100-TW femtosecond laser based on parametric amplification

In experiments on the parametrical amplification of femtosecond pulses in wide-aperture DKDP crystals, a power of more than 100 TW has been reached, which is much higher than the record level achieved in such lasers. The energy efficiency obtained for the parametric amplifier is equal to 27%. The energy of a 72-fs pulse is equal to 10 J.     

Retrieving the Amplitude and Phase Parameters of an Ultrashort Wave Packet by Autocorrelation Methods

Based on an analysis of the signal of an interferometric intensity autocorrelator, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally a simple technique for retrieving the temporal distributions of the amplitude and phase of an ultrashort light pulse. Assuming that a phase-modulated wave packet has a Gaussian envelope, we derive an analytical expression for the autocorrelator signal in the cases of linear- and quadratic-chirp optical pulses. The experimental and theoretical results are in excellent agreement. In particular, we show that a linear chirp (quadratic phase modulation) can be measured with a good experimental accuracy of no worse than 10%. This yields the possibility of measuring the parameter k₂, which describes the dispersion characteristics of a medium in the second order of the dispersion theory, with the same accuracy. Measuring a quadratic chirp by the proposed method is possible only if such a chirp is sufficiently large.     

Synthesis of Novel Lipophilic Polyamines via Ugi Reaction and Evaluation of Their Anticancer Activity

Natural polyamines (PAs) are involved in the processes of proliferation and differentiation of cancer cells. Lipophilic synthetic polyamines (LPAs) induce the cell death of various cancer cell lines. In the current paper, we have demonstrated a new method for synthesis of LPAs via the multicomponent Ugi reaction and subsequent reduction of amide groups by PhSiH₃. The anticancer activity of the obtained compounds was evaluated in the A-549, MCF7, and HCT116 cancer cell lines. For the first time, it was shown that the anticancer activity of LPAs with piperazine fragments is comparable with that of aliphatic LPAs. The presence of a diglyceride fragment in the structure of LPAs appears to be a key factor for the manifestation of high anticancer activity. The findings of the study strongly support further research in the field of LPAs and their derivatives.     

Stress distribution instability in the plane problem of the theory of elasticity of heterogeneous bodies

A possibility of degeneration of relationships between stresses and their derivatives with respect to the coordinates in the plane problem of the elasticity theory is considered. For particular dependences of the parameters of elasticity on coordinates, curves are given, for which degeneration conditions are satisfied. It is shown that even a small inhomogeneity of the medium causes stress instability.     

Monitoring and managing of cyclotron beam distribution on the surface of irradiated targets

A system for monitoring and managing of the proton-beam distribution on the surface of the targets in the cyclotrons of the Cyclotron Co. is presented in this report. Parameters of proton beams, designs of the target and target devices, used for isotope production, and the system of the managing of the beam distribution on the target are given. The control is fulfilled via monitoring of the temperature distributions using infrared radiation from the target surface. The need in such system for increasing of the isotope productivity and reducing of the likelihood of the target damage is substantiated.     

Generation of characteristic profiles of steroid hormones by reversed-phase HPLC

A method for the determination of steroid hormones by reversed-phase HPLC has been applied to the analysis of biological fluids from healthy individuals and patients with endocrine systems diseases. The obtained chromatographic profiles were processed by the method of principal component analysis and method of soft independent modeling of class analogy. The principle possibility of using the results of chemometric processing of the chromatographic profiles as an additional diagnostic criterion for the treatment of some endocrine pathologies has been shown.     

Multivariate processing of atomic-force microscopy images for detection of the response of plasticized polymeric membranes

The possibility of using the atomic-force microscopy as a method for detection of the analytical signal from plasticized polymeric sensor membranes was analyzed. The surfaces of cadmium-selective membranes based on two polymeric matrices were examined. The digital images were processed with multivariate image analysis techniques. A correlation was found between the surface profile of an ion-selective membrane and the concentration of the ion in solution.     

Stimulated emission from donor transitions in silicon

The observation of far-infrared stimulated emission from shallow donor transitions in silicon is reported. Lasing with a wavelength of 59 &mgr;m due to the neutral donor intracenter 2p(0)-->1s(E) transition in Si:P pumped by CO2 laser radiation is obtained. Populations of D0 and D- center states and the balance of the radiation absorption and amplification are theoretically analyzed.