Simulation of the time of transit of a discharge gap by a background electron multiplication wave

Two-dimensional simulation of plasma spread via multiplication of low-density background electrons is performed. It is shown that the velocity of the wave grows as it approaches the opposite electrode. The time taken for the multiplication wave to cross the helium-, nitrogen-, or xenon-filled gap between the capacitor plates is calculated as a function of the field strength. As follows from estimates, the recently found fact that the beam current in gas media peaks earlier than in a vacuum may be explained by a rapid travel of the electron multiplication wave through the background ionized by the precursor pulse.     

Calculation of electron wave functions and refractive index of Ne

The radial wave functions of inner electron shell and outer electron shell of a Ne atom were obtained by the approximate analytical method and tested by calculating the ground state energy of the Ne atom. The equivalent volume of electron cloud and the refractive index of Ne were calculated. The calculated refractive index agrees well with the experimental result. Relationship between the refractive index and the wave function of Ne was discovered. Supported by the New Star Program of Beijing Science and Technology, China (Grant No. 952870400), the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, and the Excellent Young Teachers Program of Ministry of Education, China     

Possibility of lasing in the visible band by molecule photodissociation

The lower excited states of certain diatomic radicals and atoms, transitions from which to the ground state lie in the visible and in the near ultraviolet regions of the spectrum, are analyzed. Possible mechanisms of inversion via photodissociation of the molecules by radiation from a source with a continuous spectrum, having a brightness temperature T ? 3·10⁴ °K, are considered.     

Extended spectral distribution of lasing transitions in a liquid-nitrogen cooled CO-laser

A liquid-nitrogen cooled¹²C¹⁶O laser was operated both Q-switched and cw. A total of 276 lasing transitions were observed in cw using an intracavity grating for line selection. In the Q-switch mode, 230 lines occurred without dispersive element in the cavity.     

Possibility of the charge density modulation of an electron bunch in the electromagnetic wave field

We consider the problem of modulation of the electron density in a linear bunch after its interaction with a linearly polarized, monochromatic electromagnetic wave, as well as an opportunity to observe this effect. It is shown that one can achieve significant values of the modulation depth at high intensities of the electromagnetic wave.     

Mechanism for the streamer propagation toward the anode and cathode due to background electron multiplication

A simple mechanism for the propagation of an ionization wave in a dense gas due to the multiplication of background electrons in a nonuniform electric field is proposed. The mechanism does not depend on the sign of the field projection onto the streamer propagation direction. The streamer propagation is caused by the enhancement of the electric field at the streamer head. It is shown that, in a prebreakdown field, the intense multiplication of electrons takes place in both electropositive and electronegative gases. The prebreakdown multiplication can provide a fairly high density of background electrons; this allows one to treat the background as a continuous medium when considering streamer propagation as a multiplication wave. The initial ionization is enabled by the natural background of ionizing radiation and cosmic rays. An analytical expression for the velocity of the ionization front is obtained based on a simple equation for the multiplication of background electrons. This expression is in good agreement with numerical simulations performed within both a simple model of background electron multiplication and a more comprehensive drift-diffusion model. In particular, the drift-diffusion model predicts the propagation of the ionization front from a small-radius anode to the cathode due to the multiplication of background electrons. The velocity of the ionization wave front is calculated as a function of the electric field at the streamer head for helium, xenon, nitrogen, and sulfur hexafluoride. It is shown that some features of streamer propagation (e.g., its jerky motion) can be related to the recently found nonmonotonic dependence of ionization frequency on the electric field.     

Investigation of the electron energy distribution function in a neon afterglow plasma

Probe measurements of the electron energy distribution function conducted in a neon afterglow plasma showed substantial deviations from a maxwellian distribution function in the high energy range. The differences result from Penning ionization and electron-metastable atom superelastic collisions.     

Solitary ion-acoustic wave propagation in the presence of electron trapping and background nonextensivity

Solitary ion-acoustic wave propagation in the presence of electron trapping is investigated within the theoretical framework of the Tsallis statistical mechanics. A physically meaningful Schamel-like distribution is outlined. In the small amplitude limit, the nonlinear dispersion relation is derived to analyze the global dependency of the main solitary wave quantities. It is found that for a given amplitude and trapping state, the solitary potential structure speeds up and broadens as the electron nonextensivity strengthens. Our results may be of basic interest for experiments that involve particle trapping. The flexibility provided by the nonextensive q-parameter enables one to obtain a good agreement between theory and experiment.     

Influence of metastable-metastable collisions on electron distribution function in afterglow

The time dependence of the electron distribution function in helium afterglow, for pressures of 60–260 Pa, is calculated for the case in which metastable-metastable reactions are present. The time variation of the shape of the distribution function shows that careful consideration must be made of the time derivative of the distribution function in the Boltzmann equation for the calculation of the rate constant of such reactions from experimentally determined distribution function.     

On the theory of lasing at vibronic transitions in impurity crystals

Some aspects of lasing at vibronic transitions in impurity crystals are theoretically studied. The threshold conditions for a vibronic laser are shown to be dependent on the strength of the interaction of optical centers with a local vibration, which forms the vibronic spectrum, and the crystal lattice temperature. The theory can easily be generalized to the spectrum containing a structureless phonon sideband and well agrees with the experimental temperature dependence of the output power of a Mg₂SiO₄:Cr⁴⁺ forsterite laser.     

Electromagnetic wave collapse in a radiation background

The nonlinear interaction, due to quantum electrodynamical (QED) effects between an electromagnetic pulse and a radiation background, is investigated by combining the methods of radiation hydrodynamics with the QED theory for photon-photon scattering. For the case of a single coherent electromagnetic pulse, we obtain a Zakharov-like system, where the radiation pressure of the pulse acts as a driver of acoustic waves in the photon gas. For a sufficiently intense pulse and/or background energy density, there is focusing and the subsequent collapse of the pulse. The relevance of our results for various astrophysical applications are discussed.     

Electromagnetic waves in a plane wave background

Source-free Maxwell equations are equivalent to the scalar wave equation. Most of its solutions are singular at infinity. If the nail eigenvector of the background metric is an eigenvector of the Maxwell field, too, the e.m. field is not changed by the plane wave.     

Motion of photons in a gravitational wave background

Photon motion in a Michelson interferometer is re-analyzed in terms of both geometrical optics and wave optics.The classical paths of the photons in the background of a gravitational wave are derived from the Fermat principle,which is the same as the null geodesics in general relativity.The deformed Maxwell equations and the wave equations of electric fields in the background of a gravitational wave are presented in a flat-space approximation.Both methods show that even the envelope of the response of an interferometer depends on the frequency of a gravitational wave,but it is almost independent of the frequency of the mirror's vibrations.     

Apparatus for the electron energy distribution function measurement in the afterglow discharge

A method for measuring the second derivative of the Langmuir probe characteristic in plasma with fast varying parameters is described. Discussion about its applicability and the results of measurements in the Ne afterglow are given.The author wishes to acknowledge the support afforded him by Doc. Dr. M.ícha, CSc. and J.Glosík.     

Investigation of the electron energy distribution function in an argon afterglow plasma

The electron energy distribution function in an argon afterglow plasma, measured by an electrical probe, substantially deviates from the maxwellian distribution in the energy range ε kT_e. The differences result from Penning ionization and electron-excited-atom superelastic collisions.     

Contribution to the electron energy distribution function measurement in the afterglow discharge

The measurement of the higher energy part of the electron distribution function in the neon afterglow is presented. A simple theory which enables us to estimate the error which arises by applying the Druyvesteynian theory to the transition regime is given. The numerical calculations of this error are presented to illustrate the dependence on the various plasma parameters.The author wishes to express his thanks to Doc. dr. M.ícha CSc and Dr. V.Hrachová CSc, for many helpful remarks.     

Optical electron transitions in a two-dimensional disordered semiconductor

The frequency dependence of the light absorption coefficient associated with electron transitions between states of strong and weak localization is studied.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 22–24, November, 1982.One of us (V. L. Bonch-Bruevich) is grateful to Dr. M. Pepper for sending a preprint.