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This paper reports on the use of coherent microwave scattering (CMS) for spatially resolved electron number density measurements of elongated plasma structures induced at mid-IR femtosecond filamentation in air. The presented studies comprise one-dimensional mapping of laser filaments induced via 3.9 um, 127.3 fs laser pulses at output energies up to 15 mJ. The axial electron number density was measured to be invariant (about 2x10$^{15}$ cm$^{-3}$) along the entire filament length and for all tested laser pulse energies 5-15 mJ, and the corresponding laser intensity in the middle portion of the filament was estimated to be nearly constant for 5-15 mJ pulse energies (about 30-40 TW/cm$^2$). These fundings support that intensity clamping conditions were achieved in the experiments. The proposed approach enables capabilities that are currently unavailable to perform absolute and longitudinally resolved measurements of electron number density in laser filaments and to precisely characterize conditions associated with self-focusing and intensity clamping.

In this paper, the Rayleigh scattering method is used to study the formation of cavitation in water in a pulsed inhomogeneous electric field when a nanosecond high voltage pulse is applied to a needle-like electrode. The observational results confirm the theoretical picture of cavitation development under the action of electrostrictive ponderomotive forces. The values of the negative pressure, the average size of the cavitation nanovoids and their concentration were obtained from these measurements, which are in agreement with theoretical estimates.

The introduction of mid-IR optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers (OPCPAs) has catalyzed interest in multi-millijoule, infrared femtosecond pulse-based filamentation. As tunneling ionization is a fundamental first stage in these high-intensity laser-matter interactions, characterizing the process is critical to understand derivative topical studies on femtosecond filamentation and self-focusing. Here, we report constructive-elastic microwave scattering-based measurements of total electron count, electron number densities, and photoionization rates generated by 3.9 micron femtosecond mid-infrared tunneling ionization of atmospheric air. Consequently, we determine photoionization rates in the range of 5.0x10$^{8}$-6.1x10$^{9}$ s$^{-1}$ for radiation intensities 1.3x10$^{13}$-1.9x10$^{14}$ W/cm$^{2}$, respectively. The proposed approach paves the wave to precisely tabulate photoionization rates in mid-IR for broad range of intensities and gas types and to study plasma dynamics at mid-IR filamentation.

Recently is was discovered in various applications that many physical and chemical properties of water change their temperature dependence between about 35 and 60 degrees Celsius. In particular, heat conductance, light absorption, and surface tension all change their temperature dependence. These drastic changes were associated with water gradually changing its mesoscopic structure: while at the higher temperatures water is a uniform media (amorphous state), at the temperatures below transition it consists of many nano-to-micro-scale clusters (crystalline state). This transition is similar to the second order phase transition. In the present paper we show that treating water with non-thermal plasma (adding plasma-created active compounds) can lower the temperature of the transition and thus cause a significant change in such physical quantities as surface tension, viscosity, freezing rate, and wettability and washability. We present analytical estimates of the transition temperature shift based on the Debya-Huckel theory. We discuss the produce-washing experiments that illustrate the predicted effects., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures

In this paper, a simple theoretical model of excitation of action potentials of multiple motor pools by stimulating current pulses over the lumbosacral regions of the spinal cord is presented. The present model is consistent with known experimental data.

The total number of electrons in a classical microplasma can be non-intrusively measured through elastic in-phase coherent microwave scattering (CMS). Here, we establish a theoretical basis for the CMS diagnostic technique with an emphasis on Thomson and collisional scattering in short, thin unmagnetized plasma media. Experimental validation of the diagnostic is subsequently performed via linearly polarized, variable frequency microwave scattering off laser induced air-based microplasmas with diverse ionization and collisional features. Namely, conducted studies include a verification of short-dipole-like radiation behavior, plasma volume imaging via intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) photography, and measurements of relative phases, total scattering cross sections, and total number of electrons $N_e$ in the generated plasma filaments following absolute calibration using a dielectric scattering sample. Findings of the paper suggest an ideality of the diagnostic in the Thomson "free-electron" regime - where a detailed knowledge of plasma and collisional properties (which are often difficult to accurately characterize due to the potential influence of inhomogeneities, local temperatures and densities, present species, and so on) is unnecessary to extract $N_e$ from the scattered signal., Comment: 27 Pages, 5 Figures

This paper considers the structure and physical processes in the transition region at the border between the regions of false and physical vacuums in a cavitation model of the inflationary stage of the Big Bang. It is shown that in the process of the formation of physical vacuum bubbles in a false vacuum, conditions for the formation of a narrow layer filled with matter arise in the transition region, which is the precursor to bridges in the observed large-scale cellular structure of the universe.

The numerical simulation of the development of a streamer discharge in a gap with an external longitudinal magnetic field was used to demonstrate the self-focusing of such discharges. Self-focusing is caused by a sharp deceleration of the radial ionization wave due to a change in the electron energy distribution function, a decrease in the average electron energy, the rate of gas ionization and the electron mobility in crossed electric and magnetic fields as compared to the case of the discharge development without a magnetic field. The self-focusing effect of a streamer discharge in an external longitudinal magnetic field is observed for both positive and negative pulse polarities. The paper proposes an estimate of the critical value of the magnetic field, which makes it possible to control the development of pulsed high-voltage discharges at various gas pressures.

The dynamics of positive and negative streamers is numerically simulated in atmospheric pressure air. It is shown that positive and negative streamers behave in radically different ways when decelerating and stopping. When the head potential drops, the negative streamer transits to the mode in which the propagation is due to the forward electron drift. In this case, the radius of the ionization wave front increases, whereas the electric field at the streamer head decreases further and the streamer stops. The only advancement mechanism for a positive streamer with decreasing head potential is a decrease in the effective radius of the ionization wave, leading to a local increase in the electric field. This mechanism compensates for the decrease in the efficiency of gas photoionization at small head diameters. The local electric field at the streamer head can exceed the runaway threshold when the head potential decreases to ~1.2 kV in atmospheric pressure air. In this case, pulsed generation of a beam of runaway electrons directed into the channel of a stopping positive streamer can occur. The energy of the formed pulsed electron beam can vary from 700 V (when increasing the photoionization rate by a factor of 10 with respect to the value in atmospheric pressure air) to 2.6 kV (in air with an absorbing additive that reduces the photoionization rate by a factor of 1000). It is possible that this behavior of decelerating positive streamers can explain the observed bursts of X-ray radiation during the streamer propagation.

In this paper, we propose a model for the initial stage of the development of the Universe, analogous to cavitation in a liquid in a negative pressure field. It is assumed that at the stage of inflation, multiple breaks of the metric occur with the formation of areas of physical vacuum in which the generation of matter occurs. The proposed model explains the large-scale isotropy of the Universe without ultrafast inflationary expansion and the emergence of a large-scale cellular (cluster) structure, as a result of the development of cavitation ruptures of a false vacuum. It is shown that the cavitation model can be considered on par with (or as an alternative to) the generally accepted inflationary multiverse model of the Big Bang.

In the white paper we describe a national program in Low Temperature Plasma (LTP). The program should take advantage of the research opportunities of 3 rapidly growing areas (nanomaterial plasma synthesis, plasma medicine, microelectronics). The main theme is to achieve a fundamental understanding of Low Temperature Plasmas as they are applied to these different applications. This understanding will allow U.S. industry to meet the challenges of international competition., Comment: 9 pages, submitted for the Community Planning Process for fusion energy (https://sites.google.com/pppl.gov/dpp-cpp/)

In magnetically-confined plasmas of tokamaks, neutral deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) atoms play a role in energy, momentum, and particle balance, as well as the stabilization of plasma turbulence. One key important fusion performance parameter is the pedestal density. Understanding the pedestal density formation is critical for the development of predictive model of future fusion devices. Typically, measurements of the neutrals are obtained using optical emission spectroscopy of the Lyman alpha lines, which is a line-integrated measurement. The plasma in tokamaks is characterized by a high density of electrons and ions and a relatively low concentration of neutral hydrogen atoms, which could make direct measurement of density seemingly impossible at first. We propose a laser-based method that allows for accurate measurement of both the spatial and absolute magnitude of the neutral D/H with minimal knowledge of the radial profiles of electron temperatures and densities. This relies on the fact that the neutral spectral profile can have a larger peak than the electron spectral profile and thus make the neutral density signal resolvable. In practice, this method can be co-located with Thomson scattering systems and is referred to as laser Rayleigh scattering (LRS). More specifically, we assess and evaluate the LRS method for two test cases: in the midplane radii of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), and in the small angle slot divertor configuration of DIII-D. Preliminary simulations and calculations will determine the feasibility of LRS in the presence of incoherent Thomson scattering under neutral densities ranging from $ 10^{13} $ to $ 10^{21} \ \text{m}^{-3} $. Wavelength dependence of LRS will be evaluated to determine the boost in the signal and photon generation capability.

In this paper, on the basis of the model Schr\"odinger equation, we consider the tunneling mechanism of cavitation in liquid helium and obtain threshold values of negative pressure as a function of temperature for 3He and 4He. The results of calculating the surface tension coefficients for flat and curved interfaces, obtained in the approximation of the Lenard-Jones interaction potential, are presented. It is shown that the temperature dependence of the critical pressure at which cavitation begins is stepwise in nature. The obtained critical pressure values are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.

This work proposes a novel method of Thomson microwave scattering for electron number density measurements of miniature plasmas at pressures < 10 Torr. This method is applied to determine electron number density in a positive column of glow discharge initiated at 5 Torr in air with a plasma column diameter of 3.4 mm. The Thomson Microwave Scattering(TMS) system measured the electron number density to be 3.36*10^10 cm^-3. The result obtained using the TMS system was validated against the measurements made using the well-known technique of microwave quarter-wave hairpin resonator. Measurements with the hairpin resonator yielded an electron number density of 2.07*10^10 cm^-3 providing adequate agreement with the TMS system.

This paper discusses possible mechanisms for the selective effect of weakly ionized non-equilibrium plasma and currents in electrolyte on healthy and cancerous cells in physiological saline in a Petri dish. The interaction with the plasma source leads to a change in osmotic pressure, which affects the electro-mechanical properties of cell membranes in healthy and cancerous cells in different ways. The currents arising in the electrolyte charge the membranes of healthy and cancerous cells to a different potential difference due to the different values of the membranes' dielectric constant. We hypothesized that the dielectric permeability of cancer cell membranes is lower than that of healthy cells, as is the capacity of a unit of the membrane surface, and therefore, the additional potential difference acquired by the membrane through charging with currents induced in the intercellular electrolyte is greater in cancer cells. This can lead to electroporation of cancer cell membranes, resulting in their apoptosis, but does not effect healthy cells.

In this paper, using an unified approach, estimates are given of the magnitude of the surface tension of water for planar and curved interfaces in the pairwase interaction approximation based on the Lennard-Jones potential. It is shown that the surface tensions of a bubble and droplet have qualitatively different dependences on the curvature of the surface: for the bubble, as the radius of the surface's curvature decreases, the surface tension decreases, whereas it increases on the droplet. The corresponding values of the Tolman corrections are also determined. In addition, it is shown that the dependence of the surface tension on the surface's curvature is important for evaluating the critical negative pressure for the onset of cavitation.

Incoherent Thomson scattering is a non-intrusive technique commonly used for measuring local plasma density. Within low-density, low-temperature plasma's and for sufficient laser intensity, the laser may perturb the local electron density via the ponderomotive force, causing the diagnostic to become intrusive and leading to erroneous results. A theoretical model for this effect is validated numerically via kinetic simulations of a quasi-neutral plasma using the Particle-in-Cell technique.

The ponderomotive perturbation in the interaction region of laser radiation with a low density and low-temperature plasma is considered. Estimates of the perturbation magnitude are determined from the plasma parameters, geometry, intensity and wavelength of laser radiation. It is shown that ponderomotive perturbations can lead to large errors in the electron density when measured using Thomson scattering.

We report a theoretical analysis showing that Rayleigh scattering could be used to monitor the growth of nanoparticles under arc discharge conditions. We compute the Rayleigh scattering cross sections of the nanoparticles by combining light scattering theory for gas-particle mixtures with calculations of the dynamic electronic polarizability of the nanoparticles. We find that the resolution of the Rayleigh scattering probe is adequate to detect nanoparticles as small as C60 at the expected concentrations of synthesis conditions in the arc periphery. Larger asymmetric nanoparticles would yield brighter signals, making possible to follow the evolution of the growing nanoparticle population from the evolution of the scattered intensity. Observable spectral features include characteristic resonant behaviour, shape-dependent depolarization ratio, and mass-dependent line shape. Direct observation of nanoparticles in the early stages of growth with unobtrusive laser probes should give insight on the particle formation mechanisms and may lead to better-controlled synthesis protocols.

We consider the development of pre-breakdown cavitation nanopores appearing in the dielectric fluid under the influence of the electrostrictive stresses in the inhomogeneous pulsed electric field. It is shown that three characteristic regions can be distinguished near the needle electrode. In the first region, where the electric field gradient is greatest, the cavitation nanopores, occurring during the voltage nanosecond pulse, may grow to the size at which an electron accelerated by the field inside the pores can acquire enough energy for excitation and ionization of the liquid on the opposite pore wall, i.e., the breakdown conditions are satisfied. In the second region, the negative pressure caused by the electrostriction is large enough for the cavitation initiation (which can be registered by optical methods), but, during the voltage pulse, the pores do not reach the size at which the potential difference across their borders becomes sufficient for ionization or excitation of water molecules. And, in the third, the development of cavitation is impossible, due to an insufficient level of the negative pressure: in this area, the spontaneously occurring micropores do not grow and collapse under the influence of surface tension forces. This paper discusses the expansion dynamics of the cavitation pores and their most probable shape.

In this paper, based on a theoretical model [1], it has been shown experimentally that the initial stage of development of a nanosecond breakdown in liquids is associated with the appearance of discontinuities in the liquid (cavitation) under the influence of electrostriction forces. Comparison of experimentally measured area dimensions and its temporal development were found to be in a good agreement with the theoretical calculations.

This work investigates the development of nanosecond pulsed discharges in water ignited with the application of both positive and negative polarity pulses to submerged pin to plane electrodes. Optical diagnostics are used to study two main aspects of these discharges: the initiation phase, and the development phase. Nanosecond pulses up to 24 kV with 4 ns rise time, 10 ns duration and 5 ns fall time are used to ignite discharges in a 1.5 mm gap between a copper plate and a tungsten needle with radius of curvature of 25 um. Fast ICCD imaging is used to trace the discharge development over varying applied pulse amplitudes for both positively and negatively applied pulses to the pin electrode. The discharge is found to progress similar to that of discharges in long gaps in gases, both in structure and development. The more important initiation phase is investigated via Schlieren transmission imaging. The region near the tip of the electrode is investigated for slightly under-breakdown conditions, and changes in the liquids refractive index and density are observed over the duration of the applied pulse. An attempt to explain the results is made based on the electrostriction model of discharge initiation., Comment: submitted to Journal of Physics D: Applied physics

In this study we have studied the initial stage of the nanosecond-pulsed discharge development in liquid phase. Modeling predicts that in the case of fast rising strong nonhomogeneous electric fields in the vicinity of high voltage pin electrode a region saturated with nanoscale non-uniformities may be developed. This phenomenon is attributed to the electrostriction mechanisms and may be used to explain development of breakdown in liquid phase. In this work, schlieren method was used in order to demonstrate formation of negative pressure region in liquids with different dielectric permittivity constants: water, ethanol and ethanol-water mixture. It is shown that this density perturbation, formed at the raising edge of the high voltage pulse, is followed by a generation of a shock wave propagating with the speed of sound away from the electrode, with negative pressure behind it.