Charged double layer at the boundary between a symmetric plasma and a wall

It is shown that the features of formation and structure of a stationary charged layer at the interface between a symmetric plasma and a wall depend to a considerable extent on the ratios τ_± (for both plasma components) of the thermal velocity to the velocity of the plasma flow at the beginning of the layer, as well as on the polarity and magnitude of electric potential φ_W of the wall. The conditions under which a double layer-type structure can be formed in the near-wall layer of the symmetric plasma are formulated. The charge double layer contains two sublayers with opposite polarities of charge for a fixed polarity of the wall. The charge polarity of sublayer adjoining the plasma is opposite to the polarity of the wall, while the sublayer adjoining the wall has a charge of the same polarity as that of the wall. The ranges of symmetric plasma parameters for which the double layer exists are determined. It is found that a structure of this type can be formed nor for all parameters of the plasma, for which a charged layer exists; the possibility of formation of this structure depends on τ_± as well as on the sign of the potential of the wall.     

Mechanism and optimization of non-thermal plasma-activated water for bacterial inactivation by underwater plasma jet and delivery of reactive species underwater by cylindrical DBD plasma

Plasma-activated water (PAW) has been in use for the past decade in sanitization against bacteria and other microorganisms. This research study compared PAW generated by a DC positive flyback transformer (FBT) underwater plasma jet with delivery of reactive species underwater by cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge (C-DBD) with a neon transformer. A Box–Behnken design was adopted as a response surface methodology (RSM) to design the experimental plan and optimize operating parameters including time, gas flow, and gas ratio. The physical responses comprise optical emission spectroscopy (OES), pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and electrical conductivity (EC). The chemical responses consist of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hydroxyl radicals (OH·). The biological responses include Escherichia coli reduction and Staphylococcus aureus reduction. The optimal condition for underwater plasma jet was found to be Ar gas with a flow rate of 3 slm for 6.5 min of treatment time, which can reduce E. coli and S. aureus to 7.14 ± 0.14 and 3.10 ± 0.26 in log, respectively. Also, the optimal condition for delivery of reactive species underwater by C-DBD plasma was found to be Ar (99%): O₂ (1%) gas mixture with an Ar gas flow rate of 4 slm for a treatment time of 11.5 min, which could reduce E. coli and S. aureus to 0.45 ± 0.07 and 2.45 ± 0.23 in log, respectively.     

New methods for interferometric neutron scattering lengths measurements

A skew symmetric neutron interferometer has been used for tests of a nondispersive and phase contrast variation measuring technique of scattering lengths and for the measurement of anomalous scattering lengths of strongly absorbing substances. The following bound coherent scattering lengths have been obtained: b_c(Pt)=9.60 ± 0.01 fm, b_c(Te) =5.6 ± 0.1 fm and as real parts of anomalous scattering lengths at λ=l.86Å: b_c(Sm) =0.7 ± 0.2 fm, b_c(Eu)=5.3 ± 0.3fm, b_c(Gd)=5.1 ±0.4 fm, b_c(Dy)=16.9 ± 0.3 fm.     

The microwave spectra of ortho-fluorotoluene with the asymmetric internal rotors CH2D and CD2H

The rotational spectra of αd₁- and αd₂-ortho-fluorotoluene in the ground state of the methyl group torsion have been measured. The evaluation of the spectra has been based on the theory for the internal rotation of an asymmetric internal top formulated earlier by several authors. The barrier potential being threefold symmetric (V₃), each torsional level consists of three nondegenerate substates, designated as sy and ±asy. The sy-state is assigned to the conformation with the unique methyl hydrogen isotope within the molecular heavy-atom plane (sy-rotamer), while the ±asy-states belong to the respective out-of-plane conformation (asy-rotamer). In the torsional ground state the level spacing between the ±asy substates is very small and numerous accidental close degeneracies are present between the rotational level systems based on these torsional substates. The rotational levels involved are strongly perturbed by the coupling between molecular overall rotation and internal rotation. Large deviations from a rigid rotor spectrum and (+) ? (?) intersystem (“tunneling”) transitions are observed. The spectrum of the asy-rotamer can be well reproduced by a “two-dimensional” Hamiltonian containing 11 “rotational constants,” 9 of which are determined by a fit to the spectrum. Several are sufficiently barrier-dependent to derive V₃. We obtain (in cal/mole) 567 ± 48 for αd₁-ortho-fluorotoluene, 711 ± 40 for the αd₂-isotope. The deviations from 649 cal/mole for the normal isotope are appreciable, probably indicating shortcomings of the semirigid model. The sy-rotamer presents a rigid rotor spectrum.     

The strong interaction shift and width of the ground state of pionic hydrogen

The 3p-1s transition in pionic hydrogen was investigated with a high-resolution crystal spectrometer system. From the precisely measured transition energy, together with the (calculated) electromagnetic energy, the strong interaction shift of the 1s state was obtained as ϵ_1s = −7.127 ± 0.028(stat.)± 0.036(syst.) eV (attractive). From the natural line width, measured for the first time, we determine the decaywidth of the 1s state: Γ_1s^(decay) = 0.97 ± 0.10(stat.)± 0.05(syst.) eV. With the recently calculated electromagnetic corrections the s-wave scattering lengths of an isospin symmetric strong interaction are deduced. The scattering length for elastic scattering of a negative pion on a proton is a_{π⁻p→π⁻p}^h = 0.0885±0.00003(stat.)±0.0006(syst.)m_π⁻¹. The scattering lengthe for single charge exchange is found to be a_{π⁻p→π⁰n}^h = −0.136 ± 0.007(stat.) ± 0.003(syst.)m_π⁻¹.The experiment was performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland. A focussing crystal spectrometer with an array of bent crystals, the cyclotron trap (a magnetic system designed to increase the particle stop density) and a CCD (charge-coupled device) detector system were employed. The results from the pionic hydrogen experiment — together with those from the pionic deuterium experiment — were used to test the isospin symmetry of the strong interaction. The present data are still consistent with isospin sysmmetry.     

The MTE continuum relation with application to an argon arc at atmospheric pressure

The continuum emission coefficient relation for a plasma in Multithermal Equilibrium (MTE) is derived using the partial-MTE ionization equation. The results are presented in a form using the nonhydrogenic free-bound Gaunt factors of Schlüter. Measurements on a 200 A, 1 atm, constricted argon arc indicate that electron densities calculated from the MTE continuum relation and Schlüter's ξ_fb values exceed electron densities from the Stark broadening of H_β by 15–30%. Experimental values of ξ_fb are up to 3 times larger than Schlüter's values, but are in agreement with the values of Morris and Krey at 5 atm, which is probably one of the few similar experiments actually in or near complete LTE. In the present experiment at the arc axis: N_e(H_β) = 1.00 × 10¹⁷cm^-3 (±8%); T_e = 34,000 K (±20%); T_exa = 12,000 K (±3%); T_exβ = 9000 K (±5%); and T_a = T_i = 10,000 K (±68%). The probable errors reflect the need for more accurate transition probabilities which had an uncertainty of 25%.     

Spektroskopische Untersuchungen an DyAsO4

DyAsO₄ undergoes a crystallographic phase transition atT _D=11.2K which is induced by a cooperative Jahn-Teller-effect. As deduced from the optical absorption spectra the distance between the two lowest lying Kramers doublets of the Dy³⁺ ion is increased from (6.1±0.5) cm^?1 aboveT _D to (25.0±0.5) cm^?1 at 4.2 K. BelowT _D the splitting factor of the lowest doublet becomes nearly uniaxial with a maximum value ofg _b =17.5±1.0 along the crystallographicb-axis. AtT _N=2.44 K the crystals order antiferromagnetically. The absorption lines of Er³⁺ ions in DyAsO₄ show already a splitting immediately belowT _D which is explained by magnetic short range ordering of the Dy³⁺ ions in the temperature rangeT _{N D} .     

Fission fragment energy correlation measurements for 229Th(nth,f)

Fission-fragment mass and kinetic energy distributions and their correlations have been measured for ²²⁹Th. The results are compared with those for the neighbouring nuclei. The ²²⁹Th yield data show a peak for the symmetric fission. The mass yield peak/valley ratio is 531 ± 49. The 〈E_K〉(μ_H ≈ 115?22) is flat and the dip ΔE_K at symmetry is 18.0 ± 1.1 MeV. In the yields for high kinetic energy selected events, the mass 144 dominates. A complete systematic for the μ_H≈ 144 structure as a function of the fissioning nuclei is presented and discussed.     

The reconstructed final state of Au+AU collisions from PHENIX and STAR data at √s=130 AgeV— Indication for quark deconfinement at RHIC

The final state of Au+Au collisions at √s=130 AGeV at RHIC has been reconstructed within the framework of the Buda-Lund hydrodynamical model, by performing a simultaneous fit to final data on twoparticle Bose-Einstein correlations of the STAR and PHENIX Collaboration, and final identified single-particle spectra as measured by the PHENIX Collaboration. The results indicate a strongly three dimensional expansion, with a four-velocity field that is almost a spherically symmetric Hubble flow. We find large transverse geometrical source sizes, R _G=9.8±1.2 fm, relatively short mean freeze-out time, τ₀=6.1±0.3 fm/c and a short duration of particle emission, Δτ=0.02±1.5 fm/c. Most strikingsly, we find an indication for a hot central part of the hydrodynamically evolving core, characterized by a central temperature T ₀=202±13 MeV that is close to (or even above) the deconfinement temperature of the quark-hadron phase transition. The best fit indicates a cold surface temperature T _s=110±16 MeV. When the possibility of the hot center is excluded, the confidence level of the fit decreases from 28.9% to 1.0%. Predictions are made for the rapidity dependence of the slope parameters and for the transverse mass depedence of the rapidity width of the single-particle spectra, and the transverse mass dependence of the non-identical particle correlations.     

Effective Hamiltonian for degenerate vibrational states in symmetric top molecules

A mixed matrix-operator form of the effective rotational Hamiltonian has been discussed for the degenerate vibrational states of symmetric top molecules. In this scheme, a rotational contact transformation can be applied to the effective Hamiltonian such that the operators of the “2, +2,” “2, −2,” and “2, −1” l-type interactions as well as the operators of the Δk = ±3 and ±4 interactions are eliminated from the first-order terms of the expansion of the rotational Hamiltonian in terms of the small parameter λ. The results have been used to discuss the correlation between various interaction parameters in the effective rotational Hamiltonian for the doubly degenerate fundamental vibrational levels of semirigid symmetric top molecules. For example, for C_3v or D₃ molecules, the parameter of the “2, −1” interaction is correlated with other parameters and cannot be determined separately by fitting the experimental data (unless there are certain accidental resonances between vibrational-rotational levels).     

Hafnium binding to rat serum transferrin

Using the TDPAC-technique binding parameters for Hf were determined afterin vivo uptake of¹⁸¹Hf in rat plasma. As much as 98.5% of the metal ions proved to be bound to protein, essentially to transferrin. The main fraction of the¹⁸¹Hf ions experiences a well defined electric quadrupole perturbation frequency (vQ1=(1516 ± 15)MHz, δ₁=(5.3 ± 0.8)%) connected with a marked relaxation damping (λ = (46 ± 8)MHz). The remaining Hf nuclei are subject to a fairly broad distribution of electric field gradients (v_Q2=(1014 ± 37)MHz, δ₂=(16±3)%). The results are compared with data obtained within vitro ¹⁸¹Hf-labeled human transferrin.     

The deconfinement transition in SU(2) gauge theory: A finite-size analysis

The finite-temperature deconfinement transition in pure SU(2) gauge theory is studied using finite-size analysis. The theory is formulated on a symmetric lattice with asymmetric couplings so the physical size of the spatial box can be changed continuously at a given physical temperature. Finite-size analysis based on the three-dimensional Ising model then permits the infinite-volume limit to be taken. The resulting critical temperature T_c scales according to asymptotic freedom and T_c/Λ_L = 44.0 ± 2.0.     

Kolmogorov turbulence, Anderson localization and KAM integrability

A modified Shastry-Sutherland model with fourth-nearest-neighbor dimerization is studied with strong coupling perturbation theory. One-triplet excitations are calculated up to the second order. Bose-Einstein condensation of one-triplet excitations may induce different ordered states, i.e. collinear antiferromagnetic state, Néel state or incommensurate state when the gap closes by changing the physical parameters or by an external magnetic field. Two-triplet bound states in the S = 1 and S = 2 channels are shown to exist around the symmetric lines of K _x = ±K _y and K _x ± K _y = ±??. For ferromagnetic dimer-dimer interaction, the energies of the bound states in the S = 1 (S = 2) channel lie above (below) the two-triplet continuum. By calculating the existence region, the degeneracy, the symmetry and the dispersion relation, a whole image and main features of the bound states are obtained. Experimental results of (CuX)LaNb₂O₇ with X = Cl, Br are interpreted.     

X-ray determination of the mean-square vibrational amplitudes of atoms in nearly perfect CdS crystals

The mean-square amplitudes of Cd and S atoms in CdS were determined for vibrations parallel as well as perpendicular to the c-axis. The results were obtained by measuring the temperature dependence of X-ray integrated intensities for reflections from both basal and prismatic planes in nearly perfect crystals. The analysis of the experimental data is given in detail. The following results were found for T = 295°K: 〈u²_Cd〉_∥ = 2.85±0.04×10^?18cm², 〈u²_s〉_∥ = 1.94 ± 0.08 × 10^?18cm², 〈u²_Cd〉_⊥= 2.39 ± 0.04 × 10^?18cm² and 〈u²_s〉⊥ = 1.63 ± 0.08 × 10^?18cm². The fact that Cd atoms have a larger vibrational amplitude than the S atoms is briefly discussed.     

Channeling radiation and coherent bremsstrahlung

We show that calculations based on the use of Bloch functions in at least two-dimensions predict both coherent brems-strahlung peaks (k_CB) and channeling radiation peaks (k_CR) in the spectrum of photons emitted by electrons traversing a crystal when moving nearly parallel to a crystal plane; and that furthermore, “sidebands” (e.g., k_CB ± k_CR) are predicted when the electrons move nearly parallel to two intersecting crystal planes.     

Microwave cyclotron resonance of hot electrons in p-type GaSb

A microwave photocreated cyclotron resonance signal is observed in p-type GaSb in the temperature range 1–30 K. Circular polarization and other measurements identify the carriers as electrons in the (000) conduction band. The problem of a surface effect on the measured peak position, reported for the first time is avoided by bulk carrier creation. An exponential loss of signal intensity at 27 K is explained by the theory of background plasma effects. The measured ωτ of 1·5–4 yields an electron collision time of τ ～ 10^?11 sec. The scattering mechanism at liquid helium temperatures is identified as being partly due to neutral defect acceptor scattering of hot electrons, with an unidentified residual scattering process. The electron polaron effective mass is measured to be (m *(polaron)/m₀) = 0·0412 ± 0·0012 for hot electrons with an average energy of ～ 14 MeV and is isotropic within 1 per cent. When corrections for conduction-band non-parabolicity and hot polaron effects are applied, the band-edge free electron mass is calculated to be (m₀*(free)/m₀) = 0·0396 ± 0·0021 (±5·2 per cent).     

Destruction of26Al in explosive nucleosynthesis

The²⁶Al(n, p)²⁶Mg reaction has been studied using neutron spectra which closely resembled Maxwell-Boltzmann (M.-B.) distributions with thermal energies ofkT=40 ×10^?6, 31 and 71 keV and also forE _n =270–350 keV. These energies correspond to stellar temperaturesT ₉=4.6×10^?7, 0.36, 0.82 and 3.1–4.1, whereT ₉ is in units of 10⁹ K. The partial cross sections for thep ₀-(p ₁-)transition are found to equal 26±10(1,850 ±150), 13±6(124±17), 16±13(84±14) and 21±8(72±15) mb for the above neutron spectra, respectively. The astrophysical reaction rate is determined for the combinedp ₀- andp ₁-transitions to beN _A 〈σν〉=(0.324±0.026, 20.5±2.7, 22.6±4.3 and 38.7±11.1) ×10⁶ cm³ mole^?1 s^?1. The results are compared with previous investigations and with statistical model calculations.     

The cross section of14N(n,p)14C at stellar energies and its role as a neutron poison forS-process nucleosynthesis

The absolute average cross section 〈σ〉 of the¹⁴N(n, p)¹⁴C reaction has been measured using neutron spectra that closely resemble Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions with thermal energies of kT=25.0 and 52.4 keV: 〈σ〉=0.81±0.05 and 0.52±0.06 mb, respectively. The resulting reaction rates are nearly the same at T₉=0.29 and 0.61, and their average, N_A〈συ〉=(1.3±0.1)×105 cm³ s^?1 mol^?1, is about a factor of three smaller than the previously adopted values obtained by extrapolation between thermal and higher-energy data. Thus, the¹⁴N(n, p)¹⁴C reaction plays a correspondingly smaller role as a neutron poison fors-process nucleosynthesis.     

Microwave determination of the conformation and dipole moment of 1,3-difluoroacetone

The microwave spectra of the ground state and several low-lying vibrational modes of 1,3-difluoroacetone have been assigned and analyzed. The assigned form has a molecular conformation in which one fluorine atom lies cis and the other trans to the oxygen atom. The rotational constants of the ground state species were determined using a centrifugal distortion analysis: A = 6024.843 ± 0.006 MHz, B = 2454.414 ± 0.001 MHz, C = 1783.897 ± 0.001 MHz. The molecular dipole moment components of the ground state species lie along the a and b principal axes with μ_a = 2.38 ± 0.03 D, μ_b = 0.89 ± 0.03 D, and μ_T = 2.54 ± 0.03 D. Comparative intensity measurements with OCS microwave lines indicate that the assigned form constitutes only 20% to 30% of the total gas mixture, the remainder presumably consisting of one or more other conformers, perhaps the gauche-gauche form. The lowest vibrational frequency (82 ± 12 cm^?1) is attributed to the trans-CH₂F torsion, while the next-higher vibrational frequency (127 ± 15 cm^?1) is believed to be the cis-torsion. A low-frequency in-plane bending motion is found at 285 ± 25 cm^?1.     

The boundary between the spin-glass and ferromagnetic states of the bond-random Ising model in the square lattice at T = 0

The bond-random (±J) Ising model in the square lattice is considered in the square cluster approximation. The boundary between the ferromagnetic and spin-glass states at T = 0 is obtained as the transition point from the asymmetric distribution of the effective fields to the symmetric distribution. The concentration of this transition, P_FG is obtained by solving the integral equation for the distribution function of the effective fields.