Development of a very low energy μ+ beam at PSI

At PSI we are investigating the technique of decelerating an existing very intense secondary beam of surface ⁺ (4 MeV) to an energy of 10 eV using appropriate moderators. These ⁺ can then be used as a source of a tertiary beam of low energy muons with tunable kinetic energy between 10 eV and 10 keV.With a 1000 A layer of solid Argon deposited on an Al substrate we obtain a moderation efficiency (with respect to the number of incoming surface ⁺) of the order of 10^–4.Results of our investigations and the present status of the project are presented together with future plans and possibilities.     

Self-consistent calculation of statics and dynamics of the roughening transition

Statics and dynamics of the modified kinetic discrete Gaussian model are treated selfconsistently using a Gaussian probability assumption. A non-trivial roughening temperatureT _R is found in exactly two dimensions only. The free energyF, the correlation length and the interface roughness h ² are found to behave—lnFlnh ²(T _R –T)^–1 for temperaturesT approachingT _R from below. The linear relaxation rate of the order parameter is found to be proportional to ^–2. As a model for crystal growth, the growth rate depends linearly upon the chemical potential difference aboveT _R , shows a metastable regime belowT _R with a spinodal limit of metastability _c , beyond which oscillatory growth starts. The critical behavior of _c is found to be ln _c –(T _R –T)^–1+O(ln (T _R –T)).     

Electrical properties of p-type ZnGeP2 irradiated by H+ ions

The properties of p-type ZnGeP₂ [p₀=(5–10)·10¹⁰ cm^–3, ₀=(2–5)·10^–7 (·cm)^–1], irradiated with H⁺ ions [E=5 MeV, T_irr=300 K, D=(1·10¹²–1.7·10¹⁶) cm^–2] are studied. An increase in the resistivity (to gr_max - 5·10¹¹ ·cm) and subsequent reduction in for large currents of H⁺ ions ( - 9·10⁸ ·cm for D - 1.7·10¹⁶ cm^–2), is observed in irradiated crystals. The resistivity of irradiated p-type ZnGeP₂ is found to be very sensitive to hydrostatic pressure [(4–5)·10^–5 bar^–1]. The annealing of radiation defects in the temperature interval (20–600) °C is examined.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 91–93, October, 1991.     

Luminescence of AgCl excited by u.v. laser light

The spectral distribution and decay of the blue-green luminescence of AgCl has been measured at very low temperatures, using u.v. laser excitation. A structure was observed in the emission band at 77°K. The decay consists of three processes: a) a very fast process which follows the laser pulse (10^–8 sec), b) a fast exponential process which is also observed with low intensity u.v. excitation,(10^–4–10^–5 sec) and, finally, c) a slow exponential process (seconds).     

Theory of percolation in fluids of long molecules

We use the reference interaction site model (RISM) integral equation theory to study the percolation behavior of fluids composed of long molecules. We examine the roles of hard core size and of length-to-width ratio on the percolation threshold. The critical density _c is a nonmonotonic function of these parameters exhibiting competition of different effects. Comparisons with Monte Carlo calculations of others are reasonably good. For critical exponents, the theory yields =2=2 for molecules of any noninfinite lengthL. WhenL is very large, the theory yields _cL ^–2. These predictions compare favorably with observations of the conductivity for random assemblies of conductive fibers. The threshold region where asymptotic scaling holds requires the correlation length (/ _c ) ^–v to be much larger thanL. Evidently, the range of densities in this region diminishes asL increases, requiring that density deviations from _c be no larger thanL ^–2. Otherwise, crossover behavior will be observed.     

Electro-Strong Interaction and High Q 2 Events at HERA

A previously proposed unified field theory of electro-strong interactions requires two scales of length within hadrons, 10^–15 and 10^–18 m respectively, and the onset of new phenomena at the shorter scale. Studies at the HERA electron–proton collider at the shorter scale have revealed a possible excess of high-transverse momentum events, as expected, with Q ² 30,000 (GeV/c²). The collider is currently being upgraded. This will permit a clearer test to be carried out.     

Microplasticity of silicon crystals

The low-frequency (1 Hz) internal friction (Q^–1) method was used to study the microplasticity of silicon whisker crystals grown by the method of chemical gas-transport reactions in a closed ampoule. A study was made of p-type crystals with the growth axis 111, 1–60 in diameter, working length 1–3 mm, both in the original state and after plastic ( 1%) deformtion by torsion. The temperature and amplitude dependences of Q^–1 were studied in 5·10^–5 torr vacuum. The amplitude of alternating vibrations was within the range 10^–5–10^–3 and the axial stresses were 10⁶–10⁷ N/m². The experimental results led to the conclusion that the microplasticity of undeformed silicon whiskers was due to heterogeneous nucleation of dislocations in stress concentration regions near surface defects, assisted by thermal fluctuations. In deformed whiskers the microplasticity was attributed to the nucleation and motion along dislocations of single and double thermal kinks in accordance with the Seeger model.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 88–93, May, 1980.     

Quasistatic magnetic permeability of an amorphous ferromagnet

Dependence of the differential magnetic permeability on the speed of magnetization reversal was found in ribbons of an amorphous ferromagnetic material. When the ribbon thickness is 10^–3 cm and the initial permeability is 10^–5, an increase in the frequency of the harmonic magnetization reversal causes a decrease of by a factor of 2–3; this takes place in the region around 100 Hz. The effect is explained by the influence of eddy currents on the magnetization distribution.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 58–62, January, 1986.     

Effect of the Radiation Power Density on the Sensitivity of a Diamond Detector

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the sensitivity of a detector made of natural diamond of the IIa type as a function of the power density of the radiation of a pulsed xenon lamp. It has been shown that the sensitivity of the detector depends on the power density of the xenon lamp radiation and equals about (1–6)·10^–4 A/W. A monotonic decrease in sensitivity of the detector during a radiation pulse has been detected. The minimum resistance of the diamond crystal with an irradiated face of area 3 mm², placed 7 mm away from the axis of the xenon lamp, was 300 , which corresponds to a specific conductivity of 2.2 ^–1·m^–1.     

Peculiarities of the low-temperature conductivity of radiation-treated p-Ge

It is shown that nonconservation of the transverse component of momentum when the electron-phonon interaction takes place around a dislocation leads to the dependence of the relaxation time of the momentum given by (p) p^–7/2 in the case of the hole energy being much less than thermal energy and by (p) p^–7 in the case of hole energy being much greater than thermal energy. Results are compared with experimental data on dislocation conductivity of radiationtreated p-Ge.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 61–64, May, 1984.Authors are grateful to V. P. Dobrego for bringing this subject to their attention and for fruitful discussions.     

Detecting torsion from massive electrodynamics

A new method of detecting torsion in the case of massive electrodynamics is proposed. The method is based on the study of spectral lines of hydrogen-like atoms placed in a torsion field, where the interaction energy between the torsion vector field Q and an electric dipole is given by P · Q. All the methods designed so far have been based on spinning test particles interacting with magnetic fields in which the energy splitting is given by S · B on a Stern-Gerlach type experiment. We arrive at an energy splitting of order of 10^–21erg 10^–9eV, which is within the frequency band of radio waves.     

Are Axidilaton Stars Massive Compact Halo Objects?

Boson stars built from a very light Kalb–Ramond axion, the dilaton or other moduli fields of effective string models could provide a considerable fraction of the non-baryonic part of dark matter. Gravitational microlensing of 0.5 M MACHOs within the halo of galaxies may indirectly "weighing" the mass of the constituent scalar particle, resulting in 10^–10 eV/c².     

Magnetic field value in the weak energy release region of the solar corona

Spectrographic data from observations of the polarized weak steplike (with relatively sharp growth t 3 sec and slow decay t 10² sec) solar continuum radioemission are analyzed below. The main results are found using a sweeping spectrograph in the 8–12 GHz frequency range (sweep rate 1 sample per second and frequency resolution 120 MHz) and using the RT-22 radio telescope at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (angular resolution 4–6). In a series of events at the leading edge of the continuum a narrow-band frequency drifting emission termed blip-type is found. The degree of continuum circular polarization (p<10%) is low compared to that of the narrow-band component (p20%). Both components of the aforementioned events should be radiating on the second harmonic of the local plasma frequency in the context of a plasma generating mechanism. Based on the model proposed and using the observed degree of circular polarization of each component, we can estimate the strength of the magnetic field within the area of the source and the width of the angular spectrum from the radiating plasma turbulence. The results of analysis of the real microwave events are given below.Radiophysical Research Institute, Nizhnii Novgorod. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 37, No. 7, pp. 874–882, July, 1994.     

Critical behavior of the two-dimensional first passage time

We study the two-dimensional first passage problem in which bonds have zero and unit passage times with probabilityp and 1–p, respectively. We prove that as the zero-time bonds approach the percolation thresholdp _c, the first passage time exhibits the same critical behavior as the correlation function of the underlying percolation problem. In particular, if the correlation length obeys(p) ¦p–p _c¦^–v, then the first passage time constant satisfies(p)¦p–p _c¦^v. At p_c, where it has been asserted that the first passage time from 0 tox scales as ¦x¦ to a power with 0<<1, we show that the passage times grow like log ¦x¦, i.e., the fluid spreads exponentially rapidly.     

Quasioptical superconducting hot electron bolometer for submillmeter waves

We report on a superconducting hot electron bolometer coupled to radiation via a broadband antenna. The bolometer, a structured NbN film, was patterned on a thin dielectric membrane between terminals of a gold slotline antenna. We investigated the response to submillimeter radiation (wave-lengths 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm) in the fundamental Gaussian mode. We found that the directivity of the antenna was constant within a factor of 2.5 through the whole experimental range. The noise equivalent power of the bolometer at 119 µm was 3 · 10^–13 W/Hz^1/2; a time constant of 160 ps was estimated.     

The deformation texture of β-tin II. Rolling texture

Measurements were made of the rolling texture of -tin which is produced by rolling the sample at a temperature of 20 °C and in the temperature interval –80°C–60 °C and –180 °C–110 °C.     

QCD corrections to the reaction PP → γγ + X

It is shown that QCD corrections taking into account both collinear and infrared gluons attain a magnitude of the order of 100% in the reaction PP r + X. The value of the K factor is calculated: K1.5–1.6 withk _T 10 (GeV/sec)². Perturbation theory is applicable, since the large constants are exponential and are practically completely taken into account by the K factor.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 7, pp. 82–87, July, 1985.The authors thank A. V. Efremov, A. V. Kadyushkin, and D. V. Shirkov for discussions of the results obtained.     

Conductance distributions in random resistor networks. Self-averaging and disorder lengths

The self-averaging properties of the conductanceg are explored in random resistor networks (RRN) with a broad distribution of bond strengthsP(g)g ^–1. The RRN problem is cast in terms of simple combinations of random variables on hierarchical lattices. Distributions of equivalent conductances are estimated numerically on hierarchical lattices as a function of sizeL and the distribution tail strength parameter . For networks above the percolation threshold, convergence to a Gaussian basin is always the case, except in the limit 0. Adisorder length _D is identified, beyond which the system is effectively homogeneous. This length scale diverges as _Dµ^–v ( is the regular percolation correlation length exponent) when the microscopic distribution of conductors is exponentially wide (0). This implies that exactly the same critical behavior can be induced by geometrical disorder and by strong bond disorder with the bond occupation probabilityp. We find that only lattices at the percolation threshold have renormalized probability distributions in aLevy-like basin. At the percolation threshold the disorder length diverges at a critical tail strength µ_c as µ–^–z withz3.2±0.1, a new exponent.Critical path analysis is used in a generalized form to give the macroscopic conductance in the case of lattices abovep _c.     

The critical point indices of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic phase transitions

Magnetic transitions are described by the critical indices0,1/3,4/3 while some ferroelectric transitions appear to give0,R~1/2,1. It is pointed out that these two sets of values for the critical indices are allowed by the scaling laws and stability conditions near the phase transitions.The authors thank Prof. R. S. Krishnan for his encouragement and Mr. B. Viswanathan for some discussions. The financial assistance from DAE and CSIR is also acknowledged.     

Tunable picosecond pulse generation from the passively mode-locked coumarin 6 dye laser

Using the saturable absorber 2-(p-Dimethylaminostyryl)-benzothiazolylethyl iodide, coumarin 6 has been passively mode-locked for the first time to give fully modulated trains of pulses of 4 ps duration and with peak powers of 3 MW tunable over the spectral range 526–547 nm.