Evidence for nonzero mass photons associated with a vacuum-induceddissipative red-shift mechanism

Laboratory observations that suggest a frequency anisotropy in the direction of the Leo constellation of δν/ν⩾10^-6 can be interpreted in terms of a nonzero photon mass m _γ≅10^-65 g. If one then accepts the theory of light (considered as real Maxwellian waves and photons simultaneously) of Einstein and de Broglie, the experimental justification of the existence of real Maxwellian displacement currents implies the existence of m_γ>0 and of a vacuum dissipative mechanism which can interpret a part (or the totality) of Hubble's cosmological red shift     

Stimulated acceleration and confinement of deuterons in focuseddischarges. II

For pt.I see ibid., vol.16, no.3, p.368-73, June 1988. Methods of increasing, by a factor greater than five, the neutron yield/short Y _n from D-D fusion reactions in a plasma focus (PF) enhance both the D⁺-ion acceleration to energy values E _d>1-8 MeV and the ion confinement in the pinch region. Nuclear activation of C and N in the (doped) filling gas of the discharge chamber and of solid targets of C and BN bombarded by the ion beam in the direction of the electrode axis (0°) confirms earlier determination of the energy spectrum of the trapped ions (dφ_t/dE∝φ_0tE ^-m) and of the ejected beam (dφ_b/dE∝φ_0bE _d^-m, m=2.5±0.5 for 0.1 MeV≲E≲3 MeV). A Thomson (parabola) spectrometer with nanosecond time resolution determines the time of emission t( E) of the beam at 0°. Ion acceleration and trapping occur within the small (filamentary) elements of the magnetic fine structure of the pinch, which can be dispersed on a relatively large confinement volume after the pinch disintegration. It has been found that φ_t/φ_b≳10-10³ for E_d≳1 MeV, depending on Y_n     

Propagation in a warm collisional magnetoplasma enclosed in aconducting cylinder

A study is presented of the propagation of electron plasma waves in a warm collisional plasma filling a conducting cylinder and magnetized strongly in the axial direction, the plasma parameters being taken to be such that the electron-ion collision is the dominant damping process. The attenuation and phase constants are derived in suitably normalized form by using the electrodynamic method. The dispersion and attenuation characteristics for propagation in the lowest order mode in a hydrogen plasma are obtained for various values of the normalized plasma radius αω_pe/c, the electron temperature and electron density being held constant, and the characteristics are compared with those given by the usual quasi-static approximation, which is found to be valid only if αω_pe /c≲1, where α is the plasma radius, ω _pe is the plasma frequency, and c is the velocity of light in free space. The effect of the plasma frequency on the characteristics is investigated     

Multimode simulations without particles in the quasi-opticalgyrotron

A set of coupled nonlinear differential equations, involving the slow amplitude and phase variation for each mode, is used to simulate the multimode dynamics in the quasi-optical gyrotron. The interaction among various modes is mediated by coupling coefficients of known analytic dependence on the normalized current I, the interaction length μ, and the frequency detunings Δ_i corresponding to the competing frequencies ω_i. The equations include all the possible resonant combinations of up to four different frequencies, ω_i-ω_j+ω _k-ω_l≃0, among a set of N participating modes, keeping terms up to fifth order in the wave amplitudes. The formalism is quite general and can be used to study mode competition, the existence of a final steady state and its stability, and its accessibility from given initial conditions. It is shown that when μ/β_⊥≫1, μ can be eliminated as an independent parameter. The control space is then reduced to a new normalized current I and the desynchronism parameters ν_i=Δ_iμ for the interacting frequencies. Numerical simulations for cold beams of various cross sections demonstrate that ν_i is the most important parameter for the system behavior. Overmoding is not determined by the frequency separation δω among the cavity modes per se, but by the separation among the corresponding desynchronism parameters     

Effect of a high-frequency field on the reflection of ion acousticwaves from the sheath at a grid

Experiments are described which show that the reflection coefficient for ion acoustic waves (IAW) from the sheath at a grid is affected by an HF electric field with a frequency f_HF≲5f_pi(f_pi =ion plasma frequency). For peak-to-peak amplitudes of the HF voltage drop across the sheath Φ₀≲k_B T_e/e and f_HF>f _pi, the energy distribution of the ions passing through the grid develops a hot tail and the reflected wave suffers enhanced Landau damping. If Φ₀≳k_BT_e/e and f_HF<f_pi, a large-amplitude IAW is excited at the grid; a well-defined ion beam is formed; and local growth of the reflected wave is observed. Test waves launched from the grid show the same propagation characteristics as the reflected waves     

Excitation of slow EM waves in a waveguide having a thin, annularplasma sheet

A thin, annular plasma sheet in a waveguide slows down the phase velocity of electromagnetic modes in a plasma density window for frequencies below the electron cyclotron frequency via Cerenkov interaction. At lower densities, the plasma is not effective enough to reduce the phase velocity of the EM wave below c. At higher densities the plasma expels the radiation field, leading to enhancement of phase velocity. The lowest mode having azimuthal number l=0 is most unstable. The radial mode having amplitude maximum at r=a, viz the plasma boundary, has the largest growth rate     

A slow wave free-electron laser in a longitudinal wiggler field

Linearized Vlasov-Maxwell equations are solved to obtain the growth rate of free electron laser instability from a tenuous relativistic electron beam propagating in a partially dielectric loaded waveguide immersed in combined axial and longitudinal wiggler magnetic fields. The instability appears via cyclotron resonance interactions for wave perturbations very close to w-kV_z-w_c=nk ₀V_Z where n is the general harmonic number. For n=0, the gain is similar to a slow wave cyclotron amplifier. For n⩾1, the growth rate is substantially larger than the standard slow wave free electron laser scheme utilizing a transverse wiggler field     

Validity conditions for complete and partial local thermodynamicequilibrium of nonhydrogenic level systems and their application tocopper vapor arcs in vacuum

Validity conditions for complete and partial local thermodynamic equilibrium (CLTE and PLTE) of homogeneous, time-dependent, and optically thin plasmas are derived. For Cu I, electron densities of n_e⩾(5×10²²-5×10²³ ) m^-3 are required for the establishment of CLTE. For Cu I and Cu II, n_e⩾(5×10²¹-5×10²¹ -5×10²²) m^-3 is necessary for PLTE (for electron temperatures of 1-2 eV). Application to low-current copper vapor arcs in vacuum shows that CLTE can be expected for r<200-600 μm (r=distance from the cathode spot). A further limitation follows for temperatures of 2 eV or higher if diffusion effects are taken into consideration. Consequently, the use of the LTE formulas in plasma spectroscopy of low-current vacuum arcs is very limited     

Electrical discharge initiation and a macroscopic model forformative time lags

Formative times in electrical discharges in overvoltaged gaps are analyzed with a model having no spatial dependence and with simple assumptions about discharge channel temperature T and discharge voltage. The model treats the early temporal evolution of the discharge. Specifically, the dissipative voltage drop, V*, across the discharge is taken to be a step function of T. Thermal quasi-equilibrium is assumed in the discharge medium, and it is shown that d(In t_d)/_d(In &thetas;)=-1, i.e., &thetas;t_d=constant, where &thetas; is the fractional overvoltage and t_d is the formative time lag, in agreement with measured values of t_d for much of the experimentally explored range of &thetas;. Highly-time-resolved (~92 ps) experimental data are presented for the first 10 ns of electrical discharge initiation; these data suggest that the authors' model should provide a reasonable representation of t _d when t_d>10-100 ns     

INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF SLOW NEUTRON IRRADIATION ON HALOGEN-DOPED HIGH-Tc SUPERCONDUCTORS AND ITS MECHANISM

Irradiation effect of low-fluence (-10⁸ n/cm² ) slow neutrons on halogen-doped superconductors is presented in this paper. And the mechanism of the effect is also described from the viewpoint of nuclear physics for both fast and slow neutrons on high-temperature superconductors (HTSC). It is shown ex-perimentally and theoretically that slow neutrons of low fluence has a similar irradiation effect to that of fast neutron beams with an energy E_n>0.1 MeV and fluence 10¹⁶-10¹⁸ n/cm²-However,quite differ-ent mechanisms are involved in them: Fast neutrons transfer their energies through elastic scattering in HTSC, whereas slow neutrons give off their energies during the slow neutron capture (n,γ) reaction.     

Experimental study of a plasma-filled backward wave oscillator

Experimental studies of a plasma-filled X-band backward-wave oscillator (BWO) are presented. Depending on the background gas pressure, microwave frequency upshifts of up to 1 GHz appeared along with an enhancement by a factor of 7 in the total microwave power emission. The bandwidth of the microwave emission increased from ⩽0.5 GHz to 2 GHz when the BWO was working at the RF power enhancement pressure region. The RF power enhancement appeared over a much wider pressure range in a high beam current case (10-100 mT for 3 kA) than in a lower beam case (80-115 mT for 1.6 kA). The plasma-filled BWO has higher power output than the vacuum BWO over a broader region of magnetic guide field strength. Trivelpiece-Gould modes (T-G modes) are observed with frequencies up to the background plasma frequency in a plasma-filled BWO. Mode competition between the T-G modes and the X-band Tm₀₁ mode prevailed when the background plasma density was below 6×10¹¹ cm^-3 . At a critical background plasma density of ≃8×10¹¹ cm^-3 power enhancement appeared in both X-band and the T-G modes. Power enhancement of the S-band in this mode collaboration region reached up to 8 dB. Electric fields measured by the Stark-effect method were as high as 34 kV/cm while the BWO power level was 80 MW. These electric fields lasted throughout the high-power microwave pulse     

A revised theoretical model of vacuum arc spot plasmas

The quasi-stationary hemispherical expansion of the cathodic plasma in vacuum arcs can be modeled with hydrodynamic two-fluid equations. In any case, the state of the plasma is determined by the only variable (I/r)^2/5 (with current I , distance r). In order to avoid some deficiencies of the model (as published) and to investigate more carefully the dependence of the plasma parameters on the arc current, the known analytic solution to the problem is improved by taking into consideration the variability of the Coulomb logarithm and the dependence of the boundary conditions on I. These effects are treated separately. Examples are used to illustrate the new results, with particular emphasis on ion acceleration. The influence of the above factors turns out to be rather unimportant. Quantitatively, they cause some shifts, but no qualitative change of the basic behavior of the plasma is seen     

Computation of the electric and magnetic fields induced in a plasmacreated by ionization lasting a finite interval of time

S.C. Wilks et al. (1988) showed that when an infinite expanse of gas, carrying a linearly polarized electromagnetic wave, is instantly ionized, the initial wave is frequency upshifted. This phenomenon of frequency upconversion through flash ionization gives rise to steady-state transmitted and reflected electromagnetic waves and to a time-independent magnetic field. The case in which the final state of ionization is achieved not instantly but in a finite turn-on time, 0⩽t⩽t 0, which is followed by the steady state, is studied. It is shown that the electric field is obtained from the one-dimensional Helmholtz equation, d²F(t)/dt² +ω₀²g(t)F( t)=0, if electrons are born at rest when they are created during ionization. As a result, the instantaneous frequency of the upshifted radiation is ω(t)=√g(t). The electric field can be solved exactly for specific choices of g(t). It is solved using WKB approximations for arbitrary g(t). The magnetic field is then found by integrating Faraday's law. It is found that the steady-state electric field amplitude depends on the steady-state value o f g(t) but does not depend on the ionization time t₀. Conversely, the static magnetic field amplitude decreases with increasing turn-on time     

Analytic expression for the electric potential in the plasma sheath

An expression for the spatial dependence of the electric potential in a collisionless and source-free planar plasma sheath is presented. This expression is derived by analogy with Child's law and approaches Child's law asymptotically as the potential drop φ_W across the sheath becomes large, |eφ_W/kT_e|>10⁴. Here k is Boltzmann's constant, T_e is the electron temperature, and e is the electronic charge. Comparison with numerical solutions of the model equations indicates that the sheath thickness and potential variation predicted by this improved Child's law are accurate for |eφ_W/kT_e|>10. In contrast, the authors find that Child's law is accurate only when |e φ_W/kT_e|>10⁴     

A study of a parallel mode launch into a magnetic beach

A parallel mode launch in the electron cyclotron range of frequencies is performed on axis in the east end cell of the Phaedrus-B tandem mirror. Propagation of the energy launched toward a magnetic beach in a radially hollow density profile was studied experimentally. A strong refractive dispersal of the launched energy was observed and shown to be in good agreement with a WKB-type ray tracing model using a cold plasma Appleton-Hartree dispersion relation. Measurements of plasma density and electron temperature indicate that the use of this dispersion relation is well justified. These results are compared with additional ray tracing studies for radially hollow and nonhollow, high ( f_launch<f_p) and low (f _launch>f_p) density models. For the experimental conditions examined, a reversal of refractive behavior is shown to exist as the energy propagates from a low density (f_launch>f_p) region to a high density (f_launch<f_p) region     

Some interruption criteria for short high-frequency vacuum arcs

If the contacts of a vacuum interrupter open shortly before a current zero, the transient recovery voltage (TRV) can cause a reignition and reestablish the arc. When the current in a diffuse vacuum arc passes through zero, there is a distinct pause before the TRV builds up (approximately 40 ns for copper). During this pause the gap carries conduction current only with an ion component which depends on dI /dt, varying between 3 A for dI/dt=60 A/μs and 60 A for dI/dt=1235 A/μs. The ion current subsequently decays in tens or hundreds of nanoseconds. It can be distinguished from the displacement current at this time by varying dV/dt, keeping the other parameters constant. Among the interruption criteria for short high-frequency vacuum arcs, dI /dt prior to current zero and initial dV/dt are the most important. High values of dI/dt are more likely to precipitate reignitions, but breakdowns can occur after lower dI/dt's if the gap has been subjected to a high current for a relatively long time (>100 μs)     

Parasitic oscillation in and suppression of a gyrotron backwardwave mode in a low-Q 8 GHz gyrotron

The parasitic oscillation of the TE°₂₁ gyrotron backward-wave (gyro BW) mode is observed in a low-Q, 8 GHz TE°₀₁₁, gyrotron. At low power (P_BW<5 kW), the oscillation of the gyro BW mode, simultaneously with the gyrotron mode, results in a maximum TE°₀₁₁, mode efficiency of less than 0.25. The parasitic oscillation is suppressed by operating the gyrotron with a negative magnetic field gradient along the electron beam, which allows the maximum efficiency to reach 0.40 and the output power to be multiplied by a factor varying from 1.4 to 1.7. The optimum efficiency curve of the TE°₀₁₁ mode indicates that the low-Q cavity behaves as a much higher Q_diff cavity. Excessive values of magnetic field gradient and α favor the TE°₀₁₂ , longitudinal mode, which oscillates in place of the TE°₀₁₁ mode and limits its maximum output power. This competitive process is responsible for the high-Q-like behavior of the optimum efficiency curve     

The type and extent of non-LTE in argon arcs at 0.1-10 bar

A 30-A, 3-mm-diameter, wall-stabilized argon arc with 1% hydrogen is examined spectrometrically at pressures of 0.1-10 bar. Values of T_g, and T_exa diverge as pressure decreases below 5 bar (n_e⩽1×10¹⁷ cm^-3) at r=0. T_exβ is 20-40% larger than the other temperatures. The results are dependent on the transition probability scale used     

Initial stage of discharge current growth in a triggered vacuum gap

The dynamics of light emission accompanying the initial stage of electric discharge in a substantially undervoltaged vacuum gap was studied with a knock-down model using high-speed photorecording. Voltage across the gap was maintained within the range of 0.5-5 kV, which corresponded to the minimum operating voltage of vacuum-triggered gaps. It was found that front layers of a plasma cloud near a cathode, formed by a firing pulse, scattered at a speed of (5-8)×10⁶ cm/s. During firing, a channel directed to the opposite electrode was formed from the plasma cloud near the cathode. It was found that the average switch-on delay time of the triggered vacuum gap is ~d(1+h/d) I_f^-α, where d is the interelectrode gap length, h is the trigger assembly penetration height, and I_f is the firing current     

A hydrodynamic model of vacuum arc plasmas

The properties of plasmas expanding from cathode spots of vacuum arcs are calculated with a one-dimensional two-fluid model. The system of simplified hydrodynamic equations can be solved under stationary conditions using asymptotic power series. Although necessarily only an approximation, such analytical solutions prove to be advantageous compared with numerical integrations. All the plasma parameters are functions of (I/r)^2/5 (current, I: distance, r). The three forces accelerating the ions to high kinetic energies are quantitatively calculable: the electric field, the ion pressure gradient, and the electron-ion friction. The potential is decreasing towards the anode, and the residence of the plasma is negative. The ion temperature reaches only about 35% of the electron temperature. Although only asymptotic, the solution is suited to describe the arc plasma in a sufficient manner all over the expansion region