Vol 61, No 8 (2016)

The equilibrium states of annular systems of magnetic dipoles have been studied by computer simulation. The bistability conditions under which the total magnetic moment of one of equilibrium configurations is zero, while the magnetic moment of another equilibrium configuration lies in the ring plane and is close to the sum of the magnetic moments of dipoles in the system, have been determined. The realization of other equilibrium configurations has also been demonstrated. We analyze transitions between equilibrium configurations by acting on the system by longitudinal and circular static fields, as well as transitions from the configuration with the maximal magnetic moment of the system to the configuration with zero total magnetic moment after the relaxation of oscillatory regimes excited by a varying field.

A spatially distributed system of two nonlinear stochastic equations, which models 1/f fluctuations in the interaction of nonequilibrium phase transitions, is investigated numerically. It has been shown that, for a high intensity of white noise, noise-induced synchronization in the form of a nonequilibrium phase transition is observed in the system. The critical point of the noise-induced transition corresponds to the information entropy peak.

We have performed a comparative numerical analysis of two methods for reducing the runaway electron beam divergence using an external magnetic field or a dielectric tube. The generation of runaway electrons takes place in an inhomogeneous medium that consists of a hot channel (spark channel, laser torch, etc.) surrounded by air under normal conditions. The model makes it possible to consistently calculate the formation of a subnanosecond gas discharge and the generation of accelerated electrons under these conditions. The possibility of effectively decreasing the runaway electron beam divergence using an external magnetic field, as well as a dielectric tube, has been demonstrated. However, the number of runaway electrons in the case with the tube is considerably smaller than in the case with the magnetic field due to the fact that some runaway electrons settle on the tube walls. The energy spectra of the runaway electrons significantly differ in these cases, which can be explained by the differences in the dynamics of the discharge formation.

The direct simulation Monte Carlo method is used to numerically simulate the problem of the shock wave front in vibrationally excited hydrogen flowing in the low-pressure channel of a shock tube. It is assumed that the vibrational temperature of the hydrogen equals 3000 K. The cases of partially and completely excited hydrogen are considered. Equilibrium hydrogen is applied as a pusher gas, but its concentration is 50 times higher than the hydrogen concentration in the low-pressure channel. In addition, the strength of the shock wave is varied by heating the pusher gas. It has been shown that, if the prestored vibrational energy is weakly converted to translational energy, the shock wave slows down over time. If the energy conversion is sufficiently intense, when the pusher gas is warm and only completely vibrationally excited hydrogen is in the low-pressure channel, the wave gains speed over time (its velocity increases roughly by a factor of 1.5). This causes physical detonation, in which case the parameters of the wave become dependent on the vibrational-to-thermal energy conversion and independent of the way of its initiation.

The structure of a homogeneous liquid flow at the interface with a porous medium saturated with the same liquid has been studied in the boundary layer approximation. The porous medium is described by the Brinkman model. Self-similar equations of motion in the form of Blasius equation have been found, and their numerical solutions have been presented. An expression for the force exerted by the flow on the porous medium is derived.

The absorption of ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide by water and aqueous solutions in rotating permeable media, a cellular porous disk, and a set of spaced-apart thin disks has been considered. The efficiency of cleaning air to remove these impurities is determined, and their anomalously high solubility (higher than equilibrium value) has been discovered. The results demonstrate the feasibility of designing cheap efficient rotor-type absorbers to clean gases of harmful impurities.

We have considered the functional dependence of the ionization detector readings (ion current) on the composition of the fuel–air mixture, adiabatic temperature, and the turbulent combustion zone width. Experiments on the engine show that, for an air excess factor of 0.75–1.15, the coincidence of the calculated and experimental data exceeds 90%. Our results can be used to predict and monitor the adiabatic temperature of the flame and the width of the turbulent combustion zone in the combustion changer of the internal combustion engine using the ionization detector.

The energy redistribution in barrier-discharge Xe₂ excilamp in various excitation regimes is investigated using the pressure jump method. Analytic expressions are derived for calculating power W dissipated in the excilamp discharge plasma in the form of heat and for calculating total discharge heat power P_T spent on heating the excilamp. It is shown that the mechanism of the thermal energy dissipation gradually changes upon an increase in the xenon pressure in the excilamp. The conditions for generating the maximal radiation power of the excilamp are determined. It is shown that the maximum of the average radiation power is attained for an excitation pulse duration of 500 ns and the maximal pulse power is attained for a pulse duration of 100 ns. It is found that the optimal operation regime for the excilamp corresponds to the maximal values of the P_T–W difference.

The results of measuring the capacitances of planar capacitors are used to calculate the dielectric constants of barium–strontium titanate nanofilms. An expression is derived to calculate an adjustable coefficient to obtain adequate dielectric constants for 20-nm-thick ferroelectric films. The field of applicability of the adjustable coefficient is determined.

The evolution of elastic-plastic shock compression waves in a VT6 titanium alloy is measured at a distance of 0.16–17 mm at room temperature and 600°C. The results of measuring the decay of an elastic precursors and the compression rate in a plastic shock wave are used to determine the temperature–rate dependences of the flow stress in the strain-rate range 10³–10^7s–1. New data for the spall strength of the alloy at normal and elevated temperatures are obtained.

Thin (about 270 nm) nanocrystalline films of zinc oxide (ZnO) are obtained on quartz substrates using ion sputtering and irradiated with Ag⁺ ions at an energy of 30 keV and relatively high fluences at ion current densities of 4, 8, and 12 µA/cm². The X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and optical spectroscopy are used to study the effect of irradiation dose and ion current density on the structural modification and optical properties of the ZnO films. Nontrivial dependences of the structural and optical parameters of the films on the ion irradiation regimes are due to radiation heating and film sputtering under the action of the ion beam, diffusion of impurity, formation of silver nanoparticles in the irradiated layer at high implantation fluences, and the diffusion of implanted impurity at relatively high ion current densities.

It is supposed that incoherent additional waves that appear in fresh ice in the microwave range are associated with the spontaneous decomposition of an unstable phase. This decomposition produces periodic phases. The unstable phase may result from the plastic deformation of the ice, from vapor condensation on a cold substrate, or from other effects causing spinodals. Experimental data obtained for millimeter and centimeter waves have been presented that support the above supposition regarding the formation of the incoherent additional waves.

We have proposed that a Collison-type nebulizer be used as an ionization source for mass spectrometry with ionization under atmospheric pressure. This source does not require the use of electric voltage, radioactive sources, heaters, or liquid pumps. It has been shown that the number of ions produced by the ⁶³Ni radioactive source is three to four times larger than the number of ions produced by acoustic ionization sources. We have considered the possibility of using a Collison-type nebulizer in combination with a vortex focusing system as an ion source for extractive ionization of compounds under atmospheric pressure. The ionization of volatile substances in crossflows of a charged aerosol and an analyte (for model compounds of the amine class, viz., diethylaniline, triamylamine, and cocaine) has been investigated. It has been shown that the limit of detecting cocaine vapor by this method is on the level of 4.6 × 10^–14 g/cm³.

Optical discharge in a laser cavity is experimentally studied. A significant increase in the absorption of laser radiation (up to total absorption) is revealed. Optical schemes for initiation and maintaining of optical discharge in the cavity are proposed for technological applications of the optical discharge.

A probabilistic technique for estimating the vulnerability of explosive surface objects by lightning has been proposed. It uses a combined criterion for initiation of upward streamer and leader discharges form the elements of the object and lightning diverters. This criterion takes into account the probabilistic nature of avalanche–streamer and streamer–leader transitions and also the trajectories of the lightning’s downward stepped leader and lightning current. It has been shown that, if the formation of the downward leader of incomplete streamer discharges from the elements of the object in an electric field is neglected (these discharges may set fire on explosive emissions), the probability of lightning-induced failure of the object is underestimated by several times compared with the calculated value.