Investigation of the X-ray radiation produced by a diffusive discharge in the rod-plane geometry under atmospheric pressure

Spatial parameters of the X-ray radiation produced by a high-voltage nanosecond discharge evolving in air under atmospheric pressure in the rod (cathode)-plane electrode system with a 10-cm electrode spacing are studied experimentally. A ∼170-ns voltage pulse with an amplitude of ∼200 kV and 10-ns rise time is applied to the cathode. The photoelectronic method is used to study, under the same conditions, the integrated (over the gap) characteristics of the radiation, in particular, the duration of its generation. It is found that, when the size of the X-ray source is not smaller than that of the discharge region of diffusive luminescence, radiation from the cathode region of the gap is primarily observed (i.e., from the region where the electric field distribution is sharply inhomogeneous). The X-ray generation is usually observed after the bridging of the discharge gap, the X-ray pulse having a rise time of ∼3 ns, a duration of ∼10 ns, and an effective radiation energy of ∼6 keV.     

Phasing of three vircators simulated in terms of coupled van der Pol oscillators

Phase synchronization in a system of three virtual-cathode microwave oscillators (vircators) simulated by coupled van der Pol oscillators is studied. The phasing dynamics of the vircators is visualized with the phase portraits of the system in the triangular coordinates. Different phasing conditions are found.     

High-frequency magnetoimpedance in nanocomposites

The transmission of millimeter-range electromagnetic waves (30–50 GHz) through a magnetic nanocomposite thin film exhibiting tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) is calculated. The relative change of transmission coefficient in an applied magnetic field due to the magnetorefractive effect is approximately linear with TMR and strongly depends on nanocomposite resistivity and film thickness. The obtained results are in a good agreement with experiment.     

Linear optical bullets

We describe a class of spatio-temporal optical pulses that spread neither spatially nor temporarily in linear dispersive media over long propagation distances. These new spatio-temporal pulses, referred to as linear optical bullets, can have any spatio-temporal profile and temporal width, and they carry a finite amount of energy. We also discuss in detail a technique for the experimental realization of linear optical bullets.     

The Cross-Entropy Method for Continuous Multi-Extremal Optimization

In recent years, the cross-entropy method has been successfully applied to a wide range of discrete optimization tasks. In this paper we consider the cross-entropy method in the context of continuous optimization. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the cross-entropy method for solving difficult continuous multi-extremal optimization problems, including those with non-linear constraints.      

Anomalous behavior of conductivity of the confined Q1D electron system over liquid helium

Conductivity of electrons in a quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) system over liquid helium in narrow channels with the parabolic profile of the potential well has been investigated at temperature T, from 0.4 to 1.8 K, for different driving electric fields and radius of channel curvature. The interval of linear electron densities varied from 2.18×10³ up to 1.7×10⁶ cm⁻¹.

The inverse mobility (1/μ_eff) in the electron-ripplon scattering region at the high linear densities of charges in the channel increases with temperature decreasing. This anomalous behavior of the electron transport in the low-temperature region has been explained by either the electron ordering or the polaronic effects in confined conducting channels. The nonlinear behavior of the electron velocity as a function of a driving electric field is supposed to be due to Breg–Cherenkov radiation of the ripplons. The radiation occurred if the velocity of electrons in the channel approaches to the critical value.