Longitudinal DC electric discharge in a supersonic air flow

A longitudinal dc electric discharge in a submerged high-pressure supersonic air jet is described. Photographs of the discharge are provided. The experimental voltage across the discharge gap and the discharge current are given for two resistances of the resistor that limits the discharge current over a certain range of the discharge channel length along the air flow. The current-voltage discharge characteristic is provided at a constant discharge length. The main discharge characteristics are obtained from a comparison of the experimental and theoretical results calculated on the basis of the simplest model.     

Measured and calculated vertical structure of a sound field in the ocean

Results of measuring the monochromatic sound field with a dipping probe in the deep ocean are presented. The sound speed profile in the region of measurements had a minimum at a depth of 1600 m. The experiment was carried out in the Atlantic Ocean with the use of two vessels separated by a distance of approximately four ray cycles (～240 km). The experimental data are compared with the calculations based on a new concept of the Brillouin waves for describing the vertical structure of the sound field produced by rays. It is shown that a satisfactory agreement between experiment and calculation can be achieved by fitting the parameters of the experiment. Such a procedure allows one to refine or even to determine the experimental conditions, which not are always known. The proposed method of calculation offers an opportunity for solving inverse problems of ocean acoustics.     

Characteristics of high-power radiating imploding discharge with cold start

A qualitative model of the dynamics of a multiterawatt radiating Z-pinch with cold start and high rate of current rise is proposed. The model is used to analyze discharges with currents I ～ 2–5 MA (with dI/dt > 10¹³ A/s) through uniform or structured plasma-producing loads, including wire arrays. The most important consequence of cold start is that spatially nonuniform plasma production is prolonged to almost the entire current rise time. Under these conditions, the Ampére force begins to play a dominant role in the plasma dynamics before the plasma-producing load is completely transformed into an accelerated plasma. The results of computations of wire-array vaporization are presented. A formula is proposed for estimating the highest attainable velocity of plasma flow into a heterogeneous liner driven by the Ampére force. It is shown that local imbalance between radial motion of the produced plasma and supply of the plasma-producing substance to be ionized leads to axially nonuniform breakthrough of magnetic flux into the liner, which precedes plasma collapse. The magnetic-flux breakthrough gives rise to a chaotic azimuthal-axial plasma structure consisting of radial plasma jets of relatively small diameter, which is called a radial plasma rainstorm. The breaking-through azimuthal magnetic flux obstructs further current flow in the breakthrough region. Analyses of Z-pinch implosion based on the theory of Rayleigh-Taylor instability or the snowplow model are incorrect under the plasma-rainstorm conditions. The processes taking place in a stagnant Z-pinch include conversion of the energy carried by the current-generated magnetic field into turbulent MHD flow of the ion component of the plasma, its convective mixing with magnetic field, heating, energy transfer from ions to electrons, and emission from the plasma. Under typical experimental conditions, emission plays a key role in the energy balance in an imploding pinch. Z-pinch is modeled by an electric-circuit component that has a time-dependent nonlinear impedance and consumes the magnetic energy supplied by a generator through a magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL). The peak power reached in the circuit is comparable to the peak soft X-ray power output emitted by the pinch in terms of magnitude and timing. Optimum matching conditions are formulated for the generator-MITL-pinch circuit.     

Electromechanical properties of Pb<Subscript>3</Subscript>Ga<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>14</Subscript> piezoelectric crystals grown from solution in a melt

Single crystals of lead gallium germanate Pb₃Ga₂Ge₄O₁₄ are grown from their own solution melts. The propagation of bulk acoustic waves is investigated, and the elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric constants are calculated. The temperature dependences of the dielectric constants of this compound are analyzed.     

Low-power RF plasma sources for technological applications: II. plasma sources under anomalous skin effect conditions

A theory of a planar disk-shaped RF plasma source under anomalous skin effect conditions is developed. In the absence of an external magnetic field, such conditions are satisfied for transverse electromagnetic waves with phase velocities below the electron thermal velocity, and, in the presence of this field, they are satisfied for electron cyclotron waves with frequencies corresponding to the resonant absorption line. For each of these cases, the RF field power deposited in a plasma with given parameters is determined and the equivalent plasma resistance is calculated.     

On the Nature of Radiation Resistance in Compensated Silicon

Russian Physics Journal -     

Investigation of clustering in light nuclei by means of relativistic-multifragmentation processes

New results concerning the topology of the fragmentation of relativistic nuclei ⁷Li and ¹⁰B are presented. A program is proposed for studying the cluster structure of stable and radioactive nuclei. The use of emulsions in the investigation of nuclear clustering in the fragmentation of light nuclei at energies are in excess of 1 GeV per nucleon is discussed.     

TSL and EPR studies of SrBPO5 doped with CeO2and co-doped with CeO2 and Sm2O3

Thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigations were carried out on gamma irradiated SrBPO₅ samples doped with CeO₂ and co-doped with CeO₂ and Sm₂O₃. On gamma-irradiation at room temperature, BO₃ ^2–, O₂ ^– and O^– radicals were produced. It was seen that the O^– radical ion disappeared in the sample annealed at 500 K. It is proposed that the recombination between trapped electrons and O^– radical ions results in transfer of recombination energy to the impurity centre Ce³⁺ resulting in TSL glow peak at 485 K. In the case of co-doped samples energy transfer occurs between Ce³⁺ to Sm³⁺ resulting in increase in the intensity of glow peak at 485 K.The authors are grateful to Dr. V. K. Manchanda, Head, Radiochemistry Division, BARC for his keen interest and encouragement during the course of this work.     

Sorption of Zn(II) and Cd(II) by chelating resins: Comparison of three resins

Ion-exchange resins, especially chelating resins are used for pre-concentration of metal ions in trace analysis as well as for radiochemical separations following neutron activation of a variety of environmental samples. As part of a systematic study of the sorption characteristics of chelating resins, sorption of Zn(II) and Cd(II) by three chelating resins were studied for various acid conditions in nitrate and chloride media. Both Zn(II) and Cd(II) showed similar behavior. Under higher acid conditions, maximum sorption occurred in 3M HCl solutions. Under low acid conditions, the sorption increased with pH. Chelex 100 gave the highest sorption among the three resins. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.