Search for the emission of π<Superscript>0</Superscript> mesons from the neutron-induced fission of <Superscript>235</Superscript>U nuclei

A nuclear-reactor experiment on the search for the emission of neutral pions from the neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U nuclei has been carried out. To this end, an experimental setup for searching for the emission of π⁰ mesons with high sensitivity to this process has been designed and produced. This setup consisted of two Cherenkov total-absorption spectrometers for the detection and measurements of the energy of two gamma-ray photons from π ⁰-meson decay. The spectrometers were placed at the exits of two coaxial horizontal experimental channels. To protect the detectors from low-energy β and γ rays and neutron fluxes, 3.5-m-long water filters were situated in the channels. To reject the cosmic background, large-area scintillation counters operating in the anticoincidence mode were placed over each spectrometer. The energy and time resolution of the spectrometers, as well as the efficiency of detecting charged particles by scintillation counters, were tested on the secondary electron beam of the Tomsk electron synchrotron Sirius. Runs of measurements of the effect on the operating reactor (duration of 805 h) were alternated with runs of measurements of background on the stopped reactor (duration of 403 h). Statistical processing of the experimental results yields an upper limit of ≤5.3×10 ^?12 with a 90% confidence level for the probability of the emission of neutral pions from the neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U nuclei. This result and results of other works carried out with sources of spontaneously fissioning ²⁵²Cf nuclei show that the probabilities of the emission of π⁰ mesons from spontaneous fission and fission induced by fission-spectrum neutrons are equal to each other.     

Cross photoelastic and thermorefractive light scattering in continuous media

Two additional types of light scattering in continuous media are considered. One is the cross photoelastic scattering from density fluctuations caused by thermodynamic temperature fluctuations and the other is the cross thermorefractive scattering from temperature fluctuations caused by density fluctuations, which manifest themselves in propagation of elastic sound waves. Expressions for the light scattering coefficients for these two types of scattering are obtained. The integral intensities of scattered light are shown to be comparable with the well-known integral intensities of light scattering by fluctuations of density (pressure) and temperature (entropy) for some substances.     

Inhomogeneous states of a thin-film incommensurate ferroelectric

Nonuniform distributions of the order parameter in a film of an incommensurate ferroelectric whose free energy expansion does not contain Lifshitz invariants are considered. An equation describing the order parameter distribution over the film thickness is derived in the approximation of slowly varying amplitudes. The effect of film thickness and surface properties on the temperature of transition to the incommensurate phase is analyzed.     

On the Bol Loops

In the present paper, the Bol loops and related groups are studied. We suggest a universal way to construct a Bol loop and find criteria for simplicity and finiteness of such loops.     

The calculation of neutron self-shielding factors of a group of isolated resonances

The resonance neutron self-shielding factor, G _res, is required in neutron metrology and activation data analysis. In a previous paper, the authors have shown that a dimensionless variable can be introduced which converts the dependence of G _res on the physical and nuclear properties of the material samples into an universal curve, valid for the isolated resonances of any nuclide. This work presents a methodology based on the universal curve, which enables to calculate G _res for a group of isolated resonances by weighting its individual contributions. A good agreement was reached with results calculated by the MCNP code and with experimental values for Mo foils and wires. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Absorption of cnoidal electromagnetic waves by superlattice electrons in the process of impurity ionization

Absorption of cnoidal electromagnetic waves, which are the most general periodic solution to the sine-Gordon equation, by electrons of a one-dimensional quantum semiconductor superlattice in the process of impurity ionization is studied in terms of the semiclassical approximation. The dependence of the absorption coefficient on the electric field of an electromagnetic wave is found to be nonmonotone with a pronounced peak.