Spherical crystallization: A technique use to reform solubility and flow property of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Arindam; Gupta, Madan Mohan; Srivastava, Birendra

2017-01-01

Tablets have been choice of manufacturers over the years due to their comparatively low cost of manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and ease of administration; also have better stability and can be considered virtually tamper proof. A major challenge in formulation development of the tablets extends from lower solubility of the active agent to the elaborated manufacturing procedures for obtaining a compressible granular material. Moreover, the validation and documentation increases, as the numbers of steps increases for an industrially acceptable granulation process. Spherical crystallization (SC) is a promising technique, which encompass the crystallization, agglomeration, and spheronization phenomenon in a single step. Initially, two methods, spherical agglomeration, and emulsion solvent diffusion, were suggested to get a desired result. Later on, the introduction of modified methods such as crystallo-co-agglomeration, ammonia diffusion system, and neutralization techniques overcame the limitations of the older techniques. Under controlled conditions such as solvent composition, mixing rate and temperature, spherical dense agglomerates cluster from particles. Application of the SC technique includes production of compacted spherical particles of drug having improved uniformity in shape and size of particles, good bulk density, better flow properties as well as better solubility so SC when used on commercial scale will bring down the production costs of pharmaceutical tablet and will increase revenue for the pharmaceutical industries in the competitive market. This review summarizes the technologies available for SC and also suggests the parameters for evaluation of a viable product.

Fabrication of Controllable Pore and Particle Size of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles via a Liquid-phase Synthesis Method and Its Absorption Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandiyanto, Asep Bayu Dani; Iskandar, Ferry; Okuyama, Kikuo

2011-12-01

Monodisperse spherical mesoporous silica nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using a liquid-phase synthesis method. The result showed particles with controllable pore size from several to tens nanometers with outer diameter of several tens nanometers. The ability in the control of pore size and outer diameter was altered by adjusting the precursor solution ratios. In addition, we have conducted the adsorption ability of the prepared particles. The result showed that large organic molecules were well-absorbed to the prepared silica porous particles, in which this result was not obtained when using commercial dense silica particle and/or hollow silica particle. With this result, the prepared mesoporous silica particles may be used efficiently in various applications, such as sensors, pharmaceuticals, environmentally sensitive pursuits, etc.

Acceptance Test Data for BWXT Coated Particle Batch 93164A Defective IPyC Fraction and Pyrocarbon Anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Hunn, John D.; Skitt, Darren J.

2017-02-01

Coated particle fuel batch J52O-16-93164 was produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) for possible selection as fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), or may be used as demonstration production-scale coated particle fuel for other experiments. The tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidizedbed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace onto 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT lot J52L-16-69316. Each kernel contained a mixture of 15.5%-enriched uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO) and was coated with four consecutive CVD layers:more » a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μm-nominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness. The TRISO-coated particle batch was sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batch was designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (i.e., 93164A).« less

Polyhydroxybutyrate particles in Synechocystis sp PCC 6803: facts and fiction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsang, TK; Roberson, RW; Vermaas, WFJ

Transmission electron microscopy has been used to identify poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) granules in cyanobacteria for over 40 years. Spherical inclusions inside the cell that are electron-transparent and/or slightly electron-dense and that are found in transmission electron micrographs of cyanobacteria are generally assumed to be PHB granules. The aim of this study was to test this assumption in different strains of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Inclusions that resemble PHB granules were present in strains lacking a pair of genes essential for PHB synthesis and in wild-type cells under conditions that no PHB granules could be detected by fluorescence staining ofmore » PHB. Indeed, in these cells PHB could not be demonstrated chemically by GC/MS either. Based on the results gathered, it is concluded that not all the slightly electron-dense spherical inclusions are PHB granules in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. This result is potentially applicable to other cyanobacteria. Alternate assignments for these inclusions are discussed.« less

The structure of some cytoplasmic components of plant cells in relation to the biochemical properties of isolated particles.

PubMed

HODGE, A J; MARTIN, E M; MORTON, R K

1957-01-25

1. Electron micrographs of thin sections of material fixed with buffered osmium tetroxide have been used for comparison of the fine structure of isolated cytoplasmic particles from silver beet petioles and roots of germinating wheat with that of the cytoplasm of the intact cells. 2. Mitochondria of wheat roots have an external double membrane and poorly oriented internal double membranes. As compared with the structures seen in situ, the isolated mitochondria showed evidence of some disorganisation of the fine internal structure, probably due to osmotic effects. The possible influence of such changes on the enzymic properties of the isolated mitochondria is discussed. 3. The isolated plant microsomes are mainly spherical vesicular structures consisting of (a) an outer membrane enclosing (b) either an homogeneous slightly dense material (wheat root microsomes) or some granular dense material (silver beet microsomes) and (c) small dense particles, mostly associated with the vesicle membranes. 4. The cytoplasm of the wheat root cells does not contain any structures similar to the isolated microsomes but has a very dense reticular network, consisting of membranes with associated small dense particles, here called the endoplasmic reticulum. The observations indicate that the isolated microsomes arise mainly by rupture and transformation of the membranes of this structure. The effects of such extensive changes in the lipoprotein membranes on the enzymic activities of the endoplasmic reticulum, as studied in isolated microsomes, is discussed. 5. Meristematic wheat root cells contain structures which consist of smooth membranes with associated vacuoles and are similar to the Golgi zones of animal cells. The membranes of these zones probably contribute to the microsomal fraction under the conditions of preparation used for the enzymic and chemical studies previously reported.

THE STRUCTURE OF SOME CYTOPLASMIC COMPONENTS OF PLANT CELLS IN RELATION TO THE BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ISOLATED PARTICLES

PubMed Central

Hodge, A. J.; Martin, E. M.; Morton, R. K.

1957-01-01

1. Electron micrographs of thin sections of material fixed with buffered osmium tetroxide have been used for comparison of the fine structure of isolated cytoplasmic particles from silver beet petioles and roots of germinating wheat with that of the cytoplasm of the intact cells. 2. Mitochondria of wheat roots have an external double membrane and poorly oriented internal double membranes. As compared with the structures seen in situ, the isolated mitochondria showed evidence of some disorganisation of the fine internal structure, probably due to osmotic effects. The possible influence of such changes on the enzymic properties of the isolated mitochondria is discussed. 3. The isolated plant microsomes are mainly spherical vesicular structures consisting of (a) an outer membrane enclosing (b) either an homogeneous slightly dense material (wheat root microsomes) or some granular dense material (silver beet microsomes) and (c) small dense particles, mostly associated with the vesicle membranes. 4. The cytoplasm of the wheat root cells does not contain any structures similar to the isolated microsomes but has a very dense reticular network, consisting of membranes with associated small dense particles, here called the endoplasmic reticulum. The observations indicate that the isolated microsomes arise mainly by rupture and transformation of the membranes of this structure. The effects of such extensive changes in the lipoprotein membranes on the enzymic activities of the endoplasmic reticulum, as studied in isolated microsomes, is discussed. 5. Meristematic wheat root cells contain structures which consist of smooth membranes with associated vacuoles and are similar to the Golgi zones of animal cells. The membranes of these zones probably contribute to the microsomal fraction under the conditions of preparation used for the enzymic and chemical studies previously reported. PMID:13416311

Studies on the preparation and plasma spherodization of yttrium aluminosilicate glass microspheres for their potential application in liver brachytherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreekumar, K. P.; Saxena, S. K.; Kumar, Yogendra; Thiyagarajan, T. K.; Dash, Ashutosh; Ananthapadmanabhan, P. V.; Venkatesh, Meera

2010-02-01

Plasma spheroidization exploits the high temperature and high enthalpy available in the thermal plasma jet to melt irregularly shaped powder particles and quench them to get dense spherical particles. Plasma spheroidization is a versatile process and can be applied to metals, ceramics, alloys and composites to obtain fine spherical powders. Radioactive microspheres incorporated with high energetic beta emitting radioisotopes have been reported to be useful in the palliative treatment of liver cancer. These powders are to be prepared in closer range of near spherical morphology in the size range 20-35 microns. Inactive glass samples were prepared by heating the pre-calculated amount of glass forming ingredients in a recrystallized alumina crucible. The glass was formed by keeping the glass forming ingredients at 1700°C for a period of three hours to form a homogeneous melt. After cooling, the glass was recovered from the crucible by crushing and was subsequently powdered mechanically with the help of mortar and pestle. This powder was used as the feed stock for plasma spheroidization using an indigenously developed 40 kW plasma spray system. Experiments were carried out at various operating parameters. The operating parameters were optimised to get spheroidised particles. The powder was sieved to get the required size range before irradiation.

Acceptance Test Data for Candidate AGR-5/6/7 TRISO Particle Batches BWXT Coater Batches 93165 93172 Defective IPyC Fraction and Pyrocarbon Anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Hunn, John D.; Skitt, Darren J.

2017-03-01

Coated particle fuel batches J52O-16-93165, 93166, 93168, 93169, 93170, and 93172 were produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) for possible selection as fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). Some of these batches may alternately be used as demonstration coated particle fuel for other experiments. Each batch was coated in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited on 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT lot J52R-16-69317 containing a mixture of 15.5%-enriched uranium carbide andmore » uranium oxide (UCO). The TRISO coatings consisted of four consecutive CVD layers: a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μm-nominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μmnominal thickness. The TRISO-coated particle batches were sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93165A).« less

Complex patchy colloids shaped from deformable seed particles through capillary interactions.

PubMed

Meester, V; Kraft, D J

2018-02-14

We investigate the mechanisms underlying the reconfiguration of random aggregates of spheres through capillary interactions, the so-called "colloidal recycling" method, to fabricate a wide variety of patchy particles. We explore the influence of capillary forces on clusters of deformable seed particles by systematically varying the crosslink density of the spherical seeds. Spheres with a poorly crosslinked polymer network strongly deform due to capillary forces and merge into large spheres. With increasing crosslink density and therefore rigidity, the shape of the spheres is increasingly preserved during reconfiguration, yielding patchy particles of well-defined shape for up to five spheres. In particular, we find that the aspect ratio between the length and width of dumbbells, L/W, increases with the crosslink density (cd) as L/W = B - A·exp(-cd/C). For clusters consisting of more than five spheres, the particle deformability furthermore determines the patch arrangement of the resulting particles. The reconfiguration pathway of clusters of six densely or poorly crosslinked seeds leads to octahedral and polytetrahedral shaped patchy particles, respectively. For seven particles several geometries were obtained with a preference for pentagonal dipyramids by the rigid spheres, while the soft spheres do rarely arrive in these structures. Even larger clusters of over 15 particles form non-uniform often aspherical shapes. We discuss that the reconfiguration pathway is largely influenced by confinement and geometric constraints. The key factor which dominates during reconfiguration depends on the deformability of the spherical seed particles.

Experimental sintering of ash at conduit conditions and implications for the longevity of tuffisites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, James E.; Wadsworth, Fabian B.; Llewellin, Edward W.; Watkins, James M.; Coumans, Jason P.

2018-03-01

Escape of gas from magma in the conduit plays a crucial role in mitigating explosivity. Tuffisite veins—ash-filled cracks that form in and around volcanic conduits—represent important gas escape pathways. Sintering of the ash infill decreases its porosity, eventually forming dense glass that is impermeable to gas. We present an experimental investigation of surface tension-driven sintering and associated densification of rhyolitic ash under shallow conduit conditions. Suites of isothermal (700-800 °C) and isobaric H2O pressure (20 and 40 MPa) experiments were run for durations of 5-90 min. Obsidian powders with two different size distributions were used: 1-1600 μm (mean size = 89 μm), and 63-400 μm (mean size = 185 μm). All samples evolved similarly through four textural phases: phase 1—loose and cohesion-less particles; phase 2—particles sintered at contacts and surrounded by fully connected tortuous pore space of up to 40% porosity; phase 3—continuous matrix of partially coalesced particles that contain both isolated spherical vesicles and connected networks of larger, contorted vesicles; phase 4—dense glass with 2-5% fully isolated vesicles that are mainly spherical. Textures evolve faster at higher temperature and higher H2O pressure. Coarse samples sinter more slowly and contain fewer, larger vesicles when fully sintered. We quantify the sintering progress by measuring porosity as a function of experimental run-time, and find an excellent collapse of data when run-time is normalized by the sintering timescale {λ}_s=η \\overline{R}/σ , where η is melt viscosity, \\overline{R} is mean particle radius, and σ is melt-gas surface tension. Because timescales of diffusive H2O equilibration are generally fast compared to those of sintering, the relevant melt viscosity is calculated from the solubility H2O content at experimental temperature and pressure. We use our results to develop a framework for estimating ash sintering rates under shallow conduit conditions, and predict that sintering of ash to dense glass can seal tuffisites in minutes to hours, depending on pressure (i.e., depth), temperature, and ash size.

Nano-sized structured layered positive electrode materials to enable high energy density and high rate capability lithium batteries

DOEpatents

Deng, Haixia; Belharouak, Ilias; Amine, Khalil

2012-10-02

Nano-sized structured dense and spherical layered positive active materials provide high energy density and high rate capability electrodes in lithium-ion batteries. Such materials are spherical second particles made from agglomerated primary particles that are Li.sub.1+.alpha.(Ni.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.z).sub.1-tM.sub.tO.sub.2-dR.sub.d- , where M is selected from can be Al, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ag, Ca, Na, K, In, Ga, Ge, V, Mo, Nb, Si, Ti, Zr, or a mixture of any two or more thereof, R is selected from F, Cl, Br, I, H, S, N, or a mixture of any two or more thereof, and 0.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.0.50; 0

ME(SSY)**2: Monte Carlo Code for Star Cluster Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freitag, Marc Dewi

2013-02-01

ME(SSY)**2 stands for “Monte-carlo Experiments with Spherically SYmmetric Stellar SYstems." This code simulates the long term evolution of spherical clusters of stars; it was devised specifically to treat dense galactic nuclei. It is based on the pioneering Monte Carlo scheme proposed by Hénon in the 70's and includes all relevant physical ingredients (2-body relaxation, stellar mass spectrum, collisions, tidal disruption, ldots). It is basically a Monte Carlo resolution of the Fokker-Planck equation. It can cope with any stellar mass spectrum or velocity distribution. Being a particle-based method, it also allows one to take stellar collisions into account in a very realistic way. This unique code, featuring most important physical processes, allows million particle simulations, spanning a Hubble time, in a few CPU days on standard personal computers and provides a wealth of data only rivalized by N-body simulations. The current version of the software requires the use of routines from the "Numerical Recipes in Fortran 77" (http://www.nrbook.com/a/bookfpdf.php).

Activated dynamics in dense fluids of attractive nonspherical particles. II. Elasticity, barriers, relaxation, fragility, and self-diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathy, Mukta; Schweizer, Kenneth S.

2011-04-01

In paper II of this series we apply the center-of-mass version of Nonlinear Langevin Equation theory to study how short-range attractive interactions influence the elastic shear modulus, transient localization length, activated dynamics, and kinetic arrest of a variety of nonspherical particle dense fluids (and the spherical analog) as a function of volume fraction and attraction strength. The activation barrier (roughly the natural logarithm of the dimensionless relaxation time) is predicted to be a rich function of particle shape, volume fraction, and attraction strength, and the dynamic fragility varies significantly with particle shape. At fixed volume fraction, the barrier grows in a parabolic manner with inverse temperature nondimensionalized by an onset value, analogous to what has been established for thermal glass-forming liquids. Kinetic arrest boundaries lie at significantly higher volume fractions and attraction strengths relative to their dynamic crossover analogs, but their particle shape dependence remains the same. A limited universality of barrier heights is found based on the concept of an effective mean-square confining force. The mean hopping time and self-diffusion constant in the attractive glass region of the nonequilibrium phase diagram is predicted to vary nonmonotonically with attraction strength or inverse temperature, qualitatively consistent with recent computer simulations and colloid experiments.

Dust coagulation. [in interstellar medium observed in stellar envelopes and planetary disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chokshi, Arati; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Hollenbach, D.

1993-01-01

The microphysics of coagulation between two, colliding, smooth, spherical grains in the elastic limit is investigated, and the criteria for sticking as a function of particle sizes, collision velocities, elastic properties, and binding energy are calculated. Critical relative velocities for coagulation were evaluated as a function of grain sizes for solicate, icy, and carbonaceous grains. It is concluded that efficient coagulation requires coverage of grain cores by an icy grain mantle. In this case, coagulation leads to only a doubling of the mass of a large grain within a dense core lifetime. It is concluded that coagulation can have a dramatic effect on the visible and, particularly, the UV portion of the extinction curve in dense clouds and on their IR spectrum.

Spheroidization of molybdenum powder by radio frequency thermal plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiao-ping; Wang, Kuai-she; Hu, Ping; Chen, Qiang; Volinsky, Alex A.

2015-11-01

To control the morphology and particle size of dense spherical molybdenum powder prepared by radio frequency (RF) plasma from irregular molybdenum powder as a precursor, plasma process parameters were optimized in this paper. The effects of the carrier gas flow rate and molybdenum powder feeding rate on the shape and size of the final products were studied. The molybdenum powder morphology was examined using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The powder phases were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The tap density and apparent density of the molybdenum powder were investigated using a Hall flow meter and a Scott volumeter. The optimal process parameters for the spherical molybdenum powder preparation are 50 g/min powder feeding rate and 0.6 m3/h carrier gas rate. In addition, pure spherical molybdenum powder can be obtained from irregular powder, and the tap density is enhanced after plasma processing. The average size is reduced from 72 to 62 µm, and the tap density is increased from 2.7 to 6.2 g/cm3. Therefore, RF plasma is a promising method for the preparation of high-density and high-purity spherical powders.

Application of dense gas techniques for the production of fine particles.

PubMed

Foster, Neil R; Dehghani, Fariba; Charoenchaitrakoo, Kiang M; Warwick, Barry

2003-01-01

The feasibility of using dense gas techniques such as rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) and aerosol solvent extraction system (ASES) for micronization of pharmaceutical compounds is demonstrated. The chiral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory racemic ibuprofen is soluble in carbon dioxide at 35 degrees C and pressures above 90 bar. The particle size decreased to less than 2 microm while the degree of crystallinity was slightly decreased when processed by RESS. The dissolution rate of the ibuprofen (a poorly water-soluble compound) was significantly enhanced after processing by RESS. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Cu2(indomethacin)4L2(Cu-Indo); (L = dimethylformamide [DMF]), which possessed very low solubility in supercritical CO2, was successfully micronized by ASES at 25 degrees C and 68.9 bar using DMF as the solvent and CO2 as the antisolvent. The concentration of solute dramatically influenced the precipitate characteristics. The particles obtained from the ASES process were changed from bipyramidal to spherical, with particle size less than 5 microm, as the concentration increased from 5 to 100 mg/g. A further increase in solute concentration to 200 mg/g resulted in large porous spheres, between 20 and 50 micron, when processing Cu-Indo by the ASES method. The dissolution rate of the micronized Cu-Indo was significantly higher than the commercial product.

Flow of Dense Granular Suspensions on an Inclined Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnoit, C.; Lanuza, J.; Lindner, A.; Clément, E.

2008-07-01

We investigate the flow behavior of dense granular suspensions, by the use of an inclined plane. The suspensions are prepared at high packing fractions and consist of spherical non-Brownian particles density matched with the suspending fluid. On the inclined plane, we perform a systematic study of the surface velocity as a function of the layer thickness for various flow rates and tilt angles. We perform measurements on a classical rheometer (parallel-plate rheometer) that is shown to be in good agreement with existing models, up to a volume fraction of 50%. Comparing these results, we show that the flow on an inclined plane can, up to a volume fraction of 50%, indeed be described by a purely viscous model in agreement with the results from classical rheometry.

Monte Carlo simulations of ionization potential depression in dense plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stransky, M., E-mail: stransky@fzu.cz

A particle-particle grand canonical Monte Carlo model with Coulomb pair potential interaction was used to simulate modification of ionization potentials by electrostatic microfields. The Barnes-Hut tree algorithm [J. Barnes and P. Hut, Nature 324, 446 (1986)] was used to speed up calculations of electric potential. Atomic levels were approximated to be independent of the microfields as was assumed in the original paper by Ecker and Kröll [Phys. Fluids 6, 62 (1963)]; however, the available levels were limited by the corresponding mean inter-particle distance. The code was tested on hydrogen and dense aluminum plasmas. The amount of depression was up tomore » 50% higher in the Debye-Hückel regime for hydrogen plasmas, in the high density limit, reasonable agreement was found with the Ecker-Kröll model for hydrogen plasmas and with the Stewart-Pyatt model [J. Stewart and K. Pyatt, Jr., Astrophys. J. 144, 1203 (1966)] for aluminum plasmas. Our 3D code is an improvement over the spherically symmetric simplifications of the Ecker-Kröll and Stewart-Pyatt models and is also not limited to high atomic numbers as is the underlying Thomas-Fermi model used in the Stewart-Pyatt model.« less

Comparative structural and electrochemical study of high density spherical and non-spherical Ni(OH) 2 as cathode materials for Ni-metal hydride batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shangguan, Enbo; Chang, Zhaorong; Tang, Hongwei; Yuan, Xiao-Zi; Wang, Haijiang

In this paper we compare the behavior of non-spherical and spherical β-Ni(OH) 2 as cathode materials for Ni-MH batteries in an attempt to explore the effect of microstructure and surface properties of β-Ni(OH) 2 on their electrochemical performances. Non-spherical β-Ni(OH) 2 powders with a high-density are synthesized using a simple polyacrylamide (PAM) assisted two-step drying method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) testing, laser particle size analysis, and tap-density testing are used to characterize the physical properties of the synthesized products. Electrochemical characterization, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and a charge/discharge test, is also performed. The results show that the non-spherical β-Ni(OH) 2 materials exhibit an irregular tabular shape and a dense solid structure, which contains many overlapped sheet nano crystalline grains, and have a high density of structural disorder and a large specific surface area. Compared with the spherical β-Ni(OH) 2, the non-spherical β-Ni(OH) 2 materials have an enhanced discharge capacity, higher discharge potential plateau and superior cycle stability. This performance improvement can be attributable to a higher proton diffusion coefficient (4.26 × 10 -9 cm 2 s -1), better reaction reversibility, and lower electrochemical impedance of the synthesized material.

Momentum and Heat Transfer Models for Detonation in Nitromethane with Metal Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ripley, Robert; Zhang, Fan; Lien, Fue-Sang

2009-06-01

Models for momentum and heat exchange have been derived from the results of previous 3D mesoscale simulations of detonation in packed aluminum particles saturated with nitromethane, where the shock interaction timescale was resolved. In these models, particle acceleration and heating within the shock and detonation zone have been expressed in terms of velocity and temperature transmission factors, which are a function of metal to explosive density ratio, metal volume fraction and ratio of particle size to detonation zone thickness. These models are incorporated as source terms in the governing equations for continuum dense two-phase flow and macroscopic simulation is then applied to detonation of nitromethane/aluminum in lightly-cased cylinders. Heterogeneous detonation features such as velocity deficit, enhanced pressure, and critical diameter effects are reproduced. Various spherical particle diameters from 3 -- 30 μm are utilized where most of the particles react in the expanding detonation products. Results for detonation velocity, pressure history, failure and U-shaped critical diameter behavior are compared to the existing experiments.

Momentum and Heat Transfer Models for Detonation in Nitromethane with Metal Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ripley, R. C.; Zhang, F.; Lien, F.-S.

2009-12-01

Models for momentum and heat exchange have been derived from the results of previous 3D mesoscale simulations of detonation in packed aluminum particles saturated with nitromethane, where the shock interaction timescale was resolved. In these models, particle acceleration and heating within the shock and detonation zone are expressed in terms of velocity and temperature transmission factors, which are a function of the metal to explosive density ratio, solid volume fraction and ratio of particle size to detonation zone thickness. These models are incorporated as source terms in the governing equations for continuum dense two-phase flow, and then applied to macroscopic simulation of detonation of nitromethane/aluminum in lightly-cased cylinders. Heterogeneous detonation features such as velocity deficit, enhanced pressure, and critical diameter effects are demonstrated. Various spherical particle diameters from 3-350 μm are utilized where most of the particles react in the expanding detonation products. Results for detonation velocity, pressure history, failure and U-shaped critical diameter behavior are compared to existing experiments.

Dynamics of dense granular flows of small-and-large-grain mixtures in an ambient fluid.

PubMed

Meruane, C; Tamburrino, A; Roche, O

2012-08-01

Dense grain flows in nature consist of a mixture of solid constituents that are immersed in an ambient fluid. In order to obtain a good representation of these flows, the interaction mechanisms between the different constituents of the mixture should be considered. In this article, we study the dynamics of a dense granular flow composed of a binary mixture of small and large grains immersed in an ambient fluid. In this context, we extend the two-phase approach proposed by Meruane et al. [J. Fluid Mech. 648, 381 (2010)] to the case of flowing dense binary mixtures of solid particles, by including in the momentum equations a constitutive relation that describes the interaction mechanisms between the solid constituents in a dense regime. These coupled equations are solved numerically and validated by comparing the numerical results with experimental measurements of the front speed of gravitational granular flows resulting from the collapse, in ambient air or water, of two-dimensional granular columns that consisted of mixtures of small and large spherical particles of equal mass density. Our results suggest that the model equations include the essential features that describe the dynamics of grains flows of binary mixtures in an ambient fluid. In particular, it is shown that segregation of small and large grains can increase the front speed because of the volumetric expansion of the flow. This increase in flow speed is damped by the interaction forces with the ambient fluid, and this behavior is more pronounced in water than in air.

Variational treatment of electron-polyatomic-molecule scattering calculations using adaptive overset grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenman, Loren; Lucchese, Robert R.; McCurdy, C. William

2017-11-01

The complex Kohn variational method for electron-polyatomic-molecule scattering is formulated using an overset-grid representation of the scattering wave function. The overset grid consists of a central grid and multiple dense atom-centered subgrids that allow the simultaneous spherical expansions of the wave function about multiple centers. Scattering boundary conditions are enforced by using a basis formed by the repeated application of the free-particle Green's function and potential Ĝ0+V ̂ on the overset grid in a Born-Arnoldi solution of the working equations. The theory is shown to be equivalent to a specific Padé approximant to the T matrix and has rapid convergence properties, in both the number of numerical basis functions employed and the number of partial waves employed in the spherical expansions. The method is demonstrated in calculations on methane and CF4 in the static-exchange approximation and compared in detail with calculations performed with the numerical Schwinger variational approach based on single-center expansions. An efficient procedure for operating with the free-particle Green's function and exchange operators (to which no approximation is made) is also described.

Spherical Nucleic Acids: A New Form of DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutler, Joshua Isaac

Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs) are a new class of nucleic acid-based nanomaterials that exhibit unique properties currently being explored in the contexts of gene-based cancer therapies and in the design of programmable nanoparticle-based materials. The properties of SNAs differ from canonical, linear nucleic acids by virtue of their dense packing into an oriented 3-dimensional array. SNAs can be synthesized from a number of useful nanoparticle templates, such as plasmonic gold and silver, magnetic oxides, luminescent semi-conductor quantum dots, and silica. In addition, by crosslinking the oligonucleotides and dissolving the core, they can be made in a hollow form as well. This dissertation describes the evolution of SNAs from initial studies of inorganic nanoparticle-based materials densely functionalized with oligonucleotides to the proving of a hypothesis that their unique properties can be observed in a core-less structure if the nucleic acids are densely packed and highly oriented. Chapter two describes the synthesis of densely functionalized polyvalent oligonucleotide superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles using the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. These particles are shown to exhibit cooperative binding in a density- and salt concentration-dependent fashion, with nearly identical behaviors to those of SNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles. Importantly, these particles are the first non-gold particles shown to be capable of entering cells in high numbers via the SNA-mediated cellular uptake pathway, and provided the first evidence that SNA-mediated cellular uptake is core-independent. In the third chapter, a gold nanoparticle catalyzed alkyne cross-linking reaction is described that is capable of forming hollow organic nanoparticles using polymers with alkyne-functionalized backbones. With this method, the alkyne-modified polymers adsorb to the particle surfaces, cross-link on the surface, allowing the gold nanoparticle to be subsequently dissolved oxidatively with KCN or Iodine. The reaction pathway is analyzed through characterization of the reaction progression and resulting products, and a mechanistic pathway is proposed. This is the first report of a gold nanoparticle catalyzed reaction involving the conversion of propargyl ethers to terminal alcohols, which can subsequently cross-link if densely arranged on a gold nanoparticle surface. Importantly, these structures can be synthesized using gold nanoparticles of a range of sizes, thereby providing control over the size and properties of the resulting crosslinked particle. Chapter four returns to the topic of SNAs and builds upon the chemistry of chapter three culminating in the synthesis of cross-linked hollow SNA nanoparticles. These structures are formed by the cross-linking of synthetically modified alkyne-bearing oligonucleotides through the pathway described in chapter three. When the gold core is dissolved, the resulting hollow SNAs exhibit nearly identical binding, nuclease resistance, cellular uptake, and gene regulation properties of SNA-gold nanoparticle conjugates. Indeed, this chapter demonstrates that the unique properties of SNA-nanoparticle conjugates are core-independent and stem solely from the dense ensemble of oligonucleotides arranged on their surfaces. The fifth chapter further asserts the synthetic achievements made in chapter four by showing how hollow SNAs can be substituted for SNA-gold nanoparticles in the context of DNA-programmable assembly. In this case, they can be used as building blocks within binary synthetic schemes to synthesize unique nanoparticle superlattices. It bolsters the design rules of DNA-programmable assembly by showing that the predicted structures form based on the behavior of SNA hybridization, and are universal for any SNA-functionalized nanoparticle.

Multiple scattering in planetary regoliths using first-order incoherent interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muinonen, Karri; Markkanen, Johannes; Väisänen, Timo; Penttilä, Antti

2017-10-01

We consider scattering of light by a planetary regolith modeled using discrete random media of spherical particles. The size of the random medium can range from microscopic sizes of a few wavelengths to macroscopic sizes approaching infinity. The size of the particles is assumed to be of the order of the wavelength. We extend the numerical Monte Carlo method of radiative transfer and coherent backscattering (RT-CB) to the case of dense packing of particles. We adopt the ensemble-averaged first-order incoherent extinction, scattering, and absorption characteristics of a volume element of particles as input for the RT-CB. The volume element must be larger than the wavelength but smaller than the mean free path length of incoherent extinction. In the radiative transfer part, at each absorption and scattering process, we account for absorption with the help of the single-scattering albedo and peel off the Stokes parameters of radiation emerging from the medium in predefined scattering angles. We then generate a new scattering direction using the joint probability density for the local polar and azimuthal scattering angles. In the coherent backscattering part, we utilize amplitude scattering matrices along the radiative-transfer path and the reciprocal path, and utilize the reciprocity of electromagnetic waves to verify the computation. We illustrate the incoherent volume-element scattering characteristics and compare the dense-medium RT-CB to asymptotically exact results computed using the Superposition T-matrix method (STMM). We show that the dense-medium RT-CB compares favorably to the STMM results for the current cases of sparse and dense discrete random media studied. The novel method can be applied in modeling light scattering by the surfaces of asteroids and other airless solar system objects, including UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, photometry, polarimetry, and radar scattering problems.Acknowledgments. Research supported by European Research Council with Advanced Grant No. 320773 SAEMPL, Scattering and Absorption of ElectroMagnetic waves in ParticuLate media. Computational resources provided by CSC - IT Centre for Science Ltd, Finland.

Acceptance Test Data for BWXT Coated Particle Batches 93172B and 93173B—Defective IPyC and Pyrocarbon Anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunn, John D.; Helmreich, Grant W.; Dyer, John A.

Coated particle batches J52O-16-93172B and J52O-16-93173B were produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) as part of the production campaign for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), but were not used in the final fuel composite. However, these batches may be used as demonstration production-scale coated particle fuel for other experiments. Each batch was coated in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited on 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT lot J52R-16-69317 containing a mixture ofmore » 15.5%-enriched uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO). The TRISO coatings consisted of four consecutive CVD layers: a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μm-nominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness. The TRISO-coated particle batches were sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93172A). Secondary upgrading by sieving was performed on the A-designated batches to remove particles with missing or very-thin buffer layers that were identified during previous analysis of the individual batches for defective IPyC, as reported in the acceptance test data report for the AGR-5/6/7 production batches [Hunn et al. 2017b]. The additionally-upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter B to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93172B).« less

A collision model for grain-resolving simulations of flows over dense, mobile, polydisperse granular sediment beds

DOE PAGES

Biegert, Edward; Vowinckel, Bernhard; Meiburg, Eckart

2017-03-21

We present a collision model for phase-resolved Direct Numerical Simulations of sediment transport that couple the fluid and particles by the Immersed Boundary Method. Typically, a contact model for these types of simulations comprises a lubrication force for particles in close proximity to another solid object, a normal contact force to prevent particles from overlapping, and a tangential contact force to account for friction. Our model extends the work of previous authors to improve upon the time integration scheme to obtain consistent results for particle-wall collisions. Furthermore, we account for polydisperse spherical particles and introduce new criteria to account formore » enduring contact, which occurs in many sediment transport situations. This is done without using arbitrary values for physically-defined parameters and by maintaining the full momentum balance of a particle in enduring contact. Lastly, we validate our model against several test cases for binary particle-wall collisions as well as the collective motion of a sediment bed sheared by a viscous flow, yielding satisfactory agreement with experimental data by various authors.« less

A collision model for grain-resolving simulations of flows over dense, mobile, polydisperse granular sediment beds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biegert, Edward; Vowinckel, Bernhard; Meiburg, Eckart

2017-07-01

We present a collision model for phase-resolved Direct Numerical Simulations of sediment transport that couple the fluid and particles by the Immersed Boundary Method. Typically, a contact model for these types of simulations comprises a lubrication force for particles in close proximity to another solid object, a normal contact force to prevent particles from overlapping, and a tangential contact force to account for friction. Our model extends the work of previous authors to improve upon the time integration scheme to obtain consistent results for particle-wall collisions. Furthermore, we account for polydisperse spherical particles and introduce new criteria to account for enduring contact, which occurs in many sediment transport situations. This is done without using arbitrary values for physically-defined parameters and by maintaining the full momentum balance of a particle in enduring contact. We validate our model against several test cases for binary particle-wall collisions as well as the collective motion of a sediment bed sheared by a viscous flow, yielding satisfactory agreement with experimental data by various authors.

Physical properties of elongated magnetic particles: magnetization and friction coefficient anisotropies.

PubMed

Vereda, Fernando; de Vicente, Juan; Hidalgo-Alvarez, Roque

2009-06-02

Anisotropy counts: A brief review of the main physical properties of elongated magnetic particles (EMPs) is presented. The most important characteristic of an EMP is the additional contribution of shape anisotropy to the total anisotropy energy of the particle, when compared to spherical magnetic particles. The electron micrograph shows Ni-ferrite microrods fabricated by the authors.We present an overview of the main physical properties of elongated magnetic particles (EMPs), including some of their more relevant properties in suspension. When compared to a spherical magnetic particle, the most important characteristic of an EMP is an additional contribution of shape anisotropy to the total anisotropy energy of the particle. Increasing aspect ratios also lead to an increase in both the critical single-domain size of a magnetic particle and its resistance to thermally activated spontaneous reversal of the magnetization. For single-domain EMPs, magnetization reversal occurs primarily by one of two modes, coherent rotation or curling, the latter being facilitated by larger aspect ratios. When EMPs are used to prepare colloidal suspensions, other physical properties come into play, such as their anisotropic friction coefficient and the consequent enhanced torque they experience in a shear flow, their tendency to align in the direction of an external field, to form less dense sediments and to entangle into more intricate aggregates. From a more practical point of view, EMPs are discussed in connection with two interesting types of magnetic colloids: magnetorheological fluids and suspensions for magnetic hyperthermia. Advances reported in the literature regarding the use of EMPs in these two systems are included. In the final section, we present a summary of the most relevant methods documented in the literature for the fabrication of EMPs, together with a list of the most common ferromagnetic materials that have been synthesized in the form of EMPs.

Decomposition of Atmospheric Aerosol Phase Function by Particle Size and Morphology via Single Particle Scattering Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aptowicz, K. B.; Pan, Y.; Martin, S.; Fernandez, E.; Chang, R.; Pinnick, R. G.

2013-12-01

We report upon an experimental approach that provides insight into how particle size and shape affect the scattering phase function of atmospheric aerosol particles. Central to our approach is the design of an apparatus that measures the forward and backward scattering hemispheres (scattering patterns) of individual atmospheric aerosol particles in the coarse mode range. The size and shape of each particle is discerned from the corresponding scattering pattern. In particular, autocorrelation analysis is used to differentiate between spherical and non-spherical particles, the calculated asphericity factor is used to characterize the morphology of non-spherical particles, and the integrated irradiance is used for particle sizing. We found the fraction of spherical particles decays exponentially with particle size, decreasing from 11% for particles on the order of 1 micrometer to less than 1% for particles over 5 micrometer. The average phase functions of subpopulations of particles, grouped by size and morphology, are determined by averaging their corresponding scattering patterns. The phase functions of spherical and non-spherical atmospheric particles are shown to diverge with increasing size. In addition, the phase function of non-spherical particles is found to vary little as a function of the asphericity factor.

Gas and particle motions in a rapidly decompressed flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Blair; Zunino, Heather; Adrian, Ronald; Clarke, Amanda

2017-11-01

To understand the behavior of a rapidly decompressed particle bed in response to a shock, an experimental study is performed in a cylindrical (D = 4.1 cm) glass vertical shock tube of a densely packed (ρ = 61%) particle bed. The bed is comprised of spherical glass particles, ranging from D50 = 44-297 μm between experiments. High-speed pressure sensors are incorporated to capture shock speeds and strengths. High-speed video and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements are collected to examine vertical and radial velocities of both the particles and gas to elucidate features of the shock wave and resultant expansion wave in the lateral center of the tube, away from boundaries. In addition to optically analyzing the front velocity of the rising particle bed, interaction between the particle and gas phases are investigated as the flow accelerates and the particle front becomes more dilute. Particle and gas interactions are also considered in exploring mechanisms through which turbulence develops in the flow. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Advanced Simulation and Computing Program, as a Cooperative Agreement under the Predictive Science and Academic Alliance Program, under Contract No. DE-NA0002378.

Coagulation of grains in static and collapsing protostellar clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weidenschilling, S. J.; Ruzmaikina, T. V.

1994-01-01

We simulate collisional evolution of grains in dense turbulent molecular cloud cores (or Bok globules) in static equilibrium and free-fall collapse, assuming spherical symmetry. Relative velocities are due to thermal motions, differential settling, and turbulence, with the latter dominant for sonic turbulence with an assumed Kolmogorov spectrum. Realistic criteria are used to determine outcomes of collisions (coagulation vs. destruction) as functions of particle size and velocity. Results are presented for a variety of cloud parameters (radial density profile, turbulent velocity) and particle properties (density, impact strength). Results are sensitive to the assumed mechanical properties (density and impact strength) of grain aggregates. Particle growth is enhanced if aggregates have low density or fractal structures. On a timescale of a few Myr, an initial population of 0.1 micrometers grains may produce dense compact particles approximately 1 micrometer in size, or fluffy aggregates approximately 100 micrometers. For impact strengths less than or equal to 10(exp 6) ergs/g, a steady state is reached between coagulation of small grains and collisional disruption of larger aggregates. Formation of macroscopic aggregates requires high mechanical strengths and low aggregate densities. We assume sonic turbulence during collapse, with varied eddy size scales determining the dissipation rate or turbulence strength. The degree of collisional evolution during collapse is sensitive to the assumed small-scale structure (inner sc ale) of the turbulence. Weak turbulence results in few collisions and preserves the precollapse particle size distribution with little change. Strong turbulence tends to produce net destruction, rather than particle growth, during infall, unless inpact strengths are greater than 10(exp 6)ergs/g.

Spherical boron nitride particles and method for preparing them

DOEpatents

Phillips, Jonathan; Gleiman, Seth S.; Chen, Chun-Ku

2003-11-25

Spherical and polyhedral particles of boron nitride and method of preparing them. Spherical and polyhedral particles of boron nitride are produced from precursor particles of hexagonal phase boron nitride suspended in an aerosol gas. The aerosol is directed to a microwave plasma torch. The torch generates plasma at atmospheric pressure that includes nitrogen atoms. The presence of nitrogen atoms is critical in allowing boron nitride to melt at atmospheric pressure while avoiding or at least minimizing decomposition. The plasma includes a plasma hot zone, which is a portion of the plasma that has a temperature sufficiently high to melt hexagonal phase boron nitride. In the hot zone, the precursor particles melt to form molten particles that acquire spherical and polyhedral shapes. These molten particles exit the hot zone, cool, and solidify to form solid particles of boron nitride with spherical and polyhedral shapes. The molten particles can also collide and join to form larger molten particles that lead to larger spherical and polyhedral particles.

Sedimentation of athermal particles in clay suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clotet, Xavier; Kudrolli, Arshad

2015-03-01

We discuss sedimentation of athermal particles in dense clay suspensions which appear liquid-like to glass-like. These studies are motivated by the physics important to a diverse range of problems including remediation of oil sands after the extraction of hydrocarbons, and formation of filter cakes in bore wells. We approach this problem by first considering collective sedimentation of athermal spherical particles in a viscous liquid in quasi-two dimensional and three dimensional containers. We examine the system using optical and x-ray tomography techniques which gives particle level information besides global information on the evolution of the volume fraction. Unlike sediments in the dilute limit - which can be modeled as isolated particles that sediment with a constant velocity and slow down exponentially as they approach the bottom of the container - we find interaction between the particles through the viscous fluids leads to qualitatively differences. We find significant avalanching behavior and cooperative motion as the grains collectively settle, and non-exponential increase in settling time. We discuss the effect of stirring caused by the sedimenting particles on their viscosity and consequently the sedimentation rates as a function of particle concentration. Supported by Petroleum Research Fund Grant PRF # 54045-ND9.

Characterization of individual complex particles in urban atmospheric environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, K.; Takii, T.; Tomiyasu, B.; Nihei, Y.

2006-07-01

The origins of carrier particles of complex particles (iron-rich particles) collected from the urban atmospheric environment near to road traffic and a railroad were investigated from the detailed surface information using FE-SEM/EDS and TOF-SIMS analyses. From the FE-SEM/EDS analyses, the iron-rich particles were classified into two typical types (spherical type and non-spherical type). From the TOF-SIMS measurements, the characteristic secondary ions of spherical type of iron-rich particles were 23Na + and 39K +. The minor components of non-spherical type were Al, Ca and Ba. On the other hand, we carried out TOF-SIMS measurement to materials of rail origin and brake origin. From the comparison of these spectra pattern, it seemed that the spherical type of iron-rich particles was emitted from the rail origin. We concluded that the origin of non-spherical type of iron-rich particles were brake pad of vehicles.

Electrohydrodynamic interactions in Quincke rotation: from pair dynamics to collective motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Debasish; Saintillan, David

2013-11-01

Weakly conducting dielectric particles suspended in a dielectric liquid can undergo spontaneous sustained rotation when placed in a sufficiently strong dc electric field. This phenomenon of Quincke rotation has interesting implications for the rheology of these suspensions whose effective viscosity can be reduced by application of an external field. While previous models based on the rotation of isolated particles have provided accurate estimates for this viscosity reduction in dilute suspensions discrepancies have been reported in more concentrated systems where particle-particle interactions are likely significant. Motivated by this observation we extend the classic description of Quincke rotation based on the Taylor-Melcher leaky dielectric model to account for pair electrohydrodynamic interactions between identical spheres using method of reflections. We also consider the case of spherical particles undergoing Quincke rotation next to a planar electrode, where hydrodynamic interactions with the no-slip boundary lead to a self-propelled velocity. The interactions between such Quincke rollers are analyzed, and a transition to collective motion is predicted in sufficiently dense collections of many rollers, in agreement with recent experiments.

Application of different analytical methods for the characterization of non-spherical micro- and nanoparticles.

PubMed

Mathaes, Roman; Winter, Gerhard; Engert, Julia; Besheer, Ahmed

2013-09-10

Non-spherical micro- and nanoparticles have recently gained considerable attention due to their surprisingly different interaction with biological systems compared to their spherical counterparts, opening new opportunities for drug delivery and vaccination. Up till now, electron microscopy is the only method to quantitatively identify the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of non-spherical particles produced by film-stretching; namely size, morphology and the quality of non-spherical particles (degree of contamination with spherical ones). However, electron microscopy requires expensive instrumentation, demanding sample preparation and non-trivial image analysis. To circumvent these drawbacks, the ability of different particle analysis methods to quantitatively identify the CQA of spherical and non-spherical poly(1-phenylethene-1,2-diyl (polystyrene) particles over a wide size range (40 nm, 2 μm and 10 μm) was investigated. To this end, light obscuration, image-based analysis methods (Microflow imaging, MFI, and Vi-Cell XR Coulter Counter) and flow cytometry were used to study particles in the micron range, while asymmetric flow field fractionation (AF4) coupled to multi-angle laser scattering (MALS) and quasi elastic light scattering (QELS) was used for particles in the nanometer range, and all measurements were benchmarked against electron microscopy. Results show that MFI can reliably identify particle size and aspect ratios of the 10 μm particles, but not the 2 μm ones. Meanwhile, flow cytometry was able to differentiate between spherical and non-spherical 10 or 2 μm particles, and determine the amount of impurities in the sample. As for the nanoparticles, AF4 coupled to MALS and QELS allowed the measurement of the geometric (rg) and hydrodynamic (rh) radii of the particles, as well as their shape factors (rg/rh), confirming their morphology. While this study shows the utility of MFI, flow cytometry and AF4 for quantitative evaluation of the CQA of non-spherical particles over a wide size range, the limitations of the methods are discussed. The use of orthogonal characterization methods can provide a complete picture about the CQA of non-spherical particles over a wide size range. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development And Testing Of The Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Diffusion Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becnel, Mark D.; Polzin, Kurt A.

2013-01-01

The Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) diffusion thruster is an experiment in active development that takes advantage of physical phenomenon that occurs during operation of an IEC device. The IEC device has been proposed as a fusion reactor design that relies on traditional electrostatic ion acceleration and is typically arranged in a spherical geometry. The design incorporates two radially-symmetric spherical electrodes. Often the inner electrode utilizes a grid of wire shaped in a sphere with a radius 15 to 50 percent of the radius of the outer electrode. The inner electrode traditionally has 90 percent or more transparency to allow particles (ions) to pass to the center of the spheres and collide/recombine in the dense plasma core at r=0. When operating the IEC, an unsteady plasma leak is typically observed passing out one of the gaps in the lattice grid of the inner electrode. The IED diffusion thruster is based upon the idea that this plasma leak can be used for propulsive purposes. The IEC diffusion thruster utilizes the radial symmetry found in the IEC device. A cylindrical configuration is employed here as it will produce a dense core of plasma the length of the cylindrical grid while promoting the plasma leak to exhaust through an electromagnetic nozzle at one end of the apparatus. A proof-of-concept IEC diffusion thruster is operational and under testing using argon as propellant (Figure 1).

X-ray Analysis of Defects and Anomalies in AGR-5/6/7 TRISO Particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Hunn, John D.; Skitt, Darren J.

2017-06-01

Coated particle fuel batches J52O-16-93164, 93165, 93166, 93168, 93169, 93170, and 93172 were produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) for possible selection as fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), or may be used for other tests. Each batch was coated in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited on 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT lot J52R-16-69317 containing a mixture of 15.4%-enriched uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO), with the exception of Batchmore » 93164, which used similar kernels from BWXT lot J52L-16-69316. The TRISO-coatings consisted of a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μmnominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness. Each coated particle batch was sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batch was designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93164A). Secondary upgrading by sieving was performed on the upgraded batches to remove specific anomalies identified during analysis for Defective IPyC, and the upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter B to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93165B). Following this secondary upgrading, coated particle composite J52R-16-98005 was produced by BWXT as fuel for the AGR Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the INL ATR. This composite was comprised of coated particle fuel batches J52O-16-93165B, 93168B, 93169B, and 93170B.« less

Continuous form-dependent focusing of non-spherical microparticles in a highly diluted suspension with the help of microfluidic spirals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Tanja; Sprenger, Lisa; Odenbach, Stefan; Häfeli, Urs O.

2018-04-01

Microfluidic spirals are able to focus non-spherical microparticles in diluted suspension due to the Dean effect. A secondary flow establishes in a curved channel, consisting of two counter-rotating vortices, which transport particles to an equilibrium position near the inner wall of the channel. The relevant size parameter, which is responsible for successful focusing, is the ratio between the particle diameter of a sphere and the hydraulic diameter, which is a characteristic of the microfluidic spiral. A non-spherical particle has not one but several different size parameters. This study investigated the minor and major axes, the equivalent spherical diameter, and the maximal rotational diameter as an equivalent to the spherical diameter. Using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic device with spirals, experiments were conducted with artificial peanut-shaped and ellipsoidal particles sized between 3 and 9 μm as well as with the bacteria Bacillus subtilis. Our investigations show that the equivalent spherical diameter, the major axis, and the maximal rotational diameter of a non-spherical particle can predict successful focusing. The minor axis is not suitable for this purpose. Non-spherical particles focused when the ratio of their equivalent spherical diameter to the hydraulic diameter of the channel was larger than 0.07. The particles also focused when the ratio between the maximal rotational diameter or the major axis and the hydraulic diameter was larger than 0.01. These results may help us to separate non-spherical biological particles, such as circulating tumor cells or pathogenic bacteria, from blood in future experimental studies.

Method for making fine and ultrafine spherical particles of zirconium titanate and other mixed metal oxide systems

DOEpatents

Hu, Michael Z.

2006-05-23

Disclosed is a method for making amorphous spherical particles of zirconium titanate and crystalline spherical particles of zirconium titanate comprising the steps of mixing an aqueous solution of zirconium salt and an aqueous solution of titanium salt into a mixed solution having equal moles of zirconium and titanium and having a total salt concentration in the range from 0.01 M to about 0.5 M. A stearic dispersant and an organic solvent is added to the mixed salt solution, subjecting the zirconium salt and the titanium salt in the mixed solution to a coprecipitation reaction forming a solution containing amorphous spherical particles of zirconium titanate wherein the volume ratio of the organic solvent to aqueous part is in the range from 1 to 5. The solution of amorphous spherical particles is incubated in an oven at a temperature .ltoreq.100.degree. C. for a period of time .ltoreq.24 hours converting the amorphous particles to fine or ultrafine crystalline spherical particles of zirconium titanate.

Arresting dissolution by interfacial rheology design

PubMed Central

Beltramo, Peter J.; Gupta, Manish; Alicke, Alexandra; Liascukiene, Irma; Gunes, Deniz Z.; Baroud, Charles N.

2017-01-01

A strategy to halt dissolution of particle-coated air bubbles in water based on interfacial rheology design is presented. Whereas previously a dense monolayer was believed to be required for such an “armored bubble” to resist dissolution, in fact engineering a 2D yield stress interface suffices to achieve such performance at submonolayer particle coverages. We use a suite of interfacial rheology techniques to characterize spherical and ellipsoidal particles at an air–water interface as a function of surface coverage. Bubbles with varying particle coverages are made and their resistance to dissolution evaluated using a microfluidic technique. Whereas a bare bubble only has a single pressure at which a given radius is stable, we find a range of pressures over which bubble dissolution is arrested for armored bubbles. The link between interfacial rheology and macroscopic dissolution of ∼ 100 μm bubbles coated with ∼ 1 μm particles is presented and discussed. The generic design rationale is confirmed by using nonspherical particles, which develop significant yield stress at even lower surface coverages. Hence, it can be applied to successfully inhibit Ostwald ripening in a multitude of foam and emulsion applications. PMID:28893993

Effect of Particle Morphology on Cold Spray Deposition of Chromium Carbide-Nickel Chromium Cermet Powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, Ruben; Jodoin, Bertrand

2017-08-01

Nickel chromium-chromium carbide coatings provide good corrosion and wear resistance at high temperatures, making them ideal for applications where a harsh environment and high temperatures are expected. Thermal spray processes are preferred as deposition technique of cermets, but the high process temperatures can lead to decarburization and reduction of the coatings properties. Cold spray uses lower temperatures preventing decarburization. Since the metallic phase remains solid, the feedstock powder morphology becomes crucial on the deposition behavior. Six commercially available powders were studied, varying in morphology and metal/ceramic ratios. The powders were categorized into 4 groups depending on their morphology. Spherical powders lead to substrate erosion due to their limited overall ductility. Porous agglomerated and sintered powders lead to severely cracked coatings. For dense agglomerated and sintered powders, the outcome depended on the initial metal/ceramic ratio: powders with 25 wt.% NiCr led to substrate erosion while 35 wt.% NiCr powders led to dense coatings. Finally, blended ceramic-metal mixtures also lead to dense coatings. All coatings obtained had lower ceramic content than the initial feedstock powders. Interrupted spray tests, combined with FEA, helped drawing conclusions on the deposition behavior to explain the obtained results.

Application of close-packed structures in dental resin composites.

PubMed

Wang, Ruili; Habib, Eric; Zhu, X X

2017-03-01

The inorganic filler particles in dental resin composites serve to improve their mechanical properties and reduce polymerization shrinkage during their use. Efforts have been made in academia and industry to increase the filler particle content, but, few studies examine the theoretical basis for the maximum particle loading. This work evaluates the packing of spherical particles in a close-packed state for highly loaded composites. Calculations show that for low dispersity particles, the maximum amount of particles is 74.05vol%, regardless of the particle size. This can be further improved by using a mix of large and small particles or by the use of non-spherical particles. For representative spherical particles with a diameter of 1000nm, two types of secondary particles with respective sizes of 414nm (d I ) and 225nm (d II ) are selected. The results show that after embedding secondary particles I & II into primary spherical particles, the packing factor is increased to 81.19% for the close-packed structures, which shows an improvement of 9.64%, compared to the 74.05% obtained only with primary spherical particles. This packing factor is also higher than either structure with the embedded secondary particles I or II. Examples of these mixtures with different spherical particle sizes are shown as a theoretical estimation, serving as a guideline for the design and formulation of new dental resin composites with better properties and improved performance. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of field-dependent rheological properties between spherical and plate-like carbonyl iron particles-based magneto-rheological fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan Shilan, Salihah; Amri Mazlan, Saiful; Ido, Yasushi; Hajalilou, Abdollah; Jeyadevan, Balachandran; Choi, Seung-Bok; Azhani Yunus, Nurul

2016-09-01

This work proposes different sizes of the plate-like particles from conventional spherical carbonyl iron (CI) particles by adjusting milling time in the ball mill process. The ball mill process to make the plate-like particles is called a solid-state powder processing technique which involves repeated welding, fracturing and re-welding of powder particles in a high-energy ball mill. The effect of ball milling process on the magnetic behavior of CI particles is firstly investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer. It is found form this investigation that the plate-like particles have higher saturation magnetization (about 8%) than that of the spherical particles. Subsequently, for the investigation on the sedimentation behavior the cylindrical measurement technique is used. It is observed from this measurement that the plate-like particles show slower sedimentation rate compared to the spherical particles indicating higher stability of the MR fluid. The field-dependent rheological properties of MR fluids based on the plate-like particles are then investigated with respect to the milling time which is directly connected to the size of the plate-like particles. In addition, the field-dependent rheological properties such as the yield stress are evaluated and compared between the plate-like particles based MR fluids and the spherical particles based MR fluid. It is found that the yield shear stress of the plate-like particles based MR fluid is increased up to 270% compared to the spherical particles based MR fluid.

Inertial migrations of cylindrical particles in rectangular microchannels: Variations of equilibrium positions and equivalent diameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Jinghong; Chen, Xiaodong; Hu, Guoqing

2018-03-01

Inertial migration has emerged as an efficient tool for manipulating both biological and engineered particles that commonly exist with non-spherical shapes in microfluidic devices. There have been numerous studies on the inertial migration of spherical particles, whereas the non-spherical particles are still largely unexplored. Here, we conduct three-dimensional direct numerical simulations to study the inertial migration of rigid cylindrical particles in rectangular microchannels with different width/height ratios under the channel Reynolds numbers (Re) varying from 50 to 400. Cylindrical particles with different length/diameter ratios and blockage ratios are also concerned. Distributions of surface force with the change of rotation angle show that surface stresses acting on the particle end near the wall are the major contributors to the particle rotation. We obtain lift forces experienced by cylindrical particles at different lateral positions on cross sections of two types of microchannels at various Re. It is found that there are always four stable equilibrium positions on the cross section of a square channel, while the stable positions are two or four in a rectangular channel, depending on Re. By comparing the equilibrium positions of cylindrical particles and spherical particles, we demonstrate that the equivalent diameter of cylindrical particles monotonously increases with Re. Our work indicates the influence of a non-spherical shape on the inertial migration and can be useful for the precise manipulation of non-spherical particles.

Electrically-conductive proppant and methods for making and using same

DOEpatents

Cannan, Chad; Roper, Todd; Savoy, Steve; Mitchell, Daniel R.

2016-09-06

Electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles and methods for producing such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles from an alumina-containing raw material. Methods for using such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles in hydraulic fracturing operations.

Method for preparing spherical thermoplastic particles of uniform size

DOEpatents

Day, J.R.

1975-11-17

Spherical particles of thermoplastic material of virtually uniform roundness and diameter are prepared by cutting monofilaments of a selected diameter into rod-like segments of a selected uniform length which are then heated in a viscous liquid to effect the formation of the spherical particles.

PREPARATION OF SPHERICAL URANIUM DIOXIDE PARTICLES

DOEpatents

Levey, R.P. Jr.; Smith, A.E.

1963-04-30

This patent relates to the preparation of high-density, spherical UO/sub 2/ particles 80 to 150 microns in diameter. Sinterable UO/sub 2/ powder is wetted with 3 to 5 weight per cent water and tumbled for at least 48 hours. The resulting spherical particles are then sintered. The sintered particles are useful in dispersion-type fuel elements for nuclear reactors. (AEC)

Acceptance Test Data for the AGR-5/6/7 Irradiation Test Fuel Composite Defective IPyC Fraction and Pyrocarbon Anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Hunn, John D.; Skitt, Darren J.

Coated particle composite J52R-16-98005 was produced by Babcock and Wilcox Technologies (BWXT) as fuel for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation test in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This composite was comprised of four coated particle fuel batches J52O-16-93165B (26%), 93168B (26%), 93169B (24%), and 93170B (24%), chosen based on the Quality Control (QC) data acquired for each individual candidate AGR-5/6/7 batch. Each batch was coated in a 150-mm-diameter production-scale fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coatings were deposited on 425-μm-nominal-diameter spherical kernels from BWXT Lot J52R-16-69317more » containing a mixture of 15.5%-enriched uranium carbide and uranium oxide (UCO). The TRISO coatings consisted of four consecutive CVD layers: a ~50% dense carbon buffer layer with 100-μm-nominal thickness, a dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness, a silicon carbide (SiC) layer with 35-μm-nominal thickness, and a dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) layer with 40-μm-nominal thickness. The TRISO-coated particle batches were sieved to upgrade the particles by removing over-sized and under-sized material, and the upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter A to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93165A). Secondary upgrading by sieving was performed on the A-designated batches to remove particles with missing or very-thin buffer layers that were identified during previous analysis of the individual batches for defective IPyC, as reported in the acceptance test data report for the AGR-5/6/7 production batches [Hunn et al. 2017]. The additionally-upgraded batches were designated by appending the letter B to the end of the batch number (e.g., 93165B).« less

Effect of Particle Morphology on the Reactivity of Explosively Dispersed Titanium Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, David L.; Cairns, Malcolm; Goroshin, Samuel; Zhang, Fan

2009-12-01

The effect of particle morphology on the reaction of titanium (Ti) particles explosively dispersed during the detonation of either cylindrical or spherical charges has been investigated experimentally. The explosive charges consisted of packed beds of Ti particles saturated with nitromethane. The reaction behaviour of irregularly-shaped Ti particles in three size ranges is compared with tests with spherical Ti particles. The particle reaction is strongly dependent on particle morphology, e.g., 95 μm spherical Ti particles failed to ignite (in cylinders up to 49 mm in dia), whereas similarly sized irregular Ti particles readily ignited. For irregular particles, the uniformity of ignition on the particle cloud surface was almost independent of particle size, but depended on charge diameter. As the charge diameter was reduced, ignition in the conically expanding particle cloud occurred only at isolated spots or bands. For spherical charges, whereas large irregular Ti particles ignited promptly and uniformly throughout the particle cloud, the smallest particles dispersed nonuniformly and ignition occurred at isolated locations after a delay. Hence the charge geometry, as well as particle morphology, influences the reaction behaviour of the particles.

Hydrogels in endovascular embolization. I. Spherical particles of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and their medico-biological properties.

PubMed

Horák, D; Svec, F; Kálal, J; Gumargalieva, K; Adamyan, A; Skuba, N; Titova, M; Trostenyuk, N

1986-05-01

Spherical macroporous particles based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) with defined porosity, swelling and morphology have been developed, and are suitable for endovascular occlusion of various organs. Unlike cylindrical particles, spherical particles are specifically suited for transcatheteral introduction. The method chosen for the preparation of such particles was suspension radical polymerization, where the monomers were dissolved in a mixture of higher-boiling alcohols, and the solution dispersed in water. Physicochemical and medico-biological properties of spherical particles were examined. The residual amounts of monomers and other low-molecular compounds were checked; haematological analyses showed that the value 10(-5) g/g of the polymer was not toxic and contributed to an irreversible aggregation of thrombocytes. The occlusion effect in the vascular lumen was stable. The histomorphological results fully demonstrated the perfect biocompatibility of artificial spherical emboli. The latter met the requirements of application to clinical practice.

Preparation of spherical particles by vibrating orifice technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, Shuichi; Tomizawa, Atsushi; Yoshikawa, Hidemi; Yano, Tetsuji; Yamane, Masayuki

2000-05-01

Preparation of micrometer-sized spherical particles containing Rhodamine 6G (R6G) has been investigated for the spherical cavity micro-laser. Using phenyl triethoxy silane (PTES) as a starting material, R6G-doped monodisperse spherical particles were prepared by the vibrating orifice technique. Processing consists of two major processes: (1) Hydrolysis and polymerization of PTES and (2) Droplet formation from PTES oligomers by vibrating orifice technique. A cylindrical liquid jet passing through the orifice of 10 and 20 micrometers in diameter breaks up into equal- sized droplets by mechanical vibration. Alcohol solvent of these droplets was evaporated during flying with carrier gas and subsequently solidified in ammonium water trap. For making smooth surface and god shaped particles, control of molecular weight of PTES oligomer was essential. R6G-doped hybrid spherical particles of 4 to 10 micrometers size of cavity structure were successfully obtained. The spherical particles were pumped by a second harmonic pulse of Q- switched Nd:YAG laser and laser emission peaks were observed at wavelengths which correspond to the resonance modes.

Effects of surface coating of Y(OH) 3 on the electrochemical performance of spherical Ni(OH) 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Jing; Yang, Yifu; Yu, Peng; Chen, Weihua; Shao, Huixia

The effects of surface coating of Y(OH) 3 on the electrochemical performance of spherical Ni(OH) 2 were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) with soft-embedded electrode (SE-E). The coating was performed by chemical surface precipitation under different conditions. The structure, morphology, chemical composition and electrochemical properties of two different samples with surface coating of Y(OH) 3 were characterized and compared. The results show that a two-step oxidation process exists in the oxidation procedure of spherical Ni(OH) 2 corresponding to the formation of Ni(III) and Ni(IV), respectively. The conversion of Ni(III) to Ni(IV) is regarded as a side reaction in which Ni(IV) species is not stable. The presence of Y(OH) 3 on the particle surface can restrain the side reactions, especially the formation of Ni(IV). The application of coated Ni(OH) 2 to sealed Ni-MH batteries yielded a charge acceptance of about 88% at 60 °C. The results manifest that the high-temperature performance of Ni(OH) 2 electrode is related to the distribution of the adding elements in surface oxide layer of Ni(OH) 2, the sample with dense and porous coating surface, larger relative surface content and higher utilization ratio of yttrium is more effective.

Estimation of settling velocity of sediment particles in estuarine and coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasiha, Hussain J.; Shanmugam, Palanisamy

2018-04-01

A model for estimating the settling velocity of sediment particles (spherical and non-spherical) in estuarine and coastal waters is developed and validated using experimental data. The model combines the physical, optical and hydrodynamic properties of the particles and medium to estimate the sediment settling velocity. The well-known Stokes law is broadened to account for the influencing factors of settling velocity such as particle size, shape and density. To derive the model parameters, laboratory experiments were conducted using natural flaky seashells, spherical beach sands and ball-milled seashell powders. Spectral light backscattering measurements of settling particles in a water tank were made showing a distinct optical feature with a peak shifting from 470-490 nm to 500-520 nm for particle populations from spherical to flaky grains. This significant optical feature was used as a proxy to make a shape determination in the present model. Other parameters experimentally determined included specific gravity (ΔSG) , Corey shape factor (CSF) , median grain diameter (D50) , drag coefficient (Cd) and Reynolds number (Re) . The CSF values considered ranged from 0.2 for flaky to 1.0 for perfectly spherical grains and Reynolds numbers from 2.0 to 105 for the laminar to turbulent flow regimes. The specific gravity of submerged particles was optically derived and used along with these parameters to estimate the sediment settling velocity. Comparison with the experiment data showed that the present model estimated settling velocities of spherical and non-spherical particles that were closely consistent with the measured values. Findings revealed that for a given D50, the flaky particles caused a greater decrease in settling velocity than the spherical particles which suggests that the particle shape factor has a profound role in influencing the sediment settling velocity and drag coefficients, especially in transitional and turbulent flow regimes. The present model can be easily adopted for various scientific and operational applications since the required parameters are readily measurable with the commercially available instrumentations.

Effect of Particle Morphology on the Reactivity of Explosively Dispersed Titanium Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, David; Cairns, Malcolm; Goroshin, Samuel; Zhang, Fan

2009-06-01

The effect of particle morphology on the reaction of titanium (Ti) particles explosively dispersed during the detonation of either cylindrical or spherical charges has been investigated experimentally. The explosive charges consisted of packed beds of Ti particles saturated with nitromethane. The reaction behavior of irregularly-shaped Ti particles in three size ranges is compared with tests with spherical Ti particles. The particle reaction is strongly dependent on particle morphology, e.g., 95 μm spherical Ti particles failed to ignite (in cylinders up to 49 mm in dia), whereas similarly sized irregular Ti particles readily ignited. For irregular particles, the uniformity of ignition on the particle cloud surface was almost independent of particle size, but depended on charge diameter. As the charge diameter was reduced, ignition in the conically expanding particle cloud occurred only at isolated spots or bands. For spherical charges, although large irregular Ti particles ignited promptly and uniformly throughout the particle cloud, the smallest particles dispersed nonuniformly and ignition occurred at isolated locations. In general, particle ignition is a competition between particle heating (which is influenced by particle morphology, size, number density and the local thermodynamic history) and expansion cooling of the products.

Improved tunable range of the field-induced storage modulus by using flower-like particles as the active phase of magnetorheological elastomers.

PubMed

Tong, Yu; Dong, Xufeng; Qi, Min

2018-05-09

The field-induced storage modulus is an important parameter for the applications of magnetorheological (MR) elastomers. In this study, a model mechanism is established to analyze the potential benefits of using flower-like particles as the active phase compared with the benefits of using conventional spherical particles. To verify the model mechanism and to investigate the difference in dynamic viscoelasticity between MREs with spherical particles and flower-like particles, flower-like cobalt particles and spherical cobalt particles with similar particle sizes and magnetic properties are synthesized and used as the active phase to prepare MR elastomers. As the model predicts, MREs with flower-like cobalt particles present a higher crosslink density and enhanced interfacial bond strength, which leads to a higher storage modulus and higher loss modulus with respect to MREs with spherical cobalt particles. The tunable range of the field-induced storage modulus of MREs is also improved upon using the flower-like particles as the active phase.

Influence of Poly (Ethylene Glycol) and Oleylamine on the Formation of Nano to Micron Size Spherical SiO2 Particles

EPA Science Inventory

We report an eco-friendly synthesis of well–controlled, nano-to-micron-size, spherical SiO2 particles using non-hazardous solvent and a byproducts-producing system. It was found that the morphology and size of spherical SiO2 particles are controlled by adjusting the concentration...

A Large-Particle Monte Carlo Code for Simulating Non-Linear High-Energy Processes Near Compact Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, Boris E.; Svensson, Roland; Begelman, Mitchell C.; Sikora, Marek

1995-01-01

High-energy radiation processes in compact cosmic objects are often expected to have a strongly non-linear behavior. Such behavior is shown, for example, by electron-positron pair cascades and the time evolution of relativistic proton distributions in dense radiation fields. Three independent techniques have been developed to simulate these non-linear problems: the kinetic equation approach; the phase-space density (PSD) Monte Carlo method; and the large-particle (LP) Monte Carlo method. In this paper, we present the latest version of the LP method and compare it with the other methods. The efficiency of the method in treating geometrically complex problems is illustrated by showing results of simulations of 1D, 2D and 3D systems. The method is shown to be powerful enough to treat non-spherical geometries, including such effects as bulk motion of the background plasma, reflection of radiation from cold matter, and anisotropic distributions of radiating particles. It can therefore be applied to simulate high-energy processes in such astrophysical systems as accretion discs with coronae, relativistic jets, pulsar magnetospheres and gamma-ray bursts.

Ion kinetic effects on the ignition and burn of inertial confinement fusion targets: A multi-scale approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peigney, B. E.; Larroche, O.; Tikhonchuk, V.

2014-12-01

In this article, we study the hydrodynamics and burn of the thermonuclear fuel in inertial confinement fusion pellets at the ion kinetic level. The analysis is based on a two-velocity-scale Vlasov-Fokker-Planck kinetic model that is specially tailored to treat fusion products (suprathermal α-particles) in a self-consistent manner with the thermal bulk. The model assumes spherical symmetry in configuration space and axial symmetry in velocity space around the mean flow velocity. A typical hot-spot ignition design is considered. Compared with fluid simulations where a multi-group diffusion scheme is applied to model α transport, the full ion-kinetic approach reveals significant non-local effects on the transport of energetic α-particles. This has a direct impact on hydrodynamic spatial profiles during combustion: the hot spot reactivity is reduced, while the inner dense fuel layers are pre-heated by the escaping α-suprathermal particles, which are transported farther out of the hot spot. We show how the kinetic transport enhancement of fusion products leads to a significant reduction of the fusion yield.

Ion kinetic effects on the ignition and burn of inertial confinement fusion targets: A multi-scale approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peigney, B. E.; Larroche, O.; Tikhonchuk, V.

2014-12-15

In this article, we study the hydrodynamics and burn of the thermonuclear fuel in inertial confinement fusion pellets at the ion kinetic level. The analysis is based on a two-velocity-scale Vlasov-Fokker-Planck kinetic model that is specially tailored to treat fusion products (suprathermal α-particles) in a self-consistent manner with the thermal bulk. The model assumes spherical symmetry in configuration space and axial symmetry in velocity space around the mean flow velocity. A typical hot-spot ignition design is considered. Compared with fluid simulations where a multi-group diffusion scheme is applied to model α transport, the full ion-kinetic approach reveals significant non-local effectsmore » on the transport of energetic α-particles. This has a direct impact on hydrodynamic spatial profiles during combustion: the hot spot reactivity is reduced, while the inner dense fuel layers are pre-heated by the escaping α-suprathermal particles, which are transported farther out of the hot spot. We show how the kinetic transport enhancement of fusion products leads to a significant reduction of the fusion yield.« less

Analysis of dark matter axion clumps with spherical symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiappacasse, Enrico D.; Hertzberg, Mark P.

2018-01-01

Recently there has been much interest in the spatial distribution of light scalar dark matter, especially axions, throughout the universe. When the local gravitational interactions between the scalar modes are sufficiently rapid, it can cause the field to re-organize into a BEC of gravitationally bound clumps. While these clumps are stable when only gravitation is included, the picture is complicated by the presence of the axion's attractive self-interactions, which can potentially cause the clumps to collapse. Here we perform a detailed stability analysis to determine under what conditions the clumps are stable. In this paper we focus on spherical configurations, leaving aspherical configurations for future work. We identify branches of clump solutions of the axion-gravity-self-interacting system and study their stability properties. We find that clumps that are (spatially) large are stable, while clumps that are (spatially) small are unstable and may collapse. Furthermore, there is a maximum number of particles that can be in a clump. We map out the full space of solutions, which includes quasi-stable axitons, and clarify how a recent claim in the literature of a new ultra-dense branch of stable solutions rests on an invalid use of the non-relativistic approximation. We also consider repulsive self-interactions that may arise from a generic scalar dark matter candidate, finding a single stable branch that extends to arbitrary particle number.

DEM simulation of flow of dumbbells on a rough inclined plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Sandip; Khakhar, Devang

2015-11-01

The rheology of non-spherical granular materials such as food grains, sugar cubes, sand, pharmaceutical pills, among others, is not understood well. We study the flow of non-spherical dumbbells of different aspect ratios on a rough inclined plane by using soft sphere DEM simulations. The dumbbells are generated by fusing two spheres together and a linear spring dashpot model along with Coulombic friction is employed to calculate inter-particle forces. At steady state, a uni-directional shear flow is obtained which allows for a detailed study of the rheology. The effect of aspect ratio and inclination angle on mean velocity, volume fraction, shear rate, shear stress, pressure and viscosity profiles is examined. The effect of aspect ratio on probability distribution of angles, made by the major axes of the dumbbells with the flow direction, average angle and order parameter is analyzed. The dense flow rheology is well explained by Bagnold's law and the constitutive laws of JFP model. The dependencies of first and second normal stress differences on aspect ratio are studied. The probability distributions of translational and rotational velocity are analyzed.

Physical conditions near red giant and supergiant stars - An interpretation of SiO VLBI maps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alcock, Charles; Ross, Randy R.

1986-01-01

Understanding the dynamical structure of circumstellar envelopes around cool giant and supergiant stars depends critically on the knowledge of what happens in the 'near zone' of the envelope, within a few stellar radii of the star. One probe with adequate angular resolution to study the near zone is VLBI observation of the SiO masers. It is shown that VLBI maps of VX Sgr establish that the particle density in the SiO masers is very high (about 10 to the 12th/cu cm), indicating that the masers form in dense cloudlets and not in a spherically expanding wind. The implications of these results for the mechanism of mass loss are discussed.

Method for preparing spherical ferrite beads and use thereof

DOEpatents

Lauf, Robert J.; Anderson, Kimberly K.; Montgomery, Frederick C.; Collins, Jack L.

2002-01-01

The invention allows the fabrication of small, dense, highly polished spherical beads of hexagonal ferrites with selected compositions for use in nonreciprocal microwave and mm-wave devices as well as in microwave absorbent or reflective coatings, composites, and the like. A porous, generally spherical bead of hydrous iron oxide is made by a sol-gel process to form a substantially rigid bead having a generally fine crystallite size and correspondingly finely distributed internal porosity. The resulting gel bead is washed and hydrothermally reacted with a soluble alkaline earth salt (typically Ba or Sr) under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure to convert the bead into a mixed hydrous iron-alkaline earth oxide while retaining the generally spherical shape. This mixed oxide bead is then washed, dried, and calcined to produce the desired (BaFe.sub.12 O.sub.19 or SrFe.sub.12 O.sub.19) crystal structure. The calcined bead is then sintered to form a dense bead of the BaFe.sub.12 O.sub.19 and SrFe.sub.12 O.sub.19 phase suitable for polishing and incorporation into various microwave devices and components.

Local order and crystallization of dense polydisperse hard spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coslovich, Daniele; Ozawa, Misaki; Berthier, Ludovic

2018-04-01

Computer simulations give precious insight into the microscopic behavior of supercooled liquids and glasses, but their typical time scales are orders of magnitude shorter than the experimentally relevant ones. We recently closed this gap for a class of models of size polydisperse fluids, which we successfully equilibrate beyond laboratory time scales by means of the swap Monte Carlo algorithm. In this contribution, we study the interplay between compositional and geometric local orders in a model of polydisperse hard spheres equilibrated with this algorithm. Local compositional order has a weak state dependence, while local geometric order associated to icosahedral arrangements grows more markedly but only at very high density. We quantify the correlation lengths and the degree of sphericity associated to icosahedral structures and compare these results to those for the Wahnström Lennard-Jones mixture. Finally, we analyze the structure of very dense samples that partially crystallized following a pattern incompatible with conventional fractionation scenarios. The crystal structure has the symmetry of aluminum diboride and involves a subset of small and large particles with size ratio approximately equal to 0.5.

High velocity collisions of nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Donald F.; Mattson, William D.

2017-01-01

Nanoparticles (NPs) are a unique class of material with highly functionalizable surfaces and exciting applications. With a large surface-to-volume ratio and potentially high surface tension, shocked nanoparticles might display unique materials behavior. Using density functional theory, we have simulated high-velocity NP collisions under a variety of conditions. NPs composed of diamond-C, cubic-BN, and diamond-Si were considered with particle sizes up to 3.5 nm diameter. Additional simulations involved NPs that were destabilized by incorporating internal strain. The initial spherical NP structures were carved out of bulk crystals while the NPs with internal strain were constructed as a dense core (compressive strain) encompassed by a thin shell (tensile strain). Both on-axis and off-axis collisions were simulated at 10 km/s relative velocity. The amount of internal strain was artificially increased by creating a dense inner core with bond lengths compressed up to 8%. Collision dynamics, shock propagation, and fragmentation will be analyzed, but the simulation are ongoing and results are not finalized. The effect of material properties, internal strain, and collision velocity will be discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerczak, Tyler J.; Smith, Kurt R.; Petrie, Christian M.

Tristructural-isotropic (TRISO)–coated particle fuel is a promising advanced fuel concept consisting of a spherical fuel kernel made of uranium oxide and uranium carbide, surrounded by a porous carbonaceous buffer layer and successive layers of dense inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC), silicon carbide (SiC) deposited by chemical vapor , and dense outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC). This fuel concept is being considered for advanced reactor applications such as high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) and molten salt reactors (MSRs), as well as for accident-tolerant fuel for light water reactors (LWRs). Development and implementation of TRISO fuel for these reactor concepts support the US Departmentmore » of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy mission to promote safe, reliable nuclear energy that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. During operation, the SiC layer serves as the primary barrier to metallic fission products and actinides not retained in the kernel. It has been observed that certain fission products are released from TRISO fuel during operation, notably, Ag, Eu, and Sr [1]. Release of these radioisotopes causes safety and maintenance concerns.« less

Rapid Optimal SPH Particle Distributions in Spherical Geometries For Creating Astrophysical Initial Conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raskin, Cody; Owen, J. Michael

Creating spherical initial conditions in smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations that are spherically conformal is a difficult task. Here in this paper, we describe two algorithmic methods for evenly distributing points on surfaces that when paired can be used to build three-dimensional spherical objects with optimal equipartition of volume between particles, commensurate with an arbitrary radial density function. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method against stretched lattice arrangements on the metrics of hydrodynamic stability, spherical conformity, and the harmonic power distribution of gravitational settling oscillations. We further demonstrate how our method is highly optimized for simulating multi-material spheres, such asmore » planets with core–mantle boundaries.« less

Rapid Optimal SPH Particle Distributions in Spherical Geometries For Creating Astrophysical Initial Conditions

DOE PAGES

Raskin, Cody; Owen, J. Michael

2016-03-24

Creating spherical initial conditions in smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations that are spherically conformal is a difficult task. Here in this paper, we describe two algorithmic methods for evenly distributing points on surfaces that when paired can be used to build three-dimensional spherical objects with optimal equipartition of volume between particles, commensurate with an arbitrary radial density function. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method against stretched lattice arrangements on the metrics of hydrodynamic stability, spherical conformity, and the harmonic power distribution of gravitational settling oscillations. We further demonstrate how our method is highly optimized for simulating multi-material spheres, such asmore » planets with core–mantle boundaries.« less

RAPID OPTIMAL SPH PARTICLE DISTRIBUTIONS IN SPHERICAL GEOMETRIES FOR CREATING ASTROPHYSICAL INITIAL CONDITIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raskin, Cody; Owen, J. Michael

2016-04-01

Creating spherical initial conditions in smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations that are spherically conformal is a difficult task. Here, we describe two algorithmic methods for evenly distributing points on surfaces that when paired can be used to build three-dimensional spherical objects with optimal equipartition of volume between particles, commensurate with an arbitrary radial density function. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method against stretched lattice arrangements on the metrics of hydrodynamic stability, spherical conformity, and the harmonic power distribution of gravitational settling oscillations. We further demonstrate how our method is highly optimized for simulating multi-material spheres, such as planets with core–mantlemore » boundaries.« less

Elongated dust particles growth in a spherical glow discharge in ethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedoseev, A. V.; Sukhinin, G. I.; Sakhapov, S. Z.; Zaikovskii, A. V.; Novopashin, S. A.

2018-01-01

The formation of elongated dust particles in a spherical dc glow discharge in ethanol was observed for the first time. Dust particles were formed in the process of coagulation of ethanol dissociation products in the plasma of gas discharge. During the process the particles were captured into clouds in the electric potential wells of strong striations of spherical discharge. The size and the shape of dust particles are easily detected by naked eye after the illumination of the laser sheet. The description of the experimental setup and conditions, the analysis of size, shape and composition of the particles, the explanation of spatial ordering and orientation of these particles are presented.

Assembling metal oxide nanocrystals into dense, hollow, porous nanoparticles for lithium-ion and lithium-oxygen battery application.

PubMed

Ming, Jun; Wu, Yingqiang; Park, Jin-Bum; Lee, Joong Kee; Zhao, Fengyu; Sun, Yang-Kook

2013-11-07

New dense hollow porous (DHP) metal oxide nanoparticles that are smaller than 100 nm and composed of Co3O4, FeOx, NiO and MnOx were prepared by densely assembling metal oxide nanocrystals based on the hard-template method using a carbon colloid as a sacrificial core. These nanoparticles are quite different from the traditional particles as their hollow interior originates from the stacking of nanocrystals rather than a spherical shell. The DHP nanoparticles preserve the intriguing properties of nanocrystals and possess desirable surface area and pore volume that enhance the active surface, which ultimately benefits applications such as lithium-ion batteries. The DHP Co3O4 nanoparticles demonstrated an enhanced capacity of 1168 mA h g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1)vs. 590 mA h g(-1) of powders and stable cycling performance greater than 250 cycles when used as an anode material. Most importantly, the electrochemical performance of DHP Co3O4 nanoparticles in a lithium-O2 battery was also investigated for the first time. A low charge potential of ∼4.0 V, a high discharge voltage near 2.74 V and a long cycle ability greater than 100 cycles at a delivered capacity of 2000 mA h g(-1) (current density, 200 mA g(-1)) were observed. The performances were considerably improved compared to recent results of mesoporous Co3O4, Co3O4 nanoparticles and a composite of Co3O4/RGO and Co3O4/Pd. Therefore, it would be promising to investigate such properties of DHP nanoparticles or other hollow metal (oxide) particles for the popular lithium-air battery.

Spherical and cylindrical particle resonator as a cloak system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minin, I. V.; Minin, O. V.; Eremeev, A. I.; Tseplyaev, I. S.

2018-05-01

The concept of dielectric spherical or cylindrical particle in resonant mode as a cloak system is offered. In fundamental modes (modes with the smallest volume correspond to |m| = l, and s = 1) the field is concentrated mostly in the equatorial plane and at the surface of the sphere. Thus under resonance modes, such perturbation due to cuboid particle inserted in the spherical or cylindrical particle has almost no effect on the field forming resonance regardless of the value of internal particle material (defect) as long as this material does not cover the region where resonance takes place.

Effect of Particle Shape on Mechanical Behaviors of Rocks: A Numerical Study Using Clumped Particle Model

PubMed Central

Rong, Guan; Liu, Guang; Zhou, Chuang-bing

2013-01-01

Since rocks are aggregates of mineral particles, the effect of mineral microstructure on macroscopic mechanical behaviors of rocks is inneglectable. Rock samples of four different particle shapes are established in this study based on clumped particle model, and a sphericity index is used to quantify particle shape. Model parameters for simulation in PFC are obtained by triaxial compression test of quartz sandstone, and simulation of triaxial compression test is then conducted on four rock samples with different particle shapes. It is seen from the results that stress thresholds of rock samples such as crack initiation stress, crack damage stress, and peak stress decrease with the increasing of the sphericity index. The increase of sphericity leads to a drop of elastic modulus and a rise in Poisson ratio, while the decreasing sphericity usually results in the increase of cohesion and internal friction angle. Based on volume change of rock samples during simulation of triaxial compression test, variation of dilation angle with plastic strain is also studied. PMID:23997677

Effect of particle shape on mechanical behaviors of rocks: a numerical study using clumped particle model.

PubMed

Rong, Guan; Liu, Guang; Hou, Di; Zhou, Chuang-Bing

2013-01-01

Since rocks are aggregates of mineral particles, the effect of mineral microstructure on macroscopic mechanical behaviors of rocks is inneglectable. Rock samples of four different particle shapes are established in this study based on clumped particle model, and a sphericity index is used to quantify particle shape. Model parameters for simulation in PFC are obtained by triaxial compression test of quartz sandstone, and simulation of triaxial compression test is then conducted on four rock samples with different particle shapes. It is seen from the results that stress thresholds of rock samples such as crack initiation stress, crack damage stress, and peak stress decrease with the increasing of the sphericity index. The increase of sphericity leads to a drop of elastic modulus and a rise in Poisson ratio, while the decreasing sphericity usually results in the increase of cohesion and internal friction angle. Based on volume change of rock samples during simulation of triaxial compression test, variation of dilation angle with plastic strain is also studied.

Particle-based optical pressure sensors for 3D pressure mapping.

PubMed

Banerjee, Niladri; Xie, Yan; Chalaseni, Sandeep; Mastrangelo, Carlos H

2015-10-01

This paper presents particle-based optical pressure sensors for in-flow pressure sensing, especially for microfluidic environments. Three generations of pressure sensitive particles have been developed- flat planar particles, particles with integrated retroreflectors and spherical microballoon particles. The first two versions suffer from pressure measurement dependence on particles orientation in 3D space and angle of interrogation. The third generation of microspherical particles with spherical symmetry solves these problems making particle-based manometry in microfluidic environment a viable and efficient methodology. Static and dynamic pressure measurements have been performed in liquid medium for long periods of time in a pressure range of atmospheric to 40 psi. Spherical particles with radius of 12 μm and balloon-wall thickness of 0.5 μm are effective for more than 5 h in this pressure range with an error of less than 5%.

Simulation and scaling analysis of a spherical particle-laden blast wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Y.; Balachandar, S.

2018-02-01

A spherical particle-laden blast wave, generated by a sudden release of a sphere of compressed gas-particle mixture, is investigated by numerical simulation. The present problem is a multiphase extension of the classic finite-source spherical blast-wave problem. The gas-particle flow can be fully determined by the initial radius of the spherical mixture and the properties of gas and particles. In many applications, the key dimensionless parameters, such as the initial pressure and density ratios between the compressed gas and the ambient air, can vary over a wide range. Parametric studies are thus performed to investigate the effects of these parameters on the characteristic time and spatial scales of the particle-laden blast wave, such as the maximum radius the contact discontinuity can reach and the time when the particle front crosses the contact discontinuity. A scaling analysis is conducted to establish a scaling relation between the characteristic scales and the controlling parameters. A length scale that incorporates the initial pressure ratio is proposed, which is able to approximately collapse the simulation results for the gas flow for a wide range of initial pressure ratios. This indicates that an approximate similarity solution for a spherical blast wave exists, which is independent of the initial pressure ratio. The approximate scaling is also valid for the particle front if the particles are small and closely follow the surrounding gas.

Simulation and scaling analysis of a spherical particle-laden blast wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Y.; Balachandar, S.

2018-05-01

A spherical particle-laden blast wave, generated by a sudden release of a sphere of compressed gas-particle mixture, is investigated by numerical simulation. The present problem is a multiphase extension of the classic finite-source spherical blast-wave problem. The gas-particle flow can be fully determined by the initial radius of the spherical mixture and the properties of gas and particles. In many applications, the key dimensionless parameters, such as the initial pressure and density ratios between the compressed gas and the ambient air, can vary over a wide range. Parametric studies are thus performed to investigate the effects of these parameters on the characteristic time and spatial scales of the particle-laden blast wave, such as the maximum radius the contact discontinuity can reach and the time when the particle front crosses the contact discontinuity. A scaling analysis is conducted to establish a scaling relation between the characteristic scales and the controlling parameters. A length scale that incorporates the initial pressure ratio is proposed, which is able to approximately collapse the simulation results for the gas flow for a wide range of initial pressure ratios. This indicates that an approximate similarity solution for a spherical blast wave exists, which is independent of the initial pressure ratio. The approximate scaling is also valid for the particle front if the particles are small and closely follow the surrounding gas.

Sheet-like assemblies of spherical particles with point-symmetrical patches.

PubMed

Mani, Ethayaraja; Sanz, Eduardo; Roy, Soumyajit; Dijkstra, Marjolein; Groenewold, Jan; Kegel, Willem K

2012-04-14

We report a computational study on the spontaneous self-assembly of spherical particles into two-dimensional crystals. The experimental observation of such structures stabilized by spherical objects appeared paradoxical so far. We implement patchy interactions with the patches point-symmetrically (icosahedral and cubic) arranged on the surface of the particle. In these conditions, preference for self-assembly into sheet-like structures is observed. We explain our findings in terms of the inherent symmetry of the patches and the competition between binding energy and vibrational entropy. The simulation results explain why hollow spherical shells observed in some Keplerate-type polyoxometalates (POM) appear. Our results also provide an explanation for the experimentally observed layer-by-layer growth of apoferritin--a quasi-spherical protein.

Hydrogels in endovascular embolization. II. Clinical use of spherical particles.

PubMed

Horák, D; Svec, F; Kálal, J; Adamyan, A A; Volynskii, Y D; Voronkova, O S; Kokov, L S; Gumargalieva, K Z

1986-11-01

In this study we report the results of clinical experiments, obtained with spherical particles made from poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) used in the embolization of arteriovenous anastomoses, in the suppression of pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis and in the occlusion of some other arteries. So far we have used these particles in the treatment of 187 patients. It must be stressed that the advantage of spherical particles consists in the simplicity of their introduction into the blood vessel through a catheter, while in the blood vessel itself the particle swells in blood still more, when compared with the particle size in saline. This results in an immediate and permanent haemostatic effect. No revascularization occurs.

Collisions of droplets on spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charalampous, Georgios; Hardalupas, Yannis

2017-10-01

Head-on collisions between droplets and spherical particles are examined for water droplets in the diameter range between 170 μm and 280 μm and spherical particles in the diameter range between 500 μm and 2000 μm. The droplet velocities range between 6 m/s and 11 m/s, while the spherical particles are fixed in space. The Weber and Ohnesorge numbers and ratio of droplet to particle diameter were between 92 < We < 1015, 0.0070 < Oh < 0.0089, and 0.09 < Ω < 0.55, respectively. The droplet-particle collisions are first quantified in terms of the outcome. In addition to the conventional deposition and splashing regimes, a regime is observed in the intermediate region, where the droplet forms a stable crown, which does not breakup but propagates along the particle surface and passes around the particle. This regime is prevalent when the droplets collide on small particles. The characteristics of the collision at the onset of rim instability are also described in terms of the location of the film on the particle surface and the orientation and length of the ejected crown. Proper orthogonal decomposition identified that the first 2 modes are enough to capture the overall morphology of the crown at the splashing threshold.

Understanding the effects of process parameters on the properties of cold gas dynamic sprayed pure titanium coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Wilson

The cold gas dynamic spraying of commercially pure titanium coatings was investigated. Specifically, the relationship between several key cold spray parameters on the quality of the resulting coatings was studied in order to gain a more thorough understanding of the cold spray process. To achieve this goal, three distinct investigations were performed. The first part of the investigation focussed on the effect of propelling gas, particularly helium and nitrogen, during the cold spraying of titanium coatings. Coatings were characterised by SEM and were evaluated for their deposition efficiency (DE), microhardness, and porosity. In selected conditions, three particle velocities were investigated such that for each condition, the propelling gasses temperature and pressure were attuned to attain similar particle velocities for each gas. In addition, a thick and fully dense cold sprayed titanium coating was achieved with optimised spray parameters and nozzle using helium. The corresponding average particle velocity was 1173 m/s. The second part of the investigation studied the effect of particle morphology (spherical, sponge, and irregular) and size distributions (mean particle sizes of 20, 29, and 36 mum) of commercially pure titanium on the mechanical properties of the resulting cold sprayed coatings. Numerous powder and coating characterisations were performed. From these data, semi-empirical flow (stress-strain) curves were generated based on the Johnson-Cook plasticity model which could be used as a measure of cold sprayability. Cold sprayability can be defined as the ease with which a powder can be cold sprayed. It was found that the sponge and irregular commercially pure titanium powders had higher oxygen content, poorer powder flowability, higher compression ratio, lower powder packing factor, and higher average particle impact velocities compared to the spherical powders. XRD results showed no new phases present when comparing the various feedstock powders to their corresponding coatings. For all feedstock powder morphologies, it was observed that the larger the particle size, the higher the temperature generated on impact. For the spherical powders, the higher the temperature generated on impact, the lower the stress needed to deform the particle. In addition, as the kinetic energy of the impacting particle increased, the flow peak stress decreased while the final strain increased. Furthermore, higher final flow strains were associated with higher coating DeltaHV 10 (between the coatings and the feedstock powders). Similar relationships are expected to exist for the sponge and irregular feedstock powders. Based on porosity, the spherical medium powder was found to have the best cold sprayability. The final part of the investigation focussed on the effect of substrate surface roughness and coating thickness on the adhesion strength of commercially pure titanium cold sprayed coatings onto Steel 1020, Al 6061, and Ti substrates. Adhesion strength was measured by tensile/pull tests according to ASTM C-633-01 standard. Through-thickness residual stresses of selected coatings were measured using the modified layer removal method (MLRM). In addition, mean coating residual stresses were calculated from MLRM results. It was found that adhesion strength increases with increasing substrate surface roughness and decreases with increasing coating thickness. Furthermore, mean coating residual stresses were correlated with adhesion strength and it was suggested that higher adhesion strengths are associated with higher mean compressive stresses and a higher probability for adiabatic shear instability to occur due to the higher particle impact velocities. In general, it was found that under similar cold spray conditions and substrate surface preparation method, adhesion strength was strongest for commercially pure titanium coatings deposited onto Al 6061, followed by Ti, then Steel 1020.

The necessity of microscopy to characterize the optical properties of size-selected, nonspherical aerosol particles.

PubMed

Veghte, Daniel P; Freedman, Miriam A

2012-11-06

It is currently unknown whether mineral dust causes a net warming or cooling effect on the climate system. This uncertainty stems from the varied and evolving shape and composition of mineral dust, which leads to diverse interactions of dust with solar and terrestrial radiation. To investigate these interactions, we have used a cavity ring-down spectrometer to study the optical properties of size-selected calcium carbonate particles, a reactive component of mineral dust. The size selection of nonspherical particles like mineral dust can differ from spherical particles in the polydispersity of the population selected. To calculate the expected extinction cross sections, we use Mie scattering theory for monodisperse spherical particles and for spherical particles with the polydispersity observed in transmission electron microscopy images. Our results for calcium carbonate are compared to the well-studied system of ammonium sulfate. While ammonium sulfate extinction cross sections agree with Mie scattering theory for monodisperse spherical particles, the results for calcium carbonate deviate at large and small particle sizes. We find good agreement for both systems, however, between the calculations performed using the particle images and the cavity ring-down data, indicating that both ammonium sulfate and calcium carbonate can be treated as polydisperse spherical particles. Our results indicate that having an independent measure of polydispersity is essential for understanding the optical properties of nonspherical particles measured with cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Our combined spectroscopy and microscopy techniques demonstrate a novel method by which cavity ring-down spectroscopy can be extended for the study of more complex aerosol particles.

A kinetic model for heterogeneous condensation of vapor on an insoluble spherical particle.

PubMed

Luo, Xisheng; Fan, Yu; Qin, Fenghua; Gui, Huaqiao; Liu, Jianguo

2014-01-14

A kinetic model is developed to describe the heterogeneous condensation of vapor on an insoluble spherical particle. This new model considers two mechanisms of cluster growth: direct addition of water molecules from the vapor and surface diffusion of adsorbed water molecules on the particle. The effect of line tension is also included in the model. For the first time, the exact expression of evaporation coefficient is derived for heterogeneous condensation of vapor on an insoluble spherical particle by using the detailed balance. The obtained expression of evaporation coefficient is proved to be also correct in the homogeneous condensation and the heterogeneous condensation on a planar solid surface. The contributions of the two mechanisms to heterogeneous condensation including the effect of line tension are evaluated and analysed. It is found that the cluster growth via surface diffusion of adsorbed water molecules on the particle is more important than the direct addition from the vapor. As an example of our model applications, the growth rate of the cap shaped droplet on the insoluble spherical particle is derived. Our evaluation shows that the growth rate of droplet in heterogeneous condensation is larger than that in homogeneous condensation. These results indicate that an explicit kinetic model is benefit to the study of heterogeneous condensation on an insoluble spherical particle.

Formation and characterization of high surface area thermally stabilized titania/silica composite materials via hydrolysis of titanium(IV) tetra-isopropoxide in sols of spherical silica particles.

PubMed

Khalil, Kamal M S; Elsamahy, Ahmed A; Elanany, Mohamed S

2002-05-15

A direct synthetic route leading to titania particles dispersed on nonporous spherical silica particles has been investigated; 5, 10, and 20% (w/w) titania/silica sols mixtures were achieved via hydrolyzation of titanium tetra-isopropxide solution in the mother liquor of a freshly prepared sol of spherical silica particles (Stöber particles). Titania/silica materials were produced by subsequent drying and calcination of the xerogels so obtained for 3 h at 400 and 600 degrees C. The materials were investigated by means of thermal analyses (TGA and DSC), FT-IR, N(2) gas adsorption-desorption, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In spite of the low surface area (13.1 m(2)/g) of the pure spherical silica particles calcined at 400 degrees C, high surface area and mesoporous texture titania/silica materials were obtained (e.g., S(BET) ca. 293 m(2)/g for the 10% titania/silica calcined at 400 degrees C). Moreover, the materials were shown to be amorphous toward XRD up to 600 degrees C, while reasonable surface areas were preserved. It has been concluded that dispersion of titania particles onto the surface of the nonporous spherical silica particles increase their roughness, therefore leading to composite materials of less firm packing and mesoporosity.

Compression Properties and Electrical Conductivity of In-Situ 20 vol.% Nano-Sized TiCx/Cu Composites with Different Particle Size and Morphology

PubMed Central

Zhang, Dongdong; Bai, Fang; Sun, Liping; Wang, Yong; Wang, Jinguo

2017-01-01

The compression properties and electrical conductivity of in-situ 20 vol.% nano-sized TiCx/Cu composites fabricated via combustion synthesis and hot press in Cu-Ti-CNTs system at various particles size and morphology were investigated. Cubic-TiCx/Cu composite had higher ultimate compression strength (σUCS), yield strength (σ0.2), and electric conductivity, compared with those of spherical-TiCx/Cu composite. The σUCS, σ0.2, and electrical conductivity of cubic-TiCx/Cu composite increased by 4.37%, 20.7%, and 17.8% compared with those of spherical-TiCx/Cu composite (526 MPa, 183 MPa, and 55.6% International Annealed Copper Standard, IACS). Spherical-TiCx/Cu composite with average particle size of ~94 nm exhibited higher ultimate compression strength, yield strength, and electrical conductivity compared with those of spherical-TiCx/Cu composite with 46 nm in size. The σUCS, σ0.2, and electrical conductivity of spherical-TiCx/Cu composite with average size of ~94 nm in size increased by 17.8%, 33.9%, and 62.5% compared with those of spherical-TiCx/Cu composite (417 MPa, 121 MPa, and 40.3% IACS) with particle size of 49 nm, respectively. Cubic-shaped TiCx particles with sharp corners and edges led to stress/strain localization, which enhanced the compression strength of the composites. The agglomeration of spherical-TiCx particles with small size led to the compression strength reduction of the composites. PMID:28772859

NaF-assisted combustion synthesis of MoSi2 nanoparticles and their densification behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nersisyan, Hayk H.; Lee, Tae Hyuk; Ri, Vladislav; Lee, Jong Hyeon; Suh, Hoyoung; Kim, Jin-Gyu; Son, Hyeon Taek; Kim, Yong-Ho

2017-03-01

The exothermic reduction of oxides mixture (MoO3+2SiO2) by magnesium in NaF melt enables the synthesis of nanocrystalline MoSi2 powders in near-quantitative yields. The combustion wave with temperature of about 1000-1200 °C was recorded in highly diluted by NaF starting mixtures. The by-products of combustion reaction (NaF and MgO) were subsequently removed by leaching with acid and washing with water. The as-prepared MoSi2 nanopowder composed of spherical and dendritic shape particles was consolidated using the spark plasma sintering method at 1200-1500 °C and 50 MPa for 10 min. The result was dense compacts (98.6% theoretical density) possessing submicron grains and exhibiting hardness of 8.74-12.92 GPa.

Interactions of non-spherical particles in simple flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niazi, Mehdi; Brandt, Luca; Costa, Pedro; Breugem, Wim-Paul

2015-11-01

The behavior of particles in a flow affects the global transport and rheological properties of the mixture. In recent years much effort has been therefore devoted to the development of an efficient method for the direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the motion of spherical rigid particles immersed in an incompressible fluid. However, the literature on non-spherical particle suspensions is quite scarce despite the fact that these are more frequent. We develop a numerical algorithm to simulate finite-size spheroid particles in shear flows to gain new understanding of the flow of particle suspensions. In particular, we wish to understand the role of inertia and its effect on the flow behavior. For this purpose, DNS simulations with a direct-forcing immersed boundary method are used, with collision and lubrication models for particle-particle and particle-wall interactions. We will discuss pair interactions, relative motion and rotation, of two sedimenting spheroids and show that the interaction time increases significantly for non-spherical particles. More interestingly, we show that the particles are attracted to each other from larger lateral displacements. This has important implications for collision kernels. This work was supported by the European Research Council Grant No. ERC-2013-CoG-616186, TRITOS, and by the Swedish Research Council (VR).

Calibration of optical particle-size analyzer

DOEpatents

Pechin, William H.; Thacker, Louis H.; Turner, Lloyd J.

1979-01-01

This invention relates to a system for the calibration of an optical particle-size analyzer of the light-intercepting type for spherical particles, wherein a rotary wheel or disc is provided with radially-extending wires of differing diameters, each wire corresponding to a particular equivalent spherical particle diameter. These wires are passed at an appropriate frequency between the light source and the light detector of the analyzer. The reduction of light as received at the detector is a measure of the size of the wire, and the electronic signal may then be adjusted to provide the desired signal for corresponding spherical particles. This calibrator may be operated at any time without interrupting other processing.

Formation of polymeric toroidal-spiral particles.

PubMed

Sharma, Vishal; Szymusiak, Magdalena; Shen, Hao; Nitsche, Ludwig C; Liu, Ying

2012-01-10

Compared to spherical matrices, particles with well-defined internal structure provide large surface to volume ratio and predictable release kinetics for the encapsulated payloads. We describe self-assembly of polymeric particles, whereby competitive kinetics of viscous sedimentation, diffusion, and cross-linking yield a controllable toroidal-spiral (T-S) structure. Precursor polymeric droplets are splashed through the surface of a less dense, miscible solution, after which viscous forces entrain the surrounding bulk solution into the sedimenting polymer drop to form T-S channels. The intricate structure forms because low interfacial tension between the two miscible solutions is dominated by viscous forces. The biocompatible polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-DA), is used to demonstrate the solidification of the T-S shapes at various configurational stages by UV-triggered cross-linking. The dimensions of the channels are controlled by Weber number during impact on the surface, and Reynolds number and viscosity ratio during subsequent sedimentation. We anticipate applications of the T-S particle in drug delivery, wherein diffusion through these T-S channels and the polymer matrix would offer parallel release pathways for molecules of different sizes. Polyphosphate, as a model macromolecule, is entrained in T-S particles during their formation. The in vitro release kinetics of polyphosphate from the T-S particles with various channel length and width is reported. In addition, self-assembly of T-S particles occurs in a single step under benign conditions for delicate macromolecules, and appears conducive to scaleup.

Discontinuous contact line motion of evaporating particle-laden droplet on superhydrophobic surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Yutaka; Horibe, Akihiko

2018-04-01

The three-phase contact line motion on a superhydrophobic surface through particle-laden sessile droplet evaporation was investigated. Sample surfaces with micro- and nanoscale structures were generated by various durations of chemical treatment and Si O2 spherical particles with different sizes were used as additives of test liquid. The contact angle and contact radius profiles were studied, and the discontinuous motion of those profiles on micro- and nanostructured hierarchical surfaces was observed, while it was not observed on a nanostructured superhydrophobic surface. Suspensions with low particle concentration induced a relatively large contact radius jump compared to the high-concentrated condition; in contrast, the previous report showed the opposite trend for flat surfaces. In order to explain this result, a simple explanation was provided—that the stacked particles at the contact line region suppressed to the deformation of the liquid-vapor interface near the contact line. This is confirmed by side-view images of the deposition results because the contact line region after evaporation of the dense suspension showed a large contact angle compared to that of the diluted suspension. In addition, deposition at the contact line region was observed by scanning electron microscopy to discuss the effect of the characteristic length scale of the surface structure and particles on the contact line motion. We believe that these results will help one to understand the deposition phenomenon during particle-laden droplet evaporation on the superhydrophobic surface and its applications such as evaporation-driven materials deposition.

Novel Discrete Element Method for 3D non-spherical granular particles.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seelen, Luuk; Padding, Johan; Kuipers, Hans

2015-11-01

Granular materials are common in many industries and nature. The different properties from solid behavior to fluid like behavior are well known but less well understood. The main aim of our work is to develop a discrete element method (DEM) to simulate non-spherical granular particles. The non-spherical shape of particles is important, as it controls the behavior of the granular materials in many situations, such as static systems of packed particles. In such systems the packing fraction is determined by the particle shape. We developed a novel 3D discrete element method that simulates the particle-particle interactions for a wide variety of shapes. The model can simulate quadratic shapes such as spheres, ellipsoids, cylinders. More importantly, any convex polyhedron can be used as a granular particle shape. These polyhedrons are very well suited to represent non-rounded sand particles. The main difficulty of any non-spherical DEM is the determination of particle-particle overlap. Our model uses two iterative geometric algorithms to determine the overlap. The algorithms are robust and can also determine multiple contact points which can occur for these shapes. With this method we are able to study different applications such as the discharging of a hopper or silo. Another application the creation of a random close packing, to determine the solid volume fraction as a function of the particle shape.

What controls the hybridization thermodynamics of spherical nucleic acids?

PubMed

Randeria, Pratik S; Jones, Matthew R; Kohlstedt, Kevin L; Banga, Resham J; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica; Schatz, George C; Mirkin, Chad A

2015-03-18

The hybridization of free oligonucleotides to densely packed, oriented arrays of DNA modifying the surfaces of spherical nucleic acid (SNA)-gold nanoparticle conjugates occurs with negative cooperativity; i.e., each binding event destabilizes subsequent binding events. DNA hybridization is thus an ever-changing function of the number of strands already hybridized to the particle. Thermodynamic quantification of this behavior reveals a 3 orders of magnitude decrease in the binding constant for the capture of a free oligonucleotide by an SNA conjugate as the fraction of pre-hybridized strands increases from 0 to ∼30%. Increasing the number of pre-hybridized strands imparts an increasing enthalpic penalty to hybridization that makes binding more difficult, while simultaneously decreasing the entropic penalty to hybridization, which makes binding more favorable. Hybridization of free DNA to an SNA is thus governed by both an electrostatic barrier as the SNA accumulates charge with additional binding events and an effect consistent with allostery, where hybridization at certain sites on an SNA modify the binding affinity at a distal site through conformational changes to the remaining single strands. Leveraging these insights allows for the design of conjugates that hybridize free strands with significantly higher efficiencies, some of which approach 100%.

Droplet characteristic measurement in Fourier interferometry imaging and behavior at the rainbow angle.

PubMed

Briard, Paul; Saengkaew, Sawitree; Wu, Xuecheng; Meunier-Guttin-Cluzel, Siegfried; Chen, Linghong; Cen, Kefa; Gréhan, Gérard

2013-01-01

This paper presents the possibility of measuring the three-dimensional (3D) relative locations and diameters of a set of spherical particles and discusses the behavior of the light recorded around the rainbow angle, an essential step toward refractive index measurements. When a set of particles is illuminated by a pulsed incident wave, the particles act as spherical light wave sources. When the pulse duration is short enough to fix the particle location (typically about 10 ns), interference fringes between these different spherical waves can be recorded. The Fourier transform of the fringes divides the complex fringe systems into a series of spots, with each spot characterizing the interference between a pair of particles. The analyses of these spots (in position and shape) potentially allow the measurement of particle characteristics (3D relative position, particle diameter, and particle refractive index value).

RT DDA: A hybrid method for predicting the scattering properties by densely packed media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramezan Pour, B.; Mackowski, D.

2017-12-01

The most accurate approaches to predicting the scattering properties of particulate media are based on exact solutions of the Maxwell's equations (MEs), such as the T-matrix and discrete dipole methods. Applying these techniques for optically thick targets is challenging problem due to the large-scale computations and are usually substituted by phenomenological radiative transfer (RT) methods. On the other hand, the RT technique is of questionable validity in media with large particle packing densities. In recent works, we used numerically exact ME solvers to examine the effects of particle concentration on the polarized reflection properties of plane parallel random media. The simulations were performed for plane parallel layers of wavelength-sized spherical particles, and results were compared with RT predictions. We have shown that RTE results monotonically converge to the exact solution as the particle volume fraction becomes smaller and one can observe a nearly perfect fit for packing densities of 2%-5%. This study describes the hybrid technique composed of exact and numerical scalar RT methods. The exact methodology in this work is the plane parallel discrete dipole approximation whereas the numerical method is based on the adding and doubling method. This approach not only decreases the computational time owing to the RT method but also includes the interference and multiple scattering effects, so it may be applicable to large particle density conditions.

The Particle Shape of WC Governing the Fracture Mechanism of Particle Reinforced Iron Matrix Composites.

PubMed

Li, Zulai; Wang, Pengfei; Shan, Quan; Jiang, Yehua; Wei, He; Tan, Jun

2018-06-11

In this work, tungsten carbide particles (WC p , spherical and irregular particles)-reinforced iron matrix composites were manufactured utilizing a liquid sintering technique. The mechanical properties and the fracture mechanism of WC p /iron matrix composites were investigated theoretically and experimentally. The crack schematic diagram and fracture simulation diagram of WC p /iron matrix composites were summarized, indicating that the micro-crack was initiated both from the interface for spherical and irregular WC p /iron matrix composites. However, irregular WC p had a tendency to form spherical WC p . The micro-cracks then expanded to a wide macro-crack at the interface, leading to a final failure of the composites. In comparison with the spherical WC p , the irregular WC p were prone to break due to the stress concentration resulting in being prone to generating brittle cracking. The study on the fracture mechanisms of WC p /iron matrix composites might provide a theoretical guidance for the design and engineering application of particle reinforced composites.

First experimental demonstration of magnetic-field assisted fast heating of a dense plasma core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujioka, Shinsuke; Sakata, Shohei; Lee, Seung Ho; Matsuo, Kazuki; Sawada, Hiroshi; Iwasa, Yuki; Law, King Fai Farley; Morita, Hitoki; Kojima, Sadaoki; Abe, Yuki; Yao, Akira; Hata, Masayasu; Johzaki, Tomoyuki; Sunahara, Atsushi; Ozaki, Tetsuo; Sakagami, Hitoshi; Morace, Alessio; Arikawa, Yasunobu; Yogo, Akifumi; Nishimura, Hiroaki; Nakai, Mitsuo; Shiraga, Hiroyuki; Sentoku, Yasuhiko; Nagatomo, Hideo; Azechi, Hiroshi; Firex Project Team

2016-10-01

Fast heating of a dense plasma core by an energetic electron beam is being studied on GEKKO-LFEX laser facility. Here, we introduce a laser-driven kilo-tesla external magnetic field to guide the diverging electron beam to the dense plasma core. This involve placing a spherical target in the magnetic field, compressing it with the GEKKO-XII laser beams and then using the LFEX laser beams injected into the dense plasma to generate the electron beam which do the fast heating. Cu-Ka emission is used to visualize transport or heating processes of a dense plasma. X-ray spectrum from a highly ionized Cu ions indicates several keV of the temperature increment induced by the LFEX.

A modified Fermi-Walker derivative for inextensible flows of binormal spherical image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suroğlu, Gülden Altay

2018-03-01

Fermi-Walker derivative and biharmonic particle play an important role in skillful applications. We obtain a new characterization on binormal spherical indicatrix by using the Fermi-Walker derivative and parallelism in space. We suggest that an inextensible flow is the necessary and sufficient condition for this particle. Finally, we give some characterizations for a non-rotating frame of this binormal spherical indicatrix.

Characterization of Particle Size Standard NIST 1019b with SynchrotronX-ray Microtomography and Digital Data Extraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedrich, Jon M.; Rivers, Mark L.; Perlowitz, Michael A.

We show that synchrotron x-ray microtomography ({mu}CT) followed by digital data extraction can be used to examine the size distribution and particle morphologies of the polydisperse (750 to 2450 {micro}m diameter) particle size standard NIST 1019b. Our size distribution results are within errors of certified values with data collected at 19.5 {micro}m/voxel. One of the advantages of using {mu}CT to investigate the particles examined here is that the morphology of the glass beads can be directly examined. We use the shape metrics aspect ratio and sphericity to examine of individual standard beads morphologies as a function of spherical equivalent diameters.more » We find that the majority of standard beads possess near-spherical aspect ratios and sphericities, but deviations are present at the lower end of the size range. The majority (> 98%) of particles also possess an equant form when examined using a common measure of equidimensionality. Although the NIST 1019b standard consists of loose particles, we point out that an advantage of {mu}CT is that coherent materials comprised of particles can be examined without disaggregation.« less

Method to produce large, uniform hollow spherical shells

DOEpatents

Hendricks, C.D.

1983-09-26

The invention is a method to produce large uniform hollow spherical shells by (1) forming uniform size drops of heat decomposable or vaporizable material, (2) evaporating the drops to form dried particles, (3) coating the dried particles with a layer of shell forming material and (4) heating the composite particles to melt the outer layer and to decompose or vaporize the inner particle to form an expanding inner gas bubble. The expanding gas bubble forms the molten outer layer into a shell of relatively large diameter. By cycling the temperature and pressure on the molten shell, nonuniformities in wall thickness can be reduced. The method of the invention is utilized to produce large uniform spherical shells, in the millimeter to centimeter diameter size range, from a variety of materials and of high quality, including sphericity, concentricity and surface smoothness, for use as laser fusion or other inertial confinement fusion targets as well as other applications.

Fine coal cleaning via the micro-mag process

DOEpatents

Klima, Mark S.; Maronde, Carl P.; Killmeyer, Richard P.

1991-01-01

A method of cleaning particulate coal which is fed with a dense medium slurry as an inlet feed to a cyclone separator. The coal particle size distribution is in the range of from about 37 microns to about 600 microns. The dense medium comprises water and ferromagnetic particles that have a relative density in the range of from about 4.0 to about 7.0. The ferromagnetic particles of the dense medium have particle sizes of less than about 15 microns and at least a majority of the particle sizes are less than about 5 microns. In the cyclone, the particulate coal and dense-medium slurry is separated into a low gravity product stream and a high gravity produce stream wherein the differential in relative density between the two streams is not greater than about 0.2. The low gravity and high gravity streams are treated to recover the ferromagnetic particles therefrom.

The theory of nonstationary thermophoresis of a solid spherical particle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmin, M. K.; Yalamov, Yu. I.

2007-06-01

The theory of nonstationary thermophoresis of a solid spherical particle in a viscous gaseous medium is presented. The theory is constructed on the solutions of fluid-dynamics and thermal problems, each of which is split into stationary and strictly nonstationary parts. The solution of the stationary parts of the problems gives the final formula for determining the stationary component of the thermophoretic velocity of this particle. To determine the nonstationary component of the thermophoretic velocity of the particle, the corresponding formula in the space of Laplace transforms is derived. The limiting value theorems from operational calculus are used for obtaining the dependence of the nonstationary component of the thermophoretic velocity of the spherical particle on the strictly nonstationary temperature gradient for large and small values of time. The factors determining the thermophoretic velocity of the particle under investigation are determined.

Muzzle-loading weapons discharging spherical lead bullets: two case studies and experimental simulation using a skin-soap composite model.

PubMed

Große Perdekamp, Markus; Braunwarth, Roland; Kromeier, Jan; Nadjem, Hadi; Pollak, Stefan; Thierauf, Annette

2013-07-01

In current forensic practice, fatal injuries from black powder guns are rare events. In contact and close-range shots, the intensity of GSR deposition (soot, powder particles) is much greater than that in shots with smokeless powder ammunition. The same applies to any burning effects from the combustion gases. Besides, a wad of felt interposed between the propellant and the lead bullet may enter the wound channel. Apart from these findings seen in close-range shots, another characteristic feature results from the mostly spherical shape of the missiles causing maximum tissue damage at the entrance site. Two fatal injuries inflicted with muzzle-loading weapons are reported. In the first case, suicide was committed with a cal. 11.6 mm miniature cannon by firing a contact shot to the back of the neck. In test shots using black powder (1 and 2 g) as propellant, the mean bullet velocity measured 1 m away from the weapon was 87.11 and 146.85 m/s, respectively, corresponding to a kinetic energy of 32.49 and 92.95 J, respectively. Contact test shots to composite models consisting of ballistic soap covered by pig skin at the entrance site were evaluated by CT and revealed cone-like cavitations along the bullet path as known from spherical missiles and penetration depths up to 25 cm. The second case presented deals with a homicidal close-range shot discharged from a muzzle-loading percussion pistol cal. .44. The skin around the entrance site (root of the nose) was densely covered with blackish soot and powder particles, whereas the eyebrows and eyelashes showed singeing of the hairs. The flattened bullet and the wad had got stuck under the scalp of the occipital region. In both cases, there was a disproportionally large zone of tissue destruction in the initial parts of the wound tracks.

Investigating the role of particle shape on colloid transport and retention in saturated porous media (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Seymour, M.; Chen, G.; Su, C.

2013-12-01

Mechanistic understanding of the transport and retention of nanoparticles in porous media is essential both for environmental applications of nanotechnology and assessing the potential environmental impacts of engineered nanomaterials. Engineered and naturally occurring nanoparticles can be found in various shapes including rod-shape carbon nanotubes that have high aspect ratios. Although it is expected that nonspherical shape could play an important role on their transport and retention behaviors, current theoretical models for particle transport in porous media, however, are mostly based on spherical particle shape. In this work, the effect of particle shape on its transport and retention in porous media was evaluated by stretching carboxylate-modified fluorescent polystyrene spheres into rod shapes with aspect ratios of 2:1 and 4:1. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation experiments (QCM-D) were conducted to measure the deposition rates of spherical and rod-shaped nanoparticles to the collector (poly-L-lysine coated silica sensor) surface under favorable conditions. Under unfavorable conditions, the retention of nanoparticles in a microfluidic flow cell packed with glass beads was studied with the use of laser scanning cytometry (LSC). Under favorable conditions, the spherical particles displayed a significantly higher deposition rate compared with that of the rod-shaped particles. Theoretical analysis based on Smoluchowski-Levich approximation indicated that the rod-shaped particles largely counterbalance the attractive energies due to higher hydrodynamic forces and torques experienced during their transport and rotation. Under unfavorable conditions, significantly more attachment was observed for rod-shaped particles than spherical particles, and the attachment rate of the rod-shaped particles showed an increasing trend with the increase in injection volume. Rod-shaped particles were found to be less sensitive to the surface charge heterogeneity change than spherical particles. Increased attachment rate of rod-shaped particles was attributed to surface heterogeneity and possibly enhanced hydrophobicity during the stretching process.

Shape effects on time-scale divergence at athermal jamming transition of frictionless non-spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Ye; Jin, Weiwei; Liu, Lufeng; Li, Shuixiang

2017-10-01

The critical behaviors of a granular system at the jamming transition have been extensively studied from both mechanical and thermodynamic perspectives. In this work, we numerically investigate the jamming behaviors of a variety of frictionless non-spherical particles, including spherocylinder, ellipsoid, spherotetrahedron and spherocube. In particular, for a given particle shape, a series of random configurations at different fixed densities are generated and relaxed to minimize interparticle overlaps using the relaxation algorithm. We find that as the jamming point (i.e., point J) is approached, the number of iteration steps (defined as the "time-scale" for our systems) required to completely relax the interparticle overlaps exhibits a clear power-law divergence. The dependence of the detailed mathematical form of the power-law divergence on particle shapes is systematically investigated and elucidated, which suggests that the shape effects can be generally categorized as elongation and roundness. Importantly, we show the jamming transition density can be accurately determined from the analysis of time-scale divergence for different non-spherical shapes, and the obtained values agree very well with corresponding ones reported in literature. Moreover, we study the plastic behaviors of over-jammed packings of different particles under a compression-expansion procedure and find that the jamming of ellipsoid is much more robust than other non-spherical particles. This work offers an alternative approximate procedure besides conventional packing algorithms for studying athermal jamming transition in granular system of frictionless non-spherical particles.

Shock ignition of thermonuclear fuel with high areal density.

PubMed

Betti, R; Zhou, C D; Anderson, K S; Perkins, L J; Theobald, W; Solodov, A A

2007-04-13

A novel method by C. Zhou and R. Betti [Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 50, 140 (2005)] to assemble and ignite thermonuclear fuel is presented. Massive cryogenic shells are first imploded by direct laser light with a low implosion velocity and on a low adiabat leading to fuel assemblies with large areal densities. The assembled fuel is ignited from a central hot spot heated by the collision of a spherically convergent ignitor shock and the return shock. The resulting fuel assembly features a hot-spot pressure greater than the surrounding dense fuel pressure. Such a nonisobaric assembly requires a lower energy threshold for ignition than the conventional isobaric one. The ignitor shock can be launched by a spike in the laser power or by particle beams. The thermonuclear gain can be significantly larger than in conventional isobaric ignition for equal driver energy.

Astrophysical black holes in screened modified gravity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, Anne-Christine; Jha, Rahul; Muir, Jessica

2014-08-01

Chameleon, environmentally dependent dilaton, and symmetron gravity are three models of modified gravity in which the effects of the additional scalar degree of freedom are screened in dense environments. They have been extensively studied in laboratory, cosmological, and astrophysical contexts. In this paper, we present a preliminary investigation into whether additional constraints can be provided by studying these scalar fields around black holes. By looking at the properties of a static, spherically symmetric black hole, we find that the presence of a non-uniform matter distribution induces a non-constant scalar profile in chameleon and dilaton, but not necessarily symmetron gravity. Anmore » order of magnitude estimate shows that the effects of these profiles on in-falling test particles will be sub-leading compared to gravitational waves and hence observationally challenging to detect.« less

Enzymatic formation of gold nanoparticles by submerged culture of the basidiomycete Lentinus edodes.

PubMed

Vetchinkina, Elena P; Loshchinina, Ekaterina A; Burov, Andrey M; Dykman, Lev A; Nikitina, Valentina E

2014-07-20

We report for the first time that the medicinal basidiomycete Lentinus edodes can reduce Au(III) from chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) to elemental Au [Au(0)], forming nanoparticles. Several methods, including transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and dynamic light scattering, were used to show that when the fungus was grown submerged, colloidal gold accumulated on the surface of and inside the mycelial hyphae as electron-dense particles mostly spherical in shape, with sizes ranging from 5 to 50nm. Homogeneous proteins (the fungal enzymes laccase, tyrosinase, and Mn-peroxidase) were found for the first time to be involved in the reduction of Au(III) to Au(0) from HAuCl4. A possible mechanism forming Au nanoparticles is discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controlling Particle Morphologies at Fluid Interfaces: Macro- and Micro- approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beesabathuni, Shilpa Naidu

The controlled generation of varying shaped particles is important for many applications: consumer goods, biomedical diagnostics, food processing, adsorbents and pharmaceuticals which can benefit from the availability of geometrically complex and chemically inhomogeneous particles. This thesis presents two approaches to spherical and non-spherical particle synthesis using macro and microfluidics. In the first approach, a droplet microfluidic technique is explored to fabricate spherical conducting polymer, polyaniline, particles with precise control over morphology and functionality. Microfluidics has recently emerged as an important alternate to the synthesis of complex particles. The conducting polymer, polyaniline, is widely used and known for its stability, high conductivity, and favorable redox properties. In this approach, monodisperse micron-sized polyaniline spherical particles were synthesized using two-phase droplet microfluidics from Aniline and Ammonium persulfate oxidative polymerization in an oil-based continuous phase. The morphology of the polymerized particles is porous in nature which can be used for encapsulation as well as controlled release applications. Encapsulation of an enzyme, glucose oxidase, was also performed using the technique to synthesize microspheres for glucose sensing. The polymer microspheres were characterized using SEM, UV-Vis and EDX to understand the relationship between their microstructure and stability. In the second approach, molten drop impact in a cooling aqueous medium to generate non-spherical particles was explored. Viscoelastic wax based materials are widely used in many applications and their performance and application depends on the particle morphology and size. The deformation of millimeter size molten wax drops as they impacted an immiscible liquid interface was investigated. Spherical molten wax drops impinged on a cooling water bath, then deformed and as a result of solidification were arrested into various shapes such as ellipsoids, mushrooms, spherulites and discs. The final morphology of the wax particles is governed by the interfacial, inertial, viscous and thermal effects, which can be studied over a range of Weber, Capillary, Reynolds and Stefan numbers. A simplified Stefan problem for a spherical drop was solved. The time required to initiate a phase transition at the interface of the molten wax and water after impact was estimated and correlated with the drop deformation history and final wax particle shape to develop a capability to predict the shape. While the microfluidic synthesis approach offers precise control over morphology and functionality, large particle throughput is a limitation. The drop impact in a liquid medium emulsion approach is limited to crosslinking or heat sensitive materials but can be extended to large scale production for industrial applications. Both approaches are simple, robust and cost effective making them viable and attractive solutions for complex particle synthesis. The choice of the approach is dependent on considerations such as particle material, size, shape, throughput and end application.

Soot superaggregates from flaming wildfires and their direct radiative forcing.

PubMed

Chakrabarty, Rajan K; Beres, Nicholas D; Moosmüller, Hans; China, Swarup; Mazzoleni, Claudio; Dubey, Manvendra K; Liu, Li; Mishchenko, Michael I

2014-07-01

Wildfires contribute significantly to global soot emissions, yet their aerosol formation mechanisms and resulting particle properties are poorly understood and parameterized in climate models. The conventional view holds that soot is formed via the cluster-dilute aggregation mechanism in wildfires and emitted as aggregates with fractal dimension Df ≈ 1.8 mobility diameter Dm ≤ 1 μm, and aerodynamic diameter Da ≤ 300 nm. Here we report the ubiquitous presence of soot superaggregates (SAs) in the outflow from a major wildfire in India. SAs are porous, low-density aggregates of cluster-dilute aggregates with characteristic Df ≈ 2.6, Dm > 1 μm, and Da ≤ 300 nm that form via the cluster-dense aggregation mechanism. We present additional observations of soot SAs in wildfire smoke-laden air masses over Northern California, New Mexico, and Mexico City. At 550 nm wavelength, [corrected] we estimate that SAs contribute, per unit optical depth, up to 35% less atmospheric warming than freshly-emitted (D(f) ≈ 1.8) [corrected] aggregates, and ≈90% more warming than the volume-equivalent spherical soot particles simulated in climate models.

Soot superaggregates from flaming wildfires and their direct radiative forcing

PubMed Central

Chakrabarty, Rajan K.; Beres, Nicholas D.; Moosmüller, Hans; China, Swarup; Mazzoleni, Claudio; Dubey, Manvendra K.; Liu, Li; Mishchenko, Michael I.

2014-01-01

Wildfires contribute significantly to global soot emissions, yet their aerosol formation mechanisms and resulting particle properties are poorly understood and parameterized in climate models. The conventional view holds that soot is formed via the cluster-dilute aggregation mechanism in wildfires and emitted as aggregates with fractal dimension Df ≈ 1.8 mobility diameter Dm ≤ 1 μm, and aerodynamic diameter Da ≤ 300 nm. Here we report the ubiquitous presence of soot superaggregates (SAs) in the outflow from a major wildfire in India. SAs are porous, low-density aggregates of cluster-dilute aggregates with characteristic Df ≈ 2.6, Dm > 1 μm, and Da ≤ 300 nm that form via the cluster-dense aggregation mechanism. We present additional observations of soot SAs in wildfire smoke-laden air masses over Northern California, New Mexico, and Mexico City. We estimate that SAs contribute, per unit optical depth, up to 35% less atmospheric warming than freshly-emitted (Df ≈ 1.8) aggregates, and ≈90% more warming than the volume-equivalent spherical soot particles simulated in climate models. PMID:24981204

Spherical Harmonic Analysis of Particle Velocity Distribution Function: Comparison of Moments and Anisotropies using Cluster Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurgiolo, Chris; Vinas, Adolfo F.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a spherical harmonic analysis of the plasma velocity distribution function using high-angular, energy, and time resolution Cluster data obtained from the PEACE spectrometer instrument to demonstrate how this analysis models the particle distribution function and its moments and anisotropies. The results show that spherical harmonic analysis produced a robust physical representation model of the velocity distribution function, resolving the main features of the measured distributions. From the spherical harmonic analysis, a minimum set of nine spectral coefficients was obtained from which the moment (up to the heat flux), anisotropy, and asymmetry calculations of the velocity distribution function were obtained. The spherical harmonic method provides a potentially effective "compression" technique that can be easily carried out onboard a spacecraft to determine the moments and anisotropies of the particle velocity distribution function for any species. These calculations were implemented using three different approaches, namely, the standard traditional integration, the spherical harmonic (SPH) spectral coefficients integration, and the singular value decomposition (SVD) on the spherical harmonic methods. A comparison among the various methods shows that both SPH and SVD approaches provide remarkable agreement with the standard moment integration method.

Computational analysis of non-spherical particle transport and deposition in shear flow with application to lung aerosol dynamics--a review.

PubMed

Kleinstreuer, Clement; Feng, Yu

2013-02-01

All naturally occurring and most man-made solid particles are nonspherical. Examples include air-pollutants in the nano- to micro-meter range as well as blood constituents, drug particles, and industrial fluid-particle streams. Focusing on the modeling and simulation of inhaled aerosols, theories for both spherical and nonspherical particles are reviewed to analyze the contrasting transport and deposition phenomena of spheres and equivalent spheres versus ellipsoids and fibers.

A Facile Method for Preparation of Polymer Particles Having a "Cylindrical" Shape.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Suzuki, Toyoko; Minami, Hideto

2018-06-16

A facile and novel approach to prepare monodisperse polystyrene (PS) particles having a "cylindrical" shape was discovered. The proposed synthetic method involved dispersion polymerization of the spherical PS particles stirred in a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) aqueous solution for several hours using a magnetic stirrer at room temperature. In the presence of PVP, the spherical PS particles deformed into cylindrical shapes following stirring; however, the particles did not deform in the absence of PVP. The deformation rate of the particles was affected by the molecular weight of the dissolved PVP. This stirring method is not only highly efficient and provides high yield, but is also applicable to other materials such as polymethyl methacrylate. Moreover, the cylindrical particles were successfully applied as particulate surfactants in a Pickering emulsion system, which exhibited excellent stability as comparison with the system using spherical particles as a surfactant. In the latter case, the emulsion was left standing for more than 4 months. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Wrinkling Non-Spherical Particles and Its Application in Cell Attachment Promotion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Minggan; Joung, Dehi; Hughes, Bethany; Waldman, Stephen D.; Kozinski, Janusz A.; Hwang, Dae Kun

2016-07-01

Surface wrinkled particles are ubiquitous in nature and present in different sizes and shapes, such as plant pollens and peppercorn seeds. These natural wrinkles provide the particles with advanced functions to survive and thrive in nature. In this work, by combining flow lithography and plasma treatment, we have developed a simple method that can rapidly create wrinkled non-spherical particles, mimicking the surface textures in nature. Due to the oxygen inhibition in flow lithography, the non-spherical particles synthesized in a microfluidic channel are covered by a partially cured polymer (PCP) layer. When exposed to plasma treatment, this PCP layer rapidly buckles, forming surface-wrinkled particles. We designed and fabricated various particles with desired shapes and sizes. The surfaces of these shapes were tuned to created wrinkle morphologies by controlling UV exposure time and the washing process. We further demonstrated that wrinkles on the particles significantly promoted cell attachment without any chemical modification, potentially providing a new route for cell attachment for various biomedical applications.

Anomalous change of Airy disk with changing size of spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Linchao; Zhang, Fugen; Meng, Rui; Xu, Jie; Zuo, Chenze; Ge, Baozhen

2016-02-01

Use of laser diffraction is considered as a method of reliable principle and mature technique in measurements of particle size distributions. It is generally accepted that for a certain relative refractive index, the size of the scattering pattern (also called Airy disk) of spherical particles monotonically decreases with increasing particle size. This fine structure forms the foundation of the laser diffraction method. Here we show that the Airy disk size of non-absorbing spherical particles becomes larger with increasing particle size in certain size ranges. To learn more about this anomalous change of Airy disk (ACAD), we present images of Airy disk and curves of Airy disk size versus particle size for spherical particles of different relative refractive indices by using Mie theory. These figures reveal that ACAD occurs periodically for non-absorbing particles and will disappear when the absorbing efficiency is higher than certain value. Then by using geometrical optics (GO) approximation, we derive the analytical formulae for the bounds of the size ranges where ACAD occurs. From the formulae, we obtain laws of ACAD as follows: (1) for non-absorbing particles, ACAD occurs periodically, and when the particle size tends to infinity, the period tends to a certain value. As the relative refractive index increases, (2) the particle size ranges where ACAD occurs shift to smaller values, (3) the period of ACAD becomes smaller, and (4) the width of the size ranges where ACAD occurs becomes narrower. In addition, we can predict from the formulae that ACAD also exists for particles whose relative refractive index is smaller than 1.

High explosive compound

DOEpatents

Crawford, Theodore C.

1976-01-01

1. A low detonation velocity explosive consisting essentially of a particulate mixture of ortho-boric acid and trinitrotoluene, said mixture containing from about 25 percent to about 65 percent by weight of ortho-boric acid, said ortho-boric acid comprised of from 60 percent to 90 percent of spherical particles having a mean particle size of about 275 microns and 10 percent to 40 percent of spherical particles having a particle size less than about 44 microns.

Emergence and Utility of Nonspherical Particles in Biomedicine

PubMed Central

Fish, Margaret B.; Thompson, Alex J.; Fromen, Catherine A.; Eniola-Adefeso, Omolola

2016-01-01

The importance of the size of targeted, spherical drug carriers has been previously explored and reviewed. Particle shape has emerged as an equally important parameter in determining the in vivo journey and efficiency of drug carrier systems. Researchers have invented techniques to better control the geometry of particles of many different materials, which have allowed for exploration of the role of particle geometry in the phases of drug delivery. The important biological processes include clearance by the immune system, trafficking to the target tissue, margination to the endothelial surface, interaction with the target cell, and controlled release of a payload. The review of current literature herein supports that particle shape can be altered to improve a system’s targeting efficiency. Non-spherical particles can harness the potential of targeted drug carriers by enhancing targeted site accumulation while simultaneously decreasing side effects and mitigating some limitations faced by spherical carriers. PMID:27182109

Adhesive interaction of elastically deformable spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'yachenko, E. N.; Dueck, J. G.

2012-01-01

Two spherical particles that attract each other by van der Waals volume forces and can undergo deformation as a result of the attraction are considered. Small deformations of such particles can be described by the solution of the Hertz problem. The deformation of particles, in turn, alters the force of attraction between them. It has been established that the relationship between the adhesion and elasticity of the indicated particles is determined by the degree to which these particles deform and that the adhesion force acting between the particles depends on their elasticity, size, and the Hamaker constants.

Development, Characterization and Evaluation of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as a potential Anticancer Drug Delivery System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Meghavi

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) consist of spherical solid lipid particles in the nanometer size range, which are dispersed in water or in an aqueous surfactant solution. SLN technology represents a promising new approach to deliver hydrophilic as well as lipophilic drugs. The commercialization of SLN technology remains limited despite numerous efforts from researchers. The purpose of this research was to advance SLN preparation methodology by investigating the feasibility of preparing glyceryl monostearate (GMS) nanoparticles by using three preparation methods namely microemulsion technique, magnetic stirring technique and temperature modulated solidification technique of which the latter two were developed in our laboratory. An anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil was incorporated in the SLNs prepared via the temperature modulated solidification process. Optimization of the magnetic stirring process was performed to evaluate how the physicochemical properties of the SLN was influenced by systematically varying process parameters including concentration of the lipid, concentration of the surfactant, type of surfactant, time of stirring and temperature of storage. The results demonstrated 1:2 GMS to tween 80 ratio, 150 ml dispersion medium and 45 min stirring at 4000 RPM speed provided an optimum formulation via the temperature modulated solidification process. SLN dispersions were lyophilized to stabilize the solid lipid nanoparticles and the lyophilizates exhibited good redispersibility. The SLNs were characterized by particle size analysis via dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), drug encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release studies. Particle size of SLN dispersion prepared via the three preparation techniques was approximately 66 nm and that of redispersed lyophilizates was below 500 nm. TEM images showed spherical to oval particles that were less dense in the core with a well-defined shell and the particle size was in agreement with the particle size analysis data obtained by DLS. DSC thermograms of the lyophilized SLNs indicate a reduction in the crystallinity order of GMS particles. The drug encapsulation efficiency was found to be approximately 30%. In vitro drug release studies from redispersed lyophilized SLNs showed that 17 % of the encapsulated drug was released within 2 h. The SLNs prepared in our lab demonstrated characteristics that can potentially be utilized in an anticancer drug delivery system. Future in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal model studies will delineate compatibility and utility of these formulations in biological systems.

Collective motion of squirmers in a quasi-2D geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zöttl, Andreas; Stark, Holger

2013-03-01

Microorganisms like bacteria, algae or spermatozoa typically move in an aqueous environment where they interact via hydrodynamic flow fields. Recent experiments studied the collective motion of dense suspensions of bacteria where swarming and large-scale turbulence emerged. Moreover, spherical artificial microswimmers, so-called squirmers, have been constructed and studied in a quasi-2D geometry. Here we present a numerical study of the collective dynamics of squirmers confined in quasi-2D between two parallel walls. Because of their spherical shape the reorientation of squirmers is solely due to noise and hydrodynamic interactions via induced flow fields. This is in contrast to elongated swimmers like bacteria which locally align due to steric interactions. We study the collective motion of pushers, pullers and potential swimmers at different densities. At small densities the squirmers are oriented parallel to the walls and pairwise collisions determine the reorientation rate. In dense suspensions rotational diffusion is greatly enhanced and pushers, in particular, tend to orient perpendicular to the walls. This effects the dynamics of the emerging clusters. In very dense suspensions we observe active jamming and long-lived crystalline structures.

COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL SCHEMES FOR SOLVING A SPHERICAL PARTICLE DIFFUSION EQUATION

EPA Science Inventory

A new robust iterative numerical scheme was developed for a nonlinear diffusive model that described sorption dynamics in spherical particle suspensions. he numerical scheme had been applied to finite difference and finite element models that showed rapid convergence and stabilit...

DLVO interaction energies between hollow spherical particles and collector surfaces

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The surface element integration technique was used to systematically study Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) interaction energies/forces between hollow spherical particles (HPs) and a planar surface or two intercepting half planes under different ionic strength conditions. The inner and outer ...

A high-speed tracking algorithm for dense granular media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerda, Mauricio; Navarro, Cristóbal A.; Silva, Juan; Waitukaitis, Scott R.; Mujica, Nicolás; Hitschfeld, Nancy

2018-06-01

Many fields of study, including medical imaging, granular physics, colloidal physics, and active matter, require the precise identification and tracking of particle-like objects in images. While many algorithms exist to track particles in diffuse conditions, these often perform poorly when particles are densely packed together-as in, for example, solid-like systems of granular materials. Incorrect particle identification can have significant effects on the calculation of physical quantities, which makes the development of more precise and faster tracking algorithms a worthwhile endeavor. In this work, we present a new tracking algorithm to identify particles in dense systems that is both highly accurate and fast. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by analyzing images of dense, solid-state granular media, where we achieve an identification error of 5% in the worst evaluated cases. Going further, we propose a parallelization strategy for our algorithm using a GPU, which results in a speedup of up to 10 × when compared to a sequential CPU implementation in C and up to 40 × when compared to the reference MATLAB library widely used for particle tracking. Our results extend the capabilities of state-of-the-art particle tracking methods by allowing fast, high-fidelity detection in dense media at high resolutions.

Fabricating the spherical and flake silver powder used for the optoelectronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ju, Wei; Ma, Wangjing; Zhang, Fangzhi; Chen, Yixiang; Xie, Jinpeng

2018-01-01

The spherical and flake silver powder with different particle size for the optoelectronic devices was partly prepared by using chemical reduction and ball milling method, and charactered by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser particle size analyzer and thermo-gravimetric(TG) analyzer. The particle size of three series of spherical silver powder fabricated by chemical reduction is about 1.5μm, 1μm and 0.6μm, respectively; after being mechanical milling, the particle size of flake silver powder with high flaky rate is about 10μm, 6μm and 2μm respectively. Thermo gravimetric (TG) and XRD analyses showed that the silver powders have high purity and crystalline, and then the laser particle size and SEM analyses showed that the silver powders has good uniformity.

Fluidization of spherocylindrical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahajan, Vinay V.; Nijssen, Tim M. J.; Fitzgerald, Barry W.; Hofman, Jeroen; Kuipers, Hans; Padding, Johan T.

2017-06-01

Multiphase (gas-solid) flows are encountered in numerous industrial applications such as pharmaceutical, food, agricultural processing and energy generation. A coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) approach is a popular way to study such flows at a particle scale. However, most of these studies deal with spherical particles while in reality, the particles are rarely spherical. The particle shape can have significant effect on hydrodynamics in a fluidized bed. Moreover, most studies in literature use inaccurate drag laws because accurate laws are not readily available. The drag force acting on a non-spherical particle can vary considerably with particle shape, orientation with the flow, Reynolds number and packing fraction. In this work, the CFD-DEM approach is extended to model a laboratory scale fluidized bed of spherocylinder (rod-like) particles. These rod-like particles can be classified as Geldart D particles and have an aspect ratio of 4. Experiments are performed to study the particle flow behavior in a quasi-2D fluidized bed. Numerically obtained results for pressure drop and bed height are compared with experiments. The capability of CFD-DEM approach to efficiently describe the global bed dynamics for fluidized bed of rod-like particles is demonstrated.

Self assembly of anisotropic colloidal particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florea, Daniel; Wyss, Hans

2012-02-01

Colloidal particles have been successfully used as ''model atoms'', as their behavior can be more directly studied than that of atoms or molecules by direct imaging in a confocal microscope. Most studies have focussed on spherical particles with isotropic interactions. However, a range of interesting materials such as many supramolecular polymers or biopolymers exhibit highly directional interactions. To capture their behavior in colloidal model systems, particles with anisotropic interactions are clearly required. Here we use a colloidal system of nonspherical colloids, where highly directional interactions can be induced via depletion. By biaxially stretching spherical PMMA particles we create oblate spheroidal particles. We induce attractive interactions between these particles by adding a non-adsorbing polymer to the background liquid. The resulting depletion interaction is stronger along the minor axis of the oblate spheroids. We study the phase behavior of these materials as a function of the ellipsoid aspect ratio, the strength of the depletion interactions, and the particle concentration. The resulting morphologies are qualitatively different from those observed with spherical particles. This can be exploited for creating new materials with tailored structures.

The 4-parameter Compressible Packing Model (CPM) including a critical cavity size ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roquier, Gerard

2017-06-01

The 4-parameter Compressible Packing Model (CPM) has been developed to predict the packing density of mixtures constituted by bidisperse spherical particles. The four parameters are: the wall effect and the loosening effect coefficients, the compaction index and a critical cavity size ratio. The two geometrical interactions have been studied theoretically on the basis of a spherical cell centered on a secondary class bead. For the loosening effect, a critical cavity size ratio, below which a fine particle can be inserted into a small cavity created by touching coarser particles, is introduced. This is the only parameter which requires adaptation to extend the model to other types of particles. The 4-parameter CPM demonstrates its efficiency on frictionless glass beads (300 values), spherical particles numerically simulated (20 values), round natural particles (125 values) and crushed particles (335 values) with correlation coefficients equal to respectively 99.0%, 98.7%, 97.8%, 96.4% and mean deviations equal to respectively 0.007, 0.006, 0.007, 0.010.

Direct Numerical Simulation of Oscillatory Flow Over a Wavy, Rough, and Permeable Bottom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzuoli, Marco; Blondeaux, Paolo; Simeonov, Julian; Calantoni, Joseph

2018-03-01

The results of a direct numerical simulation of oscillatory flow over a wavy bottom composed of different layers of spherical particles are described. The amplitude of wavy bottom is much smaller in scale than typical bed forms such as sand ripples. The spherical particles are packed in such a way to reproduce a bottom profile observed during an experiment conducted in a laboratory flow tunnel with well-sorted coarse sand. The amplitude and period of the external forcing flow as well as the size of the particles are set equal to the experimental values and the computed velocity field is compared with the measured velocity profiles. The direct numerical simulation allows for the evaluation of quantities, which are difficult to measure in a laboratory experiment (e.g., vorticity, seepage flow velocity, and hydrodynamic force acting on sediment particles). In particular, attention is focused on the coherent vortex structures generated by the vorticity shed by both the spherical particles and the bottom waviness. Results show that the wavy bottom triggers transition to turbulence. Moreover, the forces acting on the spherical particles are computed to investigate the mechanisms through which they are possibly mobilized by the oscillatory flow. It was found that forces capable of mobilizing surface particles are strongly correlated with the particle position above the mean bed elevation and the passage of coherent vortices above them.

Atomizing apparatus for making polymer and metal powders and whiskers

DOEpatents

Otaigbe, Joshua U.; McAvoy, Jon M.; Anderson, Iver E.; Ting, Jason; Mi, Jia; Terpstra, Robert

2003-03-18

Method for making polymer particulates, such as spherical powder and whiskers, by melting a polymer material under conditions to avoid thermal degradation of the polymer material, atomizing the melt using gas jet means in a manner to form atomized droplets, and cooling the droplets to form polymer particulates, which are collected for further processing. Atomization parameters can be controlled to produce polymer particulates with controlled particle shape, particle size, and particle size distribution. For example, atomization parameters can be controlled to produce spherical polymer powders, polymer whiskers, and combinations of spherical powders and whiskers. Atomizing apparatus also is provided for atoomizing polymer and metallic materials.

Modelling sheet-flow sediment transport in wave-bottom boundary layers using discrete-element modelling.

PubMed

Calantoni, Joseph; Holland, K Todd; Drake, Thomas G

2004-09-15

Sediment transport in oscillatory boundary layers is a process that drives coastal geomorphological change. Most formulae for bed-load transport in nearshore regions subsume the smallest-scale physics of the phenomena by parametrizing interactions amongst particles. In contrast, we directly simulate granular physics in the wave-bottom boundary layer using a discrete-element model comprised of a three-dimensional particle phase coupled to a one-dimensional fluid phase via Newton's third law through forces of buoyancy, drag and added mass. The particulate sediment phase is modelled using discrete particles formed to approximate natural grains by overlapping two spheres. Both the size of each sphere and the degree of overlap can be varied for these composite particles to generate a range of non-spherical grains. Simulations of particles having a range of shapes showed that the critical angle--the angle at which a grain pile will fail when tilted slowly from rest--increases from approximately 26 degrees for spherical particles to nearly 39 degrees for highly non-spherical composite particles having a dumbbell shape. Simulations of oscillatory sheet flow were conducted using composite particles with an angle of repose of approximately 33 degrees and a Corey shape factor greater than about 0.8, similar to the properties of beach sand. The results from the sheet-flow simulations with composite particles agreed more closely with laboratory measurements than similar simulations conducted using spherical particles. The findings suggest that particle shape may be an important factor for determining bed-load flux, particularly for larger bed slopes.

Optimized spray drying process for preparation of one-step calcium-alginate gel microspheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Popeski-Dimovski, Riste

Calcium-alginate micro particles have been used extensively in drug delivery systems. Therefore we establish a one-step method for preparation of internally gelated micro particles with spherical shape and narrow size distribution. We use four types of alginate with different G/M ratio and molar weight. The size of the particles is measured using light diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Measurements showed that with this method, micro particles with size distribution around 4 micrometers can be prepared, and SEM imaging showed that those particles are spherical in shape.

Rotation of a Spherical Particle with Electrical Dipole Moment Induced by Steady Irradiation in a Static Electric Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grachev, A. I.

2018-04-01

Rotation of a spherical particle in a static electric field and under steady irradiation that induces an electric dipole moment in the particle is studied for the first time. Along with the general treatment of the phenomenon, we analyze possible mechanisms underlying the photoinduction of dipole moment in the particle. Estimations of the angular velocity and the power expended by the rotating particle are provided. The indicated characteristics reach their maximum values if the size of particles is within the range of 10 nm to 10 μm.

Restrike Particle Beam Experiments on a Dense Plasma Focus. Opening Switch Research on a Dense Plasma Focus.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

Research on this grant has focused on plasma focus experiments in the areas of particle beam generation and as a potential repetitive opening switch...as were scaling laws for the increase of electron energy and current with input energy. The potential of the plasma focus as an opening switch was...delay line technique. The observed frequencies were most consistent with the lower hybrid frequency. Keywords include: Dense Plasma Focus , Particle Beam Generation, Opening Switch, Load Experiments, Pulsed Power.

Avian influenza a virus budding morphology: spherical or filamentous?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Most strains of influenza A virus (IAV) can produce long (µm length) filamentous virus particles as well as ~100 nm diameter spherical virions. The function of the filamentous particles is unclear but is hypothesized to facilitate transmission within or from the respiratory tract. In mammalian IAVs,...

Microwave Polarized Signatures Generated within Cloud Systems: SSM/I Observations Interpreted with Radiative Transfer Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prigent, Catherine; Pardo, Juan R.; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Rossow, Willaim B.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Special Sensor Microwave /Imager (SSM/I) observations in cloud systems are studied over the tropics. Over optically thick cloud systems, presence of polarized signatures at 37 and 85 GHz is evidenced and analyzed with the help of cloud top temperature and optical thickness extracted from visible and IR satellite observations. Scattering signatures at 85 GHz (TbV(85) less than or = 250 K) are associated with polarization differences greater than or = 6 K, approx. 50%, of the time over ocean and approx. 40% over land. In addition. over thick clouds the polarization difference at 37 GHz is rarely negligible. The polarization differences at 37 and 85 GHz do not stem from the surface but are generated in regions of relatively homogeneous clouds having high liquid water content. To interpret the observations, a radiative transfer model that includes the scattering by non-spherical particles is developed. based on the T-matrix approach and using the doubling and adding method. In addition to handling randomly and perfectly oriented particles, this model can also simulate the effect of partial orientation of the hydrometeors. Microwave brightness temperatures are simulated at SSM/I frequencies and are compared with the observations. Polarization differences of approx. 2 K can be simulated at 37 GHz over a rain layer, even using spherical drops. The polarization difference is larger for oriented non-spherical particles. The 85 GHz simulations are very sensitive to the ice phase of the cloud. Simulations with spherical particles or with randomly oriented non-spherical ice particles cannot replicate the observed polarization differences. However, with partially oriented non-spherical particles, the observed polarized signatures at 85 GHz are explained, and the sensitivity of the scattering characteristics to the particle size, asphericity, and orientation is analyzed. Implications on rain and ice retrievals are discussed.

Study on the RF inductively coupled plasma spheroidization of refractory W and W-Ta alloy powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenfan, YU; Xin, ZHOU; Dianzheng, WANG; Neuyen VAN, LINH; Wei, LIU

2018-01-01

Spherical powders with good flowability and high stacking density are mandatory for powder bed additive manufacturing. Nevertheless, the preparation of spherical refractory tungsten and tungsten alloy powders is a formidable task. In this paper, spherical refractory metal powders processed by high-energy stir ball milling and RF inductively coupled plasma were investigated. By utilizing the technical route, pure spherical tungsten powders were prepared successfully, the flowability increased from 10.7 s/50 g to 5.5 s/50 g and apparent density increased from 6.916 g cm-3 to 11.041 g cm-3. Alloying element tantalum can reduce the tendency to micro-crack during tungsten laser melting and rapid solidification process. Spherical W-6Ta (%wt) powders were prepared in this way, homogeneous dispersion of tantalum in a tungsten matrix occurred but a small amount of flake-like shape particles appeared after high-energy stir ball milling. The flake-like shape particles can hardly be spheroidized in subsequent RF inductively coupled plasma process, might result from the unique suspended state of flaky particles under complex electric and magnetic fields as well as plasma-particle heat exchange was different under various turbulence models. As a result, the flake-like shape particles cannot pass through the high-temperature area of thermal plasma torch and cannot be spheroidized properly.

The small, dense LDL phenotype and the risk of coronary heart disease: epidemiology, patho-physiology and therapeutic aspects.

PubMed

Lamarche, B; Lemieux, I; Després, J P

1999-09-01

More than decade ago, several cross-sectional studies have reported differences in LDL particle size, density and composition between coronary heart disease (CHD) patients and healthy controls. Three recent prospective, nested case-control studies have since confirmed that the presence of small, dense LDL particles was associated with more than a three-fold increase in the risk of CHD. The small, dense LDL phenotype rarely occurs as an isolated disorder. It is most frequently accompanied by hypertriglyceridemia, reduced HDL cholesterol levels, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and by a series of other metabolic alterations predictive of an impaired endothelial function and increased susceptibility to thrombosis. Whether or not the small, dense LDL phenotype should be considered an independent CHD risk factor remains to be clearly established. The cluster of metabolic abnormalities associated with small, dense LDL particles has been referred to as the insulin resistance-dyslipidemic phenotype of abdominal obesity. Results from the Québec Cardiovascular Study have indicated that individuals displaying three of the numerous features of insulin resistance (elevated plasma insulin and apolipoprotein B concentrations and small, dense LDL particles) showed a remarkable increase in CHD risk. Our data suggest that the increased risk of CHD associated with having small, dense LDL particles may be modulated to a significant extent by the presence/absence of insulin resistance, abdominal obesity and increased LDL particle concentration. We suggest that the complex interactions among the metabolic alterations of the insulin resistance syndrome should be considered when evaluating the risk of CHD associated with the small, dense LDL phenotype. From a therapeutic standpoint, the treatment of this condition should not only aim at reducing plasma triglyceride levels, but also at improving all features of the insulin resistance syndrome, for which body weight loss and mobilization of abdominal fat appear as key elements. Finally, interventions leading to reduction in fasting triglyceride levels will increase LDL particle size and contribute to reduce CHD risk, particularly if plasma apolipoprotein B concentration (as a surrogate of the number of atherogenic particles) is also reduced.

Mechanism of formation and nanostructure of Stöber silica particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masalov, V. M.; Sukhinina, N. S.; Kudrenko, E. A.; Emelchenko, G. A.

2011-07-01

The formation of silica nano- and microparticles has been studied during growth by the modified Stöber-Fink-Bohn (SFB) method. It has been experimentally found that the density and fractal structure of particles vary with size as they grow from 70 to 2200 nm. We propose a model of particle structure which is a dense primary particle core and is composed of concentric secondary particle shells terminating in dense primary particle layers.

Effects of Ni particle morphology on cell performance of Na/NiCl2 battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Mangi; Ahn, Cheol-Woo; Hahn, Byung-Dong; Jung, Keeyoung; Park, Yoon-Cheol; Cho, Nam-ung; Lee, Heesoo; Choi, Joon-Hwan

2017-11-01

Electrochemical reaction of Ni particle, one of active cathode materials in the Na/NiCl2 battery, occurs on the particle surface. The NiCl2 layer formed on the Ni particle surface during charging can disconnect the electron conduction path through Ni particles because the NiCl2 layer has very low conductivity. The morphology and size of Ni particles, therefore, need to be controlled to obtain high charge capacity and excellent cyclic retention. Effects of the Ni particle size on the cell performance were investigated using spherical Ni particles with diameters of 0.5 μm, 6 μm, and 50 μm. The charge capacities of the cells with spherical Ni particles increased when the Ni particle size becomes smaller because of their higher surface area but their charge capacities were significantly decreased with increasing cyclic tests owing to the disconnection of electron conduction path. The inferior cyclic retention of charge capacity was improved using reticular Ni particles which maintained the reliable connection for the electron conduction in the Na/NiCl2 battery. The charge capacity of the cell with the reticular Ni particles was higher than the cell with the small-sized spherical Ni particles approximately by 26% at 30th cycle.

Method for producing metallic microparticles

DOEpatents

Phillips, Jonathan; Perry, William L.; Kroenke, William J.

2004-06-29

Method for producing metallic particles. The method converts metallic nanoparticles into larger, spherical metallic particles. An aerosol of solid metallic nanoparticles and a non-oxidizing plasma having a portion sufficiently hot to melt the nanoparticles are generated. The aerosol is directed into the plasma where the metallic nanoparticles melt, collide, join, and spheroidize. The molten spherical metallic particles are directed away from the plasma and enter the afterglow where they cool and solidify.

Gel Fabrication of Molybdenum “Beads”

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lowden, Richard Andrew; Armstrong, Beth L.; Cooley, Kevin M.

2016-11-01

Spherical molybdenum particles or “beads” of various diameters are of interest as feedstock materials for the additive manufacture of targets and assemblies used in the production of 99Mo medical isotopes using accelerator technology. Small metallic beads or ball bearings are typically fabricated from wire; however, small molybdenum spheres cannot readily be produced in this manner. Sol-gel processes are often employed to produce small dense microspheres of metal oxides across a broad diameter range that in the case of molybdenum could be reduced and sintered to produce metallic spheres. These Sol-gel type processes were examined for forming molybdenum oxide beads; however,more » the molybdenum trioxide was chemically incompatible with commonly used gelation materials. As an alternative, an aqueous alginate process being assessed for the fabrication of oxide spheres for catalyst applications was employed to form molybdenum trioxide beads that were successfully reduced and sintered to produce small molybdenum spheres.« less

Synthesis of low-size flower-like AlOOH structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bakina, Olga V., E-mail: ovbakina@ispms.tsc.ru, E-mail: eagl@ispms.tsc.ru; Glazkova, Elena A., E-mail: ovbakina@ispms.tsc.ru, E-mail: eagl@ispms.tsc.ru; Lozhkomoev, Aleksandr S., E-mail: asl@ispms.tsc.ru

Al/Cu, Al/Zn, and Al/Fe bimetallic nanoparticles have been obtained using the method of simultaneous electrical explosion of metal pairs in an argon atmosphere. The nanoparticles are chemically active and interact with water at 60°C forming flower-like hierarchical porous structures with a high specific surface area. As the Al/Cu nanopowder is oxidized with water, flower-like pseudoboehmite composite structures are formed with the size of under 1.0 μm; structurally heterogeneous electron-dense spherical inclusions of unreacted metal copper and intermetallides are identified inside them. Al/Fe product transformations are presented by the flower-like pseudoboehmite surrounded by lamellar structures enriched with ferric oxides. Al/Zn nanoparticlesmore » react with water, forming the flower-like pseudoboehmite and mainly hexagonal zinc oxide laminae. The composite particles obtained can be used as antibacterial agents in manufacturing medical supplies.« less

Ultrasonic trap for light scattering measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barton, Petr; Pavlu, Jiri

2017-04-01

Light scattering is complex phenomenon occurring widely in space environments, including the dense dusty clouds, nebulas or even the upper atmosphere of the Earth. However, when the size of the dust (or of other scattering center) is close to the incident light wavelength, theoretical determination is difficult. In such case, Mie theory is to be used but there is a lack of the material constants for most space-related materials. For experimental measurement of light scattering, we designed unique apparatus, based on ultrasonic trap. Using acoustic levitation we are able to capture the dust grain in midair, irradiate it with laser, and observe scattering directly with goniometer-mounted photodiode. Advantage of this approach is ability to measure directly in the air (thus, no need for the carrier medium) and possibility to study non-spherical particles. Since the trap development is nearly finished and initial experiments are carried out, the paper presents first tests on water droplets.

An incompressible two-dimensional multiphase particle-in-cell model for dense particle flows

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snider, D.M.; O`Rourke, P.J.; Andrews, M.J.

1997-06-01

A two-dimensional, incompressible, multiphase particle-in-cell (MP-PIC) method is presented for dense particle flows. The numerical technique solves the governing equations of the fluid phase using a continuum model and those of the particle phase using a Lagrangian model. Difficulties associated with calculating interparticle interactions for dense particle flows with volume fractions above 5% have been eliminated by mapping particle properties to a Eulerian grid and then mapping back computed stress tensors to particle positions. This approach utilizes the best of Eulerian/Eulerian continuum models and Eulerian/Lagrangian discrete models. The solution scheme allows for distributions of types, sizes, and density of particles,more » with no numerical diffusion from the Lagrangian particle calculations. The computational method is implicit with respect to pressure, velocity, and volume fraction in the continuum solution thus avoiding courant limits on computational time advancement. MP-PIC simulations are compared with one-dimensional problems that have analytical solutions and with two-dimensional problems for which there are experimental data.« less

Direct Numerical Simulation of dense particle-laden turbulent flows using immersed boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fan; Desjardins, Olivier

2009-11-01

Dense particle-laden turbulent flows play an important role in many engineering applications, ranging from pharmaceutical coating and chemical synthesis to fluidized bed reactors. Because of the complexity of the physics involved in these flows, current computational models for gas-particle processes, such as drag and heat transfer, rely on empirical correlations and have been shown to lack accuracy. In this work, direct numerical simulations (DNS) of dense particle-laden flows are conducted, using immersed boundaries (IB) to resolve the flow around each particle. First, the accuracy of the proposed approach is tested on a range of 2D and 3D flows at various Reynolds numbers, and resolution requirements are discussed. Then, various particle arrangements and number densities are simulated, the impact on particle wake interaction is assessed, and existing drag models are evaluated in the case of fixed particles. In addition, the impact of the particles on turbulence dissipation is investigated. Finally, a strategy for handling moving and colliding particles is discussed.

Dynamics of aspherical dust grains in a cometary atmosphere: I. axially symmetric grains in a spherically symmetric atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanovski, S. L.; Zakharov, V. V.; Della Corte, V.; Crifo, J.-F.; Rotundi, A.; Fulle, M.

2017-01-01

In-situ measurements of individual dust grain parameters in the immediate vicinity of a cometary nucleus are being carried by the Rosetta spacecraft at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. For the interpretations of these observational data, a model of dust grain motion as realistic as possible is requested. In particular, the results of the Stardust mission and analysis of samples of interplanetary dust have shown that these particles are highly aspherical, which should be taken into account in any credible model. The aim of the present work is to study the dynamics of ellipsoidal shape particles with various aspect ratios introduced in a spherically symmetric expanding gas flow and to reveal the possible differences in dynamics between spherical and aspherical particles. Their translational and rotational motion under influence of the gravity and of the aerodynamic force and torque is numerically integrated in a wide range of physical parameters values including those of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The main distinctions of the dynamics of spherical and ellipsoidal particles are discussed. The aerodynamic characteristics of the ellipsoidal particles, and examples of their translational and rotational motion in the postulated gas flow are presented.

Dynamics and interactions of particles in a thermophoretic trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Benjamin; Fung, Frankie; Fieweger, Connor; Usatyuk, Mykhaylo; Gaj, Anita; DeSalvo, B. J.; Chin, Cheng

2017-08-01

We investigate dynamics and interactions of particles levitated and trapped by the thermophoretic force in a vacuum cell. Our analysis is based on footage taken by orthogonal cameras that are able to capture the three dimensional trajectories of the particles. In contrast to spherical particles, which remain stationary at the center of the cell, here we report new qualitative features of the motion of particles with non-spherical geometry. Singly levitated particles exhibit steady spinning around their body axis and rotation around the symmetry axis of the cell. When two levitated particles approach each other, repulsive or attractive interactions between the particles are observed. Our levitation system offers a wonderful platform to study interaction between particles in a microgravity environment.

Method of making polymer powders and whiskers as well as particulate products of the method and atomizing apparatus

DOEpatents

Otaigbe, Joshua U.; McAvoy, Jon M.; Anderson, Iver E.; Ting, Jason; Mi, Jia; Terpstra, Robert

2001-01-09

Method for making polymer particulates, such as spherical powder and whiskers, by melting a polymer material under conditions to avoid thermal degradation of the polymer material, atomizing the melt using gas jet means in a manner to form atomized droplets, and cooling the droplets to form polymer particulates, which are collected for further processing. Atomization parameters can be controlled to produce polymer particulates with controlled particle shape, particle size, and particle size distribution. For example, atomization parameters can be controlled to produce spherical polymer powders, polymer whiskers, and combinations of spherical powders and whiskers. Atomizing apparatus also is provided for atoomizing polymer and metallic materials.

Numerical modeling of the early interaction of a planar shock with a dense particle field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regele, Jonathan; Blanquart, Guillaume

2011-11-01

Dense compressible multiphase flows are of interest for multiphase turbomachinary and energetic material detonations. Still, there is little understanding of the detailed interaction mechanisms between shock waves and dense (particle volume fraction αd > 0 . 001) particle fields. A recent experimental study [Wagner et al, AIAA Aero. Sci., Orlando, 2011-188] has focused on the impingement of a planar shock wave on a dense particle curtain. In the present work, numerical solutions of the Euler equations in one and two dimensions are performed for a planar shock wave impinging on a fixed particle curtain and are compared to the experimental data for early times. Comparison of the one- and two-dimensional results demonstrate that the one-dimensional description captures the large scale flow behavior, but is inadequate to capture all the details observed in the experiments. The two-dimensional solutions are shown to reproduce the experimentally observed flow structures and provide insight into how these details originate.

Local lubrication model for spherical particles within incompressible Navier-Stokes flows.

PubMed

Lambert, B; Weynans, L; Bergmann, M

2018-03-01

The lubrication forces are short-range hydrodynamic interactions essential to describe suspension of the particles. Usually, they are underestimated in direct numerical simulations of particle-laden flows. In this paper, we propose a lubrication model for a coupled volume penalization method and discrete element method solver that estimates the unresolved hydrodynamic forces and torques in an incompressible Navier-Stokes flow. Corrections are made locally on the surface of the interacting particles without any assumption on the global particle shape. The numerical model has been validated against experimental data and performs as well as existing numerical models that are limited to spherical particles.

Curvature-induced capillary interaction of spherical particles at a liquid interface.

PubMed

Würger, Alois

2006-10-01

We consider a liquid interface with different principal curvatures +/-c and find that the mere presence of a spherical particle leads to a deformation field of quadrupolar symmetry; the corresponding "capillary quadrupole moment" is given by the ratio of the particle size and the curvature radius. The resulting pair interaction of nearby particles is anisotropic and favors the formation of aggregates of cubic symmetry. Since the single-particle trapping energy depends quadratically on curvature with a negative prefactor, a curvature gradient induces a lateral force that pushes the particles towards strongly curved regions of the interface. As an illustration we discuss the effects occurring on a catenoid.

Spherical composite particles of rice starch and microcrystalline cellulose: a new coprocessed excipient for direct compression.

PubMed

Limwong, Vasinee; Sutanthavibul, Narueporn; Kulvanich, Poj

2004-03-12

Composite particles of rice starch (RS) and microcrystalline cellulose were fabricated by spray-drying technique to be used as a directly compressible excipient. Two size fractions of microcrystalline cellulose, sieved (MCS) and jet milled (MCJ), having volumetric mean diameter (D50) of 13.61 and 40.51 microm, respectively, were used to form composite particles with RS in various mixing ratios. The composite particles produced were evaluated for their powder and compression properties. Although an increase in the microcrystalline cellulose proportion imparted greater compressibility of the composite particles, the shape of the particles was typically less spherical with rougher surface resulting in a decrease in the degree of flowability. Compressibility of composite particles made from different size fractions of microcrystalline cellulose was not different; however, using MCJ, which had a particle size range close to the size of RS (D50 = 13.57 microm), provided more spherical particles than using MCS. Spherical composite particles between RS and MCJ in the ratio of 7:3 (RS-MCJ-73) were then evaluated for powder properties and compressibility in comparison with some marketed directly compressible diluents. Compressibility of RS-MCJ-73 was greater than commercial spray-dried RS (Eratab), coprocessed lactose and microcrystalline cellulose (Cellactose), and agglomerated lactose (Tablettose), but, as expected, lower than microcrystalline cellulose (Vivapur 101). Flowability index of RS-MCJ-73 appeared to be slightly lower than Eratab but higher than Vivapur 101, Cellactose, and Tablettose. Tablets of RS-MCJ-73 exhibited low friability and good self-disintegrating property. It was concluded that these developed composite particles could be introduced as a new coprocessed direct compression excipient.

Non-spherical micro- and nanoparticles: fabrication, characterization and drug delivery applications.

PubMed

Mathaes, Roman; Winter, Gerhard; Besheer, Ahmed; Engert, Julia

2015-03-01

Micro- and nanoparticles in drug and vaccine delivery have opened up new possibilities in pharmaceutics. In the past, researchers focused mainly on particle size, surface chemistry and the use of various materials to control particle characteristics and functions. Lately, shape has been acknowledged as an important design parameter having an impact on the interaction with biological systems. In this review, we report on the latest developments in fabrication methods to tailor particle geometry, summarize analytical techniques for non-spherical particles and highlight the most important findings regarding their interaction with biological systems and their potential applications in drug delivery. The impact of shape on particle internalization into different cell types and particle biodistribution has been extensively studied in the past. Current research focuses on shape-dependent uptake mechanisms and applications for tumour therapy and vaccination. Different fabrication methods can be used to produce a variety of different particle types and shapes. Key challenges will be the transfer of new non-spherical particle fabrication methods from lab-scale to industrial large-scale production. Not all techniques may be scalable for the production of high quantities of particles. It will also be challenging to transfer the promising in vitro findings to suitable in vivo models.

Ion size effects on the electrokinetics of spherical particles in salt-free concentrated suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roa, Rafael; Carrique, Felix; Ruiz-Reina, Emilio

2012-02-01

In this work we study the influence of the counterion size on the electrophoretic mobility and on the dynamic mobility of a suspended spherical particle in a salt-free concentrated colloidal suspension. Salt-free suspensions contain charged particles and the added counterions that counterbalance their surface charge. A spherical cell model approach is used to take into account particle-particle electro-hydrodynamic interactions in concentrated suspensions. The finite size of the counterions is considered including an entropic contribution, related with the excluded volume of the ions, in the free energy of the suspension, giving rise to a modified counterion concentration profile. We are interested in studying the linear response of the system to an electric field, thus we solve the different electrokinetic equations by using a linear perturbation scheme. We find that the ionic size effect is quite important for moderate to high particles charges at a given particle volume fraction. In addition for such particle surface charges, both the electrophoretic mobility and the dynamic mobility suffer more important changes the larger the particle volume fraction for each ion size. The latter effects are more relevant the larger the ionic size.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishige, Ryohei; Williams, Gregory A.; Higaki, Yuji

A molded film of single-component polymer-grafted nanoparticles (SPNP), consisting of a spherical silica core and densely grafted polymer chains bearing hydrogen-bonding side groups capable of physical crosslinking, was investigated byin situultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) measurement during a uniaxial stretching process. Static USAXS revealed that the molded SPNP formed a highly oriented twinned face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) lattice structure with the [11-1] plane aligned nearly parallel to the film surface in the initial state. Structural analysis ofin situUSAXS using a model of uniaxial deformation induced by rearrangement of the nanoparticles revealed that the f.c.c. lattice was distorted in the stretching direction inmore » proportion to the macroscopic strain until the strain reached 35%, and subsequently changed into other f.c.c. lattices with different orientations. The lattice distortion and structural transition behavior corresponded well to the elastic and plastic deformation regimes, respectively, observed in the stress–strain curve. The attractive interaction of the hydrogen bond is considered to form only at the top surface of the shell and then plays an effective role in cross-linking between nanoparticles. The rearrangement mechanism of the nanoparticles is well accounted for by a strong repulsive interaction between the densely grafted polymer shells of neighboring particles.« less

Wear particles of single-crystal silicon carbide in vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D. H.

1980-01-01

Sliding friction experiments, conducted in vacuum with silicon carbide /000/ surface in contact with iron based binary alloys are described. Multiangular and spherical wear particles of silicon carbide are observed as a result of multipass sliding. The multiangular particles are produced by primary and secondary cracking of cleavage planes /000/, /10(-1)0/, and /11(-2)0/ under the Hertzian stress field or local inelastic deformation zone. The spherical particles may be produced by two mechanisms: (1) a penny shaped fracture along the circular stress trajectories under the local inelastic deformation zone, and (2) attrition of wear particles.

Hydrodynamic entrainment in micro-confined suspensions and its implications for two-point microrheology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aponte-Rivera, Christian; Zia, Roseanna N.

2017-11-01

We study hydrodynamic entrainment in spherically confined colloidal suspensions of hydrodynamically interacting particles as a model system for intracellular and other micro-confined biophysical transport. Modeling of transport and rheology in such materials requires an accurate description of the microscopic forces driving particle motion and of particle interactions with nearby boundaries. We carry out dynamic simulations of concentrated, spherically confined colloids as a model system to study the effect of 3D confinement on entrainment and rheology. We show that entrainment between two tracer particles exhibits qualitatively different functional dependence on inter-particle separation as compared to an unbound suspension, and develop a scaling theory that collapses the concentrated mobility of spherically confined suspensions for all volume fractions and particle to cavity size ratios onto a master curve. For widely separated particles, the master curve can be predicted via a Green's function, which suggests a framework with which to conduct two-point microrheology measurements near confining boundaries. The implications of these results for experiments in micro-confined biophysical systems, such as the interior of eukaryotic cells, are discussed.

Four-way coupling of a three-dimensional debris flow solver to a Lagrangian Particle Simulation: method and first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Boetticher, Albrecht; Rickenmann, Dieter; McArdell, Brian; Kirchner, James W.

2017-04-01

Debris flows are dense flowing mixtures of water, clay, silt, sand and coarser particles. They are a common natural hazard in mountain regions and frequently cause severe damage. Modeling debris flows to design protection measures is still challenging due to the complex interactions within the inhomogeneous material mixture, and the sensitivity of the flow process to the channel geometry. The open-source, OpenFOAM-based finite-volume debris flow model debrisInterMixing (von Boetticher et al, 2016) defines rheology parameters based on the material properties of the debris flow mixture to reduce the number of free model parameters. As a simplification in this first model version, gravel was treated as a Coulomb-viscoplastic fluid, neglecting grain-to-grain collisions and the coupling between the coarser gravel grains and the interstitial fluid. Here we present an extension of that solver, accounting for the particle-to-particle and particle-to-boundary contacts with a Lagrangian Particle Simulation composed of spherical grains and a user-defined grain size distribution. The grain collisions of the Lagrangian particles add granular flow behavior to the finite-volume simulation of the continuous phases. The two-way coupling exchanges momentum between the phase-averaged flow in a finite volume cell, and among all individual particles contained in that cell, allowing the user to choose from a number of different drag models. The momentum exchange is implemented in the momentum equation and in the pressure equation (ensuring continuity) of the so-called PISO-loop, resulting in a stable 4-way coupling (particle-to-particle, particle-to-boundary, particle-to-fluid and fluid-to-particle) that represents the granular and viscous flow behavior of debris flow material. We will present simulations that illustrate the relative benefits and drawbacks of explicitly representing grain collisions, compared to the original debrisInterMixing solver.

Optical equivalence of isotropic ensembles of ellipsoidal particles in the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye and anomalous diffraction approximations and its consequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paramonov, L. E.

2012-05-01

Light scattering by isotropic ensembles of ellipsoidal particles is considered in the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye approximation. It is proved that randomly oriented ellipsoidal particles are optically equivalent to polydisperse randomly oriented spheroidal particles and polydisperse spherical particles. Density functions of the shape and size distributions for equivalent ensembles of spheroidal and spherical particles are presented. In the anomalous diffraction approximation, equivalent ensembles of particles are shown to also have equal extinction, scattering, and absorption coefficients. Consequences of optical equivalence are considered. The results are illustrated by numerical calculations of the angular dependence of the scattering phase function using the T-matrix method and the Mie theory.

Key-lock colloids in a nematic liquid crystal.

PubMed

Silvestre, Nuno M; Tasinkevych, M

2017-01-01

The Landau-de Gennes free energy is used to study theoretically the effective interaction of spherical "key" and anisotropic "lock" colloidal particles. We assume identical anchoring properties of the surfaces of the key and of the lock particles, and we consider planar degenerate and perpendicular anchoring conditions separately. The lock particle is modeled as a spherical particle with a spherical dimple. When such a particle is introduced into a nematic liquid crystal, it orients its dimple at an oblique angle θ_{eq} with respect to the far field director n_{∞}. This angle depends on the depth of the dimple. Minimization results show that the free energy of a pair of key and lock particles exhibits a global minimum for the configuration when the key particle is facing the dimple of the lock colloidal particle. The preferred orientation ϕ_{eq} of the key-lock composite doublet relative to n_{∞} is robust against thermal fluctuations. The preferred orientation θ_{eq}^{(2)} of the dimple particle in the doublet is different from the isolated situation. This is related to the "direct" interaction of defects accompanying the key particle with the edge of the dimple. We propose that this nematic-amplified key-lock interaction can play an important role in self-organization and clustering of mixtures of colloidal particles with dimple colloids present.

Multiscale Experimental and Numerical Approach to the Powder Particle Shape Effect on Al-Al2O3 Coating Build-Up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leger, P. E.; Sennour, M.; Delloro, F.; Borit, F.; Debray, A.; Gaslain, F.; Jeandin, M.; Ducos, M.

2017-10-01

Aluminum (Al) powders with spherical and irregular particle shapes were mixed with two alumina (Al2O3) powders with either a spherical or an angular particle shape to achieve high-performance cold-sprayed coatings onto steel. Two effects of the aluminum particle shape were observed. First, coating microstructure observation showed impinging heterogeneity depending on particle shape. Second, particle jet differences depending on particle morphology were shown by velocity maps. From the latter, SEM and XRD, three effects of the alumina particle shape were also shown, i.e., higher in-flight velocity of angular particles, fragmentation of spherical hollow particles and embedding of alumina particles with aluminum. Numerical simulation of particle impacts was developed to study the densification of Al coating due to Al2O3 addition through elucidation of Al-Al2O3 interaction behavior at the scale of the coating. Al/Al and Al/Al2O3 interfaces were investigated using TEM to understand coating strengthening effects due to alumina addition at the scale of the particle. As a whole, Al and Al2O3 particle shape effects were claimed to explain coating mechanical properties, e.g., microhardness and coating-substrate bond strength. This study resulted in specifying criteria to help cold spray users in selecting powders for their applications, to meet economic and technical requirements.

Enhanced Mobility in Concentrated Pyroclastic Density Currents: An Examination of a Self-Fluidization Mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breard, Eric C. P.; Dufek, Josef; Lube, Gert

2018-01-01

Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are a significant volcanic hazard. However, their dominant transport mechanisms remain poorly understood, in part because of the large variability of PDC types and deposits. Here we combine field data with experimental and numerical simulations to illuminate the twofold fate of particles settling from an ash cloud to form the dense PDC basal flow. At solid fractions >1 vol %, heterogeneous drag leads to formation of mesoscale particle clusters that favor rapid particle settling and result in a mobile dense layer with significant bed weight support. Conversely, at lower concentrations the absence of particle clusters typically leads to formation of poorly mobile dense beds that deposit massive layers. Based on this transport dichotomy, we present a numerical dense-dilute parameter that allows a PDC's dominant transport mechanism to be determined directly from the deposit geometry and grainsize characteristics.

Space Radiation Detector with Spherical Geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wrbanek, John D. (Inventor); Fralick, Gustave C. (Inventor); Wrbanek, Susan Y. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A particle detector is provided, the particle detector including a spherical Cherenkov detector, and at least one pair of detector stacks. In an embodiment of the invention, the Cherenkov detector includes a sphere of ultraviolet transparent material, coated by an ultraviolet reflecting material that has at least one open port. The Cherenkov detector further includes at least one photodetector configured to detect ultraviolet light emitted from a particle within the sphere. In an embodiment of the invention, each detector stack includes one or more detectors configured to detect a particle traversing the sphere.

Space Radiation Detector with Spherical Geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wrbanek, John D. (Inventor); Fralick, Gustave C. (Inventor); Wrbanek, Susan Y. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A particle detector is provided, the particle detector including a spherical Cherenkov detector, and at least one pair of detector stacks. In an embodiment of the invention, the Cherenkov detector includes a sphere of ultraviolet transparent material, coated by an ultraviolet reflecting material that has at least one open port. The Cherenkov detector further includes at least one photodetector configured to detect ultraviolet light emitted from a particle within the sphere. In an embodiment of the invention, each detector stack includes one or more detectors configured to detect a particle traversing the sphere.

Magnetic rotational hysteresis study on spherical 85-160 nm Fe3O4 particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidbauer, E.

1988-05-01

Rotational hysteresis losses Wr were determined as a function of magnetic field H for dispensed spherical Fe3O4 particles of mean grain sizes 85 nm, 127 nm and 162 nm between 78 K and 294 K. The observed Wr-H curves are compared with theoretical curves for single domain particles. The analysed particles reveal centers of high magnetic anisotropy. Such centers can be of importance during the generation of a thermoremanent magnetization, as they may be the origin of enhanced magnetic stability.

Rigid spherical particles in highly turbulent Taylor-Couette flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhuis, Dennis; Verschoof, Ruben A.; Mathai, Varghese; Huisman, Sander G.; Lohse, Detlef; Sun, Chao

2016-11-01

Many industrial and maritime processes are subject to enormous frictional losses. Reducing these losses even slightly will already lead to large financial and environmental benefits. The understanding of the underlying physical mechanism of frictional drag reduction is still limited, for example, in bubbly drag reduction there is an ongoing debate whether deformability and bubble size are the key parameters. In this experimental study we report high precision torque measurements using rigid non-deformable spherical particles in highly turbulent Taylor-Couette flow with Reynolds numbers up to 2 ×106 . The particles are made of polystyrene with an average density of 1.036 g cm-3 and three different diameters: 8mm, 4mm, and 1.5mm. Particle volume fractions of up to 6% were used. By varying the particle diameter, density ratio of the particles and the working fluid, and volume fraction of the particles, the effect on the torque is compared to the single phase case. These systematic measurements show that adding rigid spherical particles only results in very minor drag reduction. This work is financially supported by Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) by VIDI Grant Number 13477.

Direct comparison of extinction coefficients derived from Mie-scattering lidar and number concentrations of particles, subjective weather report in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Atsushi; Sugimoto, Nobuo; Matsui, Ichiro; Nishizawa, Tomoaki

2015-03-01

Two components of the lidar extinction coefficient, the dust extinction and the spherical particles extinction, were obtained from observations made by the National Institute for Environmental Studies lidar network in Japan. These two extinctions were compared with the number concentration of particles measured by an optical particle counter, and with subjective weather reports recorded at the nearest meteorological observatories. The dust extinction corresponded well with the number concentration of large particles with diameters as great as 5 μm and during dry conditions with the number concentration of particles larger than 2 μm. The relationship between the spherical particle extinction and the number of small particles was nearly constant under all conditions. Asian dust was sometimes reported by meteorological observatories in the period of lower dust extinction. This indicates contradicting relationship between human-eye based reports and optical characteristics observed by lidars in some cases. The most consistent results between lidar observation and meteorological reports were obtained in dry mist conditions, in which lidars exhibited higher spherical extinction as expected by the definition of the atmospheric phenomenon of dry mist or haze.

A comparative work on the magnetic field-dependent properties of plate-like and spherical iron particle-based magnetorheological grease

PubMed Central

Ubaidillah; Imaduddin, F.; Choi, Seung-Bok; Yazid, I. I. M.

2018-01-01

In this study, a new magnetorheological (MR) grease was made featuring plate-like carbonyl iron (CI) particles, and its magnetic field-dependent rheological properties were experimentally characterized. The plate-like CI particles were prepared through high-energy ball milling of spherical CI particles. Then, three different ratios of the CI particles in the MR grease, varying from 30 to 70 wt% were mixed by dispersing the plate-like CI particles into the grease medium with a mechanical stirrer. The magnetic field-dependent rheological properties of the plate-like CI particle-based MR grease were then investigated using a rheometer by changing the magnetic field intensity from 0 to 0.7 T at room temperature. The measurement was undertaken at two different modes, namely, a continuous shear mode and oscillation mode. It was shown that both the apparent viscosity and storage modulus of the MR grease were heavily dependent on the magnetic field intensity as well as the CI particle fraction. In addition, the differences in the yield stress and the MR effect between the proposed MR grease featuring the plate-like CI particles and the existing MR grease with the spherical CI particles were investigated and discussed in detail. PMID:29630595

Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon 2014/15: Transmission Electron Microscopy Analysis of Aerosol Particles Field Campaign Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buseck, Peter

2016-03-01

During two Intensive Operational Periods (IOP), we collected samples at 3-hour intervals for transmission electron microscopy analysis. The resulting transmission electron microscopy images and compositions were analyzed for the samples of interest. Further analysis will be done especially for the plume of interest. We found solid spherical organic particles from rebounded samples collected with Professor Scot Martin’s group (Harvard University). Approximately 30% of the rebounded particles at 95% relative humidity were spherical organic particles. Their sources and formation process are not known, but such spherical particles could be solid and will have heterogeneous chemical reactions. We observed many organic particlesmore » that are internally mixed with inorganic elements such as potassium and nitrogen. They are either homogeneously mixed or have inorganic cores with organic aerosol coatings. Samples collected from the Manaus, Brazil, pollution plume included many nano-size soot particles mixed with organic material and sulfate. Aerosol particles from clean periods included organic aerosol particles, sulfate, sea salt, dust, and primary biogenic aerosol particles. There was more dust, primary biogenic aerosol, and tar balls in samples taken during IOP1 than those taken during IOP2. Many dust particles were found between March 2 and 3.« less

Characterization of the crystal structure, kinematics, stresses and rotations in angular granular quartz during compaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hurley, Ryan C.; Herbold, Eric B.; Pagan, Darren C.

Three-dimensional X-ray diffraction (3DXRD), a method for quantifying the position, orientation and elastic strain of large ensembles of single crystals, has recently emerged as an important tool for studying the mechanical response of granular materials during compaction. Applications have demonstrated the utility of 3DXRD and X-ray computed tomography (XRCT) for assessing strains, particle stresses and orientations, inter-particle contacts and forces, particle fracture mechanics, and porosity evolution in situ . Although past studies employing 3DXRD and XRCT have elucidated the mechanics of spherical particle packings and angular particle packings with a small number of particles, there has been limited effort tomore » date in studying angular particle packings with a large number of particles and in comparing the mechanics of these packings with those composed of a large number of spherical particles. Therefore, the focus of the present paper is on the mechanics of several hundred angular particles during compaction using in situ 3DXRD to study the crystal structure, kinematics, stresses and rotations of angular quartz grains. Comparisons are also made between the compaction response of angular grains and that of spherical grains, and stress-induced twinning within individual grains is discussed.« less

A comparative work on the magnetic field-dependent properties of plate-like and spherical iron particle-based magnetorheological grease.

PubMed

Mohamad, N; Ubaidillah; Mazlan, S A; Imaduddin, F; Choi, Seung-Bok; Yazid, I I M

2018-01-01

In this study, a new magnetorheological (MR) grease was made featuring plate-like carbonyl iron (CI) particles, and its magnetic field-dependent rheological properties were experimentally characterized. The plate-like CI particles were prepared through high-energy ball milling of spherical CI particles. Then, three different ratios of the CI particles in the MR grease, varying from 30 to 70 wt% were mixed by dispersing the plate-like CI particles into the grease medium with a mechanical stirrer. The magnetic field-dependent rheological properties of the plate-like CI particle-based MR grease were then investigated using a rheometer by changing the magnetic field intensity from 0 to 0.7 T at room temperature. The measurement was undertaken at two different modes, namely, a continuous shear mode and oscillation mode. It was shown that both the apparent viscosity and storage modulus of the MR grease were heavily dependent on the magnetic field intensity as well as the CI particle fraction. In addition, the differences in the yield stress and the MR effect between the proposed MR grease featuring the plate-like CI particles and the existing MR grease with the spherical CI particles were investigated and discussed in detail.

Characterization of the crystal structure, kinematics, stresses and rotations in angular granular quartz during compaction

DOE PAGES

Hurley, Ryan C.; Herbold, Eric B.; Pagan, Darren C.

2018-06-28

Three-dimensional X-ray diffraction (3DXRD), a method for quantifying the position, orientation and elastic strain of large ensembles of single crystals, has recently emerged as an important tool for studying the mechanical response of granular materials during compaction. Applications have demonstrated the utility of 3DXRD and X-ray computed tomography (XRCT) for assessing strains, particle stresses and orientations, inter-particle contacts and forces, particle fracture mechanics, and porosity evolution in situ . Although past studies employing 3DXRD and XRCT have elucidated the mechanics of spherical particle packings and angular particle packings with a small number of particles, there has been limited effort tomore » date in studying angular particle packings with a large number of particles and in comparing the mechanics of these packings with those composed of a large number of spherical particles. Therefore, the focus of the present paper is on the mechanics of several hundred angular particles during compaction using in situ 3DXRD to study the crystal structure, kinematics, stresses and rotations of angular quartz grains. Comparisons are also made between the compaction response of angular grains and that of spherical grains, and stress-induced twinning within individual grains is discussed.« less

Strongly localized image states of spherical graphitic particles.

PubMed

Gumbs, Godfrey; Balassis, Antonios; Iurov, Andrii; Fekete, Paula

2014-01-01

We investigate the localization of charged particles by the image potential of spherical shells, such as fullerene buckyballs. These spherical image states exist within surface potentials formed by the competition between the attractive image potential and the repulsive centripetal force arising from the angular motion. The image potential has a power law rather than a logarithmic behavior. This leads to fundamental differences in the nature of the effective potential for the two geometries. Our calculations have shown that the captured charge is more strongly localized closest to the surface for fullerenes than for cylindrical nanotube.

Occurrence of spherical ceramic debris in indentation and sliding contact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D. H.

1982-01-01

Indenting experiments were conducted with the silicon carbide (0001) surface in contact with a spherical diamond indenter in air. Sliding friction experiments were also conducted with silicon carbide in contact with iron and iron-based binary alloys at room temperature and 800 C. Fracture pits with a spherical particle and spherical wear debris were observed as a result of indenting and sliding. Spherical debris may be produced by a mechanism that involves a spherical-shaped fracture along the circular or spherical stress trajectories under the inelastic deformation zone.

Gridless particle technique for the Vlasov-Poisson system in problems with high degree of symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boella, E.; Coppa, G.; D'Angola, A.; Peiretti Paradisi, B.

2018-03-01

In the paper, gridless particle techniques are presented in order to solve problems involving electrostatic, collisionless plasmas. The method makes use of computational particles having the shape of spherical shells or of rings, and can be used to study cases in which the plasma has spherical or axial symmetry, respectively. As a computational grid is absent, the technique is particularly suitable when the plasma occupies a rapidly changing space region.

Spherical Tensor Calculus for Local Adaptive Filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reisert, Marco; Burkhardt, Hans

In 3D image processing tensors play an important role. While rank-1 and rank-2 tensors are well understood and commonly used, higher rank tensors are rare. This is probably due to their cumbersome rotation behavior which prevents a computationally efficient use. In this chapter we want to introduce the notion of a spherical tensor which is based on the irreducible representations of the 3D rotation group. In fact, any ordinary cartesian tensor can be decomposed into a sum of spherical tensors, while each spherical tensor has a quite simple rotation behavior. We introduce so called tensorial harmonics that provide an orthogonal basis for spherical tensor fields of any rank. It is just a generalization of the well known spherical harmonics. Additionally we propose a spherical derivative which connects spherical tensor fields of different degree by differentiation. Based on the proposed theory we present two applications. We propose an efficient algorithm for dense tensor voting in 3D, which makes use of tensorial harmonics decomposition of the tensor-valued voting field. In this way it is possible to perform tensor voting by linear-combinations of convolutions in an efficient way. Secondly, we propose an anisotropic smoothing filter that uses a local shape and orientation adaptive filter kernel which can be computed efficiently by the use spherical derivatives.

Composition of weathering crusts on sandstones from natural outcrops and architectonic elements in an urban environment.

PubMed

Marszałek, Mariola; Alexandrowicz, Zofia; Rzepa, Grzegorz

2014-12-01

This work presents mineralogical and chemical characteristics of weathering crusts developed on sandstones exposed to various air pollution conditions. The samples have been collected from sandstone tors in the Carpathian Foothill and from buildings in Kraków. It has been stated that these crusts differ in both fabric and composition. The sandstone black crust from tors is rich in organic matter and composed of amorphous silica. Sulphate incrustations accompanied by dust particles have been only sometimes observed. Beneath the black crust, a zone coloured by iron (oxyhydr)oxides occurs. The enrichment of the surface crust in silica and iron compounds protects the rock interior from atmospheric impact. The sandstones from architectonic details are also covered by a thin carbon-rich black crust, but they are visibly loosened. Numerous salts, mainly gypsum and halite, crystallise here, thus enhancing deterioration of the rock. Moreover, spherical particles originated from industrial emissions are much more common. Gypsum in natural outcrops, forms isolated and well-developed crystals, whilst these found on the architectonic details are finer and densely cover the surface. Such diversity reflects various concentrations of acid air pollutants in solutions.

Small-angle neutron scattering study of the short-range organization of dispersed CsNi[Cr(CN){sub 6}] nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ridier, Karl; Gillon, Béatrice; André, Gilles

2015-09-21

Prussian blue analogues magnetic nanoparticles (of radius R{sub 0} = 2.4–8.6 nm) embedded in PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) or CTA{sup +} (cetyltrimethylammonium) matrices have been studied using neutron diffraction and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) at several concentrations. For the most diluted particles in neutral PVP, the SANS signal is fully accounted for by a “single-particle” spherical form factor with no structural correlations between the nanoparticles and with radii comparable to those inferred from neutron diffraction. For higher concentration in PVP, structural correlations modify the SANS signal with the appearance of a structure factor peak, which is described using an effective “mean-field” model. A newmore » length scale R{sup * }≈ 3R{sub 0}, corresponding to an effective repulsive interaction radius, is evidenced in PVP samples. In CTA{sup +}, electrostatic interactions play a crucial role and lead to a dense layer of CTA{sup +} around the nanoparticles, which considerably alter the SANS patterns as compared to PVP. The SANS data of nanoparticles in CTA{sup +} are best described by a core-shell model without visible inter-particle structure factor.« less

Cryochemical method for forming spherical metal oxide particles from metal salt solutions

DOEpatents

Tinkle, M.C.

1973-12-01

A method is described of preparing small metal oxide spheres cryochemically utilizing metal salts (e.g., nitrates) that cannot readily be dried and calcined without loss of sphericity of the particles. Such metal salts are cryochemically formed into small spheres, partially or completely converted to an insoluble salt, and dried and calcined. (Official Gazette)

Composite material reinforced with atomized quasicrystalline particles and method of making same

DOEpatents

Biner, Suleyman B.; Sordelet, Daniel J.; Lograsso, Barbara K.; Anderson, Iver E.

1998-12-22

A composite material comprises an aluminum or aluminum alloy matrix having generally spherical, atomized quasicrystalline aluminum-transition metal alloy reinforcement particles disposed in the matrix to improve mechanical properties. A composite article can be made by consolidating generally spherical, atomized quaiscrystalline aluminum-transition metal alloy particles and aluminum or aluminum alloy particles to form a body that is cold and/or hot reduced to form composite products, such as composite plate or sheet, with interfacial bonding between the quasicrystalline particles and the aluminum or aluminum alloy matrix without damage (e.g. cracking or shape change) of the reinforcement particles. The cold and/or hot worked compositehibits substantially improved yield strength, tensile strength, Young's modulus (stiffness).

Spherical silicon-shell photonic band gap structures fabricated by laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Yang, Z. Y.; Lu, Y. F.

2007-02-01

Laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition was applied in fabricating three-dimensional (3D) spherical-shell photonic band gap (PBG) structures by depositing silicon shells covering silica particles, which had been self-assembled into 3D colloidal crystals. The colloidal crystals of self-assembled silica particles were formed on silicon substrates using the isothermal heating evaporation approach. A continuous wave Nd:YAG laser (1064nm wavelength) was used to deposit silicon shells by thermally decomposing disilane gas. Periodic silicon-shell/silica-particle PBG structures were obtained. By removing the silica particles enclosed in the silicon shells using hydrofluoric acid, hollow spherical silicon-shell arrays were produced. This technique is capable of fabricating structures with complete photonic band gaps, which is predicted by simulations with the plane wave method. The techniques developed in this study have the potential to flexibly engineer the positions of the PBGs by varying both the silica particle size and the silicon-shell thickness. Ellipsometry was used to investigate the specific photonic band gaps for both structures.

Moment equations for chromatography using superficially porous spherical particles.

PubMed

Miyabe, Kanji

2011-01-01

New moment equations were developed for chromatography using superficially porous (shell-type) spherical particles, which have recently attracted much attention as one of separation media for fast separation with high efficiency. At first, the moment equations of the first absolute and second central moments in the real time domain were derived from the analytical solution in the Laplace domain of a set of basic equations of the general rate model of chromatography, which represent the mass balance, mass-transfer rate, and reaction kinetics in the column packed with shell-type particles. Then, the moment equations were used for analyzing the experimental data of chromatography of kallidin in a Halo column, which were published in a previous paper written by other researchers. It was tried to predict the chromatographic behavior of shell-type particles having different shell thicknesses. The new moment equations are useful for a detailed analysis of the chromatographic behavior of shell-type spherical particles. It is also concluded that they can be used for the preliminarily optimization of their structural characteristics.

Relating quantum discord with the quantum dense coding capacity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Xin; Qiu, Liang, E-mail: lqiu@cumt.edu.cn; Li, Song

2015-01-15

We establish the relations between quantum discord and the quantum dense coding capacity in (n + 1)-particle quantum states. A necessary condition for the vanishing discord monogamy score is given. We also find that the loss of quantum dense coding capacity due to decoherence is bounded below by the sum of quantum discord. When these results are restricted to three-particle quantum states, some complementarity relations are obtained.

Ion beam-induced shaping of Ni nanoparticles embedded in a silica matrix: from spherical to prolate shape

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Present work reports the elongation of spherical Ni nanoparticles (NPs) parallel to each other, due to bombardment with 120 MeV Au+9 ions at a fluence of 5 × 1013 ions/cm2. The Ni NPs embedded in silica matrix have been prepared by atom beam sputtering technique and subsequent annealing. The elongation of Ni NPs due to interaction with Au+9 ions as investigated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows a strong dependence on initial Ni particle size and is explained on the basis of thermal spike model. Irradiation induces a change from single crystalline nature of spherical particles to polycrystalline nature of elongated particles. Magnetization measurements indicate that changes in coercivity (Hc) and remanence ratio (Mr/Ms) are stronger in the ion beam direction due to the preferential easy axis of elongated particles in the beam direction. PMID:21711659

Linearized T-Matrix and Mie Scattering Computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spurr, R.; Wang, J.; Zeng, J.; Mishchenko, M. I.

2011-01-01

We present a new linearization of T-Matrix and Mie computations for light scattering by non-spherical and spherical particles, respectively. In addition to the usual extinction and scattering cross-sections and the scattering matrix outputs, the linearized models will generate analytical derivatives of these optical properties with respect to the real and imaginary parts of the particle refractive index, and (for non-spherical scatterers) with respect to the ''shape'' parameter (the spheroid aspect ratio, cylinder diameter/height ratio, Chebyshev particle deformation factor). These derivatives are based on the essential linearity of Maxwell's theory. Analytical derivatives are also available for polydisperse particle size distribution parameters such as the mode radius. The T-matrix formulation is based on the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies FORTRAN 77 code developed in the 1990s. The linearized scattering codes presented here are in FORTRAN 90 and will be made publicly available.

An Electron is the God Particle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, Milo

2001-04-01

Philosophers, Clifford, Mach, Einstein, Wyle, Dirac & Schroedinger, believed that only a wave structure of particles could satisfy experiment and fulfill reality. A quantum Wave Structure of Matter is described here. It predicts the natural laws more accurately and completely than classic laws. Einstein reasoned that the universe depends on particles which are "spherically, spatially extended in space." and "Hence a discrete material particle has no place as a fundamental concept in a field theory." Thus the discrete point particle was wrong. He deduced the true electron is primal because its force range is infinite. Now, it is found the electron's wave structure contains the laws of Nature that rule the universe. The electron plays the role of creator - the God particle. Electron structure is a pair of spherical outward/inward quantum waves, convergent to a center in 3D space. This wave pair creates a h/4pi quantum spin when the in-wave spherically rotates to become the out-wave. Both waves form a spinor satisfying the Dirac Equation. Thus, the universe is binary like a computer. Reference: http://members.tripod.com/mwolff

Hydrogels in endovascular embolization. IV. Effect of radiopaque spherical particles on the living tissue.

PubMed

Horák, D; Svec, F; Kálal, J; Adamyan, A; Skuba, N; Titova, M; Dan, V; Varava, B; Trostenyuk, N; Voronkova, O

1988-07-01

In this study we report the results of toxicological, histological and haematological experiments on radiopaque spherical particles based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate). These particles have been developed for endovascular occlusion of various organs. Radiopacity was attained by two independent methods: the chemical attachment of radiopaque substances to the hydrogel or the precipitation of radiopaque substances in the hydrogel network. The first method yields particles that appear to have uniformly-distributed contrast material, but in the particles prepared by the second procedure the contrast material is predominantly located on the surface. The visibility of such particles by X-rays makes possible controlled embolus introduction and inspection of the polymer for long periods after embolization. Radiopaque contrasting changes the morphology and reduces the porosity of the material but supports quick thrombus formation. Embolic material implanted in rabbits becomes surrounded by a thin fibrous capsule and undergoes partial organization. This and other results of medico-biological investigations have fully demonstrated the biocompatibility of radiopaque spherical emboli, which can now be used clinically.

Biochemical transformation of calciprotein particles in uraemia.

PubMed

Smith, Edward R; Hewitson, Tim D; Hanssen, Eric; Holt, Stephen G

2018-05-01

Calciprotein particles (CPP) have emerged as nanoscale mediators of phosphate-induced toxicity in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Uraemia favors ripening of the particle mineral content from the amorphous (CPP-I) to the crystalline state (CPP-II) but the pathophysiological significance of this transformation is uncertain. Clinical studies suggest an association between CPP ripening and inflammation, vascular dysfunction and mortality. Although ripening has been modelled in vitro, it is unknown whether particles synthesised in serum resemble their in vivo counterparts. Here we show that in vitro formation and ripening of CPP in uraemic serum is characterised by extensive physiochemical rearrangements involving the accretion of mineral, loss of surface charge and transformation of the mineral phase from a spherical arrangement of diffuse domains of amorphous calcium phosphate to densely-packed lamellar aggregates of crystalline hydroxyapatite. These physiochemical changes were paralleled by enrichment with small soluble apolipoproteins, complement factors and the binding of fatty acids. In comparison, endogenous CPP represent a highly heterogeneous mixture of particles with characteristics mostly intermediate to synthetic CPP-I and CPP-II, but are also uniquely enriched for carbonate-substituted apatite, DNA fragments, small RNA and microbe-derived components. Pathway analysis of protein enrichment predicted the activation of cell death and pro-inflammatory processes by endogenous CPP and synthetic CPP-II alike. This comprehensive characterisation validates the use of CPP-II generated in uraemic serum as in vitro equivalents of their endogenous counterparts and provides insight into the nature and pathological significance of CPP in CKD, which may act as vehicles for various bioactive ligands. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of particle size on the low and high strain rate behavior of dense colloidal dispersions of nanosilica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asija, Neelanchali; Chouhan, Hemant; Gebremeskel, Shishay Amare; Bhatnagar, Naresh

2017-01-01

Shear thickening is a non-Newtonian flow behavior characterized by the increase in apparent viscosity with the increase in applied shear rate, particularly when the shear rate exceeds a critical value termed as the critical shear rate (CSR). Due to this remarkable property of shear-thickening fluids (STFs), they are extensively used in hip protection pads, protective gear for athletes, and more recently in body armor. The use of STFs in body armor has led to the development of the concept of liquid body armor. In this study, the effect of particle size is explored on the low and high strain rate behavior of nanosilica dispersions, so as to predict the efficacy of STF-aided personal protection systems (PPS), specifically for ballistic applications. The low strain rate study was conducted on cone and plate rheometer, whereas the high strain rate characterization of STF was conducted on in-house fabricated split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. Spherical nanosilica particles of three different sizes (100, 300, and 500 nm) as well as fumed silica particles of four different specific surface areas (Aerosil A-90, A-130, A-150, and A-200), respectively, were used in this study. The test samples were prepared by dispersing nanosilica particles in polypropylene glycol (PPG) using ultrasonic homogenization method. The low strain rate studies aided in determining the CSR of the synthesized STF dispersions, whereas the high strain rate studies explored the impact-resisting ability of STFs in terms of the impact toughness and the peak stress attained during the impact loading of STF in SHPB testing.

Spherical agglomerates of pure drug nanoparticles for improved pulmonary delivery in dry powder inhalers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jun; Dong, Yuancai; Pastorin, Giorgia; Ng, Wai Kiong; Tan, Reginald B. H.

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to produce micron-sized spherical agglomerates of pure drug nanoparticles to achieve improved aerosol performance in dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Sodium cromoglicate was chosen as the model drug. Pure drug nanoparticles were prepared through a bottom-up particle formation process, liquid antisolvent precipitation, and then rapidly agglomerated into porous spherical microparticles by immediate (on-line) spray drying. Nonporous spherical drug microparticles with similar geometric size distribution were prepared by conventional spray drying of the aqueous drug solution, which together with the mechanically micronized drug particles were used as the control samples. The three samples were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, laser diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, density measurement, powder X-ray diffraction, and in vitro aerosol deposition measurement with a multistage liquid impinger. It was found that drug nanoparticles with a diameter of 100 nm were precipitated and agglomerated into highly porous spherical microparticles with a volume median diameter ( D 50 %) of 2.25 ± 0.08 μm and a specific surface area of 158.63 ± 3.27 m2/g. In vitro aerosol deposition studies showed the fine particle fraction of such spherical agglomerates of drug nanoparticles was increased by more than 50 % in comparison with the control samples, demonstrating significant improvements in aerosol performance. The results of this study indicated the potential of the combined particle engineering process of liquid antisolvent precipitation followed by immediate (on-line) spray drying in the development of novel DPI drug products with improved aerosol performance.

Aerosol Number Size Distribution and Type Classification from 4-Year Polarization Optical Particle Counter (POPC) Measurements at Urban-Mountain Site in Seoul

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, H. J.; Kim, S. W.; Kobayashi, H.; Nishizawa, T.

2017-12-01

The Polarization Optical Particle Counter (POPC), unlike general OPCs, has the advantage capable of classifying the aerosol types (e.g., dust, anthropogenic pollution), because it measures particle number, size and depolarization ratio (DPR; the sphericity information of single particle) for 4 size bins with diameter (0.5-1, 1-3, 3-5, 5-10 μm). In this study, we investigate the temporal variations of particle number and volume size distributions with DPR values and classify aerosol types such as dust, anthropogenic pollution, from 4-year (2013-2016) POPC data at Seoul National University campus in Seoul, Korea. Coarse mode particles from 5-10 μm with relatively high DPR values (0.25-0.3) were distinctly appeared in in both spring (March-May) and winter (December-February) due to frequent transport of Asian dust particles. In summer (June -August), however, both aerosol number concentration and DPR value were decreased in all size bins due to the influences of relatively clean maritime airmass and frequent precipitations. In autumn (September - November), the particle number concentration in all size bins was the lowest. To classify the aerosol types, we investigate particle number and volume size distributions and DPR value for clean, dust-dominant and anthropogenic pollution-dominant cases, which were selected by PM10, PM2.5 mass concentrations and its ratio, because those parameters are clearly different among aerosol types (Kobayashi et al., 2014, Pan et al., 2016). Non-spherical coarse mode particles (Dp > 2.5 μm, 0.1 < DPR < 0.6) were dominantly observed during the dust-dominant period, while both spherical fine mode and coarse mode particles (Dp < 1 μm and Dp = 2-4 μm, DPR < 0.1) were dominantly appeared during the pollution event. The aerosol type classifications with these criteria values were successfully applied to the extreme Asian dust event from February 22 to 24, 2015. The results showed that pollution-dominant airmass preceded by the appearance of a major mineral dust plume. Co-located aerosol lidar measurements also revealed that spherical pollution particles were observed near the surface prior to a major plume of non-spherical mineral dust.

Nonspherical and Spherical Characterization of Ice in Hurricane Erin for Wideband Passive Microwave Comparisons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skofronick-Jackson, Gail; Holthaus, Eric; Albers, Cerese; Kim, Min-Jeong

2007-01-01

In order to better understand the characteristics of frozen cloud particles in hurricane systems, computed brightness temperatures were compared with radiometric observations of Hurricane Erin (2001) from the NASA ER-2 aircraft. The focus was oil the frozen particle microphysics and the high frequencies (2 85 GHz) that are particularly sensitive to frozen particles. Frozen particles in hurricanes are an indicator of increasing hurricane intensity. In fact "hot towers" associated with increasing hurricane intensity are composed of frozen ice cloud particles. (They are called hot towers because their column of air is warmer than the surrounding air temperature, but above about 5-7 km to the tops of the towers at 15-19 km, the cloud particles are frozen.) This work showed that indeed, one can model information about cloud ice particle characteristics and indicated that nonspherical ice shapes, instead of spherical particles, provided the best match to the observations. Overall, this work shows that while non-spherical particles show promise, selecting and modeling a proper ice particle parameterization can be difficult and additional in situ measurements are needed to define and validate appropriate parameterizations. This work is important for developing Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission satellite algorithms for the retrieval of ice characteristics both above the melting layer, as in Hurricane Erin, and for ice particles that reach the surface as falling snow.

Plastic scintillators in coincidence for the study of multi-particle production of sea level cosmic rays in dense medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chuang, L. S.; Chan, K. W.; Wada, M.

1985-01-01

Cosmic ray particles at sea level penetrate a thick layer of dense medium without appreciable interaction. These penetrating particles are identified with muons. The only appreciable interaction of muons are by knock on processes. A muon may have single, double or any number of knock on with atoms of the material so that one, two, three or more particles will come out from the medium in which the knock on processes occur. The probability of multiparticle production is expected to decrease with the increase of multiplicity. Measurements of the single, double, and triple particles generated in a dense medium (Fe and Al) by sea level cosmic rays at 22.42 N. Lat. and 114.20 E. Long. (Hong Kong) are presented using a detector composed of two plastic scintillators connected in coincidence.

Hierarchical structures of ZnO spherical particles synthesized solvothermally

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Noriko; Haneda, Hajime

2011-12-01

We review the solvothermal synthesis, using a mixture of ethylene glycol (EG) and water as the solvent, of zinc oxide (ZnO) particles having spherical and flower-like shapes and hierarchical nanostructures. The preparation conditions of the ZnO particles and the microscopic characterization of the morphology are summarized. We found the following three effects of the ratio of EG to water on the formation of hierarchical structures: (i) EG restricts the growth of ZnO microcrystals, (ii) EG promotes the self-assembly of small crystallites into spheroidal particles and (iii) the high water content of EG results in hollow spheres.

Variation of stresses ahead of the internal cracks in ReNi{sub 5} powders during hydrogen charging and discharging cycles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biner, S.B.

1998-07-01

In this study, the evolution of the stress-states ahead of the penny shaped internal cracks in both spherical and disk shaped ReNi{sub 5} particles during hydrogen charging and discharging cycles were investigated using coupled diffusion/deformation FEM analyses. The results indicate that large tensile stresses, on the order of 20--50% of the modulus of elasticity, develop in the particles. The disk shaped particles, in addition to having faster charging/discharging cycles, may offer better resistance to fracture than the spherical particles.

Resuspension of particles in an oscillating grid turbulent flow using PIV and 3D-PTV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

H, Traugott; T, Hayse; A, Liberzon

2011-12-01

Description of the mechanisms responsible for the initiation of particle motion from a surface and re-entrainment of particles into suspension remains a challenge, partially due to the technical difficulties to quantify the forces applied on the particles and the collection of high resolution data of particle displacements simultaneously. In this study we explore the process of initial entrainment of spherical particles from smooth beds into zero-mean-shear turbulent flow in an oscillating grid chamber. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry (3D-PTV) are used to correlate in a quantitative manner the turbulent flow properties responsible for pick-up, detachment and re-entrainment of particles. The results are compared to the existing models of critical shear velocity and provide further insight into the resuspension process of spherical particles in the transitional range of particle size Reynolds numbers 2 <= Rep <= 500.

Monodisperse Block Copolymer Particles with Controllable Size, Shape, and Nanostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Jae Man; Kim, Yongjoo; Kim, Bumjoon; PNEL Team

Shape-anisotropic particles are important class of novel colloidal building block for their functionality is more strongly governed by their shape, size and nanostructure compared to conventional spherical particles. Recently, facile strategy for producing non-spherical polymeric particles by interfacial engineering received significant attention. However, achieving uniform size distribution of particles together with controlled shape and nanostructure has not been achieved. Here, we introduce versatile system for producing monodisperse BCP particles with controlled size, shape and morphology. Polystyrene-b-polybutadiene (PS-b-PB) self-assembled to either onion-like or striped ellipsoid particle, where final structure is governed by amount of adsorbed sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant at the particle/surrounding interface. Further control of molecular weight and particle size enabled fine-tuning of aspect ratio of ellipsoid particle. Underlying physics of free energy for morphology formation and entropic penalty associated with bending BCP chains strongly affects particle structure and specification.

Radiative-Transfer Modeling of Spectra of Densely Packed Particulate Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, G.; Mishchenko, M. I.; Glotch, T. D.

2017-12-01

Remote sensing measurements over a wide range of wavelengths from both ground- and space-based platforms have provided a wealth of data regarding the surfaces and atmospheres of various solar system bodies. With proper interpretations, important properties, such as composition and particle size, can be inferred. However, proper interpretation of such datasets can often be difficult, especially for densely packed particulate media with particle sizes on the order of wavelength of light being used for remote sensing. Radiative transfer theory has often been applied to the study of densely packed particulate media like planetary regoliths and snow, but with difficulty, and here we continue to investigate radiative transfer modeling of spectra of densely packed media. We use the superposition T-matrix method to compute scattering properties of clusters of particles and capture the near-field effects important for dense packing. Then, the scattering parameters from the T-matrix computations are modified with the static structure factor correction, accounting for the dense packing of the clusters themselves. Using these corrected scattering parameters, reflectance (or emissivity via Kirchhoff's Law) is computed with the method of invariance imbedding solution to the radiative transfer equation. For this work we modeled the emissivity spectrum of the 3.3 µm particle size fraction of enstatite, representing some common mineralogical and particle size components of regoliths, in the mid-infrared wavelengths (5 - 50 µm). The modeled spectrum from the T-matrix method with static structure factor correction using moderate packing densities (filling factors of 0.1 - 0.2) produced better fits to the laboratory measurement of corresponding spectrum than the spectrum modeled by the equivalent method without static structure factor correction. Future work will test the method of the superposition T-matrix and static structure factor correction combination for larger particles sizes and polydispersed clusters in search for the most effective modeling of spectra of densely packed particulate media.

Mean-force-field and mean-spherical approximations for the electric microfield distribution at a charged point in the charged-hard-particles fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenfeld, Yaakov

1989-01-01

The linearized mean-force-field approximation, leading to a Gaussian distribution, provides an exact formal solution to the mean-spherical integral equation model for the electric microfield distribution at a charged point in the general charged-hard-particles fluid. Lado's explicit solution for plasmas immediately follows this general observation.

Proposal of a neutron transmutation doping facility for n-type spherical silicon solar cell at high-temperature engineering test reactor.

PubMed

Ho, Hai Quan; Honda, Yuki; Motoyama, Mizuki; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Ishii, Toshiaki; Ishitsuka, Etsuo

2018-05-01

The p-type spherical silicon solar cell is a candidate for future solar energy with low fabrication cost, however, its conversion efficiency is only about 10%. The conversion efficiency of a silicon solar cell can be increased by using n-type silicon semiconductor as a substrate. This study proposed a new method of neutron transmutation doping silicon (NTD-Si) for producing the n-type spherical solar cell, in which the Si-particles are irradiated directly instead of the cylinder Si-ingot as in the conventional NTD-Si. By using a 'screw', an identical resistivity could be achieved for the Si-particles without a complicated procedure as in the NTD with Si-ingot. Also, the reactivity and neutron flux swing could be kept to a minimum because of the continuous irradiation of the Si-particles. A high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR), which is located in Japan, was used as a reference reactor in this study. Neutronic calculations showed that the HTTR has a capability to produce about 40t/EFPY of 10Ωcm resistivity Si-particles for fabrication of the n-type spherical solar cell. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turbulence Modulation and Dense-Spray Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-01

system ............................................. 10 6 Particle size distribution (dp = 0.5 mm) .................................... 13 7 Particle size...54 27 Sketch of the pressurized test apparatus .................................... 55 28 Sketch of the double-pulse holocamera system ...58 29 Sketch of the hologram reconstruction system ............................ 59 30 Typical hologram reconstruction in the dense

Dense, gravity-driven granular-liquid flows down steep channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armanini, A.; Larcher, M.; Nucci, E.

2011-12-01

Debris flows are complex natural phenomena, characterized by a mixture of poorly sorted sediments and water driven by gravity. Depending on the size distribution, on the volume concentration of sediments and on the geometry and topography of the channel, flow conditions may be very different, ranging from very fast flows, dominated by granular collisions and by the turbulence on the liquid phase, to very slow and dense flows, dominated by the frictional contacts among the grains. To investigate the basic physics of debris flows, it is very useful to analyze the flow of a mixture of identical spherical particles saturated by water and driven by gravity down a steep channel in steady flow condition (Armanini et al. 2005). The flow presents three regions: an external one, near to the free surface, dominated by nearly instantaneous contacts among the particles (collisional regime), an internal region dominated by prolonged contacts among the particles (frictional regime) and a static bed in which the particles are immobile. The detailed vertical structure of this kind of flows was obtained by means of experiments carried out by Armanini et al. (2005) and Larcher et al. (2007). Armanini et al. (2009) analysed the stratification of rheological mechanisms inside the flow, focusing on the coexistence of frictional and collisional regimes, on the stress transmission inside the flow and on particles kinematics. In particular, it was observed that debris flows may show locally a typical intermittence of the flow regime, switching alternatively from frictional to collisional. While the rheology of the collisional layers is well described by the dense gas analogy (kinetic theory), a persuasive theoretical description of the frictional regime does not yet exist. A Coulombian scheme is often assumed, but this hypothesis is rather limitative because it requires a constant concentration or a distribution of particles concentration known a priori. An interesting scheme of this kind was recently proposed by GDR-Midi (2004), but this model does not contain a suitable formulation for the granular pressure (equation of state of the mixture). Following Armanini (2010), we propose a reinterpretation of the model, as weighted average of a pure Coulombian stress (dependent on the static friction angle at the static bed level) and of a dynamic stress, represented by a dynamic friction angle. Besides, a state relation is introduced for the granular pressure and the dynamic friction angle is derived from the kinetic theory. The proposed relations are finally successfully compared with the experimental data introduced above. REFERENCES A. Armanini, H. Capart, L. Fraccarollo, M. Larcher, 2005, J.F.M., 532, 269-319. A. Armanini, M. Larcher, L. Fraccarollo, Ph. Rev. E, 2009, 79, 051306. A. Armanini, 2010, Palermo, Proc. XXXII Conv. Naz. di Idr. e C.I. (in Italian) GDR MiDi, 2004. Eur. Phys. J. E, 14, 341-365 M. Larcher, L. Fraccarollo, A. Armanini, H. Capart, 2007, Journal Hydr. Res., 45, 59-71.

Light-field camera-based 3D volumetric particle image velocimetry with dense ray tracing reconstruction technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Shengxian; Ding, Junfei; New, T. H.; Soria, Julio

2017-07-01

This paper presents a dense ray tracing reconstruction technique for a single light-field camera-based particle image velocimetry. The new approach pre-determines the location of a particle through inverse dense ray tracing and reconstructs the voxel value using multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique (MART). Simulation studies were undertaken to identify the effects of iteration number, relaxation factor, particle density, voxel-pixel ratio and the effect of the velocity gradient on the performance of the proposed dense ray tracing-based MART method (DRT-MART). The results demonstrate that the DRT-MART method achieves higher reconstruction resolution at significantly better computational efficiency than the MART method (4-50 times faster). Both DRT-MART and MART approaches were applied to measure the velocity field of a low speed jet flow which revealed that for the same computational cost, the DRT-MART method accurately resolves the jet velocity field with improved precision, especially for the velocity component along the depth direction.

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids.

PubMed

Dahlberg, Jerry; Tkacik, Peter T; Mullany, Brigid; Fleischhauer, Eric; Shahinian, Hossein; Azimi, Farzad; Navare, Jayesh; Owen, Spencer; Bisel, Tucker; Martin, Tony; Sholar, Jodie; Keanini, Russell G

2017-12-04

An analog, macroscopic method for studying molecular-scale hydrodynamic processes in dense gases and liquids is described. The technique applies a standard fluid dynamic diagnostic, particle image velocimetry (PIV), to measure: i) velocities of individual particles (grains), extant on short, grain-collision time-scales, ii) velocities of systems of particles, on both short collision-time- and long, continuum-flow-time-scales, iii) collective hydrodynamic modes known to exist in dense molecular fluids, and iv) short- and long-time-scale velocity autocorrelation functions, central to understanding particle-scale dynamics in strongly interacting, dense fluid systems. The basic system is composed of an imaging system, light source, vibrational sensors, vibrational system with a known media, and PIV and analysis software. Required experimental measurements and an outline of the theoretical tools needed when using the analog technique to study molecular-scale hydrodynamic processes are highlighted. The proposed technique provides a relatively straightforward alternative to photonic and neutron beam scattering methods traditionally used in molecular hydrodynamic studies.

Dense CO2 as a Solute, Co-Solute or Co-Solvent in Particle Formation Processes: A Review

PubMed Central

Nunes, Ana V. M.; Duarte, Catarina M. M.

2011-01-01

The application of dense gases in particle formation processes has attracted great attention due to documented advantages over conventional technologies. In particular, the use of dense CO2 in the process has been subject of many works and explored in a variety of different techniques. This article presents a review of the current available techniques in use in particle formation processes, focusing exclusively on those employing dense CO2 as a solute, co-solute or co-solvent during the process, such as PGSS (Particles from gas-saturated solutions®), CPF (Concentrated Powder Form®), CPCSP (Continuous Powder Coating Spraying Process), CAN-BD (Carbon dioxide Assisted Nebulization with a Bubble Dryer®), SEA (Supercritical Enhanced Atomization), SAA (Supercritical Fluid-Assisted Atomization), PGSS-Drying and DELOS (Depressurization of an Expanded Liquid Organic Solution). Special emphasis is given to modifications introduced in the different techniques, as well as the limitations that have been overcome. PMID:28824121

Composite material reinforced with atomized quasicrystalline particles and method of making same

DOEpatents

Biner, S.B.; Sordelet, D.J.; Lograsso, B.K.; Anderson, I.E.

1998-12-22

A composite material comprises an aluminum or aluminum alloy matrix having generally spherical, atomized quasicrystalline aluminum-transition metal alloy reinforcement particles disposed in the matrix to improve mechanical properties. A composite article can be made by consolidating generally spherical, atomized quasicrystalline aluminum-transition metal alloy particles and aluminum or aluminum alloy particles to form a body that is cold and/or hot reduced to form composite products, such as composite plate or sheet, with interfacial bonding between the quasicrystalline particles and the aluminum or aluminum alloy matrix without damage (e.g. cracking or shape change) of the reinforcement particles. The cold and/or hot worked composite exhibits substantially improved yield strength, tensile strength, Young`s modulus (stiffness). 3 figs.

Influence of the Doppler effect on radiative transfer in a spherical plasma under macroscopic motion of substance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosarev, N. I.

2018-03-01

The non-LTE radiative transfer in spherical plasma containing resonantly absorbing light ions has been studied numerically under conditions of macroscopic motion of substance. Two types of macroscopic motion were simulated: radial expansion and compression (pulsation) of spherical plasma; rotation of plasma relative to an axis of symmetry. The calculations of absorption line profile of transmitted broadband radiation and the emission line profile were performed for the optically dense plasma of calcium ions on the resonance transition with wavelength 397 nm. Numerical results predict frequency shifts in the emission line profile to red wing of the spectrum for radial expansion of the plasma and to blue wing of the spectrum for the plasma compression at an average velocity of ions along the ray of sight equal to zero. The width of the emission line profile of a rotating plasma considerably exceeds the width of the profile of the static plasma, and the shift of the central frequency of resonance transition from the resonance frequency of the static plasma gives a linear velocity of ion motion along a given ray trajectory in units of thermal velocity. Knowledge of the linear radial velocity of ions can be useful for diagnostic purposes in determining the frequency and period of rotation of optically dense plasmas.

Fly ash particles spheroidization using low temperature plasma energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhovtsov, V. V.; Volokitin, O. G.; Kondratyuk, A. A.; Vitske, R. E.

2016-11-01

The paper presents the investigations on producing spherical particles 65-110 μm in size using the energy of low temperature plasma (LTP). These particles are based on flow ash produced by the thermal power plant in Seversk, Tomsk region, Russia. The obtained spherical particles have no defects and are characterized by a smooth exterior surface. The test bench is designed to produce these particles. With due regard for plasma temperature field distribution, it is shown that the transition of fly ash particles to a state of viscous flow occurs at 20 mm distance from the plasma jet. The X-ray phase analysis is carried out for the both original state of fly ash powders and the particles obtained. This analysis shows that fly ash contains 56.23 wt.% SiO2; 20.61 wt.% Al2O3 and 17.55 wt.% Fe2O3 phases that mostly contribute to the integral (experimental) intensity of the diffraction maximum. The LTP treatment results in a complex redistribution of the amorphous phase amount in the obtained spherical particles, including the reduction of O2Si, phase, increase of O22Al20 and Fe2O3 phases and change in Al, O density of O22Al20 chemical unit cell.

Anisotropic biodegradable lipid coated particles for spatially dynamic protein presentation.

PubMed

Meyer, Randall A; Mathew, Mohit P; Ben-Akiva, Elana; Sunshine, Joel C; Shmueli, Ron B; Ren, Qiuyin; Yarema, Kevin J; Green, Jordan J

2018-05-01

There has been growing interest in the use of particles coated with lipids for applications ranging from drug delivery, gene delivery, and diagnostic imaging to immunoengineering. To date, almost all particles with lipid coatings have been spherical despite emerging evidence that non-spherical shapes can provide important advantages including reduced non-specific elimination and increased target-specific binding. We combine control of core particle geometry with control of particle surface functionality by developing anisotropic, biodegradable ellipsoidal particles with lipid coatings. We demonstrate that these lipid coated ellipsoidal particles maintain advantageous properties of lipid polymer hybrid particles, such as the ability for modular protein conjugation to the particle surface using versatile bioorthogonal ligation reactions. In addition, they exhibit biomimetic membrane fluidity and demonstrate lateral diffusive properties characteristic of natural membrane proteins. These ellipsoidal particles simultaneously provide benefits of non-spherical particles in terms of stability and resistance to non-specific phagocytosis by macrophages as well as enhanced targeted binding. These biomaterials provide a novel and flexible platform for numerous biomedical applications. The research reported here documents the ability of non-spherical polymeric particles to be coated with lipids to form anisotropic biomimetic particles. In addition, we demonstrate that these lipid-coated biodegradable polymeric particles can be conjugated to a wide variety of biological molecules in a "click-like" fashion. This is of interest due to the multiple types of cellular mimicry enabled by this biomaterial based technology. These features include mimicry of the highly anisotropic shape exhibited by cells, surface presentation of membrane bound protein mimetics, and lateral diffusivity of membrane bound substrates comparable to that of a plasma membrane. This platform is demonstrated to facilitate targeted cell binding while being resistant to non-specific cellular uptake. Such a platform could allow for investigations into how physical parameters of a particle and its surface affect the interface between biomaterials and cells, as well as provide biomimetic technology platforms for drug delivery and cellular engineering. Copyright © 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elasticity-induced force reversal between active spinning particles in dense passive media

PubMed Central

Aragones, J. L.; Steimel, J. P.; Alexander-Katz, A.

2016-01-01

The self-organization of active particles is governed by their dynamic effective interactions. Such interactions are controlled by the medium in which such active agents reside. Here we study the interactions between active agents in a dense non-active medium. Our system consists of actuated, spinning, active particles embedded in a dense monolayer of passive, or non-active, particles. We demonstrate that the presence of the passive monolayer alters markedly the properties of the system and results in a reversal of the forces between active spinning particles from repulsive to attractive. The origin of such reversal is due to the coupling between the active stresses and elasticity of the system. This discovery provides a mechanism for the interaction between active agents in complex and structured media, opening up opportunities to tune the interaction range and directionality via the mechanical properties of the medium. PMID:27112961

Two-way coupled SPH and particle level set fluid simulation.

PubMed

Losasso, Frank; Talton, Jerry; Kwatra, Nipun; Fedkiw, Ronald

2008-01-01

Grid-based methods have difficulty resolving features on or below the scale of the underlying grid. Although adaptive methods (e.g. RLE, octrees) can alleviate this to some degree, separate techniques are still required for simulating small-scale phenomena such as spray and foam, especially since these more diffuse materials typically behave quite differently than their denser counterparts. In this paper, we propose a two-way coupled simulation framework that uses the particle level set method to efficiently model dense liquid volumes and a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method to simulate diffuse regions such as sprays. Our novel SPH method allows us to simulate both dense and diffuse water volumes, fully incorporates the particles that are automatically generated by the particle level set method in under-resolved regions, and allows for two way mixing between dense SPH volumes and grid-based liquid representations.

The drag and lift of different non-spherical particles from low to high Re

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanjeevi, Sathish K. P.; Padding, Johan

2017-11-01

The present work investigates a simplified drag and lift model that can be used for different non-spherical particles. The flow around different non-spherical particles is studied using a multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method. We compute the mean drag coefficient CD , ϕ at different incident angles ϕ for a wide range of Reynolds numbers (Re). We show that the sine-squared drag law CD , ϕ =CD , ϕ =0° +(CD , ϕ =90° -CD , ϕ =0°) sin2 ϕ holds up to large Reynolds numbers Re = 2000 . The sine-squared dependence of CD occurs at Stokes flow (very low Re) due to linearity of the flow fields. We explore the physical origin behind the sine-squared law at high Re , and reveal that surprisingly, this does not occur due to linearity of flow fields. Instead, it occurs due to an interesting pattern of pressure distribution contributing to the drag, at higher Re , for different incident angles. Similarly, we find that the equivalent theoretical equation of lift coefficient CL can provide a decent approximation, even at high Re , for elongated particles. Such a drag and lift law valid at high Re is very much useful for Euler-Lagrangian fluidization simulations of the non-spherical particles. European Research Council (ERC) consolidator Grant scheme, Contract No. 615096 (NonSphereFlow).

Diffraction of a Gaussian Beam by a Spherical Obstacle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lock, James A.; Hovenac, Edward A.

1993-01-01

The Kirchhoff integral for diffraction in the near-forward direction is derived from the exact solution of the electromagnetic boundary value problem of a focused Gaussian laser beam incident on a spherical particle. The diffracted intensity in the vicinity of the particle is computed and the way in which the features of the diffraction pattern depend on the width of the Gaussian beam is commented on.

Hollow proppants and a process for their manufacture

DOEpatents

Jones, A.H.; Cutler, R.A.

1985-10-15

Hollow, fine-grained ceramic proppants are less expensive and improve fracture control when compared to conventional proppants (dense alumina, mullite, bauxite, zirconia, etc.). Hollow proppants of the present invention have been fabricated by spray drying, followed by sintering in order to obtain a dense case and a hollow core. These proppants generally have high sphericity and roundness (Krumbein sphericity and roundness greater than 0.8), have diameters on average between 2,250 and 125 [mu]m, depending on proppant size required, and have strength equal to or greater than that of sand. The hollow core, the size of which can be controlled, permits better fracture control in hydraulic fracturing treatments since the proppant can be transported in lower viscosity fluids. Hollow proppants produced at the same cost/weight as conventional proppants also provide for lower costs, since less weight is required to fill the same volume. The fine-grained (preferably less than 5 [mu]m in diameter) ceramic case provides the strength necessary to withstand closure stresses and prevent crushing. 6 figs.

Hollow proppants and a process for their manufacture

DOEpatents

Jones, Arfon H.; Cutler, Raymond A.

1985-01-01

Hollow, fine-grained ceramic proppants are less expensive and improve fracture control when compared to conventional proppants (dense alumina, mullite, bauxite, zirconia, etc.). Hollow proppants of the present invention have been fabricated by spray drying, followed by sintering in order to obtain a dense case and a hollow core. These proppants generally have high sphericity and roundness (Krumbein sphericity and roundness greater than 0.8), have diameters on average between 2250 and 125 .mu.m, depending on proppant size required, and have strength equal to or greater than that of sand. The hollow core, the size of which can be controlled, permits better fracture control in hydraulic fracturing treatments since the proppant can be transported in lower viscosity fluids. Hollow proppants produced at the same cost/weight as conventional proppants also provide for lower costs, since less weight is required to fill the same volume. The fine-grained (preferably less than 5 .mu.m in diameter) ceramic case provides the strength necessary to withstand closure stresses and prevent crushing.

Combined sphere-spheroid particle model for the retrieval of the microphysical aerosol parameters via regularized inversion of lidar data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samaras, Stefanos; Böckmann, Christine; Nicolae, Doina

2016-06-01

In this work we propose a two-step advancement of the Mie spherical-particle model accounting for particle non-sphericity. First, a naturally two-dimensional (2D) generalized model (GM) is made, which further triggers analogous 2D re-definitions of microphysical parameters. We consider a spheroidal-particle approach where the size distribution is additionally dependent on aspect ratio. Second, we incorporate the notion of a sphere-spheroid particle mixture (PM) weighted by a non-sphericity percentage. The efficiency of these two models is investigated running synthetic data retrievals with two different regularization methods to account for the inherent instability of the inversion procedure. Our preliminary studies show that a retrieval with the PM model improves the fitting errors and the microphysical parameter retrieval and it has at least the same efficiency as the GM. While the general trend of the initial size distributions is captured in our numerical experiments, the reconstructions are subject to artifacts. Finally, our approach is applied to a measurement case yielding acceptable results.

Analysis of pinching in deterministic particle separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Risbud, Sumedh; Luo, Mingxiang; Frechette, Joelle; Drazer, German

2011-11-01

We investigate the problem of spherical particles vertically settling parallel to Y-axis (under gravity), through a pinching gap created by an obstacle (spherical or cylindrical, center at the origin) and a wall (normal to X axis), to uncover the physics governing microfluidic separation techniques such as deterministic lateral displacement and pinched flow fractionation: (1) theoretically, by linearly superimposing the resistances offered by the wall and the obstacle separately, (2) computationally, using the lattice Boltzmann method for particulate systems and (3) experimentally, by conducting macroscopic experiments. Both, theory and simulations, show that for a given initial separation between the particle centre and the Y-axis, presence of a wall pushes the particles closer to the obstacle, than its absence. Experimentally, this is expected to result in an early onset of the short-range repulsive forces caused by solid-solid contact. We indeed observe such an early onset, which we quantify by measuring the asymmetry in the trajectories of the spherical particles around the obstacle. This work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation Grant Nos. CBET- 0731032, CMMI-0748094, and CBET-0954840.

The Effect of Calcium Phosphate Particle Shape and Size on their Antibacterial and Osteogenic Activity in the Delivery of Antibiotics in vitro

PubMed Central

Uskoković, Vuk; Batarni, Samir Shariff; Schweicher, Julien; King, Andrew; Desai, Tejal A.

2013-01-01

Powders composed of four morphologically different calcium phosphate particles were prepared by precipitation from aqueous solutions: flaky, brick-like, elongated orthogonal, and spherical. The particles were then loaded with either clindamycin phosphate as the antibiotic of choice, or fluorescein, a model molecule used to assess the drug release properties. A comparison was carried out of the comparative effect of such antibiotic-releasing materials on: sustained drug release profiles; Staphylococcus aureus growth inhibition; and osteogenic propensities in vitro. Raman spectroscopic analysis indicated the presence of various calcium phosphate phases, including monetite (flaky and elongated orthogonal particles), octacalcium phosphate (brick-shaped particles) and hydroxyapatite (spherical particles). Testing the antibiotic-loaded calcium phosphate powders for bacterial growth inhibition demonstrated satisfying antibacterial properties both in broths and on agar plates. All four calcium-phosphate-fluorescein powders exhibited sustained drug release over 21 days. The calcium phosphate sample with the highest specific surface area and the smallest, spherical particle size was the most effective in both drug loading and release, consequently having the highest antibacterial efficiency. Moreover, the highest cell viability, the largest gene expression upregulation of three different osteogenic markers – osteocalcin, osteopontin and Runx2 - as well as the least disrupted cell cytoskeleton and cell morphologies were also noticed for the calcium phosphate powder composed of smallest, spherical nanosized particles. Still, all four powders exerted a viable effect on osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro, as evidenced by both morphological assessments on fluorescently stained cells and measurements of their mitochondrial activity. The obtained results suggest that the nanoscale particle size and the corresponding coarseness of the surface of particle conglomerates as the cell attachment points may present a favorable starting point for the development of calcium-phosphate-based osteogenic drug delivery devices. PMID:23484624

Properties of plate-like carbonyl iron particle for magnetorheological fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shilan, S. T.; Mazlan, S. A.; Khairi, M. H. A.; Ubaidillah

2016-11-01

This work experimentally discussed the characterization, magnetic, and rheological properties of plate-like carbonyl iron particle (CIP) in comparison with conventional spherical CIP. Plate-like CIP was produced by using ball milling method. The effect of plate-like shape on the magnetic behavior of CIP was firstly investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results indicated that the plate-like CIP obtained higher saturation magnetization (about 8%) than that of the spherical particles. In addition, the field-dependent rheological properties such as yield stress were investigated and the results are compared between two particles as a function of the magnetic field intensity.

Variation of stresses ahead of the internal cracks in ReNi{sub 5} powders during hydrogen charging and discharging cycles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biner, S.B.

1997-12-31

In this study, the evolution of the stress-states ahead of the penny shaped internal cracks in both spherical and disk shaped ReNi{sub 5} particles where Re denotes the rare earths La, Ce, and Misch-metals during hydrogen charging and discharging cycles were investigated using coupled diffusion/deformation FEM analyses. The results indicate that large tensile stresses, on the order of 20--30% of the modulus of elasticity, develop in the particles. The disk shaped particles, in addition to having faster charging/discharging cycles, may offer better resistance to fracture than the spherical particles.

Contribution of High-Order Rainbows to the Scattering of a Gaussian Laser Beam by a Spherical Particle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lock, James A.

1993-01-01

I review the theory of the scattering of a Gaussian laser beam by a dielectric spherical particle and give the details for constructing a computer program to implement the theory. Computational results indicate that if the width of the laser beam is much less than the diameter of the particle and if the axis of the beam is incident near the edge of the particle, the fifth-, sixth-, and ninth-order rainbows should be evident in the far-field scattered intensity. I performed an experiment that yielded tentative evidence for the presence of the sixth- order rainbow.

Shape evolution of a core-shell spherical particle under hydrostatic pressure.

PubMed

Colin, Jérôme

2012-03-01

The morphological evolution by surface diffusion of a core-shell spherical particle has been investigated theoretically under hydrostatic pressure when the shear modulii of the core and shell are different. A linear stability analysis has demonstrated that depending on the pressure, shear modulii, and radii of both phases, the free surface of the composite particle may be unstable with respect to a shape perturbation. A stability diagram finally emphasizes that the roughness development is favored in the case of a hard shell with a soft core.

Single-camera three-dimensional tracking of natural particulate and zooplankton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troutman, Valerie A.; Dabiri, John O.

2018-07-01

We develop and characterize an image processing algorithm to adapt single-camera defocusing digital particle image velocimetry (DDPIV) for three-dimensional (3D) particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) of natural particulates, such as those present in the ocean. The conventional DDPIV technique is extended to facilitate tracking of non-uniform, non-spherical particles within a volume depth an order of magnitude larger than current single-camera applications (i.e. 10 cm  ×  10 cm  ×  24 cm depth) by a dynamic template matching method. This 2D cross-correlation method does not rely on precise determination of the centroid of the tracked objects. To accommodate the broad range of particle number densities found in natural marine environments, the performance of the measurement technique at higher particle densities has been improved by utilizing the time-history of tracked objects to inform 3D reconstruction. The developed processing algorithms were analyzed using synthetically generated images of flow induced by Hill’s spherical vortex, and the capabilities of the measurement technique were demonstrated empirically through volumetric reconstructions of the 3D trajectories of particles and highly non-spherical, 5 mm zooplankton.

Modelling incompressible flows and fluid-structure interaction problems with smoothed particle hydrodynamics: Briefing on the 2017 SPHERIC Beijing International Workshop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Mou-bin; Huang, Can; Zhang, A.-man

2018-02-01

The 2017 SPHERIC Beijing International Workshop (or SPHERIC Beijing 2017) was held at Peking University, in China, on October 17-20, 2017. This is the first time that the SPHERIC Workshop was held out of Europe. We are delighted to present nine contributions in this Special Column of the Journal of Hydrodynamics, and take this opportunity to announce that the 13th SPHERIC Workshop (or SPHERIC 2018) will be held in Galway, Ireland in 2018 by the National University of Ireland, and the SPHERIC International Workshop in Harbin, China in 2019 by the Harbin Engineering University.

In situ ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering study under uniaxial stretching of colloidal crystals prepared by silica nanoparticles bearing hydrogen-bonding polymer grafts

DOE PAGES

Ishige, Ryohei; Williams, Gregory A.; Higaki, Yuji; ...

2016-04-19

A molded film of single-component polymer-grafted nanoparticles (SPNP), consisting of a spherical silica core and densely grafted polymer chains bearing hydrogen-bonding side groups capable of physical crosslinking, was investigated byin situultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) measurement during a uniaxial stretching process. Static USAXS revealed that the molded SPNP formed a highly oriented twinned face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) lattice structure with the [11-1] plane aligned nearly parallel to the film surface in the initial state. Structural analysis ofin situUSAXS using a model of uniaxial deformation induced by rearrangement of the nanoparticles revealed that the f.c.c. lattice was distorted in the stretching direction inmore » proportion to the macroscopic strain until the strain reached 35%, and subsequently changed into other f.c.c. lattices with different orientations. The lattice distortion and structural transition behavior corresponded well to the elastic and plastic deformation regimes, respectively, observed in the stress–strain curve. The attractive interaction of the hydrogen bond is considered to form only at the top surface of the shell and then plays an effective role in cross-linking between nanoparticles. The rearrangement mechanism of the nanoparticles is well accounted for by a strong repulsive interaction between the densely grafted polymer shells of neighboring particles.« less

Morphological Control of Metal Oxide-Doped Zinc Oxide and Application to Cosmetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goto, Takehiro; Yin, Shu; Sato, Tsugio; Tanaka, Takumi

2012-06-01

Zinc oxide shows excellent transparency and ultraviolet radiation shielding ability, and is used for various cosmetics.1-3 However, it possesses high catalytic activity and lower dispersibility. Therefore, spherical particles of zinc oxide have been synthesized by soft solution reaction using zinc nitrate, ethylene glycol, sodium hydroxide and triethanolamine as starting materials. After dissolving these compounds in water, the solution was heated at 90°C for 1 h to form almost mono-dispersed spherical zinc oxide particles. The particle size changed depending on zinc ion concentration, ethylene glycol concentration and so on. Furthermore, with doping some metal ions, the phtocatalytic activity could be decreased. The obtained monodispersed metal ion-doped spherical zinc oxides showed excellent UV shielding ability and low photocatalytic activity. Therefore, they are expected to be used as cosmetics ingredients.

Particle shape effects on the fracture of discontinuously-reinforced 6061-A1 matrix composites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shi, N.; Song, S.G.; Gray, G.T., III

1996-05-01

Effects on fracture and ductility of a spherical and an angular particulate-reinforced 6061-Al composite containing 20(vol)% Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} were studied using SEM fractography and modeled using finite element method (FEM). The spherical particulate composite exhibited a slightly lower yield strength and work hardening rate but a considerably higher ductility than the angular counterpart. SEM fractography showed that during tensile deformation the spherical composite failed through void nucleation and linking in the matrix near the reinforcement/matrix interface, whereas the angular composite failed through particle fracture and matrix ligament rupture. FEM results indicate that the distinction between the failure modes formore » these two composites can be attributed to differences in development of internal stresses and strains within the composites due to particle shape.« less

Unsteady forces on a spherical particle accelerating or decelerating in an initially stagnant fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keshav, Yashas Mudlapur Phaneesh

Flows with particles play an important role in a number of engineering applications. These include trajectories of droplets in sprays in fuel-injected-reciprocating-piston and gas-turbine engines, erosion of materials due to particle impact on a surface, and deposition of materials on surfaces by impinging droplets or particles that could solidify or bond on impact. For these applications, it is important to understand the forces that act on the particles so that their trajectories could be predicted. Considerable work has been done on understanding the forces acting on spherical particles, where the Reynolds numbers (Rep) based on the particle diameter and the relative speed between the particle and the fluid is less than unity. When Rep is larger than unity and when the particle is accelerating or decelerating, the added-mass effect and the Basset forces are not well understood. In this study, time-accurate numerical simulations were performed to study laminar incompressible flow induced by a single non-rotating rigid spherical particle that is accelerated or decelerated at a constant rate in an initially stagnant fluid, where the unsteady flow about the spherical particle is resolved. The Rep studied range from 0.01 to 100, and the acceleration number (Ac), where A c is the square of the relative velocity between the particle and the fluid divided by the acceleration times the particle diameter studied was in the range 2.13x-7 < |Ac |< 21337. Results obtained show the added mass effect for Rep up to 100 has the same functional form as those based on potential theory where the Rep is infinite and creeping flow where Rep is less than unity. The Basset force, however, differs considerably from those under creeping flow conditions and depends on Rep and the acceleration number (Ac). A model was developed to provide the magnitude of the added-mass effect and the Basset force in the range of Rep and Ac studied. Results obtained also show the effect of unsteadiness to become negligible when Ac reaches 80.

Ethylene glycol assisted spray pyrolysis for the synthesis of hollow BaFe12O19 spheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, X; Park, J; Hong, YK

2015-04-01

Hollow spherical BaFe12O19 particles were synthesized by spray pyrolysis from a solution containing ethylene glycol (EG) and precursors at 1000 degrees C. The effects of EG concentration on particle morphology, crystallinity and magnetic properties were investigated. The hollow spherical particles were found to consist of primary particles, and higher EG concentration led to a bigger primary particle size. EG concentration did not show much effect on the hollow particle size. Better crystallinity and higher magnetic coercivity were obtained with higher EG concentration, which is attributed to further crystallization with the heat produced from EG combustion. Saturation magnetization (emu/g) decreased withmore » increasing EG concentration due to residual carbon from EG incomplete combustion, contributing as a non-magnetic phase to the particles. Published by Elsevier B.V.« less

Sonochemical synthesis of silica particles and their size control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hwa-Min; Lee, Chang-Hyun; Kim, Bonghwan

2016-09-01

Using an ultrasound-assisted sol-gel method, we successfully synthesized very uniformly shaped, monodisperse, and size-controlled spherical silica particles from a mixture of ethanol, water, and tetraethyl orthosilicate in the presence of ammonia as catalyst, at room temperature. The diameters of the silica particles were distributed in the range from 40 to 400 nm; their morphology was well characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The silica particle size could be adjusted by choosing suitable concentrations of ammonium hydroxide and water, which in turn determined the nucleation and growth rates of the particles during the reaction. This sonochemical-based silica synthesis offers an alternative way to produce spherical silica particles in a relatively short reaction time. Thus, we suggest that this simple, low-cost, and efficient method of preparing uniform silica particles of various sizes will have practical and wide-ranging industrial applicability.

Method of forming a dense, high temperature electronically conductive composite layer on a porous ceramic substrate

DOEpatents

Isenberg, A.O.

1992-04-21

An electrochemical device, containing a solid oxide electrolyte material and an electrically conductive composite layer, has the composite layer attached by: (A) applying a layer of LaCrO[sub 3], YCrO[sub 3] or LaMnO[sub 3] particles, on a portion of a porous ceramic substrate, (B) heating to sinter bond the particles to the substrate, (C) depositing a dense filler structure between the doped particles, (D) shaving off the top of the particles, and (E) applying an electronically conductive layer over the particles as a contact. 7 figs.

Dedicated vertical wind tunnel for the study of sedimentation of non-spherical particles.

PubMed

Bagheri, G H; Bonadonna, C; Manzella, I; Pontelandolfo, P; Haas, P

2013-05-01

A dedicated 4-m-high vertical wind tunnel has been designed and constructed at the University of Geneva in collaboration with the Groupe de compétence en mécanique des fluides et procédés énergétiques. With its diverging test section, the tunnel is designed to study the aero-dynamical behavior of non-spherical particles with terminal velocities between 5 and 27 ms(-1). A particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) code is developed to calculate drag coefficient of particles in standard conditions based on the real projected area of the particles. Results of our wind tunnel and PTV code are validated by comparing drag coefficient of smooth spherical particles and cylindrical particles to existing literature. Experiments are repeatable with average relative standard deviation of 1.7%. Our preliminary experiments on the effect of particle to fluid density ratio on drag coefficient of cylindrical particles show that the drag coefficient of freely suspended particles in air is lower than those measured in water or in horizontal wind tunnels. It is found that increasing aspect ratio of cylindrical particles reduces their secondary motions and they tend to be suspended with their maximum area normal to the airflow. The use of the vertical wind tunnel in combination with the PTV code provides a reliable and precise instrument for measuring drag coefficient of freely moving particles of various shapes. Our ultimate goal is the study of sedimentation and aggregation of volcanic particles (density between 500 and 2700 kgm(-3)) but the wind tunnel can be used in a wide range of applications.

A Comparative Study of Production of Glass Microspheres by using Thermal Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, May Yan; Tan, Jully; Heng, Jerry YY; Cheeseman, Christopher

2017-06-01

Microspheres are spherical particles that can be distinguished into two categories; solid or hollow. Microspheres typical ranges from 1 to 200 μm in diameter. Microsphere are made from glass, ceramic, carbon or plastic depending on applications. Solid glass microsphere is manufactured by direct burning of glass powders while hollow glass microspheres is produced by adding blowing agent to glass powder. This paper presented the production of glass microspheres by using the vertical thermal flame (VTF) process. Pre-treated soda lime glass powder with particle sized range from 90 to 125μm was used in this work. The results showed that glass microspheres produced by two passes through the flame have a more spherical shape as compared with the single pass. Under the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), it is observed that there is a morphology changed from uneven surface of glass powders to smooth spherical surface particles. Qualitative analysis for density of the pre-burned and burned particles was performed. Burned particles floats in water while pre-burned particles sank indicated the change of density of the particles. Further improvements of the VTF process in terms of the VTF set-up are required to increase the transformation of glass powders to glass microspheres.

Coherent Backscattering in the Cross-Polarized Channel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mischenko, Michael I.; Mackowski, Daniel W.

2011-01-01

We analyze the asymptotic behavior of the cross-polarized enhancement factor in the framework of the standard low-packing-density theory of coherent backscattering by discrete random media composed of spherically symmetric particles. It is shown that if the particles are strongly absorbing or if the smallest optical dimension of the particulate medium (i.e., the optical thickness of a plane-parallel slab or the optical diameter of a spherically symmetric volume) approaches zero, then the cross-polarized enhancement factor tends to its upper-limit value 2. This theoretical prediction is illustrated using direct computer solutions of the Maxwell equations for spherical volumes of discrete random medium.

Morphology-Dependent Resonances of Spherical Droplets with Numerous Microscopic Inclusions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mishchenko, Michael I.; Liu, Li; Mackowski, Daniel W.

2014-01-01

We use the recently extended superposition T-matrix method to study the behavior of a sharp Lorenz-Mie resonance upon filling a spherical micrometer-sized droplet with tens and hundreds of randomly positioned microscopic inclusions. We show that as the number of inclusions increases, the extinction cross-section peak and the sharp asymmetry-parameter minimum become suppressed, widen, and move toward smaller droplet size parameters, while ratios of diagonal elements of the scattering matrix exhibit sharp angular features indicative of a distinctly nonspherical particle. Our results highlight the limitedness of the concept of an effective refractive index of an inhomogeneous spherical particle.

Axial acoustic radiation force on a sphere in Gaussian field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Rongrong; Liu, Xiaozhou, E-mail: xzliu@nju.edu.cn; Gong, Xiufen

2015-10-28

Based on the finite series method, the acoustical radiation force resulting from a Gaussian beam incident on a spherical object is investigated analytically. When the position of the particles deviating from the center of the beam, the Gaussian beam is expanded as a spherical function at the center of the particles and the expanded coefficients of the Gaussian beam is calculated. The analytical expression of the acoustic radiation force on spherical particles deviating from the Gaussian beam center is deduced. The acoustic radiation force affected by the acoustic frequency and the offset distance from the Gaussian beam center is investigated.more » Results have been presented for Gaussian beams with different wavelengths and it has been shown that the interaction of a Gaussian beam with a sphere can result in attractive axial force under specific operational conditions. Results indicate the capability of manipulating and separating spherical spheres based on their mechanical and acoustical properties, the results provided here may provide a theoretical basis for development of single-beam acoustical tweezers.« less

The Electrochemical Behavior of Dispersions of Spherical Ultramicroelectrodes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-30

means of bipolar electrolyses with dispersions. Polarization equations are predicted for highly simplified models based on the concept of the mixture...three-dimensional electrodes. Bipolar electrolyses on dispersions of spherical particles have been proposed and the behavior of such electrodes in the...photodecomposition of water (e.g. see (32-41)). It should be noted that the size range of the particles which will be most frequently used in dispersion

Effect of amine functionalization of spherical MCM-41 and SBA-15 on controlled drug release

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Szegedi, A., E-mail: szegedi@chemres.h; Popova, M.; Goshev, I.

2011-05-15

MCM-41 and SBA-15 silica materials with spherical morphology and different particle sizes were synthesized and modified by post-synthesis method with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). A comparative study of the adsorption and release of a model drug, ibuprofen, were carried out. The modified and drug loaded mesoporous materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, N{sub 2} physisorption, thermal analysis, elemental analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. Surface modification with amino groups resulted in high degree of ibuprofen loading and slow rate of release for MCM-41, whereas it was the opposite for SBA-15. The adsorbed drug content and the delivery rate can be predetermined by the choicemore » of mesoporous material with the appropriate structural characteristics and surface functionality. -- Graphical Abstract: Ibuprofen delivery from the parent and amino-modified spherical MCM-41 materials with 100 nm (small) and 500 nm (large) particle sizes. Display Omitted Highlights: {yields} Spherical type MCM-41 and SBA-15 with different particle sizes were modified by APTES. {yields} Adsorption and release rate of ibuprofen were compared. {yields} High degree of ibuprofen loading, slow release rate for MCM-41, the opposite for SBA-15. {yields} MCM-41 with 100 nm particles was more stable and showed slower release rate« less

Functionalized patchy particles using colloidal lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Middleton, Christine

2014-03-01

Colloidal assembly had been limited by the isotropic, nonspecific nature of interactions between spherical colloidal particles. By giving particles patches functionalized with single stranded DNA, these interactions can be made both directional and specific. We create patchy particles by adding patches to spherical emulsion droplets using the depletion interaction. First we make polystyrene particles in the shape of contact lenses to be the patches. The lenses are functionalized with single stranded DNA on their convex side. Then we put the lenses on the surface of oil emulsion droplets using the depletion interaction, creating a patch (or multiple patches) on the surface of each emulsion droplet. The emulsion droplets can now interact with each other in a specific, directional way through DNA functionalized patches.

Target categorization of aerosol and clouds by continuous multiwavelength-polarization lidar measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baars, Holger; Seifert, Patric; Engelmann, Ronny; Wandinger, Ulla

2017-09-01

Absolute calibrated signals at 532 and 1064 nm and the depolarization ratio from a multiwavelength lidar are used to categorize primary aerosol but also clouds in high temporal and spatial resolution. Automatically derived particle backscatter coefficient profiles in low temporal resolution (30 min) are applied to calibrate the lidar signals. From these calibrated lidar signals, new atmospheric parameters in temporally high resolution (quasi-particle-backscatter coefficients) are derived. By using thresholds obtained from multiyear, multisite EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network) measurements, four aerosol classes (small; large, spherical; large, non-spherical; mixed, partly non-spherical) and several cloud classes (liquid, ice) are defined. Thus, particles are classified by their physical features (shape and size) instead of by source. The methodology is applied to 2 months of continuous observations (24 h a day, 7 days a week) with the multiwavelength-Raman-polarization lidar PollyXT during the High-Definition Clouds and Precipitation for advancing Climate Prediction (HD(CP)2) Observational Prototype Experiment (HOPE) in spring 2013. Cloudnet equipment was operated continuously directly next to the lidar and is used for comparison. By discussing three 24 h case studies, it is shown that the aerosol discrimination is very feasible and informative and gives a good complement to the Cloudnet target categorization. Performing the categorization for the 2-month data set of the entire HOPE campaign, almost 1 million pixel (5 min × 30 m) could be analysed with the newly developed tool. We find that the majority of the aerosol trapped in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) was composed of small particles as expected for a heavily populated and industrialized area. Large, spherical aerosol was observed mostly at the top of the PBL and close to the identified cloud bases, indicating the importance of hygroscopic growth of the particles at high relative humidity. Interestingly, it is found that on several days non-spherical particles were dispersed from the ground into the atmosphere.

Measurement of dispersion of nanoparticles in a dense suspension by high-sensitivity low-coherence dynamic light scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, Katsuhiro; Nakamura, Sohichiro; Sato, Yuki

2014-08-01

High-sensitivity low-coherence DLS apply to measurement of particle size distribution of pigments suspended in a ink. This method can be apply to extremely dense and turbid media without dilution. We show the temporal variation of particle size distribution of thixotropy and sedimentary pigments due to aggregation, agglomerate, and sedimentation. Moreover, we demonstrate the influence of dilution of ink to particle size distribution.

Optical properties of non-spherical desert dust particles in the terrestrial infrared - An asymptotic approximation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klüser, Lars; Di Biagio, Claudia; Kleiber, Paul D.; Formenti, Paola; Grassian, Vicki H.

2016-07-01

Optical properties (extinction efficiency, single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter and scattering phase function) of five different desert dust minerals have been calculated with an asymptotic approximation approach (AAA) for non-spherical particles. The AAA method combines Rayleigh-limit approximations with an asymptotic geometric optics solution in a simple and straightforward formulation. The simulated extinction spectra have been compared with classical Lorenz-Mie calculations as well as with laboratory measurements of dust extinction. This comparison has been done for single minerals and with bulk dust samples collected from desert environments. It is shown that the non-spherical asymptotic approximation improves the spectral extinction pattern, including position of the extinction peaks, compared to the Lorenz-Mie calculations for spherical particles. Squared correlation coefficients from the asymptotic approach range from 0.84 to 0.96 for the mineral components whereas the corresponding numbers for Lorenz-Mie simulations range from 0.54 to 0.85. Moreover the blue shift typically found in Lorenz-Mie results is not present in the AAA simulations. The comparison of spectra simulated with the AAA for different shape assumptions suggests that the differences mainly stem from the assumption of the particle shape and not from the formulation of the method itself. It has been shown that the choice of particle shape strongly impacts the quality of the simulations. Additionally, the comparison of simulated extinction spectra with bulk dust measurements indicates that within airborne dust the composition may be inhomogeneous over the range of dust particle sizes, making the calculation of reliable radiative properties of desert dust even more complex.

Optical Emission Spectroscopy in an Unmagnetized Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milhone, Jason; Cooper, Christopher; Desangles, Victor; Nornberg, Mark; Seidlitz, Blair; Forest, Cary; WiPAL Team

2015-11-01

An optical emission spectroscopic analysis has been developed to measure electron temperature, neutral burnout, and Zeff in Ar and He plasmas in the Wisconsin plasma astrophysics laboratory (WiPAL). The WiPAL vacuum chamber is a 3 meter diameter spherical vessel lined with 3000 SmCo permanent magnets (B > 3 kG) that create an axisymmetric multi-cusp ring for confining the plasma. WiPAL is designed to study unmagnetized plasmas that are hot (Te > 10 eV), dense (ne >1018), and with high ionization fraction. Electron temperature and density can be measured via Langmuir probes. However, probes can disturb the plasma, be difficult to interpret, and become damaged by large heat loads from the plasma. A low cost non-invasive spectroscopy system capable of scanning the plasma via a linear stage has been installed to study plasma properties. From the neutral particle emission, the neutral burnout and estimated neutral temperature can be inferred. A modified coronal model with metastable states is being implemented to determine Te for Ar plasmas.

Structural diversity in binary superlattices self-assembled from polymer-grafted nanocrystals

DOE PAGES

Ye, Xingchen; Zhu, Chenhui; Ercius, Peter; ...

2015-12-02

Multicomponent nanocrystal superlattices represent an interesting class of material that derives emergent properties from mesoscale structure, yet their programmability can be limited by the alkyl-chain-based ligands decorating the surfaces of the constituent nanocrystals. Polymeric ligands offer distinct advantages, as they allow for more precise tuning of the effective size and ‘interaction softness’ through changes to the polymer’s molecular weight, chemical nature, architecture, persistence length and surrounding solvent. Here we show the formation of 10 different binary nanocrystal superlattices (BNSLs) with both two- and three-dimensional order through independent adjustment of the core size of spherical nanocrystals and the molecular weight ofmore » densely grafted polystyrene ligands. These polymer-brush-based ligands introduce new energetic contributions to the interparticle potential that stabilizes various BNSL phases across a range of length scales and interparticle spacings. In conclusion, our study opens the door for nanocrystals to become modular elements in the design of functional particle brush solids with controlled nanoscale interfaces and mesostructures.« less

Implementation and Re nement of a Comprehensive Model for Dense Granular Flows

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sundaresan, Sankaran

2015-09-30

Dense granular ows are ubiquitous in both natural and industrial processes. They manifest three di erent ow regimes, each exhibiting its own dependence on solids volume fraction, shear rate, and particle-level properties. This research project sought to develop continuum rheological models for dense granular ows that bridges multiple regimes of ow, implement them in open-source platforms for gas-particle ows and perform test simulations. The rst phase of the research covered in this project involved implementation of a steady- shear rheological model that bridges quasi-static, intermediate and inertial regimes of ow into MFIX (Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges - a generalmore » purpose computer code developed at the National Energy Technology Laboratory). MFIX simulations of dense granular ows in hourglass-shaped hopper were then performed as test examples. The second phase focused on formulation of a modi ed kinetic theory for frictional particles that can be used over a wider range of particle volume fractions and also apply for dynamic, multi- dimensional ow conditions. To guide this work, simulations of simple shear ows of identical mono-disperse spheres were also performed using the discrete element method. The third phase of this project sought to develop and implement a more rigorous treatment of boundary e ects. Towards this end, simulations of simple shear ows of identical mono-disperse spheres con ned between parallel plates were performed and analyzed to formulate compact wall boundary conditions that can be used for dense frictional ows at at frictional boundaries. The fourth phase explored the role of modest levels of cohesive interactions between particles on the dense phase rheology. The nal phase of this project focused on implementation and testing of the modi ed kinetic theory in MFIX and running bin-discharge simulations as test examples.« less

X-ray Emission from the Interaction of a Macroscopic Particle with a Dense Plasma Focus.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-10-01

Recently the interest in dense plasma focus has greatly increased because of the possibility of developing the device into an intense, pulsed...using a macroscopic particle to interact with a plasma focus . A theoretical study was carried out to predict the relative amount of X-ray increase

Characterization of airborne and bulk particulate from iron and steel manufacturing facilities.

PubMed

Machemer, Steven D

2004-01-15

Characterization of airborne and bulk particulate material from iron and steel manufacturing facilities, commonly referred to as kish, indicated graphite flakes and graphite flakes associated with spherical iron oxide particles were unique particle characteristics useful in identifying particle emissions from iron and steel manufacturing. Characterization of airborne particulate material collected in receptor areas was consistent with multiple atmospheric release events of kish particles from the local iron and steel facilities into neighboring residential areas. Kish particles deposited in nearby residential areas included an abundance of graphite flakes, tens of micrometers to millimeters in size, and spherical iron oxide particles, submicrometer to tens of micrometers in size. Bulk kish from local iron and steel facilities contained an abundance of similar particles. Approximately 60% of blast furnace kish by volume consisted of spherical iron oxide particles in the respirable size range. Basic oxygen furnace kish contained percent levels of strongly alkaline components such as calcium hydroxide. In addition, concentrations of respirable Mn in airborne particulate in residential areas and at local iron and steel facilities were approximately 1.6 and 53 times the inhalation reference concentration of 0.05 microg/m3 for chronic inhalation exposure of Mn, respectively. Thus, airborne release of kish may pose potential respirable particulate, corrosive, or toxic hazards for human health and/or a corrosive hazard for property and the environment.

Discrete Element Model for Suppression of Coffee-Ring Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ting; Lam, Miu Ling; Chen, Ting-Hsuan

2017-02-01

When a sessile droplet evaporates, coffee-ring effect drives the suspended particulate matters to the droplet edge, eventually forming a ring-shaped deposition. Because it causes a non-uniform distribution of solid contents, which is undesired in many applications, attempts have been made to eliminate the coffee-ring effect. Recent reports indicated that the coffee-ring effect can be suppressed by a mixture of spherical and non-spherical particles with enhanced particle-particle interaction at air-water interface. However, a model to comprehend the inter-particulate activities has been lacking. Here, we report a discrete element model (particle system) to investigate the phenomenon. The modeled dynamics included particle traveling following the capillary flow with Brownian motion, and its resultant 3D hexagonal close packing of particles along the contact line. For particles being adsorbed by air-water interface, we modeled cluster growth, cluster deformation, and cluster combination. We found that the suppression of coffee-ring effect does not require a circulatory flow driven by an inward Marangoni flow at air-water interface. Instead, the number of new cluster formation, which can be enhanced by increasing the ratio of non-spherical particles and the overall number of microspheres, is more dominant in the suppression process. Together, this model provides a useful platform elucidating insights for suppressing coffee-ring effect for practical applications in the future.

WE-H-BRA-08: A Monte Carlo Cell Nucleus Model for Assessing Cell Survival Probability Based On Particle Track Structure Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, B; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA; Wang, C

Purpose: To correlate the damage produced by particles of different types and qualities to cell survival on the basis of nanodosimetric analysis and advanced DNA structures in the cell nucleus. Methods: A Monte Carlo code was developed to simulate subnuclear DNA chromatin fibers (CFs) of 30nm utilizing a mean-free-path approach common to radiation transport. The cell nucleus was modeled as a spherical region containing 6000 chromatin-dense domains (CDs) of 400nm diameter, with additional CFs modeled in a sparser interchromatin region. The Geant4-DNA code was utilized to produce a particle track database representing various particles at different energies and dose quantities.more » These tracks were used to stochastically position the DNA structures based on their mean free path to interaction with CFs. Excitation and ionization events intersecting CFs were analyzed using the DBSCAN clustering algorithm for assessment of the likelihood of producing DSBs. Simulated DSBs were then assessed based on their proximity to one another for a probability of inducing cell death. Results: Variations in energy deposition to chromatin fibers match expectations based on differences in particle track structure. The quality of damage to CFs based on different particle types indicate more severe damage by high-LET radiation than low-LET radiation of identical particles. In addition, the model indicates more severe damage by protons than of alpha particles of same LET, which is consistent with differences in their track structure. Cell survival curves have been produced showing the L-Q behavior of sparsely ionizing radiation. Conclusion: Initial results indicate the feasibility of producing cell survival curves based on the Monte Carlo cell nucleus method. Accurate correlation between simulated DNA damage to cell survival on the basis of nanodosimetric analysis can provide insight into the biological responses to various radiation types. Current efforts are directed at producing cell survival curves for high-LET radiation.« less

Two-dimensional positive column structure with dust cloud: Experiment and nonlocal kinetic simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zobnin, A. V.; Usachev, A. D.; Petrov, O. F.; Fortov, V. E.; Thoma, M. H.; Fink, M. A.

2018-03-01

The influence of a dust cloud on the structure of the positive column of a direct current gas discharge in a cylindrical glass tube under milligravity conditions has been studied both experimentally and numerically. The discharge was produced in neon at 60 Pa in a glass tube with a diameter of 30 mm at a discharge current 1 mA. Spherical monodisperse melamine formaldehyde dust particles with a diameter of 6.86 μm were injected into the positive column and formed there a uniform dust cloud with a maximum diameter of 14.4 mm. The shape of the cloud and the dust particle number density were measured. The cloud was stationary in the radial direction and slowly drifted in the axial direction. It was found that in the presence of the dust cloud, the intensity of the neon spectral line with a wavelength by 585.25 nm emitted by the discharge plasma increased by 2.3 times and 2 striations appeared on the anode side of the cloud. A numerical simulation of the discharge was performed using the 2D (quasi-3D) nonlocal self-consistent kinetic model of a longitudinally inhomogeneous axially symmetric positive column [Zobnin et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 113503 (2014)], which was supplemented by a program module performing a self-consistent calculation of dust particle charges, the plasma recombination rate on dust particles, and ion scattering on dust particles. A new approach to the calculation of particle charges and the screening radius in dense dust clouds is proposed. The results of the simulation are presented, compared with experimental data and discussed. It is demonstrated that for the best agreement between simulated and experimental data, it is necessary to take into account the reflection of electrons from the dust particle surface in order to correctly describe the recombination rate in the cloud, its radial stability, and the dust particle charges.

Maximally dense packings of two-dimensional convex and concave noncircular particles.

PubMed

Atkinson, Steven; Jiao, Yang; Torquato, Salvatore

2012-09-01

Dense packings of hard particles have important applications in many fields, including condensed matter physics, discrete geometry, and cell biology. In this paper, we employ a stochastic search implementation of the Torquato-Jiao adaptive-shrinking-cell (ASC) optimization scheme [Nature (London) 460, 876 (2009)] to find maximally dense particle packings in d-dimensional Euclidean space R(d). While the original implementation was designed to study spheres and convex polyhedra in d≥3, our implementation focuses on d=2 and extends the algorithm to include both concave polygons and certain complex convex or concave nonpolygonal particle shapes. We verify the robustness of this packing protocol by successfully reproducing the known putative optimal packings of congruent copies of regular pentagons and octagons, then employ it to suggest dense packing arrangements of congruent copies of certain families of concave crosses, convex and concave curved triangles (incorporating shapes resembling the Mercedes-Benz logo), and "moonlike" shapes. Analytical constructions are determined subsequently to obtain the densest known packings of these particle shapes. For the examples considered, we find that the densest packings of both convex and concave particles with central symmetry are achieved by their corresponding optimal Bravais lattice packings; for particles lacking central symmetry, the densest packings obtained are nonlattice periodic packings, which are consistent with recently-proposed general organizing principles for hard particles. Moreover, we find that the densest known packings of certain curved triangles are periodic with a four-particle basis, and we find that the densest known periodic packings of certain moonlike shapes possess no inherent symmetries. Our work adds to the growing evidence that particle shape can be used as a tuning parameter to achieve a diversity of packing structures.

Maximally dense packings of two-dimensional convex and concave noncircular particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, Steven; Jiao, Yang; Torquato, Salvatore

2012-09-01

Dense packings of hard particles have important applications in many fields, including condensed matter physics, discrete geometry, and cell biology. In this paper, we employ a stochastic search implementation of the Torquato-Jiao adaptive-shrinking-cell (ASC) optimization scheme [Nature (London)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/nature08239 460, 876 (2009)] to find maximally dense particle packings in d-dimensional Euclidean space Rd. While the original implementation was designed to study spheres and convex polyhedra in d≥3, our implementation focuses on d=2 and extends the algorithm to include both concave polygons and certain complex convex or concave nonpolygonal particle shapes. We verify the robustness of this packing protocol by successfully reproducing the known putative optimal packings of congruent copies of regular pentagons and octagons, then employ it to suggest dense packing arrangements of congruent copies of certain families of concave crosses, convex and concave curved triangles (incorporating shapes resembling the Mercedes-Benz logo), and “moonlike” shapes. Analytical constructions are determined subsequently to obtain the densest known packings of these particle shapes. For the examples considered, we find that the densest packings of both convex and concave particles with central symmetry are achieved by their corresponding optimal Bravais lattice packings; for particles lacking central symmetry, the densest packings obtained are nonlattice periodic packings, which are consistent with recently-proposed general organizing principles for hard particles. Moreover, we find that the densest known packings of certain curved triangles are periodic with a four-particle basis, and we find that the densest known periodic packings of certain moonlike shapes possess no inherent symmetries. Our work adds to the growing evidence that particle shape can be used as a tuning parameter to achieve a diversity of packing structures.

Effective density and mixing state of aerosol particles in a near-traffic urban environment.

PubMed

Rissler, Jenny; Nordin, Erik Z; Eriksson, Axel C; Nilsson, Patrik T; Frosch, Mia; Sporre, Moa K; Wierzbicka, Aneta; Svenningsson, Birgitta; Löndahl, Jakob; Messing, Maria E; Sjogren, Staffan; Hemmingsen, Jette G; Loft, Steffen; Pagels, Joakim H; Swietlicki, Erik

2014-06-03

In urban environments, airborne particles are continuously emitted, followed by atmospheric aging. Also, particles emitted elsewhere, transported by winds, contribute to the urban aerosol. We studied the effective density (mass-mobility relationship) and mixing state with respect to the density of particles in central Copenhagen, in wintertime. The results are related to particle origin, morphology, and aging. Using a differential mobility analyzer-aerosol particle mass analyzer (DMA-APM), we determined that particles in the diameter range of 50-400 nm were of two groups: porous soot aggregates and more dense particles. Both groups were present at each size in varying proportions. Two types of temporal variability in the relative number fraction of the two groups were found: soot correlated with intense traffic in a diel pattern and dense particles increased during episodes with long-range transport from polluted continental areas. The effective density of each group was relatively stable over time, especially of the soot aggregates, which had effective densities similar to those observed in laboratory studies of fresh diesel exhaust emissions. When heated to 300 °C, the soot aggregate volatile mass fraction was ∼10%. For the dense particles, the volatile mass fraction varied from ∼80% to nearly 100%.

Flash X-Ray measurements on the shock-induced dispersal of a dense particle curtain

DOE PAGES

Wagner, Justin L.; Kearney, Sean P.; Beresh, Steven J.; ...

2015-11-23

The interaction of a Mach 1.67 shock wave with a dense particle curtain is quantified using flash radiography. These new data provide a view of particle transport inside a compressible, dense gas–solid flow of high optical opacity. The curtain, composed of 115-µm glass spheres, initially spans 87 % of the test section width and has a streamwise thickness of about 2 mm. Radiograph intensities are converted to particle volume fraction distributions using the Beer–Lambert law. The mass in the particle curtain, as determined from the X-ray data, is in reasonable agreement with that given from a simpler method using amore » load cell and particle imaging. Following shock impingement, the curtain propagates downstream and the peak volume fraction decreases from about 23 to about 4 % over a time of 340 µs. The propagation occurs asymmetrically, with the downstream side of the particle curtain experiencing a greater volume fraction gradient than the upstream side, attributable to the dependence of particle drag on volume fraction. Bulk particle transport is quantified from the time-dependent center of mass of the curtain. Furthermore, the bulk acceleration of the curtain is shown to be greater than that predicted for a single 115-µm particle in a Mach 1.67 shock-induced flow.« less

Flash X-Ray measurements on the shock-induced dispersal of a dense particle curtain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagner, Justin L.; Kearney, Sean P.; Beresh, Steven J.

The interaction of a Mach 1.67 shock wave with a dense particle curtain is quantified using flash radiography. These new data provide a view of particle transport inside a compressible, dense gas–solid flow of high optical opacity. The curtain, composed of 115-µm glass spheres, initially spans 87 % of the test section width and has a streamwise thickness of about 2 mm. Radiograph intensities are converted to particle volume fraction distributions using the Beer–Lambert law. The mass in the particle curtain, as determined from the X-ray data, is in reasonable agreement with that given from a simpler method using amore » load cell and particle imaging. Following shock impingement, the curtain propagates downstream and the peak volume fraction decreases from about 23 to about 4 % over a time of 340 µs. The propagation occurs asymmetrically, with the downstream side of the particle curtain experiencing a greater volume fraction gradient than the upstream side, attributable to the dependence of particle drag on volume fraction. Bulk particle transport is quantified from the time-dependent center of mass of the curtain. Furthermore, the bulk acceleration of the curtain is shown to be greater than that predicted for a single 115-µm particle in a Mach 1.67 shock-induced flow.« less

Flash X-ray measurements on the shock-induced dispersal of a dense particle curtain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Justin L.; Kearney, Sean P.; Beresh, Steven J.; DeMauro, Edward P.; Pruett, Brian O.

2015-12-01

The interaction of a Mach 1.67 shock wave with a dense particle curtain is quantified using flash radiography. These new data provide a view of particle transport inside a compressible, dense gas-solid flow of high optical opacity. The curtain, composed of 115-µm glass spheres, initially spans 87 % of the test section width and has a streamwise thickness of about 2 mm. Radiograph intensities are converted to particle volume fraction distributions using the Beer-Lambert law. The mass in the particle curtain, as determined from the X-ray data, is in reasonable agreement with that given from a simpler method using a load cell and particle imaging. Following shock impingement, the curtain propagates downstream and the peak volume fraction decreases from about 23 to about 4 % over a time of 340 µs. The propagation occurs asymmetrically, with the downstream side of the particle curtain experiencing a greater volume fraction gradient than the upstream side, attributable to the dependence of particle drag on volume fraction. Bulk particle transport is quantified from the time-dependent center of mass of the curtain. The bulk acceleration of the curtain is shown to be greater than that predicted for a single 115-µm particle in a Mach 1.67 shock-induced flow.

Improved understanding of the acoustophoretic focusing of dense suspensions in a microchannel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karthick, S.; Sen, A. K.

2017-11-01

We provide improved understanding of acoustophoretic focusing of a dense suspension (volume fraction φ >10 % ) in a microchannel subjected to an acoustic standing wave using a proposed theoretical model and experiments. The model is based on the theory of interacting continua and utilizes a momentum transport equation for the mixture, continuity equation, and transport equation for the solid phase. The model demonstrates the interplay between acoustic radiation and shear-induced diffusion (SID) forces that is critical in the focusing of dense suspensions. The shear-induced particle migration model of Leighton and Acrivos, coupled with the acoustic radiation force, is employed to simulate the continuum behavior of particles. In the literature, various closures for the diffusion coefficient Dφ* are available for rigid spheres at high concentrations and nonspherical deformable particles [e.g., red blood cells (RBCs)] at low concentrations. Here we propose a closure for Dφ* for dense suspension of RBCs and validate the proposed model with experimental data. While the available closures for Dφ* fail to predict the acoustic focusing of a dense suspension of nonspherical deformable particles like RBCs, the predictions of the proposed model match experimental data within 15%. Both the model and experiments reveal a competition between acoustic radiation and SID forces that gives rise to an equilibrium width w* of a focused stream of particles at some distance Leq* along the flow direction. Using different shear rates, acoustic energy densities, and particle concentrations, we show that the equilibrium width is governed by Péclet number Pe and Strouhal number Stas w*=1.4(PeSt) -0.5 while the length required to obtain the equilibrium-focused width depends on St as Leq*=3.8 /(St)0.6 . The proposed model and correlations would find significance in the design of microchannels for acoustic focusing of dense suspensions such as undiluted blood.

Spectra of confined positronium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munjal, D.; Silotia, P.; Prasad, V.

2017-12-01

Positronium is studied under the effect of spherically confined plasma environment. Exponentially Cosine Screened Coulomb potential (ECSC) has been used to include the dense plasma screening effect on positronium. Time independent Schrodinger equation is solved numerically. Various physical parameters such as energy eigenvalues, radial matrix elements, oscillator strengths, and polarizability are well explored as a function of confinement parameters. Oscillator strength gets drastically modified under confinement. We have also obtained the results for Ps confined under spherically confined Debye potential and compared with results of ECSC potential. Also incidental degeneracy for different values of confinement parameters has been reported for the first time for positronium.

Near re-entrant dense pattern optical multipass cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silver, Joel A. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A multiple pass optical cell and method comprising providing a pair of opposed mirrors, one cylindrical and one spherical, introducing light into the cell via an entrance mechanism, and extracting light from the cell via an exit mechanism, wherein the entrance mechanism and exit mechanism are coextensive or non-coextensive.

Spherical Particle in Nematic Liquid Crystal Under an External Field: The Saturn Ring Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alama, Stan; Bronsard, Lia; Lamy, Xavier

2018-03-01

We consider a nematic liquid crystal occupying the exterior region in R^3 outside of a spherical particle, with radial strong anchoring. Within the context of the Landau-de Gennes theory, we study minimizers subject to an external field, modeled by an additional term which favors nematic alignment parallel to the field. When the external field is high enough, we obtain a scaling law for the energy. The energy scale corresponds to minimizers concentrating their energy in a boundary layer around the particle, with quadrupolar symmetry. This suggests the presence of a Saturn ring defect around the particle, rather than a dipolar director field typical of a point defect.

Influence of particle geometry and PEGylation on phagocytosis of particulate carriers.

PubMed

Mathaes, Roman; Winter, Gerhard; Besheer, Ahmed; Engert, Julia

2014-04-25

Particle geometry of micro- and nanoparticles has been identified as an important design parameter to influence the interaction with cells such as macrophages. A head to head comparison of elongated, non-spherical and spherical micro- and nanoparticles with and without PEGylation was carried out to benchmark two phagocytosis inhibiting techniques. J774.A1 macrophages were incubated with fluorescently labeled PLGA micro- and nanoparticles and analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and flow cytometry (FACS). Particle uptake into macrophages was significantly reduced upon PEGylation or elongated particle geometry. A combination of both, an elongated shape and PEGylation, had the strongest phagocytosis inhibiting effect for nanoparticles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-Existence of Black Hole Solutionsfor a Spherically Symmetric, Static Einstein-Dirac-Maxwell System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finster, Felix; Smoller, Joel; Yau, Shing-Tung

We consider for j=1/2, 3/2,... a spherically symmetric, static system of (2j+1) Dirac particles, each having total angular momentum j. The Dirac particles interact via a classical gravitational and electromagnetic field. The Einstein-Dirac-Maxwell equations for this system are derived. It is shown that, under weak regularity conditions on the form of the horizon, the only black hole solutions of the EDM equations are the Reissner-Nordstrom solutions. In other words, the spinors must vanish identically. Applied to the gravitational collapse of a "cloud" of spin-1/2-particles to a black hole, our result indicates that the Dirac particles must eventually disappear inside the event horizon.

Improvement of Mechanical Properties of Spheroidized 1045 Steel by Induction Heat Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Minwook; Shin, Jung-Ho; Choi, Young; Lee, Seok-Jae

2016-04-01

The effects of induction heat treatment on the formation of carbide particles and mechanical properties of spheroidized 1045 steel were investigated by means of microstructural analysis and tensile testing. The induction spheroidization accelerated the formation of spherical cementite particles and effectively softened the steel. The volume fraction of cementite was found to be a key factor that affected the mechanical properties of spheroidized steels. Further tests showed that sequential spheroidization by induction and furnace heat treatments enhanced elongation within a short spheroidization time, resulting in better mechanical properties. This was due to the higher volume fraction of spherical cementite particles that had less diffusion time for particle coarsening.

Acoustically mediated long-range interaction among multiple spherical particles exposed to a plane standing wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shenwei; Qiu, Chunyin; Wang, Mudi; Ke, Manzhu; Liu, Zhengyou

2016-11-01

In this work, we study the acoustically mediated interaction forces among multiple well-separated spherical particles trapped in the same node or antinode plane of a standing wave. An analytical expression of the acoustic interaction force is derived, which is accurate even for the particles beyond the Rayleigh limit. Interestingly, the multi-particle system can be decomposed into a series of independent two-particle systems described by pairwise interactions. Each pairwise interaction is a long-range interaction, as characterized by a soft oscillatory attenuation (at the power exponent of n = -1 or -2). The vector additivity of the acoustic interaction force, which is not well expected considering the nonlinear nature of the acoustic radiation force, is greatly useful for exploring a system consisting of a large number of particles. The capability of self-organizing a big particle cluster can be anticipated through such acoustically controllable long-range interaction.

Tailoring of Nano- and Microstructure in Biomimetically Synthesized Ceramic Films

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

Eq. 5 where the Hamaker constant (A) for a flat and infinitely large substrate (subscript 1) and a spherical particle...is determined as (Israelachvili 1985): 232 12a A RV x = − Eq. 7 where the Hamaker constant for two like spherical particle (2) in a medium...close enough to be attracted to the equilibrium separation (0.3 nm). The Hamaker constants and the minimal interaction energies for substrate-solution

Laser diffraction of acicular particles: practical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, David M.; Matsuyama, Tatsushi

2014-08-01

Commercial laser diffraction instruments are widely used to measure particle size distribution (PSD), but the results are distorted for non-spherical (acicular) particles often encountered in practical applications. Consequently the distribution, which is reported in terms of equivalent spherical diameter, requires interpretation. For rod-like and plate-like particles, the PSD tends to be bi-modal, with the two modal sizes closely related to the median length and width, or width and thickness, of the particles. Furthermore, it is found that the bi-modal PSD for at least one instrument can typically be approximated by a bi-lognormal distribution. By fitting such a function to the reported distribution, one may extract quantitative information useful for process or product development. This approach is illustrated by examples of such measurement on industrial samples of polymer particles, crystals, bacteria, and clays.

The motion of a cloud of solid spherical particles falling in a cellular flow field at low Stokes number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchetti, Benjamin; Bergougnoux, Laurence; Guazzelli, Elisabeth

2017-11-01

We present a jointed experimental and numerical study examining the influence of vortical structures on the settling of a cloud of solid spherical particles under the action of gravity at low Stokes numbers. The two-dimensional model experiment uses electro-convection to generate a two-dimensional array of controlled vortices which mimics a simplified vortical flow. Particle image-velocimetry and tracking are used to examine the motion of the cloud within this vortical flow. The cloud motion is compared to the predictions of a two-way-coupling numerical simulation.

Absorption and scattering of light by nonspherical particles. [in atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bohren, C. F.

1986-01-01

Using the example of the polarization of scattered light, it is shown that the scattering matrices for identical, randomly ordered particles and for spherical particles are unequal. The spherical assumptions of Mie theory are therefore inconsistent with the random shapes and sizes of atmospheric particulates. The implications for corrections made to extinction measurements of forward scattering light are discussed. Several analytical methods are examined as potential bases for developing more accurate models, including Rayleigh theory, Fraunhoffer Diffraction theory, anomalous diffraction theory, Rayleigh-Gans theory, the separation of variables technique, the Purcell-Pennypacker method, the T-matrix method, and finite difference calculations.

Inducing Lift on Spherical Particles by Traveling Magnetic Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazuruk, Konstantin; Grugel, Richard N.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Gravity induced sedimentation of suspensions is a serious drawback to many materials and biotechnology processes, a factor that can, in principle, be overcome by utilizing an opposing Lorentz body force. In this work we demonstrate the utility of employing a traveling magnetic field (TMF) to induce a lifting force on particles dispersed in the fluid. Theoretically, a model has been developed to ascertain the net force, induced by TMF, acting on a spherical body as a function of the fluid medium's electrical conductivity and other parameters. Experimentally, the model is compared to optical observations of particle motion in the presence of TMF.

Inducing Lift on Spherical Particles by Traveling Magnetic Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazuruk, Konstantin; Grugel, Richard N.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Gravity induced sedimentation of suspensions is a serious drawback to many materials and biotechnology processes, a factor that can, in principle, be overcome by utilizing an opposing Lorentz body force. In this work we demonstrate the utility of employing a traveling magnetic field (TMF) to induce a lifting force on particles dispersed in the fluid. Theoretically, a model has been developed to ascertain the net force, induced by TMF, acting on a spherical body as a function of the fluid medium's electrical conductivity and other parameters. Experimentally, the model is compared to optical observations of particle motion in the presence of TMF.

Assembling oppositely charged lock and key responsive colloids: A mesoscale analog of adaptive chemistry

PubMed Central

Mihut, Adriana M.; Stenqvist, Björn; Lund, Mikael; Schurtenberger, Peter; Crassous, Jérôme J.

2017-01-01

We have seen a considerable effort in colloid sciences to copy Nature’s successful strategies to fabricate complex functional structures through self-assembly. This includes attempts to design colloidal building blocks and their intermolecular interactions, such as creating the colloidal analogs of directional molecular interactions, molecular recognition, host-guest systems, and specific binding. We show that we can use oppositely charged thermoresponsive particles with complementary shapes, such as spherical and bowl-shaped particles, to implement an externally controllable lock-and-key self-assembly mechanism. The use of tunable electrostatic interactions combined with the temperature-dependent size and shape and van der Waals interactions of these building blocks provides an exquisite control over the selectivity and specificity of the interactions and self-assembly process. The dynamic nature of the mechanism allows for reversibly cycling through various structures that range from weakly structured dense liquids to well-defined molecule-shaped clusters with different configurations through variations in temperature and ionic strength. We link this complex and dynamic self-assembly behavior to the relevant molecular interactions, such as screened Coulomb and van der Waals forces and the geometrical complementarity of the two building blocks, and discuss our findings in the context of the concepts of adaptive chemistry recently introduced to molecular systems. PMID:28929133

Influence of C or In buffer layer on photoluminescence behaviour of ultrathin ZnO film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saravanan, K., E-mail: saravanan@igcar.gov.in; Jayalakshmi, G.; Krishnan, R.

We study the effect of the indium or carbon buffer layer on the photoluminescence (PL) property of ZnO ultrathin films deposited on a Si(100) substrate. The surface morphology of the films obtained using scanning tunnelling microscopy shows spherical shaped ZnO nanoparticles of size ∼8 nm in ZnO/C/Si and ∼22 nm in ZnO/Si samples, while the ZnO/In/Si sample shows elliptical shaped ZnO particles. Further, the ZnO/C/Si sample shows densely packed ZnO nanoparticles in comparison with other samples. Strong band edge emission has been observed in the presence of In or C buffer layer, whereas the ZnO/Si sample exhibits poor PL emission. The influencemore » of C and In buffer layers on the PL behaviour of ZnO films is studied in detail using temperature dependent PL measurements in the range of 4 K–300 K. The ZnO/C/Si sample exhibits a multi-fold enhancement in the PL emission intensity with well-resolved free and bound exciton emission lines. Our experimental results imply that the ZnO films deposited on the C buffer layer showed higher particle density and better exciton emission desired for optoelectronic applications.« less

Soot Superaggregates from Flaming Wildfires and Their Direct Radiative Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chakrabarty, Rajan K.; Beres, Nicholas D.; Moosmuller,Hans; China, Swarup; Mazzoleni, Claudio; Dubey, Manvendra K.; Liu, Li; Mishchenko, Michael I.

2014-01-01

Wildfires contribute significantly to global soot emissions, yet their aerosol formation mechanisms and resulting particle properties are poorly understood and parameterized in climate models. The conventional view holds that soot is formed via the cluster-dilute aggregation mechanism in wildfires and emitted as aggregates with fractal dimension D(sub f) approximately equals 1.8 mobility diameter D(sub m) (is) less than or equal to 1 micron, and aerodynamic diameter D(sub a) (is) less than or equal to 300 nm. Here we report the ubiquitous presence of soot superaggregates (SAs) in the outflow from a major wildfire in India. SAs are porous, low-density aggregates of cluster-dilute aggregates with characteristic D(sub f) approximately equals 2.6,D(sub m) (is) greater than 1 micron, and D(sub a) is less than or equal to 300 nm that form via the cluster-dense aggregation mechanism.We present additional observations of soot SAs in wildfire smoke-laden air masses over Northern California, New Mexico, and Mexico City. We estimate that SAs contribute, per unit optical depth, up to 35% less atmospheric warming than freshly-emitted (D(sub f) approximately equals 1.8) aggregates, and approximately equals 90% more warming than the volume-equivalent spherical soot particles simulated in climate models.

Method of forming a dense, high temperature electronically conductive composite layer on a porous ceramic substrate

DOEpatents

Isenberg, Arnold O.

1992-01-01

An electrochemical device, containing a solid oxide electrolyte material and an electrically conductive composite layer, has the composite layer attached by: (A) applying a layer of LaCrO.sub.3, YCrO.sub.3 or LaMnO.sub.3 particles (32), on a portion of a porous ceramic substrate (30), (B) heating to sinter bond the particles to the substrate, (C) depositing a dense filler structure (34) between the doped particles (32), (D) shaving off the top of the particles, and (E) applying an electronically conductive layer over the particles (32) as a contact.

Dense Suspension Splash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wendy; Dodge, Kevin M.; Peters, Ivo R.; Ellowitz, Jake; Klein Schaarsberg, Martin H.; Jaeger, Heinrich M.

2014-03-01

Upon impact onto a solid surface at several meters-per-second, a dense suspension plug splashes by ejecting liquid-coated particles. We study the mechanism for splash formation using experiments and a numerical model. In the model, the dense suspension is idealized as a collection of cohesionless, rigid grains with finite surface roughness. The grains also experience lubrication drag as they approach, collide inelastically and rebound away from each other. Simulations using this model reproduce the measured momentum distribution of ejected particles. They also provide direct evidence supporting the conclusion from earlier experiments that inelastic collisions, rather than viscous drag, dominate when the suspension contains macroscopic particles immersed in a low-viscosity solvent such as water. Finally, the simulations reveal two distinct routes for splash formation: a particle can be ejected by a single high momentum-change collision. More surprisingly, a succession of small momentum-change collisions can accumulate to eject a particle outwards. Supported by NSF through its MRSEC program (DMR-0820054) and fluid dynamics program (CBET-1336489).

AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY OF NERVES INFECTED WITH HUMAN POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS

PubMed Central

De Robertis, E.; Schmitt, F. O

1949-01-01

Sciatic nerves of rhesus monkeys infected with CAM and Wis. '45 strains of human poliomyelitis virus were fixed in formalin, sectioned, fragmented, and examined in the electron microscope. Most of the neurotubules of nerves infected with the CAM strain have normal appearance but a very small number show the presence of dense particles irregularly aligned within the edges of the neurotubules. The diameters of the particles range between 160 and 500 Å, the mean being 330 Å. The particles were found in regions along the nerve which varied with the time after infection, indicating a central movement of the morphological alteration of the order of 2 mm. per hour. Relatively abundant dense particulate material was found in nerves infected with Wis. '45 strain virus and the particles were chiefly attached to the edges of the neurotubules and in the adjacent areas of the field. The dense particles appear to be associated with the virus infection but no further characterization is possible at this time. PMID:18140661

A particle-particle collision strategy for arbitrarily shaped particles at low Stokes numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daghooghi, Mohsen; Borazjani, Iman

2016-11-01

We present a collision strategy for particles with any general shape at low Stokes numbers. Conventional collision strategies rely upon a short -range repulsion force along particles centerline, which is a suitable choice for spherical particles and may not work for complex-shaped particles. In the present method, upon the collision of two particles, kinematics of particles are modified so that particles have zero relative velocity toward each other along the direction in which they have the minimum distance. The advantage of this novel technique is that it guaranties to prevent particles from overlapping without unrealistic bounce back at low Stokes numbers, which may occur if repulsive forces are used. This model is used to simulate sedimentation of many particles in a vertical channel and suspensions of non-spherical particles under simple shear flow. This work was supported by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) Grant Number 53099-DNI9. The computational resources were partly provided by the Center for Computational Research (CCR) at the University at Buffalo.

Asymmetrical Deterministic Lateral Displacement Gaps for Dual Functions of Enhanced Separation and Throughput of Red Blood Cells

PubMed Central

Zeming, Kerwin Kwek; Salafi, Thoriq; Chen, Chia-Hung; Zhang, Yong

2016-01-01

Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) method for particle separation in microfluidic devices has been extensively used for particle separation in recent years due to its high resolution and robust separation. DLD has shown versatility for a wide spectrum of applications for sorting of micro particles such as parasites, blood cells to bacteria and DNA. DLD model is designed for spherical particles and efficient separation of blood cells is challenging due to non-uniform shape and size. Moreover, separation in sub-micron regime requires the gap size of DLD systems to be reduced which exponentially increases the device resistance, resulting in greatly reduced throughput. This paper shows how simple application of asymmetrical DLD gap-size by changing the ratio of lateral-gap (GL) to downstream-gap (GD) enables efficient separation of RBCs without greatly restricting throughput. This method reduces the need for challenging fabrication of DLD pillars and provides new insight to the current DLD model. The separation shows an increase in DLD critical diameter resolution (separate smaller particles) and increase selectivity for non-spherical RBCs. The RBCs separate better as compared to standard DLD model with symmetrical gap sizes. This method can be applied to separate non-spherical bacteria or sub-micron particles to enhance throughput and DLD resolution. PMID:26961061

Asymmetrical Deterministic Lateral Displacement Gaps for Dual Functions of Enhanced Separation and Throughput of Red Blood Cells.

PubMed

Zeming, Kerwin Kwek; Salafi, Thoriq; Chen, Chia-Hung; Zhang, Yong

2016-03-10

Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) method for particle separation in microfluidic devices has been extensively used for particle separation in recent years due to its high resolution and robust separation. DLD has shown versatility for a wide spectrum of applications for sorting of micro particles such as parasites, blood cells to bacteria and DNA. DLD model is designed for spherical particles and efficient separation of blood cells is challenging due to non-uniform shape and size. Moreover, separation in sub-micron regime requires the gap size of DLD systems to be reduced which exponentially increases the device resistance, resulting in greatly reduced throughput. This paper shows how simple application of asymmetrical DLD gap-size by changing the ratio of lateral-gap (GL) to downstream-gap (GD) enables efficient separation of RBCs without greatly restricting throughput. This method reduces the need for challenging fabrication of DLD pillars and provides new insight to the current DLD model. The separation shows an increase in DLD critical diameter resolution (separate smaller particles) and increase selectivity for non-spherical RBCs. The RBCs separate better as compared to standard DLD model with symmetrical gap sizes. This method can be applied to separate non-spherical bacteria or sub-micron particles to enhance throughput and DLD resolution.

Tunable particles alter macrophage uptake based on combinatorial effects of physical properties

PubMed Central

Garapaty, Anusha

2017-01-01

Abstract The ability to tune phagocytosis of particle‐based therapeutics by macrophages can enhance their delivery to macrophages or reduce their phagocytic susceptibility for delivery to non‐phagocytic cells. Since phagocytosis is affected by the physical and chemical properties of particles, it is crucial to identify any interplay between physical properties of particles in altering phagocytic interactions. The combinatorial effect of physical properties size, shape and stiffness was investigated on Fc receptor mediated macrophage interactions by fabrication of layer‐by‐layer tunable particles of constant surface chemistry. Our results highlight how changing particle stiffness affects phagocytic interaction intricately when combined with varying size or shape. Increase in size plays a dominant role over reduction in stiffness in reducing internalization by macrophages for spherical particles. Internalization of rod‐shaped, but not spherical particles, was highly dependent on stiffness. These particles demonstrate the interplay between size, shape and stiffness in interactions of Fc‐functionalized particles with macrophages during phagocytosis. PMID:29313025

Hydrogels in endovascular embolization. III. Radiopaque spherical particles, their preparation and properties.

PubMed

Horák, D; Metalová, M; Svec, F; Drobník, J; Kálal, J; Borovicka, M; Adamyan, A A; Voronkova, O S; Gumargalieva, K Z

1987-03-01

The synthesis and properties of spherical radiopaque hydrogel particles designed for endovascular occlusion are reported. These particles were prepared by the hydroxyl acylation of low crosslinked poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) beads with a nontoxic radiopaque compound based on triiodobenzoic acid, without affecting their properties which are advantages in medical practice. The effect of the iodine content on the size of dry and swollen particles is discussed. It has been found that an iodine content of about 25-30 wt% is desirable in order to obtain an easily recognizable X-ray image. These particles make the immediate control of embolus application easy and enable periodical inspection of the polymer to check the successful blockage of the vessel. They also open up the method of endovascular occlusion to further improvement.

Analysis and implementation of a space resolving spherical crystal spectrometer for x-ray Thomson scattering experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harding, E. C.; Ao, T.; Bailey, J. E.

2015-04-15

The application of a space-resolving spectrometer to X-ray Thomson Scattering (XRTS) experiments has the potential to advance the study of warm dense matter. This has motivated the design of a spherical crystal spectrometer, which is a doubly focusing geometry with an overall high sensitivity and the capability of providing high-resolution, space-resolved spectra. A detailed analysis of the image fluence and crystal throughput in this geometry is carried out and analytical estimates of these quantities are presented. This analysis informed the design of a new spectrometer intended for future XRTS experiments on the Z-machine. The new spectrometer collects 6 keV x-raysmore » with a spherically bent Ge (422) crystal and focuses the collected x-rays onto the Rowland circle. The spectrometer was built and then tested with a foam target. The resulting high-quality spectra prove that a spherical spectrometer is a viable diagnostic for XRTS experiments.« less

Analysis and implementation of a space resolving spherical crystal spectrometer for x-ray Thomson scattering experiments.

PubMed

Harding, E C; Ao, T; Bailey, J E; Loisel, G; Sinars, D B; Geissel, M; Rochau, G A; Smith, I C

2015-04-01

The application of a space-resolving spectrometer to X-ray Thomson Scattering (XRTS) experiments has the potential to advance the study of warm dense matter. This has motivated the design of a spherical crystal spectrometer, which is a doubly focusing geometry with an overall high sensitivity and the capability of providing high-resolution, space-resolved spectra. A detailed analysis of the image fluence and crystal throughput in this geometry is carried out and analytical estimates of these quantities are presented. This analysis informed the design of a new spectrometer intended for future XRTS experiments on the Z-machine. The new spectrometer collects 6 keV x-rays with a spherically bent Ge (422) crystal and focuses the collected x-rays onto the Rowland circle. The spectrometer was built and then tested with a foam target. The resulting high-quality spectra prove that a spherical spectrometer is a viable diagnostic for XRTS experiments.

Whispering gallery modes in a spherical microcavity with a photoluminescent shell

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grudinkin, S. A., E-mail: grudink@gvg.ioffe.ru; Dontsov, A. A.; Feoktistov, N. A.

2015-10-15

Whispering-gallery mode spectra in optical microcavities based on spherical silica particles coated with a thin photoluminescent shell of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide are studied. The spectral positions of the whispering-gallery modes for spherical microcavities with a shell are calculated. The dependence of the spectral distance between the TE and TM modes on the shell thickness is examined.

Method of Manufacturing a Light Emitting, Photovoltaic or Other Electronic Apparatus and System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanchard, Richard A. (Inventor); Fuller, Kirk A. (Inventor); Ray, William Johnstone (Inventor); Shotton, Neil O. (Inventor); Frazier, Donald Odell (Inventor); Lowenthal, Mark D. (Inventor); Lewandowski, Mark Allan (Inventor)

2013-01-01

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus, such as a lighting device having light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a power generating device having photovoltaic diodes. The exemplary method includes forming at least one first conductor coupled to a base; coupling a plurality of substantially spherical substrate particles to the at least one first conductor; converting the substrate particles into a plurality of substantially spherical diodes; forming at least one second conductor coupled to the substantially spherical diodes; and depositing or attaching a plurality of substantially spherical lenses suspended in a first polymer. The lenses and the suspending polymer have different indices of refraction. In some embodiments, the lenses and diodes have a ratio of mean diameters or lengths between about 10:1 and 2:1. In various embodiments, the forming, coupling and converting steps are performed by or through a printing process.

Effect of particle size distribution on 3D packings of spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taiebat, Mahdi; Mutabaruka, Patrick; Pellenq, Roland; Radjai, Farhang

2017-06-01

We use molecular dynamics simulations of frictionless spherical particles to investigate a class of polydisperse granular materials in which the particle size distribution is uniform in particle volumes. The particles are assembled in a box by uniaxial compaction under the action of a constant stress. Due to the absence of friction and the nature of size distribution, the generated packings have the highest packing fraction at a given size span, defined as the ratio α of the largest size to the smallest size. We find that, up to α = 5, the packing fraction is a nearly linear function of α. While the coordination number is nearly constant due to the isostatic nature of the packings, we show that the connectivity of the particles evolves with α. In particular, the proportion of particles with 4 contacts represents the largest proportion of particles mostly of small size. We argue that this particular class of particles occurs as a result of the high stability of local configurations in which a small particle is stuck by four larger particles.

The 27-28 October 1986 FIRE IFO Cirrus case study: Comparison of radiative transfer theory with observations by satellite and aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wielicki, Bruce A.; Suttles, J. T.; Heymsfield, Andrew J.; Welch, Ronald M.; Spinhirne, James D.; Wu, Man-Li C.; Starr, David OC.; Parker, Lindsay; Arduini, Robert F.

1989-01-01

Observations of cirrus and altocumulus clouds during the First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project Regional Experiment (FIRE) are compared to theoretical models of cloud radiative properties. Three tests are performed. First, LANDSAT radiances are used to compare the relationship between nadir reflectance ot 0.83 micron and beam emittance at 11.5 microns with that predicted for model calculations using spherical and nonspherical phase functions. Good agreement is found between observations and theory when water droplets dominate. Poor agreement is found when ice particles dominate, especially using scattering phase functions for spherical particles. Even when compared to a laboratory measured ice particle phase function, the observations show increased side scattered radiation relative to the theoretical calculations. Second, the anisotropy of conservatively scattered radiation is examined using simultaneous multiple angle views of the cirrus from LANDSAT and ER-2 aircraft radiometers. Observed anisotropy gives good agreement with theoretical calculations using the laboratory measured ice particle phase function and poor agreement with a spherical particle phase function. Third, Landsat radiances at 0.83, 1.65, and 2.21 microns are used to infer particle phase and particle size. For water droplets, good agreement is found with King Air FSSP particle probe measurements in the cloud. For ice particles, the LANDSAT radiance observations predict an effective radius of 60 microns versus aircraft observations of about 200 microns. It is suggested that this descrepancy may be explained by uncertainty in the imaginary index of ice and by inadequate measurements of small ice particles by microphysical probes.

Lock-and-key dimerization in dense Brownian systems of hard annular sector particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodson, Wade D.; Mason, Thomas G.

2016-08-01

We develop a translational-rotational cage model that describes the behavior of dense two-dimensional (2D) Brownian systems of hard annular sector particles (ASPs), resembling C shapes. At high particle densities, pairs of ASPs can form mutually interdigitating lock-and-key dimers. This cage model considers either one or two mobile central ASPs which can translate and rotate within a static cage of surrounding ASPs that mimics the system's average local structure and density. By comparing with recent measurements made on dispersions of microscale lithographic ASPs [P. Y. Wang and T. G. Mason, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137, 15308 (2015), 10.1021/jacs.5b10549], we show that mobile two-particle predictions of the probability of dimerization Pdimer, equilibrium constant K , and 2D osmotic pressure Π2 D as a function of the particle area fraction ϕA correspond closely to these experiments. By contrast, predictions based on only a single mobile particle do not agree well with either the two-particle predictions or the experimental data. Thus, we show that collective entropy can play an essential role in the behavior of dense Brownian systems composed of nontrivial hard shapes, such as ASPs.

Experimental Investigation of Nascent Soot Physical Properties and The Influence on Particle Morphology and Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lieb, Sydnie Marie

Soot released to the atmosphere is a dangerous pollutant for human health and the environment. Understanding the physical properties and surface properties of these particles is important to properly explaining the growth of soot particles in flames as well as their interactions with other particles and gases in the environment. Particles below 15 nm in diameter, nascent soot particles, dominate the early growth stages of soot formation; previously these particles were characterized as hard graphitic spheres. New evidence derived from the current dissertation work, to a large extent, challenges this prior characterization. This dissertation study begins by revisiting the use of atomic force microscope (AFM) as a tool to investigate the structural properties of nascent soot. The impact of tip artifacts, which are known to complicate measurements of features below 10 nm in diameter, are carefully considered so as to provide a concise interpretation of the morphology of nascent soot as seen by AFM. The results of the AFM morphology collaborate with earlier photo- and thermal-fragmentation particle mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy that nascent soot is not a graphitized carbon material and that they are not spherical. Furthermore, phase mode imaging is introduced as a method to investigate the physical properties of nascent soot particles in a greater detail and finer resolution. The helium ion microscope (HIM) has been identified as a useful technique for the imaging of nascent soot. Using this imaging method nascent soot particles were imaged with a high resolution that had not been obtained by prior techniques. The increased contrast provides a closer look at the nascent soot particles and further suggested that these particles are not as structurally homogeneous as previously thought. Geometric shape analysis was performed to characterize the particles in terms of sphericity, circularity, and fractal dimension. The geometric analysis showed that the particles deviate from spherical and that they are not characterized by a defined structure. This observation supports the theory that nascent soot is not homogenous in structure or composition, and challenges the classical assumption that spherical growth and aggregation are separate, size dependent processes. In light of the new evidence that suggests nascent soot particles are structurally inhomogenous, careful consideration must be given to mobility measurements of particle mass and size. The interpretation of particle volume of irregularly shaped nascent soot particles is considered in this dissertation work. Additionally, uncertainties in the mass density of nascent soot are reviewed and the error in mass calculation is quantified.

Getting in shape: molten wax drop deformation and solidification at an immiscible liquid interface.

PubMed

Beesabathuni, Shilpa N; Lindberg, Seth E; Caggioni, Marco; Wesner, Chris; Shen, Amy Q

2015-05-01

The controlled production of non-spherical shaped particles is important for many applications such as food processing, consumer goods, adsorbents, drug delivery, and optical sensing. In this paper, we investigated the deformation and simultaneous solidification of millimeter size molten wax drops as they impacted an immiscible liquid interface of higher density. By varying initial temperature and viscoelasticity of the molten drop, drop size, impact velocity, viscosity and temperature of the bath fluid, and the interfacial tension between the molten wax and bath fluid, spherical molten wax drops impinged on a cooling water bath and were arrested into non-spherical solidified particles in the form of ellipsoid, mushroom, disc, and flake-like shapes. We constructed cursory phase diagrams for the various particle shapes generated over a range of Weber, Capillary, Reynolds, and Stefan numbers, governed by the interfacial, inertial, viscous, and thermal effects. We solved a simplified heat transfer problem to estimate the time required to initiate the solidification at the interface of a spherical molten wax droplet and cooling aqueous bath after impact. By correlating this time with the molten wax drop deformation history captured from high speed imaging experiments, we elucidate the delicate balance of interfacial, inertial, viscous, and thermal forces that determine the final morphology of wax particles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arresting relaxation in Pickering Emulsions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atherton, Tim; Burke, Chris

2015-03-01

Pickering emulsions consist of droplets of one fluid dispersed in a host fluid and stabilized by colloidal particles absorbed at the fluid-fluid interface. Everyday materials such as crude oil and food products like salad dressing are examples of these materials. Particles can stabilize non spherical droplet shapes in these emulsions through the following sequence: first, an isolated droplet is deformed, e.g. by an electric field, increasing the surface area above the equilibrium value; additional particles are then adsorbed to the interface reducing the surface tension. The droplet is then allowed to relax toward a sphere. If more particles were adsorbed than can be accommodated by the surface area of the spherical ground state, relaxation of the droplet is arrested at some non-spherical shape. Because the energetic cost of removing adsorbed colloids exceeds the interfacial driving force, these configurations can remain stable over long timescales. In this presentation, we present a computational study of the ordering present in anisotropic droplets produced through the mechanism of arrested relaxation and discuss the interplay between the geometry of the droplet, the dynamical process that produced it, and the structure of the defects observed.

Microstructure and rheology of particle stabilized emulsions: Effects of particle shape and inter-particle interactions.

PubMed

Katepalli, Hari; John, Vijay T; Tripathi, Anubhav; Bose, Arijit

2017-01-01

Using fumed and spherical silica particles of similar hydrodynamic size, we investigated the effects of particle shape and inter-particle interactions on the formation, stability and rheology of bromohexadecane-in-water Pickering emulsions. The interparticle interactions were varied from repulsive to attractive by modifying the salt concentration in the aqueous phase. Optical microscope images revealed smaller droplet sizes for the fumed silica stabilized emulsions. All the emulsions remained stable for several weeks. Cryo-SEM images of the emulsion droplets showed a hexagonally packed single layer of particles at oil-water interfaces in emulsions stabilized with silica spheres, irrespective of the nature of the inter-particle interactions. Thus, entropic, excluded volume interactions dominate the fate of spherical particles at oil-water interfaces. On the other hand, closely packed layers of particles were observed at oil-water interfaces for the fumed silica stabilized emulsions for both attractive and repulsive interparticle interactions. At the high salt concentrations, attractive inter-particles interactions led to aggregation of fumed silica particles, and multiple layers of these particles were then observed on the droplet surfaces. A network of fumed silica particles was also observed between the emulsion droplets, suggesting that enthalpic interactions are responsible for the determining particle configurations at oil-water interfaces as well as in the aqueous phase. Steady shear viscosity measurements over a range of shear stresses, as well as oscillatory shear measurements at 1Hz confirm the presence of a network in fumed silica suspensions and emulsions, and the lack of such a network when spherical particles are used. The fractal structure of fumed silica leads to several contact points and particle interlocking in the water as well as on the bromohexadecane-water interfaces, with corresponding effects on the structure and rheology of the emulsions. The attenuation of droplet motion due to the formation of a particle network can be exploited for stabilizing emulsions and for modulating their rheology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A study of sedimentation and aggregation of volcanic particles based on experiments carried out with a vertical wind tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagheri, G.; Bonadonna, C.; Manzella, I.; Pontelandolfo, P.; Haas, P.

2012-12-01

A complete understanding and parameterization of both particle sedimentation and particle aggregation require systematic and detailed laboratory investigations performed in controlled conditions. For this purpose, a dedicated 4-meter-high vertical wind tunnel has been designed and constructed at the University of Geneva in collaboration with the Groupe de compétence en mécanique des fluides et procédés énergétiques (CMEFE). Final design is a result of Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations combined with laboratory tests. With its diverging test section, the tunnel is designed to suspend particles of different shapes and sizes in order to study the aero-dynamical behavior of volcanic particles and their collision and aggregation. In current set-up, velocities between 5.0 to 27 ms-1 can be obtained, which correspond to typical volcanic particles with diameters between 10 to 40 mm. A combination of Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) and statistical methods is used to derive particle terminal velocity. The method is validated using smooth spherical particles with known drag coefficient. More than 120 particles of different shapes (i.e. spherical, regular and volcanic) and compositions are 3D-scanned and almost 1 million images of their suspension in the test section of wind tunnel are recorded by a high speed camera and analyzed by a PTV code specially developed for the wind tunnel. Measured values of terminal velocity for tested particles are between 3.6 and 24.9 ms-1 which corresponds to Reynolds numbers between 8×103 and 1×105. In addition to the vertical wind tunnel, an apparatus with height varying between 0.5 and 3.5 m has been built to measure terminal velocity of micrometric particles in Reynolds number between 4 and 100. In these experiments, particles are released individually in the air at top of the apparatus and their terminal velocities are measured at the bottom of apparatus by a combination of high-speed camera imaging and PTV post-analyzing. Effects of shape, porosity and orientation of the particles on their terminal velocity are studied. Various shape factors are measured based on different methods, such as 3D-scanning, 2D-image processing, SEM image analysis, caliper measurements, pycnometer and buoyancy tests. Our preliminary experiments on non-smooth spherical particles and irregular particles reveal some interesting aspects. First, the effect of surface roughness and porosity is more important for spherical particles than for regular non-spherical and irregular particles. Second, results underline how, the aero-dynamical behavior of individual irregular particles is better characterized by a range of values of drag coefficients instead of a single value. Finally, since all the shape factors are calculated precisely for each individual particle, the resulted database can provide important information to benchmark and improve existing terminal-velocity models. Modifications of the wind tunnel, i.e. very low air speed (0.03-5.0 ms-1) for suspension of micrometric particles, and of the PTV code, i.e. multiple particle tracking and collision counting, have also been performed in combination to the installation of a particle charging device, a controlled humidifier and a high-power chiller (to reach values down to -20 °C) in order to investigate both wet and dry aggregation of volcanic particles.

Small and large particle limits of single scattering albedo for homogeneous, spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moosmüller, H.; Sorensen, C. M.

2018-01-01

The aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) is the dominant intensive particle parameter determining aerosols direct radiative forcing. For homogeneous spherical particles and a complex refractive index independent of wavelength, the SSA is solely dependent on size parameter (ratio of particle circumference and wavelength) and complex refractive index of the particle. Here, we explore this dependency for the small and large particle limits with size parameters much smaller and much larger than one. We show that in the small particle limit of Rayleigh scattering, a novel, generalized size parameter can be introduced that unifies the SSA dependence on particle size parameter independent of complex refractive index. In the large particle limit, SSA decreases with increasing product of imaginary part of the refractive index and size parameter, another generalized parameter, until this product becomes about one, then stays fairly constant until the imaginary part of the refractive index becomes comparable with the real part minus one. Beyond this point, particles start to acquire metallic character and SSA quickly increases with the imaginary part of the refractive index and approaches one.

Modelling CLPX IOP3 Radiometric Data by Means of the Dense Media Theory: Preliminary Results for the LSOS Test Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tedesco, Marco; Kim, Edward J.; Cline, Don; Graf, Tobias; Koike, Toshio; Armstrong, Richard; Brodzik, Mary Jo; Hardy, Janet

2003-01-01

The capabilities of the Dense Media Radiative Transfer model using the Quasi Crystalline Approximation with Coherent Potential (QCA-CP) to reproduce measured radiometric data were tested using the University of Tokyo Ground Based Microwave Radiometer (GBMR-7) during the third Intensive Observation Period (IOP3) of the NASA Cold-land Processes Field Experiment (CLPX). The data were collected at the Local-Scale Observation Site (LSOS), a 0.8-ha study site consisting of two open meadows separated by trees. Intensive measurements were also made of snow depth and temperature, density, and grain size profiles. A DMRT model is needed to describe radiative transfer in a medium such as snow because the assumption of independent scattering used in classical radiative transfer theory (CRT) is not valid. Validation of the DMRT approach requires a relationship between measured snow grain size and the DMRT approximation of snow grain radius as spherical particles with a mean radius of the log-normal particle-size distribution. This relationship is very important for a better understanding of snow modelling and for practical applications. DMRT simulations were compared with observations of microwave brightnesses at 18.7, 36.5 and 89-GHz (V and H polarizations) collected on February-1 9-25, 2003. Observation angles ranged from 30\\deg to 70\\deg. Model inputs included measured snow parameters except mean grain size. The average snow temperature, fractional volume and depth were held constant, together with the ice and soil permittivities. The minimum and maximum measured mean grain sizes were used to test the capabilities of the DMRT to reproduce the brightnesses as upper and lower limits. The sensitivity to the largest and smallest measured grain size in the three classes of minimum, medium and maximum observed grain sizes was also investigated. DMRT particle sizes yielding a best-fit to the experimental data for each date were computed. Results show that the measured brightnesses fall within the range of simulated brightnesses using the smallest and largest measured grain size values. The DMRT best-fit radii are comparable to the average radii for the medium observed grain sizes.

Four-way coupled simulations of small particles in turbulent channel flow: The effects of particle shape and Stokes number

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, F.; Wachem, B. G. M. van, E-mail: berend.van.wachem@gmail.com; George, W. K.

2015-08-15

This paper investigates the effects of particle shape and Stokes number on the behaviour of non-spherical particles in turbulent channel flow. Although there are a number of studies concerning spherical particles in turbulent flows, most important applications occurring in process, energy, and pharmaceutical industries deal with non-spherical particles. The computation employs a unique and novel four-way coupling with the Lagrangian point-particle approach. The fluid phase at low Reynolds number (Re{sub τ} = 150) is modelled by direct numerical simulation, while particles are tracked individually. Inter-particle and particle-wall collisions are also taken into account. To explore the effects of particles onmore » the flow turbulence, the statistics of the fluid flow such as the fluid velocity, the terms in the turbulence kinetic energy equation, the slip velocity between the two phases and velocity correlations are analysed considering ellipsoidal particles with different inertia and aspect ratio. The results of the simulations show that the turbulence is considerably attenuated, even in the very dilute regime. The reduction of the turbulence intensity is predominant near the turbulence kinetic energy peak in the near wall region, where particles preferentially accumulate. Moreover, the elongated shape of ellipsoids strengthens the turbulence attenuation. In simulations with ellipsoidal particles, the fluid-particle interactions strongly depend on the orientation of the ellipsoids. In the near wall region, ellipsoids tend to align predominantly within the streamwise (x) and wall-normal (y) planes and perpendicular to the span-wise direction, whereas no preferential orientation in the central region of the channel is observed. Important conclusions from this work include the effective viscosity of the flow is not affected, the direct dissipation by the particles is negligible, and the primary mechanism by which the particles affect the flow is by altering the turbulence structure around the turbulence kinetic energy peak.« less

How to form planetesimals from mm-sized chondrules and chondrule aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrera, Daniel; Johansen, Anders; Davies, Melvyn B.

2015-07-01

The size distribution of asteroids and Kuiper belt objects in the solar system is difficult to reconcile with a bottom-up formation scenario due to the observed scarcity of objects smaller than ~100 km in size. Instead, planetesimals appear to form top-down, with large 100-1000 km bodies forming from the rapid gravitational collapse of dense clumps of small solid particles. In this paper we investigate the conditions under which solid particles can form dense clumps in a protoplanetary disk. We used a hydrodynamic code to model the interaction between solid particles and the gas inside a shearing box inside the disk, considering particle sizes from submillimeter-sized chondrules to meter-sized rocks. We found that particles down to millimeter sizes can form dense particle clouds through the run-away convergence of radial drift known as the streaming instability. We made a map of the range of conditions (strength of turbulence, particle mass-loading, disk mass, and distance to the star) that are prone to producing dense particle clumps. Finally, we estimate the distribution of collision speeds between mm-sized particles. We calculated the rate of sticking collisions and obtain a robust upper limit on the particle growth timescale of ~105 years. This means that mm-sized chondrule aggregates can grow on a timescale much smaller than the disk accretion timescale (~106-107 years). Our results suggest a pathway from the mm-sized grains found in primitive meteorites to fully formed asteroids. We speculate that asteroids may form from a positive feedback loop in which coagualation leads to particle clumping driven by the streaming instability. This clumping, in turn, reduces collision speeds and enhances coagulation. Future simulations should model coagulation and the streaming instability together to explore this feedback loop further. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Microwave vector radiative transfer equation of a sea foam layer by the second-order Rayleigh approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, En-Bo

2011-10-01

The microwave vector radiative transfer (VRT) equation of a coated spherical bubble layer is derived by means of the second-order Rayleigh approximation field when the microwave wavelength is larger than the coated spherical particle diameter. Meanwhile, the perturbation method is developed to solve the second-order Rayleigh VRT equation for the small ratio of the volume scattering coefficient to the extinction coefficient. As an example, the emissive properties of a sea surface foam layer, which consists of seawater coated bubbles, are investigated. The extinction, absorption, and scattering coefficients of sea foam are obtained by the second-order Rayleigh approximation fields and discussed for the different microwave frequencies and the ratio of inner radius to outer radius of a coated bubble. Our results show that in the dilute limit, the volume scattering coefficient decreases with increasing the ratio of inner radius to outer radius and decreasing the frequencies. It is also found that the microwave emissivity and the extinction coefficient have a peak at very thin seawater coating and its peak value decreases with frequency decrease. Furthermore, with the VRT equation and effective medium approximation of densely coated bubbles, the mechanism of sea foam enhancing the emissivity of a sea surface is disclosed. In addition, excellent agreement is obtained by comparing our VRT results with the experimental data of microwave emissivities of sea surface covered by a sea foam layer at L-band (1.4 GHz) and the Camps' model.

Modeling the Interaction of Mineral Dust with Solar Radiation: Spherical versus Non-spherical Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoshyaripour, A.; Vogel, B.; Vogel, H.

2017-12-01

Mineral dust, emitted from arid and semi-arid regions, is the most dominant atmospheric aerosol by mass. Beside detrimental effect on air quality, airborne dust also influences the atmospheric radiation by absorbing and scattering solar and terrestrial radiation. As a result, while the long-term radiative impacts of dust are important for climate, the short-term effects are significant for the photovoltaic energy production. Therefore, it is a vital requirement to accurately forecast the effects of dust on energy budget of the atmosphere and surface. To this end, a major issue is the fact that dust particles are non-spherical. Thus, the optical properties of such particles cannot be calculated precisely using the conventional methods like Mie theory that are often used in climate and numerical weather forecast models. In this study, T-Matrix method is employed, which is able to treat the non-sphericity of particles. Dust particles are assumed to be prolate spheroids with aspect ratio of 1.5 distributed in three lognormal modes. The wavelength-dependent refractive indices of dust are used in T-Matrix algorithm to calculate the extinction coefficient, single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter and backscattering ratio at different wavelengths. These parameters are then implemented in ICON-ART model (ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic model with Aerosols and Reactive Trace gases) to conduct a global simulation with 80 km horizontal resolution and 90 vertical levels. April 2014 is selected as the simulation period during which North African dust plumes reached central Europe and Germany. Results show that treatment of non-sphericity reduces the dust AOD in the range of 10 to 30%/. The impacts on diffuse and direct radiation at global, regional and local scales show strong dependency on the size distribution of the airborne dust. The implications for modeling and remote sensing the dust impacts on solar energy are also discussed.

Shear thickening regimes of dense non-Brownian suspensions.

PubMed

Ness, Christopher; Sun, Jin

2016-01-21

We propose a unifying rheological framework for dense suspensions of non-Brownian spheres, predicting the onsets of particle friction and particle inertia as distinct shear thickening mechanisms, while capturing quasistatic and soft particle rheology at high volume fractions and shear rates respectively. Discrete element method simulations that take suitable account of hydrodynamic and particle-contact interactions corroborate the model predictions, demonstrating both mechanisms of shear thickening, and showing that they can occur concurrently with carefully selected particle surface properties under certain flow conditions. Microstructural transitions associated with frictional shear thickening are presented. We find very distinctive divergences of both microstructural and dynamic variables with respect to volume fraction in the thickened and non-thickened states.

Hard convex lens-shaped particles: Densest-known packings and phase behavior

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cinacchi, Giorgio, E-mail: giorgio.cinacchi@uam.es; Torquato, Salvatore, E-mail: torquato@princeton.edu

2015-12-14

By using theoretical methods and Monte Carlo simulations, this work investigates dense ordered packings and equilibrium phase behavior (from the low-density isotropic fluid regime to the high-density crystalline solid regime) of monodisperse systems of hard convex lens-shaped particles as defined by the volume common to two intersecting congruent spheres. We show that, while the overall similarity of their shape to that of hard oblate ellipsoids is reflected in a qualitatively similar phase diagram, differences are more pronounced in the high-density crystal phase up to the densest-known packings determined here. In contrast to those non-(Bravais)-lattice two-particle basis crystals that are themore » densest-known packings of hard (oblate) ellipsoids, hard convex lens-shaped particles pack more densely in two types of degenerate crystalline structures: (i) non-(Bravais)-lattice two-particle basis body-centered-orthorhombic-like crystals and (ii) (Bravais) lattice monoclinic crystals. By stacking at will, regularly or irregularly, laminae of these two crystals, infinitely degenerate, generally non-periodic in the stacking direction, dense packings can be constructed that are consistent with recent organizing principles. While deferring the assessment of which of these dense ordered structures is thermodynamically stable in the high-density crystalline solid regime, the degeneracy of their densest-known packings strongly suggests that colloidal convex lens-shaped particles could be better glass formers than colloidal spheres because of the additional rotational degrees of freedom.« less

Phase behavior of charged hydrophobic colloids on flat and spherical surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelleher, Colm P.

For a broad class of two-dimensional (2D) materials, the transition from isotropic fluid to crystalline solid is described by the theory of melting due to Kosterlitz, Thouless, Halperin, Nelson and Young (KTHNY). According to this theory, long-range order is achieved via elimination of the topological defects which proliferate in the fluid phase. However, many natural and man-made 2D systems posses spatial curvature and/or non-trivial topology, which require the presence of topological defects, even at T=0. In principle, the presence of these defects could profoundly affect the phase behavior of such a system. In this thesis, we develop and characterize an experimental system of charged colloidal particles that bind electrostatically to the interface between an oil and an aqueous phase. Depending on how we prepare the sample, this fluid interface may be flat, spherical, or have a more complicated geometry. Focusing on the cases where the interface is flat or spherical, we measure the interactions between the particles, and probe various aspects of their phase behavior. On flat interfaces, this phase behavior is well-described by KTHNY theory. In spherical geometries, however, we observe spatial structures and inhomogeneous dynamics that cannot be captured by the measures traditionally used to describe flat-space phase behavior. We show that, in the spherical system, ordering is achieved by a novel mechanism: sequestration of topological defects into freely-terminating grain boundaries ("scars"), and simultaneous spatial organization of the scars themselves on the vertices of an icosahedron. The emergence of icosahedral order coincides with the localization of mobility into isolated "lakes" of fluid or glassy particles, situated at the icosahedron vertices. These lakes are embedded in a rigid, connected "continent" of locally crystalline particles.

Energy gain calculations in spherical IEC fusion systems using the BAFP code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chacón, L.; Miley, G. H.; Barnes, D. C.; Knoll, D. A.

1999-11-01

The spherical IEC fusion concept takes advantage of the potential well generated by an inner spherical cathode (physical or virtual), biased negatively to several kV with respect to a concentric outer grounded boundary, to focus ions inwards and form a dense central core where fusion may occur. However, defocusing of the ion beams due to ion-ion collisions may prevent a satisfactory energy balance in the system. This research concentrates of spherically symmetric virtual cathode IEC devices, in which a spherical cloud of electrons, confined á la Penning trap, creates the ion-confining electrostatic well. A bounce-averaged Fokker-Planck model has been constructed to analyze the ion physics in ideal conditions (i.e., spherically uniform electrostatic well, no collisional interaction between ions and electrons, single ion species).(L. Chacon, D. C. Barnes, D. A. Knoll, 40^th) Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics, New Orleans, LA, Nov. 1998 Results will reproduce the phenomenology of previously published( W. Nevins, Phys. Plasmas), 2(10), 3804-3819 (1995) theoretical limits, and will show that, under some conditions, steady-state solutions with relatively high gains and small ion recirculation powers exist for the bounce-averaged Fokker-Planck transport equation. Variations in gain with parameter space will be presented.

Photonic polymer-blend structures and method for making

DOEpatents

Barnes, Michael D.

2004-06-29

The present invention comprises the formation of photonic polymer-blend structures having tunable optical and mechanical properties. The photonic polymer-blend structures comprise monomer units of spherical microparticles of a polymer-blend material wherein the spherical microparticles have surfaces partially merged with one another in a robust inter-particle bond having a tunable inter-particle separation or bond length sequentially attached in a desired and programmable architecture. The photonic polymer-blend structures of the present invention can be linked by several hundred individual particles sequentially linked to form complex three-dimensional structures or highly ordered two-dimensional arrays of 3D columns with 2D spacing.

Fabrication of high-alloy powders consisting of spherical particles from ultradispersed components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samokhin, A. V.; Fadeev, A. A.; Sinayskiy, M. A.; Alekseev, N. V.; Tsvetkov, Yu. V.; Arzhatkina, O. A.

2017-07-01

It is shown that powders of a model high alloy consisting of spherical particles 25-50 μm in size can be synthesized from a starting ultradispersed powder, which is made of a mixture of the alloy components and is fabricated by the magnesiothermal reduction of metal chlorides in the potassium chloride melt. The synthesis includes the stages of microgranulation of an ultradispersed powder, heat treatment of microgranules, classification of the microgranules with the separation of microgranule fraction of 25-50 μm, spheroidization of the separated fraction in a thermal plasma flow, and classification with the separation of a fraction of micro- and submicrometer-sized particles.

Explosively Driven Particle Fields Imaged Using a High-Speed Framing Camera and Particle Image Velocimetry

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-01

inert steel particles and by Frost et al. (2005, 2007) with reactive aluminum and magnesium particles. All used sensitized nitromethane and were...particles in a spherical or cylindrical charge case was used with sensitized nitromethane . Frost et al. (2002), determined that for a given charge

Plasma coating of nanoparticles in the presence of an external electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebadi, Zahra; Pourali, Nima; Mohammadzadeh, Hosein

2018-04-01

Film deposition onto nanoparticles by low-pressure plasma in the presence of an external electric field is studied numerically. The plasma discharge fluid model along with surface deposition and heating models for nanoparticles, as well as a dynamics model considering the motion of nanoparticles, are employed for this study. The results of the simulation show that applying external field during the process increases the uniformity of the film deposited onto nanoparticles and leads to that nanoparticles grow in a spherical shape. Increase in film uniformity and particles sphericity is related to particle dynamics that is controlled by parameters of the external field like frequency and amplitude. The results of this work can be helpful to produce spherical core-shell nanoparticles in nanomaterial industry.

A mean spherical model for soft potentials: The hard core revealed as a perturbation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenfeld, Y.; Ashcroft, N. W.

1978-01-01

The mean spherical approximation for fluids is extended to treat the case of dense systems interacting via soft-potentials. The extension takes the form of a generalized statement concerning the behavior of the direct correlation function c(r) and radial distribution g(r). From a detailed analysis that views the hard core portion of a potential as a perturbation on the whole, a specific model is proposed which possesses analytic solutions for both Coulomb and Yukawa potentials, in addition to certain other remarkable properties. A variational principle for the model leads to a relatively simple method for obtaining numerical solutions.

Order and Jamming on Curved Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, Christopher J.

Geometric frustration occurs when a physical system's preferred ordering (e.g. spherical particles packing in a hexagonal lattice) is incompatible with the system's geometry. An example of this occurs in arrested relaxation in Pickering emulsions. Pickering emulsions are emulsions (e.g. mixtures of oil and water) with colloidal particles mixed in. The particles tend to lie at an oil-water interface, and can coat the surface of droplets within the emulsion (e.g. an oil droplet surrounded by water.) If a droplet is deformed from its spherical ground state, more particles adsorb at the surface, and the droplet is allowed to relax, then the particles on the surface can become close packed and prevent further relaxation, arresting the droplet in a non-spherical shape. The resulting structures tend to be relatively well ordered with regions of highly hexagonal packings; however, the curvature of the surface prevents perfect ordering and defects in the packing are required. These defects may influence the stability of these structures, making it important to understand how to predict and control them for applications in the food, cosmetic, oil, and medical industries. In this work, we use simulations to study the ordering and stability of sphere packings on arrested emulsions droplets. We first isolate the role of surface geometry by creating packings on a static ellipsoidal surface. Next we perform simulations which include dynamic effects that are present in the experimental Pickering emulsion system. Packings are created by evolving an ellipsoidal surface towards a spherical shape at fixed volume; the effects of relaxation rate, interparticle attraction, and gravity are determined. Finally, we study jamming on curved surfaces. Packings of hard particles are used to study marginally stable packings and the role curvature plays in constraining them. We also study packings of soft particles, compressed beyond marginal stability, and find that geometric frustration plays an important role in determining their mechanical properties.

Particle momentum effects from the detonation of heterogeneous explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, D. L.; Ornthanalai, C.; Zarei, Z.; Tanguay, V.; Zhang, F.

2007-06-01

Detonation of a spherical high explosive charge containing solid particles generates a high-speed two-phase flow comprised of a decaying spherical air blast wave together with a rapidly expanding cloud of particles. The particle momentum effects associated with this two-phase flow have been investigated experimentally and numerically for a heterogeneous explosive consisting of a packed bed of inert particles saturated with a liquid explosive. Experimentally, the dispersion of the particles was tracked using flash radiography and high-speed photography. A particle streak gauge was developed to measure the rate of arrival of the particles at various locations. Using a cantilever gauge and a free-piston impulse gauge, it was found that the particle momentum flux provided the primary contribution of the multiphase flow to the near-field impulse applied to a nearby small structure. The qualitative features of the interaction between a particle and the flow field are illustrated using simple models for the particle motion and blast wave dynamics. A more realistic Eulerian two-fluid model for the gas-particle flow and a finite-element model for the structural response of the cantilever gauge are then used to determine the relative contributions of the gas and particles to the loading.

Degradation of experimental composite materials and in vitro wear simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Givan, Daniel Allen

2001-12-01

The material, mechanical, and clinical aspects of surface degradation of resin composite dental restorative materials by in vitro wear simulation continues to be an area of active research. To investigate wear mechanisms, a series of experimental resin composites with variable and controlled filler particle shape and loading were studied by in vitro wear simulation. The current investigation utilized a simulation that isolated the wear environment, entrapped high and low modulus debris, and evaluated the process including machine and fluid flow dynamics. The degradation was significantly affected by filler particle shape and less by particle loading. The spherical particle composites demonstrated wear loss profiles suggesting an optimized filler loading may exist. This was also demonstrated by the trends in the mechanical properties. Very little difference in magnitude was noted for the wear of irregular particle composites as a function of particulate size; and as a group they were more wear resistant than spherical particle composites. This was the result of different mechanisms of wear that were correlated with the three-dimensional particle shape. The abrasive effects of the aggregate particles and the polymeric stabilization of the irregular shape versus the destabilization and "plucking" of the spherical particles resulted in an unprotected matrix that accounted for significantly greater wear of spherical composite. A model and analysis was developed to explain the events associated with the progressive material wear loss. The initial phase was explained by fatigue-assisted microcracking and loss of material segments in a zone of high stress immediately beneath a point of high stress contact. The early phase was characterized by the development of a small facet primarily by fatigue-assisted microcracking. Although the translation effects were minimal, some three-body and initial two-body wear events were also present. In the late phases, the abrasive effects of the debris aggregate predominated the wear process. The non-linear rate of wear loss was accelerated as the facet deepened. Physical effects, such as thermal fatigue, and chemical effects were less important but contributed to the degradation process. This study provides new insight into the role(s) of high modulus third body debris in the wear of dental composites.

Investigating Aerosol Morphology Using Scattering Phase Functions Measured with a Laser Imaging Nephelometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manfred, K.; Adler, G. A.; Erdesz, F.; Franchin, A.; Lamb, K. D.; Schwarz, J. P.; Wagner, N.; Washenfelder, R. A.; Womack, C.; Murphy, D. M.

2017-12-01

Particle morphology has important implications for light scattering and radiative transfer, but can be difficult to measure. Biomass burning and other important aerosol sources can generate a mixture of both spherical and non-spherical particle morphologies, and it is necessary to represent these populations correctly in models. We describe a laser imaging nephelometer that measures the unpolarized scattering phase function of bulk aerosol at 375 and 405 nm using a wide-angle lens and CCD. We deployed this instrument to the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory to measure biomass burning aerosol morphology from controlled fires during the recent FIREX intensive laboratory study. Total integrated scattering signal agreed with that determined by a cavity ring-down photoacoustic spectrometer system and a traditional integrating nephelometer within instrument uncertainties. We compared measured scattering phase functions at 405 nm to theoretical models for spherical (Mie) and fractal (Rayleigh-Debye-Gans) particle morphologies based on the size distribution reported by an optical particle counter. We show that particle morphology can vary dramatically for different fuel types, and present results for two representative fires (pine tree vs arid shrub). We find that Mie theory is inadequate to describe the actual behavior of realistic aerosols from biomass burning in some situations. This study demonstrates the capabilities of the laser imaging nephelometer instrument to provide real-time, in situ information about dominant particle morphology that is vital for accurate radiative transfer calculations.

Design of Polymer-Grafted Particles for Biocompatability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trombly, David; Ganesan, Venkat

2009-03-01

Drug designers often coat drug particles with grafted polymers in order to introduce a net repulsion between the particles and blood proteins. This net repulsion results from the energy cost of compressing grafted chains on approach of proteins. It thus overcomes the Van Der Waals attraction between drug and protein which would otherwise cause particle-protein agglomeration and ultimately thrombosis. This study proposes to develop a fundamental understanding of the role of different features in controlling the efficacy of the grafted layers. We address this issue by developing a framework to predict the interactions between a polymer-coated spherical particle and a bare spherical particle. In order to fully capture the two-sphere system, a numerical solution of polymer mean field theory is used in a bispherical coordinate system. Results for protein-particle interaction energies for different design parameters will be presented. For biological applications, polyethylene glycol is often used as the grafted polymer. The unique properties of this molecule will be accounted for using the n-cluster model.

Computations of Lifshitz-van der Waals interaction energies between irregular particles and surfaces at all separations for resuspension modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priye, Aashish; Marlow, William H.

2013-10-01

The phenomenon of particle resuspension plays a vital role in numerous fields. Among many aspects of particle resuspension dynamics, a dominant concern is the accurate description and formulation of the van der Waals (vdW) interactions between the particle and substrate. Current models treat adhesion by incorporating a material-dependent Hamaker's constant which relies on the heuristic Hamaker's two-body interactions. However, this assumption of pairwise summation of interaction energies can lead to significant errors in condensed matter as it does not take into account the many-body interaction and retardation effects. To address these issues, an approach based on Lifshitz continuum theory of vdW interactions has been developed to calculate the principal many-body interactions between arbitrary geometries at all separation distances to a high degree of accuracy through Lifshitz's theory. We have applied this numerical implementation to calculate the many-body vdW interactions between spherical particles and surfaces with sinusoidally varying roughness profile and also to non-spherical particles (cubes, cylinders, tetrahedron etc) orientated differently with respect to the surface. Our calculations revealed that increasing the surface roughness amplitude decreases the adhesion force and non-spherical particles adhere to the surfaces more strongly when their flatter sides are oriented towards the surface. Such practical shapes and structures of particle-surface systems have not been previously considered in resuspension models and this rigorous treatment of vdW interactions provides more realistic adhesion forces between the particle and the surface which can then be coupled with computational fluid dynamics models to improve the predictive capabilities of particle resuspension dynamics.

Investigation of Physicochemical Drug Properties to Prepare Fine Globular Granules Composed of Only Drug Substance in Fluidized Bed Rotor Granulation.

PubMed

Mise, Ryohei; Iwao, Yasunori; Kimura, Shin-Ichiro; Osugi, Yukiko; Noguchi, Shuji; Itai, Shigeru

2015-01-01

The effect of some drug properties (wettability and particle size distribution) on granule properties (mean particle size, particle size distribution, sphericity, and granule strength) were investigated in a high (>97%) drug-loading formulation using fluidized bed rotor granulation. Three drugs: acetaminophen (APAP); ibuprofen (IBU); and ethenzamide (ETZ) were used as model drugs based on their differences in wettability and particle size distribution. Granules with mean particle sizes of 100-200 µm and a narrow particle size distribution (PSD) could be prepared regardless of the drug used. IBU and ETZ granules showed a higher sphericity than APAP granules, while APAP and ETZ granules exhibited higher granule strength than IBU. The relationship between drug and granule properties suggested that the wettability and the PSD of the drugs were critical parameters affecting sphericity and granule strength, respectively. Furthermore, the dissolution profiles of granules prepared with poorly water-soluble drugs (IBU and ETZ) showed a rapid release (80% release in 20 min) because of the improved wettability with granulation. The present study demonstrated for the first time that fluidized bed rotor granulation can prepare high drug-loaded (>97%) globular granules with a mean particle size of less than 200 µm and the relationship between physicochemical drug properties and the properties of the granules obtained could be readily determined, indicating the potential for further application of this methodology to various drugs.

Nano-analytical electron microscopy reveals fundamental insights into human cardiovascular tissue calcification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertazzo, Sergio; Gentleman, Eileen; Cloyd, Kristy L.; Chester, Adrian H.; Yacoub, Magdi H.; Stevens, Molly M.

2013-06-01

The accumulation of calcified material in cardiovascular tissue is thought to involve cytochemical, extracellular matrix and systemic signals; however, its precise composition and nanoscale architecture remain largely unexplored. Using nano-analytical electron microscopy techniques, we examined valves, aortae and coronary arteries from patients with and without calcific cardiovascular disease and detected spherical calcium phosphate particles, regardless of the presence of calcific lesions. We also examined lesions after sectioning with a focused ion beam and found that the spherical particles are composed of highly crystalline hydroxyapatite that crystallographically and structurally differs from bone mineral. Taken together, these data suggest that mineralized spherical particles may play a fundamental role in calcific lesion formation. Their ubiquitous presence in varied cardiovascular tissues and from patients with a spectrum of diseases further suggests that lesion formation may follow a common process. Indeed, applying materials science techniques to ectopic and orthotopic calcification has great potential to lend critical insights into pathophysiological processes underlying calcific cardiovascular disease.

Radial particle-size segregation during packing of particulates into cylindrical containers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ripple, C.D.; James, R.V.; Rubin, J.

1973-01-01

In a series of experiments, soil materials were placed in long cylindrical containers, using various packing procedures. Soil columns produced by deposition and simultaneous vibratory compaction were dense and axially uniform, but showed significant radial segregation of particle sizes. Similar results were obtained with deposition and simultaneous impact-type compaction when the impacts resulted in significant container "bouncing". The latter procedure, modified to minimize "bouncing" produced dense, uniform soil columns, showing little radial particle-size segregation. Other procedures tested (deposition alone and deposition followed by compaction) did not result in radial segregation, but produced columns showing either relatively low or axially nonuniform densities. Current data suggest that radial particle-size segregation is mainly due to vibration-induced particle circulation in which particles of various sizes have different circulation rates and paths. ?? 1973.

Fabrication of Polyhedral Particles from Spherical Colloids and Their Self-Assembly into Rotator Phases**

PubMed Central

Vutukuri, Hanumantha Rao; Imhof, Arnout; van Blaaderen, Alfons

2014-01-01

Particle shape is a critical parameter that plays an important role in self-assembly, for example, in designing targeted complex structures with desired properties. Over the last decades, an unprecedented range of monodisperse nanoparticle systems with control over the shape of the particles have become available. In contrast, the choice of micrometer-sized colloidal building blocks of particles with flat facets, that is, particles with polygonal shapes, is significantly more limited. This can be attributed to the fact that in contrast to nanoparticles, the larger colloids are significantly harder to synthesize as single crystals. It is now shown that a very simple building block, such as a micrometer-sized polymeric spherical colloidal particle, is already enough to fabricate particles with regularly placed flat facets, including completely polygonal shapes with sharp edges. As an illustration that the yields are high enough for further self-assembly studies, the formation of three-dimensional rotator phases of fluorescently labelled, micrometer-sized, and charged rhombic dodecahedron particles was demonstrated. This method for fabricating polyhedral particles opens a new avenue for designing new materials. PMID:25366869

Electrohydrodynamic interactions of spherical particles under Quincke rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Debasish; Saintillan, David

2012-11-01

Quincke rotation denotes the spontaneous rotation of dielectric particles immersed in a slightly dielectric liquid when subjected to a high enough DC electric field. It occurs when the charge relaxation time of the particles is greater than that of the fluid medium, causing the particles to become polarized in a direction opposite to that of the electric field and therefore giving rise to an unstable equilibrium position. When slightly perturbed, the particles start to rotate, and if the electric field exceeds a critical value the perturbations do not decay and the particle rotations reach a steady state with a constant angular velocity. We use a combination of numerical simulations and asymptotic theory to study the effect of electrohydrodynamic interactions between particles under Quincke rotation. We study the prototypical case of two equally charged spheres carrying no net charge and interacting with each other both hydrodynamically and electrically. The case of spherical particles free to roll on a horizontal grounded electrode is also described. We show that Quincke rotation results in self-propulsion of the particles in the plane of the electrode, and interactions between a pair of such ``rollers'' are analyzed.

Evaporation effects in a shock-driven multiphase instability with a spherical interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paudel, Manoj; Dahal, Jeevan; McFarland, Jacob

2017-11-01

This talk presents results from 3D numerical simulations of a shock driven instability of a gas-particle system with a spherical interface. Two cases, one with an evaporating particle cloud and another with a gas only approximation of this particle cloud, were run in the hydrodynamics code FLASH, developed at University of Chicago. It is shown that the gas only approximation, a classical Richtmyer Meshkov instability, cannot replicate effects from particles like, lag, clustering, and evaporation. Instead, both gas hydrodynamics and particle properties influence one another and are coupled. Results are presented to highlight the coupling of interface evolution and particle evaporation. Qualitative and quantitative differences in the RMI and SDMI are presented by studying the change in gas properties like density and vorticity within the interface. Similarly, the effect of gas hydrodynamics on particles distribution and evaporation is studied. Particle evaporation rates are compared with 1D models and show poor agreement. The variation in evaporation rates for similar sized particles and the role of gas hydrodynamics in these variation is explored.

Optimization of In-Situ Shot-Peening-Assisted Cold Spraying Parameters for Full Corrosion Protection of Mg Alloy by Fully Dense Al-Based Alloy Coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Ying-Kang; Luo, Xiao-Tao; Li, Cheng-Xin; Li, Chang-Jiu

2017-01-01

Magnesium-based alloys have excellent physical and mechanical properties for a lot of applications. However, due to high chemical reactivity, magnesium and its alloys are highly susceptible to corrosion. In this study, Al6061 coating was deposited on AZ31B magnesium by cold spray with a commercial Al6061 powder blended with large-sized stainless steel particles (in-situ shot-peening particles) using nitrogen gas. Microstructure and corrosion behavior of the sprayed coating was investigated as a function of shot-peening particle content in the feedstock. It is found that by introducing the in-situ tamping effect using shot-peening (SP) particles, the plastic deformation of deposited particles is significantly enhanced, thereby resulting in a fully dense Al6061 coating. SEM observations reveal that no SP particle is deposited into Al6061 coating at the optimization spraying parameters. Porosity of the coating significantly decreases from 10.7 to 0.4% as the SP particle content increases from 20 to 60 vol.%. The electrochemical corrosion experiments reveal that this novel in-situ SP-assisted cold spraying is effective to deposit fully dense Al6061 coating through which aqueous solution is not permeable and thus can provide exceptional protection of the magnesium-based materials from corrosion.

Saltation movement of large spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chara, Z.; Dolansky, J.; Kysela, B.

2017-07-01

The paper presents experimental and numerical investigations of the saltation motion of a large spherical particle in an open channel. The channel bottom was roughed by one layer of glass rods of diameter 6 mm. The plastic spheres of diameter 25.7 mm and density 1160 kgm-3 were fed into the water channel and theirs positions were viewed by a digital camera. Two light sheets were placed above and under the channel, so the flow was simultaneously lighted from the top and the bottom. Only particles centers of which moved through the light sheets were recorded. Using a 2D PIV method the trajectories of the spheres and the velocity maps of the channel flow were analyzed. The Lattice-Boldzmann Method (LBM) was used to simulate the particle motion.

Hydrodynamic coupling of particle inclusions embedded in curved lipid bilayer membranes

DOE PAGES

Sigurdsson, Jon Karl; Atzberger, Paul J.

2016-06-27

Here, we develop theory and computational methods to investigate particle inclusions embedded within curved lipid bilayer membranes. We consider the case of spherical lipid vesicles where inclusion particles are coupled through (i) intramembrane hydrodynamics, (ii) traction stresses with the external and trapped solvent fluid, and (iii) intermonolayer slip between the two leaflets of the bilayer. We investigate relative to flat membranes how the membrane curvature and topology augment hydrodynamic responses. We show how both the translational and rotational mobility of protein inclusions are effected by the membrane curvature, ratio of intramembrane viscosity to solvent viscosity, and intermonolayer slip. For generalmore » investigations of many-particle dynamics, we also discuss how our approaches can be used to treat the collective diffusion and hydrodynamic coupling within spherical bilayers.« less

Hydrodynamic coupling of particle inclusions embedded in curved lipid bilayer membranes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sigurdsson, Jon Karl; Atzberger, Paul J.

Here, we develop theory and computational methods to investigate particle inclusions embedded within curved lipid bilayer membranes. We consider the case of spherical lipid vesicles where inclusion particles are coupled through (i) intramembrane hydrodynamics, (ii) traction stresses with the external and trapped solvent fluid, and (iii) intermonolayer slip between the two leaflets of the bilayer. We investigate relative to flat membranes how the membrane curvature and topology augment hydrodynamic responses. We show how both the translational and rotational mobility of protein inclusions are effected by the membrane curvature, ratio of intramembrane viscosity to solvent viscosity, and intermonolayer slip. For generalmore » investigations of many-particle dynamics, we also discuss how our approaches can be used to treat the collective diffusion and hydrodynamic coupling within spherical bilayers.« less

Dynamics of spherical metallic particles in cylinder electrostatic separators/purifiers.

PubMed

Lu, Hong-Zhou; Li, Jia; Guo, Jie; Xu, Zhen-Ming

2008-08-15

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the dynamics of spherical metallic particles in electrostatic separators/purifiers (ESPs). The particle equations of motion are numerically solved in two dimensions using a computational algorithm. The ESPs consist of a pair of conductor cylinder electrodes. The upper cylinder is energized by HVdc, while the lower one is grounded and fixed horizontally on a revolvable axis. Some phenomena and aspects of separation process are explained and depicted including lifting off, impact, "motion collapse" and "sudden bouncing". The results reveal that the several phenomena depend on initial position, radius and density of the particle, curvature of the cylinder electrodes, distance between the electrodes and amplitude of the applied voltage. Optimization of the parameters is presented in order to get better separation/purification processes.

Multiple Scattering in Planetary Regoliths Using Incoherent Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muinonen, K.; Markkanen, J.; Vaisanen, T.; Penttilä, A.

2017-12-01

We consider scattering of light by a planetary regolith using novel numerical methods for discrete random media of particles. Understanding the scattering process is of key importance for spectroscopic, photometric, and polarimetric modeling of airless planetary objects, including radar studies. In our modeling, the size of the spherical random medium can range from microscopic to macroscopic sizes, whereas the particles are assumed to be of the order of the wavelength in size. We extend the radiative transfer and coherent backscattering method (RT-CB) to the case of dense packing of particles by adopting the ensemble-averaged first-order incoherent extinction, scattering, and absorption characteristics of a volume element of particles as input. In the radiative transfer part, at each absorption and scattering process, we account for absorption with the help of the single-scattering albedo and peel off the Stokes parameters of radiation emerging from the medium in predefined scattering angles. We then generate a new scattering direction using the joint probability density for the local polar and azimuthal scattering angles. In the coherent backscattering part, we utilize amplitude scattering matrices along the radiative-transfer path and the reciprocal path. Furthermore, we replace the far-field interactions of the RT-CB method with rigorous interactions facilitated by the Superposition T-matrix method (STMM). This gives rise to a new RT-RT method, radiative transfer with reciprocal interactions. For microscopic random media, we then compare the new results to asymptotically exact results computed using the STMM, succeeding in the numerical validation of the new methods.Acknowledgments. Research supported by European Research Council with Advanced Grant No. 320773 SAEMPL, Scattering and Absorption of ElectroMagnetic waves in ParticuLate media. Computational resources provided by CSC - IT Centre for Science Ltd, Finland.

Sphericalization of the potential of interaction of anisotropic molecules with spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-Prini, R.; Japas, María L.

1986-09-01

The possibility of employing sphericalized intermolecular potentials to describe the interactions between nonpolar anisotropic molecules (CCl4 and benzene) with spherical nonpolar molecules (Ar, Xe, and CH4) has been tested for binary systems having liquid- and gas-like densities. Median and RAM sphericalization procedures have been used and their capacity to account for the experimental values of cross second virial coefficients and Henry's constants are compared. It is shown that the median sphericalized potentials, which are temperature and density independent, give a fairly good description of the data which is better than that provided by RAM potentials. The possibility of accounting correctly for the change of properties when the relative size of the interacting partners changes (e.g., conformal systems) is noteworthy.

Magnetic particles extracted from manganese nodules: Suggested origin from stony and iron meteorites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finkelman, R.B.

1970-01-01

On the basis of x-ray diffraction and electron microprobe data, spherical and ellipsoidal particles extracted from manganese nodules were divided into three groups. Group I particles are believed to be derived from iron meteorites, and Group II particles from stony meteorites. Group III particles are believed to be volcanic in origin.

Improving the efficiency of quantum hash function by dense coding of coin operators in discrete-time quantum walk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, YuGuang; Zhang, YuChen; Xu, Gang; Chen, XiuBo; Zhou, Yi-Hua; Shi, WeiMin

2018-03-01

Li et al. first proposed a quantum hash function (QHF) in a quantum-walk architecture. In their scheme, two two-particle interactions, i.e., I interaction and π-phase interaction are introduced and the choice of I or π-phase interactions at each iteration depends on a message bit. In this paper, we propose an efficient QHF by dense coding of coin operators in discrete-time quantum walk. Compared with existing QHFs, our protocol has the following advantages: the efficiency of the QHF can be doubled and even more; only one particle is enough and two-particle interactions are unnecessary so that quantum resources are saved. It is a clue to apply the dense coding technique to quantum cryptographic protocols, especially to the applications with restricted quantum resources.

Luminescence studies of CdS spherical particles via hydrothermal synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Guo Qin; Liu, Bing; Xu, Shi Jie; Chew, Chwee Har; Chua, Soo Jin; Gana, Leong Ming

2000-06-01

The spherical particles of CdS consisting of nanoparticles (∼100 nm) were synthesized by a hydrothermal process. The particle formation and growth depend on the rate of sulfide-ion generation and diffusion-controlled aggregation of nanoparticles. As demonstrated in the profiles of powder X-ray diffraction, the crystalline phases are governed by the reaction temperature. Photoluminescence studies on CdS particles show two emission bands at the room temperature. The red emission at 680 nm is due to sulfur vacancies, and a new infrared red (IR) emission at 760 nm is attributed to self-activated centers. A red shift of IR band with the decrease of temperature was explained with a configurational coordinate model. The different saturation limits for the red and IR bands are discussed in terms of the formation of donor-acceptor pairs and exciton in CdS particles.

The generation and morphology of single-crystal silicon carbide wear particles under adhesive conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D. H.

1981-01-01

Sliding friction experiments were performed in vacuum at room temperature on a plane-type SiC surface in contact with iron-based binary alloys. Multiangular and spherical wear particles were found to form as a result of multipass sliding. The multiangular particles were produced by primary and secondary cracking of the 0001, 10(-)10, and 11(-)20 plane-type cleavage planes under the Hertzian stress field or local inelastic deformation zone. When alloy surfaces are in contact with silicon carbide under a load of 0.2 N, the alloy around the contact area is subjected to stresses that are close to the elastic limit in the elastic deformation region and/or exceed it. It was also found that spherical wear particles may be produced by two mechanisms: a penny-shaped fracture along the circular stress trajectories under the local inelastic deformation zone, and the attrition and fatigue of wear particles.

CUBE: Information-optimized parallel cosmological N-body simulation code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Hao-Ran; Pen, Ue-Li; Wang, Xin

2018-05-01

CUBE, written in Coarray Fortran, is a particle-mesh based parallel cosmological N-body simulation code. The memory usage of CUBE can approach as low as 6 bytes per particle. Particle pairwise (PP) force, cosmological neutrinos, spherical overdensity (SO) halofinder are included.

Bidispersed Sphere Packing on Spherical Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atherton, Timothy; Mascioli, Andrew; Burke, Christopher

Packing problems on spherical surfaces have a long history, originating in the classic Thompson problem of finding the ground state configuration of charges on a sphere. Such packings contain a minimal number of defects needed to accommodate the curvature; this is predictable using the Gauss-Bonnet theorem from knowledge of the topology of the surface and the local symmetry of the ordering. Famously, the packing of spherical particles on a sphere contains a 'scar' transition, where additional defects over those required by topology appear above a certain critical number of particles and self-organize into chains or scars. In this work, we study the packing of bidispersed packings on a sphere, and hence determine the interaction of bidispersity and curvature. The resultant configurations are nearly crystalline for low values of bidispersity and retain scar-like structures; these rapidly become disordered for intermediate values and approach a so-called Appollonian limit at the point where smaller particles can be entirely accommodated within the voids left by the larger particles. We connect our results with studies of bidispersed packings in the bulk and on flat surfaces from the literature on glassy systems and jamming. Supported by a Cottrell Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

Mesons from Laser-Induced Processes in Ultra-Dense Hydrogen H(0)

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Large signals of charged light mesons are observed in the laser-induced particle flux from ultra-dense hydrogen H(0) layers. The mesons are formed in such layers on metal surfaces using < 200 mJ laser pulse-energy. The time variation of the signal to metal foil collectors and the magnetic deflection to a movable pin collector are now studied. Relativistic charged particles with velocity up to 500 MeV u-1 thus 0.75 c are observed. Characteristic decay time constants for meson decay are observed, for charged and neutral kaons and also for charged pions. Magnetic deflections agree with charged pions and kaons. Theoretical predictions of the decay chains from kaons to muons in the particle beam agree with the results. Muons are detected separately by standard scintillation detectors in laser-induced processes in ultra-dense hydrogen H(0) as published previously. The muons formed do not decay appreciably within the flight distances used here. Most of the laser-ejected particle flux with MeV energy is not deflected by the magnetic fields and is thus neutral, either being neutral kaons or the ultra-dense HN(0) precursor clusters. Photons give only a minor part of the detected signals. PACS: 67.63.Gh, 14.40.-n, 79.20.Ds, 52.57.-z. PMID:28081199

Hindrance Velocity Model for Phase Segregation in Suspensions of Poly-dispersed Randomly Oriented Spheroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faroughi, S. A.; Huber, C.

2015-12-01

Crystal settling and bubbles migration in magmas have significant effects on the physical and chemical evolution of magmas. The rate of phase segregation is controlled by the force balance that governs the migration of particles suspended in the melt. The relative velocity of a single particle or bubble in a quiescent infinite fluid (melt) is well characterized; however, the interplay between particles or bubbles in suspensions and emulsions and its effect on their settling/rising velocity remains poorly quantified. We propose a theoretical model for the hindered velocity of non-Brownian emulsions of nondeformable droplets, and suspensions of spherical solid particles in the creeping flow regime. The model is based on three sets of hydrodynamic corrections: two on the drag coefficient experienced by each particle to account for both return flow and Smoluchowski effects and a correction on the mixture rheology to account for nonlocal interactions between particles. The model is then extended for mono-disperse non-spherical solid particles that are randomly oriented. The non-spherical particles are idealized as spheroids and characterized by their aspect ratio. The poly-disperse nature of natural suspensions is then taken into consideration by introducing an effective volume fraction of particles for each class of mono-disperse particles sizes. Our model is tested against new and published experimental data over a wide range of particle volume fraction and viscosity ratios between the constituents of dispersions. We find an excellent agreement between our model and experiments. We also show two significant applications for our model: (1) We demonstrate that hindered settling can increase mineral residence time by up to an order of magnitude in convecting magma chambers. (2) We provide a model to correct for particle interactions in the conventional hydrometer test to estimate the particle size distribution in soils. Our model offers a greatly improved agreement with the results obtained with direct measurement methods such as laser diffraction.

Morphology of ductile metals eroded by a jet of spherical particles impinging at normal incidence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veerabhadra Rao, P.; Young, S. G.; Buckley, D. H.

1983-01-01

Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are used, together with surface profile measurements, in the present morphological study of the erosion of an aluminum alloy and copper by the normal impact of spherical glass erodent particles. The morphology of the damage pattern is a manifestation of the flow pattern of erodent particles, and yields insight into the mechanisms that may be active at different stages of erosion. The simultaneous appearance of radial cracks and concentric rings is reported, together with wave crests which contain an accumulation of metallic flakes. A preliminary analysis is advanced to explain the formation of the various damage patterns observed.

INTRACELLULAR FORMS OF POX VIRUSES AS SHOWN BY THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE (VACCINIA, ECTROMELIA, MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM)

PubMed Central

Gaylord, William H.; Melnick, Joseph L.

1953-01-01

The intracellular development of three pox viruses has been studied with the electron microscope using thin sections of infected tissue. Cells infected with vaccinia, ectromelia, and molluscum contagiosum viruses all form developmental bodies preliminary to the production of mature virus. Developmental bodies, believed to be virus precursors, are round to oval, slightly larger than mature virus particles, less dense to electrons, and have a more varied morphology. It is suggested as a working hypothesis that the process of maturation of a virus particle takes place as follows. In the earliest form the developmental bodies appear as hollow spheres, imbedded in a very dense cytoplasmic mass constituting an inclusion body, or in a less dense matrix near the nucleus in cells without typical inclusion bodies. The spheres become filled with a homogeneous material of low electron density. A small, dense granule appears in each developmental body and grows in size at the expense of the low density material. Following growth of the granule, particles are found with the dimensions of mature virus and having complex internal structure resembling bars or dumbells. Mature virus is ovoid and very dense to electrons. An "empty" interior may be found within its thick walls. PMID:13069658

Modeling of the rough spherical nanoparticles manipulation on a substrate based on the AFM nanorobot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakeri, M.; Faraji, J.

2014-12-01

In this paper, dynamic behavior of the rough spherical micro/nanoparticles during pulling/pushing on the flat substrate has been investigated and analyzed. For this purpose, at first, two hexagonal roughness models (George and Cooper) were studied and then evaluations for adhesion force were determined for rough particle manipulation on flat substrate. These two models were then changed by using of the Rabinovich theory. Evaluations were determined for contact adhesion force between rough particle and flat substrate; depth of penetration evaluations were determined by the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts contact mechanic theory and the Schwartz method and according to Cooper and George roughness models. Then, the novel contact theory was used to determine a dynamic model for rough micro/nanoparticle manipulation on flat substrate. Finally, simulation of particle dynamic behavior was implemented during pushing of rough spherical gold particles with radii of 50, 150, 400, 600, and 1,000 nm. Results derived from simulations of particles with several rates of roughness on flat substrate indicated that compared to results for flat particles, inherent roughness on particles might reduce the rate of critical force needed for sliding and rolling given particles. Given a fixed radius for roughness value and increased roughness height, evaluations for sliding and rolling critical forces showed greater reduction. Alternately, the rate of critical force was shown to reduce relative to an increased roughness radius. With respect to both models, based on the George roughness model, the predicted rate of adhesion force was greater than that determined in the Cooper roughness model, and as a result, the predicted rate of critical force based on the George roughness model was closer to the critical force value of flat particle.

Encapsidated Host Factors in Alphavirus Particles Influence Midgut Infection of Aedes aegypti.

PubMed

Mackenzie-Liu, David; Sokoloski, Kevin J; Purdy, Sarah; Hardy, Richard W

2018-05-16

Transmission of mosquito-borne viruses requires the efficient infection of both a permissive vertebrate host and a competent mosquito vector. The infectivity of Sindbis virus (SINV), the type species of the Alphavirus genus, is influenced by both the original and new host cell. We have shown that infection of vertebrate cells by SINV, chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and Ross River virus (RRV) produces two subpopulations of virus particles separable based on density. In contrast, a single population of viral particles is produced by mosquito cells. Previous studies demonstrated that the denser vertebrate-derived particles and the mosquito-derived particles contain components of the small subunit of the host cell ribosome, whereas the less dense vertebrate-derived particles do not. Infection of mice with RRV showed that both particle subpopulations are produced in an infected vertebrate, but in a tissue specific manner with serum containing only the less dense version of the virus particles. Previous infectivity studies using SINV particles have shown that the denser particles (SINV Heavy ) and mosquito derived particles SINV C6/36 are significantly more infectious in vertebrate cells than the less dense vertebrate derived particles (SINV Light ). The current study shows that SINV Light particles, initiate the infection of the mosquito midgut more efficiently than SINV Heavy particles and that this enhanced infectivity is associated with an exacerbated immune response to SINV Light infection in midgut tissues. The enhanced infection of SINV Light is specific to the midgut as intrathoracically injected virus do not exhibit the same fitness advantage. Together, our data indicate a biologically significant role for the SINV Light subpopulation in the efficient transmission from infected vertebrates to the mosquito vector.

Agglomerates, smoke oxide particles, and carbon inclusions in condensed combustion products of an aluminized GAP-based propellant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ao, Wen; Liu, Peijin; Yang, Wenjing

2016-12-01

In solid propellants, aluminum is widely used to improve the performance, however the condensed combustion products especially the large agglomerates generated from aluminum combustion significantly affect the combustion and internal flow inside the solid rocket motor. To clarify the properties of the condensed combustion products of aluminized propellants, a constant-pressure quench vessel was adopted to collect the combustion products. The morphology and chemical compositions of the collected products, were then studied by using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive (SEM-EDS) method. Various structures have been observed in the condensed combustion products. Apart from the typical agglomerates or smoke oxide particles observed before, new structures including the smoke oxide clusters, irregular agglomerates and carbon-inclusions are discovered and investigated. Smoke oxide particles have the highest amount in the products. The highly dispersed oxide particle is spherical with very smooth surface and is on the order of 1-2 μm, but due to the high temperature and long residence time, these small particles will aggregate into smoke oxide clusters which are much larger than the initial particles. Three types of spherical agglomerates have been found. As the ambient gas temperature is much higher than the boiling point of Al2O3, the condensation layer inside which the aluminum drop is burning would evaporate quickly, which result in the fact that few "hollow agglomerates" has been found compared to "cap agglomerates" and "solid agglomerates". Irregular agglomerates usually larger than spherical agglomerates. The formation of irregular agglomerates likely happens by three stages: deformation of spherical aluminum drops; combination of particles with various shape; finally production of irregular agglomerates. EDS results show the ratio of O to Al on the surface of agglomerates is lower in comparison to smoke oxide particles. C and O account for most element compositions for all the carbon inclusions. The rough, spherical, strip shape and flake shape carbon-inclusions are believed to be derived from the degradation products of the binder or oxidizer, while the fiber silk is possibly the combustion product of fiber inside the heat insulation layer of the propellants. Images of products at different pressures reveal high pressure reduces the degree of agglomeration. The chemical compositions, size range and content of all the observed structures are given in this paper. Results of our study are expected to provide better insight in the working process of solid rocket motor.

Refractive index of colloidal dispersions of spheroidal particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meeten, G.H.

1980-09-01

The effect of particle shape on the refractive index of a colloidal dispersion of spheroidal particles is investigated theoretically, using the Rayleigh, Rayleigh- Gans-Debye, and the anomalous diffraction light-scattering approximations. It is shown that departure from particle sphericity modify the dispersion refractive index, both size and shape being of importance.

Infrared backscattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bohren, Craig F.; Nevitt, Timothy J.; Singham, Shermila Brito

1989-01-01

All particles in the atmosphere are not spherical. Moreover, the scattering properties of randomly oriented nonspherical particles are not equivalent to those of spherical particles no matter how the term equivalent is defined. This is especially true for scattering in the backward direction and at the infrared wavelengths at which some atmospheric particles have strong absorption bands. Thus calculations based on Mie theory of infrared backscattering by dry or insoluble atmospheric particles are suspect. To support this assertion, it was noted that peaks in laboratory-measured infrared backscattering spectra show appreciable shifts compared with those calculated using Mie theory. One example is ammonium sulfate. Some success was had in modeling backscattering spectra of ammonium sulfate particles using a simple statistical theory called the continuous distribution of ellipsoids (CDE) theory. In this theory, the scattering properties of an ensemble are calculated. Recently a modified version of this theory was applied to measured spectra of scattering by kaolin particles. The particles were platelike, so the probability distribution of ellipsoidal shapes was chosen to reflect this. As with ammonium sulfate, the wavelength of measured peak backscattering is shifted longward of that predicted by Mie theory.

Buckling in armored droplets.

PubMed

Sicard, François; Striolo, Alberto

2017-06-29

The buckling mechanism in droplets stabilized by solid particles (armored droplets) is tackled at a mesoscopic level using dissipative particle dynamics simulations. We consider one spherical water droplet in a decane solvent coated with nanoparticle monolayers of two different types: Janus (particles whose surface shows two regions with different wetting properties) and homogeneous. The chosen particles yield comparable initial three-phase contact angles, selected to maximize the adsorption energy at the interface. We study the interplay between the evolution of droplet shape, layering of the particles, and their distribution at the interface when the volume of the droplets is reduced. We show that Janus particles affect strongly the shape of the droplet with the formation of a crater-like depression. This evolution is actively controlled by a close-packed particle monolayer at the curved interface. In contrast, homogeneous particles follow passively the volume reduction of the droplet, whose shape does not deviate too much from spherical, even when a nanoparticle monolayer/bilayer transition is detected at the interface. We discuss how these buckled armored droplets might be of relevance in various applications including potential drug delivery systems and biomimetic design of functional surfaces.

Continuous-feed optical sorting of aerosol particles

PubMed Central

Curry, J. J.; Levine, Zachary H.

2016-01-01

We consider the problem of sorting, by size, spherical particles of order 100 nm radius. The scheme we analyze consists of a heterogeneous stream of spherical particles flowing at an oblique angle across an optical Gaussian mode standing wave. Sorting is achieved by the combined spatial and size dependencies of the optical force. Particles of all sizes enter the flow at a point, but exit at different locations depending on size. Exiting particles may be detected optically or separated for further processing. The scheme has the advantages of accommodating a high throughput, producing a continuous stream of continuously dispersed particles, and exhibiting excellent size resolution. We performed detailed Monte Carlo simulations of particle trajectories through the optical field under the influence of convective air flow. We also developed a method for deriving effective velocities and diffusion constants from the Fokker-Planck equation that can generate equivalent results much more quickly. With an optical wavelength of 1064 nm, polystyrene particles with radii in the neighborhood of 275 nm, for which the optical force vanishes, may be sorted with a resolution below 1 nm. PMID:27410570

Sound absorption by suspensions of nonspherical particles: Measurements compared with predictions using various particle sizing techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, Simon D.; Leighton, Timothy G.; Brown, Niven R.

2003-10-01

Knowledge of the particle size distribution is required in order to predict ultrasonic absorption in polydisperse particulate suspensions. This paper shows that the method used to measure the particle size distribution can lead to important differences in the predicted absorption. A reverberation technique developed for measuring ultrasonic absorption by suspended particles is used to measure the absorption in suspensions of nonspherical particles. Two types of particulates are studied: (i) kaolin (china clay) particles which are platelike in form; and (ii) calcium carbonate particles which are more granular. Results are compared to theoretical predictions of visco-inertial absorption by suspensions of spherical particles. The particle size distributions, which are required for these predictions, are measured by laser diffraction, gravitational sedimentation and centrifugal sedimentation, all of which assume spherical particles. For a given sample, each sizing technique yields a different size distribution, leading to differences in the predicted absorption. The particle size distributions obtained by gravitational and centrifugal sedimentation are reinterpreted to yield a representative size distribution of oblate spheroids, and predictions for absorption by these spheroids are compared with the measurements. Good agreement between theory and measurement for the flat kaolin particles is obtained, demonstrating that these particles can be adequately represented by oblate spheroids.

Charged particle capturing in air flow by linear Paul trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapitsky, D. S.; Filinov, V. S.; Vladimirov, V. I.; Syrovatka, R. A.; Vasilyak, L. M.; Pecherkin, V. Ya; Deputatova, L. V.

2018-01-01

The paper presents the simulation results of micro- and nanoparticle capturing in an air flows by linear Paul traps in assumption that particles gain their charges in corona discharge, its electric field strength is restricted by Paschen equation and spherical shape of particles.

A boundary element method for particle and droplet electrohydrodynamics in the Quincke regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Debasish; Saintillan, David

2014-11-01

Quincke electrorotation is the spontaneous rotation of dielectric particles suspended in a dielectric liquid of higher conductivity when placed in a sufficiently strong electric field. This phenomenon of Quincke rotation has interesting implications for the rheology of these suspensions, whose effective viscosity can be controlled and reduced by application of an external field. While spherical harmonics can be used to solve the governing equations for a spherical particle, they cannot be used to study the dynamics of particles of more complex shapes or deformable particles or droplets. Here, we develop a novel boundary element formulation to model the dynamics of a dielectric particle under Quincke rotation based on the Taylor-Melcher leaky dielectric model, and compare the numerical results to theoretical predictions. We then employ this boundary element method to analyze the dynamics of a two-dimensional drop under Quincke rotation, where we allow the drop to deform under the electric field. Extensions to three-dimensions and to the electrohydrodynamic interactions of multiple droplets are also discussed.

An experimental investigation of the effect of walls on gas-liquid flows through fixed particle beds.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cooper, Marcia A.; Cote, Raymond O.; Torczynski, John Robert

The effect of particle diameter on downward co-current gas-liquid flow through a fixed bed of particles confined within a cylindrical column is investigated. Several hydrodynamic regimes that depend strongly on the properties of the gas stream, the liquid stream, and the packed particle bed are known to exist within these systems. This experimental study focuses on characterizing the effect of wall confinement on these hydrodynamic regimes as the diameter d of the spherical particles becomes comparable to the column diameter D (or D/d becomes order-unity). The packed bed consists of polished, solid, spherical, monodisperse particles (beads) with mean diameter inmore » the range of 0.64-2.54 cm. These diameters yield D/d values between 15 and 3.75, so this range overlaps and extends the previously investigated range for two-phase flow, Measurements of the pressure drop across the bed and across the pulses are obtained for varying gas and liquid flow rates.« less

Shape Modification and Size Classification of Microcrystalline Graphite Powder as Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Cong; Gai, Guosheng; Yang, Yufen

2018-03-01

Natural microcrystalline graphite (MCG) composed of many crystallites is a promising new anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) and has received considerable attention from researchers. MCG with narrow particle size distribution and high sphericity exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. A nonaddition process to prepare natural MCG as a high-performance LiB anode material is described. First, raw MCG was broken into smaller particles using a pulverization system. Then, the particles were modified into near-spherical shape using a particle shape modification system. Finally, the particle size distribution was narrowed using a centrifugal rotor classification system. The products with uniform hemispherical shape and narrow size distribution had mean particle size of approximately 9 μm, 10 μm, 15 μm, and 20 μm. Additionally, the innovative pilot experimental process increased the product yield of the raw material. Finally, the electrochemical performance of the prepared MCG was tested, revealing high reversible capacity and good cyclability.

Synthesis of highly-monodisperse spherical titania particles with diameters in the submicron range.

PubMed

Tanaka, Shunsuke; Nogami, Daisuke; Tsuda, Natsuki; Miyake, Yoshikazu

2009-06-15

Monodisperse titania spheres with particle diameters in the range 380-960 nm were successfully synthesized by hydrolysis and condensation of titanium tetraisopropoxide. The preparation was performed using ammonia or dodecylamine (DDA) as a catalyst in methanol/acetonitrile co-solvent at room temperature. The samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and nitrogen sorption measurement. The use of DDA was effective for the synthesis of monodisperse titania spheres with low coefficient of variation. When the titania spherical particles with coefficient of variation less than 4% were obtained, the colloidal crystallization easily occurred simply by centrifugation. The monodispersity was maintained even after crystallization of the particles by high temperature annealing. The titania particles prepared using DDA had mesopores near the surface of the spheres, providing high pore accessibility to the sphere from the surface-air interface. The particle size uniformity and photocatalytic reactivity of the titania prepared using DDA were higher than those of the titania prepared using ammonia.

Structural investigation of spherical hollow excipient Mannit Q by X-ray microtomography.

PubMed

Kajihara, Ryusuke; Noguchi, Shuji; Iwao, Yasunori; Yasuda, Yuki; Segawa, Megumi; Itai, Shigeru

2015-11-10

The structure of Mannit Q particles, an excipient made by spray-drying a d-mannitol solution, and Mannit Q tablets were investigated by synchrotron X-ray microtomography. The Mannit Q particles had a spherical shape with a hollow core. The shells of the particles consisted of fine needle-shaped crystals, and columnar crystals were present in the hollows. These structural features suggested the following formation mechanism for the hollow particles:during the spray-drying process, the solvent rapidly evaporated from the droplet surface, resulting in the formation of shells made of fine needle-shaped crystals.Solvent remaining inside the shells then evaporated slowly and larger columnar crystals grew as the hollows formed. Although most of the Mannit Q particles were crushed on tableting, some of the particles retained their hollow structures, probably because the columnar crystals inside the hollows functioned as props. This demonstrated that the tablets with porous void spaces may be readily manufactured using Mannit Q. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time-resolved large-scale volumetric pressure fields of an impinging jet from dense Lagrangian particle tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huhn, F.; Schanz, D.; Manovski, P.; Gesemann, S.; Schröder, A.

2018-05-01

Time-resolved volumetric pressure fields are reconstructed from Lagrangian particle tracking with high seeding concentration using the Shake-The-Box algorithm in a perpendicular impinging jet flow with exit velocity U=4 m/s (Re˜ 36,000) and nozzle-plate spacing H/D=5. Helium-filled soap bubbles are used as tracer particles which are illuminated with pulsed LED arrays. A large measurement volume has been covered (cloud of tracked particles in a volume of 54 L, ˜ 180,000 particles). The reconstructed pressure field has been validated against microphone recordings at the wall with high correlation coefficients up to 0.88. In a reduced measurement volume (13 L), dense Lagrangian particle tracking is shown to be feasable up to the maximal possible jet velocity of U=16 m/s.

High-temperature LDV seed particle development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frish, Michael B.; Pierce, Vicky G.

1989-01-01

The feasibility of developing a method for making monodisperse, unagglomerated spherical particles greater than 50 nm in diameter was demonstrated. Carbonaceous particles were made by pyrolyzing ethylene with a pulsed CO2 laser, thereby creating a non-equilibrium mixture of carbon, hydrogen, hydrocarbon vapors, and unpyrolyzed ethylene. Via a complex series of reactions, the carbon and hydrocarbon vapors quickly condensed into the spherical particles. By cooling and dispersing them in a supersonic expansion immediately after their creation, the hot newly-formed spheres were prevented from colliding and coalescing, thus preventing the problem of agglomeration which as plagued other investigators studying laser-simulated particle formation. The cold particles could be left suspended in the residual gases indefinitely without agglomerating. Their uniform sizes and unagglomerated nature were visualized by collecting the particles on filters that were subsequently examined using electron microscopy. It was found the mean particle size can be coarsely controlled by varying the initial ethylene pressure, and can be finely controlled by varying the fluence (energy/unit area) with which the laser irradiates the gas. The motivating application for this research was to manufacture particles that could be used as laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) seeds in high-temperature high-speed flows. Though the particles made in this program will not evaporate until heated to about 3000 K, and thus could serve as LDV seeds in some applications, they are not ideal when the hot atmosphere is also oxidizing. In that situation, ceramic materials would be preferable. Research performed elsewhere has demonstrated that selected ceramic materials can be manufactured by laser pyrolysis of appropriate supply gases. It is anticipated that, when the same gases are used in conjunction with the rapid cooling technique, unagglomerated spherical ceramic particles can be made with little difficulty. Such particles would also be valuable to manufacturers of ceramic or abrasive products, and this technique may find its greatest commercial potential in those areas.

High-temperature LDV seed particle development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frish, Michael B.; Pierce, Vicky G.

1989-05-01

The feasibility of developing a method for making monodisperse, unagglomerated spherical particles greater than 50 nm in diameter was demonstrated. Carbonaceous particles were made by pyrolyzing ethylene with a pulsed CO2 laser, thereby creating a non-equilibrium mixture of carbon, hydrogen, hydrocarbon vapors, and unpyrolyzed ethylene. Via a complex series of reactions, the carbon and hydrocarbon vapors quickly condensed into the spherical particles. By cooling and dispersing them in a supersonic expansion immediately after their creation, the hot newly-formed spheres were prevented from colliding and coalescing, thus preventing the problem of agglomeration which as plagued other investigators studying laser-simulated particle formation. The cold particles could be left suspended in the residual gases indefinitely without agglomerating. Their uniform sizes and unagglomerated nature were visualized by collecting the particles on filters that were subsequently examined using electron microscopy. It was found the mean particle size can be coarsely controlled by varying the initial ethylene pressure, and can be finely controlled by varying the fluence (energy/unit area) with which the laser irradiates the gas. The motivating application for this research was to manufacture particles that could be used as laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) seeds in high-temperature high-speed flows. Though the particles made in this program will not evaporate until heated to about 3000 K, and thus could serve as LDV seeds in some applications, they are not ideal when the hot atmosphere is also oxidizing. In that situation, ceramic materials would be preferable. Research performed elsewhere has demonstrated that selected ceramic materials can be manufactured by laser pyrolysis of appropriate supply gases. It is anticipated that, when the same gases are used in conjunction with the rapid cooling technique, unagglomerated spherical ceramic particles can be made with little difficulty. Such particles would also be valuable to manufacturers of ceramic or abrasive products, and this technique may find its greatest commercial potential in those areas.

Solid colloidal optical wavelength filter

DOEpatents

Alvarez, Joseph L.

1992-01-01

A solid colloidal optical wavelength filter includes a suspension of spheal particles dispersed in a coagulable medium such as a setting plastic. The filter is formed by suspending spherical particles in a coagulable medium; agitating the particles and coagulable medium to produce an emulsion of particles suspended in the coagulable medium; and allowing the coagulable medium and suspended emulsion of particles to cool.

Dynamics of Small Inertia-Free Spheroidal Particles in a Turbulent Channel Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Challabotla, Niranjan Reddy; Zhao, Lihao; Andersson, Helge I.; Department of Energy; Process Engineering Team

2015-11-01

The study of small non-spherical particles suspended in turbulent fluid flows is of interest in view of the potential applications in industry and the environment. In the present work, we investigated the dynamics of inertia-free spheroidal particles suspended in fully-developed turbulent channel flow at Re τ = 180 by using the direct numerical simulations (DNS) for the Eulerian fluid phase coupled with the Lagrangian point-particle tracking. We considered inertia-free spheroidal particles with a wide range of aspect ratios from 0.01 to 50, i.e. from flat disks to long rods. Although the spheroids passively translate along with the fluid, the particle orientation and rotation strongly depend on the particle shape. The flattest disks were preferentially aligned with their symmetry axis normal to the wall, whereas the longest rods aligned parallel to the wall. Strong mean rotational spin was observed for spherical particles and this has been damped with increasing asphericity both for rod-like and disk-like spheroids. The anisotropic mean and fluctuating fluid vorticity resulted in particle spin anisotropies which exhibited a complex dependence on the particle asphericty. The Research Council of Norway, Notur and COST Action FP1005 are gratefully acknowledged.

Methodology of Calculation the Terminal Settling Velocity Distribution of Spherical Particles for High Values of the Reynold's Number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surowiak, Agnieszka; Brożek, Marian

2014-03-01

The particle settling velocity is the feature of separation in such processes as flowing classification and jigging. It characterizes material forwarded to the separation process and belongs to the so-called complex features because it is the function of particle density and size. i.e. the function of two simple features. The affiliation to a given subset is determined by the values of two properties and the distribution of such feature in a sample is the function of distributions of particle density and size. The knowledge about distribution of particle settling velocity in jigging process is as much important factor as knowledge about particle size distribution in screening or particle density distribution in dense media beneficiation. The paper will present a method of determining the distribution of settling velocity in the sample of spherical particles for the turbulent particle motion in which the settling velocity is expressed by the Newton formula. Because it depends on density and size of particle which are random variable of certain distributions, the settling velocity is a random variable. Applying theorems of probability, concerning distributions function of random variables, the authors present general formula of probability density function of settling velocity for the turbulent motion and particularly calculate probability density function for Weibull's forms of frequency functions of particle size and density. Distribution of settling velocity will calculate numerically and perform in graphical form. The paper presents the simulation of calculation of settling velocity distribution on the basis of real distributions of density and projective diameter of particles assuming that particles are spherical. Prędkość opadania ziarna jest cechą rozdziału w takich procesach przeróbki surowców jak klasyfikacja czy wzbogacanie w osadzarce. Cecha ta opisuje materiał kierowany do procesu rozdziału i należy do tzw. cech złożonych, ze względu na to, że jest funkcją dwóch cech prostych, którymi są: wielkość ziarna i gęstość ziarna. Przynależność do określonego podzbioru ziaren jest określona przez wartość dwóch cech, a rozkład tych cech w próbce jest funkcją rozkładów gęstości i wielkości ziarna. Znajomość rozkładu prędkości opadania ziaren w osadzarce jest istotnym parametrem jak znajomość rozkładu wielkości ziarna w procesie przesiewania czy znajomość rozkładu gęstości w procesie wzbogacania w cieczach ciężkich. W artykule przedstawiono metodykę wyliczania rozkładu prędkości opadania ziaren sferycznych w warunkach ruchu turbulentnego wyrażonego przy pomocy równania Newtona. Zarówno gęstość jak i wielkość ziarna są zmiennymi losowymi o określonych rozkładach. W związku z tym prędkość opadania ziarna jako funkcja cech prostych tj. gęstości i wielkości ziarna będzie również zmienną losową o rozkładzie, który jest funkcją rozkładów argumentów prostych. Wykorzystując twierdzenia rachunku prawdopodobieństwa odnoszące się do rozkładów funkcji zmiennych losowych przedstawiono ogólny wzór na funkcję gęstości rozkładu prędkości opadania w warunkach ruchu turbulentnego. Empiryczne rozkłady wielkości i gęstości ziaren aproksymowano rozkładem Weibulla. Rozkład prędkości opadania wyliczono numerycznie i przedstawiono w postaci graficznej. W artykule przedstawiono symulację wyliczania rozkładu prędkości opadania w oparciu o rzeczywiste rozkłady gęstości i średnicy projekcyjnej ziaren zakładając, że ziarna mają kształt sferyczny.

Phase diagram for inertial granular flows.

PubMed

DeGiuli, E; McElwaine, J N; Wyart, M

2016-07-01

Flows of hard granular materials depend strongly on the interparticle friction coefficient μ_{p} and on the inertial number I, which characterizes proximity to the jamming transition where flow stops. Guided by numerical simulations, we derive the phase diagram of dense inertial flow of spherical particles, finding three regimes for 10^{-4}≲I≲10^{-1}: frictionless, frictional sliding, and rolling. These are distinguished by the dominant means of energy dissipation, changing from collisional to sliding friction, and back to collisional, as μ_{p} increases from zero at constant I. The three regimes differ in their kinetics and rheology; in particular, the velocity fluctuations and the stress ratio both display nonmonotonic behavior with μ_{p}, corresponding to transitions between the three regimes of flow. We rationalize the phase boundaries between these regimes, show that energy balance yields scaling relations between microscopic properties in each of them, and derive the strain scale at which particles lose memory of their velocity. For the frictional sliding regime most relevant experimentally, we find for I≥10^{-2.5} that the growth of the macroscopic friction μ(I) with I is induced by an increase of collisional dissipation. This implies in that range that μ(I)-μ(0)∼I^{1-2b}, where b≈0.2 is an exponent that characterizes both the dimensionless velocity fluctuations L∼I^{-b} and the density of sliding contacts χ∼I^{b}.

Interaction of Charged Patchy Protein Models with Like-Charged Polyelectrolyte Brushes.

PubMed

Yigit, Cemil; Kanduč, Matej; Ballauff, Matthias; Dzubiella, Joachim

2017-01-10

We study the adsorption of charged patchy particle models (CPPMs) on a thin film of a like-charged and dense polyelectrolyte (PE) brush (of 50 monomers per chain) by means of implicit-solvent, explicit-salt Langevin dynamics computer simulations. Our previously introduced set of CPPMs embraces well-defined one- and two-patched spherical globules, each of the same net charge and (nanometer) size, with mono- and multipole moments comparable to those of small globular proteins. We focus on electrostatic effects on the adsorption far away from the isoelectric point of typical proteins, i.e., where charge regulation plays no role. Despite the same net charge of the brush and globule, we observe large binding affinities up to tens of the thermal energy, k B T, which are enhanced by decreasing salt concentration and increasing charge of the patch(es). Our analysis of the distance-resolved potentials of mean force together with a phenomenological description of all leading interaction contributions shows that the attraction is strongest at the brush surface, driven by multipolar, Born (self-energy), and counterion-release contributions, dominating locally over the monopolar and steric repulsions.

Characterization and control of fungal morphology for improved production performance in biotechnology.

PubMed

Krull, Rainer; Wucherpfennig, Thomas; Esfandabadi, Manely Eslahpazir; Walisko, Robert; Melzer, Guido; Hempel, Dietmar C; Kampen, Ingo; Kwade, Arno; Wittmann, Christoph

2013-01-20

Filamentous fungi have been widely applied in industrial biotechnology for many decades. In submerged culture processes, they typically exhibit a complex morphological life cycle that is related to production performance--a link that is of high interest for process optimization. The fungal forms can vary from dense spherical pellets to viscous mycelia. The resulting morphology has been shown to be influenced strongly by process parameters, including power input through stirring and aeration, mass transfer characteristics, pH value, osmolality and the presence of solid micro-particles. The surface properties of fungal spores and hyphae also play a role. Due to their high industrial relevance, the past years have seen a substantial development of tools and techniques to characterize the growth of fungi and obtain quantitative estimates on their morphological properties. Based on the novel insights available from such studies, more recent studies have been aimed at the precise control of morphology, i.e., morphology engineering, to produce superior bio-processes with filamentous fungi. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

General solution for diffusion-controlled dissolution of spherical particles. 1. Theory.

PubMed

Wang, J; Flanagan, D R

1999-07-01

Three classical particle dissolution rate expressions are commonly used to interpret particle dissolution rate phenomena. Our analysis shows that an assumption used in the derivation of the traditional cube-root law may not be accurate under all conditions for diffusion-controlled particle dissolution. Mathematical analysis shows that the three classical particle dissolution rate expressions are approximate solutions to a general diffusion layer model. The cube-root law is most appropriate when particle size is much larger than the diffusion layer thickness, the two-thirds-root expression applies when the particle size is much smaller than the diffusion layer thickness. The square-root expression is intermediate between these two models. A general solution to the diffusion layer model for monodispersed spherical particles dissolution was derived for sink and nonsink conditions. Constant diffusion layer thickness was assumed in the derivation. Simulated dissolution data showed that the ratio between particle size and diffusion layer thickness (a0/h) is an important factor in controlling the shape of particle dissolution profiles. A new semiempirical general particle dissolution equation is also discussed which encompasses the three classical particle dissolution expressions. The success of the general equation in explaining limitations of traditional particle dissolution expressions demonstrates the usefulness of the general diffusion layer model.

Aberration of a negative ion beam caused by space charge effect.

PubMed

Miyamoto, K; Wada, S; Hatayama, A

2010-02-01

Aberrations are inevitable when the charged particle beams are extracted, accelerated, transmitted, and focused with electrostatic and magnetic fields. In this study, we investigate the aberration of a negative ion accelerator for a neutral beam injector theoretically, especially the spherical aberration caused by the negative ion beam expansion due to the space charge effect. The negative ion current density profiles with the spherical aberration are compared with those without the spherical aberration. It is found that the negative ion current density profiles in a log scale are tailed due to the spherical aberration.

Leptons from decay of mesons in the laser-induced particle pulse from ultra-dense protium p(0)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmlid, Leif

2016-10-01

Kaons and pions are observed by their characteristic decay times of 12, 52 and 26 ns after impact of relatively weak ns-long laser pulses on ultra-dense hydrogen H(0), as reported previously. The signal using an ultra-dense protium p(0) generator with natural hydrogen is now studied. Deflection in a weak magnetic field or penetration through metal foils cannot distinguish between the types of decaying mesons. The signals observed are thus not caused by the decaying mesons themselves, but by the fast particles often at >50MeV u-1 formed in their decay. The fast particles are concluded to be mainly muons from their relatively small magnetic deflection and strong penetration. This is further supported by published studies on the direct observation of the beta decay of muons in scintillators and solid converters using the same type of p(0) generator.

Catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane

DOEpatents

Lane, Jonathan A.; Wilson, Jamie R.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Petigny, Nathalie; Sarantopoulos, Christos

2017-02-07

A composite oxygen transport membrane having a dense layer, a porous support layer and an intermediate porous layer located between the dense layer and the porous support layer. Both the dense layer and the intermediate porous layer are formed from an ionic conductive material to conduct oxygen ions and an electrically conductive material to conduct electrons. The porous support layer has a high permeability, high porosity, and a microstructure exhibiting substantially uniform pore size distribution as a result of using PMMA pore forming materials or a bi-modal particle size distribution of the porous support layer materials. Catalyst particles selected to promote oxidation of a combustible substance are located in the intermediate porous layer and in the porous support adjacent to the intermediate porous layer. The catalyst particles can be formed by wicking a solution of catalyst precursors through the porous support toward the intermediate porous layer.

Investigation on Dynamic Calibration for an Optical-Fiber Solids Concentration Probe in Gas-Solid Two-Phase Flows

PubMed Central

Xu, Guiling; Liang, Cai; Chen, Xiaoping; Liu, Daoyin; Xu, Pan; Shen, Liu; Zhao, Changsui

2013-01-01

This paper presents a review and analysis of the research that has been carried out on dynamic calibration for optical-fiber solids concentration probes. An introduction to the optical-fiber solids concentration probe was given. Different calibration methods of optical-fiber solids concentration probes reported in the literature were reviewed. In addition, a reflection-type optical-fiber solids concentration probe was uniquely calibrated at nearly full range of the solids concentration from 0 to packed bed concentration. The effects of particle properties (particle size, sphericity and color) on the calibration results were comprehensively investigated. The results show that the output voltage has a tendency to increase with the decreasing particle size, and the effect of particle color on calibration result is more predominant than that of sphericity. PMID:23867745

An investigation of the microstructure and mechanical properties of electrochemically coated Ag(4)Sn dental alloy particles condensed in vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marquez, Jose Antonio

As part of the ongoing scientific effort to develop a new amalgam-like material without mercury, a team of metallurgists and electrochemists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, announced in 1993 the development of a new Ag-Sn dental alloy system without mercury that sought to replace conventional dental amalgams. They used spherical Ag3Sn and Ag4Sn intermetallic dental alloy particles, commonly used in conventional dental alloys, and coated them with electrodeposited silver with newly-developed electrolytic and immersion techniques. The particles had relatively pure silver coatings that were closely adherent to the intermetalfic cores. These silver-coated particles, due to silver's plasticity at room temperature, were condensed into PlexiglasRTM molds with the aid of an acidic surface activating solution (HBF4) and a mechanical condensing device, producing a metal-matrix composite with Ag3,4Sn filler particles surrounded by a cold-welded silver matrix. Since silver strain hardens rather easily, the layers had to be condensed in less than 0.5 mm increments to obtain a dense structure. Mechanical testing at NIST produced compressive strength values equal to or greater than those of conventional dental amalgams. Because of its potential for eliminating mercury as a constituent in dental amalgam, this material created a stir in dental circles when first developed and conceivably could prove to be a major breakthrough in the field of dental restoratives. To date, the chief impediments to its approval for human clinical applications by the Food and Drug Administration are the potentially-toxic surface activating solution used for oxide reduction, and the high condensation pressures needed for cold welding because of the tendency for silver to strain harden. In this related study, the author, who has practiced general dentistry for 25 years, evaluates some of the mechanical and microstructural properties of these electrochemically coated particles when they are amalgamated with mercury. Because of patent restrictions for the coated particles that protect the cold-welding work being done at NIST, these particles necessarily had to include mercury as a constituent for this investigation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

MISR Global Aerosol Product Assessment by Comparison with AERONET

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, Ralph A.; Gaitley, Barbara J.; Garay, Michael J.; Diner, David J.; Eck, Thomas F.; Smirnov, Alexander; Holben, Brent N.

2010-01-01

A statistical approach is used to assess the quality of the MISR Version 22 (V22) aerosol products. Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) retrieval results are improved relative to the early post- launch values reported by Kahn et al. [2005a], varying with particle type category. Overall, about 70% to 75% of MISR AOD retrievals fall within 0.05 or 20% AOD of the paired validation data, and about 50% to 55% are within 0.03 or 10% AOD, except at sites where dust, or mixed dust and smoke, are commonly found. Retrieved particle microphysical properties amount to categorical values, such as three groupings in size: "small," "medium," and "large." For particle size, ground-based AERONET sun photometer Angstrom Exponents are used to assess statistically the corresponding MISR values, which are interpreted in terms of retrieved size categories. Coincident Single-Scattering Albedo (SSA) and fraction AOD spherical data are too limited for statistical validation. V22 distinguishes two or three size bins, depending on aerosol type, and about two bins in SSA (absorbing vs. non-absorbing), as well as spherical vs. non-spherical particles, under good retrieval conditions. Particle type sensitivity varies considerably with conditions, and is diminished for mid-visible AOD below about 0.15 or 0.2. Based on these results, specific algorithm upgrades are proposed, and are being investigated by the MISR team for possible implementation in future versions of the product.

Density-functional theory of spherical electric double layers and zeta potentials of colloidal particles in restricted-primitive-model electrolyte solutions.

PubMed

Yu, Yang-Xin; Wu, Jianzhong; Gao, Guang-Hua

2004-04-15

A density-functional theory is proposed to describe the density profiles of small ions around an isolated colloidal particle in the framework of the restricted primitive model where the small ions have uniform size and the solvent is represented by a dielectric continuum. The excess Helmholtz energy functional is derived from a modified fundamental measure theory for the hard-sphere repulsion and a quadratic functional Taylor expansion for the electrostatic interactions. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the results from Monte Carlo simulations and from previous investigations using integral-equation theory for the ionic density profiles and the zeta potentials of spherical particles at a variety of solution conditions. Like the integral-equation approaches, the density-functional theory is able to capture the oscillatory density profiles of small ions and the charge inversion (overcharging) phenomena for particles with elevated charge density. In particular, our density-functional theory predicts the formation of a second counterion layer near the surface of highly charged spherical particle. Conversely, the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann theory and its variations are unable to represent the oscillatory behavior of small ion distributions and charge inversion. Finally, our density-functional theory predicts charge inversion even in a 1:1 electrolyte solution as long as the salt concentration is sufficiently high. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Direct simulation of electroosmosis around a spherical particle with inhomogeneously acquired surface charge.

PubMed

Alizadeh, Amer; Wang, Moran

2017-03-01

Uncovering electroosmosis around an inhomogeneously acquired charge spherical particle in a confined space could provide detailed insights into its broad applications from biology to geology. In the present study, we developed a direct simulation method with the effects of inhomogeneously acquired charges on the particle surface considered, which has been validated by the available analytical and experimental data. Modeling results reveal that the surface charge and zeta potential, which are acquired through chemical interactions, strongly depend on the local solution properties and the particle size. The surface charge and zeta potential of the particle would significantly vary with the tangential positions on the particle surface by increasing the particle radius. Moreover, regarding the streaming potential for a particle-fluid tube system, our results uncover that the streaming potential has a reverse relation with the particle size in a micro or nanotube. To explain this phenomenon, we present a simple relation that bridges the streaming potential with the particle size and tube radius, zeta potential, bulk and surface conductivity. This relation could predict good results specifically for higher ion concentrations and provide deeper understanding of the particle size effects on the streaming potential measurements of the particle fluid tube system. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

PIV Validation of 3D Multicomponent Model for Cold Spray Within Nitrogen and Helium Supersonic Flow Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faizan-Ur-Rab, M.; Zahiri, S. H.; Masood, S. H.; Jahedi, M.; Nagarajah, R.

2017-06-01

This study presents the validation of a developed three-dimensional multicomponent model for cold spray process using two particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments. The k- ɛ type 3D model developed for spherical titanium particles was validated with the measured titanium particle velocity within a nitrogen and helium supersonic jet. The 3D model predicted lower values of particle velocity than the PIV experimental study that used irregularly shaped titanium particles. The results of the 3D model were consistent with the PIV experiment that used spherical titanium powder. The 3D model simulation of particle velocity within the helium and nitrogen jet was coupled with an estimation of titanium particle temperature. This was achieved with the consideration of the fact that cold spray particle temperature is difficult and expensive to measure due to considerably lower temperature of particles than thermal spray. The model predicted an interesting pattern of particle size distribution with respect to the location of impact with a concentration of finer particles close to the jet center. It is believed that the 3D model outcomes for particle velocity, temperature and location could be a useful tool to optimize system design, deposition process and mechanical properties of the additively manufactured cold spray structures.

Globular Cluster Systems in Interacting Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zepf, S.; Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

GLOBULAR CLUSTERS are dynamically bound and dense collections of large numbers of coeval stars. Typical globular clusters have roughly one million stars within a radius of a few parsecs. They are also usually close to spherical, hence the name globular. By virtue of their rich, isolated population of stars they provide an important laboratory for studies of STELLAR EVOLUTION. Moreover, because of...

Order - disorder transitions in granular sphere packings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panaitescu, Andreea M.

Granular materials are ubiquitous in many industrial and natural processes, yet their complex behaviors characterized by unusual static and dynamic properties are still poorly understood. In this dissertation we investigate both the geometrical structure and the dynamical properties (the response to shear deformations, disorder-order transition and crystallization) of packings of mono-sized spheres as a function of the packing volume fraction. Different average packing fractions were obtained by submitting a dense granular material to periodic shear deformations and by epitaxy. Using advanced imaging techniques including the refractive index matched imaging (RIM) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) enables us to determine the three dimensional particles position inside the packing. From positions we obtain the Voronoi tessellation corresponding to the particles in the bulk and calculate the radial distribution and the bond-order metric. These two parameters are widely used to quantify the structure of the spherical particle systems. A granular packing undergoing periodic shear deformations is observed to slowly evolve towards crystallization and the packing fraction is correspondingly observed to increase smoothly from loose packing fraction, 0.59, well above the random close packing fraction, 0.637. Tracking the particles over several shear cycles allows us to obtain the probability distributions of particle displacements and the mean-square displacements and to compute the components of the diffusion tensor. We find that in a shear flow, the initial self-diffusion of the particles is anisotropic with diffusion greater in the flow direction compared with the velocity gradient direction which in turn is greater than in the vorticity direction. We further find that the granular matter under cyclic shear shows reversible as well as irreversible or plastic response for small enough strain amplitude. The appearance and the propagation of the crystalline order were studied using the orientational order metric. By following the evolution of the nucleating crystallites, we identified critical nuclei, determined their size and symmetry, and measured the average surface free energy. The structure of the nuclei was found to be random hexagonal close-packed, their average shape was non-spherical and they were oriented preferentially along the shear axis. When the packing volume fraction approaches a value close to the random close packing, crystallites with face centered cubic (fcc) order are observed with increasing probability, and ordered domains grow rapidly. A polycrystalline phase with domains of fcc and hcp order is obtained after hundreds of thousands of shear cycles. Depositing spheres on a substrate under the influence of gravity gives rise to a wide range of volume fractions and packing structures by simply controlling the nature of the substrate, the deposition rate and the energy of the particles. We analyzed the structures formed and investigate the development of the disordered phases as a function of the deposition rate. Furthermore, by comparing these structures with packings obtained by cyclic shear we showed that the structure of a granular packing depends strongly on the protocol used.

[Intercellular relationship of notochord determination of Xenopus laevis].

PubMed

Zeng, M B; Zhou, M Y; Wang, Y

1995-09-01

During the process of determination, the presumptive notochord is situated beneath neuroepithelium, flanked at two sides by presumptive somites and underlain with archenteron roof ventrally. Among these neighbouring embryonic tissues, presumptive somites were found to exert the main influence on notochord determination. By electron microscopic observations, the presumptive notochord and somite cells were seen to situate either close to each other (plate I, Fig. 1) or connected by cytoplasmic processes forming intercellular lumen (plate I, Fig. 5). Coated pits and coated vesicles appeared at the outer surface of both types of cells (plate I, Figs. 1-4). For the presumptive somite cells, spherical bodies of different sizes and variable contents were observed either near or protruding from the outer surface (plate II, Figs. 6-10). The spherical bodies were also found in the intercellular lumen (plate III, Fig. 11). These spherical bodies were mainly composed of granules, loosely scattered or densely packed. The granules were of similar size and similar shade of electron staining as those of ribosomes of the presumptive somite cells. For the presumptive notochord cells, no spherical bodies of the above mentioned type were found, but phenomenon of engulfing luminal material was observed (plate III, Fig. 12). The significance of the appearance of these spherical bodies in the determination of notochord cells has been discussed.

Corrosion Experiments Using Spherical Uranium Powders

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powell, G. L.; Siekhaus, W. J.; Teslich, N. E.

2017-02-01

Corrosion experiments using spherical U powders are continuing with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showing that the particles are highly textured, 5 m to 25 m diameters with 4% larger particles that are fused smaller particles. This U has a high specific surface area with no corners or back-sides, is well annealed with no machining work, and coated with a coherent oxide film, 30 nm to 300 nm thick. Exposure of this powder to low vapor pressure H 2O in the absence of O 2, i.e., a vacuum desiccator, resulted in a coherent oxide film growth of ~1 m/y, ~ 10Xmore » the growth rate in ambient air, displaying fracture along the growth plane at ~300 nm.« less

Hexagonal spherical Ln3+-doped NaGdF4: A facile double solvent hydrothermal synthesis and luminescent properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Kelu; Huang, Zhuanzhuan; Yu, Qiao-He; Wang, Yi-Yan; Xia, Tian-Long

2017-04-01

Different sizes of hexagonal spherical NaGdF4:Eu3+ particles are synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method with the use of ethylene glycol (EG), propylene glycol (PG) or butylene glycol (BG) as another solvent. The particle size decreases with the addition of EG, PG or BG and the decreasing trend in BG/H2O system is significantly more than that in the other two systems. Meanwhile, results show that luminescent properties of NaGdF4:Eu3+ are enhanced along with the decrease of particle size. Besides, the energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+ is directly observed in the PL spectra of NaGdF4:Eu3+/Dy3+.

An approach for automated analysis of particle holograms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanton, A. C.; Caulfield, H. J.; Stewart, G. W.

1984-01-01

A simple method for analyzing droplet holograms is proposed that is readily adaptable to automation using modern image digitizers and analyzers for determination of the number, location, and size distributions of spherical or nearly spherical droplets. The method determines these parameters by finding the spatial location of best focus of the droplet images. With this location known, the particle size may be determined by direct measurement of image area in the focal plane. Particle velocity and trajectory may be determined by comparison of image locations at different instants in time. The method is tested by analyzing digitized images from a reconstructed in-line hologram, and the results show that the method is more accurate than a time-consuming plane-by-plane search for sharpest focus.

Nonlinear microrheology of dense colloidal suspensions: A mode-coupling theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gazuz, I.; Fuchs, M.

2013-03-01

A mode-coupling theory for the motion of a strongly forced probe particle in a dense colloidal suspension is presented. Starting point is the Smoluchowski equation for N bath and a single probe particle. The probe performs Brownian motion under the influence of a strong constant and uniform external force Fex. It is immersed in a dense homogeneous bath of (different) particles also performing Brownian motion. Fluid and glass states are considered; solvent flow effects are neglected. Based on a formally exact generalized Green-Kubo relation, mode coupling approximations are performed and an integration through transients approach applied. A microscopic theory for the nonlinear velocity-force relations of the probe particle in a dense fluid and for the (de-) localized probe in a glass is obtained. It extends the mode coupling theory of the glass transition to strongly forced tracer motion and describes active microrheology experiments. A force threshold is identified which needs to be overcome to pull the probe particle free in a glass. For the model of hard sphere particles, the microscopic equations for the threshold force and the probability density of the localized probe are solved numerically. Neglecting the spatial structure of the theory, a schematic model is derived which contains two types of bifurcation, the glass transition and the force-induced delocalization, and which allows for analytical and numerical solutions. We discuss its phase diagram, forcing effects on the time-dependent correlation functions, and the friction increment. The model was successfully applied to simulations and experiments on colloidal hard sphere systems [Gazuz , Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.102.248302 102, 248302 (2009)], while we provide detailed information on its derivation and general properties.

Toward automated analysis of particle holograms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caulfield, H. J.

1987-01-01

A preliminary study of approaches for extracting and analyzing data from particle holograms is discussed. It concludes that: (1) for thin spherical particles, out-of-focus methods are optimum; (2) for thin nonspherical particles, out-of-focus methods are useful but must be supplemented by in-focus methods; (3) a complex method of projection and back projection can remove out-of-focus data for deep particles.

A numerical framework for the direct simulation of dense particulate flow under explosive dispersal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, H.; Lien, F.-S.; Zhang, F.; Cronin, D. S.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present a Cartesian grid-based numerical framework for the direct simulation of dense particulate flow under explosive dispersal. This numerical framework is established through the integration of the following numerical techniques: (1) operator splitting for partitioned fluid-solid interaction in the time domain, (2) the second-order SSP Runge-Kutta method and third-order WENO scheme for temporal and spatial discretization of governing equations, (3) the front-tracking method for evolving phase interfaces, (4) a field function proposed for low-memory-cost multimaterial mesh generation and fast collision detection, (5) an immersed boundary method developed for treating arbitrarily irregular and changing boundaries, and (6) a deterministic multibody contact and collision model. Employing the developed framework, this paper further studies particle jet formation under explosive dispersal by considering the effects of particle properties, particulate payload morphologies, and burster pressures. By the simulation of the dispersal processes of dense particle systems driven by pressurized gas, in which the driver pressure reaches 1.01325× 10^{10} Pa (10^5 times the ambient pressure) and particles are impulsively accelerated from stationary to a speed that is more than 12000 m/s within 15 μ s, it is demonstrated that the presented framework is able to effectively resolve coupled shock-shock, shock-particle, and particle-particle interactions in complex fluid-solid systems with shocked flow conditions, arbitrarily irregular particle shapes, and realistic multibody collisions.

Influence of galactic arm scale dynamics on the molecular composition of the cold and dense ISM. I. Observed abundance gradients in dense clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruaud, M.; Wakelam, V.; Gratier, P.; Bonnell, I. A.

2018-04-01

Aim. We study the effect of large scale dynamics on the molecular composition of the dense interstellar medium during the transition between diffuse to dense clouds. Methods: We followed the formation of dense clouds (on sub-parsec scales) through the dynamics of the interstellar medium at galactic scales. We used results from smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations from which we extracted physical parameters that are used as inputs for our full gas-grain chemical model. In these simulations, the evolution of the interstellar matter is followed for 50 Myr. The warm low-density interstellar medium gas flows into spiral arms where orbit crowding produces the shock formation of dense clouds, which are held together temporarily by the external pressure. Results: We show that depending on the physical history of each SPH particle, the molecular composition of the modeled dense clouds presents a high dispersion in the computed abundances even if the local physical properties are similar. We find that carbon chains are the most affected species and show that these differences are directly connected to differences in (1) the electronic fraction, (2) the C/O ratio, and (3) the local physical conditions. We argue that differences in the dynamical evolution of the gas that formed dense clouds could account for the molecular diversity observed between and within these clouds. Conclusions: This study shows the importance of past physical conditions in establishing the chemical composition of the dense medium.

Processing and microstructural characterisation of a UO2-based ceramic for disposal studies on spent AGR fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiezl, Z.; Hambley, D. I.; Padovani, C.; Lee, W. E.

2015-01-01

Preparation and characterisation of a Simulated Spent Nuclear Fuel (SIMFuel), which replicates the chemical state and microstructure of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) discharged from a UK Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) after a cooling time of 100 years is described. Given the relatively small differences in radionuclide inventory expected over longer time periods, the SIMFuel studied in this work is expected to be also representative of spent fuel after significantly longer periods (e.g. 1000 years). Thirteen stable elements were added to depleted UO2 and sintered to simulate the composition of fuel pellets after burn-ups of 25 and 43 GWd/tU and, as a reference, pure UO2 pellets were also investigated. The fission product distribution was calculated using the FISPIN code provided by the UK National Nuclear Laboratory. SIMFuel pellets were up to 92% dense and during the sintering process in H2 atmosphere Mo-Ru-Rh-Pd metallic precipitates and grey-phase ((Ba, Sr)(Zr, RE) O3 oxide precipitates) formed within the UO2 matrix. These secondary phases are present in real PWR and AGR SNF. Metallic precipitates are generally spherical and have submicron particle size (0.8 ± 0.7 μm). Spherical oxide precipitates in SIMFuel measured up to 30 μm in diameter, but no data were available in the public domain to compare this to AGR SNF. The grain size of actual AGR SNF (∼ 3-30 μm) is larger than that measured in AGR SIMFuel (∼ 2-5 μm).

Preparation and Characterization of Colloidal Silica Particles under Mild Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neville, Frances; Zin, Azrinawati Mohd.; Jameson, Graeme J.; Wanless, Erica J.

2012-01-01

A microscale laboratory experiment for the preparation and characterization of silica particles at neutral pH and ambient temperature conditions is described. Students first employ experimental fabrication methods to make spherical submicrometer silica particles via the condensation of an alkoxysilane and polyethyleneimine, which act to catalyze…

Close packing of rods on spherical surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smallenburg, Frank; Löwen, Hartmut

2016-04-01

We study the optimal packing of short, hard spherocylinders confined to lie tangential to a spherical surface, using simulated annealing and molecular dynamics simulations. For clusters of up to twelve particles, we map out the changes in the geometry of the closest-packed configuration as a function of the aspect ratio L/D, where L is the cylinder length and D the diameter of the rods. We find a rich variety of cluster structures. For larger clusters, we find that the best-packed configurations up to around 100 particles are highly dependent on the exact number of particles and aspect ratio. For even larger clusters, we find largely disordered clusters for very short rods (L/D = 0.25), while slightly longer rods (L/D = 0.5 or 1) prefer a global baseball-like geometry of smectic-like domains, similar to the behavior of large-scale nematic shells. Intriguingly, we observe that when compared to their optimal flat-plane packing, short rods adapt to the spherical geometry more efficiently than both spheres and longer rods. Our results provide predictions for experimentally realizable systems of colloidal rods trapped at the interface of emulsion droplets.

Development and evaluation of spherical molecularly imprinted polymer beads.

PubMed

Kempe, Henrik; Kempe, Maria

2006-06-01

The majority of studies on molecularly imprinted polymers has until now been carried out on irregularly shaped particles prepared by grinding of polymer monoliths. The preparation procedures are time- and labor-consuming and produce particles of wide size distributions. To answer the need for fast and straightforward routes to spherical molecularly imprinted polymer beads, we have developed a method comprising the formation of droplets of pre-polymerization solution directly in mineral oil by vigorous mixing followed by transformation of the droplets into solid spherical beads by photoinduced free-radical polymerization. No detergents or stabilizers were required for the droplet formation. Factors influencing the bead synthesis have been investigated and are detailed here. The beads were evaluated in parallel with corresponding irregularly shaped particles prepared from polymer monoliths. Conditions for the synthesis of propranolol-imprinted poly(methacrylic acid-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) beads in the size range of 1-100 microm in almost quantitative yield are described. The beads were applied as the recognition element in a 96-well plate format radioligand assay of propranolol in human serum.

Particle Morphology Effects on Flow Characteristics of PS304 Plasma Spray Coating Feedstock Powder Blend

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanford, Malcolm K.; DellaCorte, Christopher; Eylon, Daniel

2002-01-01

The effects of BaF2-CaF 2 particle morphology on PS304 feedstock powder flow ability have been investigated. BaF2-CaF2 eutectic powders were fabricated by comminution (angular) and by gas atomization (spherical). The fluoride powders were added incrementally to the other powder constituents of the PS304 feedstock: nichrome, chromia, and silver powders. A linear relationship between flow time and concentration of BaF2-CaF2 powder was found. Flow of the powder blend with spherical BaF2-CaF2 was better than the angular BaF2-CaF2. Flow ability of the powder blend with angular fluorides decreased linearly with increasing fluoride concentration. Flow of the powder blend with spherical fluorides was independent of fluoride concentration. Results suggest that for this material blend, particle morphology plays a significant role in powder blend flow behavior, offering potential methods to improve powder flow ability and enhance the commercial potential. These findings may have applicability to other difficult-to-flow powders such as cohesive ceramics.

Solid particle impingement erosion characteristics of cylindrical surfaces, pre-existing holes and slits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, P. V.; Buckley, D. H.

1983-01-01

The erosion characteristics of aluminum cylinders sand-blasted with both spherical and angular erodent particles were studied and compared with results from previously studied flat surfaces. The cylindrical results are discussed with respect to impact conditions. The relationship between erosion rate and pit morphology (width, depth, and width to depth ratio) is established. The aspects of (1) erosion rate versus time curves on cylindrical surfaces; (2) long-term exposures; and (3) erosion rate versus time curves with spherical and angular particles are presented. The erosion morphology and characteristics of aluminum surfaces with pre-existing circular cylindrical and conical holes of different sizes were examined using weight loss measurements, scanning electron microscopy, a profilometer, and a depth gage. The morphological features (radial and concentric rings) are discussed with reference to flat surfaces, and the erosion features with spherical microglass beads. The similarities and differences of erosion and morphological features are highlighted. The erosion versus time curves of various shapes of holes are discussed and are compared with those of a flat surface. The erosion process at slits is considered.

Interfacial effect on physical properties of composite media: Interfacial volume fraction with non-spherical hard-core-soft-shell-structured particles.

PubMed

Xu, Wenxiang; Duan, Qinglin; Ma, Huaifa; Chen, Wen; Chen, Huisu

2015-11-02

Interfaces are known to be crucial in a variety of fields and the interfacial volume fraction dramatically affects physical properties of composite media. However, it is an open problem with great significance how to determine the interfacial property in composite media with inclusions of complex geometry. By the stereological theory and the nearest-surface distribution functions, we first propose a theoretical framework to symmetrically present the interfacial volume fraction. In order to verify the interesting generalization, we simulate three-phase composite media by employing hard-core-soft-shell structures composed of hard mono-/polydisperse non-spherical particles, soft interfaces, and matrix. We numerically derive the interfacial volume fraction by a Monte Carlo integration scheme. With the theoretical and numerical results, we find that the interfacial volume fraction is strongly dependent on the so-called geometric size factor and sphericity characterizing the geometric shape in spite of anisotropic particle types. As a significant interfacial property, the present theoretical contribution can be further drawn into predicting the effective transport properties of composite materials.

Interfacial effect on physical properties of composite media: Interfacial volume fraction with non-spherical hard-core-soft-shell-structured particles

PubMed Central

Xu, Wenxiang; Duan, Qinglin; Ma, Huaifa; Chen, Wen; Chen, Huisu

2015-01-01

Interfaces are known to be crucial in a variety of fields and the interfacial volume fraction dramatically affects physical properties of composite media. However, it is an open problem with great significance how to determine the interfacial property in composite media with inclusions of complex geometry. By the stereological theory and the nearest-surface distribution functions, we first propose a theoretical framework to symmetrically present the interfacial volume fraction. In order to verify the interesting generalization, we simulate three-phase composite media by employing hard-core-soft-shell structures composed of hard mono-/polydisperse non-spherical particles, soft interfaces, and matrix. We numerically derive the interfacial volume fraction by a Monte Carlo integration scheme. With the theoretical and numerical results, we find that the interfacial volume fraction is strongly dependent on the so-called geometric size factor and sphericity characterizing the geometric shape in spite of anisotropic particle types. As a significant interfacial property, the present theoretical contribution can be further drawn into predicting the effective transport properties of composite materials. PMID:26522701

A combined model for pseudo-rapidity distributions in Cu-Cu collisions at BNL-RHIC energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Z. J.; Wang, J.; Huang, Y.

2016-04-01

The charged particles produced in nucleus-nucleus collisions come from leading particles and those frozen out from the hot and dense matter created in collisions. The leading particles are conventionally supposed having Gaussian rapidity distributions normalized to the number of participants. The hot and dense matter is assumed to expand according to the unified hydrodynamics, a hydro model which unifies the features of Landau and Hwa-Bjorken model, and freeze out into charged particles from a time-like hypersurface with a proper time of τFO. The rapidity distribution of this part of charged particles can be derived analytically. The combined contribution from both leading particles and unified hydrodynamics is then compared against the experimental data performed by BNL-RHIC-PHOBOS Collaboration in different centrality Cu-Cu collisions at sNN = 200 and 62.4GeV, respectively. The model predictions are consistent with experimental measurements.

Shear-induced organization of forces in dense suspensions: signatures of discontinuous shear thickening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Sumantra; Shatoff, Elan; Ramola, Kabir; Mari, Romain; Morris, Jeffrey; Chakraborty, Bulbul

2017-06-01

Dense suspensions can exhibit an abrupt change in their viscosity in response to increasing shear rate. The origin of this discontinuous shear thickening (DST) has been ascribed to the transformation of lubricated contacts to frictional, particle-on-particle contacts. Recent research on the flowing and jamming behavior of dense suspensions has explored the intersection of ideas from granular physics and Stokesian fluid dynamics to better understand this transition from lubricated to frictional rheology. DST is reminiscent of classical phase transitions, and a key question is how interactions between the microscopic constituents give rise to a macroscopic transition. In this paper, we extend a formalism that has proven to be successful in understanding shear jamming of dry grains to dense suspensions. Quantitative analysis of the collective evolution of the contactforce network accompanying the DST transition demonstrates clear changes in the distribution of microscopic variables, and leads to the identification of an "order parameter" characterizing DST.

Local Crystalline Structure in an Amorphous Protein Dense Phase

PubMed Central

Greene, Daniel G.; Modla, Shannon; Wagner, Norman J.; Sandler, Stanley I.; Lenhoff, Abraham M.

2015-01-01

Proteins exhibit a variety of dense phases ranging from gels, aggregates, and precipitates to crystalline phases and dense liquids. Although the structure of the crystalline phase is known in atomistic detail, little attention has been paid to noncrystalline protein dense phases, and in many cases the structures of these phases are assumed to be fully amorphous. In this work, we used small-angle neutron scattering, electron microscopy, and electron tomography to measure the structure of ovalbumin precipitate particles salted out with ammonium sulfate. We found that the ovalbumin phase-separates into core-shell particles with a core radius of ∼2 μm and shell thickness of ∼0.5 μm. Within this shell region, nanostructures comprised of crystallites of ovalbumin self-assemble into a well-defined bicontinuous network with branches ∼12 nm thick. These results demonstrate that the protein gel is comprised in part of nanocrystalline protein. PMID:26488663

Jammed Clusters and Non-locality in Dense Granular Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharel, Prashidha; Rognon, Pierre

We investigate the micro-mechanisms underpinning dense granular flow behaviour from a series of DEM simulations of pure shear flows of dry grains. We observe the development of transient clusters of jammed particles within the flow. Typical size of such clusters is found to scale with the inertial number with a power law that is similar to the scaling of shear-rate profile relaxation lengths observed previously. Based on the simple argument that transient clusters of size l exist in the dense flow regime, the formulation of steady state condition for non-homogeneous shear flow results in a general non-local relation, which is similar in form to the non-local relation conjectured for soft glassy flows. These findings suggest the formation of jammed clusters to be the key micro-mechanism underpinning non-local behaviour in dense granular flows. Particles and Grains Laboratory, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

A Preliminary Shape Model of 27 Euterpe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, R.; Warner, B. D.; Megna, R.; Coley, D.

2011-10-01

We obtained dense rotational lightcurves for the Main-Belt asteroid (27) Euterpe during three apparitions in 2000, 2009 and 2010 with planned observations in the summer of 2011. These were combined with sparse lightcurve data from the USNO to determine a preliminary spin vector and model shape (see Durech et al. [2] for a discussion regarding the differences between dense and sparse data sets). The analysis suggests that Euterpe has albedo features making the determination of an unambiguous spin vector and model shape difficult. So far, Euterpe's near spherical shape, low inclination, pole within 30 degrees of the plane of the solar system, and possible albedo features cause multiple pole and shape solutions to be present.

Geometrical optics of dense aerosols: forming dense plasma slabs.

PubMed

Hay, Michael J; Valeo, Ernest J; Fisch, Nathaniel J

2013-11-01

Assembling a freestanding, sharp-edged slab of homogeneous material that is much denser than gas, but much more rarefied than a solid, is an outstanding technological challenge. The solution may lie in focusing a dense aerosol to assume this geometry. However, whereas the geometrical optics of dilute aerosols is a well-developed field, the dense aerosol limit is mostly unexplored. Yet controlling the geometrical optics of dense aerosols is necessary in preparing such a material slab. Focusing dense aerosols is shown here to be possible, but the finite particle density reduces the effective Stokes number of the flow, a critical result for controlled focusing.

Analyses of scattering characteristics of chosen anthropogenic aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaszczuk, Miroslawa; Mierczyk, Zygmunt; Muzal, Michal

2008-10-01

In the work, analyses of scattering profile of chosen anthropogenic aerosols for two wavelengths (λ1 = 1064 nm and λ2 = 532 nm) were made. As an example of anthropogenic aerosol three different pyrotechnic mixtures (DM11, M2, M16) were taken. Main parameters of smoke particles were firstly analyzed and well described, taking particle shape and size into special consideration. Shape of particles was analyzed on the basis of SEM pictures, and particle size was measured. Participation of particles in each fixed fraction characterized by range of sizes was analyzed and parameters of smoke particles of characteristic sizes and function describing aerosol size distribution (ASD) were determinated. Analyses of scattering profiles were carried out on the basis of both model of scattering on spherical and nonspherical particles. In the case of spherical particles Rayleigh-Mie model was used and for nonspherical particles analyses firstly model of spheroids was used, and then Rayleigh-Mie one. For each characteristic particle one calculated value of four parameters (effective scattering cross section σSCA, effective backscattering cross section σBSCA, scattering efficiency QSCA, backscattering efficiency QBSCA) and value of backscattering coefficient β for whole particles population. Obtained results were compared with the same parameters calculated for natural aerosol (cirrus cloud).

Ziegler-Natta Catalyst Based on MgCl₂/Clay/ID/TiCl₄ for the Synthesis of Spherical Particles of Polypropylene Nanocomposites.

PubMed

Cardoso, Renata da Silva; Oliveira, Jaqueline da Silva; Ramis, Luciana Bortolin; Marques, Maria de Fátima V

2018-07-01

In the present work, we have designed MgCl2/clay/internal donor (ID)/TiCl4 based bisupported Ziegler-Natta catalysts containing varying amounts of organoclay (montmorillonite) in order to synthesize spherical particles of polypropylene/clay nanocomposites (PCN). The organoclay was introduced into the catalyst support formulation and PCN was obtained using the in situ polymerization technique. Decreasing the reaction time, it was possible to obtain nanocomposites with high concentrations of clay (masterbatches). Micrographs of SEM confirmed the spherical morphology of the catalysts. In addition, XRD patterns show that the active sites for polymerization were inserted in the clay galleries. The catalytic performance was evaluated in slurry propylene polymerization using triethylaluminium as cocatalyst and silane as external electron donor at 70 °C, 4 bar, and different reaction times. The PCNs obtained containing different clay amounts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses, transmission electronic microscopy, and extractables in heptane. The results revealed that the synthesized PP/clay particles were also spherical showing that the morphological control is possible even using catalysts containing high amounts of clay. The PCN presented high degradation temperature (459 °C). The XRD peak related to the clay interlamellar distance has shifted to lower angles, and TEM images confirmed the formation of exfoliated/intercalated clay on the PP matrix and absence of microparticles of clay.

Structural analysis of Fe–Mn–O nanoparticles in glass ceramics by small angle scattering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raghuwanshi, Vikram Singh, E-mail: vikram.raghuwanshi@helmholtz-berlin.de; Harizanova, Ruzha; Tatchev, Dragomir

2015-02-15

Magnetic nanocrystals containing Fe and Mn were obtained by annealing of silicate glasses with the composition 13.6Na{sub 2}O–62.9SiO{sub 2}–8.5MnO–15.0Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3−x} (mol%) at 580 °C for different periods of time. Here, we present Small Angle Neutron Scattering using Polarized neutrons (SANSPOL) and Anomalous Small Angle X-ray Scattering (ASAXS) investigation on these glass ceramic samples. Analysis of scattering data from both methods reveals the formation of spherical core–shell type of nanoparticles with mean sizes between 10 nm and 100 nm. ASAXS investigation shows the particles have higher concentration of iron atoms and the shell like region surrounding the particles is enrichedmore » in SiO{sub 2}. SANSPOL investigation shows the particles are found to be magnetic and are surrounded by a non-magnetic shell-like region. - Graphical abstract: Magnetic spherical core–shell nanoparticles in glass ceramics: SANSPOL and ASAXS investigations. - Highlights: • Formation and growth mechanisms of magnetic nanoparticles in silicate glass. • SANSPOL and ASAXS methods employed to evaluate quantitative information. • Analyses showed formation of nanoparticles with spherical core–shell structures. • Core of the particle is magnetic and surrounded by weak magnetic shell like region.« less

Spherical Macroporous Carbon Nanotube Particles with Ultrahigh Sulfur Loading for Lithium-Sulfur Battery Cathodes.

PubMed

Gueon, Donghee; Hwang, Jeong Tae; Yang, Seung Bo; Cho, Eunkyung; Sohn, Kwonnam; Yang, Doo-Kyung; Moon, Jun Hyuk

2018-01-23

A carbon host capable of effective and uniform sulfur loading is the key for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). Despite the application of porous carbon materials of various morphologies, the carbon hosts capable of uniformly impregnating highly active sulfur is still challenging. To address this issue, we demonstrate a hierarchical pore-structured CNT particle host containing spherical macropores of several hundred nanometers. The macropore CNT particles (M-CNTPs) are prepared by drying the aerosol droplets in which CNTs and polymer particles are dispersed. The spherical macropore greatly improves the penetration of sulfur into the carbon host in the melt diffusion of sulfur. In addition, the formation of macropores greatly develops the volume of the micropore between CNT strands. As a result, we uniformly impregnate 70 wt % sulfur without sulfur residue. The S-M-CNTP cathode shows a highly reversible capacity of 1343 mA h g -1 at a current density of 0.2 C even at a high sulfur content of 70 wt %. Upon a 10-fold current density increase, a high capacity retention of 74% is observed. These cathodes have a higher sulfur content than those of conventional CNT hosts but nevertheless exhibit excellent performance. Our CNTPs and pore control technology will advance the commercialization of CNT hosts for LSBs.

Adhesive loose packings of small dry particles.

PubMed

Liu, Wenwei; Li, Shuiqing; Baule, Adrian; Makse, Hernán A

2015-08-28

We explore adhesive loose packings of small dry spherical particles of micrometer size using 3D discrete-element simulations with adhesive contact mechanics and statistical ensemble theory. A dimensionless adhesion parameter (Ad) successfully combines the effects of particle velocities, sizes and the work of adhesion, identifying a universal regime of adhesive packings for Ad > 1. The structural properties of the packings in this regime are well described by an ensemble approach based on a coarse-grained volume function that includes the correlation between bulk and contact spheres. Our theoretical and numerical results predict: (i) an equation of state for adhesive loose packings that appear as a continuation from the frictionless random close packing (RCP) point in the jamming phase diagram and (ii) the existence of an asymptotic adhesive loose packing point at a coordination number Z = 2 and a packing fraction ϕ = 1/2(3). Our results highlight that adhesion leads to a universal packing regime at packing fractions much smaller than the random loose packing (RLP), which can be described within a statistical mechanical framework. We present a general phase diagram of jammed matter comprising frictionless, frictional, adhesive as well as non-spherical particles, providing a classification of packings in terms of their continuation from the spherical frictionless RCP.

Maturation of high-density lipoproteins

PubMed Central

Shih, Amy Y.; Sligar, Stephen G.; Schulten, Klaus

2009-01-01

Human high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are involved in the transport of cholesterol. The mechanism by which HDL assembles and functions is not well understood owing to a lack of structural information on circulating spherical HDL. Here, we report a series of molecular dynamics simulations that describe the maturation of discoidal HDL into spherical HDL upon incorporation of cholesterol ester as well as the resulting atomic level structure of a mature circulating spherical HDL particle. Sixty cholesterol ester molecules were added in a stepwise fashion to a discoidal HDL particle containing two apolipoproteins wrapped around a 160 dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine lipid bilayer. The resulting matured particle, captured in a coarse-grained description, was then described in a consistent all-atom representation and analysed in chemical detail. The simulations show that maturation results from the formation of a highly dynamic hydrophobic core comprised of cholesterol ester surrounded by phospholipid and protein; the two apolipoprotein strands remain in a belt-like conformation as seen in the discoidal HDL particle, but with flexible N- and C-terminal helices and a central region stabilized by salt bridges. In the otherwise flexible lipoproteins, a less mobile central region provides an ideal location to bind lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase, the key enzyme that converts cholesterol to cholesterol ester during HDL maturation. PMID:19570799

Preparation and Optical Properties of Spherical Inverse Opals by Liquid Phase Deposition Using Spherical Colloidal Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoi, Y.; Tominaga, T.

2013-03-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) inverse opals in spherical shape were prepared by liquid phase deposition (LPD) using spherical colloidal crystals as templates. Spherical colloidal crystals were produced by ink-jet drying technique. Aqueous emulsion droplets that contain polystyrene latex particles were ejected into air and dried. Closely packed colloidal crystals with spherical shape were obtained. The obtained spherical colloidal crystals were used as templates for the LPD. The templates were dispersed in the deposition solution of the LPD, i.e. a mixed solution of ammonium hexafluorotitanate and boric acid and reacted for 4 h at 30 °C. After the LPD process, the interstitial spaces of the spherical colloidal crystals were completely filled with titanium oxide. Subsequent heat treatment resulted in removal of templates and spherical titanium dioxide inverse opals. The spherical shape of the template was retained. SEM observations indicated that the periodic ordered voids were surrounded by titanium dioxide. The optical reflectance spectra indicated that the optical properties of the spherical titanium dioxide inverse opals were due to Bragg diffractions from the ordered structure. Filling in the voids of the inverse opals with different solvents caused remarkable changes in the reflectance peak.

Analysis and fabrication of tungsten CERMET materials for ultra-high temperature reactor applications via pulsed electric current sintering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, Jonathan A.

The optimized development path for the fabrication of ultra-high temperature W-UO2 CERMET fuel elements were explored within this dissertation. A robust literature search was conducted, which concluded that a W-UO 2 fuel element must contain a fine tungsten microstructure and spherical UO2 kernels throughout the entire consolidation process. Combined Monte Carlo and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis were used to determine the effects of rhenium and gadolinia additions on the performance of W-UO 2 fuel elements at refractory temperatures and in dry and water submerged environments. The computational analysis also led to the design of quasi-optimized fuel elements that can meet thermal-hydraulic and neutronic requirements A rigorous set of experiments were conducted to determine if Pulsed Electric Current Sintering (PECS) can fabricate tungsten and W-Ce02 specimens to the required geometries, densities and microstructures required for high temperature fuel elements as well as determine the mechanisms involved within the PECS consolidation process. The CeO2 acts as a surrogate for UO 2 fuel kernels in these experiments. The experiments seemed to confirm that PECS consolidation takes place via diffusional mass transfer methods; however, the densification process is rapidly accelerated due to the effects of current densities within the consolidating specimen. Fortunately the grain growth proceeds at a traditional rate and the PECS process can yield near fully dense W and W-Ce02 specimens with a finer microstructure than other sintering techniques. PECS consolidation techniques were also shown to be capable of producing W-UO2 segments at near-prototypic geometries; however, great care must be taken to coat the fuel particles with tungsten prior to sintering. Also, great care must be taken to ensure that the particles remain spherical in geometry under the influence of a uniaxial stress as applied during PECS, which involves mixing different fuel kernel sizes in order to reduce the porosity in the initial green compact. Particle mixing techniques were also shown to be capable of producing consolidated CERMETs, but with a less than desirable microstructure. The work presented herin will help in the development of very high temperature reactors for terrestrial and space missions in the future.

Micro-size spherical TiO2(B) secondary particles as anode materials for high-power and long-life lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takami, Norio; Harada, Yasuhiro; Iwasaki, Takuya; Hoshina, Keigo; Yoshida, Yorikazu

2015-01-01

Electrochemical properties of micro-size spherical TiO2(B) secondary particles have been investigated in order to develop TiO2(B) anodes for lithium-ion batteries with high-power and long-life performance. The spherical TiO2(B) electrodes with a small amount of a carbon conductor additive had a high electrode density of 2.2 g cm-3 and a volumetric reversible capacity of 475 mAh cm-3 comparable to that of graphite electrodes. Compared with nano-size needle-like TiO2(B) electrodes, the spherical TiO2(B) electrodes exhibited higher-rate discharge capability and longer-cycle life performance. The impedance of the TiO2(B)/electrolyte interface model indicated that the charge transfer resistance Rc and the passivating film resistance Rf of the spherical TiO2(B) were much smaller than those of the needle-like one. The high-rate discharge and the long-cycle performance of the spherical TiO2(B) electrode are attributed to the superior electronic connective property and Rc and Rf values smaller than those of the needle-like one. Lithium-ion cells using the spherical TiO2(B) anodes and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode with a capacity of 2.8 Ah exhibited a high energy density of 100 Wh kg-1, a high output power density of 1800 W kg-1 for 10 s pulse, and a long cycle life of more than 3000 cycles.

A facile production of microporous carbon spheres and their electrochemical performance in EDLC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Xiaohong; Shi, Lei; Liu, Hongbo; Yang, Li; He, Yuede

2012-03-01

In the absence of activation process, we prepared a series of carbon particles from saccharine, in which hydrothermal carbonization method was used. These particles have spherical or near-spherical morphology, controllable monodisperse particle size from the analyses of SEM. Raman and XRD results show that they are nongraphitizable. The BET surface area of these carbon spherules is around 400-500 m2 g-1 and the microporosity is about 84%, suggesting that the carbon particles are rich in micropores. The electrochemical behaviors were characterized by means of galvanostatic charging/discharging, cycle voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the specific capacitance of sucrose-based carbon spherule reached 164 F g-1 in 30% KOH electrolyte and a high volumetric capacitance over 170 F cm-3 was obtained. These carbon spherules could be promising materials for EDLC according to their facile preparation way, low cost and high packing density.

Computational study of the effect of gradient magnetic field in navigation of spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karvelas, E. G.; Lampropoulos, N. K.; Papadimitriou, D. I.; Karakasidis, T. E.; Sarris, I. E.

2017-11-01

The use of spherical magnetic nanoparticles that are coated with drugs and can be navigated in arteries to attack tumors is proposed as an alternative to chemotherapy. Navigation of particles is due to magnetic field gradients that may be produced in an MRI device. In the present work, a computational study for the evaluation of the magnitude of the gradient magnetic field for particles navigation in Y bifurcations is presented. For this purpose, the presented method solves for the fluid flow and includes all the important forces that act on the particles in their discrete motion. The method is based on an iteration algorithm that adjusts the gradient magnetic field to minimize the particles’ deviation from a desired trajectory. Using the above mentioned method, the appropriate range of the gradient magnetic field for optimum navigation of nanoparticles’s aggregation is found.

Interpretation of Extinction in Gaussian-Beam Scattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lock, James A.

1995-01-01

The extinction efficiency for the interaction of a plane wave with a large nonabsorbing spherical particle is approximately 2.0. When a Gaussian beam of half-width w(sub 0) is incident upon a spherical particle of radius a with w(sub 0)/a less than 1, the extinction efficiency attains unexpectedly high or low values, contrary to intuitive expectations. The reason for this is associated with the so-called compensating term in the scattered field, which cancels the field of the Gaussian beam behind the particle, thereby producing the particle's shadow. I introduce a decomposition of the total exterior field into incoming and outgoing portions that are free of compensating terms. It is then shown that a suitably defined interaction efficiency has the intuitively expected asymptotic values of 2.0 for w(sub 0)/a much greater than 1 and 1.0 for w(sub 0)/a much less than 1.

Selection of stationary phase particle geometry using X-ray computed tomography and computational fluid dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Schmidt, Irma; Minceva, Mirjana; Arlt, Wolfgang

2012-02-17

The X-ray computed tomography (CT) is used to determine local parameters related to the column packing homogeneity and hydrodynamics in columns packed with spherically and irregularly shaped particles of same size. The results showed that the variation of porosity and axial dispersion coefficient along the column axis is insignificant, compared to their radial distribution. The methodology of using the data attained by CT measurements to perform a CFD simulation of a batch separation of model binary mixtures, with different concentration and separation factors is demonstrated. The results of the CFD simulation study show that columns packed with spherically shaped particles provide higher yield in comparison to columns packed with irregularly shaped particles only below a certain value of the separation factor. The presented methodology can be used for selecting a suited packing material for a particular separation task. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Predictive modeling of multicellular structure formation by using Cellular Particle Dynamics simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCune, Matthew; Shafiee, Ashkan; Forgacs, Gabor; Kosztin, Ioan

2014-03-01

Cellular Particle Dynamics (CPD) is an effective computational method for describing and predicting the time evolution of biomechanical relaxation processes of multicellular systems. A typical example is the fusion of spheroidal bioink particles during post bioprinting structure formation. In CPD cells are modeled as an ensemble of cellular particles (CPs) that interact via short-range contact interactions, characterized by an attractive (adhesive interaction) and a repulsive (excluded volume interaction) component. The time evolution of the spatial conformation of the multicellular system is determined by following the trajectories of all CPs through integration of their equations of motion. CPD was successfully applied to describe and predict the fusion of 3D tissue construct involving identical spherical aggregates. Here, we demonstrate that CPD can also predict tissue formation involving uneven spherical aggregates whose volumes decrease during the fusion process. Work supported by NSF [PHY-0957914]. Computer time provided by the University of Missouri Bioinformatics Consortium.

Spheroidization of glass powders for glass ionomer cements.

PubMed

Gu, Y W; Yap, A U J; Cheang, P; Kumar, R

2004-08-01

Commercial angular glass powders were spheroidized using both the flame spraying and inductively coupled radio frequency plasma spraying techniques. Spherical powders with different particle size distributions were obtained after spheroidization. The effects of spherical glass powders on the mechanical properties of glass ionomer cements (GICs) were investigated. Results showed that the particle size distribution of the glass powders had a significant influence on the mechanical properties of GICs. Powders with a bimodal particle size distribution ensured a high packing density of glass ionomer cements, giving relatively high mechanical properties of GICs. GICs prepared by flame-spheroidized powders showed low strength values due to the loss of fine particles during flame spraying, leading to a low packing density and few metal ions reacting with polyacrylic acid to form cross-linking. GICs prepared by the nano-sized powders showed low strength because of the low bulk density of the nano-sized powders and hence low powder/liquid ratio of GICs.

Extinction by a Homogeneous Spherical Particle in an Absorbing Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mishchenko, Michael I.; Videen, Gorden; Yang, Ping

2017-01-01

We use a recent computer implementation of the first principles theory of electromagnetic scattering to compute far-field extinction by a spherical particle embedded in an absorbing unbounded host. Our results show that the suppressing effect of increasing absorption inside the host medium on the ripple structure of the extinction efficiency factor as a function of the size parameter is similar to the well-known effect of increasing absorption inside a particle embedded in a nonabsorbing host. However, the accompanying effects on the interference structure of the extinction efficiency curves are diametrically opposite. As a result, sufficiently large absorption inside the host medium can cause negative particulate extinction. We offer a simple physical explanation of the phenomenon of negative extinction consistent with the interpretation of the interference structure as being the result of interference of the field transmitted by the particle and the diffracted field due to an incomplete wave front resulting from the blockage of the incident plane wave by the particle's geometrical projection.

Light scattering by lunar-like particle size distributions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goguen, Jay D.

1991-01-01

A fundamental input to models of light scattering from planetary regoliths is the mean phase function of the regolith particles. Using the known size distribution for typical lunar soils, the mean phase function and mean linear polarization for a regolith volume element of spherical particles of any composition were calculated from Mie theory. The two contour plots given here summarize the changes in the mean phase function and linear polarization with changes in the real part of the complex index of refraction, n - ik, for k equals 0.01, the visible wavelength 0.55 micrometers, and the particle size distribution of the typical mature lunar soil 72141. A second figure is a similar index-phase surface, except with k equals 0.1. The index-phase surfaces from this survey are a first order description of scattering by lunar-like regoliths of spherical particles of arbitrary composition. They form the basis of functions that span a large range of parameter-space.

High-speed DNA-based rolling motors powered by RNase H

PubMed Central

Yehl, Kevin; Mugler, Andrew; Vivek, Skanda; Liu, Yang; Zhang, Yun; Fan, Mengzhen; Weeks, Eric R.

2016-01-01

DNA-based machines that walk by converting chemical energy into controlled motion could be of use in applications such as next generation sensors, drug delivery platforms, and biological computing. Despite their exquisite programmability, DNA-based walkers are, however, challenging to work with due to their low fidelity and slow rates (~1 nm/min). Here, we report DNA-based machines that roll rather than walk, and consequently have a maximum speed and processivity that is three-orders of magnitude greater than conventional DNA motors. The motors are made from DNA-coated spherical particles that hybridise to a surface modified with complementary RNA; motion is achieved through the addition of RNase H, which selectively hydrolyses hybridised RNA. Spherical motors move in a self-avoiding manner, whereas anisotropic particles, such as dimerised particles or rod-shaped particles travel linearly without a track or external force. Finally, we demonstrate detection of single nucleotide polymorphism by measuring particle displacement using a smartphone camera. PMID:26619152

Three-Dimensional Visualization of Wave Functions for Rotating Molecule: Plot of Spherical Harmonics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagaoka, Shin-ichi; Teramae, Hiroyuki; Nagashima, Umpei

2013-01-01

At an early stage of learning quantum chemistry, undergraduate students usually encounter the concepts of the particle in a box, the harmonic oscillator, and then the particle on a sphere. Rotational levels of a diatomic molecule can be well approximated by the energy levels of the particle on a sphere. Wave functions for the particle in a…

An Analysis of Bubble Deformation by a Sphere Relevant to the Measurements of Bubble-Particle Contact Interaction and Detachment Forces.

PubMed

Sherman, H; Nguyen, A V; Bruckard, W

2016-11-22

Atomic force microscopy makes it possible to measure the interacting forces between individual colloidal particles and air bubbles, which can provide a measure of the particle hydrophobicity. To indicate the level of hydrophobicity of the particle, the contact angle can be calculated, assuming that no interfacial deformation occurs with the bubble retaining a spherical profile. Our experimental results obtained using a modified sphere tensiometry apparatus to detach submillimeter spherical particles show that deformation of the bubble interface does occur during particle detachment. We also develop a theoretical model to describe the equilibrium shape of the bubble meniscus at any given particle position, based on the minimization of the free energy of the system. The developed model allows us to analyze high-speed video captured during detachment. In the system model deformation of the bubble profile is accounted for by the incorporation of a Lagrange multiplier into both the Young-Laplace equation and the force balance. The solution of the bubble profile matched to the high-speed video allows us to accurately calculate the contact angle and determine the total force balance as a function of the contact point of the bubble on the particle surface.

On the Impact of Collisions on Particle Dispersion in a Shear Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soteriou, Marios; Mosley, John

1999-11-01

In this numerical study the impact of collisions on the evolution of a dispersed phase in a gaseous shear layer flow is investigated. The disperse phase consists of spherical particles which may experience two modes of collision: In the first, the collision has no effect on the particles themselves and is simply registered for accounting purposes. In the second, the particles coalesce upon impact into a larger spherical particle. The two phase mixture is assumed to be dilute and hence the impact of the disperse phase on the carrier phase is disabled. The unaveraged evolution of the carrier phase is simulated by using the Lagrangian Vortex Element Method while that of the dispersed phase by computing the trajectories of individual particles. Thus the numerical model is totally Lagrangian and grid-free. Numerical results indicate that collisions are maximized at intermediate Stokes numbers and that for a given volume fraction they increase as the particles get smaller. Coalescence of particles tends to reduce the overall number of collisions in the flow and alters their locus, shifting them predominately upstream. It also has a dramatic impact on dispersion increasing it substantially for the cases that experience even moderate number of collisions.

Optimization of the Critical Parameters of the Spherical Agglomeration Crystallization Method by the Application of the Quality by Design Approach.

PubMed

Gyulai, Orsolya; Kovács, Anita; Sovány, Tamás; Csóka, Ildikó; Aigner, Zoltán

2018-04-20

This research work presents the use of the Quality by Design (QbD) concept for optimization of the spherical agglomeration crystallization method in the case of the active agent, ambroxol hydrochloride (AMB HCl). AMB HCl spherical crystals were formulated by the spherical agglomeration method, which was applied as an antisolvent technique. Spherical crystals have good flowing properties, which makes the direct compression tableting method applicable. This means that the amount of additives used can be reduced and smaller tablets can be formed. For the risk assessment, LeanQbD Software was used. According to its results, four independent variables (mixing type and time, dT (temperature difference between solvent and antisolvent), and composition (solvent/antisolvent volume ratio)) and three dependent variables (mean particle size, aspect ratio, and roundness) were selected. Based on these, a 2⁻3 mixed-level factorial design was constructed, crystallization was accomplished, and the results were evaluated using Statistica for Windows 13 program. Product assay was performed and it was revealed that improvements in the mean particle size (from ~13 to ~200 µm), roundness (from ~2.4 to ~1.5), aspect ratio (from ~1.7 to ~1.4), and flow properties were observed while polymorphic transitions were avoided.

Aerosol Airmass Type Mapping Over the Urban Mexico City Region From Space-based Multi-angle Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patadia, F.; Kahn, R. A.; Limbacher, J. A.; Burton, S. P.; Ferrare, R. A.; Hostetler, C. A.; Hair, J. W.

2013-01-01

Using Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and sub-orbital measurements from the 2006 INTEX-B/MILAGRO field campaign, in this study we explore MISR's ability to map different aerosol air mass types over the Mexico City metropolitan area. The aerosol air mass distinctions are based on shape, size and single scattering albedo retrievals from the MISR Research Aerosol Retrieval algorithm. In this region, the research algorithm identifies dust-dominated aerosol mixtures based on non-spherical particle shape, whereas spherical biomass burning and urban pollution particles are distinguished by particle size. Two distinct aerosol air mass types based on retrieved particle microphysical properties, and four spatially distributed aerosol air masses, are identified in the MISR data on 6 March 2006. The aerosol air mass type identification results are supported by coincident, airborne high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL) measurements. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) gradients are also consistent between the MISR and sub-orbital measurements, but particles having single-scattering albedo of approx. 0.7 at 558 nm must be included in the retrieval algorithm to produce good absolute AOD comparisons over pollution-dominated aerosol air masses. The MISR standard V22 AOD product, at 17.6 km resolution, captures the observed AOD gradients qualitatively, but retrievals at this coarse spatial scale and with limited spherical absorbing particle options underestimate AOD and do not retrieve particle properties adequately over this complex urban region. However, we demonstrate how AOD and aerosol type mapping can be accomplished with MISR data over complex urban regions, provided the retrieval is performed at sufficiently high spatial resolution, and with a rich enough set of aerosol components and mixtures.

Applicability of Rayleigh–Gans Scattering to Spherical Particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kerker, M.; Farone, W. A.; Matijevic, E.

1963-01-01

Exact computations of scattering functions for spheres are compared with those obtained from the Rayleigh-Gans theory of scattering of electromagnetic radiation. The range of validity for spheres as a guide for non-homogeneous particles and other geometries. This study is limited to non-absorbing particles with real indices of refraction. (C.E.S.)

Suppressing turbulence of self-propelling rods by strongly coupled passive particles.

PubMed

Su, Yen-Shuo; Wang, Hao-Chen; I, Lin

2015-03-01

The strong turbulence suppression, mainly for large-scale modes, of two-dimensional self-propelling rods, by increasing the long-range coupling strength Γ of low-concentration passive particles, is numerically demonstrated. It is found that large-scale collective rod motion in forms of swirls or jets is mainly contributed from well-aligned dense patches, which can push small poorly aligned rod patches and uncoupled passive particles. The more efficient momentum transfer and dissipation through increasing passive particle coupling leads to the formation of a more ordered and slowed down network of passive particles, which competes with coherent dense active rod clusters. The frustration of active rod alignment ordering and coherent motion by the passive particle network, which interrupt the inverse cascading of forming large-scale swirls, is the key for suppressing collective rod motion with scales beyond the interpassive distance, even in the liquid phase of passive particles. The loosely packed active rods are weakly affected by increasing passive particle coupling due to the weak rod-particle interaction. They mainly contribute to the small-scale modes and high-speed motion.

Effects of radiation type and delivery mode on a radioresistant eukaryote Cryptococcus neoformans

PubMed Central

Shuryak, Igor; Bryan, Ruth A.; Broitman, Jack; Marino, Stephen A.; Morgenstern, Alfred; Apostolidis, Christos; Dadachova, Ekaterina

2015-01-01

Introduction Most research on radioresistant fungi, particularly on human pathogens such as Cryptococcus neoformans, involves sparsely-ionizing radiation. Consequently, fungal responses to densely-ionizing radiation, which can be harnessed to treat life-threatening fungal infections, remain incompletely understood. Methods We addressed this issue by quantifying and comparing the effects of densely-ionizing α-particles (delivered either by external beam or by 213Bi-labeled monoclonal antibodies), and sparsely-ionizing 137Cs γ-rays, on Cryptococus neoformans. Results The best-fit linear-quadratic parameters for clonogenic survival were the following: α=0.24×10−2 Gy−1 for γ-rays and 1.07×10−2 Gy−1 for external-beam α-particles, and β=1.44×10−5 Gy−2 for both radiation types. Fungal cell killing by radiolabeled antibodies was consistent with predictions based on the α-particle dose to the cell nucleus and the linear-quadratic parameters for external-beam α-particles. The estimated RBE (for α-particles vs γ-rays) at low doses was 4.47 for the initial portion of the α-particle track, and 7.66 for the Bragg peak. Non-radiological antibody effects accounted for up to 23% of cell death. Conclusions These results quantify the degree of C. neoformans resistance to densely-ionizing radiations, and show how this resistance can be overcome with fungus-specific radiolabeled antibodies. PMID:25800676

Optical properties of soot particles: measurement - model comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forestieri, S.; Lambe, A. T.; Lack, D.; Massoli, P.; Cross, E. S.; Dubey, M.; Mazzoleni, C.; Olfert, J.; Freedman, A.; Davidovits, P.; Onasch, T. B.; Cappa, C. D.

2013-12-01

Soot, a product of incomplete combustion, plays an important role in the earth's climate system through the absorption and scattering of solar radiation. In order to accurately model the direct radiative impact of black carbon (BC), the refractive index and shape dependent scattering and absorption characteristics must be known. At present, the assumed shape remains highly uncertain because BC particles are fractal-like, being agglomerates of smaller (20-40 nm) spherules, yet traditional optical models such as Mie theory typically assume a spherical particle morphology. To investigate the ability of various optical models to reproduce observed BC optical properties, we measured light absorption and extinction coefficients of methane and ethylene flame soot particles. Optical properties were measured by multiple instruments: absorption by a dual cavity ringdown photoacoustic spectrometer (CRD-PAS), absorption and scattering by a 3-wavelength photoacoustic/nephelometer spectrometer (PASS-3) and extinction and scattering by a cavity attenuated phase shift spectrometer (CAPS). Soot particle mass was quantified using a centrifugal particle mass analyzer (CPMA) and mobility size was measured with a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). Measurements were made for nascent soot particles and for collapsed soot particles following coating with dioctyl sebacate or sulfuric acid and thermal denuding to remove the coating. Wavelength-dependent refractive indices for the sampled particles were derived by fitting the observed absorption and extinction cross-sections to spherical particle Mie theory and Rayleigh-Debye-Gans theory. The Rayleigh-Debye-Gans approximation assumes that the absorption properties of soot are dictated by the individual spherules and neglects interaction between them. In general, Mie theory reproduces the observed absorption and extinction cross-sections for particles with volume equivalent diameters (VED) < ~160 nm, but systematically predicts lower absorption cross-sections relative to observations for larger particles with VED > ~160 nm. The discrepancy is most pronounced for measurements made at shorter wavelengths. In contrast, Rayleigh-Debye-Gans theory, which does not assume spherical particle morphology, exhibited good agreement with the observations for all particle diameters and wavelengths. These results indicate that the use of Mie theory to describe the absorption behavior of particles >160 nm VED will underestimate the absorption by these particles. Concurrent measurements of the absorption Angstrom exponent and the single scattering albedo, and their dependence on particle size, will also be discussed.

Measurement of charged-particle stopping in warm-dense plasma

DOE PAGES

Zylstra, A.  B.; Frenje, J.  A.; Grabowski, P. E.; ...

2015-05-27

We measured the stopping of energetic protons in an isochorically-heated solid-density Be plasma with an electron temperature of ~32 eV, corresponding to moderately-coupled [(e²/a/(k BT e + E F ) ~ 0.3] and moderately-degenerate [k BT e/E F ~2] 'warm dense matter' (WDM) conditions. We present the first high-accuracy measurements of charged-particle energy loss through dense plasma, which shows an increased loss relative to cold matter, consistent with a reduced mean ionization potential. The data agree with stopping models based on an ad-hoc treatment of free and bound electrons, as well as the average-atom local-density approximation; this work is themore » first test of these theories in WDM plasma.« less

A New Innovative Spherical Cermet Nuclear Fuel Element to Achieve an Ultra-Long Core Life for use in Grid-Appropriate LWRs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Senor, David J.; Painter, Chad L.; Geelhood, Ken J.

2007-12-01

Spherical cermet fuel elements are proposed for use in the Atoms For Peace Reactor (AFPR-100) concept. AFPR-100 is a small-scale, inherently safe, proliferation-resistant reactor that would be ideal for deployment to nations with emerging economies that decide to select nuclear power for the generation of carbon-free electricity. The basic concept of the AFPR core is a water-cooled fixed particle bed, randomly packed with spherical fuel elements. The flow of coolant within the particle bed is at such a low rate that the bed does not fluidize. This report summarizes an approach to fuel fabrication, results associated with fuel performance modeling,more » core neutronics and thermal hydraulics analyses demonstrating a ~20 year core life, and a conclusion that the proliferation resistance of the AFPR reactor concept is high.« less

Shape effects of filaments versus spherical particles in flow and drug delivery

PubMed Central

GENG, YAN; DALHAIMER, PAUL; CAI, SHENSHEN; TSAI, RICHARD; TEWARI, MANORAMA; MINKO, TAMARA; DISCHER, DENNIS E.

2009-01-01

Interaction of spherical particles with cells and within animals has been studied extensively, but the effects of shape have received little attention. Here we use highly stable, polymer micelle assemblies known as filomicelles to compare the transport and trafficking of flexible filaments with spheres of similar chemistry. In rodents, filomicelles persisted in the circulation up to one week after intravenous injection. This is about ten times longer than their spherical counterparts and is more persistent than any known synthetic nanoparticle. Under fluid flow conditions, spheres and short filomicelles are taken up by cells more readily than longer filaments because the latter are extended by the flow. Preliminary results further demonstrate that filomicelles can effectively deliver the anticancer drug paclitaxel and shrink human-derived tumours in mice. Although these findings show that long-circulating vehicles need not be nanospheres, they also lend insight into possible shape effects of natural filamentous viruses. PMID:18654271

Dynamic response of sand particles impacted by a rigid spherical object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youplao, P.; Takita, A.; Nasbey, H.; Yupapin, P. P.; Fujii, Y.

2018-06-01

A method for measuring the dynamic impact responses that acting on a spherical object while dropping and colliding with dried sand, such as the velocity, displacement, acceleration, and resultant force, is presented and discussed. In the experiment, a Michelson-type laser interferometer is employed to obtain the velocity of the spherical stainless steel object. Then the obtained time velocity profile is used to calculate the acceleration, the displacement, and the inertial force acting on the observed sand particles. Furthermore, a high-speed camera is employed to observe the behavior of the sand during the collision. From the experimental results with the sampling interval for frequencies calculation of 1 ms, the combined standard uncertainty in the instantaneous value of the impact force acts on the observed object is obtained and approximated to 0.49 N, which is related to a corresponding 4.07% of the maximum value at 12.05 N of the impact force.

Shape effects of filaments versus spherical particles in flow and drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Yan; Dalhaimer, Paul; Cai, Shenshen; Tsai, Richard; Tewari, Manorama; Minko, Tamara; Discher, Dennis E.

2007-04-01

Interaction of spherical particles with cells and within animals has been studied extensively, but the effects of shape have received little attention. Here we use highly stable, polymer micelle assemblies known as filomicelles to compare the transport and trafficking of flexible filaments with spheres of similar chemistry. In rodents, filomicelles persisted in the circulation up to one week after intravenous injection. This is about ten times longer than their spherical counterparts and is more persistent than any known synthetic nanoparticle. Under fluid flow conditions, spheres and short filomicelles are taken up by cells more readily than longer filaments because the latter are extended by the flow. Preliminary results further demonstrate that filomicelles can effectively deliver the anticancer drug paclitaxel and shrink human-derived tumours in mice. Although these findings show that long-circulating vehicles need not be nanospheres, they also lend insight into possible shape effects of natural filamentous viruses.

Scattering of clusters of spherical particles—Modeling and inverse problem solution in the Rayleigh-Gans approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliçabe, Guillermo E.

2013-09-01

In this work, an exact scattering model for a system of clusters of spherical particles, based on the Rayleigh-Gans approximation, has been parameterized in such a way that it can be solved in inverse form using Thikhonov Regularization to obtain the morphological parameters of the clusters. That is to say, the average number of particles per cluster, the size of the primary spherical units that form the cluster, and the Discrete Distance Distribution Function from which the z-average square radius of gyration of the system of clusters is obtained. The methodology is validated through a series of simulated and experimental examples of x-ray and light scattering that show that the proposed methodology works satisfactorily in unideal situations such as: presence of error in the measurements, presence of error in the model, and several types of unideallities present in the experimental cases.

Granular Media-Based Tunable Passive Vibration Suppressor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dillon, Robert P.; Davis, Gregory L.; Shapiro, Andrew A.; Borgonia, John Paul C.; Kahn, Daniel L.; Boechler, Nicholas; Boechler,, Chiara

2013-01-01

and vibration suppression device is composed of statically compressed chains of spherical particles. The device superimposes a combination of dissipative damping and dispersive effects. The dissipative damping resulting from the elastic wave attenuation properties of the bulk material selected for the granular media is independent of particle geometry and periodicity, and can be accordingly designed based on the dissipative (or viscoelastic) properties of the material. For instance, a viscoelastic polymer might be selected where broadband damping is desired. In contrast, the dispersive effects result from the periodic arrangement and geometry of particles composing a linear granular chain. A uniform (monatomic) chain of statically compressed spherical particles will have a low-pass filter effect, with a cutoff frequency tunable as a function of particle mass, elastic modulus, Poisson fs ratio, radius, and static compression. Elastic waves with frequency content above this cutoff frequency will exhibit an exponential decay in amplitude as a function of propagation distance. System design targeting a specific application is conducted using a combination of theoretical, computational, and experimental techniques to appropriately select the particle radii, material (and thus elastic modulus and Poisson fs ratio), and static compression to satisfy estimated requirements derived for shock and/or vibration protection needs under particular operational conditions. The selection of a chain of polymer spheres with an elastic modulus .3 provided the appropriate dispersive filtering effect for that exercise; however, different operational scenarios may require the use of other polymers, metals, ceramics, or a combination thereof, configured as an array of spherical particles. The device is a linear array of spherical particles compressed in a container with a mechanism for attachment to the shock and/or vibration source, and a mechanism for attachment to the article requiring isolation (Figure 1). This configuration is referred to as a single-axis vibration suppressor. This invention also includes further designs for the integration of the single-axis vibration suppressor into a six-degree-of-freedom hexapod "Stewart"mounting configuration (Figure 2). By integrating each singleaxis vibration suppressor into a hexapod formation, a payload will be protected in all six degrees of freedom from shock and/or vibration. Additionally, to further enable the application of this device to multiple operational scenarios, particularly in the case of high loads, the vibration suppressor devices can be used in parallel in any array configuration.

Size- and shape-dependent clinical and mycological efficacy of silver nanoparticles on dandruff.

PubMed

Anwar, Mohammad F; Yadav, Deepak; Jain, Swati; Kapoor, Sumeet; Rastogi, Shweta; Arora, Indu; Samim, Mohammed

2016-01-01

Dandruff is a prominent scalp problem caused by the growth of fungus Malassezia furfur, potentially cascading into dermal inflammation, itching, and tissue damage. The present work outlines a detailed analysis of the treatment of scalp infection using silver nanomaterials (Ag NMs), and focuses on biocidal activity owing to manipulation of size, shape, and structure. Monodisperse silver spherical nanoparticles (NPs) and nanorods (NRs) were synthesized by chemical routes that were characterized using analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Ag NMs demonstrated enhanced biocidal tendencies compared to market available drugs, itracanozole and ketoconazole, showing greater zones of inhibition. The obtained 20 nm and 50 nm spherical-shaped NPs and 50 nm NRs showed concentration-, size-, and shape-dependent antifungal activity, with 20 nm spherical-shaped NPs exhibiting excellent potency. Minimum inhibitory concentration for 20 nm was lowest at 0.2 mg/mL in comparison to 0.3 mg/mL for NRs. Primary irritation index was 0.33 and 0.16 for 20 nm and 50 nm spherical-shaped NPs, respectively, while 50 nm rod-shaped NMs exhibited negligible redness. An in vivo model for M. furfur infection was generated by passing fungi subcutaneously in rats' skin. Again, 20 nm particles showed best normalization of skin after 10 days on regular dosing, in comparison with bigger and rod-shaped particles. The statistical clinical score was highest for Ag nanorods, followed by 50 nm Ag NPs-treated animals. It was observed that 20 nm spherical particles exhibited the lowest score (0) compared with others as well as with antifungal drugs. Biochemical analysis performed by checking antioxidant enzymatic activities indicated tissue repair and normalization of enzymes and protein concentration by Ag NPs.

Size- and shape-dependent clinical and mycological efficacy of silver nanoparticles on dandruff

PubMed Central

Anwar, Mohammad F; Yadav, Deepak; Jain, Swati; Kapoor, Sumeet; Rastogi, Shweta; Arora, Indu; Samim, Mohammed

2016-01-01

Dandruff is a prominent scalp problem caused by the growth of fungus Malassezia furfur, potentially cascading into dermal inflammation, itching, and tissue damage. The present work outlines a detailed analysis of the treatment of scalp infection using silver nanomaterials (Ag NMs), and focuses on biocidal activity owing to manipulation of size, shape, and structure. Monodisperse silver spherical nanoparticles (NPs) and nanorods (NRs) were synthesized by chemical routes that were characterized using analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Ag NMs demonstrated enhanced biocidal tendencies compared to market available drugs, itracanozole and ketoconazole, showing greater zones of inhibition. The obtained 20 nm and 50 nm spherical-shaped NPs and 50 nm NRs showed concentration-, size-, and shape-dependent antifungal activity, with 20 nm spherical-shaped NPs exhibiting excellent potency. Minimum inhibitory concentration for 20 nm was lowest at 0.2 mg/mL in comparison to 0.3 mg/mL for NRs. Primary irritation index was 0.33 and 0.16 for 20 nm and 50 nm spherical-shaped NPs, respectively, while 50 nm rod-shaped NMs exhibited negligible redness. An in vivo model for M. furfur infection was generated by passing fungi subcutaneously in rats’ skin. Again, 20 nm particles showed best normalization of skin after 10 days on regular dosing, in comparison with bigger and rod-shaped particles. The statistical clinical score was highest for Ag nanorods, followed by 50 nm Ag NPs-treated animals. It was observed that 20 nm spherical particles exhibited the lowest score (0) compared with others as well as with antifungal drugs. Biochemical analysis performed by checking antioxidant enzymatic activities indicated tissue repair and normalization of enzymes and protein concentration by Ag NPs. PMID:26792991

Cross-Linked Micellar Spherical Nucleic Acids from Thermoresponsive Templates

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

A one-pot synthesis of micellar spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanostructures using Pluronic F127 as a thermoresponsive template is reported. These novel constructs are synthesized in a chemically straightforward process that involves intercalation of the lipid tails of DNA amphiphiles (CpG motifs for TLR-9 stimulation) into the hydrophobic regions of Pluronic F127 micelles, followed by chemical cross-linking and subsequent removal of non-cross-linked structures. The dense nucleic acid shell of the resulting cross-linked micellar SNA enhances their stability in physiological media and facilitates their rapid cellular internalization, making them effective TLR-9 immunomodulatory agents. These constructs underscore the potential of SNAs in regulating immune response and address the relative lack of stability of noncovalent constructs. PMID:28207251

Hemocytes of the cochineal insect: ultrastructure.

PubMed

Caselín-Castro, Sandra; Llanderal-Cázares, Celina; Méndez-Gallegos, Santiago de Jesús; Ramírez-Cruz, Arturo; Hernández-Hernández, Fidel de la Cruz

2010-03-01

Using transmission electron microscopy, light microscopy (Giemsa May-Grumwald), and the Periodic Acid-Schif (PAS) and Sudan Black B staining techniques, hemocytes in the hemolymph of adult female Dactylopius coccus were characterized. The following, in order of abundance, were found: granulocytes, plasmatocytes, prohemocytes, and oenocytoids. Granulocytes varied in size with granulations in the cytoplasm, a large quantity of mitochondria, rugose endoplasmatic reticulum, ribosomes and vesicles, central or exocentric, spherical and occasionally lobulate nucleus. Plasmatocytes were polymorphic with irregularities in the plasma membrane; cytoplasm contained mitochondria, rugose endoplasmatic reticulum and vesicles, and exocentric, spherical, or irregular nucleus. In both types of hemocytes, scant polysaccharides and lipids were found. Prohemocytes were small and spherical with homogeneous cytoplasm and large exocentric nuclei. Oenocytoids were oval or irregular with dense homogeneous cytoplasm and elongated exocentric nuclei. The percentages of granulocytes on different days (d 1 and 10) during the life of the adult female were significantly different, as were those of plasmatocytes on d 30 and 50 and prohemocytes on d 1 and 50. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Digital holographic diagnostics of near-injector region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jaiho

Study of primary breakup of liquid jets is important because it is motivated by the application to gas turbine fuel injectors, diesel fuel injectors, industrial cleaning and washing machine, medical spray, and inkjet printers, among others. When it comes to good injectors, a liquid jet has to be disintegrated into a fine spray near injector region during primary breakup. However the dense spray region near the injectors is optically obscure for Phase Doppler Interferometer like Phase Doppler Particle Analyzers (PDPA). Holography can provide three dimensional image of the dense spray and eliminate the problem of the small depth of focus associated with shadowgraphs. Traditional film-based holographic technique has long been used for three dimensional measurements in particle fields, but it is time consuming, expensive, chemically hazardous. With the development of the CCD sensor, holograms were recorded and reconstructed digitally. Digital microscopic holography (DMH) is similar to digital inline holography (DIH) except that no lens is used to collimate the object beam. The laser beams are expanded with an objective lens and a spatial filter. This eliminates two lenses from the typical optical path used for in-line holography, which results in a much cleaner hologram recording. The DMH was used for drop size and velocity measurements of the breakup of aerated liquid jets because it is unaffected by the non-spherical droplets that are encountered very close to the injector exit, which would cause problems for techniques such as Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer, otherwise. Large field of view was obtained by patching several high resolution holograms. Droplet velocities in three dimensions were measured by tracking their displacements in the streamwise and cross-stream direction and by tracking the change in the plane of focus in the spanwise direction. The uncertainty in spanwise droplet location and velocity measurements using single view DMH was large at least 33%. This large uncertainty in the spanwise direction, however, can be reduced to 2% by employing double view DMH. Double view DMH successfully tracked the three dimensional bending trajectories of polymer jets during electrospinning. The uncertainty in the spatial growth measurements of the bending instability was reduced using orthogonal double view DMH. Moreover, a commercial grade CCD was successfully used for single- and double-pulsed DMH of micro liquid jet breakup. Using a commercial grade CCD for the DMH, the cost of CCD sensor needed for recording holograms can be reduced.

Highly surface-roughened quasi-spherical silver powders in back electrode paste for silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Peng; Liu, Shouchao; Li, Qiuying; Chen, Xiaolei; Guo, Weihong; Wu, Chifei

2017-08-01

In our work, highly surface-roughened quasi-spherical silver powders with controllable size and superior dispersibility, which have narrow size distribution and relatively high tap density, were successfully prepared by reducing silver nitrate with ascorbic acid in aqueous solutions. Gum arabic (AG) was selected as dispersant to prevent the agglomeration of silver particles. Furthermore, the effects of preparation conditions on the characteristics of the powders were systematically investigated. By varying the concentration of the reactants, dosage of dispersant, the feeding modes, synthesis temperature and the pH value of the mixture solution of silver nitrate and AG, the resulted silver particles displayed controllable size, different morphologies and surface roughness. The spherical silver powder with mean particle size of 1.20 µm, tap density of 4.1 g cm-3 and specific area value of 0.46 m2 g-1 was prepared by adjusting preparation conditions. The AG absorbed on the surface preventing the silver particles from diffusion and aggregation was proved by the ultraviolet spectra. Observations of SEM images showed that the as-prepared silver powders were relatively monodisperse silver spheres with highly roughened surface and the particle size was controllable from 1 µm to 5 µm, specific surface area value from approximately 0.2 m2 g-1 to 0.8 m2 g-1. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), x-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and thermal gravity analysis (TGA) demonstrated high crystallinity and purity of the obtained silver powders.

A novel crystallization technique of hydroxyapatite utilizing contact reaction of minute droplet with atmospheric plasmas: Effects of the liquid source composition on the produced crystal properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, Y.; Kobayashi, T.; Matsumoto, M.; Onoe, K.

2017-10-01

To develop the technique for the control of the crystal composition and properties such as size distribution and morphology utilizing the contact reaction field around the minute droplets in atmospheric pressure plasma, fine spherical particles of hydroxyapatite ((Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2); HAp) were synthesized by a new plasma crystallization method. In this work, to elucidate the effects of the production region and crystal properties of hydroxyapatite for the liquid source composition, Ca2+ concentration and the Ca/P molar ratio in minute droplets were varied. The following results were obtained: (1) fine spherical HAp particles can be produced by the introduction of minute droplets with the initial Ca2+ concentration ((CCa)0) of 0.50 mol/l and the Ca/P molar ratio of 1.67. (2) When the (CCa)0 is set in the range higher than 1.00 mol/l at the constant Ca/P molar ratio of 1.67, fine spherical particles of β-TCP and HAp mixture are crystallized. (3) For the Ca/P molar ratio below 1.67, α-TCP and HAp co-precipitated. (4) The composition of the produced particles depends on both the reactant concentration and Ca/P molar ratio in the HAp source solution. (5) The dependence of the reactant concentration on the average size of the produced HAp particles is large compared with droplet size.

Dirac-Kähler particle in Riemann spherical space: boson interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishkhanyan, A. M.; Florea, O.; Ovsiyuk, E. M.; Red'kov, V. M.

2015-11-01

In the context of the composite boson interpretation, we construct the exact general solution of the Dirac--K\\"ahler equation for the case of the spherical Riemann space of constant positive curvature, for which due to the geometry itself one may expect to have a discrete energy spectrum. In the case of the minimal value of the total angular momentum, $j=0$, the radial equations are reduced to second-order ordinary differential equations, which are straightforwardly solved in terms of the hypergeometric functions. For non-zero values of the total angular momentum, however, the radial equations are reduced to a pair of complicated fourth-order differential equations. Employing the factorization approach, we derive the general solution of these equations involving four independent fundamental solutions written in terms of combinations of the hypergeometric functions. The corresponding discrete energy spectrum is then determined via termination of the involved hypergeometric series, resulting in quasi-polynomial wave-functions. The constructed solutions lead to notable observations when compared with those for the ordinary Dirac particle. The energy spectrum for the Dirac-K\\"ahler particle in spherical space is much more complicated. Its structure substantially differs from that for the Dirac particle since it consists of two paralleled energy level series each of which is twofold degenerate. Besides, none of the two separate series coincides with the series for the Dirac particle. Thus, the Dirac--K\\"ahler field cannot be interpreted as a system of four Dirac fermions. Additional arguments supporting this conclusion are discussed.

An Accurate Analytic Approximation for Light Scattering by Non-absorbing Spherical Aerosol Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, E. R.

2017-12-01

The scattering of light by particles in the atmosphere is a ubiquitous and important phenomenon, with applications to numerous fields of science and technology. The problem of scattering of electromagnetic radiation by a uniform spherical particle can be solved by the method of Mie and Debye as a series of terms depending on the size parameter, x=2πr/λ, and the complex index of refraction, m. However, this solution does not provide insight into the dependence of the scattering on the radius of the particle, the wavelength, or the index of refraction, or how the scattering varies with relative humidity. Van de Hulst demonstrated that the scattering efficiency (the scattering cross section divided by the geometric cross section) of a non-absorbing sphere, over a wide range of particle sizes of atmospheric importance, depends not on x and m separately, but on the quantity 2x(m-1); this is the basis for the anomalous diffraction approximation. Here an analytic approximation for the scattering efficiency of a non-absorbing spherical particle is presented in terms of this new quantity that is accurate over a wide range of particle sizes of atmospheric importance and which readily displays the dependences of the scattering efficiency on particle radius, index of refraction, and wavelength. For an aerosol for which the particle size distribution is parameterized as a gamma function, this approximation also yields analytical results for the scattering coefficient and for the Ångström exponent, with the dependences of scattering properties on wavelength and index of refraction clearly displayed. This approximation provides insight into the dependence of light scattering properties on factors such as relative humidity, readily enables conversion of scattering from one index of refraction to another, and demonstrates the conditions under which the aerosol index (the product of the aerosol optical depth and the Ångström exponent) is a useful proxy for the number of cloud condensation nuclei.

Smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations of expanding HII regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisbas, Thomas G.

2009-09-01

This thesis deals with numerical simulations of expanding ionized regions, known as HII regions. We implement a new three dimensional algorithm in Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics for including the dynamical effects of the interaction between ionizing radiation and the interstellar medium. This interaction plays a crucial role in star formation at all epochs. We study the influence of ionizing radiation in spherically symmetric clouds. In particular, we study the spherically symmetric expansion of an HII region inside a uniform-density, non-self-gravitating cloud. We examine the ability of our algorithm to reproduce the known theoretical solution and we find that the agreement is very good. We also study the spherically symmetric expansion inside a uniform-density, self-gravitating cloud. We propose a new differential equation of motion for the expanding shell that includes the effects of gravity. Comparing its numerical solution with the simulations, we find that the equation predicts the position of the shell accurately. We also study the expansion of an off-centre HII region inside a uniform-density, non- self-gravitating cloud. This results in an evolution known as the rocket effect, where the ionizing radiation pushes and accelerates the cloud away from the exciting star leading to its dispersal. During this evolution, cometary knots appear as a result of Rayleigh-Taylor and Vishniac instabilities. The knots are composed of a dense head with a conic tail behind them, a structure that points towards the ionizing source. Our simulations show that these knots are very reminiscent of the observed structures in planetary nebula, such as in the Helix nebula. The last part of this thesis is dedicated to the study of cores ionized by an exciting source which is placed outside and far away from them. The evolution of these cores is known as radiation driven compression (or implosion). We perform simulations and compare our findings with results of other workers and we find that they agree very well. Using stable Bonnor-Ebert spheres, we extend our study to modelling triggered star formation within these cores as they are overrun and compressed by the incident ionizing flux. We construct a parameter space diagram and we map regions where star formation is expected to be observed. All the above results indicate that the algorithm presented in this thesis works well for treating the propagation of ionizing radiation. This new algorithm provides the means to explore and evaluate the role of ionizing radiation in regulating the efficiency and statistics of star formation.

Entropic depletion in colloidal suspensions and polymer liquids: Role of nanoparticle surface topography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Banerjee, Debapriya; Yang, Jian; Schweizer, Kenneth S.

2015-01-01

Here, we employ a hybrid Monte Carlo plus integral equation theory approach to study how dense fluids of small nanoparticles or polymer chains mediate entropic depletion interactions between topographically rough particles where all interaction potentials are hard core repulsion. The corrugated particle surfaces are composed of densely packed beads which present variable degrees of controlled topographic roughness and free volume associated with their geometric crevices. This pure entropy problem is characterized by competing ideal translational and (favorable and unfavorable) excess entropic contributions. Surface roughness generically reduces particle depletion aggregation relative to the smooth hard sphere case. However, the competition betweenmore » ideal and excess packing entropy effects in the bulk, near the particle surface and in the crevices, results in a non-monotonic variation of the particle-monomer packing correlation function as a function of the two dimensionless length scale ratios that quantify the effective surface roughness. As a result, the inter-particle potential of mean force (PMF), second virial coefficient, and spinodal miscibility volume fraction vary non-monotonically with the surface bead to monomer diameter and particle core to surface bead diameter ratios. A miscibility window is predicted corresponding to an optimum degree of surface roughness that completely destroys depletion attraction resulting in a repulsive PMF. Variation of the (dense) matrix packing fraction can enhance or suppress particle miscibility depending upon the amount of surface roughness. Connecting the monomers into polymer chains destabilizes the system via enhanced contact depletion attraction, but the non-monotonic variations with surface roughness metrics persist.« less

Polarized Radiative Transfer of a Cirrus Cloud Consisting of Randomly Oriented Hexagonal Ice Crystals: The 3 x 3 Approximation for Non-Spherical Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stamnes, S.; Ou, S. C.; Lin, Z.; Takano, Y.; Tsay, S. C.; Liou, K.N.; Stamnes, K.

2016-01-01

The reflection and transmission of polarized light for a cirrus cloud consisting of randomly oriented hexagonal columns were calculated by two very different vector radiative transfer models. The forward peak of the phase function for the ensemble-averaged ice crystals has a value of order 6 x 10(exp 3) so a truncation procedure was used to help produce numerically efficient yet accurate results. One of these models, the Vectorized Line-by-Line Equivalent model (VLBLE), is based on the doubling- adding principle, while the other is based on a vector discrete ordinates method (VDISORT). A comparison shows that the two models provide very close although not entirely identical results, which can be explained by differences in treatment of single scattering and the representation of the scattering phase matrix. The relative differences in the reflected I and Q Stokes parameters are within 0.5 for I and within 1.5 for Q for all viewing angles. In 1971 Hansen showed that for scattering by spherical particles the 3 x 3 approximation is sufficient to produce accurate results for the reflected radiance I and the degree of polarization (DOP), and he conjectured that these results would hold also for non-spherical particles. Simulations were conducted to test Hansen's conjecture for the cirrus cloud particles considered in this study. It was found that the 3 x 3 approximation also gives accurate results for the transmitted light, and for Q and U in addition to I and DOP. For these non-spherical ice particles the 3 x 3 approximation leads to an absolute error 2 x 10(exp -6) for the reflected and transmitted I, Q and U Stokes parameters. Hence, it appears to be an excellent approximation, which significantly reduces the computational complexity and burden required for multiple scattering calculations.

Polarized radiative transfer of a cirrus cloud consisting of randomly oriented hexagonal ice crystals: The 3×3 approximation for non-spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stamnes, S.; Ou, S. C.; Lin, Z.; Takano, Y.; Tsay, S. C.; Liou, K. N.; Stamnes, K.

2017-05-01

The reflection and transmission of polarized light for a cirrus cloud consisting of randomly oriented hexagonal columns were calculated by two very different vector radiative transfer models. The forward peak of the phase function for the ensemble-averaged ice crystals has a value of order 6 ×103 so a truncation procedure was used to help produce numerically efficient yet accurate results. One of these models, the Vectorized Line-by-Line Equivalent model (VLBLE), is based on the doubling-adding principle, while the other is based on a vector discrete ordinates method (VDISORT). A comparison shows that the two models provide very close although not entirely identical results, which can be explained by differences in treatment of single scattering and the representation of the scattering phase matrix. The relative differences in the reflected I and Q Stokes parameters are within 0.5% for I and within 1.5% for Q for all viewing angles. In 1971 Hansen [1] showed that for scattering by spherical particles the 3×3 approximation is sufficient to produce accurate results for the reflected radiance I and the degree of polarization (DOP), and he conjectured that these results would hold also for non-spherical particles. Simulations were conducted to test Hansen's conjecture for the cirrus cloud particles considered in this study. It was found that the 3×3 approximation also gives accurate results for the transmitted light, and for Q and U in addition to I and DOP. For these non-spherical ice particles the 3×3 approximation leads to an absolute error < 2 ×10-6 for the reflected and transmitted I, Q and U Stokes parameters. Hence, it appears to be an excellent approximation, which significantly reduces the computational complexity and burden required for multiple scattering calculations.

Effects of particle packing on the sintered microstructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barringer, E. A.; Bowen, H. K.

1988-04-01

The sintering process is shown to be critically dependent on particle-packing density and porosity uniformity. Sintering experiments were conducted on compacts consisting of monodisperse, spherical TiO2 particles. Densification kinetics and microstructure evolution for two initial packing densities, 55% and 69% of theoretical, were investigated. The lower-density compacts sintered rapidly to theoretical density, yet improved particle-packing density and uniformity significantly enhanced densification.

Ferrographic analysis of wear debris from boundary lubrication experiments with a five-ring polyphenyl ether

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. R., Jr.

1974-01-01

The types of wear particles generated by a five-ring polyphenyl ether in boundary lubrication experiments in various atmospheres were determined by ferrographic analysis. The types of wear particles observed included cylindrical or rocklike organometallic debris, adhesive and cutting wear particles, and some spherical debris. Interpretations as to the mechanism of generation of the various types of particles are presented.

Fundamental equations of a mixture of gas and small spherical solid particles from simple kinetic theory.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pai, S. I.

1973-01-01

The fundamental equations of a mixture of a gas and pseudofluid of small spherical solid particles are derived from the Boltzmann equation of two-fluid theory. The distribution function of the gas molecules is defined in the same manner as in the ordinary kinetic theory of gases, but the distribution function for the solid particles is different from that of the gas molecules, because it is necessary to take into account the different size and physical properties of solid particles. In the proposed simple kinetic theory, two additional parameters are introduced: one is the radius of the spheres and the other is the instantaneous temperature of the solid particles in the distribution of the solid particles. The Boltzmann equation for each species of the mixture is formally written, and the transfer equations of these Boltzmann equations are derived and compared to the well-known fundamental equations of the mixture of a gas and small solid particles from continuum theory. The equations obtained reveal some insight into various terms in the fundamental equations. For instance, the partial pressure of the pseudofluid of solid particles is not negligible if the volume fraction of solid particles is not negligible as in the case of lunar ash flow.

Ejection of Metal Particles into Superfluid 4He by Laser Ablation.

PubMed

Buelna, Xavier; Freund, Adam; Gonzalez, Daniel; Popov, Evgeny; Eloranta, Jussi

2016-10-05

The dynamics following laser ablation of a metal target immersed in superfluid $^4$He is studied by time-resolved shadowgraph photography. The delayed ejection of hot micrometer-sized particles from the target surface into the liquid was indirectly observed by monitoring the formation and growth of gaseous bubbles around the particles. The experimentally determined particle average velocity distribution appears similar as previously measured in vacuum but exhibits a sharp cutoff at the speed of sound of the liquid. The propagation of the subsonic particles terminates in slightly elongated non-spherical gas bubbles residing near the target whereas faster particles reveal an unusual hydrodynamic response of the liquid. Based on the previously established semi-empirical model developed for macroscopic objects, the ejected transonic particles exhibit supercavitating flow to reduce their hydrodynamic drag. Supersonic particles appear to follow a completely different propagation mechanism as they leave discrete and semi-continuous bubble trails in the liquid. The relatively low number density of the observed non-spherical gas bubbles indicates that only large micron-sized particles are visualized in the experiments. Although the unique properties of superfluid helium allow a detailed characterization of these processes, the developed technique can be used to study the hydrodynamic response of any liquid to fast propagating objects on the micrometer-scale.

Adhesion and aerodynamic forces for the resuspension of non-spherical particles in outdoor environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brambilla, Sara; Speckart, Scott; Brown, Michael J.

Particles deposited on an outdoor surface can be resuspended by wind gusts, become airborne, and be inhaled if small enough. If toxic or infectious, these particles may be dangerous for the populace health. It is therefore important to determine under which weather conditions a deposit of particle could be resuspended to implement the best response actions and plan clean-up. To this scope, one needs to consider the competing forces acting on the particle keeping it attached to the surface (gravity and adhesion) or trying to remove it (aerodynamic forces, i.e., lift and drag). Here, this article reviews the current understandingmore » of the aforementioned forces for colloidal spherical particles and extends the existing theories to rod-shaped particles, representative for instance of Bacillus spores. In particular, for the adhesion force, the Derjaguin approximation was used and the adhesion force was computed from the radii of curvature of the particle and the surface at the point of closest approach. For the aerodynamic forces, we re-derived the equations for the drag and lift forces accounting for the shape of the particle. Both smooth and rough surfaces will be discussed, the former as idealized cases, the latter as more representative of real outdoor surfaces.« less

Adhesion and aerodynamic forces for the resuspension of non-spherical particles in outdoor environments

DOE PAGES

Brambilla, Sara; Speckart, Scott; Brown, Michael J.

2017-07-26

Particles deposited on an outdoor surface can be resuspended by wind gusts, become airborne, and be inhaled if small enough. If toxic or infectious, these particles may be dangerous for the populace health. It is therefore important to determine under which weather conditions a deposit of particle could be resuspended to implement the best response actions and plan clean-up. To this scope, one needs to consider the competing forces acting on the particle keeping it attached to the surface (gravity and adhesion) or trying to remove it (aerodynamic forces, i.e., lift and drag). Here, this article reviews the current understandingmore » of the aforementioned forces for colloidal spherical particles and extends the existing theories to rod-shaped particles, representative for instance of Bacillus spores. In particular, for the adhesion force, the Derjaguin approximation was used and the adhesion force was computed from the radii of curvature of the particle and the surface at the point of closest approach. For the aerodynamic forces, we re-derived the equations for the drag and lift forces accounting for the shape of the particle. Both smooth and rough surfaces will be discussed, the former as idealized cases, the latter as more representative of real outdoor surfaces.« less

Electrophoretic ratcheting of spherical particles in a simple microfluidic device: making particles move against the direction of the net electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hanyang; Slater, Gary; Haan, Hendrick

We examine the electrophoresis of spherical particles in microfluidic devices made of alternating wells and narrow channels a type of system previously used to separate DNA molecules. Using computer simulations, we first show why it should be possible to separate particles having the same free-solution mobility using these systems in DC fields. Interestingly, in some of the systems we studied, the mobility shows an inversion as the field intensity is increased: while small particles have higher mobilities at low fields, the situation is reversed at high fields with the larger particles then moving faster. The resulting nonlinearity allows us to use asymmetric AC electric fields to build a ratchet in which particles have a net size-dependent velocity in the presence of an unbiased (zero-mean) AC field. Exploiting the inversion mentioned above, we show how to build pulsed field sequences that make particles move against the net field (an example of negative mobility). Finally, we demonstrate that it is possible to use these pulsed fields to make particles of different sizes move in opposite directions even though their charge have the same sign. Potential uses of these idea are discussed. Gary is my supervisor in my Master program.

Separating twin images and locating the center of a microparticle in dense suspensions using correlations among reconstructed fields of two parallel holograms.

PubMed

Ling, Hangjian; Katz, Joseph

2014-09-20

This paper deals with two issues affecting the application of digital holographic microscopy (DHM) for measuring the spatial distribution of particles in a dense suspension, namely discriminating between real and virtual images and accurate detection of the particle center. Previous methods to separate real and virtual fields have involved applications of multiple phase-shifted holograms, combining reconstructed fields of multiple axially displaced holograms, and analysis of intensity distributions of weakly scattering objects. Here, we introduce a simple approach based on simultaneously recording two in-line holograms, whose planes are separated by a short distance from each other. This distance is chosen to be longer than the elongated trace of the particle. During reconstruction, the real images overlap, whereas the virtual images are displaced by twice the distance between hologram planes. Data analysis is based on correlating the spatial intensity distributions of the two reconstructed fields to measure displacement between traces. This method has been implemented for both synthetic particles and a dense suspension of 2 μm particles. The correlation analysis readily discriminates between real and virtual images of a sample containing more than 1300 particles. Consequently, we can now implement DHM for three-dimensional tracking of particles when the hologram plane is located inside the sample volume. Spatial correlations within the same reconstructed field are also used to improve the detection of the axial location of the particle center, extending previously introduced procedures to suspensions of microscopic particles. For each cross section within a particle trace, we sum the correlations among intensity distributions in all planes located symmetrically on both sides of the section. This cumulative correlation has a sharp peak at the particle center. Using both synthetic and recorded particle fields, we show that the uncertainty in localizing the axial location of the center is reduced to about one particle's diameter.

Controlling placement of nonspherical (boomerang) colloids in nematic cells with photopatterned director

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Chenhui; Turiv, Taras; Zhang, Rui; Guo, Yubing; Shiyanovskii, Sergij V.; Wei, Qi-Huo; de Pablo, Juan; Lavrentovich, Oleg D.

2017-01-01

Placing colloidal particles in predesigned sites represents a major challenge of the current state-of-the-art colloidal science. Nematic liquid crystals with spatially varying director patterns represent a promising approach to achieve a well-controlled placement of colloidal particles thanks to the elastic forces between the particles and the surrounding landscape of molecular orientation. Here we demonstrate how the spatially varying director field can be used to control placement of non-spherical particles of boomerang shape. The boomerang colloids create director distortions of a dipolar symmetry. When a boomerang particle is placed in a periodic splay-bend director pattern, it migrates towards the region of a maximum bend. The behavior is contrasted to that one of spherical particles with normal surface anchoring, which also produce dipolar director distortions, but prefer to compartmentalize into the regions with a maximum splay. The splay-bend periodic landscape thus allows one to spatially separate these two types of particles. By exploring overdamped dynamics of the colloids, we determine elastic driving forces responsible for the preferential placement. Control of colloidal locations through patterned molecular orientation can be explored for future applications in microfluidic, lab on a chip, sensing and sorting devices.

Controlling placement of nonspherical (boomerang) colloids in nematic cells with photopatterned director.

PubMed

Peng, Chenhui; Turiv, Taras; Zhang, Rui; Guo, Yubing; Shiyanovskii, Sergij V; Wei, Qi-Huo; de Pablo, Juan; Lavrentovich, Oleg D

2017-01-11

Placing colloidal particles in predesigned sites represents a major challenge of the current state-of-the-art colloidal science. Nematic liquid crystals with spatially varying director patterns represent a promising approach to achieve a well-controlled placement of colloidal particles thanks to the elastic forces between the particles and the surrounding landscape of molecular orientation. Here we demonstrate how the spatially varying director field can be used to control placement of non-spherical particles of boomerang shape. The boomerang colloids create director distortions of a dipolar symmetry. When a boomerang particle is placed in a periodic splay-bend director pattern, it migrates towards the region of a maximum bend. The behavior is contrasted to that one of spherical particles with normal surface anchoring, which also produce dipolar director distortions, but prefer to compartmentalize into the regions with a maximum splay. The splay-bend periodic landscape thus allows one to spatially separate these two types of particles. By exploring overdamped dynamics of the colloids, we determine elastic driving forces responsible for the preferential placement. Control of colloidal locations through patterned molecular orientation can be explored for future applications in microfluidic, lab on a chip, sensing and sorting devices.

Penetration of Fiber Versus Spherical Particles Through Filter Media and Faceseal Leakage of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators with Cyclic Flow

PubMed Central

Cho, Kyungmin Jacob; Turkevich, Leonid; Miller, Matthew; McKay, Roy; Grinshpun, Sergey A.; Ha, KwonChul; Reponen, Tiina

2015-01-01

This study investigated differences in penetration between fibers and spherical particles through faceseal leakage of an N95 filtering facepiece respirator. Three cyclic breathing flows were generated corresponding to mean inspiratory flow rates (MIF) of 15, 30, and 85 L/min. Fibers had a mean diameter of 1 μm and a median length of 4.9 μm (calculated aerodynamic diameter, dae = 1.73 μm). Monodisperse polystyrene spheres with a mean physical diameter of 1.01 μm (PSI) and 1.54 μm (PSII) were used for comparison (calculated dae = 1.05 and 1.58 μm, respectively). Two optical particle counters simultaneously determined concentrations inside and outside the respirator. Geometric means (GMs) for filter penetration of the fibers were 0.06, 0.09, and 0.08% at MIF of 15, 30, and 85 L/min, respectively. Corresponding values for PSI were 0.07, 0.12, and 0.12%. GMs for faceseal penetration of fibers were 0.40, 0.14, and 0.09% at MIF of 15, 30, and 85 L/min, respectively. Corresponding values for PSI were 0.96, 0.41, and 0.17%. Faceseal penetration decreased with increased breathing rate for both types of particles (p ≤ 0.001). GMs of filter and faceseal penetration of PSII at an MIF of 30 L/min were 0.14% and 0.36%, respectively. Filter penetration and faceseal penetration of fibers were significantly lower than those of PSI (p < 0.001) and PSII (p < 0.003). This confirmed that higher penetration of PSI was not due to slightly smaller aerodynamic diameter, indicating that the shape of fibers rather than their calculated mean aerodynamic diameter is a prevailing factor on deposition mechanisms through the tested respirator. In conclusion, faceseal penetration of fibers and spherical particles decreased with increasing breathing rate, which can be explained by increased capture by impaction. Spherical particles had 2.0–2.8 times higher penetration through faceseal leaks and 1.1–1.5 higher penetration through filter media than fibers, which can be attributed to differences in interception losses. PMID:23339437

Penetration of fiber versus spherical particles through filter media and faceseal leakage of N95 filtering facepiece respirators with cyclic flow.

PubMed

Cho, Kyungmin Jacob; Turkevich, Leonid; Miller, Matthew; McKay, Roy; Grinshpun, Sergey A; Ha, KwonChul; Reponen, Tiina

2013-01-01

This study investigated differences in penetration between fibers and spherical particles through faceseal leakage of an N95 filtering facepiece respirator. Three cyclic breathing flows were generated corresponding to mean inspiratory flow rates (MIF) of 15, 30, and 85 L/min. Fibers had a mean diameter of 1 μm and a median length of 4.9 μm (calculated aerodynamic diameter, d(ae) = 1.73 μm). Monodisperse polystyrene spheres with a mean physical diameter of 1.01 μm (PSI) and 1.54 μm (PSII) were used for comparison (calculated d(ae) = 1.05 and 1.58 μm, respectively). Two optical particle counters simultaneously determined concentrations inside and outside the respirator. Geometric means (GMs) for filter penetration of the fibers were 0.06, 0.09, and 0.08% at MIF of 15, 30, and 85 L/min, respectively. Corresponding values for PSI were 0.07, 0.12, and 0.12%. GMs for faceseal penetration of fibers were 0.40, 0.14, and 0.09% at MIF of 15, 30, and 85 L/min, respectively. Corresponding values for PSI were 0.96, 0.41, and 0.17%. Faceseal penetration decreased with increased breathing rate for both types of particles (p ≤ 0.001). GMs of filter and faceseal penetration of PSII at an MIF of 30 L/min were 0.14% and 0.36%, respectively. Filter penetration and faceseal penetration of fibers were significantly lower than those of PSI (p < 0.001) and PSII (p < 0.003). This confirmed that higher penetration of PSI was not due to slightly smaller aerodynamic diameter, indicating that the shape of fibers rather than their calculated mean aerodynamic diameter is a prevailing factor on deposition mechanisms through the tested respirator. In conclusion, faceseal penetration of fibers and spherical particles decreased with increasing breathing rate, which can be explained by increased capture by impaction. Spherical particles had 2.0-2.8 times higher penetration through faceseal leaks and 1.1-1.5 higher penetration through filter media than fibers, which can be attributed to differences in interception losses.

Small cell foams containing a modified dense star polymer or dendrimer as a nucleating agent

DOEpatents

Hedstrand, David M.; Tomalia, Donald A.

1995-01-01

A small cell foam having a modified dense star polymer or dendrimer is described. This modified dense star polymer or dendrimer has a highly branched interior of one monomeric composition and an exterior structure of a different monomeric composition capable of providing a hydrophobic outer shell and a particle diameter of from about 5 to about 1,000 nm with a matrix polymer.

Small cell foams containing a modified dense star polymer or dendrimer as a nucleating agent

DOEpatents

Hedstrand, D.M.; Tomalia, D.A.

1995-02-28

A small cell foam having a modified dense star polymer or dendrimer is described. This modified dense star polymer or dendrimer has a highly branched interior of one monomeric composition and an exterior structure of a different monomeric composition capable of providing a hydrophobic outer shell and a particle diameter of from about 5 to about 1,000 nm with a matrix polymer.

Surface Modification of Zirconia Substrate by Calcium Phosphate Particles Using Sol-Gel Method.

PubMed

Jin, So Dam; Um, Sang Cheol; Lee, Jong Kook

2015-08-01

Surface modification with a biphasic composition of hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) was performed on a zirconia substrate using a sol-gel method. An initial calcium phosphate sol was prepared by mixing a solution of Ca(NO3)2 · 4H20 and (C2H5O)3P(O), while both porous and dense zirconia were used as substrates. The sol-gel coating was performed using a spin coater. The coated porous zirconia substrate was re-sintered at 1350 °C 2 h, while coated dense zirconia substrate was heat-treated at 750 °C 1 h. The microstructure of the resultant HA/TCP coatings was found to be dependent on the type of zirconia substrate used. With porous zirconia as a starting substrate, numerous isolated calcium phosphate particles (TCP and HA) were uniformly dispersed on the surface, and the particle size and covered area were dependent on the viscosity of the calcium phosphate sol. Conversely, when dense zirconia was used as a starting substrate, a thick film of nano-sized HA particles was obtained after heat treatment, however, substantial agglomeration and cracking was also observed.

Erosion characteristics of ethylene propylene diene monomer composite insulation by high-temperature dense particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiang; Guo, Meng-fei; Lv, Xiang; Liu, Yang; Xi, Kun; Guan, Yi-wen

2018-04-01

In this study, a dense particles erosion test motor which can simulate the erosion state of a solid rocket motor under high acceleration was developed. Subsequently, erosion experiments were carried out for the ethylene propylene diene monomer composite insulation and the microstructure of the char layer analysed. A turning point effect was found from the influence of the particle impact velocity on the ablation rate, and three erosion modes were determined according to the micro-morphology of the char layer. A reasonable explanation for the different structures of the char layer in the three modes was presented based on the formation mechanism of the compact/loose structure of the char layer.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zardecki, A.

The effect of multiple scattering on the validity of the Beer-Lambert law is discussed for a wide range of particle-size parameters and optical depths. To predict the amount of received radiant power, appropriate correction terms are introduced. For particles larger than or comparable to the wavelength of radiation, the small-angle approximation is adequate; whereas for small densely packed particles, the diffusion theory is advantageously employed. These two approaches are used in the context of the problem of laser-beam propagation in a dense aerosol medium. In addition, preliminary results obtained by using a two-dimensional finite-element discrete-ordinates transport code are described. Multiple-scatteringmore » effects for laser propagation in fog, cloud, rain, and aerosol cloud are modeled.« less

Nonspherical particles in a pseudo-2D fluidized bed: Experimental study.

PubMed

Mahajan, Vinay V; Padding, Johan T; Nijssen, Tim M J; Buist, Kay A; Kuipers, J A M

2018-05-01

Fluidization is widely used in industries and has been extensively studied, both experimentally and theoretically, in the past. However, most of these studies focus on spherical particles while in practice granules are rarely spherical. Particle shape can have a significant effect on fluidization characteristics. It is therefore important to study the effect of particle shape on fluidization behavior in detail. In this study, experiments in pseudo-2D fluidized beds are used to characterize the fluidization of spherocylindrical (rod-like) Geldart D particles of aspect ratio 4. Pressure drop and optical measurement methods (Digital Image Analysis, Particle Image Velocimetry, Particle Tracking Velocimetry) are employed to measure bed height, particle orientation, particle circulation, stacking, and coordination number. The commonly used correlations to determine the pressure drop across a bed of nonspherical particles are compared to experiments. Experimental observations and measurements have shown that rod-like particles are prone to interlocking and channeling behavior. Well above the minimum fluidization velocity, vigorous bubbling fluidization is observed, with groups of interlocked particles moving upwards, breaking up, being thrown high in the freeboard region and slowly raining down as dispersed phase. At high flowrates, a circulation pattern develops with particles moving up through the center and down at the walls. Particles tend to orient themselves along the flow direction. © 2018 The Authors AIChE Journal published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers , 64: 1573-1590, 2018.

Nonspherical particles in a pseudo‐2D fluidized bed: Experimental study

PubMed Central

Mahajan, Vinay V.; Nijssen, Tim M. J.; Buist, Kay A.; Kuipers, J. A. M.

2018-01-01

Fluidization is widely used in industries and has been extensively studied, both experimentally and theoretically, in the past. However, most of these studies focus on spherical particles while in practice granules are rarely spherical. Particle shape can have a significant effect on fluidization characteristics. It is therefore important to study the effect of particle shape on fluidization behavior in detail. In this study, experiments in pseudo‐2D fluidized beds are used to characterize the fluidization of spherocylindrical (rod‐like) Geldart D particles of aspect ratio 4. Pressure drop and optical measurement methods (Digital Image Analysis, Particle Image Velocimetry, Particle Tracking Velocimetry) are employed to measure bed height, particle orientation, particle circulation, stacking, and coordination number. The commonly used correlations to determine the pressure drop across a bed of nonspherical particles are compared to experiments. Experimental observations and measurements have shown that rod‐like particles are prone to interlocking and channeling behavior. Well above the minimum fluidization velocity, vigorous bubbling fluidization is observed, with groups of interlocked particles moving upwards, breaking up, being thrown high in the freeboard region and slowly raining down as dispersed phase. At high flowrates, a circulation pattern develops with particles moving up through the center and down at the walls. Particles tend to orient themselves along the flow direction. © 2018 The Authors AIChE Journal published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1573–1590, 2018 PMID:29706659

An Ellipsoidal Particle-Finite Element Method for Hypervelocity Impact Simulation. Chapter 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shivarama, Ravishankar; Fahrenthold, Eric P.

2004-01-01

A number of coupled particle-element and hybrid particle-element methods have been developed for the simulation of hypervelocity impact problems, to avoid certain disadvantages associated with the use of pure continuum based or pure particle based methods. To date these methods have employed spherical particles. In recent work a hybrid formulation has been extended to the ellipsoidal particle case. A model formulation approach based on Lagrange's equations, with particles entropies serving as generalized coordinates, avoids the angular momentum conservation problems which have been reported with ellipsoidal smooth particle hydrodynamics models.

Method of making monodisperse nanoparticles

DOEpatents

Fan, Hongyon; Sun, Zaicheng

2012-10-16

A method of making particles of either spherical or cylindrical geometry with a characteristic diameter less than 50 nanometers by mixing at least one structure directing agent dissolved in a solvent with at least one amphiphilic block copolymer dissolved in a solvent to make a solution containing particles, where the particles can be subsequently separated and dispersed in a solvent of choice.

Covalent bonding of polycations to small polymeric particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rembaum, A.

1975-01-01

Process produces small spherical polymeric particles which have polycations bound to them. In emulsion form, particles present large positively charged surface which is available to absorb polyanions. This properly can be used in removing heparin from blood or bile acids from the digestive tract. Other anions, such as DNA and RNA, can also be removed from aqueous solutions.

Electromagnetic Scattering by Spheroidal Volumes of Discrete Random Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dlugach, Janna M.; Mishchenko, Michael I.

2017-01-01

We use the superposition T-matrix method to compare the far-field scattering matrices generated by spheroidal and spherical volumes of discrete random medium having the same volume and populated by identical spherical particles. Our results fully confirm the robustness of the previously identified coherent and diffuse scattering regimes and associated optical phenomena exhibited by spherical particulate volumes and support their explanation in terms of the interference phenomenon coupled with the order-of-scattering expansion of the far-field Foldy equations. We also show that increasing non-sphericity of particulate volumes causes discernible (albeit less pronounced) optical effects in forward and backscattering directions and explain them in terms of the same interference/multiple-scattering phenomenon.

Geometrical Optics of Dense Aerosols

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hay, Michael J.; Valeo, Ernest J.; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2013-04-24

Assembling a free-standing, sharp-edged slab of homogeneous material that is much denser than gas, but much more rare ed than a solid, is an outstanding technological challenge. The solution may lie in focusing a dense aerosol to assume this geometry. However, whereas the geometrical optics of dilute aerosols is a well-developed fi eld, the dense aerosol limit is mostly unexplored. Yet controlling the geometrical optics of dense aerosols is necessary in preparing such a material slab. Focusing dense aerosols is shown here to be possible, but the nite particle density reduces the eff ective Stokes number of the flow, amore » critical result for controlled focusing. __________________________________________________« less

Light scattering by nonspherical particles: Remote sensing and climatic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, K. N.; Takano, Y.

Calculations of the scattering and adsorption properties of ice crystals and aerosols, which are usually nonspherical, require specific methodologies. There is no unique theoretical solution for the scattering by nonspherical particles. Practically, all the numerical solutions for the scattering of nonspherical particles, including the exact wave equation approach, integral equation method, and discrete-dipole approximation, are applicable only to size parameters less than about 20. Thus, these methods are useful for the study of radiation problems involving nonspherical aerosols and small ice crystals in the thermal infrared wavelengths. The geometric optics approximation has been used to evaluate the scattering, absorption and polarization properties of hexagonal ice crystals whose sizes are much larger than the incident wavelength. This approximation is generally valid for hexagonal ice crystals with size parameters larger than about 30. From existing laboratory data and theoretical results, we illustrate that nonspherical particles absorb less and have a smaller asymmetry factor than the equal-projected area/volume spherical counterparts. In particular, we show that hexagonal ice crystals exhibit numerous halo and arc features that cannot be obtained from spherical particles; and that ice crystals scatter more light in the 60° to 140° scattering angle regions than the spherical counterparts. Satellite remote sensing of the optical depth and height of cirrus clouds using visible and IR channels must use appropriate phase functions for ice crystals. Use of an equivalent sphere model would lead to a significant overestimation and underestimation of the cirrus optical depth and height, respectively. Interpretation of the measurements for polarization reflected from sunlight involving cirrus clouds cannot be made without an appropriate ice crystal model. Large deviations exist for the polarization patterns between spheres and hexagonal ice crystals. Interpretation of lidar backscattering and depolarization signals must also utilize the scattering characteristics of hexagonal ice crystals. Equivalent spherical models substantially underestimate the broadband solar albedos of ice crystal clouds because of stronger forward scattering and larger absorption by spherical particles than hexagonal ice crystals. We illustrate that the net cloud radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere involving most cirrus clouds is positive, implying that the IR greenhouse effect outweighs the solar albedo effect. If the radiative properties of equivalent spheres are used, a significant increase in cloud radiative forcing occurs. Using a one-dimensional cloud and climate model, we further demonstrate that there is sufficient model sensitivity, in terms of temperature increase, to the use of ice crystal models in radiation calculations.

Crystallization of Deformable Spherical Colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batista, Vera M. O.; Miller, Mark A.

2010-08-01

We introduce and characterize a first-order model for a generic class of colloidal particles that have a preferred spherical shape but can undergo deformations while always maintaining hard-body interactions. The model consists of hard spheres that can continuously change shape at fixed volume into prolate or oblate ellipsoids of revolution, subject to an energetic penalty. The severity of this penalty is specified by a single parameter that determines the flexibility of the particles. The deformable hard spheres crystallize at higher packing fractions than rigid hard spheres, have a narrower solid-fluid coexistence region and can reach high densities by a second transition to an orientationally ordered crystal.

Resonant inelastic scattering by use of geometrical optics.

PubMed

Schulte, Jörg; Schweiger, Gustav

2003-02-01

We investigate the inelastic scattering on spherical particles that contain one concentric inclusion in the case of input and output resonances, using a geometrical optics method. The excitation of resonances is included in geometrical optics by use of the concept of tunneled rays. To get a quantitative description of optical tunneling on spherical surfaces, we derive appropriate Fresnel-type reflection and transmission coefficients for the tunneled rays. We calculate the inelastic scattering cross section in the case of input and output resonances and investigate the influence of the distribution of the active material in the particle as well as the influence of the inclusion on inelastic scattering.

Coherent Backscattering by Polydisperse Discrete Random Media: Exact T-Matrix Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mishchenko, Michael I.; Dlugach, Janna M.; Mackowski, Daniel W.

2011-01-01

The numerically exact superposition T-matrix method is used to compute, for the first time to our knowledge, electromagnetic scattering by finite spherical volumes composed of polydisperse mixtures of spherical particles with different size parameters or different refractive indices. The backscattering patterns calculated in the far-field zone of the polydisperse multiparticle volumes reveal unequivocally the classical manifestations of the effect of weak localization of electromagnetic waves in discrete random media, thereby corroborating the universal interference nature of coherent backscattering. The polarization opposition effect is shown to be the least robust manifestation of weak localization fading away with increasing particle size parameter.

Optical double-slit particle measuring system

DOEpatents

Tichenor, D.A.; Wang, J.C.F.; Hencken, K.R.

1982-03-25

A method for in situ measurement of particle size is described. The size information is obtained by scanning an image of the particle across a double-slit mask and observing the transmitted light. This method is useful when the particle size of primary interest is 3..mu..m and larger. The technique is well suited to applications in which the particles are non-spherical and have unknown refractive index. It is particularly well suited to high temperature environments in which the particle incandescence provides the light source.

Optical double-slit particle measuring system

DOEpatents

Hencken, Kenneth R.; Tichenor, Daniel A.; Wang, James C. F.

1984-01-01

A method for in situ measurement of particle size is described. The size information is obtained by scanning an image of the particle across a double-slit mask and observing the transmitted light. This method is useful when the particle size of primary interest is 3 .mu.m and larger. The technique is well suited to applications in which the particles are non-spherical and have unknown refractive index. It is particularly well suited to high temperature environments in which the particle incandescence provides the light source.

Entropy-based separation of yeast cells using a microfluidic system of conjoined spheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Kai-Jian; Qin, S.-J., E-mail: shuijie.qin@gmail.com; Bai, Zhong-Chen

2013-11-21

A physical model is derived to create a biological cell separator that is based on controlling the entropy in a microfluidic system having conjoined spherical structures. A one-dimensional simplified model of this three-dimensional problem in terms of the corresponding effects of entropy on the Brownian motion of particles is presented. This dynamic mechanism is based on the Langevin equation from statistical thermodynamics and takes advantage of the characteristics of the Fokker-Planck equation. This mechanism can be applied to manipulate biological particles inside a microfluidic system with identical, conjoined, spherical compartments. This theoretical analysis is verified by performing a rapid andmore » a simple technique for separating yeast cells in these conjoined, spherical microfluidic structures. The experimental results basically match with our theoretical model and we further analyze the parameters which can be used to control this separation mechanism. Both numerical simulations and experimental results show that the motion of the particles depends on the geometrical boundary conditions of the microfluidic system and the initial concentration of the diffusing material. This theoretical model can be implemented in future biophysics devices for the optimized design of passive cell sorters.« less

Correlated matrix-fluctuation-mediated activated transport of dilute penetrants in glass-forming liquids and suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Rui; Schweizer, Kenneth S.

2017-05-01

We formulate a microscopic, force-level statistical mechanical theory for the activated diffusion of dilute penetrants in dense liquids, colloidal suspensions, and glasses. The approach explicitly and self-consistently accounts for coupling between penetrant hopping and matrix dynamic displacements that actively facilitate the hopping event. The key new ideas involve two mechanistically (at a stochastic trajectory level) coupled dynamic free energy functions for the matrix and spherical penetrant particles. A single dynamic coupling parameter quantifies how much the matrix displaces relative to the penetrant when the latter reaches its transition state which is determined via the enforcement of a temporal causality or coincidence condition. The theory is implemented for dilute penetrants smaller than the matrix particles, with or without penetrant-matrix attractive forces. Model calculations reveal a rich dependence of the penetrant diffusion constant and degree of dynamic coupling on size ratio, volume fraction, and attraction strength. In the absence of attractions, a near exponential decrease of penetrant diffusivity with size ratio over an intermediate range is predicted, in contrast to the much steeper, non-exponential variation if one assumes local matrix dynamical fluctuations are not correlated with penetrant motion. For sticky penetrants, the relative and absolute influence of caging versus physical bond formation is studied. The conditions for a dynamic crossover from the case where a time scale separation between penetrant and matrix activated hopping exists to a "slaved" or "constraint release" fully coupled regime are determined. The particle mixture model is mapped to treat experimental thermal systems and applied to make predictions for the diffusivity of water, toluene, methanol, and oxygen in polyvinylacetate liquids and glasses. The theory agrees well with experiment with values of the penetrant-matrix size ratio close to their chemically intuitive values.

Formation of Plasma Around a Small Meteoroid: Simulation and Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugar, G.; Oppenheim, M. M.; Dimant, Y. S.; Close, S.

2018-05-01

High-power large-aperture radars detect meteors by reflecting radio waves off dense plasma that surrounds a hypersonic meteoroid as it ablates in the Earth's atmosphere. If the plasma density profile around the meteoroid is known, the plasma's radar cross section can be used to estimate meteoroid properties such as mass, density, and composition. This paper presents head echo plasma density distributions obtained via two numerical simulations of a small ablating meteoroid and compares the results to an analytical solution found in Dimant and Oppenheim (2017a, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA023960, 2017b, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA023963). The first simulation allows ablated meteoroid particles to experience only a single collision to match an assumption in the analytical solution, while the second is a more realistic simulation by allowing multiple collisions. The simulation and analytical results exhibit similar plasma density distributions. At distances much less than λT, the average distance an ablated particle travels from the meteoroid before a collision with an atmospheric particle, the plasma density falls off as 1/R, where R is the distance from the meteoroid center. At distances substantially greater than λT, the plasma density profile has an angular dependence, falling off as 1/R2 directly behind the meteoroid, 1/R3 in a plane perpendicular to the meteoroid's path that contains the meteoroid center, and exp[-1.5(R/λT2/3)]/R in front of the meteoroid. When used for calculating meteoroid masses, this new plasma density model can give masses that are orders of magnitude different than masses calculated from a spherically symmetric Gaussian distribution, which has been used to calculate masses in the past.

Correlated matrix-fluctuation-mediated activated transport of dilute penetrants in glass-forming liquids and suspensions

PubMed Central

Schweizer, Kenneth S.

2017-01-01

We formulate a microscopic, force-level statistical mechanical theory for the activated diffusion of dilute penetrants in dense liquids, colloidal suspensions, and glasses. The approach explicitly and self-consistently accounts for coupling between penetrant hopping and matrix dynamic displacements that actively facilitate the hopping event. The key new ideas involve two mechanistically (at a stochastic trajectory level) coupled dynamic free energy functions for the matrix and spherical penetrant particles. A single dynamic coupling parameter quantifies how much the matrix displaces relative to the penetrant when the latter reaches its transition state which is determined via the enforcement of a temporal causality or coincidence condition. The theory is implemented for dilute penetrants smaller than the matrix particles, with or without penetrant-matrix attractive forces. Model calculations reveal a rich dependence of the penetrant diffusion constant and degree of dynamic coupling on size ratio, volume fraction, and attraction strength. In the absence of attractions, a near exponential decrease of penetrant diffusivity with size ratio over an intermediate range is predicted, in contrast to the much steeper, non-exponential variation if one assumes local matrix dynamical fluctuations are not correlated with penetrant motion. For sticky penetrants, the relative and absolute influence of caging versus physical bond formation is studied. The conditions for a dynamic crossover from the case where a time scale separation between penetrant and matrix activated hopping exists to a “slaved” or “constraint release” fully coupled regime are determined. The particle mixture model is mapped to treat experimental thermal systems and applied to make predictions for the diffusivity of water, toluene, methanol, and oxygen in polyvinylacetate liquids and glasses. The theory agrees well with experiment with values of the penetrant-matrix size ratio close to their chemically intuitive values. PMID:28527449

Tunability and stability of gold nanoparticles obtained from chloroauric acid and sodium thiosulfate reaction

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

In the quest for producing an effective, clinically relevant therapeutic agent, scalability, repeatability, and stability are paramount. In this paper, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with precisely controlled near-infrared (NIR) absorption are synthesized by a single-step reaction of HAuCl4 and Na2S2O3 without assistance of additional templates, capping reagents, or seeds. The anisotropy in the shape of gold nanoparticles offers high NIR absorption, making it therapeutically relevant. The synthesized products consist of GNPs with different shapes and sizes, including small spherical colloid gold particles and non-spherical gold crystals. The NIR absorption wavelengths and particle size increase with increasing molar ratio of HAuCl4/Na2S2O3. Non-spherical gold particles can be further purified and separated by centrifugation to improve the NIR-absorbing fraction of particles. In-depth studies reveal that GNPs with good structural and optical stability only form in a certain range of the HAuCl4/Na2S2O3 molar ratio, whereas higher molar ratios result in unstable GNPs, which lose their NIR absorption peak due to decomposition and reassembly via Ostwald ripening. Tuning the optical absorption of the gold nanoparticles in the NIR regime via a robust and repeatable method will improve many applications requiring large quantities of desired NIR-absorbing nanoparticles. PMID:22726762

Numerical Simulation of Dry Granular Flow Impacting a Rigid Wall Using the Discrete Element Method

PubMed Central

Wu, Fengyuan; Fan, Yunyun; Liang, Li; Wang, Chao

2016-01-01

This paper presents a clump model based on Discrete Element Method. The clump model was more close to the real particle than a spherical particle. Numerical simulations of several tests of dry granular flow impacting a rigid wall flowing in an inclined chute have been achieved. Five clump models with different sphericity have been used in the simulations. By comparing the simulation results with the experimental results of normal force on the rigid wall, a clump model with better sphericity was selected to complete the following numerical simulation analysis and discussion. The calculation results of normal force showed good agreement with the experimental results, which verify the effectiveness of the clump model. Then, total normal force and bending moment of the rigid wall and motion process of the granular flow were further analyzed. Finally, comparison analysis of the numerical simulations using the clump model with different grain composition was obtained. By observing normal force on the rigid wall and distribution of particle size at the front of the rigid wall at the final state, the effect of grain composition on the force of the rigid wall has been revealed. It mainly showed that, with the increase of the particle size, the peak force at the retaining wall also increase. The result can provide a basis for the research of relevant disaster and the design of protective structures. PMID:27513661

Grained composite materials prepared by combustion synthesis under mechanical pressure

DOEpatents

Dunmead, Stephen D.; Holt, Joseph B.; Kingman, Donald D.; Munir, Zuhair A.

1990-01-01

Dense, finely grained composite materials comprising one or more ceramic phase or phase and one or more metallic and/or intermetallic phase or phases are produced by combustion synthesis. Spherical ceramic grains are homogeneously dispersed within the matrix. Methods are provided, which include the step of applying mechanical pressure during or immediately after ignition, by which the microstructures in the resulting composites can be controllably selected.