Evaluated benchmark experiments at critical assemblies simulating features of an HTHR at the ASTRA facility

The design of the ASTRA facility and critical assemblies that simulate physics features of modular high-temperature reactors (HTHR-Ms) with a graphite moderator and reflectors loaded with fuel particles having multilayer ceramic coatings is described in detail. Geometrical dimensions of the main elements and regions of the critical assemblies, composition of the materials used, and experimental results for various configurations of the critical assemblies are presented. A detailed computational benchmark model allowing for the structural and compositional features of the critical assembly configurations in question is developed on the basis of all the above data. The results are to be used for verification of the neutronics codes used for calculations of high-temperature helium-cooled reactors.     

Computational and experimental investigation of the fields generated by a 1-3 piezocomposite transducer

Large-scale three-dimensional numerical simulations using the finite-difference time domain technique are used to compute the continuous wave fields associated with a composite transducer. The interior of the transducer is made of a periodic array of square rods. This lattice causes elastic wave Bragg diffraction similar to electrons in a periodic lattice. A low frequency mode shape is assumed for the rods. This prescribed motion includes longitudinal and transverse components. It is shown that the transverse motion in the rod gives rise to shear waves causing standing waves (lateral resonances) in the polymer regions. This is also confirmed by experimental results presented here and other independent analytical and experimental work. The full-scale numerical simulation is performed on a large parallel supercomputer and permits modeling of not only the composite transducer but the radiated pressure from near to far field. In addition, cover plates and edge effects are included, unlike analytical treatments. Although only mechanical effects are included, the wave propagation approach captures many essential features.     

Wave packet propagation in a random structure at the critical energy

By relating it to the uncertainty principle, we discuss a criterium for localization in a random potential, which is consistent with the Yoffe-Regel condition.     

Axial Distributions of Fission Reaction Rates in the Annular Core of the ASTRA Critical Facility with Poison Profiling Elements in the Internal Reflector

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - Computational modeling of experiments on measurement of axial distributions of fission reaction rates in configurations of the ASTRA critical facility simulating a HTGR...     

Efficiency of the microwave energy absorption in a plasma at high magnetic fields

It was shown experimentally that the efficiency of the microwave energy absorption in an inhomogeneous magnetoactive plasma strongly depends on the polarization of electromagnetic waves entering the plasma. At high magnetic fields satisfying the condition _ce />1 the RHCP wave (right-hand circularly polarized wave) is absorbed most effectively; here _ce and are the electron cyclotron frequency and the angular frequency of an electromagnetic wave respectively. The experimental results are in a good qualitative agreement with theory.On leave fromA. F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Acad. Sci. USSR, Leningrad. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Drs. V. I.Fedorov and A. D.Pilija from A. F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Leningrad, for many valuable discussions.     

CuBr-Ne-HBr laser with a high repetition frequency of the lasing pulses at a reduced energy deposition in the discharge

Experimental and computer studies of the CuBr laser with periodic-pulse pumping are performed with and without addition of HBr. The analysis based on the numerical simulation reveals how additions improve the lasing characteristics of this laser at both typical (10 to 20 kHz) and higher (up to 100 kHz) excitation pulse repetition frequencies during the operation with a low energy deposition in the discharge. This allows the lasing pulse repetition frequency to be increased in the experiment to 750 kHz, which does not seem to be a limit as yet.     

Tests of the space gamma spectrometer prototype at the JINR experimental facility with different types of neutron generators

The results of the tests of the HPGe gamma spectrometer performed with a planetary soil model and different types of pulse neutron generators are presented. All measurements have been performed at the experimental nuclear planetary science facility (Joint Institute for Nuclear Research) for the physical calibration of active gamma and neutron spectrometers. The aim of the study is to model a space experiment on determining the elemental composition of Martian planetary matter by neutron-induced gamma spectroscopy. The advantages and disadvantages of a gas-filled neutron generator in comparison with a vacuum-tube neutron generator are examined.     

Magnetoresistance anisotropy in Si /SiGe in tilted magnetic fields: experimental evidence for a stripe-phase formation

We observe pronounced transport anisotropies in magnetotransport experiments performed in the two-dimensional electron system of a Si/SiGe heterostructure. They occur when an in-plane field is used to tune two Landau levels with opposite spin to energetic coincidence. The observed anisotropies disappear drastically for temperatures above 1 K. We propose that our experimental findings may be caused by the formation of a unidirectional stripe phase oriented perpendicular to the in-plane field.     

Measurement of energy of medium-mass and heavy cosmic-ray nuclei by a specific energy deposition at the maximum of hadron showers in dense matter

The possibility of measuring the energy of cosmic-ray nuclei (for energies higher than 1 TeV) by means of recording the greatest specific energy deposition in hadron showers generated in dense matter is investigated. This method makes it possible to improve the accuracy of energy measurements by thin calorimeters in studying high-energy cosmic rays at high altitudes. Attainable accuracies in measuring energy are considered for the cases of light and heavy nuclei. The results of a relevant simulation are compared with data from the Kosmos-1713 satellite-borne experiment.     

Multiple-valuedness of the free energy in the neighborhood of a critical point

It is shown that no single-valued free energy exists for a system which has a phase transition with a critical point and for which a few minimal hypotheses hold.     

Beam dynamics studies of the photo-injector in low-charge operation mode for the ERL test facility at IHEP

The energy recovery linac test facility(ERL-TF), which is a compact ERL-FEL(free electron laser)two-purpose machine, was proposed at the Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing. As one important component of the ERL-TF, the photo-injector that started with a photocathode direct-current gun has been designed. In this paper, optimization of the injector beam dynamics in low-charge operation mode is performed with iterative scans using Impact-T. In addition, the dependencies between the optimized beam quality and the initial offset at cathode and element parameters are investigated. The tolerance of alignment and rotation errors is also analyzed.     

Beam dynamics studies of the photo-injector in low-charge operation mode for the ERL test facility at IHEP

The energy recovery linac test facility （ERL-TF）, which is a compact ERL-FEL （free electron laser） two-purpose machine, was proposed at the Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing. As one important component of the ERL-TF, the photo-injector that started with a photocathode direct-current gun has been designed. In this paper, optimization of the injector beam dynamics in low-charge operation mode is performed with iterative scans using Impact-T. In addition, the dependencies between the optimized beam quality and the initial offset at cathode and element parameters are, investigated. The tolerance of alignment and rotation errors is also analyzed.     

Monte Carlo simulation of the compensation and critical behaviors of a ferrimagnetic core/shell nanoparticle Ising model

A Monte Carlo simulation has been used to study the magnetic properties and the critical behaviors of a single spherical nanoparticle, consisting of a ferromagnetic core of spins surrounded by a ferromagnetic shell of S=±1, 0 or , spins with antiferromagnetic interface coupling, located on a simple cubic lattice. A number of characteristic phenomena has been found. In particular, the effects of the shell coupling and the interface coupling on both the critical and compensation temperatures are investigated. We have found that, for appropriate values of the system parameters, two compensation temperatures may occur in the present system.     

Textural critical velocity of 3He-A in the limit of large magnetic fields

A path linking any uniform, current carrying state to the true equilibrium one is proposed, which becomes monotonically decreasing in energy if the superfluid velocity exceeds a critical value. This critical velocity as a function of the orientation is calculated.     

Kosterlitz-Thouless behavior in layered superconductors: the role of the vortex core energy

In layered superconductors (SC) with small interlayer Josephson coupling vortex-antivortex phase fluctuations characteristic of quasi two-dimensional (2D) Kosterlitz-Thouless behavior are expected to be observable at some energy scale T(d). While in the 2D case T(d) is uniquely identified by the KT temperature T(KT) where the universal value of the superfluid density is reached, we show that in a generic anisotropic 3D system T(d) is controlled by the vortex-core energy, and can be significantly larger than the 2D scale T(KT). These results are discussed in relation to recent experiments in cuprates, which represent a typical experimental realization of layered anisotropic SC.     

Comparative study on the critical current performance of Bi-2223/Ag and YBCO wires in low magnetic fields at liquid nitrogen temperature

A comparative study on the critical current performance of Bi-2223/Ag and YBCO coated conductor wires in low magnetic fields at liquid nitrogen temperature was carried out in this work. Five commercial high temperature superconductor wires from different manufacturers were collected. Their critical currents were measured in magnetic fields, ranging from 0 to 0.4 T. On contrary to the common conception, the Bi-2223/Ag samples had better performance than YBCO coated conductor samples in the magnetic fields parallel to the wide surface of superconducting wires within the experimental scope. We also found similar results by collecting the concerned datum from the published literatures to confirm our measurement results. At the present stage, this fact made that the Bi-2223/Ag wires might be the preferred choice for the applications with mainly low parallel fields involved, unless other considerations were prioritized.