Highly nonideal classical thermal plasmas: Experimental study of ordered macroparticle structures

The formation of spatially ordered CeO₂ particle structures in a thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of 1700–2200 K is studied. The spatial structure of the particles in the plasma is analyzed using laser time-of-flight counting of individual particles. Probe and optical diagnostics are used to determine the parameters of the thermal plasma. The CeO₂ particles were positively charged (about 10³ electronic charges). The resulting Coulomb interaction parameter for the particles is γ _p>120, which corresponds to a highly nonideal plasma. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 467–477 (February 1997)     

Coulomb zero bias anomaly for fractal geometry and conductivity of granular systems near the percolation threshold

A granular system slightly below the percolation threshold is a collection of finite metallic clusters, characterized by wide spectrum of sizes, resistances, and charging energies. Electrons hop from cluster to clusters via short insulating “links” of high resistance. At low temperatures all clusters are Coulomb blockaded and the dc-conductivity σ is exponentially suppressed. At lowest T the leading transport mechanism is variable range cotunneling via largest (critical) clusters, leading to the modified Efros-Shklovsky law. At intermediate temperatures the principal suppression of ρ originates from the Coulomb zero bias anomaly occurring, when electron tunnels between adjacent large clusters with large resistances. Such clusters are essentially extended objects and their internal dynamics should be taken into account. In this regime the T-dependence of ρ is stretched exponential with a nontrivial index, expressed through the indices of percolation theory. Due to the fractal structure of large clusters the anomaly is strongly enhanced: it arises not only in low dimensions, but also in d = 3 case.     

Inelastic partial cross sections for scattering of HF by neon

An analytic expression of the potential energy surface (PES) of the ground state of the Ne-HF complex is obtained by utilizing nonlinear least square method to fit the intermolecular interaction energies [Zhang Y. Guizhou Science, 2003, 21(3): 9–13 (in Chinese)], which have been computed using the augmented correlation-consistent polarized quadruple zeta basis set aug-cc-pVQZ at the theoretical level of CCSD (T). On the basis of the PES, the partial cross sections (PCSs) at the incident energies of 60, 75, 100 and 150 meV for collisions between Ne atoms and HF molecules are calculated using the quantum close coupling approach. The effects of the long-range attractive and the short-range anisotropic interactions on the inelastic PCSs are discussed in detail. The results show: (1) The long-range attractive well of the EPS makes the significant contribution to the lower excitation PCSs, especially the tail maximum for j = 0→j′ = 1 transitions, whereas no contribution is to the j′⩾3 inelastic transitions. (2) The short-range (the repulsive and attractive) interaction makes the significant contribution to the lower excitation PCSs, especially the main peak for j = 0→j′ = 1, 2. As for the transitions of j′⩾3, the short-range interaction plays a key role in the inelastic excitation. (3) Although the positions of the maximums and minimums of the inelastic PCSs are different at the collision energies, they correspond to almost the same impact parameter. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10676025 and 10574096)     

Mooij rule and weak localization

It has been shown that the observed correlation between the resistivity ρ of high-resistivity metallic alloys and the sign of the temperature derivative of their resistivity can be explained by taking into account the weak localization effect. This correlation is as follows: the derivative dρ/dT is negative for alloys with resistivity in the range of 150–300 μΩ cm, which corresponds to the mean free path of electrons about the interatomic distance; however, this derivative is positive for alloys with lower resistivities (Mooij rule).     

Donor states in tunnel-coupled quantum wells

We study the energy spectrum of the impurity states in tunnel-coupled double quantum wells for Coulomb and short-range donor potentials. We calculate the impurity contribution and the density of states and detect the transformation of a localized donor state into a resonant state when the binding energy of the donor in an isolated quantum well is less than the separation of the energy levels of the double quantum wells. In the opposite case, where the binding energy is greater than the level separation, there is tunneling repulsion between adjacent impurity levels, with the degree of degeneracy of the levels changing when there is tunneling mixing of the ground and excited impurity states from different wells. Resonant states emerge in an asymmetric double quantum well, while in a symmetric double quantum well the impurity level at the barrier’s center proves to be localized even against the background of the continuum. The calculations are based on a general expression for the impurity contribution to the density of states in terms of a 2-by-2 matrix Green’s function, i.e., only a pair of tunnel-coupled levels of the double quantum wells is taken into account. For an impurity with a short-range potential, we derive a matrix generalization of the Koster-Slater solution, while the impurity with a Coulomb potential is analyzed by using the approximation of a narrow resonance and close arrangement of the repulsive levels. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 1337–1352 (April 1999)     

Plasma waves in a nonideal plasma

This paper shows how the concepts commonly used for a Debye plasma—Landau damping, collisional damping, short-range and long-range collisions, and plasma waves—must be revised to describe a nonideal electron-ion plasma. The degrees of freedom of a nonideal plasma are divided into collective and individual. The increase and saturation of the fraction of collective degrees of freedom as the coupling constant increases is discussed. The Tatarskii approach for a system of coupled oscillators makes it possible to model the collective degrees of freedom of a nonideal plasma by a set of Langevin oscillators in a thermostat. The correlation energy and the energy of the plasma waves are found. The concepts developed here made it possible to determine the dispersion of the plasma waves and their damping. The effect of damping on the discrepancy between the position of the maximum of the dynamic structure factor and the real part of the solution of the dispersion equation is considered. The effective collision frequency of the individual degrees of freedom (the electrons) is estimated, taking into account both short-range pairwise scattering and scattering at plasma waves. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 880–896 (March 1998)     

Lowering of ionization potentials in a nonideal plasma

Analytical expressions are obtained for the ionization potentials of neutral atoms and ions in the screened Coulomb potential of a nonideal plasma. Among all the chemical elements considered, cesium exhibits the greatest relative lowering of the ionization potentials in comparison with the case of an unscreened interaction. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 45–50 (June 1998)     

A size effect in the optical properties of powdered TiO2

The spectral reflectivity ρ in the region 0.36–2.1 μm and its change Δρ with irradiation by 30 keV electrons versus the average grain sizer _av in a TiO₂ (rutile) powder has been studied in the range 1–7.5 μm. It has been established that the dependence of ρ onr _av differs for different regions of the spectrum, but there is a common increase of ρ in the size range 2.5–4 μm. The value of Δρ after irradiation is also less in powders with this range of sizes. It has been shown that the dependence Δρ=f(r _av) with increasing electron fluence from 2·10¹⁵ to 4·10¹⁶ is strengthened for one band and weakened for another. Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, Vol. 41, No. 12, pp. 52–58, December, 1998.     

Suppression of the scattering of conduction electrons by lattice phonons in palladium in the presence of small hydrogen (deuterium) inclusions

An increase has been found in the electrical conductivity of electrochemically dehydrogenated palladium hydrides (deuterides) as compared with original samples of pure palladium in a wide temperature range (75–300 K). It is shown that this effect is due to the suppression of the scattering of conduction electrons by phonons in the palladium lattice for T⩾θ (θ is the Debye temperature) in the presence of clusters of quasimetallic hydrogen (deuterium). Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 2113–2117 (December 1997)     

Ion conduction and space-charge polarization processes in Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>7</Subscript>O<Subscript>15</Subscript> crystals

The electrical properties of a lithium heptagermanate (Li₂Ge₇O₁₅) crystal have been studied in DC and AC measuring fields at temperatures from 500 to 700 K. In a DC field, a substantial decrease of electrical conductivity σ with time has been detected. On the basis of kinetic dependences σ(t), estimates of the charge carrier diffusion coefficient D have been obtained. In the frequency range 10¹–10⁵ Hz, the spectra of complex impedance ρ*(f) have been measured. The analysis of diagrams in the complex plane (ρ″–ρ′) has been performed within the equivalent circuit approach. It has been shown that, in the considered temperature and frequency intervals, the electrical properties of Li₂Ge₇O₁₅ crystals have been determined by the hopping conduction of interstitial lithium ions A _Li and accumulation of charge carriers near the blocking Pt electrodes.     

Influence of grain boundaries on resistivity of manganites La1 − x K x MnO3

Results of investigation of resistivity and magnetoresistance of manganites La_{1 − x} K _x MnO₃ (x = 0.050–0.175) are presented. Behavior of resistivity ρ(T) in the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases has been described. To describe ρ(T) near the phase-transition temperature, notions of the percolation theory have been used. Two maxima have been found in the dependence ρ(T); their appearance has been attributed to the ceramic nature of the studied samples. The observed increase in magnetoresistance with a decrease in temperature is caused by intergranular spin-polarized tunneling of charge carriers.     

Pion-nucleus optical potential: The pion-absorption contribution

The real and imaginary parts of pion-nucleus optical potential arising from pion absorption channel have been computed. A two-nucleon model of pion absorption which includesπ andρ rescattering andS-wave interaction has been used. The effects of short-range nucleon-nucleon correlations, Pauli blocking and formfactors have been included. The threshold values of imaginary absorption potential are reasonably close to density-squared terms of phenomenological potentials. The real part ofP-wave potential is attractive and that ofS-wave potential is weakly attractive at lower pion energies and changes sign as pion energy is increased. The calculation shows that the real part of absorption is significantly affected by short-range correlations and Pauli-blocking.     

SCQGP in quark stars

From an analogy with non-relativistic degenerate QED plasma we make an estimate of the coupling strength of QGP hypothesized to be present in compact star interiors. At densities ranging from 3ρ ₀–10ρ ₀ (normal nuclear density ρ ₀=0.16 fm⁻³), quark matter is found to be strongly to intermediately coupled. The equation of state for QED plasma obtained via Pade approximation, modified to QGP, yields stable stellar sequences with maximum mass ≳2M _⊙ for B ^1/4≲215 MeV.     

Magnetoresistance and Hall effect in La0.8Sr0.2MnO3

A comparative study of the longitudinal ρ _xx and transverse ρ _xy resistivities and magnetic susceptibility χ _ac of La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ single crystals and ceramic samples has been conducted in a wide range of temperatures T=1.7–370 K and magnetic fields, H=0–13.6 T. It turned out that the relation ρ _xy ∼ρ _xx , which is expected to hold in the case of carrier scattering by magnetic fluctuations, applies to the single crystals. In polycrystals, an additional H-dependent contribution to the resistivity tentatively attributed to plane (near grain boundaries) and bulk “defects” of the magnetic sublattice has been detected. The scattering of carriers by these defects does not make a notable contribution to the anomalous Hall effect and magnetic susceptibility χ _ac. As a result, the curve of ρ _xy versus ρ _xx seems to be steeper than a linear dependence. Under the assumption that the materials under investigation are metals with constant carrier concentrations, the conductivity σ=1/ρ _xx due to the critical magnetic scattering calculated in the molecular field approximation reproduces the main features of experimental data, namely, the drop in the amplitude and shift of the resistivity peak near the Curie point with increasing magnetic field H and also a relatively slow change in the derivative dσ/dH with increasing temperature in the region T⩽T _C . The large hole concentration of about two per unit cell derived from Hall measurements indicates that carriers of opposite signs can coexist in these materials. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 116, 671–683 (August 1999)     

Electrical conductivity of nonideal hydrogen plasma at megabar dynamic pressures

The electrical conductivity of a nonideal hydrogen plasma is measured under shock-wave compression to pressures ∼1.5 Mbar. It is found that the conductivity increases sharply (by five orders of magnitude) at a density ρ∼0.3−0.4 g/cm³, reaching close to liquid-metal values ∼10³ S/cm. The data obtained can be described by a nonideal-plasma model taking into account the increase in the number of conduction electrons as a result of “ionization by pressure.” Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 12, 874–878 (25 June 1999)     

Exact Results for Thermodynamics of the Hydrogen Plasma: Low-Temperature Expansions Beyond Saha Theory

We study hydrogen in the Saha regime, within the physical picture in terms of a quantum proton-electron plasma. Long ago, Saha showed that, at sufficiently low densities and low temperatures, the system behaves almost as an ideal mixture made with hydrogen atoms in their groundstate, ionized protons and ionized electrons. More recently, that result has been rigorously proved in some scaling limit where both temperature and density vanish. In that Saha regime, we derive exact low-temperature expansions for the pressure and internal energy, where density ρ is rescaled in units of a temperature-dependent density ρ ^* which controls the cross-over between full ionization (ρ ≪ ρ ^* ) and full atomic recombination (ρ≫ρ ^* ). Each term reduces to a function of ρ/ρ ^* times temperature-dependent functions which decay exponentially fast when temperature T vanishes. Scaled expansions are ordered with respect to the corresponding decay rates. Leading terms do reduce to ideal contributions obtained within Saha theory. We consistently compute all corrections which are exponentially smaller by a factor exp (β E _H ) at most, where E _H is the negative groundstate energy of a hydrogen atom and β=1/(k _B T). They include all effects arising from both the Coulomb potential and the quantum nature of the particles: excitations of atoms H, formation of molecules H ₂, ions H ₂⁺ and H ⁻, thermal and pressure ionization, plasma polarization, screening, interactions between atoms and ionized charges, etc. Scaled low-temperature expansions can be viewed as partial resummations of usual virial expansions up to arbitrary high orders in the density.     

Weak-field Hall resistance and effective carrier density measurements across the metal-insulator transition in Si-MOS structures

The weak-field Hall voltage in Si-MOS structures with different mobility is studied on both sides of the metal-insulator transition. In the vicinity of the critical density on the metallic side of the transition, the Hall voltage is found to deviate by 6–20 % from its classical value. The deviation does not correlate with the strong temperature dependence of the diagonal resistivity ρ _xx (T). In particular, the smallest deviation in R _xy is found in the highest-mobility sample, which exhibits the largest variation in the diagonal resistivity ρ _xx with temperature. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 1, 48–52 (10 July 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Formation of a plane layer of plasma under irradiation by a soft X-ray source

We investigate theoretically the formation of a plasma in a plane layer of polymer foam (density ρ = 0.002 g/cm³ and thickness 800 μm) under the action of an external source of soft X-ray radiation under the conditions of PHELIX experiments. The incident flux is assumed to have a Planck’s distribution over the spectrum with T _rad = 20–40 eV. In numerical calculations, the flux of incident X-ray radiation and the spectral constants of the target substance are varied. The action of an external X-ray radiation source on a low-density foam substance with a density of 2 mg/cm³ causes a plasma to be formed with relatively homogeneous profiles of density and temperature T = 15–35 eV. Absorption of externalradiation energy is distributed in the volume. The plasma temperature increases with increase in the external energy, and the energy passed through the plasma also increases. The results prove to be sensitive to the values of optical constants used in numeral simulation. The spectral flux of external radiation passed through the plasma is chosen as a criterion of correctness of the optical constants used in the calculations. In future experiments using the PHELIX facility, we plan to investigate the slowing-down of an ion beam in a plasma formed as a result of indirect heating of low-density polymer triacetate cellulose (TAC) foam with densities ρ = 0.001–0.01 g/cm³ under the action of a pulse of X-ray radiation, into which the laser radiation is preliminarily transformed.     

Phase transition in metallic plasmas

An estimate is made for the energy of a virtual atomic structure on the metallic side of the metal-nonmetal transition in a dense plasma. On the assumption of a nearly uniform valence electron density, the interatomic interaction is treated as a Madelung energy, which is found to be approximately one-third of that for the one-component plasma model. Our estimate is verified by solving numerically the pseudowave equation for the valence electrons in ellipsoidal atomic cells which are compatible with the percolation structure of overlapping classically accessible spheres. The critical value of the Coulomb coupling parameter has been shown to agree with experiment at the liquid-gas critical points of cesium and rubidium, which can be identified with the plasma-phase-transition critical points. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 11, 849–854 (10 June 1996) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Magnetotransport properties of La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> with different grain sizes

The magnetotransport and magnetoresistive (MR) properties of manganese-based La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ perovskite with different grain sizes are reported. The electrical resistivity was measured as a function of temperature in magnetic fields of 0.5 and 1 T. The insulator–metal transition temperature, T _IM, shifted to a higher temperature with the application of the magnetic field. In zero field, T _IM is almost constant (∼271 K) for all samples except for the sample with the largest grain size, where T _IM=265 K. The temperature dependence of resistivity was fitted with several equations in the metallic (ferromagnetic) region and the insulating (paramagnetic) region. The density of states at the Fermi level, N(E _F), and the activation energy of electron hopping were estimated by fitting the resistivity versus temperature curves. The ρ–T ² curves are nearly linear in the metallic regime, but the ρ–T ^2.5 curves exhibit a deviation from linearity. The variable range hopping model and small polaron hopping model fit the data well in the high-temperature region, indicating the existence of the Jahn–Teller distortion that localizes the charge carriers. MR was found to increase with an increase in the magnetic field, an effect which is attributed to the intergrain spin tunneling effect.