Vol 62, No 1 (2017)

The dual-polarization reflectometry facility developed for torsatron U-2M uses the extraordinary wave in addition to the ordinary wave. This is possible because the magnetic field of U-2M is produced by external conductors, is independent of plasma parameters, and is therefore a known quantity. The plasma probing is carried out simultaneously in a large number of pairs of close frequencies, which makes it possible to use superheterodyne circuits and, hence, considerably improves noise protection of the system and accuracy of measurement of phase shifts. The use of the extraordinary wave considerably broadens the range of the densities being measured in the given frequency band of generators. To reconstruct the density profile of the plasma from the frequency dependence of the phase shift of probing waves, original iterative algorithms have been developed for solving integral equations that are stable to experimental errors.

The electronic structure of island carbon films on silicon, which are capable of low-voltage field electron emission (at the mean electric-field strength above several hundreds of V/mm), have been investigated. It has been shown by tunnel spectroscopy that islands of these coatings are characterized by a continuous spectrum of the allowed delocalized states near the Fermi level, i.e., they contain carbon in the sp² state. The photoconductivity of the coatings under study has been observed. Based on the current and spectral characteristics of this phenomenon, it has been shown that islands are separated from each other by tunnel barriers and from the substrate by a Schottky barrier.

The electronic structure of barium oxide crystallites determining the emission properties of both dispenser and scandate cathodes has been studied using electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and optical spectroscopy. It has been established that the other elements (calcium, aluminum, scandium, and tungsten) contained in cathode materials are diluted in barium oxide and significantly affect its electronic structure and, consequently, emission properties. The obtained results give an idea about the physical and physicochemical mechanisms of the effect of scandium on the reduction of the work function of scandate cathodes relative to that of the cathodes of other types.

Electric convection of low-conductivity liquid in a horizontal plane capacitor is analyzed with allowance for unipolar charge injection. Dynamics of charge transfer through stationary isothermal liquid in the presence of modulated electric field is studied. Effect of modulation amplitude and frequency on the spatiotemporal distribution of charge density and electric potential is considered. Nonlinear electric convection of nonisothermal low-conductivity liquid is studied in the presence of static electric field in a 2D system. Hysteresis transitions between two different (with respect to intensity) regimes of electric convection are analyzed.

Experimental data for the dependence of the low-frequency (10⁵ Hz) shear elasticity of diethylene glycol on the shear deformation angle have been presented. At small shear angles, the range of linear elasticity has been observed, which narrows with rising strain. The effective viscosity behaves similarly.

We consider a mathematical model of hydrocarbon fuel conversion in a thermochemical reactor as an element of heat protection of a hypersonic aircraft. The application of this model has made it possible to enrich information obtained in experimental studies.

We consider the problem of asymmetric strain and stress distribution in silica fiber under threepoint bending. The parameters of nonlinear elasticity of silica glass under tension and compression are estimated using available data from the literature. It has been found that consideration of the nonlinear elasticity of silica glass leads to a slight increase in the calculated values of strength compared to the data obtained from estimates based on the linear theory of elasticity.

The processes of the formation of the macroscopic states of a superconducting tape induced by the transport current at magnetic flux creep have been studied. It has been shown that there are characteristic values of electric field intensity that are affected by a rate of current injection, properties of a superconductor, cooling conditions, and properties of a stabilizing matrix. These values are the basis of thermal electrodynamic mechanism, which determines the slope of a rise of IVC of technical superconductors. The conditions of formation of current instabilities have been studied taking into account a nonuniform temperature distribution over the cross section of a technical superconductor. The conditions of the existence of the IVC of technical superconductors have been formulated. These conditions allow for the stable heating of a superconductor as high as the critical temperature. The results of the carried out studies should be taken into account when measuring the IVC of superconducting materials and determining their critical parameters and the current of instability occurrence.

The propagation of surface waves along the interface between a ferrodielectric and a material that represents an array of amorphous ferromagnetic microwires has been studied. The dispersion characteristic of a magnetically controlled TE wave has been obtained, and frequency intervals have been found in which surface or localized, partially localized, and volume waves may exist. It has been shown that a TM wave in the given structure cannot be a surface wave.

The results of calculating the characteristics of the heat-transfer process in thermoelectric cooling and temperature control are presented. The influence of the inhomogeneity of the heat flux and thermal contacts on the temperature increase of the heat-loaded element has been defined. The analysis of the cooling efficiency depending on the operating characteristics and the current strength of the power supply of thermoelectric modules, parameters of the heat-loaded element and the individual components of the system, and the conditions of the heat exchange with the external environment has been performed. It has been shown that, under certain conditions, the use of the thermoelectric modules cannot lead to a cooling of the element, but rather to heating. The possibility of optimizing the cooling to reduce the temperature of the heat-loaded element and power consumption of the thermoelectric module has been considered.

Glass composites covered by sol–gel TiO₂–mMe_xO_y (Me_xO_y = ZnO, CdO, SnO, CuO, and Fe₂O₃ and m = 2, or 10 wt %) binary oxide coatings have been studied. The microhardness of the composites and glass substrate has been measured, and the microhardness of the coatings has been determined from these measurements. A correlation between the microhardness of the coatings, their refractive index, and packing density of disperse sol phase particles in the coating has been established.

Waveguide heating due to transmission of microwave signals is studied. Mathematical models are developed to evaluate heat liberation, and differential equations of thermal balance are derived with allowance for different working conditions of waveguides. The results prove the necessity of the further study of the effect of heat liberation in waveguides on strength and functional characteristics.

The possibility of increasing the resolving power of quadrupole mass filters has been discussed. It has been shown that the limitations associated with the finite time of flight imposed by Von Zahn’s rule are modified while using the islands of stability that appear when quadrupole is excited by the additional signals. By calculation of the exponential increment of growth of the oscillation amplitude the effect of the acceleration of mass separation and improvement of the peak shape, when the islands of stability are used for ion filtering, is explained. The case of the excitation by two signals at different frequencies has been studied theoretically. The conditions under which suppression of the first order resonance for one of the directions of motion is obtained. The direct modeling of the peak shape of the mass filter shows the possibility of obtaining a resolution of 10,000 with a time of flight of ions through the quadrupole of 100 cycles of the main RF supply, and low sensitivity of the new operating mode to the nonlinear field distortions in the quadrupoles with rods of circular cross sections.

The electronic systems of a small high-sensitivity static mass spectrometer and software and hardware tools, which allow one to determine trace concentrations of gases and volatile compounds in air and water samples in real time, have been characterized. These systems and tools have been used to set up the device, control the process of measurement, synchronize this process with accompanying measurements, maintain reliable operation of the device, process the obtained results automatically, and visualize and store them. The developed software and hardware tools allow one to conduct continuous measurements for up to 100 h and provide an opportunity for personnel with no special training to perform maintenance on the device. The test results showed that mobile mass spectrometers for geophysical and medical research, which were fitted with these systems, had a determination limit for target compounds as low as several ppb(m) and a mass resolving power (depending on the current task) as high as 250.

The reflection of X-rays from solid surfaces is comprehensively studied using the measurements of patterns of total external reflection and X-ray diffraction with the aid of a parabolic mirror. Principles for theoretical processing of X-ray patterns are developed. An inverse dependence of the refractive index of X-ray radiation on the interplanar distances in crystallites is obtained.

The method for producing neutron guides for ultracold neutrons based on the replica method has been described. A comparative analysis of the quality of replica neutron guides, neutron guides made from polished anode–mechanical steel tubes, and neutron guides from electropolished tubes has been given.

Based on the nonlinear mechanics of material fracture, a model of the fracture of materials with actual (discrete) structures has been constructed. The model is supported by proofs that crack resistance K_1c and fracture toughness G_1c obtained from the energy conservation law without using the assumptions adopted in the linear material fracture mechanics serve as the force and energy criteria in the nonlinear fracture mechanics. It has been shown that energy criterion G_1c in the nonlinear mechanics is much greater than G_1c in the linear fracture mechanics.

The results of an experimental study of the process of turning off an integrated thyristor in a circuit with an inductive load have been presented. It has been demonstrated that the maximum switched current density is limited by high-frequency oscillating process under the conditions of dynamic avalanche breakdown, which produces unstable current pinches. This process starts from the beginning of the voltage rise at the collector junction and is initiated by electron flux injected by the emitter to the space-charge collector region. Possible ways to raise the maximum switched current density have been discussed.