Prediction and Measurement of Electron Density and Collision Frequency in a Weakly Ionised Pine Fire

Pine litter flame is a weakly ionised medium. Electron-neutral collisions are a dominant form of particle interaction in the flame. Assuming flame electrons to be in thermal equilibrium with neutrals and average electron-neutral collision frequency to be much higher than the plasma frequency, the propagation of microwaves through the flame is predicted to suffer signal intensity loss. A controlled fire burner was constructed where various natural vegetation species could be used as fuel. The burner was equipped with thermocouples and used as a cavity for microwaves with a laboratory quality network analyzer to measure wave attenuation. Electron density and collision frequency were then calculated from the measured attenuation. The parameters are important for numerical prediction of electromagnetic wave propagation in wildfire environments. A controlled pine litter fire with a maximum flame temperature of 1080 K was set in the burner and microwaves (8–10.5 GHz) were caused to propagate through the flame. A microwave signal loss of 1.6–5.8 dB was measured within the frequency range. Based on the measured attenuation, electron density and electron-neutral collision frequency in pine fire were calculated to range from 0.51–1.35 × 10¹⁶ m⁻³ and 3.43–5.97 × 10¹⁰ s⁻¹ respectively.     

How the dynamics of an ablation plume is affected by ambient gas ionisation

The influence of inert gas ionisation on the expansion dynamics of a laser ablation plume propagating through an inert gas is studied. Charge transfer reactions between ionised ablated species and gas neutrals lead to the formation of a charged layer of ionised gas atoms in contact with the plume expansion front. The energy lost by fast ablated ions when the plume is slowed down is calculated. For the exemplary carbon ablation in helium and argon atmospheres, where background gas ionisation plays a different role, model predictions agree with the observed microstructural differences of deposited films.     

Calculation of the emission power per unit volume of some elemental components in an optically transparent plasma

We present the results of a calculation of the emission power per unit volume and the contribution of resonance lines to the total emission of HI, NI, CI, OI atoms and also NII, CII, OII ions in the temperature range 8000 K to 20,000 K. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 5, pp. 692–694, September–October, 2007.     

Particle track phenomena and radiation power effects at the formation of radiation defects in ionic crystals

The mechanisms of the radiation defect formation in alkali halide crystals are studied in an extremely wide range of the absorbed radiation dose rate (10¹–10¹² Gy/s). It is found that the power dependence of color centers accumulation is described by a curve with a maximum at a dose rate of about 10¹⁰ Gy/s. The electron and proton track parameters for ionic crystals are calculated in the context of the theory of ionization losses of charged-particle energy. Proceeding from the concept of the charged-particle track overlap, the theoretical relations are obtained that explain the radiation power effect in all dielectric materials including alkali halide crystals. The suppression of color center accumulation in these crystals under high-power electron irradiation is due to a more regular topography of the radiation defect formation. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 10–21, February, 2007.     

An analytical dispersion model for sources in the surface layer

Summary A two-dimensional model, based on an analytical solution of the diffusion equation in a shear flow, is validated by comparison with cross-wind integrated concentrations of Prairie-Grass experiment. The wind velocity and eddy diffusivity power law profiles, defined respectively by exponent α and β, are determined by fitting log-linear profiles using both Businger and Dyer flux-profile relationships. They result to depend on the vertical plume spread which is a function both of the stability and of the distance from the source. The model, with Dyer's parametrization, fits the data quite well, except for very unstable conditions. Paper presented at the 1^o Congresso del Gruppo Nazionale per la Fisica dell'Atmosfera e dell'Oceano, June 19–22, 1984, Rome.     

Spin-Polarized 3He–HeII Mixtures in the Static Fluctuation Approximation

We have used the so-called static fluctuation approximation (SFA) to calculate the thermodynamic properties of spin-polarized ³He–HeII mixtures at low temperature, T < 0.025 K. This approximation is based on the replacement of the square of the local-field operator with its mean value. A closed set of nonlinear integral equations is derived for spin-up and spin-down systems. This set is solved numerically by an iteration method for a realistic interhelium potential. The mean internal energy per unit volume, the pressure, the entropy per unit volume, and the specific heat per unit volume increase with increasing temperature. The mean internal energy per unit volume, the pressure increase with increasing spin polarization; while the entropy per unit volume and the specific heat per unit volume are weakly–dependent on spin polarization.     

Combustion of natural gas at the surface of a high-porosity metal matrix

Comparative studies of the combustion of natural gas in burner devices with flat and 3D matrices made of high-porosity metal foam were performed. It was demonstrated that stable combustion in infrared mode can be realized at specific combustion powers of up to 30–40 W/cm². For the 3D matrices, the specific combustion power per unit area of the external cross section was as high as 160 W/cm². For the combustion of near-stoichiometric mixtures at the maximum specific combustion power, the concentrations of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide were within 16–18 and 40–60 ppm, respectively, decreasing approximately proportionally with the specific combustion power. When the combustible mixture was diluted with air to an air-to-fuel equivalence ratio of above 1.5, the concentration of pollutants decreased to less than 5 ppm. A model was developed which made it possible to calculate the temperatures of the flame front and of the working and back surfaces of the matrices. The calculation results were found to be in close agreement with the experimental data.     

Effect of ambient gas on the expansion dynamics of plasma plume formed by laser blow off of thin film

A study has been carried out to understand the influence of ambient gases on the dynamics of laser-blow-off plumes of multi-layered LiF–C thin film. Plume images at various time intervals ranging from 100 to 3000 ns have been recorded using an intensified CCD camera. Enhancement in the plume intensity and change in size and shape occurs on introducing ambient gases and these changes are highly dependent on the nature and composition of the ambient gas used. Velocity of the plume was found to be higher in helium ambient whereas intensity enhancement is greater in argon environment. The plume shapes have maximum size at 10⁻² and 10⁻¹ Torr of Ar and He pressures, respectively. As the background pressure increases further (>10⁻² Torr: depending on the nature of gas), the plume gets compressed/focused in the lateral direction. Internal structure formation and turbulences are observed at higher pressures (>10⁻¹ Torr) in both ambient gases.     

Theoretical analysis of the impurity distribution in single-crystal silicon

Results are presented for the total energies calculated for oxygen and carbon impurities in silicon at T=0 K. The equilibrium positions of these point defects are determined at low (10⁻³–10⁻² at. %) concentrations. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1384–1385 (August 1996)     

Effect of alkali-metal doping on photoluminescence of CdS films

It is established that doping of CdS polycrystalline films with alkaline metals (Li, Na, K, Cs) results in an increase of luminescence intensity by 3–5 times compared with pure films. This increase is accounted for by the placement of alkaline-metal ions in V _Cd ²⁻ cation vacancies, which are nonradiative recombination centers in these films. From the dependences of the luminsecence intensity of the doped films on the synthesis conditions (deposition temperature, concentration of doping impurities, type of doping metal), the parameters that ensure the maximum luminescence intensity of the films are determined as T_dep ≈ 450°C and C_Me = 1·10⁻⁵ at %. The luminescence intensity decreases by 1–3% upon exposure of the films to UV light (λ_max = 365 nm, I = 10²¹ quanta·sec·cm⁻¹) for several hours. This is indicative of the stability of these films against UV radiation. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii Vol. 74, No. 3, pp. 362–366, May–June, 2007.     

Dynamics of femtosecond-laser-ablated liquid-aluminum nanoparticles probed by means of spatiotemporally resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy

We investigated spatiotemporal evolution of expanding ablation plume of aluminum created by a 100-fs, 10¹⁴–10¹⁵-W/cm² laser pulse. For diagnosing dynamic behavior of ablation plume, we employed the spatiotemporally resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) system that consists of a femtosecond-laser-plasma soft X-ray source and a Kirkpatrick–Baez (K–B) microscope. We successfully assigned the ejected particles by analyzing structure of absorption spectra near the L _II,III absorption edge of Al, and we clarified the spatial distribution of Al⁺ ions, Al atoms, and liquid droplets of Al in the plume. We found that the ejected particles strongly depend the irradiated laser intensity. The spatial distribution of atomic density and the expansion velocity of each type of particle were estimated from the spatiotemporal evolution of ablation particles. We also investigated a temperature of the aluminum fine particles in liquid phase during the plume expansion by analyzing the slope of the L _II,III absorption edge in case of 10¹⁴-W/cm² laser irradiation where the nanoparticles are most efficiently produced. The result suggests that the ejected particles travel in a vacuum as a liquid phase with a temperature of about 2500 to 4200 K in the early stage of plume expansion.     

Theoretical analysis of impurity distributions in crystalline silicon

Calculations of the total energy of oxygen and carbon impurities in silicon at T=0 K are presented. The equilibrium position of point defects is determined for low (10⁻³–10⁻² at. %) concentrations. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 2001–2002 (November 1997)     

Study of optical properties and molecular structure of plasma polymerized diethylene glycol dimethyl ether

This paper deals with plasma polymerization processes of diethylene glycol dimethyl ether. Plasmas were produced at 150 mtorr in the range of 10 W to 40 W of RF power. Films were grown on silicon and quartz substrates. Molecular structure of plasma polymerized films and their optical properties were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The IR spectra show C–H stretching at 3000–2900 cm^-1, C=O stretching at 1730–1650 cm^-1, C–H bending at 1440–1380 cm^-1, C–O and C–O–C stretching at 1200–1000 cm^-1. The concentrations of C–H, C–O and C–O–C were investigated for different values of RF power. It can be seen that the C–H concentration increases from 0.55 to 1.0 au (arbitrary unit) with the increase of RF power from 10 to 40 W. The concentration of C–O and C–O–C decreases from 1.0 to 0.5 au in the same range of RF power. The refraction index increased from 1.47 to 1.61 with the increase of RF power. The optical gap calculated from absorption coefficient decreased from 5.15 to 3.35 eV with the increase of power. Due to its optical and hydrophilic characteristics these films can be applied, for instance, as glass lens coatings for ophthalmic applications.     

Particular features of the transmission of laser radiation with wavelength 0.438 µm and intensity (3–7)·1014 W/cm2 through an undercritical plasma from polymer aerogels

The velocities of energy transport in an undercritical plasma of polymer aerogel with and without copper nanoparticles were measured. Transmission of the laser light through targets of different thicknesses such as submicron three-dimensional polymer networks with densities below the critical value (0.13–0.52 N _cr) for a wavelength of 0.438 μm and intensity of (3–7)·10¹⁴ W/cm² at a half-height pulse duration of 0.32 ns was studied. The transfer of a heating laser radiation was registered on the rear side of the target. It ranged from a level of ∼0.5% for the thickness of a low-density layer of 400 μm and density of 9 mg/cm³ (mass per unit square of 0.36 mg/cm²) up to 50–60% for a thickness of 100 μm and density of 2.25 mg/cm³ (mass per unit square of 0.02 mg/cm²). The time dependences of the optical emission from the rear side of the targets were measured. They appear to be indicative of the plasma dynamics in two-layer targets (polymer foam on Al foil) and enable the estimation of the absorption depth for the laser light in an undercritical plasma. __________ Translated from Preprint No. 8 of the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow (2007).     

Mechanisms of ablation-rate decrease in multiple-pulse laser ablation

We present two sets of experimental results on the ablation-rate decrease with increase of the number of consecutive laser pulses hitting the same spot on the target surface. We have studied laser ablation of a carbon target with nanosecond pulses in two different interaction regimes: one with a XeCl laser (λ=308 nm) and the other with a Nd:YAG laser (λ=1064 nm), in both cases at the intensity ∼5×10⁸ W/cm² Two different mechanisms were found to be responsible for the ablation-rate decrease; they are directly related to the two different laser–matter interaction regimes. The UV-laser interaction is in the regime of transparent vapour (surface absorption). The increase of the neutral vapour density in the crater produced by the preceding laser pulses is the main reason for the decrease of ablation rate. With the IR laser each single laser pulse interacts with a partially ionised plume. With increase of the number of pulses hitting the same spot on the target surface, the laser–matter interaction regime gradually changes from the near-surface absorption to the volume absorption, resulting in the decrease in absorption in the target and thus in the decrease in the ablation rate. The change in the evaporation rate was considered for both vacuum and reactive-gas environments. Received: 21 February 2001 / Accepted: 26 February 2001 / Published online: 23 May 2001     

Matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry of gas-phase peptide–metal complexes

Cation attachment to a model peptide has been investigated in matrix-assisted laser desorption experiments. Angiotensin I (Asp–Arg–Val–Tyr–Ile–His–Pro–Phe–His–Leu) is chosen as a system for study, and Cu²⁺ and K⁺ salts are used as cationizing agents. Three fundamentally different types of samples are investigated: (1) a crystalline sample of Ang I, metal salt and MALDI matrix, prepared with the conventional dried droplet method; (2) a solvent-free fine powder mixture of the same three compounds, and (3) a solution of the angiotensin and the metal salt in an ionic liquid matrix (a molten organic salt that acts as a MALDI active solvent). Effective protonation and cationization of the peptide are achieved with the three methods. The transition metal systematically provides more efficient cationization than the alkali metal. At sufficiently high concentration of the salt, the attachment of up to four copper cations to the angiotensin is observed in the MALDI spectrum. In contrast, only one K⁺ cation is efficiently bound to the peptide. For a given salt concentration, the highest degree of cationization is obtained in the laser desorption from the ionic liquid matrix. This is attributed to the efficient transfer of free metal cations to the desorption plume, where the complexation takes place.     

Interaction of muonium with oxygen on silica powder surfaces

Results of the first μSR studies using Merck FO Optipur silica powder, which contains paramagnetic impurities at the ppb level and has a surface area of 610±20 m²/g. are reported. Above 20 K, the transverse field muonium relaxation rate is roughly constant at 0.5 μs⁻¹. Upon the addition of oxygen at ppm levels, the relaxation rate increases linearly with O₂ concentration in the temperature range from 40–100 K yielding two-dimensional depolarization rate constants on the order of 10⁻⁴ cm² molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹. As the temperature is increased further, both oxygen and muonium desorb from the surface yielding a three-dimensional rate constants at 300 K of 3.1(3)×10–10⁻¹⁰ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹, in agreement with the gas phase value. Longitudinal field measurements suggest that MuO₂ is formed and is able to spin exchange with other oxygen molecules.     

Dynamics of radiation scattering by particles of condensed phase in quasicontinuous laser irradiation of metals

Radiation scattering by particles of condensed phase in an ablation plasma plume has been experimentally studied during quasicontinuous laser irradiation (λ = 1.06 μm, q = 0.1–9 MW/cm², τ ∼ 1.5 msec) of duraluminum D16T, aluminum A99, and bismuth. The particle size distribution and the nature of their dispersal during irradiation was studied in scattered light (λ = 0.69 μm) from individual particles that could be visually observed on photographs. It was found that under the pressure developed in the plume, large particles ejected from the irradiated zone can move backward and return to the target (D16T). The plume (Bi) becomes brighter due to ablation of particles in the path of the laser beam. The directional scattering coefficients for scattering from the local zone on the axis of the plume, measured during the laser pulse, were used to study the relationship between the dynamics of entry of condensed phase into the plume, shielding of the target by the particles, and brightening of the plume under the action of the incident laser radiation. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 2, pp. 210–219, March–April, 2006.     

Absolutmessung der lonisierungsausbeute von Alkaliatomen an Metalloberflächen

The absolute ionization efficiency of the alkali metal potassium on incandescent tungsten- and platinum surfaces has been determined by measuring simultaneously, in the same ray of K-atoms, the number of neutral K-atoms per cm² and sec by means of an ultrahigh vacuum-microbalance as well as the number of ions per cm² and sec leaving, after ionisation, the incandescent plane surfaces of W and Pt resp. The potassium and the polycristalline W- and Pt-foils were of high purity and were, in addition, carefully cleaned and degassed by repeated destination resp. heating in a vacuum of 10^?9 to 10^?10 mm Hg. According to the Saha-Langmuir-equation the ionization efficiency, at constant rate of arriving atoms, is a function of temperature passing a maximum at a certain high temperature (～1100°K). At this maximum values of 0,97±0,04 for K on W and of 0,99±0,03 for Pt have been found, that is practically 100% in both cases. After this maximum the ionization efficiency decreases in accord with the Saha-Langmuir-equation.     

Radio-acoustic sounding of the ionosphere

We present the results of first experiments on radio-acoustic sounding of ionosphere at the altitudes from 70 to 85 km. The sounding was performed in autumn 2006, using a horn acoustic emitter and a radar on the basis of the “Sura” facility. The emitter had an acoustic power of about 1 kW and operated in the chirp-modulation regime with frequency variation from 15.9 to 18.4 Hz. The radar transmitter operated in the pulse regime at a frequency of 9 MHz and had an average power of 30 kW. The power of the radio signal scattered from a sound wave in the ionosphere did not exceed 10⁻¹⁶ W, and the measured values of the temperature in the scattering region ranged from 190 to 225 K. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 128–133, February 2009.