Investigation of ultrafast laser photonic material interactions: challenges for directly written glass photonics

Currently, direct-write waveguide fabrication is probably the most widely studied application of femtosecond laser micromachining in transparent dielectrics. Devices such as buried waveguides, power splitters, couplers, gratings and optical amplifiers have all been demonstrated. Waveguide properties depend critically on the sample material properties and writing laser characteristics. In this paper we discuss the challenges facing researchers using the femtosecond laser direct-write technique with specific emphasis being placed on the suitability of fused silica and phosphate glass as device hosts for different applications.Comment: 11 pages, 87 references, 11 figures. Article in revie

Discrete soliton mobility in two-dimensional waveguide arrays with saturable nonlinearity

We address the issue of mobility of localized modes in two-dimensional nonlinear Schr\"odinger lattices with saturable nonlinearity. This describes e.g. discrete spatial solitons in a tight-binding approximation of two-dimensional optical waveguide arrays made from photorefractive crystals. We discuss numerically obtained exact stationary solutions and their stability, focussing on three different solution families with peaks at one, two, and four neighboring sites, respectively. When varying the power, there is a repeated exchange of stability between these three solutions, with symmetry-broken families of connecting intermediate stationary solutions appearing at the bifurcation points. When the nonlinearity parameter is not too large, we observe good mobility, and a well defined Peierls-Nabarro barrier measuring the minimum energy necessary for rendering a stable stationary solution mobile.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Effect of stellar wind induced magnetic fields on planetary obstacles of non-magnetized hot Jupiters

We investigate the interaction between the magnetized stellar wind plasma and the partially ionized hydrodynamic hydrogen outflow from the escaping upper atmosphere of non- or weakly magnetized hot Jupiters. We use the well-studied hot Jupiter HD 209458b as an example for similar exoplanets, assuming a negligible intrinsic magnetic moment. For this planet, the stellar wind plasma interaction forms an obstacle in the planet's upper atmosphere, in which the position of the magnetopause is determined by the condition of pressure balance between the stellar wind and the expanded atmosphere, heated by the stellar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. We show that the neutral atmospheric atoms penetrate into the region dominated by the stellar wind, where they are ionized by photo-ionization and charge exchange, and then mixed with the stellar wind flow. Using a 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model, we show that an induced magnetic field forms in front of the planetary obstacle, which appears to be much stronger compared to those produced by the solar wind interaction with Venus and Mars. Depending on the stellar wind parameters, because of the induced magnetic field, the planetary obstacle can move up to ~0.5-1 planetary radii closer to the planet. Finally, we discuss how estimations of the intrinsic magnetic moment of hot Jupiters can be inferred by coupling hydrodynamic upper planetary atmosphere and MHD stellar wind interaction models together with UV observations. In particular, we find that HD 209458b should likely have an intrinsic magnetic moment of 10-20% that of Jupiter.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted to MNRA

Sub-critical regime of femtosecond inscription

We apply well known nonlinear diffraction theory governing focusing of a powerful light beam of arbitrary shape in medium with Kerr nonlinearity to the analysis of femtosecond (fs) laser processing of dielectric in sub-critical (input power less than the critical power of selffocusing) regime. Simple analytical expressions are derived for the input beam power and spatial focusing parameter (numerical aperture) that are required for achieving an inscription threshold. Application of non-Gaussian laser beams for better controlled fs inscription at higher powers is also discussed. © 2007 Optical Society of America

Modeling the Lyα\alpha transit absorption of the hot Jupiter HD 189733b

Hydrogen-dominated atmospheres of hot exoplanets expand and escape due to the intense heating by the X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) irradiation of their host stars. Excess absorption of neutral hydrogen has been observed in the Ly$\alpha$ line during transits of several close-in exoplanets, indicating such extended atmospheres. For the hot Jupiter HD 189733b, this absorption shows temporal variability. Variations in stellar XUV emission and/or stellar wind conditions have been invoked to explain this effect. We apply a 1D hydrodynamic upper atmosphere model and a 3D MHD stellar wind flow model to study the effect of variations of the stellar XUV and wind conditions on the neutral hydrogen distribution, including the production of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), and the related Ly$\alpha$ transit signature. We obtain comparable, albeit slightly higher Ly$\alpha$ absorption as observed in 2011 with a stellar XUV flux of $1.8\times10^4$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, rather typical activity conditions for this star. Flares similar to the one observed 8 h before the transit are unlikely to have caused a significant modulation of the transit signature. The resulting Ly$\alpha$ absorption is dominated by atmospheric broadening, whereas the contribution of ENAs is negligible, as they are formed inside the bow shock from decelerated wind ions that are heated to high temperatures. Thus, within our modeling framework and assumptions, we find an insignificant dependence on the stellar wind parameters. Since the transit absorption can be modeled with typical stellar XUV and wind conditions, it is possible that the non-detection of the absorption in 2010 was affected by less typical stellar activity conditions, such as a very different magnitude and/or shape of the star's spectral XUV emission, or temporal/spatial variations in Ly$\alpha$ affecting the determination of the transit absorption.Comment: 22 pages, 19 figures, 4 tables; A&A, publishe

Landscape-Epidemiological Zoning of the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Adygea by Tularemia

Objective of the study was epizootic-epidemiological zoning of the area of Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Adygea by manifestations of tularemia to determine the level of epidemic hazard of each zone.Materials and methods. Utilized were archival data of the Black Sea Plague Control station over the period of 1946–2017 and plague Control Center of the Rospotrebnadzor. With the help of GIS software packages, MapINFO 10.5 and ArcGIS 10.2, the data bases containing the point-like layers of the sites of infection with tularemia (49), isolation of tularemia agent (195), and the layer of landscape-geographical regions in the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Adygea were created.Results and discussion. Usage of the geo-information technologies allowed for detailed consideration of tularemia manifestations in different parts of the region. The prospects of applying Arc GIS and MapINFO for geoencoding, processing and creation of geo-information pool of tularemia manifestations over a long period was shown. Vector data of landscapes and sites of epidemics and epizootic manifestations of tularemia on different species of mammals and ticks were generated. The conversion of the database to Microsoft Excel made it possible to make full use of statistical capabilities for epidemiological analysis. The work on epidemiological zoning carried out in the Krasnodar region and the Republic of Adygea starkly illustrated the feasibility of using GIS technologies for those purposes. The results of the analysis allowed for optimization of the mode of epizootiological survey in different parts of the studied region. Advisability of epizootiological inspection and monitoring of the territories with identification of geographical coordinates for epizootic manifestation sites was proved

On the Stability of a Solution of a Guarantee Optimization Problem under a Functional Constraint on the Disturbance

The paper deals with a control problem for a dynamical system under disturbances. In addition to geometric constraints on the disturbance, it is supposed that all disturbance realizations belong to some unknown L1-compact set. The control is aimed at minimization of a given quality index. Within the game-theoretical approach, the problem of optimizing the guaranteed result is studied. For solving this problem, we use a control procedure with a guide. The paper is focused on the questions of stability of this control procedure with respect to informational and computational errors. The results are illustrated by numerical simulation. © 201

Nonlinear beam tapering and two-dimensional ring solitons

We examine a possibility to exploit the nonlinear lens effect - the initial stage of self-focusing to localize initially broad field distribution into the small central area where wave collapse is arrested - the nonlinear beam tapering. We describe two-dimensional localized solitary waves (ring solitons) in a physical system that presents a linear medium in the central core, surrounded by the cladding with the focusing Kerr nonlinearity. The standard variational analysis demonstrates that such solitons correspond to the minimum of the Hamiltonian

Experimental demonstration of mode structure in ultralong Raman fiber lasers

We present the first experimental demonstration of a resolvable mode structure with spacing c/2nL in the RF spectra of ultralong Raman fiber lasers. The longest ever demonstrated laser cavity (L=84km), RF peaks of ∼100 Hz width and spacing ∼1 kHz have been observed at low intracavity powers. The width of the peaks increases linearly with growing intracavity power and is almost independent of fiber length. © 2007 Optical Society of America

Influence of Solar Activity on the Ecological Processes of the Naturally-Protected Territories of Westrn Polesie: Problem or Hypothesis?

Наведено результати експериментальних досліджень та аналізу деяких проявів сонячної активності та геоефективної реакції на них низки біотичних та абіотичних компонентів біогеосистеми природно-заповідних територій Західного Полісся, виконаних з використанням сучасних інструментальних засобів (декаметровий радіотелескоп УРАН-3, транскордонна мережа моніторингу ґрунтів, цифрова метеостанція тощо) та наземних спостережень змін стану цих компонентів. Розглянуто вплив довготривалих циклічних геліопроцесів на екологічні процеси і вплив спорадичних короткотривалих компонентів сонячної активності, які обумовлюють геомагнітні збурення та збурення природного атмосферного інфразвуку в біогеосистемі. Results of experimental researches and analysis of some solar eruptive events and geo-efficient reaction on them of row of biotic and abiotic components of the West Polesie naturally-protected territories biogeosystem executed with the use of modern tools (decameter radio-telescope URAN-3, transboundary network of soils monitoring, digital weather-station and others like that) and ground-based supervisions of changes of these components state, have been presented. Influence on the ecological processes of the long-term cyclic helio-processes and influence of the short-term sporadic solar eruptive events, which cause the geomagnetic and infrasound activity in the biogeosystem, are consideredРоботу виконано у Фізико-механічному інституті ім. Г. В. Карпенка НАН України та Львівському центрі Інституту космічних досліджень НАН України та НКА Україн