Research of luminophores afterglow under influence of pulsed X-ray radiation of nanosecond duration

The work describes an investigation of afterglow of various luminophores under influence of pulsed X-ray radiation of nanosecond duration. As a source of radiation a pulsed X-ray "Yasen 01" apparatus is applied. Maximum impulse current of an X-ray tube is 300 A. Maximum electron energy is 120 keV. Half-height pulse duration of an X-ray burst is about 30 ns. A pulse repetition rate is up to 4 kHz. Two types of X-ray luminophores based on gadolinium oxysulfide Gd 2 O 2 S:Tb and cesium iodide CsI:Tl have been investigated. The novelty of the work is use of a fast-acting solid-state semiconductor photomultiplier. It allows recording changes of luminophores luminosity in the nanosecond time range. The photomultiplier is characterized by having two discreet outputs for measuring quickly and slowly time-changing light flows. Presence of two signal outputs allows recording changes of luminophores luminosity both during fast nanosecond excitation and during long-time afterglow. Obtained data about the nature of afterglow of investigated luminophores makes it possible to select the best one for use in conjunction with a pulsed X-ray apparatus with a high pulse repetition rate. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Generation System Based on Pulsed Volume Discharge for the Biological Decontamination of a Surface

The research introduces a system for pulsed volume discharges ignition at atmospheric pressure within gaps reaching 125 mm. The corona discharge is used for the volume discharge initiation. A damping oscillations pulse generator is used as a high-voltage power supply. The pulse repetition rate reaches 1 kHz, while the rate of damping high-frequency harmonic oscillations can reach megahertz units. The volume discharge electric and spectral characteristics were analyzed. The study revealed that O2+ emission spectrum dominates in the UV region. The potential of using pulsed volume discharge for cleaning biological surfaces was demonstrated in the research. The survival rate for E. coli under the influence of 15 seconds long pulsed volume discharge has decreased by 30 times

High-voltage electrode optimization towards uniform surface treatment by a pulsed volume discharge

In this study, the shape and material of the high-voltage electrode of an atmospheric pressure plasma generation system were optimised. The research was performed with the goal of achieving maximum uniformity of plasma treatment of the surface of the low-voltage electrode with a diameter of 100 mm. In order to generate low-temperature plasma with the volume of roughly 1 cubic decimetre, a pulsed volume discharge was used initiated with a corona discharge. The uniformity of the plasma in the region of the low-voltage electrode was assessed using a system for measuring the distribution of discharge current density. The system's low-voltage electrode - collector - was a disc of 100 mm in diameter, the conducting surface of which was divided into 64 radially located segments of equal surface area. The current at each segment was registered by a high-speed measuring system controlled by an ARM™-based 32-bit microcontroller. To facilitate the interpretation of results obtained, a computer program was developed to visualise the results. The program provides a 3D image of the current density distribution on the surface of the low-voltage electrode. Based on the results obtained an optimum shape for a high-voltage electrode was determined. Uniformity of the distribution of discharge current density in relation to distance between electrodes was studied. It was proven that the level of non-uniformity of current density distribution depends on the size of the gap between electrodes. Experiments indicated that it is advantageous to use graphite felt VGN-6 (Russian abbreviation) as the material of the high-voltage electrode's emitting surface

The Hydration Structure at Yttria-Stabilized Cubic Zirconia (110)-Water Interface with Sub-Angstrom Resolution

The interfacial hydration structure of yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (110) surface in contact with water was determined with ~0.5 Å resolution by high-resolution X-ray reflectivity measurement. The terminal layer shows a reduced electron density compared to the following substrate lattice layers, which indicates there are additional defects generated by metal depletion as well as intrinsic oxygen vacancies, both of which are apparently filled by water species. Above this top surface layer, two additional adsorbed layers are observed forming a characteristic interfacial hydration structure. The first adsorbed layer shows abnormally high density as pure water and likely includes metal species, whereas the second layer consists of pure water. The observed interfacial hydration structure seems responsible for local equilibration of the defective surface in water and eventually regulating the long-term degradation processes. The multitude of water interactions with the zirconia surface results in the complex but highly ordered interfacial structure constituting the reaction front.ope

4-kW multi-phase battery powered power supply

A method was developed for building the powerful battery power supplies. Using the method, the battery power supply with a 4 kW max power and up to 93% efficiency was developed to supply the "Yasen" X-ray apparatus. Two 60 Acenterdoth series-connected starter lead-acid batteries were used as a primary power supply. A DC output voltage of the source is stable over the entire power range and equals to 310 V. The power supply is based on a 5-phase HF-inverter. There is no difficulty in designing such power supplies with different power outputs. It can be done by the increasing or the decreasing number of phases (of inverter channels). This approach is not limited by the increased number of the inverter channels. The maximum output power will be determined by the battery characteristics only. The power supply is mounted on a mobile trolley, to increase the mobility of the entire set of equipment. The unit dimensions are 410•320•440, the weight is about 40 kg. The unit is forced air-cooled. A power operating mode is short and periodic

Frustrated spin correlations in diluted spin ice Ho2-xLaxTi2O7

We have studied the evolution of the structural properties as well as the static and dynamic spin correlations of spin ice Ho2Ti2O7, where Ho was partially replaced by non-magnetic La. The crystal structure of diluted samples Ho2-xLaxTi2O7 was characterized by x-ray and neutron diffraction and by Ho L-III-edge and Ti K-edge extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements. It is found that the pyrochlore structure remains intact until about x = 0.3, but a systematic increase in local disorder with increasing La concentration is observed in the EXAFS data, especially from the Ti K edge.Quasi-elastic neutron scattering and ac susceptibility measurements show that, in x<= 0.4 samples at temperatures above macroscopic freezing, the spin -spin correlations are short ranged and dynamic in nature. The main difference with pure spin ice in the dynamics is the appearance of a second, faster, relaxation process

Brown bear attacks on humans : a worldwide perspective

The increasing trend of large carnivore attacks on humans not only raises human safety concerns but may also undermine large carnivore conservation efforts. Although rare, attacks by brown bears Ursus arctos are also on the rise and, although several studies have addressed this issue at local scales, information is lacking on a worldwide scale. Here, we investigated brown bear attacks (n = 664) on humans between 2000 and 2015 across most of the range inhabited by the species: North America (n = 183), Europe (n = 291), and East (n = 190). When the attacks occurred, half of the people were engaged in leisure activities and the main scenario was an encounter with a female with cubs. Attacks have increased significantly over time and were more frequent at high bear and low human population densities. There was no significant difference in the number of attacks between continents or between countries with different hunting practices. Understanding global patterns of bear attacks can help reduce dangerous encounters and, consequently, is crucial for informing wildlife managers and the public about appropriate measures to reduce this kind of conflicts in bear country.Peer reviewe