Coherent backscattering of electromagnetic waves in a magnetised plasma

Summary A microwave coherent backscattering experiment has been carried out on Mirabelle, a weakly ionised plasma device, with the objective of measuring the electron density fluctuation level. The experiment is a preliminary step in order to prepare the detection system for a microwave stimulated backscattering experiment. The incident electromagnetic wave is focused in front of a plane grid which excites ion acoustic or electron Bernstein waves inducing fluctuations in the plasma. The backscattering signal is collected by the launching circuit and detected by homodyne mixing. The typical ratio of the scattered power to the incident power is about 10⁻¹² and the relative density fluctuations are of the order of δn _e/n _e=10⁻³ against a background electron density ofn _e=1–5·10⁹ cm⁻³. The backscattering measurement is compared with Langmuir probe measurements. The spectral width of the backscattered signal has also been studied, by taking into account effects due to the incident wave focusing and plasma wave damping. The authors of this paper have agreed to not receive the proofs for correction     

Optimal node disjoint paths on partial 2-trees: A linear algorithm and polyhedral results

We present anO(p · n) algorithm for the problem of finding disjoint simple paths of minimum total length betweenp given pairs of terminals on oriented partial 2-trees withn nodes and positive or negative arc lengths. The algorithm is inO(n) if all terminals are distinct nodes. We characterize the convex hull of the feasible solution set for the casep=2.We gratefully acknowledge the referee's many helpful suggestions to improve the presentation of this paper.     

Surface characterization of fluorinated polymers (PTFE, PVDF, PFA) for use in ultratrace analysis

Surface characterization of new unused PTFE, PFA and PVDF labware has been carried out by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, profilometry and atomic force microscopy. It has been found that in spite of higher micro-roughness, PFA exhibits the lowest nano-roughness and hence seems best suited as vessel material for relatively mild pressureless chemical operations for sample preparation of ultrapure substances, as container material for storage of ultrapure liquids, and for transport of such liquids, e.g., from the producer in the chemical to the end user in the microelectronics industry. This suitability refers only to the surface quality of the investigated materials. PTFE-surfaces, due to the sintering process of production, exhibit the most unfavourable surface quality of the investigated fluorinated polymers.     

Proximity effect in superconductor/ferromagnet layered system: Influence of superconductivity on magnetic properties of Nb/Fe epitaxial bilayers

Magnetic and superconducting properties of Fe/Nb epitaxial bilayers have been studied. Single crystal Fe/Nb (110) bilayers with a Nb thicknessd _Nb in the range from 250 to 650 Å and with a Fe thicknessd _Fe in the range from 7 to 27 Å were prepared using molecular beam epitaxy techniques. Magnetization measurements showed the existence of a magnetically “dead” Fe-interface layer with a thicknessd _NM varying strongly with minor modifications of the growth conditions. For bilayers with a small magnetic layer thicknessd _M and a smalld _NM the FMR measurements revealed an anomalous decrease of the effective magnetization 4πM _eff of the ferromagnetic Fe layer below the superconducting transition temperatureT _c. The absolute change of 4πM _eff belowT _c depends strongly on the actual values ofd _M andd _NM: upon decreasing bothd _M andd _NM the effect increases considerably. As a possible mechanism for the anomalous temperature dependence of 4πM _eff belowT _c we discuss a spatial modulation of ferromagnetic order due to a modification of the RKKY inter-action in the superconducting state.     

Spin wave spectrum and exchange interactions in the antiferromagnetic garnet Ca3Cr2Ge3O12 by inelastic neutron scattering

We have measured the spin wave spectrum for the garnet Ca₃Cr₂Ge₃O₁₂ by means of inelastic neutron scattering. The data can be well described in the framework of linear spin wave theory if we assume a Heisenberg model with two exchange parameters up to the next nearest neighbours (J ₁ andJ ₂) and a staggered anisotropy field (A). A least squares fit to the observed dispersion relations yield the following values for these parameters: J ₁=–0.582(8)K,J ₂=0.416(4)K,A=0.25(8)K. Although symmetry requires that two nearest neighbour exchange constantsJ ₁ andJ ₁ ^' must be distinguished, only the average J ₁=(J ₁+3J ₁ ^' )/4 and the condition –0.35 K <J ₁=J ₁-J ₁ ^' <0.50 K could be deduced from the experiment. The most striking result is the positive value ofJ ₂. We discuss the implications for an understanding of superexchange mediated by more than one oxygen atom. In an extension of the conventional analysis we have calculated the integrated intensities in order to check the eigenvectors directly. Good agreement between observed and calculated intensities was obtained.     

Forward-backward multiplicity correlations in σ+ p,K + p andpp collisions at 250 GeV/c

Forward-backward multiplicity correlations in σ⁺,K ⁺ p andpp collisions at 250 GeV/c ( \(\sqrt s \) =22 GeV) are given for all charges and for the different charge combinations. The correlations are found to be caused predominantly by centrally produced particles. It is demonstrated that this result is an agreement with observations at the ISR and the CERNp \(\bar p\) -Collider. The results are compared to expectations from LUND, DPM and FRITIOF Monte Carlo models and a geometrical picture relating correlations in hadron-hadron collisions toe ⁺ e ^? data in terms of impact parameters is tested.     

Frequency stability of an optically pumped cesium beam frequency standard

Results obtained in an experimental optically pumped cesium beam frequency standard in which a single semiconductor laser is used for the state selection and the atom detection are reported. The separation between the two interaction regions is equal to 21 cm. This gives a 500 Hz linewidth which is observed with a signal to noise ratio equal to 10,000 in a 1 Hz noise bandwidth. A quartz crystal oscillator is frequency controlled by the atomic transition. The measured short term frequency stability is given by _y()=2×10^–12–1/2 for 1 s<500 s. Prospects for improvement of this frequency stability are discussed.     

Spectroscopic investigation of the ionization kinetics in XeCl laser discharges by Xe* density measurements

Time and spatially resolved absorption measurements of Xe^* particle number densities performed at an X-ray preionized self-sustained XeCl^*-laser discharge were used to investigate the reaction kinetics of such discharges and to test the validity of the commonly-made assumption that they are fit well by spatially homogeneous numerical models. It turned out that the Xe^* density distribution over the discharge cross section remains homogeneous for less than 100 ns only. Comparing the experimental results of the homogeneous discharge phase with zero-dimensional model calculations, we conclude that induced emission modeled using two excited xenon levels must be taken into account for the quantitative interpretation of the absorption measurements. For the interpretation of the Xe 6s-6p absorption measurements even a multilevel model will be necessary. Further we conclude from the relative courses and the absolute values of the Xe^* particle number densities that realistic HCl kinetics should contain three vibrationally excited levels and stepwise excitation processes as proposed by Dem'yanov et al. [8].     

Tunable UV laser photolysis of organometallics with product detection by laser mass spectroscopy: Trimethylaluminum

We use tunable UV laser light in the region 200–320 nm, produced by frequency doubling the output of a dye laser, for the decomposition of organometallic compounds. This method has been applied to TMA, trimethylaluminum Al(CH₃)₃. Only the TMA monomer absorbs UV light for >220 nm. TMA decomposes by one-photon absorption mainly into two channels: aluminum atoms Al plus organic fragments, and aluminummonomethyl AlCH₃ molecules plus organic fragments. The ratio [Al]/[AlCH₃] is wavelength dependent. We present a mechanism to explain the photolysis of trimethyl compounds of group III elements (Al, Ga, In).