A model for streamer propagation

A model is presented to describe the propagation of positive corona streamers in the low field region of a non-uniform field gap in atmospheric air. It has been assumed that the growth is a property solely of the streamer tip, uninfluenced by the channel conductivity. Calculations from the model indicate that the criterion for propagation of a streamer in zero external field is that the number of ions in the tip be 10⁸ and the radius about 3×10^?3 cm. It is proposed that the streamer ceases to propagate as a result of the loss of energy of the tip due to the formation of ion pairs in the channel. The results of previous experimental observations of streamers are compared with calculations derived from the model, and a prediction from the model of the lifetime of streamers after voltage removal is discussed.     

Do light colored scalars exist?

The general question of the properties of light, neutral colored spin-zero particles in QCD is examined. Models with spontaneous breaking of QCD at very large distances, such as that of DeRújula, Giles, and Jaffe and the SO(3) scheme of Slansky, Goldman, and Shaw, require such light colored Higgs scalars. These scalars will form color-singlet hadronic bound states at short distances and estimates are given of bound state masses, decay widths, and production rates in processes such as ψ → γ + X within the MIT bag model. The resulting states are expected in the mass neighborhood ～1.5 GeV and should resemble glueballs.     

Mechanisms of radiation-induced surface composition modification in VCr alloys at high and low temperature

The effect of 0.5 to 3 keV argon ion sputtering on the surface composition of several alloys of vanadium and chromium has been investigated at temperatures in the range 300 to 950 K. At room temperature, sputtering depletes the alloys in chromium and the relative V/Cr sputter rate constant ratio is found to be 1.20, consistent with the ratio of the pure element sputter yields. Annealing clean alloys at temperatures in the range 550 to 670°C further enriches the surface in vanadium and also oxygen segregates to the surface. This behaviour is attributed to co-segregation of oxygen and vanadium, an interpretation supported by the observation of vanadium chemical shifts analogous to those observed in vanadium oxides, the depth profiles of the segregated surfaces and the bond energies in the VCrO system. Sputtering the alloys at temperatures in the range 410 to 620°C enriches the surface in chromium to a depth which increases with sputter annealing time. Similar behaviour has been reported on sputtering a V/Cr alloy at these temperatures but with much higher energy V⁺ ions, and has been attributed to radiation-induced segregation of chromium. The results presented in this paper offer a different interpretation. Annealing enriches the surface in vanadium which co-segregates with oxygen. Thus on sputter- annealing the surface will become depleted in vanadium at a rate which is probably enhanced by an increased sputter yield of VO over either V or Cr. This interpretation is further supported by the observation that the alloy is still depleted in vanadium when the sputtering occurs at room temperature when performed in a cycle with intervening annealing intervals.     

Solution crystallisation via a submerged liquid-liquid phase boundary: oiling out

In many situations the process of crystallisation from solution is known to occur via metastable crystalline states (polymorphs or solvates). Here we present what we believe to be a novel example of small molecule crystallisation in which the initial separation of a solute rich liquid phase precedes the crystallisation event. We believe this occurs because a submerged liquid-liquid phase boundary is accessible within the metastable zone of the crystal nucleation process.     

Evidence for changing of cosmic ray composition between 10(17) and 10(18) eV from multicomponent measurements

The average mass composition of cosmic rays with primary energies between 10(17) and 10(18) eV has been studied using a hybrid detector consisting of the High Resolution Fly's Eye (HiRes) prototype and the MIA muon array. Measurements have been made of the change in the depth of shower maximum and the muon density as a function of energy. The results show that the composition is changing from a heavy to lighter mix as the energy increases.     

On the denseness of the invertible group in Banach algebras

We examine the condition that a complex Banach algebra has dense invertible group. We show that, for commutative algebras, this property is preserved by integral extensions. We also investigate the connections with an old problem in the theory of uniform algebras.