UV continuum emission and diagnostics of hydrogen-containing non-equilibrium plasmas

For the first time the emission of the radiative dissociation continuum of the hydrogen molecule ($a^{3}\Sigma_{g}^{+} \to b^{3}\Sigma_{u}^{+}$ electronic transition) is proposed to be used as a source of information for the spectroscopic diagnostics of non-equilibrium plasmas. The detailed analysis of excitation-deactivation kinetics, rate constants of various collisional and radiative transitions and fitting procedures made it possible to develop two new methods of diagnostics of: (1) the ground $X^{1}\Sigma_{g}^{+}$ state vibrational temperature $T_{\text{vib}}$ from the relative intensity distribution, and (2) the rate of electron impact dissociation (d[\mbox{H_{2}}]/dt)_{\text{diss}} from the absolute intensity of the continuum. A known method of determination of $T_{\text{vib}}$ from relative intensities of Fulcher-$\alpha$ bands was seriously corrected and simplified due to the revision of $d \to a$ transition probabilities and cross sections of $d \gets X$ electron impact excitation. General considerations are illustrated with examples of experiments in pure hydrogen capillary-arc and H$_{2}$+Ar microwave discharges.Comment: REVTeX, 25 pages + 12 figures + 9 tables. Phys. Rev. E, eprint replaced because of resubmission to journal after referee's 2nd repor

Normal-state resistivity anisotropy in underdoped RBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x} crystals

We have revealed new features in the out-of-plane resistivity rho_c of heavily underdoped RBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x} (R=Tm,Lu) single crystals, which give evidence for two distinct mechanisms contributing the c-axis transport. We have observed a crossover towards "metal-like" (d rho_c/d T > 0) behavior at the temperature T_m which quickly increases with decreasing doping. The "metal-like" conductivity contribution dominates at T < T_m and provides a saturation of the resistivity anisotropy, rho_c / rho_{ab}. The antiferromagnetic ordering is found to block this "metal-like" part of the c-axis conductivity and complete decoupling of CuO_2 planes, which may be the reason of superconductivity disappearance.Comment: RevTex, 4 pages including 4 eps figures. To be published in Phys.Rev.Let

Competition and coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in RBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x} (R = Lu, Y) single crystals

We use c-axis resistivity and magnetoresistance measurements to study the interplay between antiferromagnetic (AF) and superconducting (SC) ordering in underdoped RBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x} (R = Lu, Y) single crystals. Both orders are found to emerge from an anisotropic 3D metallic state, upon which antiferromagnetism opposes superconductivity by driving the doped holes towards localization. Despite the competition, the superconductivity sets in before the AF order is completely destroyed and coexists with latter in a certain range of hole doping. We find also that strong magnetic fields affect the AF-SC interplay by both suppressing the superconductivity and stabilizing the Neel order.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Magnetoresistance in Heavily Underdoped YBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x}: Antiferromagnetic Correlations and Normal-State Transport

We report on a contrasting behavior of the in-plane and out-of-plane magnetoresistance (MR) in heavily underdoped antiferromagnetic (AF) YBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x} (x<0.37). The out-of-plane MR (I//c) is positive over most of the temperature range and shows a sharp increase, by about two orders of magnitude, upon cooling through the Neel temperature T_N. A contribution associated with the AF correlations is found to dominate the out-of-plane MR behavior for H//c from far above T_N, pointing to the key role of spin fluctuations in the out-of-plane transport. In contrast, the transverse in-plane MR (I//a(b);H//c) appears to be small and smooth through T_N, implying that the development of the AF order has little effect on the in-plane resistivity.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.Let

Quantization of Two-Dimensional Gravity with Dynamical Torsion

We consider two-dimensional gravity with dynamical torsion in the Batalin - Vilkovisky and Batalin - Lavrov - Tyutin formalisms of gauge theories quantization as well as in the background field method.Comment: 12 pages, LaTe

Anomalously large oxygen-ordering contribution to the thermal expansion of untwinned YBa2Cu3O6.95 single crystals: a glass-like transition near room temperature

We present high-resolution capacitance dilatometry studies from 5 - 500 K of untwinned YBa2Cu3Ox (Y123) single crystals for x ~ 6.95 and x = 7.0. Large contributions to the thermal expansivities due to O-ordering are found for x ~ 6.95, which disappear below a kinetic glass-like transition near room temperature. The kinetics at this glass transition is governed by an energy barrier of 0.98 +- 0.07 eV, in very good agreement with other O-ordering studies. Using thermodynamic arguments, we show that O-ordering in the Y123 system is particularly sensitive to uniaxial pressure (stress) along the chain axis and that the lack of well-ordered chains in Nd123 and La123 is most likely a consequence of a chemical-pressure effect.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PR

Optimal values of rovibronic energy levels for triplet electronic states of molecular deuterium

Optimal set of 1050 rovibronic energy levels for 35 triplet electronic states of $D_2$ has been obtained by means of a statistical analysis of all available wavenumbers of triplet-triplet rovibronic transitions studied in emission, absorption, laser and anticrossing spectroscopic experiments of various authors. We used a new method of the analysis (Lavrov, Ryazanov, JETP Letters, 2005), which does not need any \it a priory \rm assumptions concerning the molecular structure being based on only two fundamental principles: Rydberg-Ritz and maximum likelihood. The method provides the opportunity to obtain the RMS estimates for uncertainties of the experimental wavenumbers independent from those presented in original papers. 234 from 3822 published wavenumber values were found to be spurious, while the remaining set of the data may be divided into 20 subsets (samples) of uniformly precise data having close to normal distributions of random errors within the samples. New experimental wavenumber values of 125 questionable lines were obtained in the present work. Optimal values of the rovibronic levels were obtained from the experimental data set consisting of 3713 wavenumber values (3588 old and 125 new). The unknown shift between levels of ortho- and para- deuterium was found by least squares analysis of the $a^3\Sigma_g^+$, $v = 0$, $N = 0 \div 18$ rovibronic levels with odd and even values of $N$. All the energy levels were obtained relative to the lowest vibro-rotational level ($v = 0$, $N = 0$) of the $a^3\Sigma_g^+$ electronic state, and presented in tabular form together with the standard deviations of the empirical determination. New energy level values differ significantly from those available in literature.Comment: 46 pages, 9 picture

Assessing the shape of the viscoplastic iron-ore zone in a blast furnace

A mathematical model permits assessment of the position and shape of the viscoplastic iron-ore zone (cohesion zone) in a blast furnace and identification of a rational configuration for this zone on the basis of readily available information regarding the blast furnace in the baseline period. The model also permits the solution of design problems with variation in the furnace parameters. Modeling results are outlined for the baseline and design periods. © 2013 Allerton Press, Inc