Experimental tests of quantum electrodynamics in weak field

This paper resumes the most precise tests of QED. We mainly describe the recent measurements of the Lamb shifts in hydrogen, deuterium and helium. The new optical frequency measurements of the 1s–2s and 2s–8s transitions in hydrogen and deuterium give now the most precise determination of the Rydberg constant and of the Lamb shifts of the 1s and 2s levels. The accurate measurement of the 2³S₁ Lamb shift in helium is also presented. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Periodic injector with a porous pellet mold for introducing fuel into plasmas

A ten-barrel pneumatic injector for periodic introduction of fuel pellets into steady-state thermonuclear experiments has been developed. Solid hydrogen pellets with diameters of 2.7 mm and lengths of 3 to 4 mm are formed in each barrel at a rate of 0.1–0.2 Hz with periodic pulsed heating of a porous insert, which is continuously filled with hydrogen and cooled with liquid helium, and accelerated to 1–1.2 km/s. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 35–39 (May 1999)     

Stationary soliton on a charged surface of liquid helium and hydrogen films

A change in the shape of a charged surface of liquid hydrogen and helium — the formation of a solitary wave (a positively charged hump for hydrogen and a negatively charged dimple for helium)-is observed in an electric field exceeding a critical value under conditions of total compensation of the applied field by the surface charge. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 7, 547–552 (10 April 1997)     

M<Superscript>2</Superscript> of MOPA CuBr Laser Radiation

The beam propagation factor, M² of the master-oscillator power-amplifier (MOPA) CuBr laser emission compliant with ISO 11146 is studied methodically. Statistical parameters of 2D intensity profile of the near and far fields of MOPA laser radiation are measured by a beam analyzing technique as functions of timing delay between MO and PA. For first time the influence of the gas buffer (causing the radiation profile to change from annular to top-hat and Gaussian-like) and light polarization on CuBr laser beam focusability (M²) was under investigation. The MOPA gain curve is found and the influence of gain on the input signal (from MO into PA) due to the absorption/amplification in PA on the field profiles is shown. For annular radiation M² range is from 13–14 (small delays) to 5–6 (large delays) and for filled-center radiation M² is 6–7 (small delays) and at the end of gain curve is as much as 4. With polarized light, M² drops to 3 at the end of gain curve. The brightness of laser emission with hydrogen goes up 3–5 times and the linearly-polarized beam is at least 40% brighter than that of partial or non-polarized beams.     

Transition probabilities for two-photon H(1s–2s) and He(11s–21s) transitions: A partial-closure approach

Transition amplitudes and transition probabilities for the two-photon 1s–2s transition in the hydrogen atom and 1¹ s–2¹ s transition in helium atom have been calculated using a partial-closure approach. The dominant term is calculated exactly and the remaining sum over intermediate states is calculated using a mean excitation energy. Our value of the transition amplitudes agree within 2% with the exact results for the hydrogen case. Our value of the transition probability for hydrogen is 8.50 s⁻¹ which is in good accord with its known value 8.226 s⁻¹. For helium, the photon energy distribution of the metastable 2¹ s state is in good agreement with the accurate values. The corresponding transition probability is 53.7 s⁻¹ which is in good agreement with the accurate value 51.3 s⁻¹.     

Production of fullerenes in an arc discharge in the presence of hydrogen and oxygen

The production of fullerenes in an arc with graphite electrodes in mixtures of helium with oxygen and hydrogen as well as in pure oxygen and hydrogen is investigated. The radiation spectra of the arc and the mass spectra of the soot obtained in the arc are recorded; the content of fullerenes in the soot is determined. It is shown that fullerenes are formed in appreciable quantities (∼1%) even in pure hydrogen. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 48–51 (December 1999)     

Ionization of hydrogen and helium atoms by highly charged fast ions in collisions with small momentum transfer

Ionization of hydrogen and helium atoms is studied for the case of “soft” collisions with highly charged fast ions with v≲Z≪v² and v≫v ₀, where Z is the ion charge, v is the collision velocity, and v ₀∼1 is the characteristic velocity of the electron in the ground state of the atom. Analytical expressions are derived for the singly and doubly differential cross section for ionization of a hydrogen atom accompanied by the ejection of a slow electron v _e≲v ₀, where v _e is the velocity of the ejected electron with respect to the recoil ion). The results are generalized to the case of single ionization of helium. It is shown that soft collisions provide the main contribution to the hydrogen ionization cross section and for all practical purposes determine the cross section for single ionization of helium. The asymmetry in the angular distribution of the ejected slow electrons and the properties of momentum exchange in such collisions are discussed. Finally, a formula for the cross section for single ionization of helium is proposed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1966–1977 (December 1997)     

Theory for Relative Strengths of Trapping of He+ Ions in Solid, Liquid and Gaseous Hydrogen

The study of trapping of He⁺ ion in solid hydrogen is important both as a problem in solid state physics and also as an applied physics problem in the field of muon catalyzed fusion (μCF). In μCF, He⁺ ion acts as a trap for μ⁻, interrupting the chain reaction aspect of the catalytic role of μ⁻ in producing fusion of deuteron and triton and of triton and triton in solid hydrogen composed of ²H–³H and ³H–³H molecules, respectively. Using the Hartree–Fock procedure, combined with procedures for including many-body effects, as well as relaxation effects associated with the He⁺–H₂ distances and the adjustment of the H–H separation, we have investigated the trapping of He⁺ in gaseous and solid state environments. For the former, the environment of He⁺ is simulated by a single hydrogen molecule and for the solid by clusters appropriately chosen to represent the hexagonal close-packed structure. Our results for the gaseous state indicate that the trapping is rather strong with a binding energy of 8.5 eV, with almost equal binding energy in the linear and triangular configurations with respect to the H–H direction. For the solid, both the likely sites for He⁺ trapping, namely the tetrahedral and octahedral interstitial sites, are also found to provide deep traps (8.6 eV) of almost equal strength, independent of the orientations of the neighboring molecules, showing that the trapping is not influenced by the orientational disorder in the surrounding hydrogen molecules. Further, the influence of next nearest neighbor hydrogen molecules is found to enhance the trapping energy for He⁺ substantially, by 0.6 eV, with the incorporation of the third nearest neighbors having a much smaller added effect, demonstrating the convergence of our results with respect to the size of the cluster chosen to simulate the solid. The substantial influence on the He⁺ trapping energy found for the neighbors beyond the nearest ones provides an explanation of the greater accumulation of helium in the solid state of hydrogen in μCF experiments as compared to the liquid. Suggestions are made regarding the possible reasons for the almost negligible accumulation of helium in the liquid state. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Spectropolarization investigations of the region of the cathode drop in the potential of a helium glow discharge at atmospheric pressure

The dimensions of the region of the cathode drop in potential in a helium glow discharge at atmospheric pressure (in Kiselevskii’s plasma source) are determined. Using Stark spectroscopy of the Balmer-series hydrogen line H_β the spatial distribution of the constant and variable components of the electric-field strength is measured. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 362–368, May–June, 1999.     

Investigation of SRS conversion of XeCl laser emission in lead vapor,methane, and hydrogen

We have thus optimized the conditions for SRS conversion of XeCl-laser emission in lead vapor, methane, and hydrogen. The greatest influence on the conversion efficiency is exerted for an SRS cell with lead by the divergence of the pump radiation, the focusing geometry, and the type of buffer gas. The maximum efficiency with respect to absorbed UV energy was ∼57% when xenon gas was used as the buffer, corresponding to 85% of the photon efficiency. The converted radiation could be continuously tuned in the 457.6–459.3 nm band. Addition of a light gas such as helium or hydrogen to methane raised the efficiency of conversion into Stokes components in methane to ∼24 %.     

Simulation of Ion Paths in the Target Material for the Injection Complex of the BELA Facility

To realize the simulation experiments with the use of two ion beams at the injection complex of the BELA accelerator (Based on ECR ion source Linear Accelerator), it is necessary to determine the energy and irradiation angle of the beam of light ions which will be implanted into the region of radiation damage induced by heavy-ion beam. The depth of light-ion implantation is determined by the energy and kind of particles initiating the damage, as well as by their incidence angle. It is supposed that the incidence direction of heavy ions will coincide with the normal to the specimen surface. In our work, the necessary implantation zone for the iron ion beam with an energy of 3.2 MeV is located at depths of 300–800 nm. The simulation of the hydrogen and helium ion paths in the material of the iron target in the energy range from 150 to 600 keV at the angle to the normal from 0° to 65° is performed. The range of energies and irradiation angles for the hydrogen and helium ions are determined for the implantation into the radiation-induced defect-formation zone.     

Anion Sensing with Luminescent Quantum Dots – A Modular Approach Based on the Photoinduced Electron Transfer (PET) Mechanism

A CdSe–ZnS quantum dot (QD) has been surface functionalised with 1-(2-mercapto-ethyl)-3-phenyl-thiourea in the fluorophore–spacer–receptor format typical of Photoinduced Electron Transfer (PET) based organic dye sensors. The resulting QD conjugate was tested for selectivity toward the tetrabutylammonium salts of fluoride, chloride, bromide, hydrogen sulfate and acetate. Addition of fluoride, chloride and acetate ions resulted in an approximate 90% quenching of the original fluorescence intensity, while bromide and hydrogen sulfate had almost no effect. The observed quench was attributed to an increase in the reduction potential of the receptor upon anion binding resulting in an increase in PET from the excited QD to the receptor and a concomitant reduction in fluorescence intensity. The selectivity and sensitivity were comparable to an analagous organic dye based sensor where a similar receptor was bound to an anthracene fluorophore. Thus a modular approach is evident where a receptor used in an organic dye based sensor can be adapted and successfully used with QD’s.     

Kinetics of the Excited States of Helium in an Atmospheric-Pressure Glow Discharge in a Helium-Nitrogen Mixture

Using an atomic-absorption spectral analysis technique, we determined the concentrations of helium atoms in states 2¹S, 2¹P, 2³S, and 2³P in an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge in helium (99.98%) and in a mixture of helium with nitrogen (99.5%He+0.5%N₂). It is shown that the population of the lower excited levels of helium atoms (n = 2) in its mixture with nitrogen is almost an order of magnitude smaller than in the case of a discharge in helium. The maximum of the concentration of excited atoms in a discharge both in helium and in its mixture with nitrogen is in the cathode region at a distance of about 0.1 mm from the cathode. The reaction of quenching of excited helium atoms by nitrogen molecules is responsible for the sharp decrease in the concentration of He(n = 2) on addition of nitrogen into helium. Presented at the 5th Symposium on Physics and Diagnostics of Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro, Minsk, Belarus, September 20–23, 2004; 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, October 25–29, 2004, Nice, France. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 4, pp. 530–537, July–August, 2005.     

Determination of the concentration of metastable helium atoms in an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge

The spatial distribution of the concentration of metastable helium atoms in the cathode region of an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge in helium is measured by the method of atomic-absorption spectroscopy. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 4, pp. 530–533, July–August, 2000.     

Effect of mechanical deformation on development of helium porosity

The formation of helium bubbles in 18–10 steel and 20–45 nickel alloy implanted by He ions during tension is studied, and helium release from them during high-temperature deformation is analyzed. During helium implantation, an applied tensile stress favors bubble formation and material swelling. Annealing and deformation of the irradiated materials increase the bubble size. Helium bubble migration and accumulation at grain boundaries cause cracking. Bubble migration is caused by a stress gradient. The deformation of the irradiated materials leads to an increase in the release rate of accumulated helium. A model is proposed for the development of helium porosity in a material under stress. A brittle fracture criterion is formulated for such a material.     

Near-infrared laser photoacoustic detection of methane: the impact of molecular relaxation

A photoacoustic sensor has been developed for trace-gas monitoring using a near-infrared semiconductor laser emitting in the 2ν₃ band of methane at 1.65 μm. The apparatus was designed for on-line process control in the manufacturing of the novel low-water-peak fibres developed for optical telecommunications. The importance of collisional relaxation processes in the generation of the photoacoustic signal is reported in the particular case of CH₄ detection in dry O₂ and O₂–N₂ mixtures. The negative influence of these effects results in a strongly reduced and phase-shifted photoacoustic signal, induced by a fast resonant coupling between the vibrational states of methane and oxygen, associated with the slow relaxation of the excited oxygen molecules. An unusual parabolic response of the sensor with respect to the methane concentration has been observed and is discussed. Finally, the beneficial effect of several species, including water vapour and helium, acting as a catalyst to hasten the relaxation of the CH₄–O₂ system, is demonstrated. PACS 42.62.Fi; 33.20.Ea; 34.50.Ez     

Features of the development of pulsed microwave discharges in various gases in a quasioptical beam

Photographs of pulsed microwave discharges initiated by a metallic sphere placed at the focus of a quasioptical electromagnetic beam with linear polarization of the field in air, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrogen, and helium under a pressure of several hundred Torr are presented. The common and distinctive features of the discharges in these gases are noted. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 33–36 (April 1998)     

Mass spectrometric investigation of low-temperature diffusion and solubility of helium in lead fluoride crystals

Thermal desorption of helium from presaturated crystals was used for mass spectrometric investigations of the diffusion and solubility of helium in lead fluoride crystals in the temperature range 606–714K which precedes the transition of the crystal to the superionic state. The experimental apparatus and measurement method are described and mechanisms for the diffusion and solubility of helium in PbF₂ are discussed. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 85–89 (December 1998)     

Formation of excited states in high-Z helium like systems

High-Z helium like ions represent the simplest multi electron systems for studying the interplay between electron–electron correlations, relativistic as well as quantum electrodynamical effects in strong fields. In contrast to the adjacent lithium like ions, however, almost no experimental information is available about the excited states in the high-Z domain of the helium sequence. Here, we present a theoretical analysis of the X ray production and decay dynamics of the excited states in helium like uranium. Emphasis has been paid particularly to the formation of the ³P₀ and ³P₂ levels by using electron capture into hydrogen like U⁹¹⁺. Both states are of interest for precise measurements on high-Z helium like ions in the future. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.