Ablation of an optically homogeneous absorbing medium by scattered pulsed laser radiation

We have studied the ablation of an aqueous CuCl₂ solution in a pulsed Nd:YAG laser field featuring a speckle-patterned structure characterized by spatial radiation energy fluence fluctuations. This leads to a nonuniform distribution of the energy absorbed in the bulk of the sample being irradiated and causes local overheating centers to form, wherein ablation is observed to take place at laser energy fluences below the threshold value found in experiments with a homogeneous laser beam. This effect should be manifest in the laser irradiation of biotissues which, as a rule, scatter light strongly.     

Adaptation of an echelle spectrograph to a large CCD detector

A broad range echelle spectrograph with a CCD matrix detector is developed for different applications in atomic spectroscopy. The compact optical design in combination with a dispersive entrance slit illumination offers a low stray light level and high throughput in the UV spectral region comparable only with spectrographs of higher focal length. Ray tracing calculations for typical wavelengths and the multi-line spectrum of an iron arc show the excellent overall spectrum quality. The subtraction of two partial spectra of different steel alloys demonstrates the spectra evaluation possibilities of the CCD spectrograph.     

Even denominator filling factors in the thermoelectric power of a 2DEG

We have investigated the interaction of phonons with a 2DEG in the FQH regime with phonon drag thermoelectric power (TEP). We find that the TEP at filling factors with the same even denominator is identical and at other even denominator filling factors they differ only by a constant. Assuming these states to be Composite Fermions (CF), we can explain our observations by extending a zero magnetic field theory for phonon drag to the CF-phonon interaction. This analysis is further corroborated by the observed T⁴ dependence of the CF TEP.     

Crossing of shears bands in196Pb

High-spin states in¹⁹⁶Pb have been populated using the reaction¹⁷⁰Er(³⁰Si,4n). The previously observed shears bands in this nucleus have been extended and some of their transitions have been reordered. They now form regular bands with band crossings. One of the bands splits into two pathways at high spin.     

X-ray diffraction study of 'side-on fixed' homopolysiloxanes from nematic to smectic C phases

The X-ray patterns for the nematic phase in a series of side-on fixed polysiloxanes show different kinds of diffuse elements which imply complex short range ordering. A systematic structural study of the evolution of the patterns versus two molecular parameters, namely the spacer length and the length of the terminal aliphatic tails, suggests the possible occurrence of a smectic C phase for certain values of these parameters. Taking into account these tendencies, new synthesis led to a nematic-smectic C polymorphism observed for the first time in side-on fixed polysiloxanes.     

Non-linearity of the interactions between bottom-up and top-down signals in multistable visual perception

Summary Both bottom-up sensory information and top-down influences contribute to the perception processes. We studied the perceptual alternations of a multistable ambiguous pattern. We observed that it is possible to interfere on the process of the perception alternance by means of subliminal visual stimuli, which either contrast or second the previous perception. We investigated also the effect of the top-down volitional factor on the perceptual alternation. By using a combination of such top-down factor and bottom-up stimulation, we ascertained that a non-linear type of interaction occurs between the two above factors. Paper presented at the International Workshop ?Fluctuations in Physics and Biology: Stochastic Resonance, Signal Processing and Related Phenomena?, Elba, 5–10 June 1994.     

Use of spheron for separating flavonoids

Institute of Biology, Ufa Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ufa, fax (3472) 35 6103. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 755-756, September-October, 1995. Original article submitted September 6, 1994.     

Nonparametric decision-making models for large samples

Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 79–83, September, 1995.     

On exact order estimates of N-widths of classes of functions analytic in a simply connected domain

In the spaces E _q(Ω), 1 < q < ∞, introduced by Smirnov, we obtain exact order estimates of projective and spectral n-widths of the classes W ^r E _p(Ω) and W ^r E _p(Ω)Ф in the case where p and q are not equal. We also indicate extremal subspaces and operators for the approximative values under consideration.     

Coulomb blockade electrometer with a high-T c island

We report on a successful attempt to fabricate a Coulomb blockade electrometer consisting of an ultrasmall YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ (YBCO) island coupled to two gold electrodes through a high-resistance native surface tunnel barrier. A third electrode placed near the island was used as an electrostatic gate. Spectra typical for tunneling into the YBCO superconductor were reproducibly measured. At temperatures below 0.5 K the low-bias conductance was suppressed by the Coulomb blockade. The blockade could be periodically varied by the gate potential. An external magnetic field of up to 5 T strongly influenced the transport via the island but without any change in the period of the Coulomb oscillations. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 2, 112–117 (25 January 1996) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.