Collisional excitation of Na-Rydberg atoms

The scattering of heavy ion with a multilevel Rydberg atom in the presence of an electromagnetic field is studied. The interaction of Rydberg atom and the e.m field is explored using non-perturbative quasi-energy technique. Although the results are presented for selected excitations but in actual calculations we have included many levels of the atom. The effect of various parameters are shown on collisional excitation process. As an illustration detailed calculations are performed for the inelastic proton-Na Rydberg atom collision accompanied by the transfer of photons and the effects of dressing due to the field are considered. The emphasis of the present work is on collision induced transitions especially the case that involves change of orbital as well as principal quantum number. Received 26 December 2001 / Received in final form 8 April 2002 Published online 19 July 2002     

An optodynamic method for the real-time determination of the depth of a laser-drilled hole

An experimental method for determining the real-time depth of laser-drilled holes is presented. The proposed method involves detecting the laser-induced optoacoustic waves generated during the interaction of the laser beam with the material. Our optodynamic study involved measuring the propagation times of these waves as they traveled through the material and analyzing their temporal behavior during the drilling process. The experimental observations revealed an exponential relationship between the propagation time of the longitudinal stress wave and the number of consecutive laser pulses. Received: 25 October 2001 / Accepted: 27 October 2001 / Published online: 20 December 2001     

Relativistic version of Landau theory of Fermi liquid in presence of strong quantizing magnetic field—an exact formalism

An exact formalism for the relativistic version of Landau theory of Fermi liquid in presence of strong quantizing magnetic field is developed. Both direct and exchange type interactions with scalar and vector coupling cases are considered.     

Influence of exciton-exciton interaction with spin paired charge carriers and exciton-lattice interaction on the surface properties of crystalline solids

Applying tight-binding approximation and spin pairing of like charge carriers in a pair of excitons created in a lattice, the possibility of forming a bound exciton-exciton state is studied. It is found that, provided there exists strong exciton-lattice interaction, such a bound state may be formed and its energy may lie within the valence band deforming the material into a crystalline solid with no energy gap. Lowering of the energy is calculated in naphthalene and anthracene crystals where some experimental results are known. The excess energy released after the formation of such bound state can be adequate, depending on the material, to desorb neutral atoms or eject of electrons from surfaces.     

Barrier-free intermolecular proton transfer in the uracil-glycine complex induced by excess electron attachment

The photoelectron spectra (PES) of anions of uracil-glycine and uracil-phenylalanine complexes reveal broad features with maxima at 1.8 and 2.0 eV. The results of ab initio density functional B3LYP and second order M?ller-Plesset theory calculations indicate that the excess electron occupies a π^* orbital localized on uracil. The excess electron attachment to the complex can induce a barrier-free proton transfer (BFPT) from the carboxylic group of glycine to the O8 atom of uracil. As a result, the four most stable structures of the anion of uracil-glycine complex can be characterized as the neutral radical of hydrogenated uracil solvated by the anion of deprotonated glycine. The similarity between the PES spectra for the uracil complexes with glycine and phenylalanine suggests that the BFPT is also operative in the case of the latter anionic species. The BFPT to the O8 atom of uracil may be related to the damage of nucleic acid bases by low energy electrons because the O8 atom is involved in a hydrogen bond with adenine in the standard Watson-Crick pairing scheme. Received 6 April 2002 Published online 13 September 2002     

High energy physics in the atmosphere: phenomenology of cosmic ray air showers

The properties of cosmic rays with energies above 10⁶ GeV have to be deduced from the spacetime structure and particle content of the air showers which they initiate. In this review we summarize the phenomenology of these giant air showers. We describe the hadronic interaction models used to extrapolate results from collider data to ultra high energies, and discuss the prospects for insights into forward physics at the LHC. We also describe the main electromagnetic processes that govern the longitudinal shower evolution, as well as the lateral spread of particles. Armed with these two principal shower ingredients and motivation from the underlying physics, we provide an overview of some of the different methods proposed to distinguish primary species. The properties of neutrino interactions and the potential of forthcoming experiments to isolate deeply penetrating showers from baryonic cascades are also discussed. We finally venture into a terra incognita endowed with TeV-scale gravity and explore anomalous neutrino-induced showers.     

Size of the interpolated cation and hole carrier density: two key parameters for the optimisation of colossal magnetoresistive properties of Pr-based manganites

The exploration of the magnetic and transport properties of four series of manganese perovskites, Pr_0.7Ca_0.34−xA_xMnO_3−δ (A=Sr, Ba), Pr_0.7−xLa_xCa_0.3 MnO_3−δ and Pr_0.66Ca_0.34−x Sr_xMnO_3−δ has allowed four phases with colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) properties to be isolated: Pr_0.7Ca_0.25Sr_0.025MnO_3−δ and Pr_0.66Ca_0.26Sr_0.08MnO_3−δ that exhibit a variation of resistance of 2.5. 10⁷% and 10⁹% at μ₀ H=5 T for T=88 K and 50 K respectively, Pr_0.58La_0.12Ca_0.3 MnO_3−δ that exhibits a variation of 6.10⁶% for μ₀ H=5 T at T=80 K and Pr_0.7Ba_0.025Ca_0.275MnO_3−δ for which a resistance variation of 5.10⁹%, at T=50 K, for μ₀ H=5 T is evidenced. for each compound of this series except the barium phase, one observes that the temperature T_max, which corresponds to the resistance maximum on the R(T) curves in zero magnetic field, increases dramatically as the mean size of the interpolated cations increases, and that the CMR effect correlatively decreases dramatically. The comparison of the two series Pr_0.7Ca_0.3−xSr_xMnO_3−δ and Pr_0.66Ca_0.34−xSr_xMnO_3−δ shows also the crucial role of the hole carrier density: for a same mean ionic radius of the interpolated cation T_max is decreased of about 50 K by introducing 0.034 hole per Mn mole.     

Effects of electron-interface-phonon interactions on interactions between electrons in double-heterostructures

Effects of electron-interface-phonon interaction on the interaction between electrons in double heterostructures are considered. It is found that the interaction potential between electrons caused by each of four interface-phonon modes is different. For electrons moving at the two interfaces of double heterostructure, the interaction energies of the electrons produced by the interaction with antisymmetric modes are positive which indicate that the forces between electrons are repulsive. The interaction energies caused by interaction with symmetric modes are negative and the forces are attractive. The resultant of the forces are attractive and become larger when the width of potential barrier decreases for InAs/GaSb/InAs double heterostructure.     

Study on anti-emission materials for non-emitting grid applications in microwave power tubes

Hafnium and platinum were deposited onto molybdenum grids by ion-beam assisted deposition method. Electron-emission characteristics from molybdenum grids with Hf and Pt films, which were contaminated by active electron-emission substances (Ba, BaO) of the cathode, were measured using analogous diode method. The surfaces of grids were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The results revealed that the reaction between BaO and Hf formed BaHfO₃ compound, which greatly reduced the accumulation of BaO on the surface and accordingly decreased grid emission. In contrast, Ba were formed by the decomposition of BaO on the surface of Pt film under high temperature and re-evaporated from its surface, which reduced the active electron-emission substances on the surface of the grid and effectively restrained grid emission. Their mechanisms for grid-emission suppression are discussed and a good method to develop new grid-coating materials is suggested.     

Effects of Post-Thermal Treatment on Quality of SiC Grown by PVT Method

We report the effects of post-thermal treatment on the quality of 2-inch 6H-SiC wafer cut from a crystal boule grown by physical vapour transportation method. The full widths at half maximum of x-ray diffraction rocking curves measured on sites across the 2-inch wafer become narrower, indicating the quality improvement after a three-step post-thermal treatment. It is found that the most common defects such as micropipes and inclusions can be significantly reduced after the treatment. Our results show that the post-thermal treatment is an effective route to improve the quality of SiC single crystals.