Estimation of pore sizes in porous silicon by scanning electron microscopy and NMR cryoporometry

Certain possibilities of scanning electron microscopy and cryoporometry based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have been evaluated to determine pore sizes in porous silicon. The results obtained by these methods have been compared. NMR cryoporometry has been shown to be promising in the investigation of porous materials.     

Conformal behavior of a single chain <Emphasis Type="Italic">AB</Emphasis> block copolymer with mobile <Emphasis Type="Italic">B</Emphasis>-blocks

Monte-Carlo computer modeling was used to investigate the conformal behavior of a single chain AB block copolymer with mobile hydrophobic B-blocks and hydrophilic A-links. The formation of a “tailed globule” was observed with an increase of the energy of attraction between hydrophobic links. A comparison between the collapsing of a chain with mobile blocks and the behavior of regular and random block copolymers of the same structure was conducted.     

Coil-globule transition in a realistic model of N-isopropylacrylamide: Numerical simulation

A number of homopolymers and copolymers are studied in numerical experiments with allowance for the realistic chemical structure of macromolecules. The method of molecular dynamics is used to determine the temperature of the coil-globule transition in a single macromolecule of N-isopropylacrylamide, as well as to study the coil-globule transition temperature in relation to the degree of fragmentation of N-isopropylacrylamide and methacrylic acid copolymers.     

Interaction of short laser pulses with metals at moderate intensities

The developed model including hydrodynamics with electron heat conduction and electron–ion energy exchange, and cavitation breakup of stretched metastable liquid aluminum (Al) is compared with our laser experiments. For the first time the measured and calculated ablation thresholds agree well in both crater depth and fluence.     

Restoration of parameters of high-energy cascades in Cherenkov water calorimeter with a dense array of quasispherical modules

A problem concerning the restoration of the parameters of a cascade shower with an unknown axis originating by muons in a Cherenkov water calorimeter is considered. A method for estimating the direction and geometric position of the cascade’s axis, which is based on the analysis of responses of quasispherical modules, and the criteria of selection of the events with cascades among the events with a large energy liberation are proposed. The method and the criteria are tested on events with cascades generated by near-horizontal muons of high energies detected by a DECOR coordinate-track detector. The preliminary results of measurements of the energy spectrum of cascade showers are presented.     

On bicompact grid-characteristic schemes for the linear advection equation

A set of grid-characteristic schemes for the linear advection equation is considered. Depending on the behavior of the solution, hybrid compact difference schemes of second–third order accuracy are proposed as based on interpolation polynomials. The schemes produce monotone solutions and only slightly smear discontinuities.     

Waveguide modes of 1D photonic crystals in a transverse magnetic field

We analyze waveguide modes in 1D photonic crystals containing layers magnetized in the plane. It is shown that the magnetooptical nonreciprocity effect emerges in such structures during the propagation of waveguide modes along the layers and perpendicularly to the magnetization. This effect involves a change in the phase velocity of the mode upon reversal of the direction of magnetization. Comparison of the effects in a nonmagnetic photonic crystal with an additional magnetic layer and in a photonic crystal with magnetic layers shows that the magnitude of this effect is several times larger in the former case in spite of the fact that the electromagnetic field of the modes in the latter case is localized in magnetic regions more strongly. This is associated with asymmetry of the dielectric layers contacting with the magnetic layer in the former case. This effect is important for controlling waveguide structure modes with the help of an external magnetic field.     

Tokamak DEMO-FNS: Concept of magnet system and vacuum chamber

The level of knowledge accumulated to date in the physics and technologies of controlled thermonuclear fusion (CTF) makes it possible to begin designing fusion—fission hybrid systems that would involve a fusion neutron source (FNS) and which would admit employment for the production of fissile materials and for the transmutation of spent nuclear fuel. Modern Russian strategies for CTF development plan the construction to 2023 of tokamak-based demonstration hybrid FNS for implementing steady-state plasma burning, testing hybrid blankets, and evolving nuclear technologies. Work on designing the DEMO-FNS facility is still in its infancy. The Efremov Institute began designing its magnet system and vacuum chamber, while the Kurchatov Institute developed plasma-physics design aspects and determined basic parameters of the facility. The major radius of the plasma in the DEMO-FNS facility is R = 2.75 m, while its minor radius is a = 1 m; the plasma elongation is k ₉₅ = 2. The fusion power is P _FUS = 40 MW. The toroidal magnetic field on the plasma-filament axis is B _t0 = 5 T. The plasma current is I _p = 5 MA. The application of superconductors in the magnet system permits drastically reducing the power consumed by its magnets but requires arranging a thick radiation shield between the plasma and magnet system. The central solenoid, toroidal-field coils, and poloidal-field coils are manufactured from, respectively, Nb₃Sn, NbTi and Nb₃Sn, and NbTi. The vacuum chamber is a double-wall vessel. The space between the walls manufactured from 316L austenitic steel is filled with an iron—water radiation shield (70% of stainless steel and 30% of water).     

Two-phase structure of polyelectrolyte gel/surfactant complexes

The behavior of lightly cross-linked polyelectrolyte hydrogel swelling in the solution of oppositely charged surfactants is studied theoretically. It is shown that if there is a lack of surfactant in the solution intragel separation into two phases differing in swelling ratios and surfactant content can take place. The surfactant ions concentrate and form micelles in a part of the gel and this part collapses while the rest of the gel remains swollen. The two-phase region widens with an increase of ionization degree of the gel subchains.