Sounding of the ionosphere disturbed by the “Sura” heating facility radiation using signals of the GPS satellites

We present the results of experimental studies of the properties of the plasma-density disturbances created during heating of the ionospheric F₂ region by high-power HF radio waves radiated by the “Sura” heating facility (Radiophysical Research Institute, Nizhny Novgorod). These experiments are specific in that they were performed in a sunlit (daytime) ionosphere when the generation of ionospheric turbulence has specific features and the turbulence intensity level is low enough. The plasma-density disturbances induced by high-power HF radio emission were sounded by signals of the GPS satellites, the line of sight to which crossed different parts of the disturbed ionosphere region. Threshold powers of the excitation of artificial plasma-density variations as well as spatial, temporal, spectral, and energy characteristics of the generated disturbances are determined.     

Quantifying Information without Entropy: Identifying Intermittent Disturbances in Dynamical Systems

A system’s response to disturbances in an internal or external driving signal can be characterized as performing an implicit computation, where the dynamics of the system are a manifestation of its new state holding some memory about those disturbances. Identifying small disturbances in the response signal requires detailed information about the dynamics of the inputs, which can be challenging. This paper presents a new method called the Information Impulse Function (IIF) for detecting and time-localizing small disturbances in system response data. The novelty of IIF is its ability to measure relative information content without using Boltzmann’s equation by modeling signal transmission as a series of dissipative steps. Since a detailed expression of the informational structure in the signal is achieved with IIF, it is ideal for detecting disturbances in the response signal, i.e., the system dynamics. Those findings are based on numerical studies of the topological structure of the dynamics of a nonlinear system due to perturbated driving signals. The IIF is compared to both the Permutation entropy and Shannon entropy to demonstrate its entropy-like relationship with system state and its degree of sensitivity to perturbations in a driving signal.     

Electron-Density Distribution in the Upper Ionosphere under Conditions of a Mid-Latitude F-Spread

We present the results of the last experiments aimed at studying the phenomenon of mid-latitude F-spread by radio-raying of the ionosphere using the signal from the SURA facility received onboard the NASA spacecraft WIND. A generalized model of spatio-temporal distribution of the electron density in the mid-latitude ionosphere under F-spread conditions is proposed. Based on this model describing large-scale ionospheric irregularities, we calculate the ray trajectories of HF radio waves. We also discuss the known results of comparative measurements of the variances of relative electron-density fluctuations in large-scale irregularities of the mid-latitude ionosphere, carried out by the OGO-6 spacecraft, and the frequency broadening of the ionograms of ground-based stations for the vertical sounding. It is shown that the proposed model of electron-density disturbances in the mid-latitude ionosphere in the presence of F-spread is able not only to describe well the main qualitative feature of HF radiowave propagation under disturbed geophysical conditions, but also to reproduce quite accurately the quantitative parameters of the frequency broadening of reflected HF signals under conditions of standard and developed F-spread.     

Oblique chirp sounding of the modified ionosphere. Experiment and simulation

We present the results of experimental studies of the influence of artificial ionospheric disturbances on HF signals used for oblique sounding of the disturbed volume. The measurements have been performed by a chirp ionosonde over the path Yoshkar-Ola-“Sura”-niznhy Novgorod with length 234 km. We found the 2F2 mode to disappear (attenuation up to 20 dB) when the ionosphere is influenced by a vertical powerful radiation in the ordinary mode with long (15 min each) heating and pause intervals. Modeling of the observed effect was carried out. The calculations agree well with experimental data if the traveling ionospheric disturbances (TID) with vertical and horizontal scales l_z∼20 km and l_x∼50 km, respectively, and the relative disturbance of the electron density δN∼0.2–0.3 are amplified (generated) during the ionosphere heating. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 303–313, April 1999.     

Experimental Studies of Variations in the Maximum Usable Frequency on Oblique Sounding Paths

We present the results of experimental studies of variations in the maximum usable frequency (MUF) on the latitudinal (England–Moscow and Khabarovsk–Nizhny Novgorod) and meridional (Cyprus–Moscow) paths. It is found that the quasi-period of MUF variations ranges from 20 min to several hours in spring 2002. The absolute value of the MUF varied in the range from 0.2 to 2 MHz. We show that variations in distance–frequency characteristics of HF signals propagated over the long-distance latitudinal path are strongly affected by quasi-periodic disturbances being the ionospheric response to acoustic-gravity waves excited by the terminator.     

Application of a CW chemical laser for remote pollution monitoring and process control

The measurement of the concentration of gaseous hydrogen fluoride in the exhaust of an aluminum plant by resonance absorption of the radiation of a cw chemical HF laser is reported. The HF concentration has been evaluated taking into account the simultaneous absorption of water vapor and carbon dioxide at the HF laser frequencies. The absorption cross sections for H₂O and CO₂ at the HF laser lines have been determined in laboratory experiments.     

A Self-Organized Ensemble of Fluorescent 3-Hydroxyflavone-Al (III) Complex as Sensor for Fluoride and Acetate Ions

Aluminum chloride addition results in a self-organized TURN-ON fluorescence of 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) by a complexation reaction in MeOH and subsequent ligand exchange reaction with fluoride or acetate ions causes a fluorescence TURN-OFF of this complex, delivering a quantitative estimation route for fluoride and acetate ions. The ternary complex of 3HF with Al (III), a hard acid provides for a sensitive signalling system for fluoride ion, a hard base in the concentration range from 6 μM to 50 mM by a concerted co-ordination of fluoride ion involving an intermediate mechanistic pathway, while the complex is sensitive to acetate addition between 0–68 μM. The ligand exchange reaction of Al (3HF)₂ complex by fluoride or acetate ion, without interference from other common anions, has been investigated by UV-visible and fluorescence spetroscopies. The structure of the in-situ intermediate isolated at higher Al (3HF)₂ complex and acetate concentrations was inferred from the FT-IR spectrum and ESI-MS of the sample.     

First observations of stimulated electromagnetic emission in the ionosphere modified by the spear heating facility on Spitsbergen

We present the first results of observations of the stimulated electromagnetic emission (SEE) in the ionosphere modified by the Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar (SPEAR) heating facility. Observation of the SEE is the key method of ground-based diagnostics of the ionospheric plasma disturbances due to high-power HF radiation. The presented results were obtained during the heating campaign performed at the SPEAR facility in February–March 2007. Prominent SEE special features were observed in periods in which the critical frequency of the F ₂ layer was higher than the pump-wave frequency (4.45 MHz). As an example, such special features as the downshifted maximum and the broad continuum in the region of negative detunings from the pump-wave frequency are presented. Observations clearly demonstrate that the ionosphere was efficiently excited by the SPEAR heating facility despite the comparatively low pump-wave power. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 51, No. 11, pp. 951–955, November 2008.     

Spin-lattice relaxation in HF and NH3 doped ice and the outdiffusion of impurities

T₁ measurements have been done on pure, NH₃ doped and HF doped ice crystals. Three relaxation processes can be distinguished: a low temperature process, an extrinsic and an intrinsic process at high temperatures with activation energies of 0.08 eV, 0.35 eV and 0.62 eV respectively. Vested vacancies are proposed as defects effective in the low temperature process. The extrinsic high temperature process is due to vacancies which are formed by shifting a HF molecule to an interstitial site. Schottky defects are responsible for the intrinsic high temperature relaxation mechanism. Outdiffusion of HF is found to occur in concentration steps and at high concentrations by an interstitial mechanism.     

Influence of water on HFO-1234yf oxidation pyrolysis via ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulation

ABSTRACT

The effect of water molecules on HFO-1234yf oxidation pyrolysis was investigated by ReaxFF-molecular dynamics simulation from 1900 to 4200?K. The initial pyrolysis of HFO-1234yf starts around 2500?K and the water molecules participate in chemical reactions at 2800?K when the reactants pyrolysis reached the highest reaction rate. The primary products including HF, COF₂ and CO₂ are observed at 2600, 2700 and 2900?K, respectively. The influence of water molecules on products is mainly reflected in the promotion activity on the conversion from COF₂ to CO₂ and the generation of HF molecules. Four formation pathways are observed and calculated to further elucidate the procedure of pyrolysis. The main conversion process from H₂O to HF is the ?F?+?H₂O?=?HF+?OH reaction, and the paths from H₂O to ?OH radical and COF₂ to ?CFO radical which are promoted by ?F and ?H radical, respectively, have relatively low energy barriers of 10.44 and 40.29?kJ/mol, and both reaction processes released HF molecules.     

Observation of rotational population transfer effect for an HF chemical laser

When a CO₂ gas absorption cell was placed within the optical cavity of a low pressure pulsed HF laser, the specific vibration- rotation line of the HF laser disappeared, which influenced both the intensity and pulse duration of the neighbouring lines. This behavior strongly depends upon the rotational population transfer in HF. By measuring the time response of this behavior, it was found that the rate constant for the rotational population transfer was in the range of 10⁷ s^-1 torr^-1 for the SF₆/H₂ lasing mixture.     

In situ reduction of graphene oxide dispersed in a polymer matrix

Silicon wafers coated with a film of Ag pattern are used for investigating roles of Ag in the fabrication of silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWs) by the electroless chemical etching technique. The diameter of SiNWs grown in the mixed AgNO₃/HF solution ranges from 20 to 250?nm. A growth mechanism for such obtained SiNWs is proposed and further experimentally verified. As a comparison as well as to better understand this chemical process, another popular topic on growing SiNWs in the H₂O₂/HF solution is also studied. Originating from different chemical reaction mechanisms, Ag film could protect the underneath Si in the AgNO₃/HF solution and it could, on the contrary, accelerate etching of the underneath Si in the H₂O₂/HF solution.     

Efficiency of an electron-beam-pumped chemical laser with an SF6-H2 working mixture

Results are presented from a study of HF lasers pumped by non-chain chemical reactions initiated by a radially convergent and by a planar electron beam. The main channels of formation of vibrationally excited HF molecules are analyzed. The distribution of the energy density of the radiation in the output beam of a wide-aperture laser is measured. In 30 liters of a mixture of SF₆:H₂=8:1 at a pressure of 1.1 atm an output energy of ∼200 J is obtained at an ∼11% efficiency with respect to the energy deposition. It is shown that the admixture of a buffer gas of neon or argon improves the uniformity of the radiation energy distribution in the output beam of an HF laser pumped by a non-chain chemical reaction and initiated by an electron beam, and it also increases the output energy. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 76–81 (January 1999)     

RPA calculation of the effective charge in a hartree-fock basis

Using a Hartree-Fock basis the diagrams of the Tamm-Dancoff and random-phase approximations have been summed to calculate the effective charge in the (1s0d) shell. The enhancement of the effective charge found by this summation is much less than in an oscillator basis, in fact in most cases the HF RPA result is smaller than the value obtained from the lowest order core polarization diagram in an oscillator basis. The HF neutron effective charges are thus too small. For protons the enhancement of the bare effective charge in a HF basis must also be taken into account, but for cases involving the 0d_5/2 orbital the final result appears rather small.     

The fluorescence and IR energy deposition from from CO2 laser irradiation of SF6−H2 mixtures

The multiple photon excitation and dissociation of SF₆ and hydrogen mixtures is measured by using simultaneously pulsed optoacoustic detection to monitor the energy deposition and time resolved HF fluorescence to monitor the production of vibrationally hot HF. From these studies we deduce that at least three mechanisms lead to production of vibrationally excited HF. One mechanism produces free F from the unimolecular laser-induced decomposition of SF₆. The second mechanism involves the reaction between two vibrationally hot SF₆ molecules to produce free F. In both of these cases the F atom subsequently react with H₂ to produce vibrationally hot HF. The third involves the reaction between a vibrationally hot SF₆ molecule and a hydrogen molecule producing vibrationally hot HF directly.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the ν(HF) absorption band structure in the H2O…HF complex

The νHF absorption band shape of the H₂O…HF complex is studied in the gas phase at a temperature of 293 K. The spectra of H₂O/HF gaseous mixtures in the range 4000–3400 cm^?1 are recorded at a resolution of 0.2–0.02 cm^?1 with Bruker IFS-113v and Bruker IFS-120 HR vacuum Fourier spectrometers in a 20-cm cell. The spectra of the H₂O…HF complex in the region of the ν₁(HF) absorption band are obtained by subtracting the calculated spectra of free H₂O and HF molecules from the experimental spectrum. The ν₁ band of the H₂O…HF complex has an asymmetric shape with a low-frequency head, an extended high-frequency wing, and a characteristic vibrational structure. Two approaches are used to calculate the ν1 band shape as a superposition of rovibrational bands of the fundamental and hot transitions involving the low-frequency modes of the complex. The first approach is based on a simplified semiempirical procedure. The second approach relies on a nonempirical anharmonic calculation of the vibrational energy levels, the frequencies and intensities of the corresponding transitions, and the rotational constants. These parameters are obtained by calculating ab initio the potential energy and dipole moment surfaces in the second-order Möller-Plesset approximation and using the variational method to solve one-, two-, and three-dimensional anharmonic vibrational problems. The absorption spectrum of the complex in the range 3600–3720 cm^?1, reconstructed using the nonempirical electro-optical parameters, reproduces rather well the main features of the experimental spectrum, including the relative intensities of peaks of the vibrational structure. However, the interpretation of most of the structural features of the spectrum differs from that adopted in the semiempirical scheme. First of all, it follows from the results of nonempirical calculation that the central, most intense, maximum of the experimental spectrum should correspond to the v ₁=1←0 transition from the ground vibrational state. This fact gives rise to a new value of the vibrational transition frequency ν ₁ ⁰ in the H₂O…HF complex equal to 3635 cm^?1, which is higher than the commonly accepted value of 3608 cm^?1.     

Density ducts formed by heating the Earth’s ionosphere with high-power HF radio waves

The parameters of plasma disturbances at altitudes 660 and 840 km, measured by the instruments onboard the French DEMETER satellite and the US DMSP satellites passing through the magnetic flux tube footed at the region of intense modification of the F ₂ ionospheric layer by the high-power HF radio waves of the Sura heating facility, are presented. The formation of artificial enhanced-density plasma ducts in the outer ionosphere is observed experimentally. Conditions facilitating the formation of such ducts are pointed out.     

Determining the velocity of the interference pattern by analysis of three mutually orthogonal projections of the radio-signal field vector. part II. Experiment in the HF range

We present the results of experimental verification of the spectral-polarization method which we proposed earlier to measure the interference pattern velocity by analysis of three mutually orthogonal projections of the radio-signal field vector using a single receiving antenna. Measurements were performed for an HF radio path about 100 km in length, with the simultaneous monitoring of the ionospheric situation by an oblique-incidence sounding chirp ionosonde. We used nighttime periods in which we observed a stable one-mode reflected radio signal to eliminate multipath effects in the analysis. The mean values of azimuthal and zenith angles obtained by this method differ by no more than 2°–5° from the calculated values. The mean velocity of traveling ionospheric disturbances (of the order of 50 m/sec) and their propagation directions (north-western, changing to northern in the morning hours) for these periods of time are consistent with the existing data. Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 60–72, January. 1999.     

Simulation of Large-Scale Disturbances of the Near-Earth Plasma Affected by High-Power High-Frequency Radio Waves from the Sura Heating Facility

Radiophysics and Quantum Electronics - We present the results of simulation of large-scale disturbances of the near-Earth plasma modified by high-power HF radio waves from the Sura heating...     

Electrochemical investigation of the surface energy: Effect of the HF concentration on electroless silver deposition onto p-Si (1 1 1)

Electroless silver deposition onto p-silicon (1 1 1) from 0.005 mol l⁻¹ AgNO₃ solutions with different HF concentration was investigated by using an electrochemical direct current polarization method and open circuit potential-time (Ocp-t) technique. The fact that three-dimensional (3D) growth of silver onto silicon is favored with increasing the HF concentration was ascribed to the drop of the surface energy and approved by electrochemical direct current polarization, Ocp-t technique and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The drop slope of open-circuit potential, K_{−ΔE(OCP)/t}, was educed from the mixed-potential theory. K_{−ΔE(OCP)/t} as well as the deposition rate determined by an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), increased with the HF concentration, yet was not a linear function. Results were explained by the stress generation and relaxation mechanisms.