Studies of the parameters of a spark discharge between an artificial charged water-aerosol cloud and the ground

The optical and current characteristics of spark discharges between a grounded electrode and a strongly charged artificial water-aerosol cloud are studied experimentally. The spectral characteristics of the discharge current are investigated using wavelet and Fourier analyses. Three main types of discharge with different final stages are revealed and investigated. It is found that the parameters of a discharge in its final stage depend substantially on the discharge trajectory and the depth to which it penetrates into the aerosol cloud. It is shown that the parameters of the most powerful type of discharge (the brightness of the discharge channel, the current growth rate in the final stage, and the penetration depth into the charged aerosol cloud) are close to the discharge parameters in the main stage of natural lightning. It is also shown that such a discharge neutralizes up to 5% of the cloud charge. In contrast to Fourier analysis, wavelet analysis shows that the signal amplitude (i.e., the energy deposition rate in the discharge channel) is maximum at high frequencies for all types of discharge. Of special interest is the most powerful type of discharge, in which the signal amplitude (which is one to two orders of magnitude larger than in other discharges) is maximum at frequencies of several hundred megahertz.     

Formation mechanisms of nanocomposite layers based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes and non-stoichiometric tin oxide

Nanocomposite layers based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and non-stoichiometric tin oxide (SnO _x ) have been grown by magnetron deposition and CVD methods. In the case of the CVD method, the study of the structure and phase composition of obtained nanocomposite layers has shown that a tin oxide “superlattice” is formed in the MWCNT layer volume, fixed by SnO _x islands on the MWCNT surface. During magnetron deposition, the MWCNT surface is uniformly coated with tin oxide islands, which causes a change in properties of individual nanotubes. Electrical measurements have revealed the sensitivity of nanocomposite layers to (NO₂)⁻ molecule adsorption, which is qualitatively explained by a change in the conductivity of the semiconductor fraction of p-type MWCNTs.     

On hardware and software implementation of arithmetic in finite fields of characteristic 7 for calculation of pairings

We study scheme (hardware) and program (software) methods of multiplication of polynomials over fields of characteristic 7 in order to apply them to pairing-based cryptographic protocols on hyperelliptic curves of genus three. We consider hardware and software implementations of arithmetic in GF(7), GF(7²), GF(7 ⁿ ), GF(7⁷ⁿ ), and GF(7¹⁴ⁿ ) and estimate the complexity of corresponding schemes and programs.     

Thin-layer chromatography with high-boiling mobile phase. part 2: Effect of temperature on retention characteristics in TLC with high-boiling mobile phases

A study has been undertaken on the effect of temperature on retention characteristics in thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with low-volatility mobile phases (MP). It is shown that temperature variations in TLC in melts bring about variations in both the relative retention values and, in some cases, in the order of migration of the chromatographic zones across the layer. The variation in the capacity factor k' with temperature agrees well with Martin's equation. To explain the temperature dependence of R_f one must, in general, take into account the variations with temperature in both the partition coefficient and the phase ratio. To describe the variation in R_f with temperature in TLC with low-volatile MP one can use an approximate equation in which In R_f is a linear function of 1/T. The experiments indicate that temperature is a major factor in TLC in melts.     

Role of Prebreakdown Currents in a Static Breakdown of a Two-Sectioned Cold-Cathode Thyratron

Russian Physics Journal - The data on prebreakdown currents and static breakdown voltages measured in two-sectioned sealed-off thyratron with a cold cathode TPI1-10k/50 are presented. The temporal...     

Special Features of the Discharge Formation in the Trigger Unit Based on Breakdown Over the Semiconductor Surface in Sealed-Off Cold-Cathode Thyratron

Russian Physics Journal - The results of investigation of pulsed discharge in the trigger unit based on breakdown over the semiconductor surface in sealed-off cold-cathode thyratrons TDI1-50k/50...     

Hyperfoliations on compact 3-manifolds with restrictions on the external curvature of leaves

C∞-foliations of codimension 1 on compact Riemannian 3-manifolds are studied. New classes of foliations, namely hyperbolic, elliptic, and parabolic foliations, are considered. Examples of such foliations are presented. In particular, aC∞-metric of nonnegative sectional curvature onS ³ such that the Reeb foliation is parabolic with respect to this metric is constructed. Analytic 3-manifolds with sectional curvature of constant sign admitting parabolic foliations are classified. Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 63, No. 5, pp. 651–659, May, 1998. The author wishes to express his thanks to Professor A. A. Borisenko for his supervision, and to Yu. A. Nikolaevskii for useful advice in the process of preparing the present paper.     

Pion program for the future rare-decay experiments

The future investigations of rare decays of elementary particles demand the creation of new-generation setups which can perform much greater statistics and precise experimental data. The proposed new setups at CERN, NA62 (NA48/3 (P326SPS)), and at IHEP, OKA, are planned to obtain experimental data at the level of 10⁻¹⁰–10⁻¹² branching ratio. The main goals of both experimental programs are connected with the study of ultrarare kaon decays, but beams of these experiments contain 95% (NA48) and 50% (OKA) of pions. It is natural to use the pion part of these beams for study of rare pion decays. The pion program may be performed simultaneously or consecutively with the main tasks. Such problems as search for tensor interaction, measurements of branching ratio and form factors of some pion decays, effects of polarization, and search for new particles are included in this program. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Transformation of the electronic structure of the SnO2 − x /MWCNT nanocomposite under high-vacuum annealing conditions

The transformation of the structural phase state and the electronic structure of the SnO_{2 ? x} /MWCNT composite has been studied using X-ray spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It has been shown that the character of the interaction of the metal-oxide component of the composite with the array of carbon nanotubes depends on the structural state of tin oxide in globules of the metal-oxide component. In the initial composite with a large content of amorphous tin oxide, covalent functionalization of the MWCNT surface occurs. High-vacuum annealing results in the formation of a nanocrystalline structure in globules of the metal-oxide component and is accompanied by changes in the character of its interaction with carbon tubes.