Prototype of the 1/6 MOL Module of a Superpower Pulse Generator

This paper considers problems related to the creation (as part of the Baikal Program) of a super-power pulse generator intended for inertial confinement fusion applications and having pulse parameters of ～10 MV, ～50 MA, and ～150 ns. A MOL facility (3.7 MA, 5 MV, and 150 ns) with a six-module plasma opening switch (POS), operating as an output pulse compression stage, is being developed to test the circuit solutions of this generator. The design for the prototype of one POS module, referred to as the 1/6 MOL test bench, is presented. The results from experimental tests related to POS performance within the MOL facility are reported.     

Resonance phonon scattering on stable F 2 + centers in LiF crystals irradiated in the stressed state

The joint action of gamma irradiation and mechanical stress on the optical absorption spectra and thermal conductivity of LiF crystals has been investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Optimum irradiation doses and stress magnitudes for the stabilization and the efficient accumulation of F ₂ ⁺ centers in LiF are determined. The intensity of the absorption band due to F ₂ ⁺ centers is reduced by less than a factor of two in measurements a year apart. The expression for the cross section of resonance phonon scattering on F ₂ ⁺ centers is obtained, and the parameters of the model of the center are determined. The temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity is calculated, and a bend in the (T) curve revealed atT3–5 K is explained.     

Application of Diamond in High Technology

This review focuses on the critical issues and future directions in the application of diamond in high technology. Diamond nuclear radiation detectors, photosensors, photoemitters, spectral windows, active and passive microelectronic components, and microelectromechanical systems are discussed in detail. In Russia, high-technology diamond applications have not yet moved toward the manufacturing stage, even though Russia possesses immense resources of natural diamond and a considerable scientific potential in the field of creating unique synthetic diamonds, polycrystalline and single-crystal diamond films, and diamond-like compounds. We hope that the points raised in this review will provide the impetus for the development of diamond technology in Russia.     

Features of accelerated electron beam formation in LHCD experiments on FT-2 tokamak

In experiments with lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) on the FT-2 tokamak, lower hybrid (LH) waves have been successfully used for the first time to ensure effective additional heating of plasma electrons from 450 to 600 eV (I _Pl = 32 kA, Δt _RF = 14 ms, P _RF = 100 kW, F = 920 MHz). Several factors influencing the efficiency of plasma heating have been discovered. In particular, significant growth of radiation losses in the LHCD regime has been found, which is probably related to an increase in the intensity of synchrotron radiation from accelerated electrons. The increase in this intensity in the 53–156 GHz frequency range was accompanied by short spikes of microwave radiation, which were observed only in a narrower frequency range (53–78 GHz) and apparently resulted from interaction of a runaway electron beam with significant local mirrors of toroidal magnetic field. A model of the additional heating of plasma electrons due to absorption of the microwave radiation generated by a beam of accelerated electrons is proposed.     

Promising CMOS ICs Based on Si/CaF2/Si Epitaxial Layers

It is shown that MBE-grown Si/CaF₂/Si heterostructures are promising for SOI technology. On the basis of these heterostructures, test MIS/SOI structures were created. The mean electron mobility in the top silicon layer was found to be 450–600 cm²/(V s). A test CMOS IC with a CoSi₂gate and a CaF₂gate dielectric was produced. The room-temperature ultimate speed of this structure was estimated (and measured) at a level of 1.5–2 GHz for a supply voltage of 3.0 V.     

Relation between the space flight-induced frequency of dominant lethal mutations and the level of allozyme heterozygosity in Drosophila melanogaster populations

Currently, the treatment of falciparum malaria is seriously compromised by spreading drug resistance. We studied the effects of camptothecin, a potent and specific topoisomerase I inhibitor, on erythrocytic malaria parasites in vitro. In Plasmodium falciparum, camptothecin trapped protein-DNA complexes, inhibited nucleic acid biosynthesis, and was cytotoxic. These results provide proof for the concept that topoisomerase I is a vulnerable target for new antimalarial drug development.     

The Kondo Effect of Surface Excitons

A recombination radiation line of real excitons in dense two-dimensional electron gas at the [100] silicon surface is observed in luminescence spectra of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. A new effect of anisotropic paramagnetic reduction of the luminescence line indicates a strong influence of the Kondo correlations on electron paramagnetism of the excitons.