Steady-state self-focusing of Gaussian electromagnetic beams in an inhomogeneous nonlinear medium: Effect of absorption and initial curvature of the beam

The authors have investigated the effect of linear absorption and initial curvature of an electromagnetic Gaussian beam on focusing/defocusing in an inhomogeneous nonlinear medium. Numerical computations have been made for linear inhomogeneity and saturating nonlinearity, characteristic of dielectrics and collisional plasmas. The maximum and minimum of the beam width keep decreasing with increase in distance of propagation (or absorption), till the beam becomes very weak and diverges steeply; penetration in an overdense medium also decreases with increasing absorption. Converging beams initially converge and then go in: (i) the oscillatory divergence (ii) self-focusing or (iii) steady divergence mode, depending upon the initial values of beam width and axial irradiance. The maximum penetration in an overdense medium has the highest values for −0.7<(df/dξ)_ξ=0<0.4 and falls sharply, outside these limits.     

Effects of E2 and El-E2 Interference on Coulomb Dissociation of 19C

We investigate the effects of higher order multipole transitions, in particular electric quadrupole （E2） and El-E2 interference, on the Coulomb dissociation of 19 C within the framework of the first order eikonal approximation. The sensitivity of the total Coulomb breakup cross section and the longitudinal momentum distribution of the core fragment to these effects are checked. The breakup occurs predominately through the dipole transition and the contribution of E2 transition to the total cross section is found to be within the range from 1 to 3% of that of El. It is further observed that the El-E2 interference term contributes nothing to the integrated cross section. On the other hand, the longitudinal momentum distribution is observed to be insensitive to the E2 transition while the El-E2 interference introduces a small asymmetry in its shape.     

Probing the quantum critical behavior of CeCoIn5 via Hall effect measurements

We present highly sensitive Hall effect measurements of the heavy fermion compound CeCoIn5 down to temperatures of 55 mK. A pronounced dip in the differential Hall coefficient | partial differential rho(xy)/ partial differential H| at low temperature and above the upper critical field of superconductivity, H(c2), is attributed to critical spin fluctuations associated with the departure from Landau Fermi liquid behavior. This identification is strongly supported by a systematic suppression of this feature at elevated pressures. The resulting crossover line in the field-temperature phase diagram favors a field induced quantum critical point at mu(0)H(qc) approximately 4.1 T below H(c2)(T=0) suggesting related, yet separate, critical fields.     

A Novel Implementation Technique of Conical Scan Radar Using A Programmable Phased Array

In radar, planar phased array antenna plays vital role in electronic scanning in the azimuth and elevation direction to the horizon. In most operations using planar phased array both the coordinates of azimuth and elevation, are steered electronically. In this paper a conceptual schematic of a phased array antenna with programmable time delay units has been presented. It is shown that by suitably exploiting the time delay matrix one can have electronic beam rotation around the target axis as required in conical scan. Thus both the elevation and azimuth motors in conical scan system are replaced by electronic scanning. Heuristically, we have selected eight consecutive points for beam rotation in a polygon shape and can also be extended almost circular shape by increasing number of array elements and phase shifter (delays) in the delay matrix. The array requires dual control of phase gradient and individual phase values. The whole array is controlled by micro-controller. This presents exciting possibilities in radar operation.     

Phase transition in CeSe, EuSe and LaSe under high pressure

The high pressure phase transition and elastic behavior of rare earth monoselenides (CeSe, EuSe and LaSe) which crystallize in a NaCl-structure have been investigated using the three body interaction potential (TBIP) approach. These interactions arise due to the electronshell deformation of the overlapping ions in crystals. The TBP model consists of a long range Coulomb, three body interactions and the short range overlap repulsive forces operative up to the second neighboring ions. The authors of this paper estimated the values of the phase transition pressure and the associated volume collapse to be closer than other calculations. Thus, the TBIP approach also promises to predict the phase transition pressure and pressure variations of elastic constants of lanthanide compounds.      

Essay: The Quantum Gravitational Black Hole Is Neither Black Nor White

Understanding the end state of black hole evaporation, the microscopic origin of black hole entropy, the information loss paradox, and the nature of the singularity arising in gravitational collapse - these are outstanding challenges for any candidate quantum theory of gravity. Recently, a midisuperspace model of quantum gravitational collapse has been solved using a lattice regularization scheme. It is shown that the mass of an eternal black hole follows the Bekenstein spectrum, and a related argument provides a fairly accurate estimate of the entropy. The solution also describes a quantized mass-energy distribution around a central black hole, which in the WKB approximation, is precisely Hawking radiation. The leading quantum gravitational correction makes the spectrum non-thermal, thus providing a plausible resolution of the information loss problem.     

Out-of-plane low field anisotropic magnetoresistance in Nd0.51Sr0.49MnO3 thin films

A comparative study of the out-of-plane anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) in single crystalline and polycrystalline thin films of phase separated manganite Nd_0.51Sr_0.49MnO₃ has been carried out. On-axis DC magnetron sputtering was used to deposit the single crystalline films (30 and 100 nm in thickness) on single crystal (0 0 1) LaAlO₃ (LAO) and polycrystalline films (100 nm) on (1 0 0) Yttrium-stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ) substrates. The in-plane and out-of-plane magnetotransport properties of these films differ significantly. A large low field AMR is observed in all the films. AMR shows a peak below the insulator-metal transition temperature in the single crystalline films, while the same increases monotonically in the polycrystalline film. Relatively larger low field AMR (∼20% at T=78 K and H=1.7 kOe) in the polycrystalline films suggests the dominance of the shape anisotropy.     

Inverted equations of state for solids under high pressures

In the present communication we have reviewed some inverted type equations of state for solids under high pressures. An inverted equation of state (EOS) gives volume as a function of pressure for a solid under isothermal conditions. We have considered various equations of state proposed by earlier workers which express volume as a function of pressure. Expressions for bulk modulus and its pressure derivatives based on such EOSs are obtained and reported here. It is emphasized here that the high pressure derivative properties are very sensitive to the forms of equations of state representing volume-pressure relationships. We have also studied the thermoelastic properties of solids based on pressure derivatives of bulk modulus. Applications have been extended in the present review article to the solids which are metals as well as non-metals including geophysical minerals present in the lower mantle and core of the Earth.     

Photoluminescence,thermoluminescence and electron spin resonance studies on Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript> doped Ca<Subscript>3</Subscript>Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> red phosphors

Tricalcium aluminate doped with Eu³⁺ was prepared at furnace temperatures as low as 500°C by using the convenient combustion route and examined using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and photoluminescence techniques. A room-temperature photoluminescence study showed that the phosphors can be efficiently excited by UV/Visible region, emitting a red light with a peak wavelength of 616 nm corresponding to the ⁵D₀–⁷F₂ transition of Eu³⁺ ions. The phosphor exhibits three thermoluminescence (TL) peaks at 195°C, 325°C and 390°C. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) studies were carried out to study the defect centres induced in the phosphor by gamma irradiation and also to identify the defect centres responsible for the TL process. Room-temperature ESR spectrum of irradiated phosphor appears to be a superposition of three distinct centres. One of the centres (centre I) with principal g-value 2.0130 is identified as O⁻ ion while centre II with an axially symmetric principal values g _∥=2.0030 and g _⊥=2.0072 is assigned to an F⁺ centre (singly ionized oxygen vacancy). O⁻ ion (hole centre) correlates with the TL peak at 195°C and the F⁺ centre (electron centre), which acts as a recombination centre, is also correlated to the 195°C TL peak. F⁺ centre further appears to be related to the high temperature peak at 390°C. Centre III is also assigned to an F⁺ centre and seems to be the recombination centre for the TL peak at 325°C.     

Temperature and angular momentum dependence of the quadrupole deformation in sd-shell

Temperature and angular momentum dependence of the quadrupole deformation is studied in the middle of the sd-shell for ²⁸Si and ²⁷Si isotopes using the spherical shell model approach. The shell model calculations have been performed using the standard universal sd-shell (USD) interaction and the canonical partition function constructed from the calculated eigensolutions. It is shown that the extracted average quadrupole moments show a transitional behaviour as a function of temperature and the infered transitional temperature is shown to vary with angular momentum. The quadrupole deformation of the individual eigenstate is also analysed.