Negative ion effects in CO2 convection laser discharges

Negative ions are computed to be formed on a time scale and in quantities such that they may be a cause of plasma instability observed in low pressure electrical discharge convection CO₂ lasers. In a typical CO₂−N₂−He−H₂O laser mixture the principal ions are CO ₃ ⁻ , CO ₄ ⁻ and H⁻ with the total negative ion densityn ₋ given by 0.1n _e <n ₋<n _e , wheren _e is the electron density: but if the gases are re-cycled or if there is an air leak NO ₂ ⁻ and NO ₃ ⁻ are formed in significant amounts andn ₋ can become greater thann _e in a time considerably less than the gas dwell time in the electrical excitation discharge. CO is effective in reducingn ₋ in a system without re-cycling, but is ineffective in a re-cycled system with the oxides of nitrogen present.     

The superconducting properties of YBa2(Cu1−xMx)3O7 for M=Zn and Ni

Transverse and zero-field μSR measurements were made on YBa₂(Cu_1−xNi_x)₃O_7−y withx=0.1 and 0.2, and YBa₂(Cu_1−x Zn _x )₃O_7−y withx=0.03, 0.06, 0.1, and 0.16, wherey≈0.1. Since doping may lead to magnetic ordering this was searched for with both zero and transverse field μSR, but no evidence was found over the temperature range studied: 10–100 K. However, depolarization rates as functions of temperature were obtained, and the low temperature values of these are σ=3.2 μs⁻¹.1.6μs⁻¹, and 1 μs⁻¹ forx=0.01, and 0.2 Ni, respectively, and σ=0.8 μs⁻¹, 0.75 μs⁻¹, 0.65 μs⁻¹, and 0.4 μs⁻¹ forx=0.03, 0.06, 0.1, and 0.16 Zn, respectively. Estimates for the effect of decreasing electron concentration for Zn are made, but these alone do not account for the drop in σ. Estimates for the effect of scattering on λ and hence σ are made. The reduction in σ for Ni dopant is in surprisingly good agreement with these estimates. For Zn the order of magnitude is correct, but the relative lack of further change in σ after the effect of the first 0.03 addition seems to imply a saturation of the effect of scattering.     

The challenge of polarizations in hadronic hyperon production

The large amount of data on hyperon polarizations in inclusive production by hadrons at high energies has recently been extended to Λ and Ξ ⁻ production by Σ ⁻ beams. The sign of the Ξ ⁻ polarization is negative and the same as in Λ and Ξ ⁻ production by protons. The sign of the Λ polarization, however, is positive, in contrast to the negative sign expected by analogy to the proton beam data for Λ and Ξ ⁻ polarization. Theoretical expectations, for instance from a recombination model, also favoured negative polarization of Λ produced by Σ ⁻. Moreover, while the Λ polarization increases with p _t at values below ≈1 GeV/c as observed for other hyperon polarizations, it vanishes above p _t ≈ 1.2 GeV/c. Such a breakdown at large pt has not been observed in any other beam/hyperon combination.     

Theψ-particles in an SU4 scheme with anomalous currents

The recently discovered narrow peaks (theψ-particles) in e⁺e⁻ system at 3.105 and 3.695 GeV are interpreted as hadrons in a broken SU₄ symmetry scheme. A new additional additive quantum number, parachargeZ, is combined with the usual SU₃ quantum numbers in the group SU₄. Theψ (3.1) is assigned to a near ideally mixed15⊕1 multiplet of vector mesons (containing theρ) as theI=Y=0, charge conjugationC=−combination ofZ=±1.members. Theψ (3.7) is assigned correspondingly to another mixed15⊕1 multiplet containing theρ′ (1600). The hadronic electromagnetic interactions are modified by the addition of (non-minimal) anomalous pieces that can changeZ. The decays of theψ-particles are discussed. New enlarged SU₄ multiplets of other hadrons are proposed. Tests of our scheme are put forward. The most crucial test will be the observation of two rather broad resonances in e⁺ e⁻ collisions with masses around 4.2 GeV and 5.1 GeV. Another prediction is the presence of energetic photons in the decays of theψ-particles. Important results concerning the recently observed phenomena in the process e⁺e⁻→hadrons follow in this scheme.     

μ− SR studies of oxide-superconductorsSR studies of oxide-superconductors

The negative muon spin rotation method (μ⁻ SR) has been applied to studies of electronic states at oxygen sites of oxide superconductors YBa₂Cu₃O₇, Nd_2−x Ce _x CuO_4−δ (x=0.15, oxygen reduced), LiTi₂O₄ and related oxide-insulators La₂CuO_4−δ, CuO, Cu₂O. The paramagnetic shifts of μ⁻ trapped at oxygen nuclei in these polycrystalline powder samples have been measured at 300 K. All the measured shifts are positive. In copper-oxides the paramagnetic shifts are of the order 10⁻³, while in LiTi₂O₄ is very small (8.4±3.34×10⁻⁵). In YBa₂Cu₃O₇, a fast μ⁻ spin relaxation timeT ₂ ^* (∼ 200 ns) has been observed; the reason for this is unknown and further studies are now in progress.     

On amorphization and nanocomposite formation in Al-Ni-Ti system by mechanical alloying

Amorphous structure generated by mechanical alloying (MA) is often used as a precursor for generating nanocomposites through controlled devitrification. The amorphous forming composition range of ternary Al-Ni-Ti system was calculated using the extended Miedema’s semi-empirical model. Eleven compositions of this system showing a wide range of negative enthalpy of mixing (−ΔH ^mix) and amorphization (−ΔH ^amor) of the constituent elements were selected for synthesis by MA. The Al₈₈Ni₆Ti₆ alloy with relatively small negative ΔH ^mix (−0.4 kJ/mol) and ΔH^amor (−14.8 kJ/mol) became completely amorphous after 120 h of milling, which is possibly the first report of complete amorphization of an Al-based rare earth element free Al-TM-TM system (TM = transition metal) by MA. The alloys of other compositions selected had much more negative ΔH^mix and H^amor; but they yielded either nanocomposites of partial amorphous and crystalline structure or no amorphous phase at all in the as-milled condition, evidencing a high degree of stability of the intermetallic phases under the MA environment. Hence, the negative ΔH ^mix and ΔH ^amor are not so reliable for predicting the amorphization in the present system by MA     

LSP spectral changes correlating with SERS activation and quenching for R6G on immobilized Ag nanoparticles

In terms of chemical enhancement in Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), we investigated the effect of halide and other anions to rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed Ag particles that were immobilized on the substrates. The residual species on chemically prepared Ag particles such as citrate or a-carbon were thoroughly substituted by various anions, e.g., Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻, SCN⁻, CN⁻, or S₂O₃ ²⁻ anions, whose adsorption features are elucidated by the formation constants for AgX₂ ^(m−1)−, here X denotes the above anions. In particular, Cl⁻, Br⁻, or SCN⁻ ions activated SERS of R6G via intrinsic electronic interaction with Ag, whereas CN⁻, S₂O₃ ²⁻, or I⁻ anions quenched it due to their exclusive adsorption onto the Ag surfaces. We found that the activation process with the anions commonly yields a marked blue-shift of the coupled plasmon peak from ca. 650–700 to 500–550 nm in elastic scattering. It is rationalized by slight increase of the gap size between adjacent Ag nanoparticles by only ca. 1 nm based on theoretical simulations. This is probably caused by slight dissolution, oxidative etching, of the particles according to large formation constants of the complexes. Consequently, partly remaining negative charges on the Ag surface, and a slight increase in the gap size, providing huge electric field, facilitated R6G cations to adsorb on the nanoparticles, especially at the junction.     

Electromagnetic mass splittings of heavier hadrons in quantum chromodynamics

The electromagnetic mass splittings of heavier hadrons are estimated in the framework of gauge theory model where ligher quarks are taken to behave relativistically and the spatial wave functions are described by the spin-spin interaction affected relative distances between quarks. The predictions for (Ξ⁻-Ξ⁰), (Σ*⁰−Σ*⁺), (Ξ^*−-Ξ^*0), (D _c ⁺−D _c ⁰) and (D _c ^*+ −D _c ^*0 ) are in fair agreement with the experimental data available whereas those for (D _b ⁻ −D _b ⁰ ) and (D _b ^*− −D _b ^*0 ) are in qualitative agreement with other theoretical estimates.     

Magnetoresistance and magnetic ordering in praseodymium and neodymium hexaborides

The magnetoresistance Δρ/ρ of single-crystal samples of praseodymium and neodymium hexaborides (PrB₆ and NdB₆) has been measured at temperatures ranging from 2 to 20 K in a magnetic field of up to 80 kOe. The results obtained have revealed a crossover of the regime from a small negative magnetoresistance in the paramagnetic state to a large positive magnetoresistive effect in magnetically ordered phases of the PrB₆ and NdB₆ compounds. An analysis of the dependences Δρ(H)/ρ has made it possible to separate three contributions to the magnetoresistance for the compounds under investigation. In addition to the main negative contribution, which is quadratic in the magnetic field (−Δρ/ρ ∝ H ²), a linear positive contribution (Δρ/ρ ∝ H) and a nonlinear ferromagnetic contribution have been found. Upon transition to a magnetically ordered state, the linear positive component in the magnetoresistance of the PrB₆ and NdB₆ compounds becomes dominant, whereas the quadratic contribution to the negative magnetoresistance is completely suppressed in the commensurate magnetic phase of these compounds. The presence of several components in the magnetoresistance has been explained by assuming that, in the antiferromagnetic phases of PrB₆ and NdB₆, ferromagnetic nanoregions (ferrons) are formed in the 5d band in the vicinity of the rareearth ions. The origin of the quadratic contribution to the negative magnetoresistance is interpreted in terms of the Yosida model, which takes into account scattering of conduction electrons by localized magnetic moments of rare-earth ions. Within the approach used, the local magnetic susceptibility χ_loc has been estimated. It has been demonstrated that, in the temperature range T _N < T < 20 K, the behavior of the local magnetic susceptibility χ_loc for the compounds under investigation can be described with good accuracy by the Curie-Weiss dependence χ_loc ∝ (T − Θ _p )⁻¹.     

Negative muon spin precession in ferromagnetic iron and the hyperfine anomaly

The hyperfine field (B _μ ^hf ) at the negative muon μ⁻ in ferromagnetic iron was investigated by means of the zero-field μ⁻ spin precession technique. In the temperature range 320–690 K,B _μ ^hf for μ⁻ Fe departs from the magnetization curve of pure iron in the same way as the hyperfine field seen by a⁵⁵Mn impurity in dilute MnFe measured by NMR. The hyperfine anomaly for μ⁻ Fe relative to dilute (1.5 at.%)⁵⁵Mn in iron is found to be −0.9(3)% and temperature independent over the temperature range investigated.     

Magnetic and electrical properties of Mg1−x CuxO solid solutions and magnetic shielding in Cu-Mg1−x CuxO structures

Mg_1−x Cu_xO solid solutions having an NaCl structure with 0⩽x⩽0.20 are synthesized and Cu-Mg_1−x Cu_xO structures are prepared for superconductivity studies. The magnetic susceptibility χ, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and electrical conductivity of the solid solutions are studied at temperatures of 5–550 K. It is shown that χ ⁻¹(T) obeys the Curie-Weiss law with a paramagnetic Curie temperature Θ close to zero and an effective magnetic moment μ _eff=1.9 μ _B, close to the 1.73 μ _B of a Cu²⁺ ion with spin S=1/2. The width ΔH of the EPR line depends weakly on temperature and increases as x is raised. The volume narrowing of the EPR linewidth ΔH is used to estimate the exchange interaction parameter, 3×10⁻⁴ eV. The g-factor is close to 2 and is temperature independent. The electrical conductivity of Mg_1−x Cu_xO at T=300 K is ≈10⁻¹¹–10⁻¹² Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹ for x=0 and increases to 10⁻⁵–10⁻⁶ Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹ for x=0.15–0.20. The conductivity is p-type. Magnetic shielding is observed in Cu-Mg_1−x Cu_xO structures with x=0.15 and 0.20. The possible connection of this phenomenon with interference superconductivity in the contact layer of the structure is discussed. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 293–296 (February 1999)     

Discovery of a narrow resonance state of the system K S K S at mass 1520 MeV

Data are presented which indicate the existence of a previously unknown narrow resonance near mass 1520 MeV, discovered while analyzing the system K _S K _S . The data were obtained at ITEP using the 6-m magnetic spectrometer in a beam of 40-GeV negative particles. The resonance is observed in π⁻ p and K ⁻ p interactions with a total statistical confidence of not less than 5 standard deviations. The width of this state is comparable to the mass resolution of the spectrometer (∼5 MeV). The mass is 1521.5±2.5 MeV. Estimates of the product σ·BR (K _S K _S ) give ∼5.0 nb in π⁻ p interactions and ∼250 nb in K ⁻ p interactions. From the fact that the production cross section of this resonance in the K ⁻ beam is approximately 50 times greater than the production cross section in the π⁻ beam, it can be concluded that this new state belongs to a system of mesons with hidden strangeness. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 4, 242–246 (25 August 1999)     

ESR of V4+ in α-RbTiOPO4 single crystals

We have recorded and investigated the ESR spectrum of vanadium-doped α-RbTiOPO₄ single crystals in the temperature interval 77–300 K. Two types of structurally distinct centers, V1 and V2, with a 4:1 ratio of the peak intensities were observed. The angular dependences of the resonance magnetic fields are described by a spin Hamiltonian corresponding to axial symmetry with the parameters g _∥1=1.9305, g _⊥1=1.9565, A _∥1=−168.2×10⁻⁴cm⁻¹, and A _⊥1=−54.3×10⁻⁴cm⁻¹ for V1 centers and g _∥2=1.9340, g _⊥2=1.9523, A _∥2=−169.0×10⁻⁴cm⁻¹, and A _⊥2=−55.2×10⁻⁴cm⁻¹ for V2 centers. A model of a paramagnetic center is proposed: The vanadium ions replace titanium ions in two structurally distinct positions Ti1 and Ti2 (V1 and V2 centers, respectively). The possibility that a VO²⁺ ion forms when α-RbTiOPO₄ crystals and crystals of the KTP group (KTiOPO₄, NaTiOPO₄, α-and β-LiTiOPO₄), studied earlier, are doped with vanadium is discussed. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 534–536 (March 1998)     

2p3/2?13x?1?3x?13d?1 X-ray satellites spectra in the Lα1 region of 4d transition elements

The X-ray satellite spectra arising due to 2p _3/2 ⁻¹3x ⁻¹−3x ⁻¹3d ⁻¹ (x ≡ s, p, d) transition array, in elements with Z = 40 to 48, have been calculated, using available Hartree-Fock-Slater (HFS) data on 1s ⁻¹−2p ⁻¹ 3x ⁻ and 2p _3/2 ⁻¹−3x ⁻¹,3x ⁻¹ Auger transition energies. The relative intensities of all the possible transitions have been estimated by considering cross — sections for the Auger transitions simultaneous to a hole creation and then distributing statistically the total cross sections for initial two hole states 2p _3/2 ⁻¹−3x ⁻¹ amongst various allowed transitions from these initial states to 3x ⁻¹ 3d ⁻¹ final states by Coster-Kronig (CK) and shake off processes. In both these processes initial single hole creation is the prime phenomenon. Each transition has been assumed to give rise to a Gaussian line and the overall spectrum has been computed as the sum of these Gaussian curves. The calculated spectra have been compared with the measured satellite energies in Lα₁ spectra. Their intense peaks have been identified as the observed satellite lines. The peaks in the theoretical satellite spectra were identified as the experimentally reported satellites α₃, α₄ and α₅, which lie on the high-energy side of the Lα₁ dipole line.     

Total electron scattering cross-sections for O atoms: O2 and O3 molecules

Total (elastic+inelastic) cross sections fore ⁻-O,e ⁻-O₂ ande ⁻-O₃ scattering have been calculated at sample energies between 100 and 1000eV. The basice ⁻-O atom scattering amplitudes are obtained from the partial wave analysis with a complex optical potential. Thee ⁻-O₂ ande ⁻-O₃ cross-sections are obtained through the independent atom model. Oure ⁻-O₂ cross-sections reproduce the experimental data quite well. Adequate comparisons are made in all the three cases.     

Gravity of monopole and string and the gravitational constant in 3He-A

We discuss the effective metric produced in superfluid ³He-A by such topological objects as the radial disgyration and monopole. In relativistic theories these metrics are similar to that of the local string and global monopole, respectively. But in ³He-A they have a negative angle deficit, which corresponds to a negative mass of the topological objects. The effective gravitational constant in superfluid ³He-A, deduced from a comparison with relativistic theories, is G∼Δ⁻², where the gap amplitude Δ plays the part of the Planck energy. G depends on temperature roughly as (1−T ²/T _c ² )⁻² and corresponds to a screening of Newton’s constant. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 9, 666–671 (10 May 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Momenta and rapidity characteristics of the multiparticle production in 50 GeV/c π −-Emulsion collison

The momenta and rapidity characteristics of the particles produced in 50 GeV/c π ⁻-collision with emulsion nuclei have been studied with an emulsion stack exposed under a pulsed magnetic field. The longitudinal rapidity plots suggest that leading pion is attenuated strongly when passing through a heavy nucleus. The average net charge 〈N _s ⁺ −N _s ⁻ 〉 produced in the final state of the reaction rises rapidly from a negative to a positive value atN _h ⩽1 and attains a constant value⋍0.60±0.08 at allN _h ⩾7.     

Thermo-optic coefficients of monoclinic KLu(WO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The three thermo-optic coefficients of the biaxial laser host KLu(WO₄)₂ are measured at 633 nm by a deflection method. Their values at 300 K amount to ∂ n _g /∂ T=−7.4×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹; ∂ n _m /∂ T=−1.6×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ and ∂ n _p /∂ T=−10.8×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. Nearly athermal propagation directions are found for polarizations along the N _m and N _p dielectric axes.     

High-spin structure in 187Pt

High-spin states in ¹⁸⁷Pt were studied via the ¹⁷³Yb(¹⁸O, 4n) reaction. Rotational bands based on the νi_13/2, ν7/2⁻[503], νi² _13/2νj, ν3/2⁻[512] and ν1/2⁻[521] configurations were observed, and interpreted within the framework of the cranked shell model. The TRS calculations show that the νi_13/2 band has an appreciable negative γ deformation, and the negative-parity bands tend to have a near prolate shape with small positive γ values. Experimental values of B(M1)/B(E2) ratios have been extracted and compared with theoretical values from the semi-classical D?nau and Frauendof approach, strongly suggesting a low frequency πh_9/2 alignment in the ν7/2⁻[503] band. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10475097 and 10505025) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences     

Emission of axions by a hydrogen-like atom in an ultrastrong magnetic field

The resonance effect of emission of axions by a hydrogen-like atom in an ultrastrong magnetic field B ≫ B ₀ = m ²/e = 4.41 × 10¹³ Gs, which is induced by polarization of electron-positron vacuum, is considered. The emission probability and the radiation intensity are on the order of (B/B ₀) × 10⁻¹² of electromagnetic radiation characteristics, which exceeds the conventional ratio by many orders of magnitude. It is shown that, at the temperature of early Universe ≲(Zα)² m, the contribution from the resonance mechanism prevails. However, the relation between the concentrations of relic photons and axions cannot explain the origin of cold dark matter. The axion energy density in “our epoch” is 10⁻⁴(B/B ₀) eV/cm³.