Measurement of the fusion rate in μd3He

Many atomic and molecular processes may occur after a muon has been stopped in a mixture of hydrogen and helium isotopes. In particular, the muonic molecule μd³He can be formed. This molecule either decays or undergoes muon catalyzed fusion. Theory predicts a fusion rate much lower than the decay rate; moreover, the various theoretical predictions differ from each other by several orders of magnitude. With the experiment presented here we intend to measure the effective fusion rate via the detection of the 14.7 MeV fusion proton. A new target and gas mixing system, designed at JINR, were used in a ten-day test run at PSI. The fusion protons and products from other transfer and background reactions were measured with several different detectors (plastic scintillators, BGO, Germanium, neutron, and Silicon detectors). The formation rate of the μd ³He molecule and an upper limit for the effective fusion rate have been measured and are presented here. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Towards slow μ− production via muon catalyzed fusion

Slow ^– production via dd-CF using a two-layer arrangement is investigated. To determine its feasibility, experimental measurements are now in progress using the muonic X-ray detection method. The following experimental steps are being considered: (1) measurement of the number of ^– stopped inside a solid H₂/D₂ layer by detecting p K X-rays, (2) hot d emission detection by placing a secondary target at a distance of 10–30 mm from the layer and by detecting specific delayed X-rays, (3) measurement of the disappearance of d emission as the added D₂ layer is increased, (4) dd-CF measurement by detecting fusion protons, and (5) slow ^– emission detection. Results of the initial test experiment are presented.     

Some Properties of π Meson in Nuclear Matter with Finite Density

In the GCM we study some properties of π meson as the Goldstone bosons in a nuclear matter with finite density.Using the effective action in a nuclear matter,we calculate the decay constant and π mass as functions of the chemical potential.The relation between the chemical potential and the density of a nuclear matter is firstly given here.We find that fπ and mπ monotonously decrease as nuclear matter density increases.The result is consistent with the usual assumption that the chiral symmetry is gradually restored as the density of a nuclear matter increases.     

Double-Humped Transverse Density Profile in Two-Dimensional Chute Flow with Rough Sidewalls

We study a two-dimensional granular rapid flow with rough sidewalls stuck with the same size discs by molecular dynamics simulation. A transient state of the double-humped density profile in the flowing process has been found, which appears and moves as travelling wave and is the same as the phenomena in the recent experiments [Acta Phys. Sin. 53 （2004） 3389 （in Chinese）]. Our simulation shows that the rough sidewalls play an important role in the converting momentum of boundary discs from the vertical direction to the horizontal one through particle collisions to form this profile and the good elasticity of discs ensures this effect. The appearance of the double-humped profile may be a precursor, which determines if the whole flow will be far repulsed from the boundary and become dilute eventually.     

Changes of surface structure and elemental composition of components of deuterium high-pressure chamber with Pd rod inside irradiated with 10-MeV γ-quanta in dense deuterium gas

This work is a continuation and addition to Ref. [1], which presents results on studies of the surface and elemental compositions of a Pd rod and brass screw for the collection of nuclear and chemical reaction products in a deuterium high-pressure chamber (DHPC) under irradiation with γ-quanta with an energy of 10 MeV for 18 h at the MT-25 electron accelerator at a beam current of 11–13 μA. The DHPC is filled with 1.2-kbar molecular deuterium in which a Pd rod saturated with deuterium is loaded. After irradiation, the elemental compositions of other surfaces of all DHPC elements, which are inside the DHPC in dense deuterium, are studied using an electron scanning microscope and X-ray microprobe analysis. It is established that all surfaces, including the surface of a high-purity palladium rod (99.995%), are covered with a partly homogeneous layer of large microparticles of lead. Also, light elements such as ₆C, ₈O, ₁₁Na, ₁₂Mg, ₁₃Al, ₁₄Si, ₂₂Ti, ₂₅Mn, ₂₆Fe, ₂₉Cu, and ₃₀Zn and heavy metals such as ₄₇Ag, ₇₃Ta, ₇₄W, ₇₈Pt, ₇₉Au, and ₈₂Pb are observed. Possible processes that can cause the anomalies observed in the new synthesized elements are briefly discussed.     

Vibration properties of low-fraction hydrogen in deuterium ices

Inelastic incoherent neutron scattering spectra of D2O high-density amorphous （hda） ice, ice-Ⅷ and ice-Ⅱ mixed with small amount of H2O （（5%） have been measured recently on high-energy transfer spectrometer at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory （UK）. The hydrogen atom on D2O ice lattices has three distinguished vibrational modes, two bending at low frequencies and one stretching at high frequencies, and their frequencies are slightly different for different phases of ice. It was found that the lower one of the bending modes is located at -95 meⅤ for hda-ice, at -95 meⅤ for ice-Ⅷ and at -96 meⅤ for ice-Ⅱ and they are all lower than the value of 104 meⅤ for ice-Ih. It was also measured that the O-D and O-H covalent bond stretching modes of ice-Ⅷ are at -315 and -425 meⅤ, ice-Ⅱ at 307 and -415 meⅤ, hda-ice at 312 and -418 meⅤ, respectively. They are significantly higher than the values of ice-Ih at -299 and -406 meⅤ, respectively.     

Energy Density in Quark-Gluon Plasma

We study the energy density in quark-gluon plasma. At the very high temperature, the quark matter is a hot and dense matter in the colour deconfinement condition, and quarks can coalescent diquarks. Energy density of this system is worked out and compared with the energy density in the other two kinds of situations. Possible energy density is about ε0≈2.4 GeV/fm^3 according to our estimation for quark matter including diquarks.     

K− absorption reactions from rest in deuterium

Quantitative agreement with the data on K⁻ d → NΛπ and NΣπ relative rates and spectra is found by solving a system of twelve Faddeev equations. The data imply that there is no stable bound state (second sheet pole above ΔN threshold) in the (ΣN, ΛN) system but do require a virtual state (fourth sheet pole) near the ΣN threshold.     

Cooperative activation effect on H2O adsorption in MnO–Co catalyzed steam methane reforming

Steam methane reforming is a very important chemical process in hydrogen production and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Cobalt (Co) is an important catalyst for dry and steam methane reforming. However, previous studies have confirmed that metal Co surfaces only have weak adsorption activity for H₂O, which is evidently unfavorable for steam reforming. In this work we used first-principles simulations to study the activity of MnO–Co catalysts for the adsorption of H₂O. Compared with the Co (111) surface and pristine Co clusters, the MnO–Co catalytic layer has a stronger adsorption capability for H₂O because of the introduction of the MnO substrate, which is crucial for improving the steam reforming reaction and inhibiting carbon disposition in SOFCs. The cooperation mechanism between MnO and Co is discussed based on the analysis of electronic structures. The conclusions from this work are universal for other metal-oxide composite catalyst layers.     

“Trapped fraction” effect in microfuel with plutonium fuel

Results of the investigation into the thermodynamics of two types of microfuel (with oxygen getter and without it) with plutonium fuel for various degrees of burnup are presented. The behavior of the trapped fraction of Ag, Ce, Cd, Cs, La, Mo, Pu, Pd, Ru, Sr, Te, and Y is investigated. The fraction of any fission product bound into stable chemical compounds with other components of the system and excluded from the diffusion process is called the trapped fraction. An abrupt increase in the trapped fraction of cesium and, correspondingly, a decrease in free cesium during the burnup of ～26% FIMA (fissions per initial metal atom) or more are found for the microfuel containing no oxygen getter. This leads to a substantial nonlinear burnup dependence of the trapped fraction and should be the cause of an abrupt decrease in the Cs output from the microfuel. It seems likely that the found effect is associated with the formation of carbonate Cs₂CO₃ in the plutonium fuel. In the case of microfuel containing the oxygen getter, no formation of cesium carbonate occurs and the trapped fraction of cesium is almost independent of the burnup.     

Casimir's effect in a “box” with nontrivial topology

The concept of twisted fields is examined in detail for the example of space-time with a topology R × (S¹)³ and a flat metric. The vacuum energy density is calculated for all topologically nonequivalent configurations of massless real scalar and spinor fields in the given manifold.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 85–89, August, 1983.I want to thank Professor J. S. Dowker from Manchester University for sending me [20, 21].     

Dark Energy Density in Brane World

We present a possible explanation to the tiny positive cosmological constant under the frame of AdS5 spacetime embedded by a dS4 brahe. We calculate the dark energy density by summing the zero point energy of massive scalar fields in AdS5 spacetime. Under the assumption that the radius of AdS5 spacetime is of the same magnitude as the radius of observable universe, the dark energy density in dS4 brahe is obtained, which is smaller than the observational value. The reasons are also discussed.     

Pattern formation in a predator–prey model with spatial effect

In this paper, spatial dynamics in the Beddington–DeAngelis predator–prey model with self-diffusion and cross-diffusion is investigated. We analyze the linear stability and obtain the condition of Turing instability of this model. Moreover, we deduce the amplitude equations and determine the stability of different patterns. Numerical simulations show that this system exhibits complex dynamical behaviors. In the Turing space, we find three types of typical patterns. One is the coexistence of hexagon patterns and stripe patterns. The other two are hexagon patterns of different types. The obtained results well enrich the finding in predator–prey models with Beddington–DeAngelis functional response.     

Shape memory effect in antiferromagnetic γ - manganese alloys

Conclusion Thus, the crystallography and the character of antiferromagnetic transformations in manganese alloys determine several specific features of the manifestation of the shape memory effect in these materials. Among these features are: clearer manifestation of reversible deformation, even in the case of small initial strains; a broad temperature range associated with deformation; the practically hysteresis-free character of the reversible deformation in polycrystalline materials; the existence of alternating reversible deformation.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 104–117, May, 1985.