Relaxation of the Electron Distribution Function

This paper discusses an analytical technique for calculating the relaxation in time of the electron distribution function f in an environment in which no perturbing forces act on the electrons. For t = 0, f may have any arbitrary form presumed to be caused by perturbing forces which were not zero during t < 0. The technique then allows calculation of the relaxation of f in time for the following types of electron collisions: a) elastic collisions with cold neutrons, b) excitation collisions in which the threshold energy for an elastic excitation collision is small compared to the electron energy, c) ionizing collisions when the energy lost by the electron is small compared to its energy, and d) any combination of the above. In this paper the method is described and simple examples are presented to illustrate the physics of relaxation for the collisional categories listed above. It is pointed out that a number of important problems can be solved by this technique primarily in the area of nuclear EMP: the forrnative lag time problem and the calculation of thermalization time. In addition, the details of the afterglow of extinguished discharges in the monotomic gases can be determined.     

Tuning of the Electron Spin Relaxation Anisotropy via Optical Gating in GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Wells

The carrier-density-dependent spin relaxation dynamics for modulation-doped GaAs/Al_(0.3)Ga_(0.7)As quantum weiis is studied using the time-resolved magneto-Kerr rotation measurements.The electron spin relaxation time and its in-plane anisotropy are studied as a function of the optically injected electron density.Moreover,the relative strength of the Rashba and the Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling fields,and thus the observed spin relaxation time anisotropy,is further tuned by the additional excitation of a 532 nm continuous wave laser,demonstrating an effective spin relaxation manipulation via an optical gating method.     

On the Relaxation of Energetic Electrons in Plasmas

The impact of individual collision processes on the relaxation of the velocity distribution function of a group of electrons, initially localized in a narrow region at relatively high energies, has been studied. By having recourse to solutions of the non-stationary Boltzmann equation and to corresponding Monte-Carlo simulations, the temporal behaviour of electrons in CO₂ plasmas, both in the absence and the presence of an external dc field, has been investigated. A microphysical interpretation of observed relaxation phenomena, based on the data relevant to the individual collision processes, is also given.     

Collisional Relaxation of Luminescence Anisotropy in Rarefied Gases in the Condensed Phase

The orientational relaxation of optically induced anisotropy in rarefied gases and at a damped rotation has been investigated. It has been found that the anisotropy relaxation in rarefied gases is described by a reduced kinetic equation depending only on free rotation integrals. The behavior of the integral anisotropy of luminescence for free symmetric and asymmetric top molecules has been elucidated. The law of luminescence depolarization has been obtained for asymmetric top molecules in the Gordon J-diffusion model. It represents the sum of two Stern–Volmer-type dependences, whose relative contribution is determined by the orientation of the dipole moments of transitions with absorption and emission of light in the molecular coordinate system and by the principal moments of inertia of the molecular top. It has been established that in the limit of a strongly damped rotation, kinetic equations of the general form reduce to equations of rotational diffusion. A number of modified diffusion equations correctly describing the contribution of inertial effects to the orientational relaxation of anisotropy have been obtained.     

Fluctuation and Relaxation Properties of a Two-Level-System Influenced by a Nonstationary External Field

The structural dependence of the longitudinal and transversal relaxation times of a two-level-system on the transition frequency ω₀ and the temperature of the coupled dissipative system has been derived. The fluctuation operators are explicitely given in dependence on the operators and the constants of the dissipative and the two-level-system; the corresponding fluctuation correlators have been calculated. If additionally a time-dependent external force F(t) acts on the system, then the fluctuation correlators depend on the temporal behavior of this force. Due to this effect the run of nonstationary processes which are initiated by quantum noise (e.g., scattering processes) is affected. These considerations have been applied to the case of spontaneous anti-Stokes Raman scattering with biharmonic vibrational excitation by ultra-short light pulses. The strength of the external force, which gives rise to an appreciable time dependence of the correlators, has been estimated.     

Electron Single and Double-slit Diffraction in the Temporal Domain

Few-cycle pulses with stable and controllable relative phase between the carrier wave and the envelope （CE phase） have become available as research tools. The actual shape of the electric field of such a pulse strongly depends on this phase, and so do the physical processes the pulse generates. Owing to its pronounced nonlinearity, above-threshold ionization （ATI） provides an excellent example. In particular, the rescattering-induced high- energy part of the ATI spectrum exhibits a dramatic dependence on the value of the CE phase. Moreover, the backward/forward symmetry of the ATI spectrum generated by a, long pulse is broken by a few-cycle pulse. Therefore, analyzing the spectrum in two opposite directions provides a very accurate means of measuring the CE phase.     

Limits of the Physical Relevance of Numerical Investigations of the Chaotic Beam Relaxation in an Electron Beam-Plasma System

The chaotic relaxation mechanism of a monoenergetic electron beam in a strongly dissipative plasma is investigated in the framework of the single wave theory. An information theoretical quantity is introduced that describes the information loss of the beam system in course of time. It is shown that the numerical calculation of a discrete macroparticle approximation of the continuous beam system loses its physical relevance if the information loss exceeds a critical value which is determined by the number of macroparticles. Moreover, a method is proposed in order to quantify the degree of chaotic behaviour of the beam-plasma system with a minimum of additional numerical effort.     

An Observation of Energetic Electron Beams in Low-Pressure Linear Discharges

Experimental observations of energetic axial electron beams in a linear Z pinch operating in the pseudospark mode are presented. The device is driven from a fast Marx generator and allows reproducible production of electron beams over a wide pressure range. Evidence of the importance of electrons generated in the cathode recess in the formation of the beams is presented. An electron beam of high energy which is not associated with formation of the discharge is identified. A second beam of high current density and lower energy associated with gas breakdown is also observed.     

Quasi-stationary states of electrons and holes in an open composite cylindrical quantum wire

The energies of the quasi-stationary states of electrons and holes in an open composite cylindrical quantum wire are calculated within the effective-mass approximation by means of the S-matrix theory. Specific calculation is carried out for the HgS/CdS/HgS system. The poles of the S matrix in the complex energy plane are studied. The dependences of the lifetimes of quasiparticles in quasi-stationary resonance states on the longitudinal quasi-momentum and geometric parameters of the nanosystem are obtained. It is shown that the quasiparticle lifetimes in the resonance states exponentially diminish as the longitudinal quasi-momentum increases.     

Nonstationary self-consistent model for an ensemble in the self-field

The behavior of a nonstationary system of charged particles interacting with the self-field is studied using integrals of motion for nonstationary systems. Numerical solutions are obtained for the sets of equations describing the characteristics of a system of particles. A nonstationary self-consistent quantum system is also analyzed. The proposed model can be useful for investigating the acceleration of charged particles by the self-field.     

Resonant Wave-Particle Interaction in an Explosively Unstable Beam-Plasma System II. Investigation of the Relaxation Behaviour of the Electron Beam

Three typical saturation mechanisms of the explosive instability (EI) in a beam-plasma system are investigated. It is shown that the maximum values of the electric field strengths of the explosively unstable plasma waves can be of the same order as the maximum wave amplitude of the linearly unstable waves. Some conclusions with regard to the role played by the EI in the evolution of a real beam-plasma system are presented. The relaxation of a strongly modulated electron beam by the explosive wave coupling mechanism is examined in an appendix. A qualitative interpretation of the diversity of the EI saturation mechanisms found in this investigation is given.     

Low-Frequency Asymptotics of the Spectral Energy Distribution of Equilibrium Radiation in an Electron Plasma

Technical Physics - It has been shown that a logarithmic singularity in low-frequency asymptotics of the spectral energy distribution of equilibrium radiation in an electron plasma may occur in the...     

Calculation of the Electron Distribution Function in a Weakly Ionized Plasma in an Electric Field

Doklady Physics - An analysis of the integral Boltzmann equation to determine the electron distribution function in a weak electric field and its solution are presented. The solution based on a...     

The Nonstationary Behaviour of the Electron Current Density in the Weakly Inonized Plasma at High Field Frequencies

Based upon former studies concerning the nonstationary electron kinetics in collision dominated, weakly ionized plasmas the phase delay between the ac electric field component and the resultant ac electron current density has been analysed, theoretically and experimentally, under the specific conditions of a microwave field superimposed to a dc discharge plasma column. The complex plasma conductivity and thus the phase delay has been calculated by solving an appropriate electron kinetic equation. The same quantities have been experimentally determined by using the microwave cavity which operates with different resonator modes. A comprehensive comparison between calculated and measured quantities for different neon discharge plasmas leads to a complete confirmation of the theoretical expectations.     

Measurement of Cross Correlation between Dipolar Coupling and Chemical Shift Anisotropy in the Spin Relaxation ofC,N-Labeled Proteins

We present a simple method for extracting interference effects between chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) and dipolar coupling from spin relaxation measurements in macromolecules, and we apply this method to extracting cross-correlation rates involving interference of amide¹⁵N CSA and¹⁵N–¹H dipolar coupling and interference of carbonyl¹³C′ CSA and¹⁵N–¹³C′ dipolar coupling, in a small protein. A theoretical basis for the interpretation of these rates is presented. While it proves difficult to quantitatively separate the structural and dynamic contributions to these cross-correlation rates in the presence of anisotropic overall tumbling and a nonaxially symmetric chemical shift tensor, some useful qualitative correlations of data with protein structure can be seen when simplifying assumptions are made.     

Experimental Study of the Creation of a Fire‐rod I: Temporal Development of the Electron Energy Distribution Function

Positive voltage steps are applied to a planar electrode (collector) immersed in a magnetized discharge plasma column with its surface perpendicular to the magnetic field lines. If the voltage step and the neutral gas pressure are high enough additional ionization occurs in front of the collector and a fire‐rod is created. Time resolved measurements of the plasma response are performed by a one‐sided plane Langmuir probe using standard boxcar technique. The temporal development of the electron energy distribution function after the application of a positive voltage step to the collector is measured by a one‐sided plane Langmuir probe. In a magnetized plasma the electron energy distribution function is proportional to the first derivative of a plane Langmuir probe characteristics. It is found that immediately (∼1 μs) after the application of a positive voltage step to the collector a short lifetime electron population is created. This electron population disappears in approximately 2 μs. It is related to the anomalously large initial electron current collected by the collector “current overshoot”. When the initial current overshoot to the collector is terminated, a high potential (anode) plasma starts to form in front of the collector if the voltage step and the pressure are high enough. The formation of the anode plasma electron population is followed experimentally.     

Hydration Free Energies by Energetic Partitioning of the Potential Distribution Theorem

In the quasichemical theory of molecular solutions, the hydration free energy is spatially partitioned in a three-step thermodynamic process: cavity formation, solute insertion into the cavity, and relaxation of the cavity constraint. In the alternative local molecular field theory that focuses on the relationship of fluid structure and forces, the interaction energies are directly partitioned into local and far-field components; a restructured local potential incorporates information from the far-field interactions at the mean-field level. Here the quasichemical and local molecular field theories are related via energetic partitioning of the potential distribution theorem free energy. The resulting theory leads to a free energy division in which the local contribution requires direct evaluation, but the far-field component can be accurately estimated at the Gaussian level. A numerical approach for computing hydration free energies is developed that employs interaction energy distributions from several sampling states. Classical model problems of nonpolar, polar, and ionic hydration are presented to illustrate the theory. Extensions of the theory for estimating free energies at the quantum level are also discussed.