number Z of metallic targets, and the temperature of hot electrons are in the range of 190-230keV, which is consistent with a scaling law of hot electrons temperature.     

Electron-phonon interaction and localization of surface-state carriers in a metallic monolayer

Temperature-dependent electron transport in a metallic surface superstructure, Si(111)sqrt[3] x sqrt[3]-Ag, was studied by a micro-four-point probe method and photoemission spectroscopy. The surface-state conductivity exhibits a sharp transition from metallic conduction to strong localization at approximately 150 K. The metallic regime is due to electron-phonon interaction while the localization seemingly originates from coherency of electron waves. Random potential variations, caused by Friedel oscillations of surface electrons around defects, likely induce strong carrier localization.     

Semi-leptonic weak and electromagnetic interactions in nuclei:: Parity violations in electron scattering and weak neutral currents

A general result for the difference in differential cross sections for electron scattering between any two nuclear levels with incident longitudinally polarized right- and left-handed electrons is derived. This difference must involve the parity-violating weak interaction at least linearly and can be used to study weak neutral currents as pointed out by Feinberg. A V — A structure for the weak neutral currents is assumed with a semi-leptonic current-current interaction, and the electromagnetic interaction is treated in the one-photon-exchange approximation. The result is expressed in terms of the same set of reduced matrix elements of the multipoles of the nuclear currents which govern all electromagnetic and weak transitions between these levels. A previously developed unified analysis of semi-leptonic weak and electromagnetic interactions in nuclei which determines one-body transition densities, including their spin and spatial dependences, through electron scattering provides nuclear transitions to serve as known analyzers in testing the structure of this part of the weak interaction. Examples are given using Weinberg's model of the weak neutral currents. Feinberg's result for elastic scattering from spin-0 nuclei is rederived and two new examples using previously determined one-body densities are discussed : the 1⁺0 → 0⁺1 (3.56 MeV) transition in ⁶Li and the 0⁺0 → 1⁺ 1(15.1 MeV) transition in ¹²C.     

金属薄膜的量子输运理论

运用格林函数方法和久保公式研究金属薄膜中的电子输运．考虑了量子尺寸效应及来自杂质和两个粗糙表面的散射，计算单粒子格林函数和平行电导率．计算结果表明：（1）在薄膜系统中，电子数密度、平均自由程以及来自杂质和表面散射的电导率都以π/k_F（k_F为费密波矢的数值）为周期随厚度d振荡；（2）在薄膜和厚膜的两种极限、以及取表面粗糙度的最低阶近似下的结果可以推出用半经典和量子方法所得的金属薄膜的电导公式 关键词：     

A converging equation of state of a weakly nonideal hydrogen plasma without mystery

A detailed independent derivation of the equation of state of a weakly nonideal hydrogen plasma is presented. The impetus for this work was the demand for high accuracy of the equation of state of the solar plasma in relation to the problems of modern helioseismology, accuracy sufficient for reproducing the velocity of sound on the Sun from optical measurement results with errors not exceeding 10^?4. The existing equations for the second virial coefficient in the expansion of the Helmholtz thermodynamic potential for a system of electrons and protons in powers of the activities of these particles involve certain procedures for the removal of the arising divergences that provoke questions and require independent verification. The suggested equation of state is used to qualitatively estimate the accuracy of various physical and chemical models. The speed of sound and adiabatic exponent calculated along the solar trajectory are presented for a model hydrogen plasma. The calculations were performed with the inclusion of relativistic corrections, electron degeneracy effects, radiation pressure in the plasma, Coulomb interaction in the Debye-Hückel approximation with diffraction and exchange corrections, and converging contributions of bound and scattering states.     

A neutrino (antineutrino)-induced four lepton event

We report observation of a neutrino (antineutrino)-induced event with two electrons, one positron, one positively charged muon, a neutral K meson, and seven gammas in an experiment performed in the FNAL 15-ft. bubble chamber with a 47% atomic mixture of neon in hydrogen. Estimated experimental electron backgrounds are ～10^?4 per track. At present we have no plausible interpretation of this event.