Complex plasma experimental device – A test bed for studying dust vortices and other collective phenomena

A typical device for carrying out sophisticated and complex dusty plasma experiments is designed, fabricated and made operational at the Institute for Plasma Research, India. The device is named as complex plasma experimental device (CPED). The main aim of this multipurpose machine is to study the formation and behaviour of dust vortices in the absence of external magnetic field under the effect of various plasma parameters. Further, the device is equipped with advanced imaging diagnostics for studying many other interesting phenomena such as dust oscillations, three-dimensional crystalline structures, dust rotation, etc. The device is quite flexible to accommodate many innovative experiments. Detailed design of the device, its diagnostics capabilities and the advanced image analysis techniques are presented in this paper.     

Energy of vanishing flow in heavy-ion collisions: Role of mass asymmetry of a reaction

We aim to understand the role of Coulomb interactions as well as different equations of state on the disappearance of transverse flow for various asymmetric reactions leading to the same total mass. For the present study, the total mass of the system is kept constant (A _TOT = 152) and mass asymmetry of the reaction is varied between 0.2 and 0.7. The Coulomb interactions as well as different equations of state are found to affect the balance energy significantly for larger asymmetric reactions.     

Meyer–Neldel DC conduction in chalcogenide glasses

Meyer–Neldel (MN) formula for DC conductivity (σ _DC) of chalcogenide glasses is obtained using extended pair model and random free energy barriers. The integral equations for DC hopping conductivity and external conductance are solved by iterative procedure. It is found that MN energy (ΔE _MN) originates from temperature-induced configurational and electronic disorders. Single polaron-correlated barrier hopping model is used to calculate σ _DC and the experimental data of Se, As₂S₃, As₂Se₃ and As₂Te₃ are explained. The variation of attempt frequency ν ₀ and ΔE _MN with parameter (r/a), where r is the intersite separation and a is the radius of localized states, is also studied. It is found that ν ₀ and ΔE _MN decrease with increase of (r/a), and ΔE _MN may not be present for low density of defects.     

A generic travelling wave solution in dissipative laser cavity

A large family of cosh-Gaussian travelling wave solution of a complex Ginzburg–Landau equation (CGLE), that describes dissipative semiconductor laser cavity is derived. Using perturbation method, the stability region is identified. Bifurcation analysis is done by smoothly varying the cavity loss coefficient to provide insight of the system dynamics. He’s variational method is adopted to obtain the standard sech-type and the not-so-explored but promising cosh-Gaussian type, travelling wave solutions. For a given set of system parameters, only one sech solution is obtained, whereas several distinct solution points are derived for cosh-Gaussian case. These solutions yield a wide variety of travelling wave profiles, namely Gaussian, near-sech, flat-top and a cosh-Gaussian with variable central dip. A split-step Fourier method and pseudospectral method have been used for direct numerical solution of the CGLE and travelling wave profiles identical to the analytical profiles have been obtained. We also identified the parametric zone that promises an extremely large family of cosh-Gaussian travelling wave solutions with tunable shape. This suggests that the cosh-Gaussian profile is quite generic and would be helpful for further theoretical as well as experimental investigation on pattern formation, pulse dynamics and localization in semiconductor laser cavity.     

Stability of the fragments and thermalization at the peak centre-of-mass energy

We simulated the central reactions of nearly symmetric and asymmetric systems, for energies at which maximum production of intermediate mass fragments (IMFs) occurred (E_c.m.^peakE_{\rm c.m.}^{\rm peak}). This study was carried out using hard EOS along with Cugnon cross-section employing MSTB method for clusterization. We studied the various properties of fragments. The stability of fragments was checked through persistence coefficient and gain term. The information about the thermalization and stopping in heavy-ion collisions was obtained via relative momentum, anisotropy ratio and rapidity distribution. We found that for a complete stopping of incoming nuclei very heavy systems are required. The mass dependence of various quantities (such as average and maximum central density, collision dynamics as well as the time zone for hot and dense nuclear matter) was also presented. In all cases (i.e., average and maximum central density, collision dynamics as well as the time zone for hot and dense nuclear matter) a power-law dependence was obtained.     

On the elliptic flow for nearly symmetric collisions and nuclear equation of state

We present the results of elliptic flow for the collision of nearly symmetric nuclei (₁₀Ne²⁰+ ₁₃Al²⁷_{10}{\rm Ne}^{20}+\,_{13}{\rm Al}^{27}, ₁₈Ar⁴⁰+ ₂₁Sc⁴⁵_{18}{\rm Ar}^{40}+\,_{21}{\rm Sc}^{45}, ₃₀Zn⁶⁴+ ₂₈Ni⁵⁸_{30}{\rm Zn}^{64}+\,_{28}{\rm Ni}^{58}, ₃₆Kr⁸⁶+ ₄₁Nb⁹³_{36}{\rm Kr}^{86}+\,_{41}{\rm Nb}^{93}) using the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) model. General features of elliptic flow are investigated with the help of theoretical simulations. The simulations are performed at beam energies between 45 and 105 MeV /nucleon. A significant change can be seen from in-plane to out-of-plane elliptic flow of different fragments with incident energy. A comparison with experimental data is also made. Further, we show that elliptic flow for different fragments follows power-law dependence as given by the function C(A_tot)^tC{(A_{\rm tot})^\tau}.     

Application of 1-(2-Pyridylazo)-2-naphthol Anchored SiO2 Nanoparticles for the Preconcentration of Trace Pb2+ from Different Water and Food Samples

SiO₂‐PAN nanoparticles has been synthesized by reacting silica nanoparticles with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane, formaldehyde and 1‐(2‐pyridylazo)‐2‐naphthol and characterized by FT‐IR and SEM which were used as new sorbent for the preconcentration of trace amount of Pb²⁺ from various samples. Conditions of the analysis such as preconcentration factor, effect of pH, sample volume, shaking time, elution conditions and effects of interfering ions for the recovery of analyte were investigated. The adsorption capacity of the nanometer SiO₂‐PAN was found to be 168.34 μmol/g at optimum pH and the detection limit (3δ) was 0.63 µg/L. The extractant showed rapid kinetic sorption. The adsorption equilibrium of Pb²⁺ on the nanometer SiO₂‐PAN was achieved within 15 min. Adsorbed Pb²⁺ was easily eluted with 6 mL of 4 mol·L^?1 hydrochloric acid. The maximum preconcentration factor was 50. The method was applied to determine trace amounts of Pb²⁺ in different samples (water and food samples).     

Precision measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters at INO-ICAL detector

A magnetized Iron CALorimeter (ICAL) detector at the India-based neutrino observatory (INO) is used to study neutrino oscillation sensitivity using atmospheric muon neutrino source. The ICAL detector will be able to detect muon tracks and hadron showers produced by neutrino interactions with the iron target. We have performed precision measurement analysis for the atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters with the muon neutrino events, generated by Monte Carlo NUANCE event generator. A marginalized χ² analysis based on reconstructed neutrino energy and muon zenith angle binning scheme has been performed to determine the sensitivity for the atmospheric neutrino mixing parameters, \(\sin ^{2}\theta _{23}\) and \(| {\Delta } m^{2}_{23}|\).     

L subshell fluorescent X-ray measurements to study CK transitions in the 66<Emphasis Type="Italic">≤</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis> <Emphasis Type="Italic">≤</Emphasis>83 region

L subshell fluorescent X-rays in Dy, Ho, Er, Lu, Ta, W, Pt, Au, Hg, Pb and Bi have been measured using synchrotron with selective creation of electron vacancies in individual subshells. Coster–Kronig (CK) yields were derived from the measured intensities. Present measurements have been made at photon energies above the edges where differences between measured and theoretical attenuation coefficients are almost negligible. Parametric trends for the results with Z were developed to cover all Zs in the range of 66–83. The trends predict the switching-off of L 1–L 2, N₁ transition at Z = 67. The extent of fall /rise of f_Lij values corresponding to off /on of certain transitions is found inversely proportional to the difference in binding energies of two consecutive subshells involved in the transition. For Zs above /below these rises /falls, f_L13 and f_L12 values are almost constants. f_L23 values involving no break at Zs follow the general photoionization behaviour that ionization probability is highest at the edge energy and decreases with photon energy. Yield measurements with synchrotron radiation for Dy, Ho, Lu, Hg and Bi and experimental values for f_L23, f_L12 in Lu and for f_L13 in Ta are being quoted for the first time.