The experimental investigation of a glow discharge in a toroidal tube

A glow discharge in a toroidal tube with axial discharge current is investigated. The investigation was carried out for a discharge as a whole, not for electrodal zones and the positive column separately. The volt-ampere characteristics for different pressures and Paschen's curves for different gases were measured. The curves obtained are compared with analogous ones for a cylindrical tube. The conditions for the existence of a glow discharge in a toroidal tube and the processes passing there are discussed on the basis of the measured curves. The experiments were carried out in air, helium, argon and neon.     

The applicability of a material-treatment laser pulse in non-destructive evaluations

A practical optodynamic study was performed to determine the usability of different lengths of laser pulses for the generation of ultrasonic transients in a solid material. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of a dual use for a laser pulse-for laser material processing, on the one hand, and for the ultrasonic wave generation on the other-with both processes being combined on the same production line. The propagation of the laser-generated ultrasonic waves is evaluated by detecting and measuring with a PID-controlled stabilized interferometer. Thus, both systems provided the basic tools, the generation and detection of ultrasonic waves, for an ultrasonic, laser-based, non-destructive material evaluation. The ultrasonic transients generated by 'classical' nanosecond laser pulses were compared with the transients generated by industrial laser pulses with a duration of a few tenths of a microsecond. The experimental results are compared with the results of a time-of-flight analysis that also involved part of a mode-conversion analysis for both regimes in a layered material structure. The differences between the two waveforms were assessed in terms of their visibility, wavelength and resolution. The limit values were calculated and estimated for the laser-pulse parameters, when such pulses are intended for use in an ultrasonic, laser-based, non-destructive evaluation. The possibility of using an industrial marking laser for laser ultrasound generation is thus demonstrated.     

Sound waves in a liquid with polydisperse vapor–gas bubbles

A mathematical model is presented for the propagation of plane, spherical, and cylindrical sound waves in a liquid containing polydisperse vapor–gas bubbles with allowance for phase transitions. A system of integro-differential equations is constructed to describe perturbed motion of a two-phase mixture, and a dispersion relation is derived. An expression for equilibrium sound velocity is obtained for a gas–liquid or vapor–liquid mixture. The theoretical results agree well with the known experimental data. The dispersion curves obtained for the phase velocity and the attenuation coefficient in a mixture of water with vapor–gas bubbles are compared for various values of vapor concentration in the bubbles and various bubble distributions in size. The evolution of pressure pulses of plane and cylindrical waves is demonstrated for different values of the initial vapor concentration in bubbles. The calculated frequency dependence of the phase sound velocity in a mixture of water with vapor bubbles is compared with experimental data.     

Brownian motion in periodic potentials; nonlinear response to an external force

The Brownian motion of particles in a periodic potential in response to a constant external force is investigated. By expanding the distribution function into Hermite-functions and into a Fourier-series, the Fokker-Planck-equation is transformed into a set of coupled equations for the expansion coefficients. These equations are solved by a continued fraction method for matrices. This continued fraction for the matrices converges for large, intermediate and even for very small damping constants. The mobility, the kinetic and potential energy for various damping constants and external forces are given for a cos-potential. The current-voltagecharacteristic of the Josephson tunneling junction is also shown.     

Measurement of the viscosity-density product using multiple reflections of ultrasonic shear horizontal waves

We have developed an on-line computer-controlled sensor, based on ultrasound reflection measurements, to determine the product of the viscosity and density of a liquid or slurry for Newtonian fluids and the shear impedance of the liquid for non-Newtonian fluids. A 14 MHz shear wave transducer is bonded to one side of a 45-90 degrees fused silica wedge and the base is in contract with the liquid. Twenty-eight echoes were observed due to the multiple reflections of an ultrasonic shear horizontal (SH) wave within the wedge. The fast Fourier transform of each echo was obtained for a liquid and for water, which serves as the calibration fluid, and the reflection coefficient at the solid-liquid interface was obtained. Data were obtained for 11 sugar water solutions ranging in concentration from 10% to 66% by weight. The viscosity values are shown to be in good agreement with those obtained independently using a laboratory viscometer. The data acquisition time is 14s and this can be reduced by judicious selection of the echoes for determining the reflection coefficient. The measurement of the density results in a determination of the viscosity for Newtonian fluids or the shear wave velocity for non-Newtonian fluids. The sensor can be deployed for process control in a pipeline, with the base of the wedge as part of the pipeline wall, or immersed in a tank.     

Calculations of the Mie scattering coefficients for multilayered particles with large size parameters

The calculation procedure for the scattering coefficients appearing in the Mie theory is discussed for a case of multilayered particles with a large size parameter. There are two different aspects to the problem. The first aspect concerns a case where the imaginary part of the size parameters remains small. Shown here is the possibility for avoiding the canonical recommendations which prescribe using both upward and downward recursions for different types of Bessel functions. We have justified the procedure based on the upward recursions only where results are as stable as those in the canonical one. The second aspect concerns the case with a large imaginary part of the size parameter. The calculation procedure for a multilayered particle fails in such a case because of 0/0-type uncertainty. However, this problem can be overcome by using the proper asymptotic relations at crucial points. The numerical results are demonstrated for spherical and cylindrical multilayered particles.     

q\bar q pair creation in a flux tube with confinement

We calculate the effect of radial confinement on the Schwinger pair production rate by solving the Dirac equation in a flux-tube cylinder containing a constant chromoelectric field in the longitudinal direction. We show how the Dirac equation separates into radial and longitudinal equations for a mass term which has an arbitrary radial dependence and introduce radial confinement by having a finite mass inside the cylinder and an infinitely large mass outside. The resulting boundary conditions are equivalent to the MIT boundary condition. The equations are solved analytically for a constant quark mass inside the flux-tube, which acts like a waveguide. The discretization of the transverse wave vector which has a continuous spectrum in the non-confined case leads to a large suppression of the Schwinger pair-production rate for small radii. The minimal radius where pairs are created decreases with increasing field strength. The suppression turns out to be larger for heavier quarks than for light quarks.     

A new method for calculating the Zeeman split acceptor levels in cubic semiconductors

Within the effective-mass approximation we introduce a transformed hamiltonian for the acceptor problem in a homogeneous magnetic field. The new hamiltonian is expressed entirely in terms of spherical tensor operators. The reduced-matrixelement technique can thus be used in solving variationally the eigenvalue problem. In this way a simple non-perturbation numerical calculation of the Zeeman split acceptor states becomes for the first time feasible. As a preparatory test for the method we used the new hamiltonian in a variational “model” calculation with a very restricted basis set, to calculate the linear Zeeman parameters for some excited states of shallow acceptors in Ge and GaAs. The results can be compared with recent experimental data for these materials. We find already an excellent numerical agreement between the calculated and the measured linear Zeeman parameters for the final states of the D-transitions, and we obtain the correct order of magnitude for those of the C-line final states.     

Quantum states and Fermi surfaces in metals with an fcc lattice in an ultrastrong magnetic field

The expression for the electron wave function for a 3D crystal in a constant magnetic field is obtained in the strong coupling approximation. A 3D Harper-type equation describing the electron spectrum in magnetic 3D subbands is derived. The Fermi surfaces for monovalent noble metals are constructed for various orientations and magnitudes of magnetic fields corresponding to a rational number p/q of the magnetic flux quanta; radical changes in the topology of the Fermi surfaces in a strong magnetic field are observed. As a result, considerable changes in the physical properties of crystals in a strong magnetic field can be expected. In particular, a metal-semiconductor transition occurs for all even values of q, while metallic properties are preserved for odd values of q. The total energy of electrons as a function of the magnetic field is also calculated and shows a minimum for p/q=1/2. The type of thermodynamic oscillations in an ultrastrong magnetic field is discussed. The effects considered by the authors may be observed in fields with a strength of several tens of megagausses.     

Low-dimensionality energy landscapes: Magnetic switching mechanisms and rates

In this paper we propose a new method for the study and visualization of dynamic processes in magnetic nanostructures, and for the accurate calculation of rates for such processes. The method is illustrated for the case of switching of a grain of an exchange-coupled recording medium, which switches through domain wall nucleation and motion, but is generalizable to other rate processes such as vortex formation and annihilation. The method involves calculating the most probable (lowest energy) switching path and projecting the motion onto that path. The motion is conveniently visualized in a two-dimensional (2D) projection parameterized by the dipole and quadrupole moment of the grain. The motion along that path can then be described by a Langevin equation, and its rate can be computed by the classic method of Kramers [4]. The rate can be evaluated numerically, or in an analytic approximation—interestingly, the analytic result for domain-wall switching is very similar to that obtained by Brown in 1963 for coherent switching, except for a factor proportional to the domain-wall volume. Thus in addition to its lower coercivity, an exchange-coupled medium has the additional advantage (over a uniform medium) of greater thermal stability, for a fixed energy barrier.     

Cross sections for the photodisintegration of a deuteron and neutron capture by a proton calculated for the case of nonlocal potential

The processes of deuteron photodisintegration by a gamma-quantum and the radiative capture of a neutron by a proton with the emission of a gamma-quantum are considered. Interaction between nucleons is described by a nonlocal potential of the Yamaguchi type but allowing for repulsion due to the nucleon cores. In contrast to other potentials, the Schroedinger equation is solved exactly for the proposed potential. The potential is more exactly defined in comparison with the previously obtained values for the parameters; information on this potential is important in solving certain fundamental problems in nuclear theory. The effective cross sections for photodisintegration of a deuteron and for radiative capture are computed. Calculations show that the proposed potential makes it possible to describe the photodisintegration processes quite accurately for intermediate (up to 20 MeV) energies. The cross section computed for radiative capture is in somewhat better agreement with experiment than is the same cross section determined for other potentials.     

Field of a point source in a semi-infinite elastic medium

An exact solution for the tensor Green's function of a harmonic field for a semi-infinite elastic medium is presented in an easy-to-use form in the theory of wave scattering. The solution is derived in the form of a sum of the Green's functions for an infinite medium and the term satisfying the homogeneous wave equation for a semi-infinite elastic medium. The results reproduce the known far-field asymptotics containing longitudinal, transversal and surface Rayleigh-type wave modes. The near-field asymptotic is essentially different for the regions far and near the boundary.     

Theory of forward glory scattering for chemical reactions: New derivation of a uniform semiclassical formula for the scattering amplitude

The theory of forward glory scattering is investigated for a state-to-state chemical reaction whose scattering amplitude can be written as a Legendre partial wave series. Legendre series occur in the exact quantum theory of reactive scattering when the initial and final helicity quantum numbers are zero, as well as in many approximate theories of chemical reactions. The starting point for the semiclassical theory is a two-dimensional integral representation for the scattering amplitude. A uniform semiclassical approximation is derived that is valid for angles both on, and off, the axial caustic associated with the glory. The derivation is the first application to a concrete problem in molecular physics of a method outlined by J. N. L. Connor and H. R. Mayne in 1979 for the uniform semiclassical evaluation of multidimensional integrals. The approach exploits the theory of singularities of differential mappings. The key step in the derivation is an exact one-to-one change of variables in the neighbourhood of the stationary phase points that locally reduce the two-dimensional phase of the integrand to a non-polynomial canonical form. The derivation complements a different semiclassical glory analysis reported in a companion paper.     

Detection and discrimination of spectral peaks and notches at 1 and 8 kHz

The ability of subjects to detect and discriminate spectral peaks and notches in noise stimuli was determined for center frequencies fc of 1 and 8 kHz. The signals were delivered using an insert earphone designed to produce a flat frequency response at the eardrum for frequencies up to 14 kHz. In experiment I, subjects were required to distinguish a broadband reference noise with a flat spectrum from a noise with either a peak or a notch at fc. The threshold peak height or notch depth was determined as a function of bandwidth of the peak or notch (0.125, 0.25, or 0.5 times fc). Thresholds increased with decreasing bandwidth, particularly for the notches. In experiment II, subjects were required to detect an increase in the height of a spectral peak or a decrease in the depth of a notch as a function of bandwidth. Performance was worse for notches than for peaks, particularly at narrow bandwidths. For both experiments I and II, randomizing (roving) the overall level of the stimuli had little effect at 1 kHz, but tended to impair performance at 8 kHz, particularly for notches. Experiments III-VI measured thresholds for detecting changes in center frequency of sinusoids, bands of noise, and spectral peaks or notches in a broadband background. Thresholds were lowest for the sinusoids and highest for the peaks and notches. The width of the bands, peaks, or notches had only a small effect on thresholds. For the notches at 8 kHz, thresholds for detecting glides in center frequency were lower than thresholds for detecting a difference in center frequency between two steady sounds. Randomizing the overall level of the stimuli made frequency discrimination of the sinusoids worse, but had little or no effect for the noise stimuli. In all six experiments, performance was generally worse at 8 kHz than at 1 kHz. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the detectability of spectral cues introduced by the pinnae.     

Necessary conditions for nonlinear excitation of a high-order mode in a single-mode optical fiber

The necessary conditions for nonlinear excitation of higher-order modes in a single-mode step-index optical fiber are analyzed. The cutoff conditions for such an optical waveguide are investigated taking into account Kerr nonlinearity. The minimal power of optical pulses required for fulfilling the necessary conditions for nonlinear excitation of higher-order modes in a single-mode step-index fiber is calculated as a function of the normalized frequency. The allowed ranges of variation of the normalized frequency and optical-radiation power are estimated. It is demonstrated that the conditions necessary for nonlinear excitation of a higher-order mode in a step-index single-mode optical fiber can be created for optical pulses shorter than 500 fs.     

Phonons in films

The oscillations of a film (lamina) with free boundaries are discussed. Calculations were performed and a computer analysis made of the dispersion curves for various types of oscillation. The results are presented here graphically. The density of states for phonons in a film is determined. The effects that the properties of phonons in films have on certain physical properties are discussed.Presented at the VI^th All-Union Conference on the Theory of Semiconductors.In conclusion, we are deeply grateful to M. Ya. Shirobokov for his valuable discussions and constant interest in the work, and to V. Metrikin for performing a great deal of computation. The authors are also very grateful to I. M, Lifshits for his fruitful discussion of the work and a number of valuable remarks.     

Heat Transfer Characteristics in a Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger Equipped with Coiled Circular Wires

An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the enhancement in heat transfer coefficient by inserting coiled wire around the outer surface of the inner tube of the double-pipe heat exchanger. Insulated wires, with a circular cross-section of 2 mm diameter, forming a coil of different pitches (p = 6, 12, and 20 mm), were used as turbulators. The investigation is performed for turbulent water flow in a double-pipe heat exchanger with cold water in the annulus space for both parallel and counter flows. The experiments were performed for Reynolds numbers ranging from 4,000 to 14,000. The experimental results reveal that the use of coiled circular wires leads to a considerable increase in heat transfer coefficients compared with a smooth wall tube for both parallel and counter water flows. The mean Nusselt number increases with Reynolds number and pitch. The convective heat transfer coefficient for a turbulent water flow increases for all coiled wire pitches, with the highest enhancement of about 450% for counter flow and 400% for the parallel flow. New correlations for mean relative Nusselt numbers at different coiled wire pitches are provided.     

Mathematical Development and Verification of a Finite Volume Model for Morphodynamic Flow Applications

The accuracy and efficiency of a class of finite volume methods are investigated for numerical solution of morphodynamic problems in one space dimension. The governing equations consist of two components, namely a hydraulic part described by the shallow water equations and a sediment part described by the Exner equation. Based on different formulations of the morphodynamic equations, we propose a family of three finite volume methods. The numerical fluxes are reconstructed using a modified Roe's scheme that incorporates, in its reconstruction, the sign of the Jacobian matrix in the morphodynamic system. A well-balanced discretization is used for the treatment of the source terms. The method is well-balanced, non-oscillatory and suitable for both slow and rapid interactions between hydraulic flow and sediment transport. The obtained results for several morphodynamic problems are considered to be representative, and might be helpful for a fair rating of finite volume solution schemes, particularly in long time computations.     

A tapered beam finite element for rotor dynamics analysis

The stiffness, mass and gyroscopic matrices of a rotating beam element are developed, a cubic function being used for the transverse displacement. Shear deflection is included by use of end nodal variables of shear strain, along with transverse displacement and cross-section rotation; rotatory inertia effects are included in the energy functional to provide a Timoshenko beam formulation. The gyroscopic effects for small perturbations are linearized as a skew symmetric damping matrix. The formulation is implemented by numerical integration for a linearly tapered circular beam. A technique of reduction of the shear nodal variable prior to global assembly is shown to provide little loss in accuracy with reduced system bandwidth. Numerical comparisons for three previously published beam models are included, with results presented for the case of forward and reverse precession to verify the gyroscopic effects. The utility of the element in a general program for rotor dynamics analysis is identified.     

Duality relations in the nonlinear percolation problem: Theory and numerical simulation

The problem of a nonlinear current flow in a heterophase medium formed by a random mixture of linear and nonlinear phases is investigated. The duality relation is derived for the critical indices describing the effective response of a heterogeneous system. The critical index is calculated at the percolation threshold (for equal concentrations of the phases). The nonlinear percolation problem is simulated numerically for degrees k = 3, 5, and 7 of the nonlinear phase. The existence of a duality relation for critical indices is established in a range of phase concentrations.