Phase state stabilization of ammonium nitrate for creating an oxidizing agent for smokeless gas-generating formulations yielding no toxic combustion products

Methods for phase stabilization of ammonium nitrate were sought for in order to considerably expand the application area of this oxidizing agent in various-purpose self-combustible formulations, including that in a new generation of gas-generating formulations for automobile air bags. New methods for stabilization of ammonium nitrate were studied and, in particular, a search was made for organic compounds that can stabilize ammonium nitrate even at their low content. The mechanism of phase state stabilization of ammonium nitrate by compounds of this kind was examined.     

Scaling properties of fracture surfaces on glass strengthened by ionic exchange

In this work the results of the statistical topometric analysis of fracture surfaces of soda-lime-silica glass with and without ionic exchange treatment are reported. In this case, the mechanism of substitution is K⁺-Na⁺. atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to record the topometric data from the fracture surface. The roughness exponent (ζ) and the correlation length (ξ) were calculated by the variable bandwidth method. The analysis for both glasses (subjected and non-subjected to ionic exchange) for ζ shows a value ∼0.8, this value agrees well with that reported in the literature for rapid crack propagation in a variety of materials. The correlation length shows different values for each condition. These results, along with those of microhardness indentations suggest that the self-affine correlation length is influenced by the complex interactions of the stress field of microcracks with that resulting from the collective behavior of the point defects introduced by the strengthening mechanism of ionic exchange.     

Carbon adsorbents for the sorpting and concentrating nobel metals

Kinetic, sorption and selectivity properties of commercial adsorbents are improved by adding petroleum residues (tar asphaltene concentrates) 13% of whole mass. Obtained adsorbents can be used for selective extraction of nobel metals from multicomponent polymetallic solutions of heavy metals and fro sewages purification for removing arsenic.     

Rigidity and flexibility of virtual polytopes

All 3-dimensional convex polytopes are known to be rigid. Still their Minkowski differences (virtual polytopes) can be flexible with any finite freedom degree. We derive some sufficient rigidity conditions for virtual polytopes and present some examples of flexible ones. For example, Bricard's first and second flexible octahedra can be supplied by the structure of a virtual polytope.     

Effect of phonon scattering from neutral and charged impurity centers on the lattice heat conductivity of PbTe:(Tl, Na)

Experimental data on the effect of thallium and sodium impurities on the lattice heat conductivity of PbTe at room temperature are reported. Because the lattice of lead chalcogenides is strongly polarized near charged impurities, the effect of impurities on the lattice heat conductivity depends substantially on their charge state. This property of the material has been used to determine the charge state of the thallium impurity in PbTe. The results obtained argue for a model of quasi-local thallium-impurity states which assumes low electron-correlation energy at an impurity center. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1206–1208 (July 1998)     

Inelastic processes in collisions of multicharged fast ions with atoms

We use the eikonal approximation to develop a general formula for the cross sections of inelastic collisions of multicharged fast ions (including relativistic ions) with atoms that is applicable within a broad range of collision energies, has the standard nonrelativistic limit, and becomes, in the ultrarelativistic case, the well-known result that follows from the exact solution of the Dirac equation. As an example we study the excitation and ionization of a hydrogenlike atom, the single and double excitation and ionization of a heliumlike atom, and multiple (up to the eighth order) ionization of the neon atom and (up to eighteenth order) ionization of the argon atom. We derive simple analytical expressions for the inelastic cross sections and establish recurrence relations linking the cross sections of ionization of different orders. Finally, we compare our results with the experimental data. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 1646–1660 (November 1998)     

Inclusion of transverse quark momenta in the quark-gluon string model

The dependence of distribution functions of quarks, antiquarks, diquarks and their fragmentation into hadrons on the transverse momentumk _t is discussed in the frame of the quark-gluon string model. We then discuss the division ofk _t between 2n-quark-antiquark chains, orn-pomeron showers. Hadron and hadron-nuclear processesp?p,p?A,K ⁺?p,K ⁺?A are analysed. A strong dependence of the observed values on the numbern is derived by this method, which is of special importance for the analysis of hadron-nucleus collisions. Our method is compared with the regulark _t division method.     

Operational Research and Regulation: Theory and Practice

In this Blackett Lecture, Professor Littlechild, Director General of Electricity Supply in the UK's Office of Electricity Regulation, renews acquaintance with some models he has developed over the years, introduces some models he has recently met, and discusses models that it would seem to be worthwhile developing. He concludes that for all concerned in the electricity industry, success depends on ever improving decision-making, in which OR has a vital role.