Electroweak Baryon Number Non-Conservation in the Early Universe and in High Energy Collisions

We review recent progress in the study of the anomalous baryon number non-conservation at high temperatures and in high energy collisions. Recent results on high temperature phase transitions are described, and applications to electroweak baryogenesis are considered. The current status of the problem of electroweak instanton-like processes at high energies is outlined. This paper is written on the occasion of Sakharov's 75th anniversary and will appear in the memorial volume of Uspekhi (Usp. Fiz. Nauk, volume 166, No 5, May 1996).Comment: Minor modifications. A number of new references added. Final version to appear in Uspekhi (Usp. Fiz. Nauk 166 (May, 1996) No 5). 100 pages and 16 eps figure

The Electroweak Phase Transition in Ultra Minimal Technicolor

We unveil the temperature-dependent electroweak phase transition in new extensions of the Standard Model in which the electroweak symmetry is spontaneously broken via strongly coupled, nearly-conformal dynamics achieved by the means of multiple matter representations. In particular, we focus on the low energy effective theory introduced to describe Ultra Minimal Walking Technicolor at the phase transition. Using the one-loop effective potential with ring improvement, we identify regions of parameter space which yield a strong first order transition. A striking feature of the model is the existence of a second phase transition associated to the electroweak-singlet sector. The interplay between these two transitions leads to an extremely rich phase diagram.Comment: 38 RevTeX pages, 9 figure

The Experience of Reinforcement of Existing Buildings During Construction in Conditions of Compact Urban Planning

Two-level underground part of 12-storeyed dwelling building was constructed in the historical center of Moscow in 2000. The strengthening of foundations was carried out by pressing in of tubular and concrete piles or by placing of bore and injection piles, depending on the results of mathematical modeling. Geotechnical monitoring of the adjacent buildings was carried out in the process of strengthening and new construction. The results of monitoring confirmed the correct way of the chosen solutions: the settlements did not exceed the ultimate permissible values

Origin of slow-drift shadow bursts in Jovian decameter radio emission with quasi-harmonic structure

An explanation is proposed for the appearance of slowly drift shadow bursts in the dynamic spectrum of Jupiter against the background of decameter radio emission with a quasi-harmonic structure. Background radio emission is caused by hot ions with a loss cone type distribution function, which generate ion cyclotron waves due to the effect of double plasma resonance. A flow of hot ions with a distribution function of the Maxwell type is injected into the source region, fills the loss cone of generating ions and interrupts the generation of ion cyclotron waves due to the filling of the loss cone. The condition under which instability breaks down is obtained, and the optimal values of the parameters of the injected ions necessary for the occurrence of bursts in absorption are determined

Seasonal Water "Pump" in the Atmosphere of Mars: Vertical Transport to the Thermosphere

We present results of simulations with the Max Planck Institute general circulation model (MPI-MGCM) implementing a hydrological cycle scheme. The simulations reveal a seasonal water "pump" mechanism responsible for the upward transport of water vapor. This mechanism occurs in high latitudes above 60$^\circ$ of the southern hemisphere at perihelion, when the upward branch of the meridional circulation is particularly strong. A combination of the mean vertical flux with variations induced by solar tides facilitates penetration of water across the "bottleneck" at approximately 60 km. The meridional circulation then transports water across the globe to the northern hemisphere. Since the intensity of the meridional cell is tightly controlled by airborne dust, the water abundance in the thermosphere strongly increases during dust storms.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure