On the Stark broadening of the 537.8 nm and 441.6 nm Cd<Superscript>+</Superscript> lines excited in a hollow cathode laser discharge

On the basis of available experimental and theoretical data the role of the Stark effect in the homogeneous line broadening of the green and blue laser lines in a hollow cathode He-Cd⁺ laser discharge is discussed. It is found, that at typical laser discharge parameters, for the 538 nm line the Stark line-width amounts to _s(538 nm)=290 MHz, which is comparable with the natural line-width broadened by collisions with neutral atoms _c(538 nm)=370 MHz. For the 442 nm line, however, both are significantly smaller: _s(442 nm)=83 MHz and _c(442 nm)=200 MHz. The increased homogeneous line-width can result in single mode operation for the green line, while for the blue one it does not. PACS 32.70.Jz; 32.60.+i     

Two-photon absorption in TeO2-PbO glasses excited at 532 and 590 nm

Degenerate two-photon absorption (TPA) in a binary glass with composition TeO₂-PbO is reported. The TPA coefficient, α₂, obtained with nanosecond laser pulses at 532 and 590 nm, increases when the relative amount of PbO is increased. The maximum TPA coefficient, α₂= 12.6 cm/GW, is comparable to or larger than the values reported for crystalline semiconductors and other recently reported glasses. PACS 42.70.-a; 42.65.-k; 42.70.Ce; 42.62.Fi     

134 nm vacuum ultraviolet emission using an Ar/Kr gas mixture excited by a quasi-continuous-wave gas jet discharge

We have developed a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) lamp at 134 nm with a quasi-point emission geometry using a quasi-continuous-wave (cw) gas jet discharge of an Ar/Kr gas mixture. We have unambiguously identified a new emission continuum centered at 134 nm as a transition of Ar-Kr hetero-nuclear excimers (ArKr^*). The VUV emission power of the 134 nm continuum was 10 mW at 21 atm of the total Ar/Kr stagnation gas pressure, at a Kr concentration of 0.1%. Characteristic energy transfer between atoms and dimers plays an important role for the efficient production of ArKr^* in such a gas jet discharge. Received: 15 June 2000 / Revised version: 31 July 2000 / Published online: 22 November 2000     

Enhanced optical gain in a discharge excited XeF C → A medium

Optical gain measurements are described on the XeF C → A transition in an intensely-pumped UV-preionised discharge at high pressures. High current and heavy, uniform preionisation of the discharge give rise to large optical gain coefficients (α = 2 × 10^-2cm^-1). The parametric dependence of gain and absorption over a wide range of gas mixtures is described.     

Discharge and emission parameters of a plasma electron source based on a discharge in crossed E × H fields with various cathode materials

The possibility of using a plasma electron source (PES) with a discharge in crossed E × H field for compensating the ion beam from an end-Hall ion source (EHIS) is analyzed. The PES used as a neutralizer is mounted in the immediate vicinity of the EHIS ion generation and acceleration region at 90° to the source axis. The behavior of the discharge and emission parameters of the EHIS is determined for operation with a filament neutralizer and a plasma electron source. It is found that the maximal discharge current from the ion source attains a value of 3.8 A for operation with a PES and 4 A for operation with a filament compensator. It is established that the maximal discharge current for the ion source strongly depends on the working gas flow rate for low flow rates (up to 10 ml/min) in the EHIS; for higher flow rates, the maximum discharge current in the EHIS depends only on the emissivity of the PES. Analysis of the emission parameters of EHISs with filament and plasma neutralizers shows that the ion beam current and the ion current density distribution profile are independent of the type of the electron source and the ion current density can be as high as 0.2 mA/cm² at a distance of 25 cm from the EHIS anode. The balance of currents in the ion source-electron source system is considered on the basis of analysis of operation of EHISs with various sources of electrons. It is concluded that the neutralization current required for operation of an ion source in the discharge compensation mode must be equal to or larger than the discharge current of the ion source. The use of PES for compensating the ion beam from an end-Hall ion source proved to be effective in processes of ion-assisted deposition of thin films using reactive gases like O₂ or N₂. The application of the PES technique makes it possible to increase the lifetime of the ion-assisted deposition system by an order of magnitude (the lifetime with a Ti cathode is at least 60 h and is limited by the replacement life of the deposited cathode insertion).     

Dispersion and Collapse in Stochastic Velocity Fields on a Cylinder

The dynamics of fluid particles on cylindrical manifolds is investigated. The velocity field is obtained by generalizing the isotropic Kraichnan ensemble, and is therefore Gaussian and decorrelated in time. The degree of compressibility is such that when the radius of the cylinder tends to infinity the fluid particles separate in an explosive way. Nevertheless, when the radius is finite the transition probability of the two-particle separation converges to an invariant measure. This behavior is due to the large-scale compressibility generated by the compactification of one dimension of the space.     

Characterisation of electric discharge in hollow electrode Z-pinch device by means of Rogowski coils

In this paper, the energy spectra of the general molecular potential are obtained using the asymptotic iteration method within the framework of non-relativistic quantum mechanics.With the energy spectrum obtained, the vibrational partition function is calculated in a closed form and is used to obtain an expression for other thermodynamic functions such as vibrational mean energy U, vibrational mean free energy F, vibrational entropy S and vibrational specific heat capacity C. These thermodynamic functions are studied for the electronic state \(\mathrm{X}^{1}\Sigma _g^+ \) of \(K_2\) diatomic molecules.     

Laser gain measurements at 193 nm in a small discharge cell containing ArF excimer laser gas mixtures

Spatial and temporal gain profiles as well as the peak net gain at 193 nm have been measured in X-ray preionized discharges excited by a single pulse electrical system working in the charge transfer mode. Ar- and F₂-containing laser gas mixtures with He or Ne as a buffer gas have been used. With a pumping pulse duration of ∼ 100 ns (FWHM) and a specific peak power deposition of ∼ 1 MW cm^-3 bar^-1 in a gas mixture containing F₂ : Ar : He (0.1%:5%:94.9%), at 2 bar total pressure, a very high peak net gain coefficient of ∼ 30% cm^-1 was measured in the gas discharge. The FWHM of the gain waveform was ∼ 60 ns. PACS 42.55.Lt; 42.60.Lh; 52.80.-s     

Microstructural studies on degradation of interface between LSM–YSZ cathode and YSZ electrolyte in SOFCs

The changes in the cathode/electrolyte interface microstructure have been studied on anode-supported technological solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that were subjected to long-term (1500 h) testing at 750 °C under high electrical loading (a current density of 0.75 A/cm²). These cells exhibit different cathode degradation rates depending on, among others, the composition of the cathode gas, being significantly smaller in oxygen than in air. FE-SEM and high resolution analytical TEM were applied for characterization of the interface on a submicron- and nano-scale. The interface degradation has been identified as the loss of LSM coverage and the loss of three-phase-boundary (TPB) length. Firstly, the degradation is caused by the size reduction of the individual LSM/YSZ electrolyte contact points (areas) that are initially of 100–200 nm in diameter. Quantitative microstructure evaluation shows that in the cell tested in air this mechanism contributes to an estimated overall reduction in the LSM coverage and the TPB length by 50 and 30%, respectively. For the cell tested in oxygen the corresponding values are 10 and 4%. Secondly, in the cell tested in air the LSM coverage and the TPB length appear to decrease further due to the more pronounced formation of insulating zirconate phases that are present locally and preferably in LSM/YSZ electrolyte contact areas. The effects of the cathode gas on the interface degradation are discussed considering the change of oxygen activity at the interface, possible changes in the Mn diffusion pattern as well as the LSM/YSZ reactivity. Finally, based on thermodynamic calculations a T–p(O₂) diagram predicting the safe and risky operation conditions in terms of the zirconate formation is presented and compared with the experimental observations.     

DD reaction enhancement and X-ray generation in a high-current pulsed glow discharge in deuterium with titanium cathode at 0.8–2.45 kV

The DD reaction yield (3-MeV protons) and the soft X-ray emission from a titanium (Ti) cathode surface in a periodic pulsed glow discharge in deuterium were studied at a discharge voltage of 0.8–2.45 kV and a discharge current density of 300–600 mA/cm². The electron screening potential U_e = 610 ± 150 eV was estimated in the range of deuteron energies 0.8 keV < E_d < 2.45 keV from an analysis of the DD reaction yield as a function of the accelerating voltage. The obtained data show evidence for a significant enhancement of the DD reaction yield in Ti in comparison to both theoretical estimates (based on the extrapolation of the known DD reaction cross section for E_d ≥ 5 keV to low deuteron energies in the Bosch-Halle approximation) and the results of experiments using accelerators at the deuteron energies E_lab ≥ 2.5 keV and current densities 50–500 μ A/cm². Intense emission of soft X-ray quanta (10¹³–10¹⁴ s^?1 cm^?2) was observed at an average energy of 1.2–1.5 keV. The X-ray emission intensity and the DD reaction yield enhancement strongly depend on the rate of deuterium diffusion in a thin subsurface layer of Ti cathode.     

Spectral structure of 510.6 and 578.2 nm lines in?a?CuBr?vapor?laser

Considering the hyperfine structure and the isotopic splitting of copper active atomic levels, the temporal behavior of the spectral structure of amplified spontaneous emission at 510.6 nm line was calculated. The spectral line shapes of 510.6 and 578.2 nm laser lines were measured and compared with the calculated results at different experimental configurations, i.e., without cavity mirrors, with the back mirror, and with cavity mirrors. The results of the 578.2 nm line revealed that the mode competition was involved in the formation of laser oscillation.     

Laser induced incandescence determination of the ratio of the soot absorption functions at 532 nm and 1064 nm in the nucleation zone of a low pressure premixed sooting flame

In this work, the two-excitation wavelength laser induced incandescence (LII) method has been applied in a low-pressure premixed methane/oxygen/nitrogen flame (equivalence ratio 2.32) to determine the variation of the ratio of the soot absorption functions at 532 nm and 1064 nm E(m,532 nm)/E(m,1064 nm) along the flame. This method relies on the comparison of LII signals measured upon two different excitation wavelengths (here 532 nm and 1064 nm) and with laser fluences selected in such a way that the soot particles are equally laser-heated. The comparison of the laser fluences at 532 nm and 1064 nm leads to an easy determination of E(m,532 nm)/E(m,1064 nm). The reliability of the method is demonstrated for the first time in a low pressure flame in which the soot nucleation zone can be spatially resolved and which contains soot particles acting differently with the laser fluence according to their residence time in the flame. The method is then applied to determine the profile of E(m,532 nm)/E(m,1064 nm) along the flame. A very important decrease of this ratio is observed in the region of nascent soot, while the ratio remains constant at high distance above the burner. Implication on temperature determination from spectrally resolved measurement of flame emission is studied.     

New approaches inμ + SR studies on critical phenomena in Ni

The critical phenomena in Ni are probed by pulsedSR method under longitudinal- and zero external magnetic fields. The sample magnetization around the critical temperature is confirmed simultaneously by bulk magnetization measurement in situ, disappearance of transverseSR signal and recovery of asymmetry under longitudinal field. At the same time, the ratio of the ⁺ hyperfine field to the bulk magnetization in the ferromagnetic phase below the critical temperature is determined from the observables obtained only in the present experiment. The zero- and low-field longitudinal relaxation rate of muon does not diverge in approaching toT _c in the paramagnetic region, but seems to reach a saturation value.This work is supported by the Grand-in-Aid of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.     

Time-resolved EPR and ODMR studies on the lowest excited triplet states of α-silyl and α-germyl ketones

Sublevel properties of the lowest excited triplet (T¹) nπ* states of α-silyl and α-germyl ketones were examined by means of ODMR, time-resolved EPR and optical spectroscopy. The EPR parameters, D, E and g, population ratios, and triplet lifetimes were obtained. The D value and the triplet lifetime varied among the molecules. In contrast the E value and population ratio remains nearly the same. These properties together with their solvent dependence and emission properties are interpreted in terms of spin-orbit couplings between T₁ (nπ*) and higher S₁ (nπ*), T₂ (ππ*) and S₂ (ππ*) states. An origin of the remarkable red-shifts of ^1,3 (π*) are discussed based on a model of delocalized n, π and π* electrons over the Si and Ge atoms. This model is also consistent with all the triplet properties obtained.     

Squarks and gluinos at a TeV e + e − collider: testing the identity of Yukawa and gauge couplings in SUSY-QCD

Supersymmetry predicts the identity of Yukawa and gauge couplings in the QCD sector: . We examine whether the  Yukawa coupling can be determined, by methods complementary to LHC, by analyzing squark–gluino final states at a TeV e ⁺ e ⁻ collider.     

B 2Σ u + excited states of the N + 2 ion and the electron temperature in the discharge afterglow of an Ar-N2 mixture

The electron energy distribution function in the afterglow of a low-pressure discharge in an Ar-N₂ mixture was experimentally found. The values of electron temperature were determined. At the initial stage of plasma decay, the electron temperature was shown to be close to the nitrogen vibrational temperature. A study was made of the afterglow observed in the bands of the first negative system of N ₊ ² , and it is shown that this afterglow may be attributed to collisions of argon ions with nitrogen molecules found on higher vibrational levels.     

Stability of QED Vacuum and 3+1 Dimensional Scattering Problem in the Presence of a Coulomb Scalar Potential and Vector Field

We show that, in the presence of a scalar field the range of the value of external field parameters a and b, at which corresponding Hamiltonian operator is hermitian, essentially wider than in its absence. It allows us to study precisely the question on stability of QED vacuum in the presence of a strong electric field of a point charge Z|e| and external scalar Coulomb field with respect to electron-positron pair production. Also, we consider the scattering of Dirac particle by the specified fields in 3+1 dimensions. The phase shift and wave functions are obtained exactly. We calculate the scattering amplitude in a quasi-classical approximation as a partial wave series. By means of figures obtained for the cross section σ(θ) in general and special cases, such as a≠b and a=b, we find that σ(θ) is not exactly symmetric about θ=π.     

Nonlinear optical and optical limiting studies of alkoxy phthalocyanines in solutions studied at 532 nm with nanosecond pulse excitation

We report our results on the nonlinear optical and optical limiting properties of two alkoxy phthalocyanines namely 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis-(heptyloxy) phthalocyanine and 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis-(heptyloxy) phthalocyanine zinc(II) studied at a wavelength of 532 nm using 6 ns pulses. Using the standard Z-scan technique we observed that both the phthalocyanines exhibited negative nonlinearity as revealed by the signature of closed aperture data. The magnitude of the nonlinear refractive index n₂ evaluated from the closed aperture data was ∼ 1.61×10^-11 cm²/W for the free-base phthalocyanine and ∼ 1.56×10^-11 cm²/W for the metallic phthalocyanine. Open aperture Z-scan data indicates strong nonlinear absorption in both the phthalocyanines with measured nonlinear coefficients of ∼ 1650 cm/GW and ∼ 1850 cm/GW respectively. We also report optical limiting properties of these phthalocyanines with limiting thresholds (I_1/2) of ∼ 0.5 J/cm². Our studies suggest that these phthalocyanines are one of the best molecules for nonlinear optical applications studied recently. PACS 42.65.-k; 42.70.Jk, 42.65.Jx     

Exact Results on Potts Model Partition Functions in a Generalized External Field and Weighted-Set Graph Colorings

We present exact results on the partition function of the q-state Potts model on various families of graphs G in a generalized external magnetic field that favors or disfavors spin values in a subset I _s ={1,…,s} of the total set of possible spin values, Z(G,q,s,v,w), where v and w are temperature- and field-dependent Boltzmann variables. We remark on differences in thermodynamic behavior between our model with a generalized external magnetic field and the Potts model with a conventional magnetic field that favors or disfavors a single spin value. Exact results are also given for the interesting special case of the zero-temperature Potts antiferromagnet, corresponding to a set-weighted chromatic polynomial Ph(G,q,s,w) that counts the number of colorings of the vertices of G subject to the condition that colors of adjacent vertices are different, with a weighting w that favors or disfavors colors in the interval I _s . We derive powerful new upper and lower bounds on Z(G,q,s,v,w) for the ferromagnetic case in terms of zero-field Potts partition functions with certain transformed arguments. We also prove general inequalities for Z(G,q,s,v,w) on different families of tree graphs. As part of our analysis, we elucidate how the field-dependent Potts partition function and weighted-set chromatic polynomial distinguish, respectively, between Tutte-equivalent and chromatically equivalent pairs of graphs.