Optical diagnostics of dispersing He plasma

An experimental study has been made of the characteristics of radiation from a dispersing helium plasma. From measurements of the space-time dependence of the line intensities of the helium 2³P — n³D series we obtained the distribution of the populations of the n³D levels for n=3–10. The study has shown that over a wide range of conditions the high-lying levels (n=5–10) are in equilibrium with electrons while a substantial deviation from equilibrium is observed for levels n=3, 4. From the energy distribution of the populations of the upper levels we determined the space-time dependence of the electron temperature, which reflects the process of effective electron cooling during dispersal of the plasma. The gas temperature was estimated from the populations of helium singlet and triplet levels with n=5. The time distribution of the electron density in the plasma was found from the Stark broadening of the spectral lines.Deceased.V. D. Kuznetsov Siberian Physicotechnical Institute, Tomsk State University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 15–19, November, 1992.     

An approach to deducing approximate solutions to the Cauchy problem for nonlinear differential equations

A new technique for the construction of numerical methods based on continued fractions is proposed. A characteristic feature of these algorithms is the fact that for certain values of the parameters it is possible to obtain both novel and traditional (explicit and implicit) numerical methods for the solution of the Cauchy problem for ordinary differential equations. Two-sided formulas are proposed by means of which it is possible to obtain on each integration step not only upper and lower approximations to the exact solution, but also information concerning the magnitude of the leading term of the error without the need for additional calculations of the right-hand side of the initial differential equation.Translated from Ukrainskii Matematicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 44, No. 12, pp. 1695–1701, December, 1992.     

Simulating the Kinematic Dynamo Forced by Heteroclinic Convective Velocity Fields

We report on the integration of the kinematic dynamo problem in a spherical domain forced by velocity fields that are convective fluid flows resulting from a bifurcation analysis of the spherical Bénard problem. We derive a code based on generalized spherical harmonics that ensures a divergence-free magnetic field. We determine the growth or decay of a magnetic field in the kinematic dynamo equation for various physically relevant velocity fields which are stationary as well as time-periodic and chaotic. Velocity signals that are produced by heteroclinic cycles are used as an input to an energy-saturated kinematic dynamo equation that limits the growth of the linearly unstable modes. Preliminary calculations indicate the possibility of reversals of the magnetic field for this case of forcing. Received 8 October 1996 and accepted 28 April 1997     

Resistance of composite flywheel rim to radial tensile stresses from centrifugal forces based on results of pure bending of a rim segment

A method is proposed for evaluating the resistance of a flywheel rim to radial stresses in free rotation. The method is based on loading a rim segment in pure bending and calculating the limiting moment and the corresponding limiting angular velocity. Applicability of the method is substantiated theoretically by investigating the similarity of the radial stress diagrams in rotation and pure bending. The method is verified experimentally for the strained state of a rim segment in pure bending.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 521–526, July–August, 1993.     

Microscopic theory of vitrification of metallic solutions

A Green's function technique is developed for describing compositional ordering and vitrification of solid solutions with arbitrary composition. It is shown that the proposed approach is related with the standard theory of ordering of regular solid solutions. Peculiarities of the diagrammatic technique are studied. Explicit expressions are derived for the spectrum of solitary excitations, which are responsible for the ordering. Equations are derived for determining the temperature-concentration dependences of the compositional order parameter, the vitrification parameter, and the chemical potential.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 60–65, May, 1991.     

High performance liquid chromatography as a tool in the definition of abnormalities in monoamine and tryptophan metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with neurological disorders

In this study we report the levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovallinic acid, tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid and serotonin in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular disease and muscular tension headache the later, as healthy controls. The separation of these substances was performed on a reversed phase column by ion pair high performance liquid chromatography and detection was made by a glassy carbon electrode set at +900 mV vs Ag+/AgCl. The whole separation was achieved within 25 min. Concentrations of all substances (10-1000 pmole/L) were linearly proportional to areas obtained. The system is sensitive, stable and reproducible. The significance of CSF levels of these metabolites from patients groups compared with healthy controls are discussed.     

The application of the Mössbauer spectroscopy for the study of the contaminants in the double circuit water heat-carrier nuclear power plant

The iron containing corrosion products from water heat-carrier and deposits of the second circuit of the nuclear power plant were investigated by means of absorption Mössbauer spectroscopy. The nonstoichiometric magnetite and paramagnetic (superparamagnetic) iron oxide particles were found to be the main corrosion products. The fraction of the magnetically ordered phase varied in the range 0–100% depending on the location in the second circuit.     

Features of evolution of the substructure in the creep of dispersion-hardened nickel

A study is made of the laws governing high-temperature creep and the evolution of the substructure in dispersion-hardened alloy Ni — 3 vol. % HfO₂ during its free annealing and creep. The polygonized substructure was formed in the alloy prior to annealing. An analysis is made of structural transformations at different structural levels and the mechanism of high-temperature creep in the alloy. Institute of the Physics of Strength and Materials Science, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. All-Republic Engineering-Technical Center, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 83–89, March, 1998.