Calculation of sheath and wake structure about a pillbox-shaped spacecraft in a flowing plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, L. W.

1977-01-01

A computer program was used for studies of the disturbed zones around bodies in flowing plasmas, particularly spacecraft and their associated sheaths and wakes. The program solved a coupled Poisson-Vlasov system of nonlinear partial differential integral equations to obtain distributions of electric potential and ion and electron density about a finite length cylinder in a plasma flow at arbitrary ion Mach numbers. The approach was applicable to a larger range of parameters than other available approaches. In sample calculations, bodies up to 100 Debye lengths in radius were treated, that is, larger than any previously treated realistically. Applications were made to in-situ satellite experiments.

A simulation study of radial expansion of an electron beam injected into an ionospheric plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koga, J.; Lin, C. S.

1994-01-01

Injections of nonrelativistic electron beams from a finite equipotential conductor into an ionospheric plasma have been simulated using a two-dimensional electrostatic particle code. The purpose of the study is to survey the simulation parameters for understanding the dependence of beam radius on physical variables. The conductor is charged to a high potential when the background plasma density is less than the beam density. Beam electrons attracted by the charged conductor are decelerated to zero velocity near the stagnation point, which is at a few Debye lengths from the conductor. The simulations suggest that the beam electrons at the stagnation point receive a large transverse kick and the beam expands radially thereafter. The buildup of beam electrons at the stagnation point produces a large electrostatic force responsible for the transverse kick. However, for the weak charging cases where the background plasma density is larger than the beam density, the radial expansion mechanism is different; the beam plasma instability is found to be responsible for the radial expansion. The simulations show that the electron beam radius for high spacecraft charging cases is of the order of the beam gyroradius, defined as the beam velocity divided by the gyrofrequency. In the weak charging cases, the beam radius is only a fraction of the beam gyroradius. The parameter survey indicates that the beam radius increases with beam density and decreases with magnetic field and beam velocity. The beam radius normalized by the beam gyroradius is found to scale according to the ratio of the beam electron Debye length to the ambient electron Debye length. The parameter dependence deduced would be useful for interpreting the beam radius and beam density of electron beam injection experiments conducted from rockets and the space shuttle.

Stern potential and Debye length measurements in dilute ionic solutions with electrostatic force microscopy.

PubMed

Kumar, Bharat; Crittenden, Scott R

2013-11-01

We demonstrate the ability to measure Stern potential and Debye length in dilute ionic solution with atomic force microscopy. We develop an analytic expression for the second harmonic force component of the capacitive force in an ionic solution from the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation. This allows us to calibrate the AFM tip potential and, further, obtain the Stern potential of sample surfaces. In addition, the measured capacitive force is independent of van der Waals and double layer forces, thus providing a more accurate measure of Debye length.

The electrostatic persistence length of polymers beyond the OSF limit.

PubMed

Everaers, R; Milchev, A; Yamakov, V

2002-05-01

We use large-scale Monte Carlo simulations to test scaling theories for the electrostatic persistence length l(e) of isolated, uniformly charged polymers with Debye-Hückel intrachain interactions in the limit where the screening length kappa(-1) exceeds the intrinsic persistence length of the chains. Our simulations cover a significantly larger part of the parameter space than previous studies. We observe no significant deviations from the prediction l(e) proportional to kappa(-2) by Khokhlov and Khachaturian which is based on applying the Odijk-Skolnick-Fixman theories of electrostatic bending rigidity and electrostatically excluded volume to the stretched de Gennes-Pincus-Velasco-Brochard polyelectrolyte blob chain. A linear or sublinear dependence of the persistence length on the screening length can be ruled out. We show that previous results pointing into this direction are due to a combination of excluded-volume and finite chain length effects. The paper emphasizes the role of scaling arguments in the development of useful representations for experimental and simulation data.

Effective Debye length in closed nanoscopic systems: a competition between two length scales.

PubMed

Tessier, Frédéric; Slater, Gary W

2006-02-01

The Poisson-Boltzmann equation (PBE) is widely employed in fields where the thermal motion of free ions is relevant, in particular in situations involving electrolytes in the vicinity of charged surfaces. The applications of this non-linear differential equation usually concern open systems (in osmotic equilibrium with an electrolyte reservoir, a semi-grand canonical ensemble), while solutions for closed systems (where the number of ions is fixed, a canonical ensemble) are either not appropriately distinguished from the former or are dismissed as a numerical calculation exercise. We consider herein the PBE for a confined, symmetric, univalent electrolyte and quantify how, in addition to the Debye length, its solution also depends on a second length scale, which embodies the contribution of ions by the surface (which may be significant in high surface-to-volume ratio micro- or nanofluidic capillaries). We thus establish that there are four distinct regimes for such systems, corresponding to the limits of the two parameters. We also show how the PBE in this case can be formulated in a familiar way by simply replacing the traditional Debye length by an effective Debye length, the value of which is obtained numerically from conservation conditions. But we also show that a simple expression for the value of the effective Debye length, obtained within a crude approximation, remains accurate even as the system size is reduced to nanoscopic dimensions, and well beyond the validity range typically associated with the solution of the PBE.

Measurement of Debye length in laser-produced plasma.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ehler, W.

1973-01-01

The Debye length of an expanded plasma created by placing an evacuated chamber with an entrance slit in the path of a freely expanding laser produced plasma was measured, using the slab geometry. An independent measurement of electron density together with the observed value for the Debye length also provided a means for evaluating the plasma electron temperature. This temperature has applications in ascertaining plasma conductivity and magnetic field necessary for confinement of the laser produced plasma. Also, the temperature obtained would be useful in analyzing electron-ion recombination rates in the expanded plasma and the dynamics of the cooling process of the plasma expansion.

Nonlinear effects on electrophoresis of a charged dielectric nanoparticle in a charged hydrogel medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, S.; De, Simanta

2016-09-01

The impact of the solid polarization of a charged dielectric particle in gel electrophoresis is studied without imposing a weak-field or a thin Debye length assumption. The electric polarization of a dielectric particle due to an external electric field creates a non-uniform surface charge density, which in turn creates a non-uniform Debye layer at the solid-gel interface. The solid polarization of the particle, the polarization of the double layer, and the electro-osmosis of mobile ions within the hydrogel medium create a nonlinear effect on the electrophoresis. We have incorporated those nonlinear effects by considering the electrokinetics governed by the Stokes-Brinkman-Nernst-Planck-Poisson equations. We have computed the governing nonlinear coupled set of equations numerically by adopting a finite volume based iterative algorithm. Our numerical method is tested for accuracy by comparing with several existing results on free-solution electrophoresis as well as results based on the Debye-Hückel approximation. Our computed result shows that the electrophoretic velocity decreases with the rise of the particle dielectric permittivity constant and attains a saturation limit at large values of permittivity. A significant impact of the solid polarization is found in gel electrophoresis compared to the free-solution electrophoresis.

The Electrostatic Screening Length in Concentrated Electrolytes Increases with Concentration.

PubMed

Smith, Alexander M; Lee, Alpha A; Perkin, Susan

2016-06-16

According to classical electrolyte theories interactions in dilute (low ion density) electrolytes decay exponentially with distance, with the Debye screening length the characteristic length scale. This decay length decreases monotonically with increasing ion concentration due to effective screening of charges over short distances. Thus, within the Debye model no long-range forces are expected in concentrated electrolytes. Here we reveal, using experimental detection of the interaction between two planar charged surfaces across a wide range of electrolytes, that beyond the dilute (Debye-Hückel) regime the screening length increases with increasing concentration. The screening lengths for all electrolytes studied-including aqueous NaCl solutions, ionic liquids diluted with propylene carbonate, and pure ionic liquids-collapse onto a single curve when scaled by the dielectric constant. This nonmonotonic variation of the screening length with concentration, and its generality across ionic liquids and aqueous salt solutions, demonstrates an important characteristic of concentrated electrolytes of substantial relevance from biology to energy storage.

Quadrupole terms in the Maxwell equations: Debye-Hückel theory in quadrupolarizable solvent and self-salting-out of electrolytes.

PubMed

Slavchov, Radomir I

2014-04-28

If the molecules of a given solvent possess significant quadrupolar moment, the macroscopic Maxwell equations must involve the contribution of the density of the quadrupolar moment to the electric displacement field. This modifies the Poisson-Boltzmann equation and all consequences from it. In this work, the structure of the diffuse atmosphere around an ion dissolved in quadrupolarizable medium is analyzed by solving the quadrupolar variant of the Coulomb-Ampere's law of electrostatics. The results are compared to the classical Debye-Hückel theory. The quadrupolar version of the Debye-Hückel potential of a point charge is finite even in r = 0. The ion-quadrupole interaction yields a significant expansion of the diffuse atmosphere of the ion and, thus, it decreases the Debye-Hückel energy. In addition, since the dielectric permittivity of the electrolyte solutions depends strongly on concentration, the Born energy of the dissolved ions alters with concentration, which has a considerable contribution to the activity coefficient γ± known as the self-salting-out effect. The quadrupolarizability of the medium damps strongly the self-salting-out of the electrolyte, and thus it affects additionally γ±. Comparison with experimental data for γ± for various electrolytes allows for the estimation of the quadrupolar length of water: LQ ≈ 2 Å, in good agreement with previous assessments. The effect of quadrupolarizability is especially important in non-aqueous solutions. Data for the activity of NaBr in methanol is used to determine the quadrupolarizability of methanol with good accuracy.

Eddies in a bottleneck: an arbitrary Debye length theory for capillary electroosmosis.

PubMed

Park, Stella Y; Russo, Christopher J; Branton, Daniel; Stone, Howard A

2006-05-15

Using an applied electrical field to drive fluid flows becomes desirable as channels become smaller. Although most discussions of electroosmosis treat the case of thin Debye layers, here electroosmotic flow (EOF) through a constricted cylinder is presented for arbitrary Debye lengths (kappa(-1)) using a long wavelength perturbation of the cylinder radius. The analysis uses the approximation of small potentials. The varying diameter of the cylinder produces radially and axially varying effective electric fields, as well as an induced pressure gradient. We predict the existence of eddies for certain constricted geometries and propose the possibility of electrokinetic trapping in these regions. We also present a leading-order criterion which predicts central eddies in very narrow constrictions at the scale of the Debye length. Eddies can be found both in the center of the channel and along the perimeter, and the presence of the eddies is a consequence of the induced pressure gradient that accompanies electrically driven flow into a narrow constriction.

Eddies in a Bottleneck: An Arbitrary Debye Length Theory for Capillary Electroosmosis

PubMed Central

Park, Stella Y.; Russo, Christopher J.; Branton, Daniel; Stone, Howard A.

2011-01-01

Using an applied electrical field to drive fluid flows becomes desirable as channels become smaller. Although most discussions of electroosmosis treat the case of thin Debye layers, here electroosmotic flow (EOF) through a constricted cylinder is presented for arbitrary Debye lengths (κ−1) using a long wavelength perturbation of the cylinder radius. The analysis uses the approximation of small potentials. The varying diameter of the cylinder produces radially and axially varying effective electric fields, as well as an induced pressure gradient. We predict the existence of eddies for certain constricted geometries and propose the possibility of electrokinetic trapping in these regions. We also present a leading-order criterion which predicts central eddies in very narrow constrictions at the scale of the Debye length. Eddies can be found both in the center of the channel and along the perimeter, and the presence of the eddies is a consequence of the induced pressure gradient that accompanies electrically driven flow into a narrow constriction. PMID:16376361

A molecular Debye-Huckel theory of solvation in polar fluids: An extension of the Born model

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

Xiao, Tiejun; Song, Xueyu

A dielectric response theory of solvation beyond the conventional Born model for polar fluids is presented. The dielectric response of a polar fluid is described by a Born response mode and a linear combination of Debye-Hückel-like response modes that capture the nonlocal response of polar fluids. The Born mode is characterized by a bulk dielectric constant, while a Debye-Hückel mode is characterized by its corresponding Debye screening length. Both the bulk dielectric constant and the Debye screening lengths are determined from the bulk dielectric function of the polar fluid. The linear combination coefficients of the response modes are evaluated inmore » a self-consistent way and can be used to evaluate the electrostatic contribution to the thermodynamic properties of a polar fluid. In conclusion, our theory is applied to a dipolar hard sphere fluid as well as interaction site models of polar fluids such as water, where the electrostatic contribution to their thermodynamic properties can be obtained accurately.« less

A molecular Debye-Huckel theory of solvation in polar fluids: An extension of the Born model

DOE PAGES

Xiao, Tiejun; Song, Xueyu

2017-12-06

A dielectric response theory of solvation beyond the conventional Born model for polar fluids is presented. The dielectric response of a polar fluid is described by a Born response mode and a linear combination of Debye-Hückel-like response modes that capture the nonlocal response of polar fluids. The Born mode is characterized by a bulk dielectric constant, while a Debye-Hückel mode is characterized by its corresponding Debye screening length. Both the bulk dielectric constant and the Debye screening lengths are determined from the bulk dielectric function of the polar fluid. The linear combination coefficients of the response modes are evaluated inmore » a self-consistent way and can be used to evaluate the electrostatic contribution to the thermodynamic properties of a polar fluid. In conclusion, our theory is applied to a dipolar hard sphere fluid as well as interaction site models of polar fluids such as water, where the electrostatic contribution to their thermodynamic properties can be obtained accurately.« less

A molecular Debye-Hückel theory of solvation in polar fluids: An extension of the Born model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Tiejun; Song, Xueyu

2017-12-01

A dielectric response theory of solvation beyond the conventional Born model for polar fluids is presented. The dielectric response of a polar fluid is described by a Born response mode and a linear combination of Debye-Hückel-like response modes that capture the nonlocal response of polar fluids. The Born mode is characterized by a bulk dielectric constant, while a Debye-Hückel mode is characterized by its corresponding Debye screening length. Both the bulk dielectric constant and the Debye screening lengths are determined from the bulk dielectric function of the polar fluid. The linear combination coefficients of the response modes are evaluated in a self-consistent way and can be used to evaluate the electrostatic contribution to the thermodynamic properties of a polar fluid. Our theory is applied to a dipolar hard sphere fluid as well as interaction site models of polar fluids such as water, where the electrostatic contribution to their thermodynamic properties can be obtained accurately.

A molecular Debye-Hückel theory of solvation in polar fluids: An extension of the Born model.

PubMed

Xiao, Tiejun; Song, Xueyu

2017-12-07

A dielectric response theory of solvation beyond the conventional Born model for polar fluids is presented. The dielectric response of a polar fluid is described by a Born response mode and a linear combination of Debye-Hückel-like response modes that capture the nonlocal response of polar fluids. The Born mode is characterized by a bulk dielectric constant, while a Debye-Hückel mode is characterized by its corresponding Debye screening length. Both the bulk dielectric constant and the Debye screening lengths are determined from the bulk dielectric function of the polar fluid. The linear combination coefficients of the response modes are evaluated in a self-consistent way and can be used to evaluate the electrostatic contribution to the thermodynamic properties of a polar fluid. Our theory is applied to a dipolar hard sphere fluid as well as interaction site models of polar fluids such as water, where the electrostatic contribution to their thermodynamic properties can be obtained accurately.

Low energy electron-impact ionization of hydrogen atom for coplanar equal-energy-sharing kinematics in Debye plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jun; Zhang, Song Bin; Ye, Bang Jiao; Wang, Jian Guo; Janev, R. K.

2016-12-01

Low energy electron-impact ionization of hydrogen atom in Debye plasmas has been investigated by employing the exterior complex scaling method. The interactions between the charged particles in the plasma have been represented by Debye-Hückel potentials. Triple differential cross sections (TDCS) in the coplanar equal-energy-sharing geometry at an incident energy of 15.6 eV for different screening lengths are reported. As the screening strength increases, TDCS change significantly. The evolutions of dominant typical peak structures of the TDCS are studied in detail for different screening lengths and for different coplanar equal-energy-sharing geometries.

Effects of weakly coupled and dense quantum plasmas environments on charge exchange and ionization processes in Na+ + Rb(5s) atom collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Mukesh Kumar; Lin, Yen-Chang; Ho, Yew Kam

2017-02-01

The effects of weakly coupled or classical and dense quantum plasmas environment on charge exchange and ionization processes in Na+ + Rb(5s) atom collision at keV energy range have been investigated using classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method. The interaction of three charged particles are described by the Debye-Hückel screen potential for weakly coupled plasma, whereas exponential cosine-screened Coulomb potential have been used for dense quantum plasma environment and the effects of both conditions on the cross sections are compared. It is found that screening effects on cross sections in high Debye length condition is quite small in both plasma environments. However, enhanced screening effects on cross sections are observed in dense quantum plasmas for low Debye length condition, which becomes more effective while decreasing the Debye length. Also, we have found that our calculated results for plasma-free case are comparable with the available theoretical results. These results are analyzed in light of available theoretical data with the choice of model potentials.

Resonant charge exchange for H-H+ in Debye plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laricchiuta, Annarita; Colonna, Gianpiero; Capitelli, Mario; Kosarim, Alexander; Smirnov, Boris M.

2017-11-01

The dynamics of resonant charge exchange in proton-hydrogen collisions embedded in plasma is investigated in the framework of the asymptotic approach, modified to account for the effect of Debye-Hückel screening in particle interactions. The cross sections exhibit a marked dependence on the Debye length in regimes of severe plasma confinement. Processes involving excited states H( n)-H+ are also discussed.

Modified Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics if excitations are localized on an intermediate length scale: applications to non-Debye specific heat.

PubMed

Chamberlin, Ralph V; Davis, Bryce F

2013-10-01

Disordered systems show deviations from the standard Debye theory of specific heat at low temperatures. These deviations are often attributed to two-level systems of uncertain origin. We find that a source of excess specific heat comes from correlations between quanta of energy if excitations are localized on an intermediate length scale. We use simulations of a simplified Creutz model for a system of Ising-like spins coupled to a thermal bath of Einstein-like oscillators. One feature of this model is that energy is quantized in both the system and its bath, ensuring conservation of energy at every step. Another feature is that the exact entropies of both the system and its bath are known at every step, so that their temperatures can be determined independently. We find that there is a mismatch in canonical temperature between the system and its bath. In addition to the usual finite-size effects in the Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions, if excitations in the heat bath are localized on an intermediate length scale, this mismatch is independent of system size up to at least 10(6) particles. We use a model for correlations between quanta of energy to adjust the statistical distributions and yield a thermodynamically consistent temperature. The model includes a chemical potential for units of energy, as is often used for other types of particles that are quantized and conserved. Experimental evidence for this model comes from its ability to characterize the excess specific heat of imperfect crystals at low temperatures.

Landau damping and steepening of interplanetary nonlinear hydromagnetic waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, A.; Chao, J. K.

1977-01-01

According to collisionless shock theories, the thickness of a shock front should be of the order of the characteristic lengths of the plasmas (the Debye length, the proton and Larmor radii, etc.). Chao and Lepping (1974), found, however, that 30% of the observed interplanetary shocks at 1 AU have thicknesses much larger than these characteristic lengths. It is the objective of the present paper to investigate whether the competition between nonlinear steepening and Landau damping can result in a wave of finite width that does not steepen into a shock. A heuristic model of such a wave is developed and tested by the examples of two structures that are qualitatively shocklike, but thicker than expected from theory. It is found that both events are in the process of steepening and their limiting thicknesses due to Landau damping are greater than the corresponding proton Larmor radius for both structures as observed at Mariner 5 (nearer the sun than 1 AU) but are comparable to the proton Larmor radius for Explorer (near 1 AU) observations.

Aerosol-induced laser breakdown thresholds - Effect of resonant particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinnick, R. G.; Biswas, A.; Pendleton, J. D.; Armstrong, R. L.

1992-01-01

Laser intensity thresholds for the onset of stimulated Raman scattering and the breakdown in resonant micron-sized droplets are reduced to below those for nonresonant droplets by a factor of about 3. This reduction is most likely caused by the enhancement of electromagnetic energy (photon) densities within the droplets over and above that in nonresonant droplets. The magnitude of the threshold reduction for breakdown is consistent with the assertion that: (1) input (pump) wavelength resonances that initiate plasma have cavity Qs of about 10 exp 4; and (2) finite regions of high-electromagnetic-energy density within the droplet, with dimensions of the order of the Debye length, are required to initiate plasma.

Charged plate in asymmetric electrolytes: One-loop renormalization of surface charge density and Debye length due to ionic correlations.

PubMed

Ding, Mingnan; Lu, Bing-Sui; Xing, Xiangjun

2016-10-01

Self-consistent field theory (SCFT) is used to study the mean potential near a charged plate inside a m:-n electrolyte. A perturbation series is developed in terms of g=4πκb, where band1/κ are Bjerrum length and bare Debye length, respectively. To the zeroth order, we obtain the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann theory. For asymmetric electrolytes (m≠n), the first order (one-loop) correction to mean potential contains a secular term, which indicates the breakdown of the regular perturbation method. Using a renormalizaton group transformation, we remove the secular term and obtain a globally well-behaved one-loop approximation with a renormalized Debye length and a renormalized surface charge density. Furthermore, we find that if the counterions are multivalent, the surface charge density is renormalized substantially downwards and may undergo a change of sign, if the bare surface charge density is sufficiently large. Our results agrees with large MC simulation even when the density of electrolytes is relatively high.

Self-energy-modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations: WKB approximation and finite-difference approaches.

PubMed

Xu, Zhenli; Ma, Manman; Liu, Pei

2014-07-01

We propose a modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) model to investigate charge transport in electrolytes of inhomogeneous dielectric environment. The model includes the ionic polarization due to the dielectric inhomogeneity and the ion-ion correlation. This is achieved by the self energy of test ions through solving a generalized Debye-Hückel (DH) equation. We develop numerical methods for the system composed of the PNP and DH equations. Particularly, toward the numerical challenge of solving the high-dimensional DH equation, we developed an analytical WKB approximation and a numerical approach based on the selective inversion of sparse matrices. The model and numerical methods are validated by simulating the charge diffusion in electrolytes between two electrodes, for which effects of dielectrics and correlation are investigated by comparing the results with the prediction by the classical PNP theory. We find that, at the length scale of the interface separation comparable to the Bjerrum length, the results of the modified equations are significantly different from the classical PNP predictions mostly due to the dielectric effect. It is also shown that when the ion self energy is in weak or mediate strength, the WKB approximation presents a high accuracy, compared to precise finite-difference results.

The electric field in capacitively coupled RF discharges: a smooth step model that includes thermal and dynamic effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinkmann, Ralf Peter

2015-12-01

The electric field in radio-frequency driven capacitively coupled plasmas (RF-CCP) is studied, taking thermal (finite electron temperature) and dynamic (finite electron mass) effects into account. Two dimensionless numbers are introduced, the ratios ε ={λ\\text{D}}/l of the electron Debye length {λ\\text{D}} to the minimum plasma gradient length l (typically the sheath thickness) and η ={ω\\text{RF}}/{ω\\text{pe}} of the RF frequency {ω\\text{RF}} to the electron plasma frequency {ω\\text{pe}} . Assuming both numbers small but finite, an asymptotic expansion of an electron fluid model is carried out up to quadratic order inclusively. An expression for the electric field is obtained which yields (i) the space charge field in the sheath, (ii) the generalized Ohmic and ambipolar field in the plasma, and (iii) a smooth interpolation for the transition in between. The new expression is a direct generalization of the Advanced Algebraic Approximation (AAA) proposed by the same author (2009 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 194009), which can be recovered for η \\to 0 , and of the established Step Model (SM) by Godyak (1976 Sov. J. Plasma Phys. 2 78), which corresponds to the simultaneous limits η \\to 0 , ε \\to 0 . A comparison of the hereby proposed Smooth Step Model (SSM) with a numerical solution of the full dynamic problem proves very satisfactory.

Computer models of the spacecraft wake

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, A. G.; Heinemann, M.; Tautz, M.; Cooke, D.

1986-01-01

Until recently, computations of space plasma flow over a spacecraft have been unstable for ratios of spacecraft dimension to Debye length typical of the low Earth orbit environment. Calculations are presented of the spacecraft/environment interaction based on two computer codes, MACH and POLAR. MACH, an inside-out particle tracking code, was developed for the purpose of validating the physics of POLAR in regimes where these are no comprehensive theoretical or experimental results. While the spacecraft which can be treated by MACH are restricted to simple geometries, the methodology is more fundamental than POLAR. MACH generates self-consistent solutions within the context of quasisteady Vlasov plasma flow and achieves Debye ratios previously unobtainable. POLAR uses a three-dimensional finite-element representation of the vehicle in a staggered mesh. The plasma sheath is modeled by outside-in particle tracking. Solutions for the plasma flow, wake and vehicle charging are obtained by Vlasov-Poisson iteration; charge stabilization techniques make the results virtually insensitive to the Debye ratio. POLAR reproduces the Laframboise static plasma solutions for sperical probes and fits the Makita-Kuriki probe data for spheres in a flowing plasma in regions where comparisons are valid. POLAR and MACH solutions for the particle and electrostatic potential structure of the wake of a charged disk in a low-altitude flow are shown for Mach numbers 4, 5, and 8. New features of the solutions include ion focussing in the wake and a definitive determination of the sheath edge in the wake which shows that the sheath is not an equipotential.

Formation of negative hydrogen ion: polarization electron capture and nonthermal shielding.

PubMed

Ki, Dae-Han; Jung, Young-Dae

2012-09-07

The influence of the nonthermal shielding on the formation of the negative hydrogen ion (H(-)) by the polarization electron capture are investigated in partially ionized generalized Lorentzian plasmas. The Bohr-Lindhard method has been applied to obtain the negative hydrogen formation radius and cross section as functions of the collision energy, de Broglie wave length, Debye length, impact parameter, and spectral index of the plasma. The result shows that the nonthermal character of the plasma enhances the formation radius of the negative hydrogen, especially, for small Debye radii. It is found that the nonthermal effect increases the formation cross section of the negative hydrogen. It is also found that the maximum position of the formation cross section approaches to the collision center with an increase of the spectral index. In addition, it is found that the formation cross section significantly decreases with an increase of the Debye length, especially, for small spectral indices.

A statistical model of a metallic inclusion in semiconducting media

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

Shikin, V. B., E-mail: shikin@issp.ac.ru

The properties of an isolated multicharged atom embedded into a semiconducting medium are discussed. The analysis generalizes the results of the known Thomas–Fermi theory for a multicharged (Z ≫ 1) atom in vacuum when it is immersed into an electron–hole gas of finite temperature. The Thomas–Fermi–Debye (TFD) atom problem is directly related to the properties of donors in low-doped semiconductors and is alternative in its conclusions to the ideal scenario of dissociation of donors. In the existing ideal statistics, an individual donor under infinitely low doping is completely ionized (a charged center does not hold its neutralizing counter-ions). A Thomas–Fermi–Debyemore » atom (briefly, a TFD donor) remains a neutral formation that holds its screening “coat” even for infinitely low doping level, i.e., in the region of n{sub d}λ{sub 0}{sup 3} ≪ 1, where n{sub d} is the concentration of the doping impurity and λ{sub 0} is the Debye length with the parameters of intrinsic semiconductor. Various observed consequences in the behavior of a TFD donor are discussed that allow one to judge the reality of the implications of the TFD donor model.« less

Universal Non-Debye Scaling in the Density of States of Amorphous Solids.

PubMed

Charbonneau, Patrick; Corwin, Eric I; Parisi, Giorgio; Poncet, Alexis; Zamponi, Francesco

2016-07-22

At the jamming transition, amorphous packings are known to display anomalous vibrational modes with a density of states (DOS) that remains constant at low frequency. The scaling of the DOS at higher packing fractions remains, however, unclear. One might expect to find a simple Debye scaling, but recent results from effective medium theory and the exact solution of mean-field models both predict an anomalous, non-Debye scaling. Being mean-field in nature, however, these solutions are only strictly valid in the limit of infinite spatial dimension, and it is unclear what value they have for finite-dimensional systems. Here, we study packings of soft spheres in dimensions 3 through 7 and find, away from jamming, a universal non-Debye scaling of the DOS that is consistent with the mean-field predictions. We also consider how the soft mode participation ratio evolves as dimension increases.

Scattering of magnetized electrons at the boundary of low temperature plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krüger, Dennis; Trieschmann, Jan; Brinkmann, Ralf Peter

2018-02-01

Magnetized technological plasmas with magnetic fields of 10-200 mT, plasma densities of 1017-1019 m-3, gas pressures of less than 1 Pa, and electron energies from a few to (at most) a few hundred electron volts are characterized by electron Larmor radii r L, that are small compared to all other length scales of the system, including the spatial scale L of the magnetic field and the collisional mean free path λ. In this regime, the classical drift approximation applies. In the boundary sheath of these discharges, however, that approximation breaks down: The sheath penetration depth of electrons (a few to some ten Debye length λ D; depending on the kinetic energy; typically much smaller than the sheath thickness of tens/hundreds of λ D) is even smaller than r L. For a model description of the electron dynamics, an appropriate boundary condition for the plasma/sheath interface is required. To develop such, the interaction of magnetized electrons with the boundary sheath is investigated using a 3D kinetic single electron model that sets the larger scales L and λ to infinity, i.e. neglects magnetic field gradients, the electric field in the bulk, and collisions. A detailed comparison of the interaction for a Bohm sheath (which assumes a finite Debye length) and a hard wall model (representing the limit {λ }{{D}}\\to 0; also called the specular reflection model) is conducted. Both models are found to be in remarkable agreement with respect to the sheath-induced drift. It is concluded that the assumption of specular reflection can be used as a valid boundary condition for more realistic kinetic models of magnetized technological plasmas.

Importance of the Debye Screening Length on Nanowire Field Effect Transistor Sensors

PubMed Central

Stern, Eric; Wagner, Robin; Sigworth, Fred J.; Breaker, Ronald; Fahmy, Tarek M.; Reed, Mark A.

2009-01-01

Nanowire field effect transistors (NW-FETs) can serve as ultrasensitive detectors for label-free reagents. The NW-FET sensing mechanism assumes a controlled modification in the local channel electric field created by the binding of charged molecules to the nanowire surface. Careful control of the solution Debye length is critical for unambiguous selective detection of macromolecules. Here we show the appropriate conditions under which the selective binding of macromolecules is accurately sensed with NW-FET sensors. PMID:17914853

Detection beyond Debye's length with an electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistor.

PubMed

Palazzo, Gerardo; De Tullio, Donato; Magliulo, Maria; Mallardi, Antonia; Intranuovo, Francesca; Mulla, Mohammad Yusuf; Favia, Pietro; Vikholm-Lundin, Inger; Torsi, Luisa

2015-02-04

Electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistors are successfully used as biosensors to detect binding events occurring at distances from the transistor electronic channel that are much larger than the Debye length in highly concentrated solutions. The sensing mechanism is mainly capacitive and is due to the formation of Donnan's equilibria within the protein layer, leading to an extra capacitance (CDON) in series to the gating system. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Importance of the Debye screening length on nanowire field effect transistor sensors.

PubMed

Stern, Eric; Wagner, Robin; Sigworth, Fred J; Breaker, Ronald; Fahmy, Tarek M; Reed, Mark A

2007-11-01

Nanowire field effect transistors (NW-FETs) can serve as ultrasensitive detectors for label-free reagents. The NW-FET sensing mechanism assumes a controlled modification in the local channel electric field created by the binding of charged molecules to the nanowire surface. Careful control of the solution Debye length is critical for unambiguous selective detection of macromolecules. Here we show the appropriate conditions under which the selective binding of macromolecules is accurately sensed with NW-FET sensors.

Effects of finite electron temperature on gradient drift instabilities in partially magnetized plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakhin, V. P.; Ilgisonis, V. I.; Smolyakov, A. I.; Sorokina, E. A.; Marusov, N. A.

2018-01-01

The gradient-drift instabilities of partially magnetized plasmas in plasma devices with crossed electric and magnetic fields are investigated in the framework of the two-fluid model with finite electron temperature in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The finite electron Larmor radius (FLR) effects are also included via the gyroviscosity tensor taking into account the magnetic field gradient. This model correctly describes the electron dynamics for k⊥ρe>1 in the sense of Padé approximants (here, k⊥ and ρe are the wavenumber perpendicular to the magnetic field and the electron Larmor radius, respectively). The local dispersion relation for electrostatic plasma perturbations with the frequency in the range between the ion and electron cyclotron frequencies and propagating strictly perpendicular to the magnetic field is derived. The dispersion relation includes the effects of the equilibrium E ×B electron current, finite ion velocity, electron inertia, electron FLR, magnetic field gradients, and Debye length effects. The necessary and sufficient condition of stability is derived, and the stability boundary is found. It is shown that, in general, the electron inertia and FLR effects stabilize the short-wavelength perturbations. In some cases, such effects completely suppress the high-frequency short-wavelength modes so that only the long-wavelength low-frequency (with respect to the lower-hybrid frequency) modes remain unstable.

Finite-element time-domain algorithms for modeling linear Debye and Lorentz dielectric dispersions at low frequencies.

PubMed

Stoykov, Nikolay S; Kuiken, Todd A; Lowery, Madeleine M; Taflove, Allen

2003-09-01

We present what we believe to be the first algorithms that use a simple scalar-potential formulation to model linear Debye and Lorentz dielectric dispersions at low frequencies in the context of finite-element time-domain (FETD) numerical solutions of electric potential. The new algorithms, which permit treatment of multiple-pole dielectric relaxations, are based on the auxiliary differential equation method and are unconditionally stable. We validate the algorithms by comparison with the results of a previously reported method based on the Fourier transform. The new algorithms should be useful in calculating the transient response of biological materials subject to impulsive excitation. Potential applications include FETD modeling of electromyography, functional electrical stimulation, defibrillation, and effects of lightning and impulsive electric shock.

Effective screening length and quasiuniversality for the restricted primitive model of an electrolyte solution.

PubMed

Janecek, Jirí; Netz, Roland R

2009-02-21

Monte Carlo simulations for the restricted primitive model of an electrolyte solution above the critical temperature are performed at a wide range of concentrations and temperatures. Thermodynamic properties such as internal energy, osmotic coefficient, activity coefficient, as well as spatial correlation functions are determined. These observables are used to investigate whether quasiuniversality in terms of an effective screening length exists, similar to the role played by the effective electron mass in solid-state physics. To that end, an effective screening length is extracted from the asymptotic behavior of the Fourier-transformed charge-correlation function and plugged into the Debye-Huckel limiting expressions for various thermodynamic properties. Comparison with numerical results is favorable, suggesting that correlation and other effects not captured on the Debye-Huckel limiting level can be successfully incorporated by a single effective parameter while keeping the functional form of Debye-Huckel expressions. We also compare different methods to determine mean ionic activity coefficient in molecular simulations and check the internal consistency of the numerical data.

Mie and debye scattering in dusty plasmas

PubMed

Guerra; Mendonca

2000-07-01

We calculate the total field scattered by a charged sphere immersed in a plasma using a unified treatment that includes the usual Mie scattering and the scattering by the Debye cloud around the particle. This is accomplished by use of the Dyadic Green function to determine the field radiated by the electrons of the Debye cloud, which is then obtained as a series of spherical vector wave functions similar to that of the Mie field. Thus we treat the Debye-Mie field as a whole and study its properties. The main results of this study are (1) the Mie (Debye) field dominates at small (large) wavelengths and in the Rayleigh limit the Debye field is constant; (2) the total cross section has an interference term between the Debye and Mie fields, important in some regimes; (3) this term is negative for negative charge of the grain, implying a total cross section smaller than previously thought; (4) a method is proposed to determine the charge of the grain (divided by a certain suppression factor) and the Debye length of the plasma; (5) a correction to the dispersion relation of an electromagnetic wave propagating in a plasma is derived.

Debye screening and a Thomas - Fermi model of a dyonic atom in a two potential theory of electromagnetism

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

Wolf, C.

1993-02-01

We study the screening of a central Abelian dyon by a surrounding dyon cloud in a two potential theory of electromagnetism. A generalized formula for the Debye screening length is obtained and a Thomas - Fermi Model for a charged cloud surrounding a central Dyonic Core is studied. 20 refs.

Ionic Size Effects: Generalized Boltzmann Distributions, Counterion Stratification, and Modified Debye Length.

PubMed

Liu, Bo; Liu, Pei; Xu, Zhenli; Zhou, Shenggao

2013-10-01

Near a charged surface, counterions of different valences and sizes cluster; and their concentration profiles stratify. At a distance from such a surface larger than the Debye length, the electric field is screened by counterions. Recent studies by a variational mean-field approach that includes ionic size effects and by Monte Carlo simulations both suggest that the counterion stratification is determined by the ionic valence-to-volume ratios. Central in the mean-field approach is a free-energy functional of ionic concentrations in which the ionic size effects are included through the entropic effect of solvent molecules. The corresponding equilibrium conditions define the generalized Boltzmann distributions relating the ionic concentrations to the electrostatic potential. This paper presents a detailed analysis and numerical calculations of such a free-energy functional to understand the dependence of the ionic charge density on the electrostatic potential through the generalized Boltzmann distributions, the role of ionic valence-to-volume ratios in the counterion stratification, and the modification of Debye length due to the effect of ionic sizes.

Ionic Size Effects: Generalized Boltzmann Distributions, Counterion Stratification, and Modified Debye Length

PubMed Central

Liu, Bo; Liu, Pei; Xu, Zhenli; Zhou, Shenggao

2013-01-01

Near a charged surface, counterions of different valences and sizes cluster; and their concentration profiles stratify. At a distance from such a surface larger than the Debye length, the electric field is screened by counterions. Recent studies by a variational mean-field approach that includes ionic size effects and by Monte Carlo simulations both suggest that the counterion stratification is determined by the ionic valence-to-volume ratios. Central in the mean-field approach is a free-energy functional of ionic concentrations in which the ionic size effects are included through the entropic effect of solvent molecules. The corresponding equilibrium conditions define the generalized Boltzmann distributions relating the ionic concentrations to the electrostatic potential. This paper presents a detailed analysis and numerical calculations of such a free-energy functional to understand the dependence of the ionic charge density on the electrostatic potential through the generalized Boltzmann distributions, the role of ionic valence-to-volume ratios in the counterion stratification, and the modification of Debye length due to the effect of ionic sizes. PMID:24465094

Nonperturbative finite-temperature Yang-Mills theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cyrol, Anton K.; Mitter, Mario; Pawlowski, Jan M.; Strodthoff, Nils

2018-03-01

We present nonperturbative correlation functions in Landau-gauge Yang-Mills theory at finite temperature. The results are obtained from the functional renormalisation group within a self-consistent approximation scheme. In particular, we compute the magnetic and electric components of the gluon propagator, and the three- and four-gluon vertices. We also show the ghost propagator and the ghost-gluon vertex at finite temperature. Our results for the propagators are confronted with lattice simulations and our Debye mass is compared to hard thermal loop perturbation theory.

Direct measurement of sub-Debye-length attraction between oppositely charged surfaces.

PubMed

Kampf, Nir; Ben-Yaakov, Dan; Andelman, David; Safran, S A; Klein, Jacob

2009-09-11

Using a surface force balance with fast video analysis, we have measured directly the attractive forces between oppositely charged solid surfaces (charge densities sigma(+), sigma(-)) across water over the entire range of interaction, in particular, at surface separations D below the Debye screening length lambda(S). At very low salt concentration we find a long-ranged attraction between the surfaces (onset ca. 100 nm), whose variation at D

Exactly energy conserving semi-implicit particle in cell formulation

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

Lapenta, Giovanni, E-mail: giovanni.lapenta@kuleuven.be

We report a new particle in cell (PIC) method based on the semi-implicit approach. The novelty of the new method is that unlike any of its semi-implicit predecessors at the same time it retains the explicit computational cycle and conserves energy exactly. Recent research has presented fully implicit methods where energy conservation is obtained as part of a non-linear iteration procedure. The new method (referred to as Energy Conserving Semi-Implicit Method, ECSIM), instead, does not require any non-linear iteration and its computational cycle is similar to that of explicit PIC. The properties of the new method are: i) it conservesmore » energy exactly to round-off for any time step or grid spacing; ii) it is unconditionally stable in time, freeing the user from the need to resolve the electron plasma frequency and allowing the user to select any desired time step; iii) it eliminates the constraint of the finite grid instability, allowing the user to select any desired resolution without being forced to resolve the Debye length; iv) the particle mover has a computational complexity identical to that of the explicit PIC, only the field solver has an increased computational cost. The new ECSIM is tested in a number of benchmarks where accuracy and computational performance are tested. - Highlights: • We present a new fully energy conserving semi-implicit particle in cell (PIC) method based on the implicit moment method (IMM). The new method is called Energy Conserving Implicit Moment Method (ECIMM). • The novelty of the new method is that unlike any of its predecessors at the same time it retains the explicit computational cycle and conserves energy exactly. • The new method is unconditionally stable in time, freeing the user from the need to resolve the electron plasma frequency. • The new method eliminates the constraint of the finite grid instability, allowing the user to select any desired resolution without being forced to resolve the Debye length. • These features are achieved at a reduced cost compared with either previous IMM or fully implicit implementation of PIC.« less

FDTD modelling of induced polarization phenomena in transient electromagnetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Commer, Michael; Petrov, Peter V.; Newman, Gregory A.

2017-04-01

The finite-difference time-domain scheme is augmented in order to treat the modelling of transient electromagnetic signals containing induced polarization effects from 3-D distributions of polarizable media. Compared to the non-dispersive problem, the discrete dispersive Maxwell system contains costly convolution operators. Key components to our solution for highly digitized model meshes are Debye decomposition and composite memory variables. We revert to the popular Cole-Cole model of dispersion to describe the frequency-dependent behaviour of electrical conductivity. Its inversely Laplace-transformed Debye decomposition results in a series of time convolutions between electric field and exponential decay functions, with the latter reflecting each Debye constituents' individual relaxation time. These function types in the discrete-time convolution allow for their substitution by memory variables, annihilating the otherwise prohibitive computing demands. Numerical examples demonstrate the efficiency and practicality of our algorithm.

Two independent measurements of Debye lengths in doped nonpolar liquids.

PubMed

Prieve, D C; Hoggard, J D; Fu, R; Sides, P J; Bethea, R

2008-02-19

Electric current measurements were performed between 2.5 cm x 7.5 cm parallel-plate electrodes separated by 1.2 mm of heptane doped with 0-15% w/w poly(isobutylene succinimide) (PIBS) having a molecular weight of about 1700. The rapid (microsecond) initial charging of the capacitor can be used to infer the dielectric constant of the solution. The much slower decay of current arising from the polarization of electrodes depends on the differential capacitance of the diffuse clouds of charge carriers accumulating next to each electrode and on the ohmic resistance of the fluid. Using the Gouy-Chapman model for the differential capacitance, Debye lengths of 80-600 nm were deduced that decrease with increasing concentration of PIBS. Values of the Debye lengths were confirmed by performing independent measurements of double-layer repulsion between a 6 microm polystyrene (PS) latex sphere and a PS-coated glass plate using total internal reflection microscopy in the same solutions. The charge carriers appear to be inverted PIBS micelles having apparent Stokes diameters of 20-40 nm. Dynamic light scattering reveals a broad distribution of sizes having an intensity-averaged diameter of 15 nm. This smaller size might arise (1) from overestimating the electrophoretic mobility of micelles by treating them as point charges or (2) because charged micelles are larger on average than uncharged micelles. When Faradaic reactions and zeta potentials on the electrodes can be neglected, such current versus time experiments yield values for the Debye length and ionic strength with less effort than force measurements. To obtain the concentration of charge carriers from measurements of conductivity, the mobility of the charge carriers must be known.

Weak polyelectrolyte complexation driven by associative charging.

PubMed

Rathee, Vikramjit S; Zervoudakis, Aristotle J; Sidky, Hythem; Sikora, Benjamin J; Whitmer, Jonathan K

2018-03-21

Weak polyelectrolytes are relevant for a wide range of fields; in particular, they have been investigated as "smart" materials for chemical separations and drug delivery. The charges on weak polyelectrolytes are dynamic, causing polymer chains to adopt different equilibrium conformations even with relatively small changes to the surrounding environment. Currently, there exists no comprehensive picture of this behavior, particularly where polymer-polymer interactions have the potential to affect charging properties significantly. In this study, we elucidate the novel interplay between weak polyelectrolyte charging and complexation behavior through coupled molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Specifically, we investigate a model of two equal-length and oppositely charging polymer chains in an implicit salt solution represented through Debye-Hückel interactions. The charging tendency of each chain, along with the salt concentration, is varied to determine the existence and extent of cooperativity in charging and complexation. Strong cooperation in the charging of these chains is observed at large Debye lengths, corresponding to low salt concentrations, while at lower Debye lengths (higher salt concentrations), the chains behave in apparent isolation. When the electrostatic coupling is long-ranged, we find that a highly charged chain strongly promotes the charging of its partner chain, even if the environment is unfavorable for an isolated version of that partner chain. Evidence of this phenomenon is supported by a drop in the potential energy of the system, which does not occur at the lower Debye lengths where both potential energies and charge fractions converge for all partner chain charging tendencies. The discovery of this cooperation will be helpful in developing "smart" drug delivery mechanisms by allowing for better predictions for the dissociation point of delivery complexes.

Weak polyelectrolyte complexation driven by associative charging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathee, Vikramjit S.; Zervoudakis, Aristotle J.; Sidky, Hythem; Sikora, Benjamin J.; Whitmer, Jonathan K.

2018-03-01

Weak polyelectrolytes are relevant for a wide range of fields; in particular, they have been investigated as "smart" materials for chemical separations and drug delivery. The charges on weak polyelectrolytes are dynamic, causing polymer chains to adopt different equilibrium conformations even with relatively small changes to the surrounding environment. Currently, there exists no comprehensive picture of this behavior, particularly where polymer-polymer interactions have the potential to affect charging properties significantly. In this study, we elucidate the novel interplay between weak polyelectrolyte charging and complexation behavior through coupled molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Specifically, we investigate a model of two equal-length and oppositely charging polymer chains in an implicit salt solution represented through Debye-Hückel interactions. The charging tendency of each chain, along with the salt concentration, is varied to determine the existence and extent of cooperativity in charging and complexation. Strong cooperation in the charging of these chains is observed at large Debye lengths, corresponding to low salt concentrations, while at lower Debye lengths (higher salt concentrations), the chains behave in apparent isolation. When the electrostatic coupling is long-ranged, we find that a highly charged chain strongly promotes the charging of its partner chain, even if the environment is unfavorable for an isolated version of that partner chain. Evidence of this phenomenon is supported by a drop in the potential energy of the system, which does not occur at the lower Debye lengths where both potential energies and charge fractions converge for all partner chain charging tendencies. The discovery of this cooperation will be helpful in developing "smart" drug delivery mechanisms by allowing for better predictions for the dissociation point of delivery complexes.

Propagation of a plasma streamer in catalyst pores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Quan-Zhi; Bogaerts, Annemie

2018-03-01

Although plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for various environmental applications, the underlying mechanisms are still far from understood. For instance, it is not yet clear whether and how plasma streamers can propagate in catalyst pores, and what is the minimum pore size to make this happen. As this is crucial information to ensure good plasma-catalyst interaction, we study here the mechanism of plasma streamer propagation in a catalyst pore, by means of a two-dimensional particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision model, for various pore diameters in the nm-range to μm-range. The so-called Debye length is an important criterion for plasma penetration into catalyst pores, i.e. a plasma streamer can penetrate into pores when their diameter is larger than the Debye length. The Debye length is typically in the order of a few 100 nm up to 1 μm at the conditions under study, depending on electron density and temperature in the plasma streamer. For pores in the range of ∼50 nm, plasma can thus only penetrate to some extent and at very short times, i.e. at the beginning of a micro-discharge, before the actual plasma streamer reaches the catalyst surface and a sheath is formed in front of the surface. We can make plasma streamers penetrate into smaller pores (down to ca. 500 nm at the conditions under study) by increasing the applied voltage, which yields a higher plasma density, and thus reduces the Debye length. Our simulations also reveal that the plasma streamers induce surface charging of the catalyst pore sidewalls, causing discharge enhancement inside the pore, depending on pore diameter and depth.

Debye sheath mechanism at laser plasma interaction and generalization to nuclear forces and quark-gluon plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osman, Frederick; Ghahramani, Nader; Hora, Heinrich

2005-10-01

The studies of laser ablation have lead to a new theory of nuclei, endothermic nuclei generation, and quark-gluon plasmas. The surface of ablated plasma expanding into vacuum after high power laser irradiation of targets contains an electric double layer having the thickness of the Debye length. This led to the discovery of surface tension in plasmas, and led to the internal dynamic electric fields in all inhomogeneous plasmas. The surface tension causes stabilization by short length surface wave smoothing the expanding plasma plume and to stabilization against the Rayleigh Taylor instability. Generalizing this to the degenerate electrons in a metal with the Fermi energy instead of the temperature resulted in the first quantum theory of surface tension of metals in agreement with measurements. Taking the Fermi energy in the Debye length for nucleons results in a theory of nuclei with stable confinement of protons and neutrons just at the well-known nuclear density, and the Debye lengths equal to the Hofstadter decay of the nuclear surface. Increasing the nuclear density by a factor of 10 leads to a change of the Fermi energy into its relativistic branch where no surface energy is possible and the particle mass is not defined, permitting the quark gluon plasma. Expansion of this higher density at the big bang or in super-nova results in nucleation and element generation. The Boltzmann equilibrium permits the synthesis of nuclei even in the endothermic range, however with the limit to about uranium. A relation for the magic numbers leads to a quark structure of nuclear shells that can be understood as a duality property of nuclei with respect to nucleons and quarks

Debye ring diffraction elucidation of 2D photonic crystal self-assembly and ordering at the air-water interface.

PubMed

Smith, N L; Coukouma, A; Dubnik, S; Asher, S A

2017-12-06

We fabricate 2D photonic crystals (2DPC) by spreading a dispersion of charged colloidal particles (diameters = 409, 570, and 915 nm) onto the surface of electrolyte solutions using a needle tip flow method. When the interparticle electrostatic interaction potential is large, particles self-assemble into highly ordered hexagonal close packed (hcp) monolayers. Ordered 2DPC efficiently forward diffract monochromatic light to produce a Debye ring on a screen parallel to the 2DPC. The diameter of the Debye ring is inversely proportional to the 2DPC particle spacing, while the Debye ring brightness and thickness depends on the 2DPC ordering. The Debye ring thickness increases as the 2DPC order decreases. The Debye ring ordering measurements of 2DPC attached to glass slides track measurements of the 2D pair correlation function order parameter calculated from SEM micrographs. The Debye ring method was used to investigate the 2DPC particle spacing, and ordering at the air-solution interface of NaCl solutions, and for 2DPC arrays attached to glass slides. Surprisingly, the 2DPC ordering does not monotonically decrease as the salt concentration increases. This is because of chloride ion adsorption onto the anionic particle surfaces. This adsorption increases the particle surface charge and compensates for the decreased Debye length of the electric double layer when the NaCl concentration is below a critical value.

Streaming current magnetic fields in a charged nanopore.

PubMed

Mansouri, Abraham; Taheri, Peyman; Kostiuk, Larry W

2016-11-11

Magnetic fields induced by currents created in pressure driven flows inside a solid-state charged nanopore were modeled by numerically solving a system of steady state continuum partial differential equations, i.e., Poisson, Nernst-Planck, Ampere and Navier-Stokes equations (PNPANS). This analysis was based on non-dimensional transport governing equations that were scaled using Debye length as the characteristic length scale, and applied to a finite length cylindrical nano-channel. The comparison of numerical and analytical studies shows an excellent agreement and verified the magnetic fields density both inside and outside the nanopore. The radially non-uniform currents resulted in highly non-uniform magnetic fields within the nanopore that decay as 1/r outside the nanopore. It is worth noting that for either streaming currents or streaming potential cases, the maximum magnetic field occurred inside the pore in the vicinity of nanopore wall, as opposed to a cylindrical conductor that carries a steady electric current where the maximum magnetic fields occur at the perimeter of conductor. Based on these results, it is suggested and envisaged that non-invasive external magnetic fields readouts generated by streaming/ionic currents may be viewed as secondary electronic signatures of biomolecules to complement and enhance current DNA nanopore sequencing techniques.

Streaming current magnetic fields in a charged nanopore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansouri, Abraham; Taheri, Peyman; Kostiuk, Larry W.

2016-11-01

Magnetic fields induced by currents created in pressure driven flows inside a solid-state charged nanopore were modeled by numerically solving a system of steady state continuum partial differential equations, i.e., Poisson, Nernst-Planck, Ampere and Navier-Stokes equations (PNPANS). This analysis was based on non-dimensional transport governing equations that were scaled using Debye length as the characteristic length scale, and applied to a finite length cylindrical nano-channel. The comparison of numerical and analytical studies shows an excellent agreement and verified the magnetic fields density both inside and outside the nanopore. The radially non-uniform currents resulted in highly non-uniform magnetic fields within the nanopore that decay as 1/r outside the nanopore. It is worth noting that for either streaming currents or streaming potential cases, the maximum magnetic field occurred inside the pore in the vicinity of nanopore wall, as opposed to a cylindrical conductor that carries a steady electric current where the maximum magnetic fields occur at the perimeter of conductor. Based on these results, it is suggested and envisaged that non-invasive external magnetic fields readouts generated by streaming/ionic currents may be viewed as secondary electronic signatures of biomolecules to complement and enhance current DNA nanopore sequencing techniques.

Electron Debye scale Kelvin-Helmholtz instability: Electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations

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

Lee, Sang-Yun; Lee, Ensang, E-mail: eslee@khu.ac.kr; Kim, Khan-Hyuk

2015-12-15

In this paper, we investigated the electron Debye scale Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability using two-dimensional electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations. We introduced a velocity shear layer with a thickness comparable to the electron Debye length and examined the generation of the KH instability. The KH instability occurs in a similar manner as observed in the KH instabilities in fluid or ion scales producing surface waves and rolled-up vortices. The strength and growth rate of the electron Debye scale KH instability is affected by the structure of the velocity shear layer. The strength depends on the magnitude of the velocity and the growth ratemore » on the velocity gradient of the shear layer. However, the development of the electron Debye scale KH instability is mainly determined by the electric field generated by charge separation. Significant mixing of electrons occurs across the shear layer, and a fraction of electrons can penetrate deeply into the opposite side fairly far from the vortices across the shear layer.« less

Continuously differentiable PIC shape functions for triangular meshes

DOE PAGES

Barnes, D. C.

2018-03-21

In this study, a new class of continuously-differentiable shape functions is developed and applied to two-dimensional electrostatic PIC simulation on an unstructured simplex (triangle) mesh. It is shown that troublesome aliasing instabilities are avoided for cold plasma simulation in which the Debye length is as small as 0.01 cell sizes. These new shape functions satisfy all requirements for PIC particle shape. They are non-negative, have compact support, and partition unity. They are given explicitly by cubic expressions in the usual triangle logical (areal) coordinates. The shape functions are not finite elements because their structure depends on the topology of themore » mesh, in particular, the number of triangles neighboring each mesh vertex. Nevertheless, they may be useful as approximations to solution of other problems in which continuity of derivatives is required or desired.« less

Continuously differentiable PIC shape functions for triangular meshes

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

Barnes, D. C.

In this study, a new class of continuously-differentiable shape functions is developed and applied to two-dimensional electrostatic PIC simulation on an unstructured simplex (triangle) mesh. It is shown that troublesome aliasing instabilities are avoided for cold plasma simulation in which the Debye length is as small as 0.01 cell sizes. These new shape functions satisfy all requirements for PIC particle shape. They are non-negative, have compact support, and partition unity. They are given explicitly by cubic expressions in the usual triangle logical (areal) coordinates. The shape functions are not finite elements because their structure depends on the topology of themore » mesh, in particular, the number of triangles neighboring each mesh vertex. Nevertheless, they may be useful as approximations to solution of other problems in which continuity of derivatives is required or desired.« less

Dark-field transmission electron microscopy and the Debye-Waller factor of graphene

PubMed Central

Hubbard, William A.; White, E. R.; Dawson, Ben; Lodge, M. S.; Ishigami, Masa; Regan, B. C.

2014-01-01

Graphene's structure bears on both the material's electronic properties and fundamental questions about long range order in two-dimensional crystals. We present an analytic calculation of selected area electron diffraction from multi-layer graphene and compare it with data from samples prepared by chemical vapor deposition and mechanical exfoliation. A single layer scatters only 0.5% of the incident electrons, so this kinematical calculation can be considered reliable for five or fewer layers. Dark-field transmission electron micrographs of multi-layer graphene illustrate how knowledge of the diffraction peak intensities can be applied for rapid mapping of thickness, stacking, and grain boundaries. The diffraction peak intensities also depend on the mean-square displacement of atoms from their ideal lattice locations, which is parameterized by a Debye-Waller factor. We measure the Debye-Waller factor of a suspended monolayer of exfoliated graphene and find a result consistent with an estimate based on the Debye model. For laboratory-scale graphene samples, finite size effects are sufficient to stabilize the graphene lattice against melting, indicating that ripples in the third dimension are not necessary. PMID:25242882

Dark-field transmission electron microscopy and the Debye-Waller factor of graphene.

PubMed

Shevitski, Brian; Mecklenburg, Matthew; Hubbard, William A; White, E R; Dawson, Ben; Lodge, M S; Ishigami, Masa; Regan, B C

2013-01-15

Graphene's structure bears on both the material's electronic properties and fundamental questions about long range order in two-dimensional crystals. We present an analytic calculation of selected area electron diffraction from multi-layer graphene and compare it with data from samples prepared by chemical vapor deposition and mechanical exfoliation. A single layer scatters only 0.5% of the incident electrons, so this kinematical calculation can be considered reliable for five or fewer layers. Dark-field transmission electron micrographs of multi-layer graphene illustrate how knowledge of the diffraction peak intensities can be applied for rapid mapping of thickness, stacking, and grain boundaries. The diffraction peak intensities also depend on the mean-square displacement of atoms from their ideal lattice locations, which is parameterized by a Debye-Waller factor. We measure the Debye-Waller factor of a suspended monolayer of exfoliated graphene and find a result consistent with an estimate based on the Debye model. For laboratory-scale graphene samples, finite size effects are sufficient to stabilize the graphene lattice against melting, indicating that ripples in the third dimension are not necessary.

Elucidation of spin echo small angle neutron scattering correlation functions through model studies.

PubMed

Shew, Chwen-Yang; Chen, Wei-Ren

2012-02-14

Several single-modal Debye correlation functions to approximate part of the overall Debey correlation function of liquids are closely examined for elucidating their behavior in the corresponding spin echo small angle neutron scattering (SESANS) correlation functions. We find that the maximum length scale of a Debye correlation function is identical to that of its SESANS correlation function. For discrete Debye correlation functions, the peak of SESANS correlation function emerges at their first discrete point, whereas for continuous Debye correlation functions with greater width, the peak position shifts to a greater value. In both cases, the intensity and shape of the peak of the SESANS correlation function are determined by the width of the Debye correlation functions. Furthermore, we mimic the intramolecular and intermolecular Debye correlation functions of liquids composed of interacting particles based on a simple model to elucidate their competition in the SESANS correlation function. Our calculations show that the first local minimum of a SESANS correlation function can be negative and positive. By adjusting the spatial distribution of the intermolecular Debye function in the model, the calculated SESANS spectra exhibit the profile consistent with that of hard-sphere and sticky-hard-sphere liquids predicted by more sophisticated liquid state theory and computer simulation. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

Solvent free tin oxide nanoparticle for gas sensing application

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

Ranjan, Pranay, E-mail: pranjan@iitp.ac.in; Thakur, Ajay D.; Centre for Energy and Environment, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patliputra, Patna 800013 India

2016-05-06

A new modified technique of synthesizing tin oxide nanoparticles with crystallite size of 2 nm to 6 nm has been developed. Surface area of the nanoparticle has been increased as we approached towards the Debye length. Such a techniques for approaching the Debye length is expected to bring remarkable changes in the properties of resistive based gas sensors. The technique used here is less toxic, economical and has high yield. Phase purity, size, shape and composition has been investigated using x-ray diffraction, micro Raman, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x ray spectroscopy. While surface area has been calculated through Brunaur-Emmett-Teller (BET).

Low-energy electron elastic scattering and impact ionization with hydrogenlike helium in Debye plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jun; Zhang, Song Bin; Ye, Bang Jiao; Wang, Jian Guo; Janev, R. K.

2017-09-01

Low-energy electron elastic scattering and impact ionization with hydrogenlike helium in Debye plasmas have been investigated by employing the exterior complex scaling method. The interactions between charged particles in the plasmas have been represented by Debye-Hückel potentials. The 1 s -1 s elastic collision strengths below the n =2 excitation threshold of He+ dominated by resonance structures are calculated for different screening lengths. As the screening strength increases, the resonance peaks studied [2(1,0) 2 +1Se,3Po,1De , and 2(0,1) 2 +1Po] exhibit blueshifts and then redshifts with a further increase of the screening strength, which results in dramatic changes of the collision strengths. It is found that these dynamic variation features of the resonances are related to the changes of energy levels of He+ in the screened potential and geometric configurations of resonances. Triple-differential-ionization cross sections in coplanar geometries at 6-Ry incident electron energy are also reported, significant changes are observed with varying screening length.

Limitations of the paraxial Debye approximation.

PubMed

Sheppard, Colin J R

2013-04-01

In the paraxial form of the Debye integral for focusing, higher order defocus terms are ignored, which can result in errors in dealing with aberrations, even for low numerical aperture. These errors can be avoided by using a different integration variable. The aberrations of a glass slab, such as a coverslip, are expanded in terms of the new variable, and expressed in terms of Zernike polynomials to assist with aberration balancing. Tube length error is also discussed.

Electrorotation of a metal sphere immersed in an electrolyte of finite Debye length.

PubMed

García-Sánchez, Pablo; Ramos, Antonio

2015-11-01

We theoretically study the rotation induced on a metal sphere immersed in an electrolyte and subjected to a rotating electric field. The rotation arises from the interaction of the field with the electric charges induced at the metal-electrolyte interface, i.e., the induced electrical double layer (EDL). Particle rotation is due to the torque on the induced dipole, and also from induced-charge electro-osmostic flow (ICEO). The interaction of the electric field with the induced dipole on the system gives rise to counterfield rotation, i.e., the direction opposite to the rotation of the electric field. ICEO generates co-field rotation of the sphere. For thin EDL, ICEO generates negligible rotation. For increasing size of EDL, co-field rotation appears and, in the limit of very thick EDL, it compensates the counter-field rotation induced by the electrical torque. We also report computations of the rotating fluid velocity field around the sphere.

Numerical solution of a multi-ion one-potential model for electroosmotic flow in two-dimensional rectangular microchannels.

PubMed

Van Theemsche, Achim; Deconinck, Johan; Van den Bossche, Bart; Bortels, Leslie

2002-10-01

A new more general numerical model for the simulation of electrokinetic flow in rectangular microchannels is presented. The model is based on the dilute solution model and the Navier-Stokes equations and has been implemented in a finite-element-based C++ code. The model includes the ion distribution in the Helmholtz double layer and considers only one single electrical' potential field variable throughout the domain. On a charged surface(s) the surface charge density, which is proportional to the local electrical field, is imposed. The zeta potential results, then, from this boundary condition and depends on concentrations, temperature, ion valence, molecular diffusion coefficients, and geometric conditions. Validation cases show that the model predicts accurately known analytical results, also for geometries having dimensions comparable to the Debye length. As a final study, the electro-osmotic flow in a controlled cross channel is investigated.

Mathematical modeling of influence of ion size effects in an electrolyte in a nanoslit with overlapped EDL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajni, Kumar, Prashant

2017-10-01

Many nanofluidic systems are being used in a wide range of applications due to advances in nanotechnology. Due to nanoscale size of the system, the physics involved in the electric double layer and consequently the different phenomena related to it are different than those at microscale. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation governing the electric double layer in the system has many shortcomings such as point sized ions. The inclusion of finite size of ions give rise to various electrokinetic phenomena. Electrocapillarity is one such phenomena where the size effect plays an important role. Theeffect of asymmetric finite ion sizes in nano-confinement in the view of osmotic pressure and electrocapillarity is analyzed. As the confinement width of the system becomes comparable with the Debye length, the overlapped electric double layer (EDL) is influenced and significantly deformed by the steric effects. The osmotic pressure from the modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation in nanoslit is obtained. Due to nonlinear nature of the modified PB equation, the solution is obtained through numerical method. Afterwards, the electrocapillarity due to the steric effect is analyzed under constant surface potential condition at the walls of the nanoslit along with the flat interface assumption.

Correlation potential of a test ion near a strongly charged plate.

PubMed

Lu, Bing-Sui; Xing, Xiangjun

2014-03-01

We analytically calculate the correlation potential of a test ion near a strongly charged plate inside a dilute m:-n electrolyte. We do this by calculating the electrostatic Green's function in the presence of a nonlinear background potential, the latter having been obtained using the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann theory. We consider the general case where the dielectric constants of the plate and the electrolyte are distinct. The following generic results emerge from our analyses: (1) If the distance to the plate Δz is much larger than a Gouy-Chapman length, the plate surface will behave effectively as an infinitely charged surface, and the dielectric constant of the plate effectively plays no role. (2) If Δz is larger than a Gouy-Chapman length but shorter than a Debye length, the correlation potential can be interpreted in terms of an image charge that is three times larger than the source charge. This behavior is independent of the valences of the ions. (3) The Green's function vanishes inside the plate if the surface charge density is infinitely large; hence the electrostatic potential is constant there. In this respect, a strongly charged plate behaves like a conductor plate. (4) If Δz is smaller than a Gouy-Chapman length, the correlation potential is dominated by the conventional image charge due to the dielectric discontinuity at the interface. (5) If Δz is larger than a Debye length, the leading order behavior of the correlation potential will depend on the valences of the ions in the electrolyte. Furthermore, inside an asymmetric electrolyte, the correlation potential is singly screened, i.e., it undergoes exponential decay with a decay width equal to the Debye length.

Cellulosic nanowhiskers. Theory and application of light scattering from polydisperse spheroids in the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye regime.

PubMed

Braun, Birgit; Dorgan, John R; Chandler, John P

2008-04-01

Mathematical treatment of light scattering within the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye limit for spheroids with polydispersity in both length and diameter is developed and experimentally tested using cellulosic nanowhiskers (CNW). Polydispersity indices are obtained by fitting the theoretical formfactor to experimental data. Good agreement is achieved using a polydispersity of 2.3 for the length, independent of the type of acid used. Diameter polydispersities are 2.1 and 3.0 for sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, respectively. These polydispersities allow the determination of average dimensions from the z-average mean-square radius (z) and the weight-average molecular weight (M w) easily obtained from Berry plots. For cotton linter hydrolyzed by hydrochloric acid, the average length and diameter are 244 and 22 nm. This compares to average length and diameter of 272 and 13 nm for sulfuric acid. This study establishes a new light-scattering methodology as a quick and robust tool for size characterization of polydisperse spheroidal nanoparticles.

Study of microvascular non-Newtonian blood flow modulated by electroosmosis.

PubMed

Tripathi, Dharmendra; Yadav, Ashu; Anwar Bég, O; Kumar, Rakesh

2018-05-01

An analytical study of microvascular non-Newtonian blood flow is conducted incorporating the electro-osmosis phenomenon. Blood is considered as a Bingham rheological aqueous ionic solution. An externally applied static axial electrical field is imposed on the system. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation for electrical potential distribution is implemented to accommodate the electrical double layer in the microvascular regime. With long wavelength, lubrication and Debye-Hückel approximations, the boundary value problem is rendered non-dimensional. Analytical solutions are derived for the axial velocity, volumetric flow rate, pressure gradient, volumetric flow rate, averaged volumetric flow rate along one time period, pressure rise along one wavelength and stream function. A plug swidth is featured in the solutions. Via symbolic software (Mathematica), graphical plots are generated for the influence of Bingham plug flow width parameter, electrical Debye length and Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity (maximum electro-osmotic velocity) on the key hydrodynamic variables. This study reveals that blood flow rate accelerates with decreasing the plug width (i.e. viscoplastic nature of fluids) and also with increasing the Debye length parameter. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Streaming current magnetic fields in a charged nanopore

PubMed Central

Mansouri, Abraham; Taheri, Peyman; Kostiuk, Larry W.

2016-01-01

Magnetic fields induced by currents created in pressure driven flows inside a solid-state charged nanopore were modeled by numerically solving a system of steady state continuum partial differential equations, i.e., Poisson, Nernst-Planck, Ampere and Navier-Stokes equations (PNPANS). This analysis was based on non-dimensional transport governing equations that were scaled using Debye length as the characteristic length scale, and applied to a finite length cylindrical nano-channel. The comparison of numerical and analytical studies shows an excellent agreement and verified the magnetic fields density both inside and outside the nanopore. The radially non-uniform currents resulted in highly non-uniform magnetic fields within the nanopore that decay as 1/r outside the nanopore. It is worth noting that for either streaming currents or streaming potential cases, the maximum magnetic field occurred inside the pore in the vicinity of nanopore wall, as opposed to a cylindrical conductor that carries a steady electric current where the maximum magnetic fields occur at the perimeter of conductor. Based on these results, it is suggested and envisaged that non-invasive external magnetic fields readouts generated by streaming/ionic currents may be viewed as secondary electronic signatures of biomolecules to complement and enhance current DNA nanopore sequencing techniques. PMID:27833119

Fields in laser-ablated plasmas generalized to degenerate electrons and to Fermi energy in nuclei with change to quark-gluon plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hora, Heinrich; Miley, George H.; Osman, Frederick; Hammerling, Peter X.

2004-09-01

The studies of laser ablation have lead to a new theory of nuclei, endothermic nuclei generation and quark-gluon plasmas. The surface of ablated plasma expanding into vacuum after high power laser irradiation of targets, contains an electric double layer having the thickness of the Debye length. This led to the discovery of surface tension of plasmas and to the internal dynamic electric fields in all inhomogeneous plasmas. The surface causes stabilization by short length surface waves smoothing the expanding plasma plume. Generalizing this to the degenerate electrons in a metal with the Fermi energy instead of the temperature, resulted in the surface tension of metals in agreement with measurements. Taking then the Fermi energy in the Debye length for nucleons results in a theory of nuclei with stable confinement of protons and neutrons just at the well known nuclear density, and in the Debye length equal to Hofstadter's decay of the nuclear surface. Increasing the nuclear density by a factor of 6 leads to the change of the Fermi energy into its relativistic branch where no surface energy is possible and the particle mass is not defined, permitting the quark-gluon plasma. Expansion of this higher density at the big band or in a supernova results in nucleation and element generation. The Boltzmann equilibrium permits the synthesis of nuclei even in the endothermic range limited to about uranium.

Laboratory observation of electron phase-space holes during magnetic reconnection.

PubMed

Fox, W; Porkolab, M; Egedal, J; Katz, N; Le, A

2008-12-19

We report the observation of large-amplitude, nonlinear electrostatic structures, identified as electron phase-space holes, during magnetic reconnection experiments on the Versatile Toroidal Facility at MIT. The holes are positive electric potential spikes, observed on high-bandwidth ( approximately 2 GHz) Langmuir probes. Investigations with multiple probes establish that the holes travel at or above the electron thermal speed and have a three-dimensional, approximately spherical shape, with a scale size approximately 2 mm. This corresponds to a few electron gyroradii, or many tens of Debye lengths, which is large compared to holes considered in simulations and observed by satellites, whose length scale is typically only a few Debye lengths. Finally, a statistical study over many discharges confirms that the holes appear in conjunction with the large inductive electric fields and the creation of energetic electrons associated with the magnetic energy release.

Structure and dynamics of hyaluronic acid semidilute solutions: a dielectric spectroscopy study.

PubMed

Vuletić, T; Dolanski Babić, S; Ivek, T; Grgicin, D; Tomić, S; Podgornik, R

2010-07-01

Dielectric spectroscopy is used to investigate fundamental length scales describing the structure of hyaluronic acid sodium salt (Na-HA) semidilute aqueous solutions. In salt-free regime, the length scale of the relaxation mode detected in MHz range scales with HA concentration as c(HA)(-0.5) and corresponds to the de Gennes-Pfeuty-Dobrynin correlation length of polyelectrolytes in semidilute solution. The same scaling was observed for the case of long, genomic DNA. Conversely, the length scale of the mode detected in kilohertz range also varies with HA concentration as c(HA)(-0.5) which differs from the case of DNA (c(DNA)(-0.25)). The observed behavior suggests that the relaxation in the kilohertz range reveals the de Gennes-Dobrynin renormalized Debye screening length, and not the average size of the chain, as the pertinent length scale. Similarly, with increasing added salt the electrostatic contribution to the HA persistence length is observed to scale as the Debye length, contrary to scaling pertinent to the Odijk-Skolnick-Fixman electrostatic persistence length observed in the case of DNA. We argue that the observed features of the kilohertz range relaxation are due to much weaker electrostatic interactions that lead to the absence of Manning condensation as well as a rather high flexibility of HA as compared to DNA.

Experimental confirmation of stable, small-debye-length, pure-electron-plasma equilibria in a stellarator.

PubMed

Kremer, J P; Pedersen, T Sunn; Lefrancois, R G; Marksteiner, Q

2006-09-01

The creation of the first small-Debye length, low temperature pure electron plasmas in a stellarator is reported. A confinement time of 20 ms has been measured. The long confinement time implies the existence of macroscopically stable equilibria and that the single particle orbits are well confined despite the lack of quasisymmetry in the device, the Columbia non-neutral torus. This confirms the beneficial confinement effects of strong electric fields and the resulting rapid E x B rotation of the electrons. The particle confinement time is presently limited by the presence of bulk insulating materials in the plasma, rather than any intrinsic plasma transport processes. A nearly flat temperature profile is seen in the inner part of the plasma.

XAFS Debye-Waller Factors Temperature-Dependent Expressions for Fe+2-Porphyrin Complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimakis, Nicholas; Bunker, Grant

2007-02-01

We present an efficient and accurate method for directly calculating single and multiple scattering X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) thermal Debye-Waller factors for Fe+2 -porphiryn complexes. The number of multiple scattering Debye-Waller factors on metal porphyrin centers exceeds the number of available parameters that XAFS experimental data can support during fitting with simulated spectra. Using the Density Functional Theory (DFT) under the hybrid functional of X3LYP, phonon normal mode spectrum properties are used to express the mean square variation of the half-scattering path length for a Fe+2 -porphiryn complex as a function of temperature for the most important single and multiple scattering paths of the complex thus virtually eliminating them from the fitting procedure. Modeled calculations are compared with corresponding values obtained from DFT-built and optimized Fe+2 -porphyrin bis-histidine structure as well as from experimental XAFS spectra previously reported. An excellent agreement between calculated and reference Debye-Waller factors for Fe+2-porphyrins is obtained.

Transition from single to multiple double layers. [of plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, C.; Hershkowitz, N.

1982-01-01

Laboratory results are presented to define parameters which allow the boundary conditions to control the characteristics of double layers of plasma. It is shown that multiple double layers arise when the ratio of Debye length to system length decreases, a result which is in line with boundary layer theory. The significance of inclusion of the system length is noted to render BGK treatments of double layers, wherein the length is neglected, invalid.

Dressing effects on the occurrence scattering time retardation and advance in a dusty plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Myoung-Jae; Jung, Young-Dae; Hanyang Plasma Team

2017-10-01

The dressing effects on the occurrence scattering time for the dust-dust interaction are investigated in a complex plasma. The first-order eikonal analysis is applied to obtain the scattering amplitude and the occurrence scattering time for the dust-dust interaction. The result shows that dressing effect enhances the retardation phenomena of the occurrence scattering time in the forward scattering domain. It is shown that the oscillatory behavior of the scaled occurrence scattering time is getting more significant with an increase of the Debye length. It is also found that the retardation domain of the occurrence scattering time increases with a decrease of the Debye length. The variation of the occurrence scattering time retardation and advance due to the dressing effect is also discussed.

Effect of screening on the transport of polyelectrolytes through nanopores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oukhaled, G.; Bacri, L.; Mathé, J.; Pelta, J.; Auvray, L.

2008-05-01

We study the transport of dextran sulfate molecules (Mw=8000 Da) through a bacterial α-hemolysin channel inserted into a bilayer lipid membrane submitted to an external electric field. We detect the current blockades induced by the molecules threading through one pore and vary the ionic strength in an unexplored range starting at 10-3 M. In the conditions of the experiment, the polyelectrolyte molecules enter the pore only if the Debye screening length is smaller than the pore radius in agreement with theory. We also observe that large potentials favour the passage of the molecules. The distribution of blockade durations suggests that a complex process governs the kinetics of the molecules. The dwelling time increases sharply as the Debye length increases and approaches the pore radius.

Electrostatic attraction between overall neutral surfaces.

PubMed

Adar, Ram M; Andelman, David; Diamant, Haim

2016-08-01

Two overall neutral surfaces with positively and negatively charged domains ("patches") have been shown in recent experiments to exhibit long-range attraction when immersed in an ionic solution. Motivated by the experiments, we calculate analytically the osmotic pressure between such surfaces within the Poisson-Boltzmann framework, using a variational principle for the surface-averaged free energy. The electrostatic potential, calculated beyond the linear Debye-Hückel theory, yields an overall attraction at large intersurface separations, over a wide range of the system's controlled length scales. In particular, the attraction is stronger and occurs at smaller separations for surface patches of larger size and charge density. In this large patch limit, we find that the attraction-repulsion crossover separation is inversely proportional to the square of the patch-charge density and to the Debye screening length.

First-Principles Investigation of Mechanical and Thermodynamic Properties of Nickel Silicides at Finite Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Zhiqin; Zhao, Yuhong; Hou, Hua; Chen, Liwen

2018-05-01

First-principles calculations are performed to investigate lattice parameters, elastic constants and 3D directional Young's modulus E of nickel silicides (i.e., β-Ni3Si, δ-Ni2Si, θ-Ni2Si, ɛ-NiSi, and θ-Ni2Si), and thermodynamic properties, such as the Debye temperature, heat capacity, volumetric thermal expansion coefficient, at finite temperature are also explored in combination with the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The calculated results are in a good agreement with available experimental and theoretical values. The five compounds demonstrate elastic anisotropy. The dependence on the direction of stiffness is the greatest for δ-Ni2Si and θ-Ni2Si, when the stress is applied, while that for β-Ni3Si is minimal. The bulk modulus B reduces with increasing temperature, implying that the resistance to volume deformation will weaken with temperature, and the capacity gradually descend for the compound sequence of β-Ni3Si > δ-Ni2Si > θ-Ni2Si > ɛ-NiSi > θ-Ni2Si. The temperature dependence of the Debye temperature ΘD is related to the change of lattice parameters, and ΘD gradually decreases for the compound sequence of ɛ-NiSi > β-Ni3Si > δ-Ni2Si > θ-Ni2Si > θ-Ni2Si. The volumetric thermal expansion coefficient αV, isochoric heat capacity and isobaric heat capacity C p of nickel silicides are proportional to T 3 at low temperature, subsequently, αV and C p show modest linear change at high temperature, whereas C v obeys the Dulong-Petit limit. In addition, β-Ni3Si has the largest capability to store or release heat at high temperature. From the perspective of solid state physics, the thermodynamic properties at finite temperature can be used to guide further experimental works and design of novel nickel-silicon alloys.

Karpman-Washimi magnetization with electron-exchange effects in quantum plasmas

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

Hong, Woo-Pyo; Jamil, M.; Rasheed, A.

2015-07-15

The influence of quantum electron-exchange on the Karpman-Washimi ponderomotive magnetization is investigated in quantum plasmas. The ponderomotive magnetization and the total radiation power due to the non-stationary Karpman-Washimi interaction related to the time-varying field intensity are obtained as functions of the de Broglie wave length, Debye length, and electron-exchange parameter. The result shows that the electron-exchange effect enhances the cyclotron frequency due to the ponderomotive interactions in quantum plasmas. It is also shown that the electron-exchange effect on the Karpman-Washimi magnetization increases with increasing wave number. In addition, the Karpman-Washimi magnetization and the total radiation power increase with an increasemore » in the ratio of the Debye length to the de Broglie wave length. In streaming quantum plasmas, it is shown that the electron-exchange effect enhances the ponderomotive magnetization below the resonant wave number and, however, suppresses the ponderomotive magnetization above the resonant wave number. The variation of the Karpman-Washimi magnetization and the radiation power due to the variation of the electron-exchange effect and plasma parameters is also discussed.« less

Coulomb interactions between cytoplasmic electric fields and phosphorylated messenger proteins optimize information flow in cells.

PubMed

Gatenby, Robert A; Frieden, B Roy

2010-08-11

Normal cell function requires timely and accurate transmission of information from receptors on the cell membrane (CM) to the nucleus. Movement of messenger proteins in the cytoplasm is thought to be dependent on random walk. However, Brownian motion will disperse messenger proteins throughout the cytosol resulting in slow and highly variable transit times. We propose that a critical component of information transfer is an intracellular electric field generated by distribution of charge on the nuclear membrane (NM). While the latter has been demonstrated experimentally for decades, the role of the consequent electric field has been assumed to be minimal due to a Debye length of about 1 nanometer that results from screening by intracellular Cl- and K+. We propose inclusion of these inorganic ions in the Debye-Huckel equation is incorrect because nuclear pores allow transit through the membrane at a rate far faster than the time to thermodynamic equilibrium. In our model, only the charged, mobile messenger proteins contribute to the Debye length. Using this revised model and published data, we estimate the NM possesses a Debye-Huckel length of a few microns and find this is consistent with recent measurement using intracellular nano-voltmeters. We demonstrate the field will accelerate isolated messenger proteins toward the nucleus through Coulomb interactions with negative charges added by phosphorylation. We calculate transit times as short as 0.01 sec. When large numbers of phosphorylated messenger proteins are generated by increasing concentrations of extracellular ligands, we demonstrate they generate a self-screening environment that regionally attenuates the cytoplasmic field, slowing movement but permitting greater cross talk among pathways. Preliminary experimental results with phosphorylated RAF are consistent with model predictions. This work demonstrates that previously unrecognized Coulomb interactions between phosphorylated messenger proteins and intracellular electric fields will optimize information transfer from the CM to the NM in cells.

Near Wake Depletion of Non-Magnetized Bodies Immersed in Mesosonic Plasma Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, K. H.; Stone, N. H.; Samir, U.; Sorensen, J.; Winningham, J. D.

1997-01-01

During the recent TSS-1R mission, measurements of ion depletion in the near wake were obtained at a downstream distance of two body radii from the satellite center. The ratio of satellite radius to Debye length is approximately 150. Similar measurements were also obtained at the same downstream location in the wake of the shuttle during the Spacelab 2 mission of August 1985. In the case of the shuttle, the ratio of body radius to Debye length is greater than 1000. The wake depletion observed in the these two cases, together with data obtained from previous ionospheric satellites and from applicable laboratory experiments involving small bodies, will be compared in order to determine the influence of body size on wake filling. Extrapolation of these results to the case of the moon in the solar wind will be noted.

Calculation of Energy Diagram of Asymmetric Graded-Band-Gap Semiconductor Superlattices.

PubMed

Monastyrskii, Liubomyr S; Sokolovskii, Bogdan S; Alekseichyk, Mariya P

2017-12-01

The paper theoretically investigates the peculiarities of energy diagram of asymmetric graded-band-gap superlattices with linear coordinate dependences of band gap and electron affinity. For calculating the energy diagram of asymmetric graded-band-gap superlattices, linearized Poisson's equation has been solved for the two layers forming a period of the superlattice. The obtained coordinate dependences of edges of the conduction and valence bands demonstrate substantial transformation of the shape of the energy diagram at changing the period of the lattice and the ratio of width of the adjacent layers. The most marked changes in the energy diagram take place when the period of lattice is comparable with the Debye screening length. In the case when the lattice period is much smaller that the Debye screening length, the energy diagram has the shape of a sawtooth-like pattern.

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

Lee, Gyeong Won; Shim, Jaewon; Jung, Young-Dae, E-mail: ydjung@hanyang.ac.kr

The influence of renormalization plasma screening on the entanglement fidelity for the elastic electron-atom scattering is investigated in partially ionized dense hydrogen plasmas. The partial wave analysis and effective interaction potential are employed to obtain the scattering entanglement fidelity in dense hydrogen plasmas as functions of the collision energy, the Debye length, and the renormalization parameter. It is found that the renormalization plasma shielding enhances the scattering entanglement fidelity. Hence, we show that the transmission of the quantum information can be increased about 10% due to the renormalization shielding effect in dense hydrogen plasmas. It is also found that themore » renormalization shielding effect on the entanglement fidelity for the electron-atom collision increases with an increase of the collision energy. In addition, the renormalization shielding function increases with increasing collision energy and saturates to the unity with an increase of the Debye length.« less

Structure determination from XAFS using high-accuracy measurements of x-ray mass attenuation coefficients of silver, 11 keV-28 keV, and development of an all-energies approach to local dynamical analysis of bond length, revealing variation of effective thermal contributions across the XAFS spectrum.

PubMed

Tantau, L J; Chantler, C T; Bourke, J D; Islam, M T; Payne, A T; Rae, N A; Tran, C Q

2015-07-08

We use the x-ray extended range technique (XERT) to experimentally determine the mass attenuation coefficient of silver in the x-ray energy range 11 kev-28 kev including the silver K absorption edge. The results are accurate to better than 0.1%, permitting critical tests of atomic and solid state theory. This is one of the most accurate demonstrations of cross-platform accuracy in synchrotron studies thus far. We derive the mass absorption coefficients and the imaginary component of the form factor over this range. We apply conventional XAFS analytic techniques, extended to include error propagation and uncertainty, yielding bond lengths accurate to approximately 0.24% and thermal Debye-Waller parameters accurate to 30%. We then introduce the FDMX technique for accurate analysis of such data across the full XAFS spectrum, built on full-potential theory, yielding a bond length accuracy of order 0.1% and the demonstration that a single Debye parameter is inadequate and inconsistent across the XAFS range. Two effective Debye-Waller parameters are determined: a high-energy value based on the highly-correlated motion of bonded atoms (σ(DW) = 0.1413(21) Å), and an uncorrelated bulk value (σ(DW) = 0.1766(9) Å) in good agreement with that derived from (room-temperature) crystallography.

Modeling of monolayer charge-stabilized colloidal crystals with static hexagonal crystal lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagatkin, A. N.; Dyshlovenko, P. E.

2018-01-01

The mathematical model of monolayer colloidal crystals of charged hard spheres in liquid electrolyte is proposed. The particles in the monolayer are arranged into the two-dimensional hexagonal crystal lattice. The model enables finding elastic constants of the crystals from the stress-strain dependencies. The model is based on the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann differential equation. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation is solved numerically by the finite element method for any spatial configuration. The model has five geometrical and electrical parameters. The model is used to study the crystal with particles comparable in size with the Debye length of the electrolyte. The first- and second-order elastic constants are found for a broad range of densities. The model crystal turns out to be stable relative to small uniform stretching and shearing. It is also demonstrated that the Cauchy relation is not fulfilled in the crystal. This means that the pair effective interaction of any kind is not sufficient to proper model the elasticity of colloids within the one-component approach.

Electroosmosis in a Finite Cylindrical Pore: Simple Models of End Effects

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

A theoretical model of electroosmosis through a circular pore of radius a that traverses a membrane of thickness h is investigated. Both the cylindrical surface of the pore and the outer surfaces of the membrane are charged. When h ≫ a, end effects are negligible, and the results of full numerical computations of electroosmosis in an infinite pore agree with theory. When h = 0, end effects dominate, and computations again agree with analysis. For intermediate values of h/a, an approximate analysis that combines these two limiting cases captures the main features of computational results when the Debye length κ–1 is small compared with the pore radius a. However, the approximate analysis fails when κ–1 ≫ a, when the charge cloud due to the charged cylindrical walls of the pore spills out of the ends of the pore, and the electroosmotic flow is reduced. When this spilling out is included in the analysis, agreement with computation is restored. PMID:25020257

Long Range Debye-Hückel Correction for Computation of Grid-based Electrostatic Forces Between Biomacromolecules

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

Mereghetti, Paolo; Martinez, M.; Wade, Rebecca C.

Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations can be used to study very large molecular systems, such as models of the intracellular environment, using atomic-detail structures. Such simulations require strategies to contain the computational costs, especially for the computation of interaction forces and energies. A common approach is to compute interaction forces between macromolecules by precomputing their interaction potentials on three-dimensional discretized grids. For long-range interactions, such as electrostatics, grid-based methods are subject to finite size errors. We describe here the implementation of a Debye-Hückel correction to the grid-based electrostatic potential used in the SDA BD simulation software that was applied to simulatemore » solutions of bovine serum albumin and of hen egg white lysozyme.« less

Plasma-screening effects on the electron-impact excitation of hydrogenic ions in dense plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jung, Young-Dae

1993-01-01

Plasma-screening effects are investigated on electron-impact excitation of hydrogenic ions in dense plasmas. Scaled cross sections Z(exp 4) sigma for 1s yields 2s and 1s yields 2p are obtained for a Debye-Hueckel model of the screened Coulomb interaction. Ground and excited bound wave functions are modified in the screened Coulomb potential (Debye-Hueckel model) using the Ritz variation method. The resulting atomic wave functions and their eigenenergies agree well with the numerical and high-order perturbation theory calculations for the interesting domain of the Debye length not less than 10. The Born approximation is used to describe the continuum states of the projectile electron. Plasma screening effects on the atomic electrons cannot be neglected in the high-density cases. Including these effects, the cross sections are appreciably increased for 1s yields 2s transitions and decreased for 1s yields 2p transitions.

Debye screening of dislocations.

PubMed

Groma, I; Györgyi, G; Kocsis, B

2006-04-28

Debye-like screening by edge dislocations of some externally given stress is studied by means of a variational approach to coarse grained field theory. Explicitly given are the force field and the induced geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) distribution, in the special case of a single glide axis in 2D, for (i) a single edge dislocation and (ii) a dislocation wall. Numerical simulation demonstrates that the correlation in relaxed dislocation configurations is in good agreement with the induced GND in case (i). Furthermore, the result (ii) well predicts the experimentally observed decay length for the GND developing close to grain boundaries.

Order of wetting transitions in electrolyte solutions.

PubMed

Ibagon, Ingrid; Bier, Markus; Dietrich, S

2014-05-07

For wetting films in dilute electrolyte solutions close to charged walls we present analytic expressions for their effective interface potentials. The analysis of these expressions renders the conditions under which corresponding wetting transitions can be first- or second-order. Within mean field theory we consider two models, one with short- and one with long-ranged solvent-solvent and solvent-wall interactions. The analytic results reveal in a transparent way that wetting transitions in electrolyte solutions, which occur far away from their critical point (i.e., the bulk correlation length is less than half of the Debye length) are always first-order if the solvent-solvent and solvent-wall interactions are short-ranged. In contrast, wetting transitions close to the bulk critical point of the solvent (i.e., the bulk correlation length is larger than the Debye length) exhibit the same wetting behavior as the pure, i.e., salt-free, solvent. If the salt-free solvent is governed by long-ranged solvent-solvent as well as long-ranged solvent-wall interactions and exhibits critical wetting, adding salt can cause the occurrence of an ion-induced first-order thin-thick transition which precedes the subsequent continuous wetting as for the salt-free solvent.

Simulation of radial expansion of an electron beam injected into a background plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koga, J.; Lin, C. S.

1989-01-01

A 2-D electrostatic particle code was used to study the beam radial expansion of a nonrelativistic electron beam injected from an isolated equipotential conductor into a background plasma. The simulations indicate that the beam radius is generally proportional to the beam electron gyroradius when the conductor is charged to a large potential. The simulations also suggest that the charge buildup at the beam stagnation point causes the beam radial expansion. From a survey of the simulation results, it is found that the ratio of the beam radius to the beam electron gyroradius increases with the square root of beam density and decreases inversely with beam injection velocity. This dependence is explained in terms of the ratio of the beam electron Debye length to the ambient electron Debye length. These results are most applicable to the SEPAC electron beam injection experiments from Spacelab 1, where high charging potential was observed.

Underscreening in ionic liquids: a first principles analysis.

PubMed

Rotenberg, Benjamin; Bernard, Olivier; Hansen, Jean-Pierre

2018-02-07

An attempt is made to understand the underscreening effect, observed in concentrated electrolyte solutions or melts, on the basis of simple, admittedly crude models involving charged (for the ions) and neutral (for the solvent molecules) hard spheres. The thermodynamic and structural properties of these 'primitive' and 'semi-primitive' models are calculated within mean spherical approximation, which provides the basic input required to determine the partial density response functions. The screening length [Formula: see text], which is unambiguously defined in terms of the wave-number-dependent response functions, exhibits a cross-over from a low density, Debye-like regime, to a regime where [Formula: see text] increases with density beyond a critical density at which the Debye length [Formula: see text] becomes comparable to the ion diameter. In this high density regime the ratio [Formula: see text] increases according to a power law, in qualitative agreement with experimental measurements, albeit at a much slower rate.

Underscreening in ionic liquids: a first principles analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rotenberg, Benjamin; Bernard, Olivier; Hansen, Jean-Pierre

2018-02-01

An attempt is made to understand the underscreening effect, observed in concentrated electrolyte solutions or melts, on the basis of simple, admittedly crude models involving charged (for the ions) and neutral (for the solvent molecules) hard spheres. The thermodynamic and structural properties of these ‘primitive’ and ‘semi-primitive’ models are calculated within mean spherical approximation, which provides the basic input required to determine the partial density response functions. The screening length λS , which is unambiguously defined in terms of the wave-number-dependent response functions, exhibits a cross-over from a low density, Debye-like regime, to a regime where λS increases with density beyond a critical density at which the Debye length λD becomes comparable to the ion diameter. In this high density regime the ratio λ_S/λD increases according to a power law, in qualitative agreement with experimental measurements, albeit at a much slower rate.

Surface forces between colloidal particles at high hydrostatic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilat, D. W.; Pouligny, B.; Best, A.; Nick, T. A.; Berger, R.; Butt, H.-J.

2016-02-01

It was recently suggested that the electrostatic double-layer force between colloidal particles might weaken at high hydrostatic pressure encountered, for example, in deep seas or during oil recovery. We have addressed this issue by means of a specially designed optical trapping setup that allowed us to explore the interaction of a micrometer-sized glass bead and a solid glass wall in water at hydrostatic pressures of up to 1 kbar. The setup allowed us to measure the distance between bead and wall with a subnanometer resolution. We have determined the Debye lengths in water for salt concentrations of 0.1 and 1 mM. We found that in the pressure range from 1 bar to 1 kbar the maximum variation of the Debye lengths was <1 nm for both salt concentrations. Furthermore, the magnitude of the zeta potentials of the glass surfaces in water showed no dependency on pressure.

Effect of double layers on magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lysak, Robert L.; Hudson, Mary K.

1987-01-01

The Earth's auroral zone contains dynamic processes occurring on scales from the length of an auroral zone field line which characterizes Alfven wave propagation to the scale of microscopic processes which occur over a few Debye lengths. These processes interact in a time-dependent fashion since the current carried by the Alfven waves can excite microscopic turbulence which can in turn provide dissipation of the Alfven wave energy. This review will first describe the dynamic aspects of auroral current structures with emphasis on consequences for models of microscopic turbulence. A number of models of microscopic turbulence will be introduced into a large-scale model of Alfven wave propagation to determine the effect of various models on the overall structure of auroral currents. In particular, the effects of a double layer electric field which scales with the plasma temperature and Debye length is compared with the effect of anomalous resistivity due to electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence in which the electric field scales with the magnetic field strength. It is found that the double layer model is less diffusive than in the resistive model leading to the possibility of narrow, intense current structures.

Oligoyne Molecular Junctions for Efficient Room Temperature Thermoelectric Power Generation.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Hatef; Sangtarash, Sara; Lambert, Colin J

2015-11-11

Understanding phonon transport at a molecular scale is fundamental to the development of high-performance thermoelectric materials for the conversion of waste heat into electricity. We have studied phonon and electron transport in alkane and oligoyne chains of various lengths and find that, due to the more rigid nature of the latter, the phonon thermal conductances of oligoynes are counterintuitively lower than that of the corresponding alkanes. The thermal conductance of oligoynes decreases monotonically with increasing length, whereas the thermal conductance of alkanes initially increases with length and then decreases. This difference in behavior arises from phonon filtering by the gold electrodes and disappears when higher-Debye-frequency electrodes are used. Consequently a molecule that better transmits higher-frequency phonon modes, combined with a low-Debye-frequency electrode that filters high-energy phonons is a viable strategy for suppressing phonon transmission through the molecular junctions. The low thermal conductance of oligoynes, combined with their higher thermopower and higher electrical conductance lead to a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit of ZT = 1.4, which is several orders of magnitude higher than that of alkanes.

Electro-kinetically driven peristaltic transport of viscoelastic physiological fluids through a finite length capillary: Mathematical modeling.

PubMed

Tripathi, Dharmendra; Yadav, Ashu; Bég, O Anwar

2017-01-01

Analytical solutions are developed for the electro-kinetic flow of a viscoelastic biological liquid in a finite length cylindrical capillary geometry under peristaltic waves. The Jefferys' non-Newtonian constitutive model is employed to characterize rheological properties of the fluid. The unsteady conservation equations for mass and momentum with electro-kinetic and Darcian porous medium drag force terms are reduced to a system of steady linearized conservation equations in an axisymmetric coordinate system. The long wavelength, creeping (low Reynolds number) and Debye-Hückel linearization approximations are utilized. The resulting boundary value problem is shown to be controlled by a number of parameters including the electro-osmotic parameter, Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity (maximum electro-osmotic velocity), and Jefferys' first parameter (ratio of relaxation and retardation time), wave amplitude. The influence of these parameters and also time on axial velocity, pressure difference, maximum volumetric flow rate and streamline distributions (for elucidating trapping phenomena) is visualized graphically and interpreted in detail. Pressure difference magnitudes are enhanced consistently with both increasing electro-osmotic parameter and Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity, whereas they are only elevated with increasing Jefferys' first parameter for positive volumetric flow rates. Maximum time averaged flow rate is enhanced with increasing electro-osmotic parameter, Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity and Jefferys' first parameter. Axial flow is accelerated in the core (plug) region of the conduit with greater values of electro-osmotic parameter and Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity whereas it is significantly decelerated with increasing Jefferys' first parameter. The simulations find applications in electro-osmotic (EO) transport processes in capillary physiology and also bio-inspired EO pump devices in chemical and aerospace engineering. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dusty plasma ring model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheridan, T. E.

2009-12-01

A model of a dusty plasma (Yukawa) ring is presented. We consider n identical particles confined in a two-dimensional (2D) annular potential well and interacting through a Debye (i.e. Yukawa or screened Coulomb) potential. Equilibrium configurations are computed versus n, the Debye shielding parameter and the trap radius. When the particle separation exceeds a critical value the particles form a 1D chain with a ring topology. Below the critical separation the zigzag instability gives a 2D configuration. Computed critical separations are shown to agree well with a theoretical prediction for the zigzag threshold. Normal mode spectra for 1D rings are computed and found to be in excellent agreement with the longitudinal and transverse dispersion relations for unbounded straight chains. When the longitudinal and transverse dispersion relations intersect we observe a resonance due to the finite curvature of the ring.

Anomalous properties of the acoustic excitations in glasses on the mesoscopic length scale.

PubMed

Monaco, Giulio; Mossa, Stefano

2009-10-06

The low-temperature thermal properties of dielectric crystals are governed by acoustic excitations with large wavelengths that are well described by plane waves. This is the Debye model, which rests on the assumption that the medium is an elastic continuum, holds true for acoustic wavelengths large on the microscopic scale fixed by the interatomic spacing, and gradually breaks down on approaching it. Glasses are characterized as well by universal low-temperature thermal properties that are, however, anomalous with respect to those of the corresponding crystalline phases. Related universal anomalies also appear in the low-frequency vibrational density of states and, despite a longstanding debate, remain poorly understood. By using molecular dynamics simulations of a model monatomic glass of extremely large size, we show that in glasses the structural disorder undermines the Debye model in a subtle way: The elastic continuum approximation for the acoustic excitations breaks down abruptly on the mesoscopic, medium-range-order length scale of approximately 10 interatomic spacings, where it still works well for the corresponding crystalline systems. On this scale, the sound velocity shows a marked reduction with respect to the macroscopic value. This reduction turns out to be closely related to the universal excess over the Debye model prediction found in glasses at frequencies of approximately 1 THz in the vibrational density of states or at temperatures of approximately 10 K in the specific heat.

Angular Distribution and Linear Polarization of X-ray Radiation Resulting from Electron Impact Excitation of Highly Charged Ions in Debye Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhanbin

2018-05-01

Plasma-screening effects on the 1s _{1/2} → 2l (l = s , p ) and 1s _{1/2} → 3d _{3/2} electron-impact excitation of highly charged ions are investigated, together with their subsequent radiative decay. The analysis is performed based on the multi-configuration Dirac-Fock method and the fully relativistic distorted-wave method incorporating the Debye-Hückel potential. To explore the nature of the effects, calculations are carried out based on detailed analyses of the integrated total and magnetic sublevel cross sections, the alignment parameters, the linear polarizations, and the angular distribution of the X-ray photoemission, as well as on corresponding data calculated in various Debye lengths/environments, taking the 2p _{3/2}→ 1s _{1/2} and 3d _{3/2}→ 1s _{1/2} characteristic lines of H-like Fe^{25+} ion as an example. The present results are compared with experimental data and other theoretical predictions where available.

Direct measurement of the plasma screening length and surface potential near the lunar terminator

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

Benson, J.

1977-05-01

Direct measurement of the lunar dayside surface potential and screening length has been made by the suprathermal ion detector experiment (Side) near the terminator. In a region 20degree--30degree from the terminator at the Apollo 14 and 15 sites the surface potential is found to be approximately 50 V negative, and the screening length to be about 1 km. This value of the screening length is more than 2 orders of magnitude greater than the solar wind 'Debye' length. The strong negative surface potential in this region may be due to enhanced temperature and density of the solar wind plasma.

Direct measurement of the plasma screening length and surface potential near the lunar terminator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, J.

1977-01-01

Direct measurement of the lunar dayside surface potential and screening length has been made by the suprathermal ion detector experiment (Side) near the terminator. In a region 20-30 deg from the terminator at the Apollo 14 and 15 sites the surface potential is found to be approximately 50 V negative, and the screening length to be about 1 km. This value of the screening length is more than 2 orders of magnitude greater than the solar wind 'Debye' length. The strong negative surface potential in this region may be due to enhanced temperature and density of the solar wind plasma.

Kinetic Theory of Plasmas

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

RTO-EN-AVT-162 means of a Coulomb potential screened at the Debye length (Delcroix and Bers, 1984; Balescu , 1988). 4. The plasma is composed of...Theory of Plasmas 2 - 28 RTO-EN-AVT-162 References Balescu , R. (1988). Transport Processes in Plasmas. Elsevier, Amsterdam. Barth, T. (2008

Low Mach number fluctuating hydrodynamics for electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Péraud, Jean-Philippe; Nonaka, Andy; Chaudhri, Anuj; Bell, John B.; Donev, Aleksandar; Garcia, Alejandro L.

2016-11-01

We formulate and study computationally the low Mach number fluctuating hydrodynamic equations for electrolyte solutions. We are interested in studying transport in mixtures of charged species at the mesoscale, down to scales below the Debye length, where thermal fluctuations have a significant impact on the dynamics. Continuing our previous work on fluctuating hydrodynamics of multicomponent mixtures of incompressible isothermal miscible liquids [A. Donev et al., Phys. Fluids 27, 037103 (2015), 10.1063/1.4913571], we now include the effect of charged species using a quasielectrostatic approximation. Localized charges create an electric field, which in turn provides additional forcing in the mass and momentum equations. Our low Mach number formulation eliminates sound waves from the fully compressible formulation and leads to a more computationally efficient quasi-incompressible formulation. We demonstrate our ability to model saltwater (NaCl) solutions in both equilibrium and nonequilibrium settings. We show that our algorithm is second order in the deterministic setting and for length scales much greater than the Debye length gives results consistent with an electroneutral approximation. In the stochastic setting, our model captures the predicted dynamics of equilibrium and nonequilibrium fluctuations. We also identify and model an instability that appears when diffusive mixing occurs in the presence of an applied electric field.

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

Filippov, A. V., E-mail: fav@triniti.ru

The interaction of two charged point macroparticles located in Wigner–Seitz cells of simple cubic (SC), body-centered cubic (BCC), or face-centered cubic (FCC) lattices in an equilibrium plasma has been studied within the Debye approximation or, more specifically, based on the linearized Poisson–Boltzmann model. The shape of the outer boundary is shown to exert a strong influence on the pattern of electrostatic interaction between the two macroparticles, which transforms from repulsion at small interparticle distances to attraction as the interparticle distance approaches half the length of the computational cell. The macroparticle pair interaction potential in an equilibrium plasma is shown tomore » be nevertheless the Debye one and purely repulsive for likely charged macroparticles.« less

ADE-FDTD Scattered-Field Formulation for Dispersive Materials

PubMed Central

Kong, Soon-Cheol; Simpson, Jamesina J.; Backman, Vadim

2009-01-01

This Letter presents a scattered-field formulation for modeling dispersive media using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Specifically, the auxiliary differential equation method is applied to Drude and Lorentz media for a scattered field FDTD model. The present technique can also be applied in a straightforward manner to Debye media. Excellent agreement is achieved between the FDTD-calculated and exact theoretical results for the reflection coefficient in half-space problems. PMID:19844602

ADE-FDTD Scattered-Field Formulation for Dispersive Materials.

PubMed

Kong, Soon-Cheol; Simpson, Jamesina J; Backman, Vadim

2008-01-01

This Letter presents a scattered-field formulation for modeling dispersive media using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Specifically, the auxiliary differential equation method is applied to Drude and Lorentz media for a scattered field FDTD model. The present technique can also be applied in a straightforward manner to Debye media. Excellent agreement is achieved between the FDTD-calculated and exact theoretical results for the reflection coefficient in half-space problems.

Small Angle Neutron Scattering Studies on Blends of Poly (Styrene-ran-Vinyl Phenol) with Liquid Crystalline Polyurethane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Rujul

2005-03-01

Molecular composites, composed of uniformly dispersed rigid-rod liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) molecules in a flexible amorphous polymer matrix, have remained hitherto elusive due to a scarcity of miscible systems containing a LCP and an amorphous polymer. The production of such a blend, with an experimentally accessible miscibility window, has become possible by modifying the architecture of the flexible polymer, so as to induce favorable intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Specifically, liquid crystalline polyurethanes (LCPU) are found to be miscible with a copolymer of styrene and vinyl phenol; with optimum hydrogen bonding between the carbonyl groups of the urethane linkages and the hydroxyl groups present in the styrenic matrix. Availability of a truly miscible molecular composite presents a unique opportunity of studying the confirmation of polymer chains containing rigid-rods that are uniformly dispersed in a flexible coil matrix. A system consisting of the LCPU and the deuterated styrenic copolymer containing 20% vinyl phenol is examined by Small Angle Neutron Scattering at the National Center for Neutron Research at Gaithersburg and Technology, and the Institute of Solid State Research (IFF) at Jülich. Scattering curves for neat dPS-VPh did not fit the Debye-Bueche model; indicating complex structure. A two correlation length Debye-Bueche model was considered to accommodate for this nonlinear behavior. This model utilizes four fitting parameters, including two correlation lengths a1 and a2, corresponding to a Debye-Bueche model and Guinier model.

A comparison of solar wind and ionospheric ion acoustic waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kintner, P. M.; Kelley, M. C.

1980-01-01

Ion acoustic waves produced during the Trigger experiment are compared to ion acoustic waves observed in the solar wind. After normalizing to the Debye length the spectra are nearly identical, although the ionospheric wave relative energy density is 100 times larger than the solar wind case.

Transport of Multivalent Electrolyte Mixtures in Micro- and Nanochannels

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-08

equations for this process are the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations along with continuity and the Poisson- Nernst -Planck system for the electro- static part...about five times the Debye screening length D (the 1/e lengthscale for the potential from the solution of the linearized Poisson- Boltzmann equation

Quark and Gluon Relaxation in Quark-Gluon Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heiselberg, H.; Pethick, C. J.

1993-01-01

The quasiparticle decay rates for quarks and gluons in quark-gluon plasmas are calculated by solving the kinetic equation. Introducing an infrared cutoff to allow for nonperturbative effects, we evaluate the quasiparticle lifetime at momenta greater than the inverse Debye screening length to leading order in the coupling constant.

Finite difference methods for transient signal propagation in stratified dispersive media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lam, D. H.

1975-01-01

Explicit difference equations are presented for the solution of a signal of arbitrary waveform propagating in an ohmic dielectric, a cold plasma, a Debye model dielectric, and a Lorentz model dielectric. These difference equations are derived from the governing time-dependent integro-differential equations for the electric fields by a finite difference method. A special difference equation is derived for the grid point at the boundary of two different media. Employing this difference equation, transient signal propagation in an inhomogeneous media can be solved provided that the medium is approximated in a step-wise fashion. The solutions are generated simply by marching on in time. It is concluded that while the classical transform methods will remain useful in certain cases, with the development of the finite difference methods described, an extensive class of problems of transient signal propagating in stratified dispersive media can be effectively solved by numerical methods.

Tight ceramic UF membrane as RO pre-treatment: the role of electrostatic interactions on phosphate rejection.

PubMed

Shang, Ran; Verliefde, Arne R D; Hu, Jingyi; Zeng, Zheyi; Lu, Jie; Kemperman, Antoine J B; Deng, Huiping; Nijmeijer, Kitty; Heijman, Sebastiaan G J; Rietveld, Luuk C

2014-01-01

Phosphate limitation has been reported as an effective approach to inhibit biofouling in reverse osmosis (RO) systems for water purification. The rejection of dissolved phosphate by negatively charged TiO2 tight ultrafiltration (UF) membranes (1 kDa and 3 kDa) was observed. These membranes can potentially be adopted as an effective process for RO pre-treatment in order to constrain biofouling by phosphate limitation. This paper focuses on electrostatic interactions during tight UF filtration. Despite the larger pore size, the 3 kDa ceramic membrane exhibited greater phosphate rejection than the 1 kDa membrane, because the 3 kDa membrane has a greater negative surface charge and thus greater electrostatic repulsion against phosphate. The increase of pH from 6 to 8.5 led to a substantial increase in phosphate rejection by both membranes due to increased electrostatic repulsion. At pH 8.5, the maximum phosphate rejections achieved by the 1 kDa and 3 kDa membrane were 75% and 86%, respectively. A Debye ratio (ratio of the Debye length to the pore radius) is introduced in order to evaluate double layer overlapping in tight UF membranes. Threshold Debye ratios were determined as 2 and 1 for the 1 kDa and 3 kDa membranes, respectively. A Debye ratio below the threshold Debye ratio leads to dramatically decreased phosphate rejection by tight UF membranes. The phosphate rejection by the tight UF, in combination with chemical phosphate removal by coagulation, might accomplish phosphate-limited conditions for biological growth and thus prevent biofouling in the RO systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two-dimensional potential double layers and discrete auroras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kan, J. R.; Lee, L. C.; Akasofu, S.-I.

1979-01-01

This paper is concerned with the formation of the acceleration region for electrons which produce the visible auroral arc and with the formation of the inverted V precipitation region. The former is embedded in the latter, and both are associated with field-aligned current sheets carried by plasma sheet electrons. It is shown that an electron current sheet driven from the plasma sheet into the ionosphere leads to the formation of a two-dimensional potential double layer. For a current sheet of a thickness less than the proton gyrodiameter solutions are obtained in which the field-aligned potential drop is distributed over a length much greater than the Debye length. For a current sheet of a thickness much greater than the proton gyrodiameter solutions are obtained in which the potential drop is confined to a distance on the order of the Debye length. The electric field in the two-dimensional double-layer model is the zeroth-order field inherent to the current sheet configuration, in contrast to those models in which the electric field is attributed to the first-order field due to current instabilities or turbulences. The maximum potential in the two-dimensional double-layer models is on the order of the thermal energy of plasma sheet protons, which ranges from 1 to 10 keV.

A nonlinear equation for ionic diffusion in a strong binary electrolyte

PubMed Central

Ghosal, Sandip; Chen, Zhen

2010-01-01

The problem of the one-dimensional electro-diffusion of ions in a strong binary electrolyte is considered. The mathematical description, known as the Poisson–Nernst–Planck (PNP) system, consists of a diffusion equation for each species augmented by transport owing to a self-consistent electrostatic field determined by the Poisson equation. This description is also relevant to other important problems in physics, such as electron and hole diffusion across semiconductor junctions and the diffusion of ions in plasmas. If concentrations do not vary appreciably over distances of the order of the Debye length, the Poisson equation can be replaced by the condition of local charge neutrality first introduced by Planck. It can then be shown that both species diffuse at the same rate with a common diffusivity that is intermediate between that of the slow and fast species (ambipolar diffusion). Here, we derive a more general theory by exploiting the ratio of the Debye length to a characteristic length scale as a small asymptotic parameter. It is shown that the concentration of either species may be described by a nonlinear partial differential equation that provides a better approximation than the classical linear equation for ambipolar diffusion, but reduces to it in the appropriate limit. PMID:21818176

Low Mach number fluctuating hydrodynamics for electrolytes

DOE PAGES

Péraud, Jean-Philippe; Nonaka, Andy; Chaudhri, Anuj; ...

2016-11-18

Here, we formulate and study computationally the low Mach number fluctuating hydrodynamic equations for electrolyte solutions. We are also interested in studying transport in mixtures of charged species at the mesoscale, down to scales below the Debye length, where thermal fluctuations have a significant impact on the dynamics. Continuing our previous work on fluctuating hydrodynamics of multicomponent mixtures of incompressible isothermal miscible liquids (A. Donev, et al., Physics of Fluids, 27, 3, 2015), we now include the effect of charged species using a quasielectrostatic approximation. Localized charges create an electric field, which in turn provides additional forcing in the massmore » and momentum equations. Our low Mach number formulation eliminates sound waves from the fully compressible formulation and leads to a more computationally efficient quasi-incompressible formulation. Furthermore, we demonstrate our ability to model saltwater (NaCl) solutions in both equilibrium and nonequilibrium settings. We show that our algorithm is second-order in the deterministic setting, and for length scales much greater than the Debye length gives results consistent with an electroneutral/ambipolar approximation. In the stochastic setting, our model captures the predicted dynamics of equilibrium and nonequilibrium fluctuations. We also identify and model an instability that appears when diffusive mixing occurs in the presence of an applied electric field.« less

Field-Assisted Splitting of Pure Water Based on Deep-Sub-Debye-Length Nanogap Electrochemical Cells.

PubMed

Wang, Yifei; Narayanan, S R; Wu, Wei

2017-08-22

Owing to the low conductivity of pure water, using an electrolyte is common for achieving efficient water electrolysis. In this paper, we have fundamentally broken through this common sense by using deep-sub-Debye-length nanogap electrochemical cells to achieve efficient electrolysis of pure water (without any added electrolyte) at room temperature. A field-assisted effect resulted from overlapped electrical double layers can greatly enhance water molecules ionization and mass transport, leading to electron-transfer limited reactions. We have named this process "virtual breakdown mechanism" (which is completely different from traditional mechanisms) that couples the two half-reactions together, greatly reducing the energy losses arising from ion transport. This fundamental discovery has been theoretically discussed in this paper and experimentally demonstrated in a group of electrochemical cells with nanogaps between two electrodes down to 37 nm. On the basis of our nanogap electrochemical cells, the electrolysis current density from pure water can be significantly larger than that from 1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution, indicating the much better performance of pure water splitting as a potential for on-demand clean hydrogen production.

Probes, Moons, and Kinetic Plasma Wakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchinson, I. H.; Malaspina, D.; Zhou, C.

2017-10-01

Nonmagnetic objects as varied as probes in tokamaks or moons in space give rise to flowing plasma wakes in which strong distortions of the ion and electron velocity distributions cause electrostatic instabilities. Non-linear phenomena such as electron holes are then produced. Historic probe theory largely ignores the resulting unstable character of the wake, but since we can now simulate computationally the non-linear wake phenomena, a timely challenge is to reassess the influence of these instabilities both on probe measurements and on the wakes themselves. Because the electron instability wavelengths are very short (typically a few Debye-lengths), controlled laboratory experiments face serious challenges in diagnosing them. That is one reason why they have long been neglected as an influence in probe interpretation. Space-craft plasma observations, by contrast, easily obtain sub-Debye-length resolution, but have difficulty with larger-scale reconstruction of the plasma spatial variation. In addition to surveying our developing understanding of wakes in magnetized plasmas, ongoing analysis of Artemis data concerning electron holes observed in the solar-wind lunar wake will be featured. Work partially supported by NASA Grant NNX16AG82G.

Dependence of ion density in the wake of the AE-C satellite on the ratio of body size to Debye length in an (O/sup +/)-dominated plasma

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

Samir, U.; Kaufman, Y.J.; Brace, L.H.

Measurements of electron temperature, satellite potential, ion density and ion composition from the cylindrical electrostatic probe and the Bennett ion mass spectrometer on board the AE-C satellite were used to investigate the influence of the body size parameter R/sub D/=R/sub 0//lambda/sub D/ (where R/sub 0/ is the satellite radius and lambda/sub D/ is the ambient Debye length) on ion distribution in the very near wake. The investigation focused on (O/sup +/) plasmas. It was found that the ratio (..beta..) of density in the wake to ambient density varies with R/sub D/ and that the variation can be described by amore » simple exponential relationship of the form ..beta..=a/sub 0/ exp (a/sub 1/R/sub D/) for 37< or =R/sub D/< or =247 and a/sub 0/=0.006, a/sub 1/=-0.009. the present study extends that of Samir et al. (1979a).« less

Redshift of the Heα emission line of He-like ions under a plasma environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, T. K.; Wu, C. S.; Gao, X.; Chang, T. N.

2017-11-01

By carefully following the spatial and temporal criteria of the Debye-Hückel (DH) approximation, we present a detailed theoretical study on the redshifts of the spectroscopically isolated Heα lines corresponding to the 1 s 2 p 1P →1 s21S emission from two-electron ions embedded in external dense plasma. We first focus our study on the ratio R =Δ ωα/ωo between the redshift Δ ωα due to the external plasma environment and the energy ωo of the Heα line in the absence of the plasma. Interestingly, the result of our calculation shows that this ratio R turns out to vary as a nearly universal function of a reduced Debye length λD(Z ) =(Z -1 ) D . Since the ratio R dictates the necessary energy resolution for a quantitative measurement of the redshifts and, at the same time, the Debye length D is linked directly to the plasma density and temperature, the dependence of R on D should help to facilitate the potential experimental efforts for a quantitative measurement of the redshifts for the Heα line of the two-electron ions. In addition, our study has led to a nearly constant redshift Δ ωα at a given D for all He-like ions with Z between 5 and 18 based on our recent critical assessment of the applicability of the DH approximation to atomic transitions. These two general features, if confirmed by observation, would offer a viable and easy alternative in the diagnostic efforts of the dense plasma.

Anomalies in the equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of correlated ions in complex molecular environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahakrishnan, Sathiya; Chakraborty, Subrata; Vijay, Amrendra

2017-11-01

Emergent statistical attributes, and therefore the equations of state, of an assembly of interacting charge carriers embedded within a complex molecular environment frequently exhibit a variety of anomalies, particularly in the high-density (equivalently, the concentration) regime, which are not well understood, because they do not fall under the low-concentration phenomenologies of Debye-Hückel-Onsager and Poisson-Nernst-Planck, including their variants. To go beyond, we here use physical concepts and mathematical tools from quantum scattering theory, transport theory with the Stosszahlansatz of Boltzmann, and classical electrodynamics (Lorentz gauge) and obtain analytical expressions both for the average and the frequency-wave vector-dependent longitudinal and transverse current densities, diffusion coefficient, and the charge density, and therefore the analytical expressions for (a) the chemical potential, activity coefficient, and the equivalent conductivity for strong electrolytes and (b) the current-voltage characteristics for ion-transport processes in complex molecular environments. Using a method analogous to the notion of Debye length and thence the electrical double layer, we here identify a pair of characteristic length scales (longitudinal and the transverse), which, being wave vector and frequency dependent, manifestly exhibit nontrivial fluctuations in space-time. As a unifying theme, we advance a quantity (inverse length dimension), gscat(a ), which embodies all dynamical interactions, through various quantum scattering lengths, relevant to molecular species a, and the analytical behavior which helps us to rationalize the properties of strong electrolytes, including anomalies, in all concentration regimes. As an example, the behavior of gscat(a ) in the high-concentration regime explains the anomalous increase of the Debye length with concentration, as seen in a recent experiment on electrolyte solutions. We also put forth an extension of the standard diffusion equation, which manifestly incorporates the effects arising from the underlying microscopic collisions among constituent molecular species. Furthermore, we show a nontrivial connection between the current-voltage characteristics of electrolyte solutions and the Landauer's approach to electrical conduction in mesoscopic solids and thereby establish a definite conceptual bridge between the two disjoint subjects. For numerical insight, we present results on the aqueous solution of KCl as an example of strong electrolyte, and the transport (conduction as well as diffusion) of K+ ions in water, as an example of ion transport across the voltage-gated channels in biological cells.

Anomalies in the equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of correlated ions in complex molecular environments.

PubMed

Mahakrishnan, Sathiya; Chakraborty, Subrata; Vijay, Amrendra

2017-11-01

Emergent statistical attributes, and therefore the equations of state, of an assembly of interacting charge carriers embedded within a complex molecular environment frequently exhibit a variety of anomalies, particularly in the high-density (equivalently, the concentration) regime, which are not well understood, because they do not fall under the low-concentration phenomenologies of Debye-Hückel-Onsager and Poisson-Nernst-Planck, including their variants. To go beyond, we here use physical concepts and mathematical tools from quantum scattering theory, transport theory with the Stosszahlansatz of Boltzmann, and classical electrodynamics (Lorentz gauge) and obtain analytical expressions both for the average and the frequency-wave vector-dependent longitudinal and transverse current densities, diffusion coefficient, and the charge density, and therefore the analytical expressions for (a) the chemical potential, activity coefficient, and the equivalent conductivity for strong electrolytes and (b) the current-voltage characteristics for ion-transport processes in complex molecular environments. Using a method analogous to the notion of Debye length and thence the electrical double layer, we here identify a pair of characteristic length scales (longitudinal and the transverse), which, being wave vector and frequency dependent, manifestly exhibit nontrivial fluctuations in space-time. As a unifying theme, we advance a quantity (inverse length dimension), g_{scat}^{(a)}, which embodies all dynamical interactions, through various quantum scattering lengths, relevant to molecular species a, and the analytical behavior which helps us to rationalize the properties of strong electrolytes, including anomalies, in all concentration regimes. As an example, the behavior of g_{scat}^{(a)} in the high-concentration regime explains the anomalous increase of the Debye length with concentration, as seen in a recent experiment on electrolyte solutions. We also put forth an extension of the standard diffusion equation, which manifestly incorporates the effects arising from the underlying microscopic collisions among constituent molecular species. Furthermore, we show a nontrivial connection between the current-voltage characteristics of electrolyte solutions and the Landauer's approach to electrical conduction in mesoscopic solids and thereby establish a definite conceptual bridge between the two disjoint subjects. For numerical insight, we present results on the aqueous solution of KCl as an example of strong electrolyte, and the transport (conduction as well as diffusion) of K^{+} ions in water, as an example of ion transport across the voltage-gated channels in biological cells.

Diffuse-charge dynamics of ionic liquids in electrochemical systems.

PubMed

Zhao, Hui

2011-11-01

We employ a continuum theory of solvent-free ionic liquids accounting for both short-range electrostatic correlations and steric effects (finite ion size) [Bazant et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 046102 (2011)] to study the response of a model microelectrochemical cell to a step voltage. The model problem consists of a 1-1 symmetric ionic liquid between two parallel blocking electrodes, neglecting any transverse transport phenomena. Matched asymptotic expansions in the limit of thin double layers are applied to analyze the resulting one-dimensional equations and study the overall charge-time relation in the weakly nonlinear regime. One important conclusion is that our simple scaling analysis suggests that the length scale √(λ*(D)l*(c)) accurately characterizes the double-layer structure of ionic liquids with strong electrostatic correlations where l*(c) is the electrostatic correlation length (in contrast, the Debye screening length λ*(D) is the primary double-layer length for electrolytes) and the response time of λ(D)(*3/2)L*/(D*l(c)(1/2)) (not λ*(D)L*/D* that is the primary charging time of electrolytes) is the correct charging time scale of ionic liquids with strong electrostatic correlations where D* is the diffusivity and L* is the separation length of the cell. With these two new scales, data of both electric potential versus distance from the electrode and the total diffuse charge versus time collapse onto each individual master curve in the presence of strong electrostatic correlations. In addition, the dependance of the total diffuse charge on steric effects, short-range correlations, and driving voltages is thoroughly examined. The results from the asymptotic analysis are compared favorably with those from full numerical simulations. Finally, the absorption of excess salt by the double layer creates a depletion region outside the double layer. Such salt depletion may bring a correction to the leading order terms and break down the weakly nonlinear analysis. A criterion which justifies the weakly nonlinear analysis is verified with numerical simulations.

Frequency bandwidth limitation of external pulse electric fields in cylindrical micro-channel electrophoresis with analyte velocity modulation.

PubMed

Wang, Shau-Chun; Chen, Hsiao-Ping; Lee, Chia-Yu; Yeo, Leslie Y

2005-04-15

In capillary electrophoresis, effective optical signal quality improvement is obtained when high frequency (>100 Hz) external pulse fields modulate analyte velocities with synchronous lock-in detection. However, the pulse frequency is constrained under a critical value corresponding to the time required for the bulk viscous flow, which arises due to viscous momentum diffusion from the electro-osmotic slip in the Debye layer, to reach steady-state. By solving the momentum diffusion equation for transient bulk flow in the micro-channel, we show that this set-in time to steady-state and hence, the upper limit for the pulse frequency is dependent on the characteristic diffusion length scale and therefore the channel geometry; for cylindrical capillaries, the set-in time is approximately one half of that for rectangular slot channels. From our estimation of the set-in time and hence the upper frequency modulation limit, we propose that the half width of planar channels does not exceed 100 microm and that the radii of cylindrical channels be limited to 140 microm such that there is a finite working bandwidth range above 100 Hz and below the upper limit in order for flicker noise to be effectively suppressed.

Rectification of Ion Current in Nanopipettes by External Substrates

PubMed Central

Shi, Wenqing; Baker, Lane A.

2014-01-01

We describe ion distribution and the current-voltage (i-V) response of nanopipettes at different probe-to-substrate distances (Dps) as simulated by finite-element methods. Results suggest electrostatic interactions between a charged substrate and the nanopipette dominate electrophoretic ion transport through the nanopipette when Dps is within one order of magnitude of the Debye length (~10 nm for a 1 mM solution as employed in the simulation). Ion current rectification (ICR) and permselectivity associated with a neutral or charged nanopipette can be reversibly enhanced or reduced dependent on Dps, charge polarity and charge density (σ) of the substrate. Regulation of nanopipette current is a consequence of the enrichment or depletion of ions within the nanopipette interior which influences conductivity of the nanopipette. When the external substrate is less negatively charged than the nanopipette, the substrate first reduces, and then enhances the ICR as Dps decreases. Surprisingly, both experimental and simulated data show that a neutral substrate was also able to reduce and reverse the ICR of a slightly negatively charged nanopipette. Simulated results ascribe such effects to the elimination of ion depletion within the nanopipette at positive potentials. PMID:24200344

Rectification of ion current in nanopipettes by external substrates.

PubMed

Sa, Niya; Lan, Wen-Jie; Shi, Wenqing; Baker, Lane A

2013-12-23

We describe ion distribution and the current-voltage (i-V) response of nanopipettes at different probe-to-substrate distances (Dps) as simulated by finite-element methods. Results suggest electrostatic interactions between a charged substrate and the nanopipette dominate electrophoretic ion transport through the nanopipette when Dps is within 1 order of magnitude of the Debye length (∼10 nm for a 1 mM solution as employed in the simulation). Ion current rectification (ICR) and permselectivity associated with a neutral or charged nanopipette can be reversibly enhanced or reduced dependent on Dps, charge polarity, and charge density (σ) of the substrate. Regulation of nanopipette current is a consequence of the enrichment or depletion of ions within the nanopipette interior, which influences conductivity of the nanopipette. When the external substrate is less negatively charged than the nanopipette, the substrate first reduces, and then enhances the ICR as Dps decreases. Surprisingly, both experimental and simulated data show that a neutral substrate was also able to reduce and reverse the ICR of a slightly negatively charged nanopipette. Simulated results ascribe such effects to the elimination of ion depletion within the nanopipette at positive potentials.

Comparison of Molecular Dynamics with Classical Density Functional and Poisson–Boltzmann Theories of the Electric Double Layer in Nanochannels

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Comparisons are made among Molecular Dynamics (MD), Classical Density Functional Theory (c-DFT), and Poisson–Boltzmann (PB) modeling of the electric double layer (EDL) for the nonprimitive three component model (3CM) in which the two ion species and solvent molecules are all of finite size. Unlike previous comparisons between c-DFT and Monte Carlo (MC), the present 3CM incorporates Lennard-Jones interactions rather than hard-sphere and hard-wall repulsions. c-DFT and MD results are compared over normalized surface charges ranging from 0.2 to 1.75 and bulk ion concentrations from 10 mM to 1 M. Agreement between the two, assessed by electric surface potential and ion density profiles, is found to be quite good. Wall potentials predicted by PB begin to depart significantly from c-DFT and MD for charge densities exceeding 0.3. Successive layers are observed to charge in a sequential manner such that the solvent becomes fully excluded from each layer before the onset of the next layer. Ultimately, this layer filling phenomenon results in fluid structures, Debye lengths, and electric surface potentials vastly different from the classical PB predictions. PMID:23316120

Debye temperature of metallic nanowires--an experimental determination from the resistance of metallic nanowires in the temperature range 4.2 K-300 K.

PubMed

Bid, Aveek; Bora, Achyut; Raychaudhuri, A K

2007-06-01

We have studied the resistance of metallic nanowires (silver and copper) as a function of the wire diameter in the temperature range 4.2 K-300 K. The nanowires with an average diameter of 15 nm-200 nm and length 6 microm were electrochemically deposited using polycarbonate membranes as template from AgNO3 and CuSO4, respectively. The wires after growth were removed from the membranes by dissolving the polymer in dichloromethane and their crystalline nature confirmed by XRD and TEM studies. The TEM study establishes that the nanowires are single crystalline and can have twin in them. The resistivity data was fitted to Bloch-Gruneisen theorem with the values of Debye temperature and the electron-acoustic phonon coupling constant as the two fit variables. The value of the Debye temperature obtained for the Ag wires was seen to match well with that of the bulk while for Cu wires a significant reduction was observed. The observed increase in resistivity with a decrease in the wire diameter could be explained as due to diffuse surface scattering of the conduction electrons.

Transport regimes spanning magnetization-coupling phase space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baalrud, Scott D.; Daligault, Jérôme

2017-10-01

The manner in which transport properties vary over the entire parameter-space of coupling and magnetization strength is explored. Four regimes are identified based on the relative size of the gyroradius compared to other fundamental length scales: the collision mean free path, Debye length, distance of closest approach, and interparticle spacing. Molecular dynamics simulations of self-diffusion and temperature anisotropy relaxation spanning the parameter space are found to agree well with the predicted boundaries. Comparison with existing theories reveals regimes where they succeed, where they fail, and where no theory has yet been developed.

Polymer Physics Prize Talk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olvera de La Cruz, Monica

Polymer electrolytes have been particularly difficult to describe theoretically given the large number of disparate length scales involved in determining their physical properties. The Debye length, the Bjerrum length, the ion size, the chain length, and the distance between the charges along their backbones determine their structure and their response to external fields. We have developed an approach that uses multi-scale calculations with the capability of demonstrating the phase behavior of polymer electrolytes and of providing a conceptual understanding of how charge dictates nano-scale structure formation. Moreover, our molecular dynamics simulations have provided an understanding of the coupling of their conformation to their dynamics, which is crucial to design self-assembling materials, as well as to explore the dynamics of complex electrolytes for energy storage and conversion applications.

Plasma interaction with emmissive surface with Debye-scale grooves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweigert, Irina; Burton, Thomas S.; Thompson, Gregory B.; Langendorf, Samuel; Walker, Mitchell L. R.; Keidar, Michael

2018-04-01

The sheath development over emissive grooved surface in dc discharge plasma controlled by an electron beam is studied in the experiment and in 2D kinetic simulations. Grooved hexagonal boron nitride surfaces with different aspect ratios, designed to mimic the erosion channels, were exposed to an argon plasma. The characteristic size of the grooves (1 mm and 5 mm) is about of the Debye length. The secondary electrons emission from the grooved surfaces is provided by the bombardment with energetic electrons originated from the heated powered cathode. The transition between a developed and a collapsed sheaths near emissive surface takes place with an increase of the beam electron energy. For grooved emissive surfaces, the sheath transition happens at essentially higher voltage compared to the planar one. This phenomenon is analyzed in the terms of the electron energy distribution function.

Importance of core electrostatic properties on the electrophoresis of a soft particle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De, Simanta; Bhattacharyya, Somnath; Gopmandal, Partha P.

2016-08-01

The impact of the volumetric charged density of the dielectric rigid core on the electrophoresis of a soft particle is analyzed numerically. The volume charge density of the inner core of a soft particle can arise for a dendrimer structure or bacteriophage MS2. We consider the electrokinetic model based on the conservation principles, thus no conditions for Debye length or applied electric field is imposed. The fluid flow equations are coupled with the ion transport equations and the equation for the electric field. The occurrence of the induced nonuniform surface charge density on the outer surface of the inner core leads to a situation different from the existing analysis of a soft particle electrophoresis. The impact of this induced surface charge density together with the double-layer polarization and relaxation due to ion convection and electromigration is analyzed. The dielectric permittivity and the charge density of the core have a significant impact on the particle electrophoresis when the Debye length is in the order of the particle size. We find that by varying the ionic concentration of the electrolyte, the particle can exhibit reversal in its electrophoretic velocity. The role of the polymer layer softness parameter is addressed in the present analysis.

Massive parallel 3D PIC simulation of negative ion extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revel, Adrien; Mochalskyy, Serhiy; Montellano, Ivar Mauricio; Wünderlich, Dirk; Fantz, Ursel; Minea, Tiberiu

2017-09-01

The 3D PIC-MCC code ONIX is dedicated to modeling Negative hydrogen/deuterium Ion (NI) extraction and co-extraction of electrons from radio-frequency driven, low pressure plasma sources. It provides valuable insight on the complex phenomena involved in the extraction process. In previous calculations, a mesh size larger than the Debye length was used, implying numerical electron heating. Important steps have been achieved in terms of computation performance and parallelization efficiency allowing successful massive parallel calculations (4096 cores), imperative to resolve the Debye length. In addition, the numerical algorithms have been improved in terms of grid treatment, i.e., the electric field near the complex geometry boundaries (plasma grid) is calculated more accurately. The revised model preserves the full 3D treatment, but can take advantage of a highly refined mesh. ONIX was used to investigate the role of the mesh size, the re-injection scheme for lost particles (extracted or wall absorbed), and the electron thermalization process on the calculated extracted current and plasma characteristics. It is demonstrated that all numerical schemes give the same NI current distribution for extracted ions. Concerning the electrons, the pair-injection technique is found well-adapted to simulate the sheath in front of the plasma grid.

Low-Voltage High-Performance UV Photodetectors: An Interplay between Grain Boundaries and Debye Length.

PubMed

Bo, Renheng; Nasiri, Noushin; Chen, Hongjun; Caputo, Domenico; Fu, Lan; Tricoli, Antonio

2017-01-25

Accurate detection of UV light by wearable low-power devices has many important applications including environmental monitoring, space to space communication, and defense. Here, we report the structural engineering of ultraporous ZnO nanoparticle networks for fabrication of very low-voltage high-performance UV photodetectors. A record high photo- to dark-current ratio of 3.3 × 10 5 and detectivity of 3.2 × 10 12 Jones at an ultralow operation bias of 2 mV and low UV-light intensity of 86 μW·cm -2 are achieved by controlling the interplay between grain boundaries and surface depletion depth of ZnO nanoscale semiconductors. An optimal window of structural properties is determined by varying the particle size of ultraporous nanoparticle networks from 10 to 42 nm. We find that small electron-depleted nanoparticles (≤40 nm) are necessary to minimize the dark-current; however, the rise in photocurrent is tampered with decreasing particle size due to the increasing density of grain boundaries. These findings reveal that nanoparticles with a size close to twice their Debye length are required for high photo- to dark-current ratio and detectivity, while further decreasing their size decreases the photodetector performance.

Effect of Trapped Ions on Shielding of a Charged Spherical Object in a Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lampe, Martin; Ganguli, Gurudas; Joyce, Glenn; Gavrishchaka, Valeriy

2001-04-01

The problem of electrostatic shielding around a small spherical collector immersed in plasma, and the related problem of electron and ion flow to the collector, date to the origins of plasma physics. Beginning with Langmuir[1], all calculations have neglected collisions, on the grounds that the mean free path is long compared to shielding length scales, i.e. the Debye length. However, investigators beginning with Bernstein and Rabinowitz[2] have known that negative-energy trapped ions, created by occasional collisions, might be important. We present an analytic calculation of the density of trapped and untrapped ions, self-consistent with a calculation of the potential. We show that under typical conditions for dust grains immersed in a discharge plasma, trapped ions dominate the shielding cloud in steady state, even in the limit of very long mean free path. As a result the shielded potential is quite different from the Debye form or the results of orbital motion limited theory. Collisions also modify the ion current to the grain, but to a lesser extent. [1]H. Mott-Smith and I. Langmuir, Phys. Rev. 28, 27 (1926). [2]I. Bernstein and I. Rabinowitz, Phys. Fluids 2,112(1959).

Theory of a cylindrical probe in a collisionless magnetoplasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laframboise, J. G.; Rubinstein, J.

1976-01-01

A theory is presented for a cylindrical electrostatic probe in a collisionless plasma in the case where the probe axis is inclined at an angle to a uniform magnetic field. The theory is applicable to electron collection, and under more restrictive conditions, to ion collection. For a probe at space potential, the theory is exact in the limit where probe radius is much less than Debye length. At attracting probe potentials, the theory yields an upper bound and an adiabatic limit for current collection. At repelling probe potentials, it provides a lower bound. The theory is valid if the ratios of probe radius to Debye length and probe radius to mean gyroradius are not simultaneously large enough to produce extrema in the probe sheath potential. The numerical current calculations are based on the approximation that particle orbits are helices near the probe, together with the use of kinetic theory to relate velocity distributions near the probe to those far from it. Probe characteristics are presented for inclination angles from 0 to 90 deg and for probe-radius mean-gyroradius ratios from 0.1 to infinity. For an angle of 0 deg, the end-effect current is calculated separately.

Ionic screening and dissociation are crucial for understanding chemical self-propulsion in polar solvents.

PubMed

Brown, Aidan T; Poon, Wilson C K; Holm, Christian; de Graaf, Joost

2017-02-08

Polar solvents like water support the bulk dissociation of themselves and their solutes into ions, and the re-association of these ions into neutral molecules in a dynamic equilibrium, e.g., H 2 O 2 ⇌ H + + HO 2 - . Using continuum theory, we study the influence of these association-dissociation reactions on the self-propulsion of colloids driven by surface chemical reactions (chemical swimmers). We find that association-dissociation reactions should have a strong influence on swimmers' behaviour, and therefore should be included in future modelling. In particular, such bulk reactions should permit charged swimmers to propel electrophoretically even if all species involved in the surface reactions are neutral. The bulk reactions also significantly modify the predicted speed of chemical swimmers propelled by ionic currents, by up to an order of magnitude. For swimmers whose surface reactions produce both anions and cations (ionic self-diffusiophoresis), the bulk reactions produce an additional reactive screening length, analogous to the Debye length in electrostatics. This in turn leads to an inverse relationship between swimmer radius and swimming speed, which could provide an alternative explanation for recent experimental observations on Pt-polystyrene Janus swimmers [S. Ebbens et al., Phys. Rev. E: Stat., Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys., 2012, 85, 020401]. We also use our continuum theory to investigate the effect of the Debye screening length itself, going beyond the infinitely-thin-screening-length approximation used by previous analytical theories. We identify significant departures from this limiting behaviour for micron-sized swimmers under typical experimental conditions and find that the approximation fails entirely for nanoscale swimmers.

From single Debye-Hückel chains to polyelectrolyte solutions: Simulation results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Kurt

1996-03-01

This lecture will present results from simulations of single weakly charged flexible chains, where the electrostatic part of the interaction is modeled by a Debye-Hückel potential,( with U. Micka, IFF, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany) as well as simulations of polyelectrolyte solutions, where the counterions are explicitly taken into account( with M. J. Stevens, Sandia Nat. Lab., Albuquerque, NM 87185-1111) ( M. J. Stevens, K. Kremer, JCP 103), 1669 (1995). The first set of the simulations is meant to clear a recent contoversy on the dependency of the persistence length LP on the screening length Γ. While the analytic theories give Lp ~ Γ^x with either x=1 or x=2, the simulations find for all experimentally accessible chain lengths a varying exponent, which is significantly smaller than 1. This causes serious doubts on the applicability of this model for weakly charged polyelectrolytes in general. The second part deals with strongly charged flexible polyelectrolytes in salt free solution. These simulations are performed for multichain systems. The full Coulomb interactions of the monomers and counterions are treated explicitly. Experimental measurements of the osmotic pressure and the structure factor are reproduced and extended. The simulations reveal a new picture of the chain structure based on calculations of the structure factor, persistence length, end-to-end distance, etc. Even at very low density, the chains show significant bending. Furthermore, the chains contract significantly before they start to overlap. We also show that counterion condensation dramatically alters the chain structure, even for a good solvent backbone.

Observation of pendular butterfly Rydberg molecules

PubMed Central

Niederprüm, Thomas; Thomas, Oliver; Eichert, Tanita; Lippe, Carsten; Pérez-Ríos, Jesús; Greene, Chris H.; Ott, Herwig

2016-01-01

Engineering molecules with a tunable bond length and defined quantum states lies at the heart of quantum chemistry. The unconventional binding mechanism of Rydberg molecules makes them a promising candidate to implement such tunable molecules. A very peculiar type of Rydberg molecules are the so-called butterfly molecules, which are bound by a shape resonance in the electron–perturber scattering. Here we report the observation of these exotic molecules and employ their exceptional properties to engineer their bond length, vibrational state, angular momentum and orientation in a small electric field. Combining the variable bond length with their giant dipole moment of several hundred Debye, we observe counter-intuitive molecules which locate the average electron position beyond the internuclear distance. PMID:27703143

Transport regimes spanning magnetization-coupling phase space

DOE PAGES

Baalrud, Scott D.; Daligault, Jérôme

2017-10-06

The manner in which transport properties vary over the entire parameter-space of coupling and magnetization strength is explored in this paper. Four regimes are identified based on the relative size of the gyroradius compared to other fundamental length scales: the collision mean free path, Debye length, distance of closest approach, and interparticle spacing. Molecular dynamics simulations of self-diffusion and temperature anisotropy relaxation spanning the parameter space are found to agree well with the predicted boundaries. Finally, comparison with existing theories reveals regimes where they succeed, where they fail, and where no theory has yet been developed.

Transport regimes spanning magnetization-coupling phase space

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

Baalrud, Scott D.; Daligault, Jérôme

The manner in which transport properties vary over the entire parameter-space of coupling and magnetization strength is explored in this paper. Four regimes are identified based on the relative size of the gyroradius compared to other fundamental length scales: the collision mean free path, Debye length, distance of closest approach, and interparticle spacing. Molecular dynamics simulations of self-diffusion and temperature anisotropy relaxation spanning the parameter space are found to agree well with the predicted boundaries. Finally, comparison with existing theories reveals regimes where they succeed, where they fail, and where no theory has yet been developed.

Debye screening in single-molecule carbon nanotube field-effect sensors.

PubMed

Sorgenfrei, Sebastian; Chiu, Chien-Yang; Johnston, Matthew; Nuckolls, Colin; Shepard, Kenneth L

2011-09-14

Point-functionalized carbon nanotube field-effect transistors can serve as highly sensitive detectors for biomolecules. With a probe molecule covalently bound to a defect in the nanotube sidewall, two-level random telegraph noise (RTN) in the conductance of the device is observed as a result of a charged target biomolecule binding and unbinding at the defect site. Charge in proximity to the defect modulates the potential (and transmission) of the conductance-limiting barrier created by the defect. In this Letter, we study how these single-molecule electronic sensors are affected by ionic screening. Both charge in proximity to the defect site and buffer concentration are found to affect RTN amplitude in a manner that follows from simple Debye length considerations. RTN amplitude is also dependent on the potential of the electrolyte gate as applied to the reference electrode; at high enough gate potentials, the target DNA is completely repelled and RTN is suppressed.

Molecular physics. Production of trilobite Rydberg molecule dimers with kilo-Debye permanent electric dipole moments.

PubMed

Booth, D; Rittenhouse, S T; Yang, J; Sadeghpour, H R; Shaffer, J P

2015-04-03

Permanent electric dipole moments are important for understanding symmetry breaking in molecular physics, control of chemical reactions, and realization of strongly correlated many-body quantum systems. However, large molecular permanent electric dipole moments are challenging to realize experimentally. We report the observation of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules with bond lengths of ~100 nanometers and kilo-Debye permanent electric dipole moments that form when an ultracold ground-state cesium (Cs) atom becomes bound within the electronic cloud of an extended Cs electronic orbit. The electronic character of this hybrid class of "trilobite" molecules is dominated by degenerate Rydberg manifolds, making them difficult to produce by conventional photoassociation. We used detailed coupled-channel calculations to reproduce their properties quantitatively. Our findings may lead to progress in ultracold chemistry and strongly correlated many-body physics. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Debye screening in single-molecule carbon nanotube field-effect transistors

PubMed Central

Sorgenfrei, Sebastian; Chiu, Chien-yang; Johnston, Matthew; Nuckolls, Colin; Shepard, Kenneth L.

2013-01-01

Point-functionalized carbon nanotube field-effect transistors can serve as highly sensitive detectors for biomolecules. With a probe molecule covalently bound to a defect in the nanotube sidewall, two-level random telegraph noise (RTN) in the conductance of the device is observed as a result of a charged target biomolecule binding and unbinding at the defect site. Charge in proximity to the defect modulates the potential (and transmission) of the conductance-limiting barrier created by the defect. In this Letter, we study how these single-molecule electronic sensors are affected by ionic screening. Both charge in proximity to the defect site and buffer concentration are found to affect RTN amplitude in a manner that follows from simple Debye length considerations. RTN amplitude is also dependent on the potential of the electrolyte gate as applied to the reference electrode; at high enough repulsive potentials, the target DNA is completely repelled and RTN is suppressed. PMID:21806018

Raman spectroscopic determination of the length, strength, compressibility, Debye temperature, elasticity, and force constant of the C-C bond in graphene.

PubMed

Yang, X X; Li, J W; Zhou, Z F; Wang, Y; Yang, L W; Zheng, W T; Sun, Chang Q

2012-01-21

From the perspective of bond relaxation and bond vibration, we have formulated the Raman phonon relaxation of graphene, under the stimuli of the number-of-layers, the uni-axial strain, the pressure, and the temperature, in terms of the response of the length and strength of the representative bond of the entire specimen to the applied stimuli. Theoretical unification of the measurements clarifies that: (i) the opposite trends of the Raman shifts, which are due to the number-of-layers reduction, of the G-peak shift and arises from the vibration of a pair of atoms, while the D- and the 2D-peak shifts involve the z-neighbor of a specific atom; (ii) the tensile strain-induced phonon softening and phonon-band splitting arise from the asymmetric response of the C(3v) bond geometry to the C(2v) uni-axial bond elongation; (iii) the thermal softening of the phonons originates from bond expansion and weakening; and (iv) the pressure stiffening of the phonons results from bond compression and work hardening. Reproduction of the measurements has led to quantitative information about the referential frequencies from which the Raman frequencies shift as well as the length, energy, force constant, Debye temperature, compressibility and elastic modulus of the C-C bond in graphene, which is of instrumental importance in the understanding of the unusual behavior of graphene.

About the singular behavior of the ionic condensation of sodium chondroitin sulfate: Conductivity study in water and water dioxane mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

M'halla, Jalel; Besbes, Rafik; Bouazzi, Ramzi; Boughammoura, Sondes

2006-01-01

In this work, we generalized the (Bjerrum-Debye-Fuoss-MSA) double layer model to an ellipsoidal polyion (chondroitin sulfate) of (∣ Zs∣ e) structural charge, Ls structural length, R minor axe and ( R2 + L2/4) 1/2 major axe. With L ⩽ Ls. Na + counter ions are distributed on the contact (or condensed) layer and on the Debye layer (ionic atmosphere). Both layers are ellipsoidal equipotentials of, respectively, R and d minor axes and are concentric to the polyion. With d = ( R + 1/2 Γ), Γ is the Debye-MSA screen parameter. The equilibrium distribution of Na + ions is derived from a "two states" statistical approach, leading to a general implicit expression for the rate of condensation (1 - α). The generality of this formula results from the fact that it takes into account the finite size of the polyion ( L ≠ ∞ and R ≠ 0) and allows to calculate α for different conformations of the polyion: (ellipsoidal L ≠ 0, cylindrical: L = Ls, spherical: L → 0, and Manning's model: RL-1 → 0). The main conclusion of this model is that, α obeys to the Ostwald's principle of dilution ( α → 1 when CNa+ → 0). This result is contrary to Manning's theory, for which α is a constant αM independent on the concentration Ci: αM = bS/(∣ Zi∣ Lb), with bS = Ls/∣ Zs∣ and Lb = e2/( ɛkT) is the Bjerrum length. However, our analysis shows that the rate of variation: (∂ α/∂ Ci) in a given range of concentration, depends on the structural parameter bS. Indeed, the critical Manning condition ( α-1αM = 1, ⇒(∂ α/∂ Ci) ≈ 0), is compatible with the general following "rod-like model" approximation: (1-α)≈|Zi|(πbS)[4πZi2Lb][αCiR2];withbS″=αM-1 only for some peculiar values of bS and Lb (i.e., dielectric constant: ɛ). In water at 25 °C ( ɛ = 78.3), this singular behavior occurs for a range of a relative low or moderate concentration for some polyelectrolytes of bS structural parameter of about 5.8 Å. This is the case of sodium chondroitin sulfate in water ( bS = 5.72 Å). The addition of dioxane increases Lb, consequently, α is shifted from its Manning's value. In order to verify this dioxane effect, we have compared experimental equivalent conductibilities Λexp of sodium chondroitin sulfate in water ( no shift) and water-dioxane (60 wt%) mixture ( positive shift), to their theoretical values ΛM, ΛcthandΛsth corresponding, respectively, to the Manning, cylindrical and spherical models. This comparison allows also, to explain the conformation "chosen" by the polyion, in order to minimizing the friction effects (due to: viscosity; ionic and dielectric relaxations) and therefore, to optimize its mobility by the shift of its rate of ionic condensation α.

Effect of correlations on the polarizability of the one component plasma

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

Carini, P.R.

Correlational effects on the dynamical polarizability ..cap alpha..(k,..omega..) of the one component plasma (OCP) are investigated in both the weak (..gamma.. < 1) and strong (..gamma.. < 1) coupling regions (..gamma.. is the plasma parameter, ..gamma.. = k/sup 3//4..pi..n where k/sup -1/ is the Debye length and n is the number density. In the weak coupling region a numerical solution is presented over a wide range of frequencies of the complete first order (in ..gamma..) correction to the dynamical polarizability which fully accounts for dynamical screening effects and is exact in the long wavelength and weak coupling limits (k ..-->..more » 0, ..gamma.. ..-->.. 0). This complete result is compared with a similar numerical solution for the dynamical polarizability obtained from the Golden-Kalman (GK) dynamical theory for strongly coupled plasmas. Contrary to previous results reported in the literature it was found that both theories predict the change in the dispersion of the long wavelength plasmons due to finite ..gamma.. effects to be that the slope of the plasmon dispersion curve decreases from its Bohm-Gross value as the plasma parameter increases from 0. In the strong coupling region two hydrodynamical model solutions of the GK dynamical theory for the polarizability are presented.« less

Electrokinetic flows through a parallel-plate channel with slipping stripes on walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Henry C. W.; Ng, Chiu-On

2011-11-01

Electrohydrodynamic flows through a periodically-micropatterned plane channel are considered. One unit of wall pattern consists of a slipping and non-slipping stripe, each with a distinct zeta potential. The problems are solved semi-analytically by eigenfunction expansion and point collocation. In the regime of linear response, the Onsager relation for the fluid and current fluxes are deduced as linear functions of the hydrodynamic and electric forcings. The phenomenological coefficients are explicitly expressed as functions of the channel height, the Debye parameter, the slipping area fraction of the wall, the intrinsic slip length, and the zeta potentials. We generalize the theoretical limits made in previous studies on electrokinetic flow over an inhomogeneously slipping surface. One should be cautious when applying these limits. First, when a surface is not 100% uniformly slipping but has a small fraction of area being covered by no-slip slots, the electroosmotic enhancement can be appreciably reduced. Second, when the electric double layer is only moderately thin, slipping-uncharged regions on a surface will have finite inhibition effect on the electroosmotic flow. Financial support by the RGC of the HKSAR, China: Project Nos. HKU715609E, HKU715510E; and the HKU under the Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research: Project Code 200911159024.

A three-dimensional electrostatic particle-in-cell methodology on unstructured Delaunay-Voronoi grids

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

Gatsonis, Nikolaos A.; Spirkin, Anton

2009-06-01

The mathematical formulation and computational implementation of a three-dimensional particle-in-cell methodology on unstructured Delaunay-Voronoi tetrahedral grids is presented. The method allows simulation of plasmas in complex domains and incorporates the duality of the Delaunay-Voronoi in all aspects of the particle-in-cell cycle. Charge assignment and field interpolation weighting schemes of zero- and first-order are formulated based on the theory of long-range constraints. Electric potential and fields are derived from a finite-volume formulation of Gauss' law using the Voronoi-Delaunay dual. Boundary conditions and the algorithms for injection, particle loading, particle motion, and particle tracking are implemented for unstructured Delaunay grids. Error andmore » sensitivity analysis examines the effects of particles/cell, grid scaling, and timestep on the numerical heating, the slowing-down time, and the deflection times. The problem of current collection by cylindrical Langmuir probes in collisionless plasmas is used for validation. Numerical results compare favorably with previous numerical and analytical solutions for a wide range of probe radius to Debye length ratios, probe potentials, and electron to ion temperature ratios. The versatility of the methodology is demonstrated with the simulation of a complex plasma microsensor, a directional micro-retarding potential analyzer that includes a low transparency micro-grid.« less

Time-dependent electrophoresis of a dielectric spherical particle embedded in Brinkman medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saad, E. I.; Faltas, M. S.

2018-04-01

An expression for electrophoretic apparent velocity slip in the time-dependent flow of an electrolyte solution saturated in a charged porous medium within an electric double layer adjacent to a dielectric plate under the influence of a tangential uniform electric field is derived. The velocity slip is used as a boundary condition to solve the electrophoretic motion of an impermeable dielectric spherical particle embedded in an electrolyte solution saturated in porous medium under the unsteady Darcy-Brinkman model. Throughout the system, a uniform electric field is applied and maintains with constant strength. Two cases are considered, when the electric double layer enclosing the particle is thin, but finite and when of a particle with a thick double layer. Expressions for the electrophoretic mobility of the particle as functions of the relevant parameters are found. Our results indicate that the time scale for the growth of mobility is significant and small for high permeability. Generally, the effect of the relaxation time for starting electrophoresis is negligible, irrespective of the thickness of the double layer and permeability of the medium. The effects of the elapsed time, permeability, mass density and Debye length parameters on the fluid velocity, the electrophoretic mobility and the acceleration are shown graphically.

Quantum statistical effects in the mass transport of interstitial solutes in a crystalline solid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, C. H.; Wen, Haohua

2017-09-01

The impact of quantum statistics on the many-body dynamics of a crystalline solid at finite temperatures containing an interstitial solute atom (ISA) is investigated. The Mori-Zwanzig theory allows the many-body dynamics of the crystal to be formulated and solved analytically within a pseudo-one-particle approach using the Langevin equation with a quantum fluctuation-dissipation relation (FDR) based on the Debye model. At the same time, the many-body dynamics is also directly solved numerically via the molecular dynamics approach with a Langevin heat bath based on the quantum FDR. Both the analytical and numerical results consistently show that below the Debye temperature of the host lattice, quantum statistics significantly impacts the ISA transport properties, resulting in major departures from both the Arrhenius law of diffusion and the Einstein-Smoluchowski relation between the mobility and diffusivity. Indeed, we found that below one-third of the Debye temperature, effects of vibrations on the quantum mobility and diffusivity are both orders-of-magnitude larger and practically temperature independent. We have shown that both effects have their physical origin in the athermal lattice vibrations derived from the phonon ground state. The foregoing theory is tested in quantum molecular dynamics calculation of mobility and diffusivity of interstitial helium in bcc W. In this case, the Arrhenius law is only valid in a narrow range between ˜300 and ˜700 K. The diffusivity becomes temperature independent on the low-temperature side while increasing linearly with temperature on the high-temperature side.

Persistence length changes dramatically as RNA folds.

PubMed

Caliskan, G; Hyeon, C; Perez-Salas, U; Briber, R M; Woodson, S A; Thirumalai, D

2005-12-31

We determine the persistence length l(p) for a bacterial group I ribozyme as a function of concentration of monovalent and divalent cations by fitting the distance distribution functions P(r) obtained from small angle x-ray scattering intensity data to the asymptotic form of the calculated P(WLC)(r) for a wormlike chain. The l(p) values change dramatically over a narrow range of Mg(2+) concentration from approximately 21 Angstroms in the unfolded state (U) to approximately 10 Angstroms in the compact (I(C)) and native states. Variations in l(p) with increasing Na(+) concentration are more gradual. In accord with the predictions of polyelectrolyte theory we find l(p) alpha 1/kappa(2) where kappa is the inverse Debye-screening length.

Electrostatic contribution to the persistence length of a semiflexible dipolar chain.

PubMed

Podgornik, Rudi

2004-09-01

We investigate the electrostatic contribution to the persistence length of a semiflexible polymer chain whose segments interact via a screened Debye-Hückel dipolar interaction potential. We derive the expressions for the renormalized persistence length on the level of a 1/D-expansion method already successfully used in other contexts of polyelectrolye physics. We investigate different limiting forms of the renormalized persistence length of the dipolar chain and show that, in, general, it depends less strongly on the screening length than in the context of a monopolar chain. We show that for a dipolar chain the electrostatic persistence length in the same regime of the parameter phase space as the original Odijk-Skolnick-Fixman (OSF) form for a monopolar chain depends logarithmically on the screening length rather than quadratically. This can be understood solely on the basis of a swifter decay of the dipolar interactions with separation compared to the monopolar electrostatic interactions. We comment also on the general contribution of higher multipoles to the electrostatic renormalization of the bending rigidity.

Density-Gradient Theory: A Macroscopic Approach to Quantum Confinement and Tunneling in Semiconductor Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

that are attractive as luminescent biolabels, and possibly also for optoelectronic devices and solar cells . The equilibrium nature of such situations...The boundary layers as- sociated with the diffusion and Debye lengths are familiar, while that of LQ defines the layer in which the quantum in...circuits, transmission lines Diffusion -drift, density-gradient Semi-classical electron dynamics, Boltzmann transport Schrödinger, density- matrix, Wigner

Statistics of Magnetic Reconnection X-Lines in Kinetic Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haggerty, C. C.; Parashar, T.; Matthaeus, W. H.; Shay, M. A.; Wan, M.; Servidio, S.; Wu, P.

2016-12-01

In this work we examine the statistics of magnetic reconnection (x-lines) and their associated reconnection rates in intermittent current sheets generated in turbulent plasmas. Although such statistics have been studied previously for fluid simulations (e.g. [1]), they have not yet been generalized to fully kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. A significant problem with PIC simulations, however, is electrostatic fluctuations generated due to numerical particle counting statistics. We find that analyzing gradients of the magnetic vector potential from the raw PIC field data identifies numerous artificial (or non-physical) x-points. Using small Orszag-Tang vortex PIC simulations, we analyze x-line identification and show that these artificial x-lines can be removed using sub-Debye length filtering of the data. We examine how turbulent properties such as the magnetic spectrum and scale dependent kurtosis are affected by particle noise and sub-Debye length filtering. We subsequently apply these analysis methods to a large scale kinetic PIC turbulent simulation. Consistent with previous fluid models, we find a range of normalized reconnection rates as large as ½ but with the bulk of the rates being approximately less than to 0.1. [1] Servidio, S., W. H. Matthaeus, M. A. Shay, P. A. Cassak, and P. Dmitruk (2009), Magnetic reconnection and two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, Phys. Rev. Lett., 102, 115003.

Evolution of Local Microstructures: Spatial Instabilities of Coarsening Clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frazier, Donald O.

1999-01-01

This work examines the diffusional growth of discrete phase particles dispersed within a matrix. Engineering materials are microstructurally heterogeneous, and the details of the microstructure determine how well that material performs in a given application. Critical to the development of designing multiphase microstructures with long-term stability is the process of Ostwald ripening. Ripening, or phase coarsening, is a diffusion-limited process which arises in polydisperse multiphase materials. Growth and dissolution occur because fluxes of solute, driven by chemical potential gradients at the interfaces of the dispersed phase material, depend on particle size. The kinetics of these processes are "competitive," dictating that larger particles grow at the expense of smaller ones, overall leading to an increase of the average particle size. The classical treatment of phase coarsening was done by Todes, Lifshitz, and Slyozov, (TLS) in the limit of zero volume fraction, V(sub v), of the dispersed phase. Since the publication of TLS theory there have been numerous investigations, many of which sought to describe the kinetic scaling behavior over a 0 range of volume fractions. Some studies in the literature report that the relative increase in coarsening rate at low (but not zero) volume fractions compared to that predicted by TLS is proportional to v(sub v)(exp 1/2), whereas others suggcest V(sub v)(exp 1/3). This issue has been resolved recently by simulation studies at low volume fractions in three dimensions by members of the Rensselaer/MSFC team. Our studies of ripening behavior using large-scale numerical simulations suggest that although there are different circumstances which can lead to either scaling law, the most important length scale at low volume fractions is the diffusional analog of the Debye screening length. The numerical simulations we employed exploit the use of a recently developed "snapshot" technique, and identifies the nature of the coarsening dynamics at various volume fractions. Preliminary results of numerical and experimental investigations, focused on the growth of finite particle clusters, provide important insight into the nature of the transition between the two scaling regimes. The companion microgravity experiment centers on the growth within finite particle clusters, and follows the temporal dynamics driving microstructural evolution, using holography.

Inflation of the screening length induced by Bjerrum pairs.

PubMed

Zwanikken, Jos; van Roij, René

2009-10-21

Within a modified Poisson-Boltzmann theory we study the effect of Bjerrum pairs on the typical length scale [Formula: see text] over which electric fields are screened in electrolyte solutions, taking into account a simple association-dissociation equilibrium between free ions and Bjerrum pairs. At low densities of Bjerrum pairs, this length scale is well approximated by the Debye length [Formula: see text], with ρ(s) the free-ion density. At high densities of Bjerrum pairs, however, we find [Formula: see text], which is significantly larger than 1/κ due to the enhanced effective permittivity of the electrolyte, caused by the polarization of Bjerrum pairs. We argue that this mechanism may explain the recently observed anomalously large colloid-free zones between an oil-dispersed colloidal crystal and a colloidal monolayer at the oil-water interface.

Adsorption of finite semiflexible polymers and their loop and tail distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kampmann, Tobias A.; Kierfeld, Jan

2017-07-01

We discuss the adsorption of semiflexible polymers to a planar attractive wall and focus on the questions of the adsorption threshold for polymers of finite length and their loop and tail distributions using both Monte Carlo simulations and analytical arguments. For the adsorption threshold, we find three regimes: (i) a flexible or Gaussian regime if the persistence length is smaller than the adsorption potential range, (ii) a semiflexible regime if the persistence length is larger than the potential range, and (iii) for finite polymers, a novel crossover to a rigid rod regime if the deflection length exceeds the contour length. In the flexible and semiflexible regimes, finite size corrections arise because the correlation length exceeds the contour length. In the rigid rod regime, however, it is essential how the global orientational or translational degrees of freedom are restricted by grafting or confinement. We discuss finite size corrections for polymers grafted to the adsorbing surface and for polymers confined by a second (parallel) hard wall. Based on these results, we obtain a method to analyze adsorption data for finite semiflexible polymers such as filamentous actin. For the loop and tail distributions, we find power laws with an exponential decay on length scales exceeding the correlation length. We derive and confirm the loop and tail power law exponents for flexible and semiflexible polymers. This allows us to explain that, close to the transition, semiflexible polymers have significantly smaller loops and both flexible and semiflexible polymers desorb by expanding their tail length. The tail distribution allows us to extract the free energy per length of adsorption for actin filaments from experimental data [D. Welch et al., Soft Matter 11, 7507 (2015)].

Tight focusing of radially polarized circular Airy vortex beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Musheng; Huang, Sujuan; Shao, Wei

2017-11-01

Tight focusing properties of radially polarized circular Airy vortex beams (CAVB) are studied numerically. The light field expressions for the focused fields are derived based on vectorial Debye theory. We also study the relationship between focal profiles, such as light intensity distribution, radius of focal spot and focal length, and the parameters of CAVB. Numerical results demonstrate that we can generate a radially polarized CAVB with super-long focal length, super-strong longitudinal intensity or subwavelength focused spot at the focal plane by properly choosing the parameters of incident light and high numerical aperture (NA) lens. These results have potential applications for optical trapping, optical storage and particle acceleration.

Length scale dependence of the dynamic properties of hyaluronic acid solutions in the presence of salt.

PubMed

Horkay, Ferenc; Falus, Peter; Hecht, Anne-Marie; Geissler, Erik

2010-12-02

In solutions of the charged semirigid biopolymer hyaluronic acid in salt-free conditions, the diffusion coefficient D(NSE) measured at high transfer momentum q by neutron spin echo is more than an order of magnitude smaller than that determined by dynamic light scattering, D(DLS). This behavior contrasts with neutral polymer solutions. With increasing salt content, D(DLS) approaches D(NSE), which is independent of ionic strength. Contrary to theoretical expectation, the ion-polymer coupling, which dominates the low q dynamics of polyelectrolyte solutions, already breaks down at distance scales greater than the Debye-Hückel length.

Exploiting broad-area surface emitting lasers to manifest the path-length distributions of finite-potential quantum billiards.

PubMed

Yu, Y T; Tuan, P H; Chang, K C; Hsieh, Y H; Huang, K F; Chen, Y F

2016-01-11

Broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with different cavity sizes are experimentally exploited to manifest the influence of the finite confinement strength on the path-length distribution of quantum billiards. The subthreshold emission spectra of VCSELs are measured to obtain the path-length distributions by using the Fourier transform. It is verified that the number of the resonant peaks in the path-length distribution decreases with decreasing the confinement strength. Theoretical analyses for finite-potential quantum billiards are numerically performed to confirm that the mesoscopic phenomena of quantum billiards with finite confinement strength can be analogously revealed by using broad-area VCSELs.

Comprehensive Study of Plasma-Wall Sheath Transport Phenomena

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-10

environment, a Langmuir probe and a Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA). The Langmuir probe could be considered the seminal plasma diagnostic, and a large...plasma-sheath interface. Electric field is normalized by Te/LD (LD is the Debye length) and velocity is normalized by the Bohm speed. Figure 14...studying the interaction of the near-wall plasma sheath with a magnetic field , and modeled the plasma sheath of the GT thick-sheath (~10mm) plasma

On gel electrophoresis of dielectric charged particles with hydrophobic surface: A combined theoretical and numerical study.

PubMed

Majee, Partha Sarathi; Bhattacharyya, Somnath; Gopmandal, Partha Pratim; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

2018-03-01

A theoretical study on the gel electrophoresis of a charged particle incorporating the effects of dielectric polarization and surface hydrophobicity at the particle-liquid interface is made. A simplified model based on the weak applied field and low charge density assumption is also presented and compared with the full numerical model for a nonpolarizable particle to elucidate the nonlinear effects such as double layer polarization and relaxation as well as surface conduction. The main motivation of this study is to analyze the electrophoresis of the surface functionalized nanoparticle with tunable hydrophobicity or charged fluid drop in gel medium by considering the electrokinetic effects and hydrodynamic interactions between the particle and the gel medium. An effective medium approach, in which the transport in the electrolyte-saturated hydrogel medium is governed by the Brinkman equation, is adopted in the present analysis. The governing electrokinetic equations based on the conservation principles are solved numerically. The Navier-slip boundary condition along with the continuity condition of dielectric displacement are imposed on the surface of the hydrophobic polarizable particle. The impact of the slip length on the electrophoresis is profound for a thinner Debye layer, however, surface conduction effect also becomes significant for a hydrophobic particle. Impact of hydrophobicity and relaxation effects are higher for a larger particle. Dielectric polarization creates a reduction in its electrophoretic propulsion and has negligible impact at the thinner Debye length as well as lower gel screening length. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Possible influence of the Kuramoto length in a photo-catalytic water splitting reaction revealed by Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations involving ionization in a weak electrolyte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Yohichi; Seki, Kazuhiko

2018-03-01

We studied ion concentration profiles and the charge density gradient caused by electrode reactions in weak electrolytes by using the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations without assuming charge neutrality. In weak electrolytes, only a small fraction of molecules is ionized in bulk. Ion concentration profiles depend on not only ion transport but also the ionization of molecules. We considered the ionization of molecules and ion association in weak electrolytes and obtained analytical expressions for ion densities, electrostatic potential profiles, and ion currents. We found the case that the total ion density gradient was given by the Kuramoto length which characterized the distance over which an ion diffuses before association. The charge density gradient is characterized by the Debye length for 1:1 weak electrolytes. We discuss the role of these length scales for efficient water splitting reactions using photo-electrocatalytic electrodes.

Limits of metastability in amorphous ices: the neutron scattering Debye-Waller factor.

PubMed

Amann-Winkel, Katrin; Löw, Florian; Handle, Philip H; Knoll, Wiebke; Peters, Judith; Geil, Burkhard; Fujara, Franz; Loerting, Thomas

2012-12-21

Recently, it became clear that relaxation effects in amorphous ices play a very important role that has previously been overlooked. The thermodynamic history of amorphous samples strongly affects their transition behavior. In particular, well-relaxed samples show higher thermal stability, thereby providing a larger window to investigate their glass transitions. We here present neutron scattering experiments using fixed elastic window scans on relaxed forms of amorphous ice, namely expanded high density amorphous ice (eHDA), a variant of low density amorphous ice (LDA-II) and hyperquenched glassy water (HGW). These amorphous ices are expected to be true glassy counterparts of deeply supercooled liquid water, therefore fast precursor dynamics of structural relaxation are expected to appear below the calorimetric glass transition temperature. The Debye-Waller factor shows a very weak sub-T(g) anomaly in some of the samples, which might be the signature of such fast precursor dynamics. However, we cannot find this behavior consistently in all samples at all reciprocal length scales of momentum transfer.

Quasineutral plasma expansion into infinite vacuum as a model for parallel ELM transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moulton, D.; Ghendrih, Ph; Fundamenski, W.; Manfredi, G.; Tskhakaya, D.

2013-08-01

An analytic solution for the expansion of a plasma into vacuum is assessed for its relevance to the parallel transport of edge localized mode (ELM) filaments along field lines. This solution solves the 1D1V Vlasov-Poisson equations for the adiabatic (instantaneous source), collisionless expansion of a Gaussian plasma bunch into an infinite space in the quasineutral limit. The quasineutral assumption is found to hold as long as λD0/σ0 ≲ 0.01 (where λD0 is the initial Debye length at peak density and σ0 is the parallel length of the Gaussian filament), a condition that is physically realistic. The inclusion of a boundary at x = L and consequent formation of a target sheath is found to have a negligible effect when L/σ0 ≳ 5, a condition that is physically plausible. Under the same condition, the target flux densities predicted by the analytic solution are well approximated by the ‘free-streaming’ equations used in previous experimental studies, strengthening the notion that these simple equations are physically reasonable. Importantly, the analytic solution predicts a zero heat flux density so that a fluid approach to the problem can be used equally well, at least when the source is instantaneous. It is found that, even for JET-like pedestal parameters, collisions can affect the expansion dynamics via electron temperature isotropization, although this is probably a secondary effect. Finally, the effect of a finite duration, τsrc, for the plasma source is investigated. As is found for an instantaneous source, when L/σ0 ≳ 5 the presence of a target sheath has a negligible effect, at least up to the explored range of τsrc = L/cs (where cs is the sound speed at the initial temperature).

High-order FDTD methods for transverse electromagnetic systems in dispersive inhomogeneous media.

PubMed

Zhao, Shan

2011-08-15

This Letter introduces a novel finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) formulation for solving transverse electromagnetic systems in dispersive media. Based on the auxiliary differential equation approach, the Debye dispersion model is coupled with Maxwell's equations to derive a supplementary ordinary differential equation for describing the regularity changes in electromagnetic fields at the dispersive interface. The resulting time-dependent jump conditions are rigorously enforced in the FDTD discretization by means of the matched interface and boundary scheme. High-order convergences are numerically achieved for the first time in the literature in the FDTD simulations of dispersive inhomogeneous media. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Large-Time Behavior of Solutions to Vlasov-Poisson-Fokker-Planck Equations: From Evanescent Collisions to Diffusive Limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herda, Maxime; Rodrigues, L. Miguel

2018-03-01

The present contribution investigates the dynamics generated by the two-dimensional Vlasov-Poisson-Fokker-Planck equation for charged particles in a steady inhomogeneous background of opposite charges. We provide global in time estimates that are uniform with respect to initial data taken in a bounded set of a weighted L^2 space, and where dependencies on the mean-free path τ and the Debye length δ are made explicit. In our analysis the mean free path covers the full range of possible values: from the regime of evanescent collisions τ → ∞ to the strongly collisional regime τ → 0. As a counterpart, the largeness of the Debye length, that enforces a weakly nonlinear regime, is used to close our nonlinear estimates. Accordingly we pay a special attention to relax as much as possible the τ -dependent constraint on δ ensuring exponential decay with explicit τ -dependent rates towards the stationary solution. In the strongly collisional limit τ → 0, we also examine all possible asymptotic regimes selected by a choice of observation time scale. Here also, our emphasis is on strong convergence, uniformity with respect to time and to initial data in bounded sets of a L^2 space. Our proofs rely on a detailed study of the nonlinear elliptic equation defining stationary solutions and a careful tracking and optimization of parameter dependencies of hypocoercive/hypoelliptic estimates.

Intense positron beam as a source for production of electron-positron plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoneking, M. R.; Horn-Stanja, J.; Stenson, E. V.; Pedersen, T. Sunn; Saitoh, H.; Hergenhahn, U.; Niemann, H.; Paschkowski, N.; Hugenschmidt, C.; Piochacz, C.

2016-10-01

We aim to produce magnetically confined, short Debye length electron-positron plasma and test predicted properties for such systems. A first challenge is obtaining large numbers of positrons; a table-top experiment (system size 5 cm) with a temperature less than 5 eV requires about 1010 positrons to have more than 10 Debye lengths in the system. The NEPOMUC facility at the FRM II research reactor in Germany is one of the world's most intense positron sources. We report on characterization (using a retarding field energy analyzer with magnetic field gradient) of the NEPOMUC beam as delivered to the open beam port at various beam energies and in both the re-moderated and primary beam configurations in order to design optimal trapping (and accumulation) schemes for production of electron-positron plasma. The intensity of the re-moderated (primary) beam is in the range 2 -3 x 107 /s (1 - 5 x 108 /s). The re-moderated beam is currently the most promising for direct injection and confinement experiments; it has a parallel energy spread of 15 - 35% and the transverse energy spread is 6 - 15% of the parallel energy. We report on the implications for injection and trapping in a dipole magnetic field as well as plans for beam development, in situ re-moderation, and accumulation. We also report results demonstrating a difference in phosphor luminescent response to low energy positrons versus electrons.

Improved analysis techniques for cylindrical and spherical double probes.

PubMed

Beal, Brian; Johnson, Lee; Brown, Daniel; Blakely, Joseph; Bromaghim, Daron

2012-07-01

A versatile double Langmuir probe technique has been developed by incorporating analytical fits to Laframboise's numerical results for ion current collection by biased electrodes of various sizes relative to the local electron Debye length. Application of these fits to the double probe circuit has produced a set of coupled equations that express the potential of each electrode relative to the plasma potential as well as the resulting probe current as a function of applied probe voltage. These equations can be readily solved via standard numerical techniques in order to determine electron temperature and plasma density from probe current and voltage measurements. Because this method self-consistently accounts for the effects of sheath expansion, it can be readily applied to plasmas with a wide range of densities and low ion temperature (T(i)/T(e) ≪ 1) without requiring probe dimensions to be asymptotically large or small with respect to the electron Debye length. The presented approach has been successfully applied to experimental measurements obtained in the plume of a low-power Hall thruster, which produced a quasineutral, flowing xenon plasma during operation at 200 W on xenon. The measured plasma densities and electron temperatures were in the range of 1 × 10(12)-1 × 10(17) m(-3) and 0.5-5.0 eV, respectively. The estimated measurement uncertainty is +6%∕-34% in density and +∕-30% in electron temperature.

Supersonic plasma beams with controlled speed generated by the alternative low power hybrid ion engine (ALPHIE) for space propulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conde, L.; Domenech-Garret, J. L.; Donoso, J. M.; Damba, J.; Tierno, S. P.; Alamillo-Gamboa, E.; Castillo, M. A.

2017-12-01

The characteristics of supersonic ion beams from the alternative low power hybrid ion engine (ALPHIE) are discussed. This simple concept of a DC powered plasma accelerator that only needs one electron source for both neutral gas ionization and ion beam neutralization is also examined. The plasma production and space charge neutralization processes are thus coupled in this plasma thruster that has a total DC power consumption of below 450 W, and uses xenon or argon gas as a propellant. The operation parameters of the plasma engine are studied in the laboratory in connection with the ion energy distribution function obtained with a retarding-field energy analyzer. The ALPHIE plasma beam expansion produces a mesothermal plasma flow with two-peaked ion energy distribution functions composed of low and high speed ion groups. The characteristic drift velocities of the fast ion groups, in the range 36.6-43.5 Km/s, are controlled by the acceleration voltage. These supersonic speeds are higher than the typical ion sound velocities of the low energy ion group produced by the expansion of the plasma jet. The temperatures of the slow ion population lead to ion Debye lengths longer than the electron Debye lengths. Furthermore, the electron impact ionization can coexist with collisional ionization by fast ions downstream the grids. Finally, the performance characteristics and comparisons with other plasma accelerator schemes are also discussed.

Dependence of Lunar Surface Charging on Solar Wind Plasma Conditions and Solar Irradiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stubbs, T. J.; Farrell, W. M.; Halekas, J. S.; Burchill, J. K.; Collier, M. R.; Zimmerman, M. I.; Vondrak, R. R.; Delory, G. T.; Pfaff, R. F.

2014-01-01

The surface of the Moon is electrically charged by exposure to solar radiation on its dayside, as well as by the continuous flux of charged particles from the various plasma environments that surround it. An electric potential develops between the lunar surface and ambient plasma, which manifests itself in a near-surface plasma sheath with a scale height of order the Debye length. This study investigates surface charging on the lunar dayside and near-terminator regions in the solar wind, for which the dominant current sources are usually from the pohotoemission of electrons, J(sub p), and the collection of plasma electrons J(sub e) and ions J(sub i). These currents are dependent on the following six parameters: plasma concentration n(sub 0), electron temperature T(sub e), ion temperature T(sub i), bulk flow velocity V, photoemission current at normal incidence J(sub P0), and photo electron temperature T(sub p). Using a numerical model, derived from a set of eleven basic assumptions, the influence of these six parameters on surface charging - characterized by the equilibrium surface potential, Debye length, and surface electric field - is investigated as a function of solar zenith angle. Overall, T(sub e) is the most important parameter, especially near the terminator, while J(sub P0) and T(sub p) dominate over most of the dayside.

Nonlinear effects on the natural modes of oscillation of a finite length inviscid fluid column, supplement 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyell, M. J.; Zhang, L.

1994-01-01

The aspects of nonlinear behavior of a finite length liquid column is investigated with an emphasis on bridge dynamics. The primary objectives are to determine the nonlinear corrections to the interface shape of a naturally oscillating finite length liquid column and to determine the nonlinear corrections to the oscillation frequencies for various modes of oscillation. Application of the Lindstedt-Poincare expansion in conjunction with the domain perturbation techniques results in an hierarchical system of equations.

On utilizing alternating current-flow field effect transistor for flexibly manipulating particles in microfluidics and nanofluidics

PubMed Central

Liu, Weiyu; Shao, Jinyou; Ren, Yukun; Liu, Jiangwei; Tao, Ye; Jiang, Hongyuan; Ding, Yucheng

2016-01-01

By imposing a biased gate voltage to a center metal strip, arbitrary symmetry breaking in induced-charge electroosmotic flow occurs on the surface of this planar gate electrode, a phenomenon termed as AC-flow field effect transistor (AC-FFET). In this work, the potential of AC-FFET with a shiftable flow stagnation line to flexibly manipulate micro-nano particle samples in both a static and continuous flow condition is demonstrated via theoretical analysis and experimental validation. The effect of finite Debye length of induced double-layer and applied field frequency on the manipulating flexibility factor for static condition is investigated, which indicates AC-FFET turns out to be more effective for achieving a position-controllable concentrating of target nanoparticle samples in nanofluidics compared to the previous trial in microfluidics. Besides, a continuous microfluidics-based particle concentrator/director is developed to deal with incoming analytes in dynamic condition, which exploits a design of tandem electrode configuration to consecutively flow focus and divert incoming particle samples to a desired downstream branch channel, as prerequisite for a following biochemical analysis. Our physical demonstrations with AC-FFET prove valuable for innovative designs of flexible electrokinetic frameworks, which can be conveniently integrated with other microfluidic or nanofluidic components into a complete lab-on-chip diagnostic platform due to a simple electrode structure. PMID:27190570

On utilizing alternating current-flow field effect transistor for flexibly manipulating particles in microfluidics and nanofluidics.

PubMed

Liu, Weiyu; Shao, Jinyou; Ren, Yukun; Liu, Jiangwei; Tao, Ye; Jiang, Hongyuan; Ding, Yucheng

2016-05-01

By imposing a biased gate voltage to a center metal strip, arbitrary symmetry breaking in induced-charge electroosmotic flow occurs on the surface of this planar gate electrode, a phenomenon termed as AC-flow field effect transistor (AC-FFET). In this work, the potential of AC-FFET with a shiftable flow stagnation line to flexibly manipulate micro-nano particle samples in both a static and continuous flow condition is demonstrated via theoretical analysis and experimental validation. The effect of finite Debye length of induced double-layer and applied field frequency on the manipulating flexibility factor for static condition is investigated, which indicates AC-FFET turns out to be more effective for achieving a position-controllable concentrating of target nanoparticle samples in nanofluidics compared to the previous trial in microfluidics. Besides, a continuous microfluidics-based particle concentrator/director is developed to deal with incoming analytes in dynamic condition, which exploits a design of tandem electrode configuration to consecutively flow focus and divert incoming particle samples to a desired downstream branch channel, as prerequisite for a following biochemical analysis. Our physical demonstrations with AC-FFET prove valuable for innovative designs of flexible electrokinetic frameworks, which can be conveniently integrated with other microfluidic or nanofluidic components into a complete lab-on-chip diagnostic platform due to a simple electrode structure.

Swelling of biological and semiflexible polyelectrolytes.

PubMed

Dobrynin, Andrey V; Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y

2009-10-21

We have developed a theoretical model of swelling of semiflexible (biological) polyelectrolytes in salt solutions. Our approach is based on separation of length scales which allowed us to split a chain's electrostatic energy into two parts that describe local and remote electrostatic interactions along the polymer backbone. The local part takes into account interactions between charged monomers that are separated by distances along the polymer backbone shorter than the chain's persistence length. These electrostatic interactions renormalize chain persistence length. The second part includes electrostatic interactions between remote charged pairs along the polymer backbone located at distances larger than the chain persistence length. These interactions are responsible for chain swelling. In the framework of this approach we calculated effective chain persistence length and chain size as a function of the Debye screening length, chain degree of ionization, bare persistence length and chain degree of polymerization. Our crossover expression for the effective chain's persistence length is in good quantitative agreement with the experimental data on DNA. We have been able to fit experimental datasets by using two adjustable parameters: DNA ionization degree (α = 0.15-0.17) and a bare persistence length (l(p) = 40-44 nm).

Effective screening length of isotropic liquid samples submitted to an applied voltage.

PubMed

Zola, R S; Evangelista, L R; Barbero, G

2006-05-25

A cell of isotropic liquid in the shape of a slab of thickness d and containing ionic impurities is considered. It is shown that the screening effect produced by the ionic charges on the external field is characterized by an effective surface length, lambda(S)(U), depending on the applied voltage U. The analysis indicates that lambda(S)(U)) < lambda(D) when the applied voltage is very large, and lambda(S)(U) --> lambda(D) for very small values of the applied voltage, where lambda(D) is the Debye screening length. The presence of the ions is responsible also for a counterpotential, v, that for small U is such to cancel the effective electric field in the sample, whereas in the opposite limit it is inversely proportional to the applied difference of potential.

On the non-exponentiality of the dielectric Debye-like relaxation of monoalcohols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrese-Igor, S.; Alegría, A.; Colmenero, J.

2017-03-01

We have investigated the Debye-like relaxation in a series of monoalcohols (MAs) by broadband dielectric spectroscopy and thermally stimulated depolarization current techniques in order to get further insight on the time dispersion of this intriguing relaxation. Results indicate that the Debye-like relaxation of MAs is not always of exponential type and conforms well to a dispersion of Cole-Davidson type. Apart from the already reported non-exponentiality of the Debye-like relaxation in 2-hexyl-1-decanol and 2-butyl-1-octanol, a detailed analysis of the dielectric permittivity of 5-methyl-3-heptanol shows that this MA also presents some extent of dispersion on its Debye-like relaxation which strongly depends on the temperature. Results suggest that the non-exponential character of the Debye-like relaxation might be a general characteristic in the case of not so intense Debye-like relaxations relative to the α relaxation. Finally, we briefly discuss on the T-dependence and possible origin for the observed dispersion.

Structure of Salt-free Linear Polyelectrolytes in the Debye-Hückel Approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, Mark J.; Kremer, Kurt

1996-11-01

We examine the effects of the common Debye-Hückel approximation used in theories of polyelectrolytes. Molecular dynamics simulations using the Debye-Hückel pair potential of salt-free polyelectrolytes have been performed. The results of these simulations are compared to earlier “Coulomb" simulations which explicitly treated the counterions. We report here the comparisons of the osmotic pressure, the end-to-end distance and the single chain structure factor. In the dilute regime the Debye-Hückel chains are more elongated than the Coulomb chains implying that the counterion screening is stronger than the Debye-Hückel prediction. Like the Coulomb chains the Debye-Hückel chains contract significantly below the overlap density in contradiction to all theories. Entropy thus plays an important and sorely neglected role in theory.

Semiconductor sensor embedded microfluidic chip for protein biomarker detection using a bead-based immunoassay combined with deoxyribonucleic acid strand labeling.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Heng; Peng, Po-Yu

2015-04-15

Two major issues need to be addressed in applying semiconductor biosensors to detecting proteins in immunoassays. First, the length of the antibody on the sensor surface surpasses the Debye lengths (approximately 1 nm, in normal ionic strength solution), preventing certain specifically bound proteins from being tightly attached to the sensor surface. Therefore, these proteins do not contribute to the sensor's surface potential change. Second, these proteins carry a small charge and can be easily affected by the pH of the surrounding solution. This study proposes a magnetic bead-based immunoassay using a secondary antibody to label negatively charged DNA fragments for signal amplification. An externally imposed magnetic force attaches the analyte tightly to the sensor surface, thereby effectively solving the problem of the analyte protein's distance to the sensor surface surpassing the Debye lengths. In addition, a normal ion intensity buffer can be used without dilution for the proposed method. Experiments revealed that the sensitivity can be improved by using a longer DNA fragment for labeling and smaller magnetic beads as solid support for the antibody. By using a 90 base pair DNA label, the signal was 15 times greater than that without labeling. In addition, by using a 120 nm magnetic bead, a minimum detection limit of 12.5 ng mL(-1) apolipoprotein A1 can be measured. Furthermore, this study integrates a semiconductor sensor with a microfluidic chip. With the help of microvalves and micromixers in the chip, the length of the mixing step for each immunoassay has been reduced from 1h to 20 min, and the sample volume has been reduced from 80 μL to 10 μL. In practice, a protein biomarker in a urinary bladder cancer patient's urine was successfully measured using this technique. This study provides a convenient and effective method to measure protein using a semiconductor sensor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New theory of transport due to like-particle collisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oneil, T. M.

1985-01-01

Cross-magnetic-field transport due to like-particle collisions is discussed for the parameter regime lambda sub D much greater than r sub L, where lambda sub D is the Debye length and r sub L is the characteristic Larmor radius of the colliding particles. A new theory based on collisionally produced E x B drifts predicts a particle flux which exceeds the flux predicted previously, by the factor (lambda sub D/r sub L)-squared much greater than 1.

The scaling of oblique plasma double layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borovsky, J. E.

1983-01-01

Strong oblique plasma double layers are investigated using three methods, i.e., electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations, numerical solutions to the Poisson-Vlasov equations, and analytical approximations to the Poisson-Vlasov equations. The solutions to the Poisson-Vlasov equations and numerical simulations show that strong oblique double layers scale in terms of Debye lengths. For very large potential jumps, theory and numerical solutions indicate that all effects of the magnetic field vanish and the oblique double layers follow the same scaling relation as the field-aligned double layers.

A Numerical Model of Laser-Induced Fluorescence in a Hydrogen Plasma

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-10

cross-sections. Lee, et al., cited screened Coulomb potential calculations by several groups to place an up- per limit of 30 A on the Debye length...intensity: RL(t)(1/sec) = B,,(cir 2/erg . sec) . (J,)(erg/sec .cm -. liz) (3.5) 35 The Einstein coefficients are related by the statistical weights of the...impact processes.) These rate matrices were then added together to obtain the total rate matrix for both groups of electrons. The total electron density

Kinetic model for the collisionless sheath of a collisional plasma

DOE PAGES

Tang, Xian-Zhu; Guo, Zehua

2016-08-04

Collisional plasmas typically have mean-free-path still much greater than the Debye length, so the sheath is mostly collisionless. Once the plasma density, temperature, and flow are specified at the sheath entrance, the profile variation of electron and ion density, temperature, flow speed, and conductive heat fluxes inside the sheath is set by collisionless dynamics, and can be predicted by an analytical kinetic model distribution. Finally, these predictions are contrasted in this paper with direct kinetic simulations, showing good agreement.

Additional application of the NASCAP code. Volume 1: NASCAP extension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, I.; Cassidy, J. J.; Mandell, M. J.; Parks, D. E.; Schnuelle, G. W.; Stannard, P. R.; Steen, P. G.

1981-01-01

The NASCAP computer program comprehensively analyzes problems of spacecraft charging. Using a fully three dimensional approach, it can accurately predict spacecraft potentials under a variety of conditions. Several changes were made to NASCAP, and a new code, NASCAP/LEO, was developed. In addition, detailed studies of several spacecraft-environmental interactions and of the SCATHA spacecraft were performed. The NASCAP/LEO program handles situations of relatively short Debye length encountered by large space structures or by any satellite in low earth orbit (LEO).

The origin of the Debye relaxation in liquid water and fitting the high frequency excess response.

PubMed

Elton, Daniel C

2017-07-19

We critically review the literature on the Debye absorption peak of liquid water and the excess response found on the high frequency side of the Debye peak. We find a lack of agreement on the microscopic phenomena underlying both of these features. To better understand the molecular origin of Debye peak we ran large scale molecular dynamics simulations and performed several different distance-dependent decompositions of the low frequency dielectric spectra, finding that it involves processes that take place on scales of 1.5-2.0 nm. We also calculated the k-dependence of the Debye relaxation, finding it to be highly dispersive. These findings are inconsistent with models that relate Debye relaxation to local processes such as the rotation/translation of molecules after H-bond breaking. We introduce the spectrumfitter Python package for fitting dielectric spectra and analyze different ways of fitting the high frequency excess, such as including one or two additional Debye peaks. We propose using the generalized Lydanne-Sachs-Teller (gLST) equation as a way of testing the physicality of model dielectric functions. Our attempts at fitting the experimental spectrum using the gLST relation as a constraint indicate that the traditional way of fitting the excess response with secondary and tertiary Debye relaxations is problematic. All of our work is consistent with the recent theory of Popov et al. (2016) that Debye relaxation is due to the migration of Bjerrum-like defects in the hydrogen bond network. Under this theory, the mechanism of Debye relaxation in liquid water is similar to the mechanism in ice, but the heterogeneity and power-law dynamics of the H-bond network in water results in excess response on the high frequency side of the peak.

Long range Debye-Hückel correction for computation of grid-based electrostatic forces between biomacromolecules

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations can be used to study very large molecular systems, such as models of the intracellular environment, using atomic-detail structures. Such simulations require strategies to contain the computational costs, especially for the computation of interaction forces and energies. A common approach is to compute interaction forces between macromolecules by precomputing their interaction potentials on three-dimensional discretized grids. For long-range interactions, such as electrostatics, grid-based methods are subject to finite size errors. We describe here the implementation of a Debye-Hückel correction to the grid-based electrostatic potential used in the SDA BD simulation software that was applied to simulate solutions of bovine serum albumin and of hen egg white lysozyme. Results We found that the inclusion of the long-range electrostatic correction increased the accuracy of both the protein-protein interaction profiles and the protein diffusion coefficients at low ionic strength. Conclusions An advantage of this method is the low additional computational cost required to treat long-range electrostatic interactions in large biomacromolecular systems. Moreover, the implementation described here for BD simulations of protein solutions can also be applied in implicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations that make use of gridded interaction potentials. PMID:25045516

Electrostatic persistence length.

PubMed

Fixman, Marshall

2010-03-11

The persistence length is calculated for polyelectrolyte chains with fixed bond lengths and bond angles (pi-theta), and a potential energy consisting of the screened Coulomb interaction between beads, potential wells alpha phi(i)2 for the dihedral angles phi(i), and coupling terms beta phi(i) phi(i+/-1). This model defines a librating chain that reduces in appropriate limits to the freely rotating or wormlike chains, it can accommodate local crumpling or extreme stiffness, and it is easy to simulate. A planar-quadratic (pq), analytic approximation is based on an expansion of the electrostatic energy in eigenfunctions of the quadratic form that describes the backbone energy, and on the assumption that the quadratic form not only is positive but also adequately confines the chain in an infinite phase space of dihedral angles to the physically unique part with all |phi(i)| < pi. The pq approximation is available under these weak constraints, but the simulations confirm its quantitative accuracy only under the expected condition that alpha is large, that is, for very stiff chains. Stiff chains can also be simulated with small alpha and small theta and compared to an OSF approximation suitably generalized to chains with finite rather than vanishing theta, and increasing agreement with OSF is found the smaller is theta. The two approximations, one becoming exact as alpha --> infinity with fixed theta, the other as theta --> 0 with fixed alpha, are quantitatively similar in behavior, both giving a persistence length P = P0 + aD2 for stiff chains, where D is the Debye length. However, the coefficient apq is about twice the value of aOSF. Under other conditions the simulations show that P may or not be linear in D2 at small or moderate D, depending on the magnitudes of alpha, beta, theta, and the charge density but always becomes linear at large D. Even at a moderately low charge density, corresponding to fewer than 20% of the beads being charged, and with strong crumpling induced by large beta, increasing D dissolves blobs and recovers a linear dependence of P on D2, although a lower power of D gives an adequate fit at moderate D. For the class of models considered, it is concluded that the only universal feature is the asymptotic linearity of P in D2, regardless of flexibility or stiffness.

Non Debye approximation on specific heat of solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharjee, Ruma; Das, Anamika; Sarkar, A.

2018-05-01

A simple non Debye frequency spectrum is proposed. The normalized frequency spectrum is compared to that of Debye spectrum. The proposed spectrum, provides a good account of low frequency phonon density of states, which gives a linear temperature variation at low temperature in contrast to Debye T3 law. It has been analyzed that the proposed model provides a good account of excess specific heat for nanostructure solid.

High temperature extended x-ray absorption fine structure study of multiferroic BiFeO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghavendra Reddy, V.; Meneghini, Carlo; Kothari, Deepti; Gupta, Ajay; Aquilanti, Giuliana

2012-08-01

Local atomic structure modifications around Fe atoms in polycrystalline multiferroic BiFeO3 are studied by Fe K edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy as a function of temperature across the Néel temperature (TN = 643 K) in order to reveal local structure modifications related to the magnetic transition. This work demonstrates that on crossing TN the local structure around Fe shows peculiar changes: the Fe-O bond lengths get shorter, the ligand symmetry increases and the Fe-O bond length disorder (σ2) deviates from Debye behaviour. These results suggest that the structural transition at the ferroelectric Curie temperature (TC = 1103 K) is anticipated by early local rearrangement of the structure starting already at TN.

Analytical and numerical study of electroosmotic slip flows of fractional second grade fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoping; Qi, Haitao; Yu, Bo; Xiong, Zhen; Xu, Huanying

2017-09-01

This work investigates the unsteady electroosmotic slip flow of viscoelastic fluid through a parallel plate micro-channel under combined influence of electroosmotic and pressure gradient forcings with asymmetric zeta potentials at the walls. The generalized second grade fluid with fractional derivative was used for the constitutive equation. The Navier slip model with different slip coefficients at both walls was also considered. By employing the Debye-Hückel linearization and the Laplace and sin-cos-Fourier transforms, the analytical solutions for the velocity distribution are derived. And the finite difference method for this problem was also given. Finally, the influence of pertinent parameters on the generation of flow is presented graphically.

Finite-size scaling above the upper critical dimension in Ising models with long-range interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Sola, Emilio J.; Berche, Bertrand; Kenna, Ralph; Weigel, Martin

2015-01-01

The correlation length plays a pivotal role in finite-size scaling and hyperscaling at continuous phase transitions. Below the upper critical dimension, where the correlation length is proportional to the system length, both finite-size scaling and hyperscaling take conventional forms. Above the upper critical dimension these forms break down and a new scaling scenario appears. Here we investigate this scaling behaviour by simulating one-dimensional Ising ferromagnets with long-range interactions. We show that the correlation length scales as a non-trivial power of the linear system size and investigate the scaling forms. For interactions of sufficiently long range, the disparity between the correlation length and the system length can be made arbitrarily large, while maintaining the new scaling scenarios. We also investigate the behavior of the correlation function above the upper critical dimension and the modifications imposed by the new scaling scenario onto the associated Fisher relation.

Debye-Scherrer simulation and its use for nano-materials testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalabushkin, Alexander E.

2005-04-01

Nano-material specimens of metallic glass were tested with the Debye-Scherrer x-ray diffraction method. For data simulation and data treatment new Debye-Scherrer simulator was devised. The simulator and test results are discussed.

Benchmarking sheath subgrid boundary conditions for macroscopic-scale simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenkins, T. G.; Smithe, D. N.

2015-02-01

The formation of sheaths near metallic or dielectric-coated wall materials in contact with a plasma is ubiquitous, often giving rise to physical phenomena (sputtering, secondary electron emission, etc) which influence plasma properties and dynamics both near and far from the material interface. In this paper, we use first-principles PIC simulations of such interfaces to formulate a subgrid sheath boundary condition which encapsulates fundamental aspects of the sheath behavior at the interface. Such a boundary condition, based on the capacitive behavior of the sheath, is shown to be useful in fluid simulations wherein sheath scale lengths are substantially smaller than scale lengths for other relevant physical processes (e.g. radiofrequency wavelengths), in that it enables kinetic processes associated with the presence of the sheath to be numerically modeled without explicit resolution of spatial and temporal sheath scales such as electron Debye length or plasma frequency.

Finite length Taylor Couette flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streett, C. L.; Hussaini, M. Y.

1987-01-01

Axisymmetric numerical solutions of the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations for flow between concentric rotating cylinders of finite length are obtained by a spectral collocation method. These representative results pertain to two-cell/one-cell exchange process, and are compared with recent experiments.

Wakes and differential charging of large bodies in low Earth orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, L. W.

1985-01-01

Highlights of earlier results using the Inside-Out WAKE code on wake structures of LEO spacecraft are reviewed. For conducting bodies of radius large compared with the Debye length, a high Mach number wake develops a negative potential well. Quasineutrality is violated in the very near wake region, and the wake is relatively empty for a distance downstream of about one half of a Mach number of radii. There is also a suggestion of a core of high density along the axis. A comparison of rigorous numerical solutions with in situ wake data from the AE-C satellite suggests that the so called neutral approximation for ions (straight line trajectories, independent of fields) may be a reasonable approximation except near the center of the near wake. This approximation is adopted for very large bodies. Work concerned with the wake point potential of very large nonconducting bodies such as the shuttle orbiter is described. Using a cylindrical model for bodies of this size or larger in LEO (body radius up to 10 to the 5th power Debye lengths), approximate solutions are presented based on the neutral approximation (but with rigorous trajectory calculations for surface current balance). There is a negative potential well if the body is conducting, and no well if the body is nonconducting. In the latter case the wake surface itself becomes highly negative. The wake point potential is governed by the ion drift energy.

Computation on collisionless steady-state plasma flow past a charged disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, L. W.

1976-01-01

A computer method is presented using the 'inside-out' approach, for predicting the structure of the disturbed zone near a moving body in space. The approach uses fewer simplifying assumptions than other available methods, and is applicable to large ranges of the values of body and plasma parameters. Two major advances concerning 3-dimensional bodies are that thermal motions of ions as well as of electrons are treated realistically by following their trajectories in the electric field, and the technique for achieving self-consistency is promising for very large bodies. Three sample solutions were obtained for a disk-shaped body, charged negatively to a potential 4kT/e. With ion Mach number 4, and equal ion and electron temperatures, the wakes of a relatively small body (radius 5 Debye lengths) and a relatively large body (radius 100 Debye lengths) both begin to fill up between 2 and 3 body radii downstream. For the large body there is in addition a potential well (about 6kT/e deep) behind the body. Increasing the ion Mach number to 8 for the large body causes the potential well to become wider and longer but not deeper. For the large body, the quasineutrality assumption is validated outside of a cone-shaped region in the very near wake. For the large as well as the small body, the disturbed zone behind the body extends transversely no more than 2 or 3 body radii, a result of significance for the design of spacecraft boom instrumentation.

A novel pressure variation study on electronic structure, mechanical stability and thermodynamic properties of potassium based fluoroperovskite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erum, Nazia; Azhar Iqbal, Muhammad

2017-09-01

The effect of pressure variation on stability, structural parameters, elastic constants, mechanical, electronic and thermodynamic properties of cubic SrKF3 fluoroperovskite have been investigated by using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method combined with Quasi-harmonic Debye model in which the phonon effects are considered. The calculated lattice parameters show a prominent decrease in lattice constant and bonds length with the increase in pressure. The application of pressure from 0 to 25 GPa reveals a predominant characteristic associated with widening of bandgap with GGA and GGA plus Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) potential. The influence of pressure on elastic constants and their related mechanical parameters have been discussed in detail. Apart of linear dependence of elastic coefficients, transition from brittle to ductile behavior is also observed at elevated pressure ranges. We have successfully computed variation of lattice constant, volume expansion, bulk modulus, Debye temperature and specific heat capacities at pressure and temperature in the range of 0-25 GPa and 0-600 K.

Strong and weak adsorptions of polyelectrolyte chains onto oppositely charged spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherstvy, A. G.; Winkler, R. G.

2006-08-01

We investigate the complexation of long thin polyelectrolyte (PE) chains with oppositely charged spheres. In the limit of strong adsorption, when strongly charged PE chains adapt a definite wrapped conformation on the sphere surface, we analytically solve the linear Poisson-Boltzmann equation and calculate the electrostatic potential and the energy of the complex. We discuss some biological applications of the obtained results. For weak adsorption, when a flexible weakly charged PE chain is localized next to the sphere in solution, we solve the Edwards equation for PE conformations in the Hulthén potential, which is used as an approximation for the screened Debye-Hückel potential of the sphere. We predict the critical conditions for PE adsorption. We find that the critical sphere charge density exhibits a distinctively different dependence on the Debye screening length than for PE adsorption onto a flat surface. We compare our findings with experimental measurements on complexation of various PEs with oppositely charged colloidal particles. We also present some numerical results of the coupled Poisson-Boltzmann and self-consistent field equation for PE adsorption in an assembly of oppositely charged spheres.

On the upper bound in the Bohm sheath criterion

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

Kotelnikov, I. A., E-mail: I.A.Kotelnikov@inp.nsk.su; Skovorodin, D. I., E-mail: D.I.Skovorodin@inp.nsk.su

2016-02-15

The question is discussed about the existence of an upper bound in the Bohm sheath criterion, according to which the Debye sheath at the interface between plasma and a negatively charged electrode is stable only if the ion flow velocity in plasma exceeds the ion sound velocity. It is stated that, with an exception of some artificial ionization models, the Bohm sheath criterion is satisfied as an equality at the lower bound and the ion flow velocity is equal to the speed of sound. In the one-dimensional theory, a supersonic flow appears in an unrealistic model of a localized ionmore » source the size of which is less than the Debye length; however, supersonic flows seem to be possible in the two- and three-dimensional cases. In the available numerical codes used to simulate charged particle sources with a plasma emitter, the presence of the upper bound in the Bohm sheath criterion is not supposed; however, the correspondence with experimental data is usually achieved if the ion flow velocity in plasma is close to the ion sound velocity.« less

Influence of collective nonideal shielding on fusion reaction in partially ionized classical nonideal plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Myoung-Jae; Jung, Young-Dae

2017-04-01

The collective nonideal effects on the nuclear fusion reaction process are investigated in partially ionized classical nonideal hydrogen plasmas. The effective pseudopotential model taking into account the collective and plasma shielding effects is applied to describe the interaction potential in nonideal plasmas. The analytic expressions of the Sommerfeld parameter, the fusion penetration factor, and the cross section for the nuclear fusion reaction in nonideal plasmas are obtained as functions of the nonideality parameter, Debye length, and relative kinetic energy. It is found that the Sommerfeld parameter is suppressed due to the influence of collective nonideal shielding. However, the collective nonideal shielding is found to enhance the fusion penetration factor in partially ionized classical nonideal plasmas. It is also found that the fusion penetration factors in nonideal plasmas represented by the pseudopotential model are always greater than those in ideal plasmas represented by the Debye-Hückel model. In addition, it is shown that the collective nonideal shielding effect on the fusion penetration factor decreases with an increase of the kinetic energy.

Hydrodynamic dispersion in a combined magnetohydrodynamic- electroosmotic-driven flow through a microchannel with slowly varying wall zeta potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, C.; Arcos, J.; Bautista, O.; Méndez, F.

2017-09-01

The effective dispersion coefficient of a neutral solute in the combined electroosmotic (EO) and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-driven flow of a Newtonian fluid through a parallel flat plate microchannel is studied. The walls of the microchannel are assumed to have modulated and low zeta potentials that vary slowly in the axial direction in a sinusoidal manner. The flow field required to obtain the dispersion coefficient is solved using the lubrication approximation theory. The solution of the electrical potential is based on the Debye-Hückel approximation for a symmetric (Z :Z ) electrolyte solution. The EO and MHD effects, together with the variations in the zeta potentials of the walls, are observed to notably modify the axial distribution of the effective dispersion coefficient. The problem is formulated for two cases of the zeta potential function. Note that the dispersion coefficient primarily depends on the Hartmann number, on the ratio of the half height of the microchannel to the Debye length, and on the assumed variation in the zeta potentials of the walls.

Dynamic Response of Finite Length Maglev Vehicles Subjected to Crosswind Gusts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-03-01

This report presents a two-degree-of-freedom model for magnetically levitated finite-length vehicles incorporating sway and yaw dynamics. Aerodynamic lateral forces and yawing moments on the vehicle resulting from constant speed wind gusts were compu...

Size, shape, and diffusivity of a single Debye-Hückel polyelectrolyte chain in solution.

PubMed

Soysa, W Chamath; Dünweg, B; Prakash, J Ravi

2015-08-14

Brownian dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained bead-spring chain model, with Debye-Hückel electrostatic interactions between the beads, are used to determine the root-mean-square end-to-end vector, the radius of gyration, and various shape functions (defined in terms of eigenvalues of the radius of gyration tensor) of a weakly charged polyelectrolyte chain in solution, in the limit of low polymer concentration. The long-time diffusivity is calculated from the mean square displacement of the centre of mass of the chain, with hydrodynamic interactions taken into account through the incorporation of the Rotne-Prager-Yamakawa tensor. Simulation results are interpreted in the light of the Odjik, Skolnick, Fixman, Khokhlov, and Khachaturian blob scaling theory (Everaers et al., Eur. Phys. J. E 8, 3 (2002)) which predicts that all solution properties are determined by just two scaling variables-the number of electrostatic blobs X and the reduced Debye screening length, Y. We identify three broad regimes, the ideal chain regime at small values of Y, the blob-pole regime at large values of Y, and the crossover regime at intermediate values of Y, within which the mean size, shape, and diffusivity exhibit characteristic behaviours. In particular, when simulation results are recast in terms of blob scaling variables, universal behaviour independent of the choice of bead-spring chain parameters, and the number of blobs X, is observed in the ideal chain regime and in much of the crossover regime, while the existence of logarithmic corrections to scaling in the blob-pole regime leads to non-universal behaviour.

Mixed-mode stress intensity factors for kink cracks with finite kink length loaded in tension and bending: application to dentin and enamel.

PubMed

Bechtle, Sabine; Fett, Theo; Rizzi, Gabriele; Habelitz, Stefan; Schneider, Gerold A

2010-05-01

Fracture toughness resistance curves describe a material's resistance against crack propagation. These curves are often used to characterize biomaterials like bone, nacre or dentin as these materials commonly exhibit a pronounced increase in fracture toughness with crack extension due to co-acting mechanisms such as crack bridging, crack deflection and microcracking. The knowledge of appropriate stress intensity factors which depend on the sample and crack geometry is essential for determining these curves. For the dental biomaterials enamel and dentin it was observed that, under bending and tensile loading, crack propagation occurs under certain constant angles to the initial notch direction during testing procedures used for fracture resistance curve determination. For this special crack geometry (a kink crack of finite length in a finite body) appropriate geometric function solutions are missing. Hence, we present in this study new mixed-mode stress intensity factors for kink cracks with finite kink length within samples of finite dimensions for two loading cases (tension and bending) which were derived from a combination of mixed-mode stress intensity factors of kink cracks with infinitely small kinks and of slant cracks. These results were further applied to determine the fracture resistance curves of enamel and dentin by testing single edge notched bending (SENB) specimens. It was found that kink cracks with finite kink length exhibit identical stress fields to slant cracks as soon as the kink length exceeds 0.15 times the initial straight crack or notch length. The use of stress intensity factor solutions for infinitely small kink cracks for the determination of dentin fracture resistance curves (as was done by other researchers) leads to an overestimation of dentin's fracture resistance of up to 30%. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A multidimensional generalization of Heilbronn's theorem on the average length of a finite continued fraction

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

Illarionov, A A

2014-03-31

Heilbronn's theorem on the average length of a finite continued fraction is generalized to the multidimensional case in terms of relative minima of the lattices which were introduced by Voronoy and Minkowski. Bibliography: 21 titles.

Sheath effects on current collection by particle detectors with narrow acceptance angles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, N.; Baugher, C. R.

1981-01-01

Restriction of the aperture acceptance angle of an ion or electron trap on an attracting spacecraft significantly alters the volt-ampere characteristics of the instrument in a low Mach number plasma. It is shown when the angular acceptance of the aperture is restricted the current to the collector tends to be independent of the Debye length. Expressions for the RPA characteristics for both a thin sheath and a thick sheath are derived; and it is shown that as the aperture is narrowed the curves tend toward equivalence.

Quasi-neutral limit of Euler–Poisson system of compressible fluids coupled to a magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jianwei

2018-06-01

In this paper, we consider the quasi-neutral limit of a three-dimensional Euler-Poisson system of compressible fluids coupled to a magnetic field. We prove that, as Debye length tends to zero, periodic initial-value problems of the model have unique smooth solutions existing in the time interval where the ideal incompressible magnetohydrodynamic equations has smooth solution. Meanwhile, it is proved that smooth solutions converge to solutions of incompressible magnetohydrodynamic equations with a sharp convergence rate in the process of quasi-neutral limit.

Electrostatic placement of single ferritin molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumagai, Shinya; Yoshii, Shigeo; Yamada, Kiyohito; Matsukawa, Nozomu; Fujiwara, Isamu; Iwahori, Kenji; Yamashita, Ichiro

2006-04-01

We electrostatically placed a single ferritin molecule on a nanometric 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) pattern that was on an oxidized Si substrate. The numerical analysis of the total interaction free energy for ferritin predicted that a quadrilateral array of 15nm diameter APTES nanodisks placed at intervals of 100nm would accommodate a single molecule of ferritin in each disk under a Debye length of 14nm. The experiments we conducted conformed to theoretical predictions and we successfully placed a single ferritin molecule on each ATPES disk without ferritin adsorbing on the SiO2 substrate surface.

Effect of dipolar moments in domain sizes of lipid bilayers and monolayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Travesset, A.

2006-08-01

Lipid domains are found in systems such as multicomponent bilayer membranes and single component monolayers at the air-water interface. It was shown by Keller et al. [J. Phys. Chem. 91, 6417 (1987)] that in monolayers, the size of the domains results from balancing the line tension, which favors the formation of a large single circular domain, against the electrostatic cost of assembling the dipolar moments of the lipids. In this paper, we present an exact analytical expression for the electric potential, ion distribution, and electrostatic free energy for different problems consisting of three different slabs with different dielectric constants and Debye lengths, with a circular homogeneous dipolar density in the middle slab. From these solutions, we extend the calculation of domain sizes for monolayers to include the effects of finite ionic strength, dielectric discontinuities (or image charges), and the polarizability of the dipoles and further generalize the calculations to account for domains in lipid bilayers. In monolayers, the size of the domains is dependent on the different dielectric constants but independent of ionic strength. In asymmetric bilayers, where the inner and outer leaflets have different dipolar densities, domains show a strong size dependence with ionic strength, with molecular-sized domains that grow to macroscopic phase separation with increasing ionic strength. We discuss the implications of the results for experiments and briefly consider their relation to other two dimensional systems such as Wigner crystals or heteroepitaxial growth.

Thermionic emission from monolayer graphene, sheath formation and its feasibility towards thermionic converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, Shikha; Upadhyay Kahaly, M.; Mishra, S. K.

2017-02-01

A formalism describing the thermionic emission from a single layer graphene sheet operating at a finite temperature and the consequent formation of the thermionic sheath in its proximity has been established. The formulation takes account of two dimensional densities of state configuration, Fermi-Dirac (f-d) statistics of the electron energy distribution, Fowler's treatment of electron emission, and Poisson's equation. The thermionic current estimates based on the present analysis is found to be in reasonably good agreement with experimental observations (Zhu et al., Nano Res. 07, 1 (2014)). The analysis has further been simplified for the case where f-d statistics of an electron energy distribution converges to Maxwellian distribution. By using this formulation, the steady state sheath features, viz., spatial dependence of the surface potential and electron density structure in the thermionic sheath are derived and illustrated graphically for graphene parameters; the electron density in the sheath is seen to diminish within ˜10 s of Debye lengths. By utilizing the graphene based cathode in configuring a thermionic converter (TC), an appropriate operating regime in achieving the efficient energy conversion has been identified. A TC configured with the graphene based cathode (operating at ˜1200 K/work function 4.74 V) along with the metallic anode (operating at ˜400 K/ work function 2.0 V) is predicted to display ˜56% of the input thermal flux into the electrical energy, which infers approximately ˜84% of the Carnot efficiency.

Free-energy functional of the Debye-Hückel model of simple fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piron, R.; Blenski, T.

2016-12-01

The Debye-Hückel approximation to the free energy of a simple fluid is written as a functional of the pair correlation function. This functional can be seen as the Debye-Hückel equivalent to the functional derived in the hypernetted chain framework by Morita and Hiroike, as well as by Lado. It allows one to obtain the Debye-Hückel integral equation through a minimization with respect to the pair correlation function, leads to the correct form of the internal energy, and fulfills the virial theorem.

Effective surface Debye temperature for NiMnSb(100) epitaxial films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borca, C. N.; Komesu, Takashi; Jeong, Hae-kyung; Dowben, P. A.; Ristoiu, D.; Hordequin, Ch.; Pierre, J.; Nozières, J. P.

2000-07-01

The surface Debye temperature of the NiMnSb (100) epitaxial films has been obtained using low energy electron diffraction, inverse photoemission, and core-level photoemission. The normal dynamic motion of the (100) surface results in a value for the effective surface Debye temperature of 145±13 K. This is far smaller than the bulk Debye temperature of 312±5 K obtained from wave vector dependent inelastic neutron scattering. The large difference between these measures of surface and bulk dynamic motion indicates a soft and compositionally different (100) surface.

Electrostatic interactions between diffuse soft multi-layered (bio)particles: beyond Debye-Hückel approximation and Deryagin formulation.

PubMed

Duval, Jérôme F L; Merlin, Jenny; Narayana, Puranam A L

2011-01-21

We report a steady-state theory for the evaluation of electrostatic interactions between identical or dissimilar spherical soft multi-layered (bio)particles, e.g. microgels or microorganisms. These generally consist of a rigid core surrounded by concentric ion-permeable layers that may differ in thickness, soft material density, chemical composition and degree of dissociation for the ionogenic groups. The formalism allows the account of diffuse interphases where distributions of ionogenic groups from one layer to the other are position-dependent. The model is valid for any number of ion-permeable layers around the core of the interacting soft particles and covers all limiting situations in terms of nature of interacting particles, i.e. homo- and hetero-interactions between hard, soft or entirely porous colloids. The theory is based on a rigorous numerical solution of the non-linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation including radial and angular distortions of the electric field distribution within and outside the interacting soft particles in approach. The Gibbs energy of electrostatic interaction is obtained from a general expression derived following the method by Verwey and Overbeek based on appropriate electric double layer charging mechanisms. Original analytical solutions are provided here for cases where interaction takes place between soft multi-layered particles whose size and charge density are in line with Deryagin treatment and Debye-Hückel approximation. These situations include interactions between hard and soft particles, hard plate and soft particle or soft plate and soft particle. The flexibility of the formalism is highlighted by the discussion of few situations which clearly illustrate that electrostatic interaction between multi-layered particles may be partly or predominantly governed by potential distribution within the most internal layers. A major consequence is that both amplitude and sign of Gibbs electrostatic interaction energy may dramatically change depending on the interplay between characteristic Debye length, thickness of ion-permeable layers and their respective protolytic features (e.g. location, magnitude and sign of charge density). This formalism extends a recent model by Ohshima which is strictly limited to interaction between soft mono-shell particles within Deryagin and Debye-Hückel approximations under conditions where ionizable sites are completely dissociated.

Plasma-Sheath Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riemann, Karl-Ulrich

2012-10-01

In typical gas discharges a quasineutral plasma is shielded from a negativ absorbing wall by a thin positive sheath that is nearly planar and collision-free. The subdivision of ``plasma'' and ``sheath'' was introduced by Langmuir and is based on a small ratio of the electron Debye lenghth λD to the dominant competing characteristic plasma length l. Depending on the special conditions, l may represent, e.g., the plasma extension, the ionization length, the ion mean free path, the ion gyro radius, or a geometric length. Strictly speaking, this subdivion is possible only in the asymptotic limit λD/l->0. The asymptotic analysis results in singularities at the ``sheath edge'' closely related to the ``Bohm criterion.'' Due to these singularities a direct smooth matching of the separate plasma and sheath soltions is not possible. To obtain a consistent smooth transition, the singular sheath edge must be bridged by an additinal narrow ``intermediate'' model zone accounting both for plasma processes (e.g., collisions) and for the first build up of space charge. Due to this complexity and to different interpretations of the ``classical'' papers by Langmuir and Bohm, the asymptotic plasma-sheath concept and the definition of the sheath edge were questioned and resulted in controversies during the last two decades. We discuss attempts to re-define the sheath edge, to account for finite values of λD/l in the Bohm criterion, and demonstrate the consistent matching of plasma and sheath. The investigations of the plasma-sheath transition discussed so far are based on a simplified fluid analysis that cannot account for the essential inhomogeneity of the boundary layer and for the dominant role of slow ions in space charge formation. Therefore we give special emphasis to the kinetic theory of the plasma-sheath transition. Unfortunately this approach results in an additional mathematical difficulty caused by ions with zero velocity. We discuss attempts to avoid this singularity by a modification of the kinetic Bohm criterion and investigate the influence of slow ions on the structure of the plasma-sheath transition. The most important conclusions are illustrated with selected examples.

Effective electrostatic interactions among charged thermo-responsive microgels immersed in a simple electrolyte

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

González-Mozuelos, P.

This work explores the nature and thermodynamic behavior of the effective electrostatic interactions among charged microgels immersed in a simple electrolyte, taking special interest in the effects due to the thermally induced variation of the microgel size while the remaining parameters (microgel charge and concentration, plus the amount of added salt) are kept constant. To this end, the rigorous approach obtained from applying the precise methodology of the dressed ion theory to the proper definition of the effective direct correlation functions, which emerge from tracing-out the degrees of freedom of the microscopic ions, is employed to provide an exact descriptionmore » of the parameters characterizing such interactions: screening length, effective permittivity, and renormalized charges. A model solution with three components is assumed: large permeable anionic spheres for the microgels, plus small charged hard spheres of equal size for the monovalent cations and anions. The two-body correlations among the components of this model suspension, used as the input for the determination of the effective interaction parameters, are here calculated by using the hyper-netted chain approximation. It is then found that at finite microgel concentrations the values of these parameters change as the microgel size increases, even though the ionic strength of the supporting electrolyte and the bare charge of the microgels remain fixed during this process. The variation of the screening length, as well as that of the effective permittivity, is rather small, but still interesting in view of the fact that the corresponding Debye length stays constant. The renormalized charges, in contrast, increase markedly as the microgels swell. The ratio of the renormalized charge to the corresponding analytic result obtained in the context of an extended linear response theory allows us to introduce an effective charge that accounts for the non-linear effects induced by the short-ranged association of microions to the microgels. The behavior of these effective charges as a function of the amount of added salt and the macroion charge, size, and concentration reveals the interplay among all these system parameters.« less

Finite word length effects on digital filter implementation.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowman, J. D.; Clark, F. H.

1972-01-01

This paper is a discussion of two known techniques to analyze finite word length effects on digital filters. These techniques are extended to several additional programming forms and the results verified experimentally. A correlation of the analytical weighting functions for the two methods is made through the Mason Gain Formula.

Modelling magnetic reconnection events relevant for solar physics with the new Energy Conserving Moment Implicit Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boella, Elisabetta; Herrero-Gonzalez, Diego; Innocenti, Maria Elena; Bemporad, Alessandro; Lapenta, Giovanni

2017-04-01

Fully kinetic simulations of magnetic reconnection events in the solar environment are especially challenging due to the extreme range of spatial and temporal scales that characterises them. As one moves from the photosphere to the chromosphere and the corona, the temperature increases from sub eV to 10-100 eV, while the mass density decreases from 10-4 to 10-12 kg/m3 and further. The intrinsic scales of kinetic reconnection (inertial length and gyroradius) are tremendously smaller than the maximum resolution available in observations. Furthermore, no direct information is available on the size of reconnection regions, plasmoids and reconnection fronts, while observations suggest that the process can cascade down to very small scale te{Bemporad}. Resolving the electron and ion scales while simulating a sufficiently large domain is a great challenge facing solar modelling. An especially challenging aspect is the need to consider the Debye length. The very low temperature of the electrons and the large spatial and temporal scales make these simulations hard to implement within existing Particle in Cell (PIC) methods. The limit is the ratio of the grid spacing to the Debye length. PIC methods show good stability and energy conservation when the grid does not exceed the Debye length too much. Semi-implicit methods te{Brackbill, Langdon} improve on this point. Only the recently developed fully energy conserving implicit methods have solved the problem te{Markidis, Chen}, but at a high computational cost. Very recently, we have developed an efficient new semi-implicit algorithm, which has been proven to conserve energy exactly to machine precision te{Lapenta}. In this work, we illustrate the main steps that enabled this great breakthrough and report the implementation on a new massively parallel three dimensional PIC code, called ECsim te{Lapenta2}. The new approach is applied to the problem of reconnection in the solar environment. We compare results of a simple 2D configuration similar to the so-called GEM challenge for different ranges of electron temperature, density and magnetic field, relative to different distances from the photosphere, demonstrating the capability of the new code. Finally, we report on the first results (to the authors' knowledge) of realistic magnetic 3D reconnection simulations in the solar environment, considering a large domain sufficient to describe the interaction of large scale dynamics with the reconnection process. A. Bemporad, ApJ 689, 572 (2008). J.U. Brackbill and D.W. Forslund, J. Comput. Phys. 46, 271 (1982). A. Langdon et al., J. Comput. Phys. 51, 107 (1983). S. Markidis and G. Lapenta, J. Comput. Phys. 230, 7037 (2011). G. Chen et al., J. Comput. Phys. 230, 7018 (2011). G. Lapenta, arXiv preprint arXiv:1602.06326 (2016). G. Lapenta et al., arXiv preprint arXiv:1612.08289 (2016).

One-dimensional conduction through supporting electrolytes: two-scale cathodic Debye layer.

PubMed

Almog, Yaniv; Yariv, Ehud

2011-10-01

Supporting-electrolyte solutions comprise chemically inert cations and anions, produced by salt dissolution, together with a reactive ionic species that may be consumed and generated on bounding ion-selective surfaces (e.g., electrodes or membranes). Upon application of an external voltage, a Faraday current is thereby established. It is natural to analyze this ternary-system process through a one-dimensional transport problem, employing the thin Debye-layer limit. Using a simple model of ideal ion-selective membranes, we have recently addressed this problem for moderate voltages [Yariv and Almog, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 176101 (2010)], predicting currents that scale as a fractional power of Debye thickness. We address herein the complementary problem of moderate currents. We employ matched asymptotic expansions, separately analyzing the two inner thin Debye layers adjacent to the ion-selective surfaces and the outer electroneutral region outside them. A straightforward calculation following comparable singular-perturbation analyses of binary systems is frustrated by the prediction of negative ionic concentrations near the cathode. Accompanying numerical simulations, performed for small values of Debye thickness, indicate a number unconventional features occurring at that region, such as inert-cation concentration amplification and electric-field intensification. The current-voltage correlation data of the electrochemical cell, obtained from compilation of these simulations, does not approach a limit as the Debye thickness vanishes. Resolution of these puzzles reveals a transformation of the asymptotic structure of the cathodic Debye layer. This reflects the emergence of an internal boundary layer, adjacent to the cathode, wherein field and concentration scaling differs from those of the Gouy-Chapman theory. The two-scale feature of the cathodic Debye layer is manifested through a logarithmic voltage scaling with Debye thickness. Accounting for this scaling, the complied current-voltage data collapses upon a single curve. This curve practically coincides with an asymptotically calculated universal current-voltage relation.

Large divalent cations and electrostatic potentials adjacent to membranes. Experimental results with hexamethonium.

PubMed Central

Alvarez, O; Brodwick, M; Latorre, R; McLaughlin, A; McLaughlin, S; Szabo, G

1983-01-01

A simple extension of the Gouy-Chapman theory predicts that the ability of a divalent cation to screen charges at a membrane-solution interface decreases significantly if the distance between the charges on the cation is comparable with the Debye length. We tested this prediction by investigating the effect of hexamethonium on the electrostatic potential adjacent to negatively charged phospholipid bilayer membranes. The distance between the two charges of an extended hexamethonium molecule is approximately 1 nm, which is the Debye length in the 0.1 M monovalent salt solutions used in these experiments. Six different experimental approaches were utilized. We measured the electrophoretic mobility of multilamellar vesicles to determine the zeta potential, the line width of the 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal from sonicated vesicles to calculate the change in potential at the phosphodiester moiety of the lipid, and the conductance of planar bilayer membranes exposed to either carriers (nonactin) or pore formers (gramicidin) to estimate the change in potential within the membrane. We also measured directly the effect of hexamethonium on the potential above a monolayer formed from negative lipids, and attempted to calculate the change in the surface potential of a bilayer membrane from capacitance measurements. With the exception of the capacitance calculations, each of the techniques gave comparable results: hexamethonium exerts a smaller effect on the potential than that predicted by the classic screening theory. The results are consistent with the predictions of the extended Gouy-Chapman theory and are relevant to the interpretation of physiological and pharmacological experiments that utilize hexamethonium and other large divalent cations. PMID:6198001

Graphene-Based Liquid-Gated Field Effect Transistor for Biosensing: Theory and Experiments

PubMed Central

Reiner-Rozman, Ciril; Larisika, Melanie; Nowak, Christoph; Knoll, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

We present an experimental and theoretical characterization for reduced Graphene-Oxide (rGO) based FETs used for biosensing applications. The presented approach shows a complete result analysis and theoretically predictable electrical properties. The formulation was tested for the analysis of the device performance in the liquid gate mode of operation with variation of the ionic strength and pH-values of the electrolytes in contact with the FET. The dependence on the Debye length was confirmed experimentally and theoretically, utilizing the Debye length as a working parameter and thus defining the limits of applicability for the presented rGO-FETs. Furthermore, the FETs were tested for the sensing of biomolecules (bovine serum albumin (BSA) as reference) binding to gate-immobilized anti-BSA antibodies and analyzed using the Langmuir binding theory for the description of the equilibrium surface coverage as a function of the bulk (analyte) concentration. The obtained binding coefficients for BSA are found to be same as in results from literature, hence confirming the applicability of the devices. The FETs used in the experiments were fabricated using wet-chemically synthesized graphene, displaying high electron and hole mobility (μ) and provide the strong sensitivity also for low potential changes (by change of pH, ion concentration, or molecule adsorption). The binding coefficient for BSA-anti-BSA interaction shows a behavior corresponding to the Langmuir adsorption theory with a Limit of Detection (LOD) in the picomolar concentration range. The presented approach shows high reproducibility and sensitivity and a good agreement of the experimental results with the calculated data. PMID:25791463

On behavior peculiarity of electron plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordeeva, N. M.; Yushkanov, A. A.

2018-03-01

The analysis of the analytical solution of the problem of the behavior of electron plasma in the AC electric field is fulfilled. Debye mode describes shielding of the external electric field in the plasma. The analysis of the region of existence of Debye mode, depending on the plasma parameters has been realized. A non-trivial dependence of the region of existence of Debye mode on the degree of degeneracy of the electron gas are revealed. For the case of nearly degenerate electron gas Debye mode has several areas of existence, depending on the frequency of the electric field.

Quantifying the thickness of the electrical double layer neutralizing a planar electrode: the capacitive compactness.

PubMed

Guerrero-García, Guillermo Iván; González-Tovar, Enrique; Chávez-Páez, Martín; Kłos, Jacek; Lamperski, Stanisław

2017-12-20

The spatial extension of the ionic cloud neutralizing a charged colloid or an electrode is usually characterized by the Debye length associated with the supporting charged fluid in the bulk. This spatial length arises naturally in the linear Poisson-Boltzmann theory of point charges, which is the cornerstone of the widely used Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek formalism describing the colloidal stability of electrified macroparticles. By definition, the Debye length is independent of important physical features of charged solutions such as the colloidal charge, electrostatic ion correlations, ionic excluded volume effects, or specific short-range interactions, just to mention a few. In order to include consistently these features to describe more accurately the thickness of the electrical double layer of an inhomogeneous charged fluid in planar geometry, we propose here the use of the capacitive compactness concept as a generalization of the compactness of the spherical electrical double layer around a small macroion (González-Tovar et al., J. Chem. Phys. 2004, 120, 9782). To exemplify the usefulness of the capacitive compactness to characterize strongly coupled charged fluids in external electric fields, we use integral equations theory and Monte Carlo simulations to analyze the electrical properties of a model molten salt near a planar electrode. In particular, we study the electrode's charge neutralization, and the maximum inversion of the net charge per unit area of the electrode-molten salt system as a function of the ionic concentration, and the electrode's charge. The behaviour of the associated capacitive compactness is interpreted in terms of the charge neutralization capacity of the highly correlated charged fluid, which evidences a shrinking/expansion of the electrical double layer at a microscopic level. The capacitive compactness and its first two derivatives are expressed in terms of experimentally measurable macroscopic properties such as the differential and integral capacity, the electrode's surface charge density, and the mean electrostatic potential at the electrode's surface.

Thermal noise due to surface-charge effects within the Debye layer of endogenous structures in dendrites.

PubMed

Poznanski, Roman R

2010-02-01

An assumption commonly used in cable theory is revised by taking into account electrical amplification due to intracellular capacitive effects in passive dendritic cables. A generalized cable equation for a cylindrical volume representation of a dendritic segment is derived from Maxwell's equations under assumptions: (i) the electric-field polarization is restricted longitudinally along the cable length; (ii) extracellular isopotentiality; (iii) quasielectrostatic conditions; and (iv) homogeneous medium with constant conductivity and permittivity. The generalized cable equation is identical to Barenblatt's equation arising in the theory of infiltration in fissured strata with a known analytical solution expressed in terms of a definite integral involving a modified Bessel function and the solution to a linear one-dimensional classical cable equation. Its solution is used to determine the impact of thermal noise on voltage attenuation with distance at any particular time. A regular perturbation expansion for the membrane potential about the linear one-dimensional classical cable equation solution is derived in terms of a Green's function in order to describe the dynamics of free charge within the Debye layer of endogenous structures in passive dendritic cables. The asymptotic value of the first perturbative term is explicitly evaluated for small values of time to predict how the slowly fluctuating (in submillisecond range) electric field attributed to intracellular capacitive effects alters the amplitude of the membrane potential. It was found that capacitive effects are almost negligible for cables with electrotonic lengths L>0.5 , contributes up to 10% of the signal for cables with electrotonic lengths in the range between 0.25

Effects of geometric modulation and surface potential heterogeneity on electrokinetic flow and solute transport in a microchannel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bera, Subrata; Bhattacharyya, S.

2017-12-01

A numerical investigation is performed on the electroosmotic flow (EOF) in a surface-modulated microchannel to induce enhanced solute mixing. The channel wall is modulated by placing surface-mounted obstacles of trigonometric shape along which the surface potential is considered to be different from the surface potential of the homogeneous part of the wall. The characteristics of the electrokinetic flow are governed by the Laplace equation for the distribution of external electric potential; the Poisson equation for the distribution of induced electric potential; the Nernst-Planck equations for the distribution of ions; and the Navier-Stokes equations for fluid flow simultaneously. These nonlinear coupled set of governing equations are solved numerically by a control volume method over the staggered system. The influence of the geometric modulation of the surface, surface potential heterogeneity and the bulk ionic concentration on the EOF is analyzed. Vortical flow develops near a surface modulation, and it becomes stronger when the surface potential of the modulated region is in opposite sign to the surface potential of the homogeneous part of the channel walls. Vortical flow also depends on the Debye length when the Debye length is in the order of the channel height. Pressure drop along the channel length is higher for a ribbed wall channel compared to the grooved wall case. The pressure drop decreases with the increase in the amplitude for a grooved channel, but increases for a ribbed channel. The mixing index is quantified through the standard deviation of the solute distribution. Our results show that mixing index is higher for the ribbed channel compared to the grooved channel with heterogeneous surface potential. The increase in potential heterogeneity in the modulated region also increases the mixing index in both grooved and ribbed channels. However, the mixing performance, which is the ratio of the mixing index to pressure drop, reduces with the rise in the surface potential heterogeneity.

Effects of geometric modulation and surface potential heterogeneity on electrokinetic flow and solute transport in a microchannel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bera, Subrata; Bhattacharyya, S.

2018-04-01

A numerical investigation is performed on the electroosmotic flow (EOF) in a surface-modulated microchannel to induce enhanced solute mixing. The channel wall is modulated by placing surface-mounted obstacles of trigonometric shape along which the surface potential is considered to be different from the surface potential of the homogeneous part of the wall. The characteristics of the electrokinetic flow are governed by the Laplace equation for the distribution of external electric potential; the Poisson equation for the distribution of induced electric potential; the Nernst-Planck equations for the distribution of ions; and the Navier-Stokes equations for fluid flow simultaneously. These nonlinear coupled set of governing equations are solved numerically by a control volume method over the staggered system. The influence of the geometric modulation of the surface, surface potential heterogeneity and the bulk ionic concentration on the EOF is analyzed. Vortical flow develops near a surface modulation, and it becomes stronger when the surface potential of the modulated region is in opposite sign to the surface potential of the homogeneous part of the channel walls. Vortical flow also depends on the Debye length when the Debye length is in the order of the channel height. Pressure drop along the channel length is higher for a ribbed wall channel compared to the grooved wall case. The pressure drop decreases with the increase in the amplitude for a grooved channel, but increases for a ribbed channel. The mixing index is quantified through the standard deviation of the solute distribution. Our results show that mixing index is higher for the ribbed channel compared to the grooved channel with heterogeneous surface potential. The increase in potential heterogeneity in the modulated region also increases the mixing index in both grooved and ribbed channels. However, the mixing performance, which is the ratio of the mixing index to pressure drop, reduces with the rise in the surface potential heterogeneity.

Ion temperature profiles in front of a negative planar electrode studied by a one-dimensional two-fluid model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyergyek, T.; Kovačič, J.

2016-06-01

Plasma-wall transition is studied by a one-dimensional steady state two-fluid model. Continuity and momentum exchange equations are used for the electrons, while the continuity, momentum exchange, and energy transport equation are used for the ions. Electrons are assumed to be isothermal. The closure of ion equations is made by the assumption that the heat flux is zero. The model equations are solved for potential, ion and electron density, and velocity and ion temperature as independent variables. The model includes coulomb collisions between ions and electrons and charge exchange collisions between ions and neutral atoms of the same species and same mass. The neutral atoms are assumed to be essentially at rest. The model is solved for finite ratio ɛ = /λ D L between the Debye length and λD and ionization length L in the pre-sheath and in the sheath at the same time. Charge exchange collisions heat the ions in the sheath and the pre-sheath. Even a small increase of the frequency of charge exchange collisions causes a substantial increase of ion temperature. Coulomb collisions have negligible effect on ion temperature in the pre-sheath, while in the sheath they cause a small cooling of ions. The increase of ɛ causes the increase of ion temperature. From the ion density and temperature profiles, the polytropic function κ is calculated according to its definition given by Kuhn et al. [Phys. Plasmas 13, 013503 (2006)]. The obtained profiles of κ indicate that the ion flow is isothermal only in a relatively narrow region in the pre-sheath, while close to the sheath edge and in the sheath it is closer to adiabatic. The ion sound velocity is space dependent and exhibits a maximum. This maximum indicates the location of the sheath edge only in the limit ɛ → 0 .

Electro-osmotic flow in a rotating rectangular microchannel

PubMed Central

Ng, Chiu-On; Qi, Cheng

2015-01-01

An analytical model is presented for low-Rossby-number electro-osmotic flow in a rectangular channel rotating about an axis perpendicular to its own. The flow is driven under the combined action of Coriolis, pressure, viscous and electric forces. Analytical solutions in the form of eigenfunction expansions are developed for the problem, which is controlled by the rotation parameter (or the inverse Ekman number), the Debye parameter, the aspect ratio of the channel and the distribution of zeta potentials on the channel walls. Under the conditions of fast rotation and a thin electric double layer (EDL), an Ekman–EDL develops on the horizontal walls. This is essentially an Ekman layer subjected to electrokinetic effects. The flow structure of this boundary layer as a function of the Ekman layer thickness normalized by the Debye length is investigated in detail in this study. It is also shown that the channel rotation may have qualitatively different effects on the flow rate, depending on the channel width and the zeta potential distributions. Axial and secondary flows are examined in detail to reveal how the development of a geostrophic core may lead to a rise or fall of the mean flow. PMID:26345088

Temperature dependence of water-water and ion-water correlations in bulk water and electrolyte solutions probed by femtosecond elastic second harmonic scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yixing; Dupertuis, Nathan; Okur, Halil I.; Roke, Sylvie

2018-06-01

The temperature dependence of the femtosecond elastic second harmonic scattering (fs-ESHS) response of bulk light and heavy water and their electrolyte solutions is presented. We observe clear temperature dependent changes in the hydrogen (H)-bond network of water that show a decrease in the orientational order of water with increasing temperature. Although D2O has a more structured H-bond network (giving rise to more fs-ESHS intensity), the relative temperature dependence is larger in H2O. The changes are interpreted in terms of the symmetry of H-bonds and are indicators of nuclear quantum effects. Increasing the temperature in electrolyte solutions decreases the influence of the total electrostatic field from ions on the water-water correlations, as expected from Debye-Hückel theory, since the Debye length becomes longer. The effects are, however, 1.9 times (6.3 times) larger than those predicted for H2O (D2O). Since fs-ESHS responses can be computed from known molecular coordinates, our observations provide a unique opportunity to refine quantum mechanical models of water.

Effects of overlapping electric double layer on mass transport of a macro-solute across porous wall of a micro/nanochannel for power law fluid.

PubMed

Bhattacharjee, Saikat; Mondal, Mrinmoy; De, Sirshendu

2017-05-01

Effects of overlapping electric double layer and high wall potential on transport of a macrosolute for flow of a power law fluid through a microchannel with porous walls are studied in this work. The electric potential distribution is obtained by coupling the Poisson's equation without considering the Debye-Huckel approximation. The numerical solution shows that the center line potential can be 16% of wall potential at pH 8.5, at wall potential -73 mV and scaled Debye length 0.5. Transport phenomena involving mass transport of a neutral macrosolute is formulated by species advective equation. An analytical solution of Sherwood number is obtained for power law fluid. Effects of fluid rheology are studied in detail. Average Sherwood number is more for a pseudoplastic fluid compared to dilatant upto the ratio of Poiseuille to electroosmotic velocity of 5. Beyond that, the Sherwood number is independent of fluid rheology. Effects of fluid rheology and solute size on permeation flux and concentration of neutral solute are also quantified. More solute permeation occurs as the fluid changes from pseudoplastic to dilatant. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electroosmotic flow of biorheological micropolar fluids through microfluidic channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaube, Mithilesh Kumar; Yadav, Ashu; Tripathi, Dharmendra; Bég, O. Anwar

2018-05-01

An analytical analysis is presented in this work to assess the influence of micropolar nature of fluids in fully developed flow induced by electrokinetically driven peristaltic pumping through a parallel plate microchannel. The walls of the channel are assumed as sinusoidal wavy to analyze the peristaltic flow nature. We consider that the wavelength of the wall motion is much larger as compared to the channel width to validate the lubrication theory. To simplify the Poisson Boltzmann equation, we also use the Debye-Hückel linearization. We consider governing equation for micropolar fluid in absence of body force and couple effects however external electric field is employed. The solutions for axial velocity, spin velocity, flow rate, pressure rise, and stream functions subjected to given physical boundary conditions are computed. The effects of pertinent parameters like Debye length and Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity which characterize the EDL phenomenon and external electric field, coupling number and micropolar parameter which characterize the micropolar fluid behavior, on peristaltic pumping are discussed through the illustrations. The results show that peristaltic pumping may alter by applying external electric fields. This model can be used to design and engineer the peristalsis-lab-on-chip and micro peristaltic syringe pumps for biomedical applications.

Bond-length relaxation in crystalline Si1-xGex alloys: An extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajiyama, Hiroshi; Muramatsu, Shin-Ichi; Shimada, Toshikazu; Nishino, Yoichi

1992-06-01

Extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure spectra for crystalline Si1-xGex alloys, measured at the K edge of Ge at room temperature, are analyzed with a curve-fitting method based on the spherical-wave approximation. The Ge-Ge and Ge-Si bond lengths, coordination numbers of Ge and Si atoms around a Ge atom, and Debye-Waller factors of Ge and Si atoms are obtained. It is shown that Ge-Ge and Ge-Si bonds relax completely, for all Ge concentrations of their study, while the lattice constant varies monotonically, following Vegard's law. As noted by Bragg and later by Pauling and Huggins, the Ge-Ge and Ge-Si bond lengths are close to the sum of their constituent-element atomic radii: nearly 2.45 Å for Ge-Ge bonds and 2.40 Å for Ge-Si bonds. A study on the coordination around a Ge atom in the alloys revealed that Ge and Si atoms mix randomly throughout the compositional range studied.

Correlation of atomic packing with the boson peak in amorphous alloys

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

Yang, W. M.; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189

2014-09-28

Boson peaks (BP) have been observed from phonon specific heats in 10 studied amorphous alloys. Two Einstein-type vibration modes were proposed in this work and all data can be fitted well. By measuring and analyzing local atomic structures of studied amorphous alloys and 56 reported amorphous alloys, it is found that (a) the BP originates from local harmonic vibration modes associated with the lengths of short-range order (SRO) and medium-range order (MRO) in amorphous alloys, and (b) the atomic packing in amorphous alloys follows a universal scaling law, i.e., the ratios of SRO and MRO lengths to solvent atomic diametermore » are 3 and 7, respectively, which exact match with length ratios of BP vibration frequencies to Debye frequency for the studied amorphous alloys. This finding provides a new perspective for atomic packing in amorphous materials, and has significant implications for quantitative description of the local atomic orders and understanding the structure-property relationship.« less

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

Xing, Kunyue; Chatterjee, Sabornie; Saito, Tomonori

Dielectric spectroscopy, rheology, and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to study the effect of chain-end hydrogen bonding on the dynamics of hydroxylterminated polydimethylsiloxane. We demonstrate that hydrogen bonding has a strong influence on both segmental and slower dynamics in the systems with low molecular weights. In particular, the decrease in the chain length leads to an increase of the glass transition temperature, viscosity, and fragility index, at variance with the usual behavior of nonassociating polymers. The supramolecular association of hydroxylterminated chains leads to the emergence in dielectric and mechanical relaxation spectra of the so-called Debye process traditionally observed in monohydroxymore » alcohols. Our analysis suggests that the hydroxyl-terminated PDMS oligomers may associate in brush-like or chain-like structures, depending on the size of their covalent chains. Finally, the effective length of the linear-associated chains was estimated from the rheological measurements.« less

A Novel Method of Extraction of Blend Component Structure from SANS Measurements of Homopolymer Bimodal Blends.

PubMed

Smerdova, Olga; Graham, Richard S; Gasser, Urs; Hutchings, Lian R; De Focatiis, Davide S A

2014-05-01

A new method is presented for the extraction of single-chain form factors and interchain interference functions from a range of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments on bimodal homopolymer blends. The method requires a minimum of three blends, made up of hydrogenated and deuterated components with matched degree of polymerization at two different chain lengths, but with carefully varying deuteration levels. The method is validated through an experimental study on polystyrene homopolymer bimodal blends with [Formula: see text]. By fitting Debye functions to the structure factors, it is shown that there is good agreement between the molar mass of the components obtained from SANS and from chromatography. The extraction method also enables, for the first time, interchain scattering functions to be produced for scattering between chains of different lengths. [Formula: see text].

On the evolution of Saturn's 'Spokes' - Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morfill, G. E.; Gruen, E.; Goertz, C. K.; Johnson, T. V.

1983-01-01

Starting with the assumption that negatively charged micron-sized dust grains may be elevated above Saturn's ring plane by plasma interactions, the subsequent evolution of the system is discussed. The discharge of the fine dust by solar UV radiation produces a cloud of electrons which moves adiabatically in Saturn's dipolar magnetic field. The electron cloud is absorbed by the ring after one bounce, alters the local ring potential significantly, and reduces the local Debye length. As a result, more micron-sized dust particles may be elevated above the ring plane and the spoke grows. This process continues until the electron cloud has dissipated.

Periodical plasma structures controlled by external magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweigert, I. V.; Keidar, M.

2017-06-01

The characteristics of two-dimensional periodical structures in a magnetized plasma are studied using kinetic simulations. Ridges (i.e. spikes in electron and ion density) are formed and became more pronounced with an increase of magnetic field incidence angle in the plasma volume in the cylindrical chamber. These ridges are shifted relative to each other, which results in the formation of a two-dimensional double-layer structure. Depending on Larmor radius and Debye length up to 19 potential steps appear across the oblique magnetic field. The electrical current gathered into the channels is associated with the electron and ion density ridges.

Effects of correlation in transition radiation of super-short electron bunches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danilova, D. K.; Tishchenko, A. A.; Strikhanov, M. N.

2017-07-01

The effect of correlations between electrons in transition radiation is investigated. The correlation function is obtained with help of the approach similar to the Debye-Hückel theory. The corrections due to correlations are estimated to be near 2-3% for the parameters of future projects SINBAD and FLUTE for bunches with extremely small lengths (∼1-10 fs). For the bunches with number of electrons about ∼ 2.5 ∗1010 and more, and short enough that the radiation would be coherent, the corrections due to correlations are predicted to reach 20%.

Interchange Instability and Transport in Matter-Antimatter Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendl, Alexander; Danler, Gregor; Wiesenberger, Matthias; Held, Markus

2017-06-01

Symmetric electron-positron plasmas in inhomogeneous magnetic fields are intrinsically subject to interchange instability and transport. Scaling relations for the propagation velocity of density perturbations relevant to transport in isothermal magnetically confined electron-positron plasmas are deduced, including damping effects when Debye lengths are large compared to Larmor radii. The relations are verified by nonlinear full-F gyrofluid computations. Results are analyzed with respect to planned magnetically confined electron-positron plasma experiments. The model is generalized to other matter-antimatter plasmas. Magnetized electron-positron-proton-antiproton plasmas are susceptible to interchange-driven local matter-antimatter separation, which can impede sustained laboratory magnetic confinement.

Rediscovering the Schulze-Hardy rule in competitive adsorption to an air-water interface.

PubMed

Stenger, Patrick C; Isbell, Stephen G; St Hillaire, Debra; Zasadzinski, Joseph A

2009-09-01

The ratio of divalent to monovalent ion concentration necessary to displace the surface-active protein, albumin, by lung surfactant monolayers and multilayers at an air-water interface scales as 2(-6), the same concentration dependence as the critical flocculation concentration (CFC) for colloids with a high surface potential. Confirming this analogy between competitive adsorption and colloid stability, polymer-induced depletion attraction and electrostatic potentials are additive in their effects; the range of the depletion attraction, twice the polymer radius of gyration, must be greater than the Debye length to have an effect on adsorption.

Thermodynamics of rough colloidal surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, Raymond E.; Halsey, Thomas C.; Leibig, Michael

1991-03-01

In Debye-Hückel theory, the free energy of an electric double layer near a colloidal (or any other) surface can be related to the statistics of random walks near that surface. We present a numerical method based on this correspondence for the calculation of the double-layer free energy for an arbitrary charged or conducting surface. For self-similar surfaces, we propose a scaling law for the behavior of the free energy as a function of the screening length and the surface dimension. This scaling law is verified by numerical computation. Capacitance measurements on rough surfaces of, e.g., colloids can test these predictions.

Interchange Instability and Transport in Matter-Antimatter Plasmas.

PubMed

Kendl, Alexander; Danler, Gregor; Wiesenberger, Matthias; Held, Markus

2017-06-09

Symmetric electron-positron plasmas in inhomogeneous magnetic fields are intrinsically subject to interchange instability and transport. Scaling relations for the propagation velocity of density perturbations relevant to transport in isothermal magnetically confined electron-positron plasmas are deduced, including damping effects when Debye lengths are large compared to Larmor radii. The relations are verified by nonlinear full-F gyrofluid computations. Results are analyzed with respect to planned magnetically confined electron-positron plasma experiments. The model is generalized to other matter-antimatter plasmas. Magnetized electron-positron-proton-antiproton plasmas are susceptible to interchange-driven local matter-antimatter separation, which can impede sustained laboratory magnetic confinement.

A theoretical study of hot plasma spheroids in the presence of low-frequency electromagnetic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadizadeh, Y.; Jazi, B.; Barjesteh, S.

2016-07-01

While taking into account thermal motion of electrons, scattering of electromagnetic waves with low frequency from hot plasma spheroids is investigated. In this theoretical research, ions are heavy to respond to electromagnetic fluctuations. The solution of scalar wave equation in spheroidal coordinates for electric potential inside the plasma spheroids are obtained. The variations of resonance frequencies vs. Debye length are studied and consistency between the obtained results in this paper and the results for the well-known plasma objects such as plasma column and spherical plasma have been proved.

Polarization momentum transfer collision: Faxen-Holtzmark theory and quantum dynamic shielding.

PubMed

Ki, Dae-Han; Jung, Young-Dae

2013-04-21

The influence of the quantum dynamic shielding on the polarization momentum transport collision is investigated by using the Faxen-Holtzmark theory in strongly coupled Coulomb systems. The electron-atom polarization momentum transport cross section is derived as a function of the collision energy, de Broglie wavelength, Debye length, thermal energy, and atomic quantum states. It is found that the dynamic shielding enhances the scattering phase shift as well as the polarization momentum transport cross section. The variation of quantum effect on the momentum transport collision due to the change of thermal energy and de Broglie wavelength is also discussed.

Exact Solution of Mutator Model with Linear Fitness and Finite Genome Length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saakian, David B.

2017-08-01

We considered the infinite population version of the mutator phenomenon in evolutionary dynamics, looking at the uni-directional mutations in the mutator-specific genes and linear selection. We solved exactly the model for the finite genome length case, looking at the quasispecies version of the phenomenon. We calculated the mutator probability both in the statics and dynamics. The exact solution is important for us because the mutator probability depends on the genome length in a highly non-trivial way.

Persistence length of wormlike micelles composed of ionic surfactants: self-consistent-field predictions.

PubMed

Lauw, Y; Leermakers, F A M; Stuart, M A Cohen

2007-07-19

The persistence length of a wormlike micelle composed of ionic surfactants C(n)E(m)X(k) in an aqueous solvent is predicted by means of the self-consistent-field theory where C(n)E(m) is the conventional nonionic surfactant and X(k) is an additional sequence of k weakly charged (pH-dependent) segments. By considering a toroidal micelle at infinitesimal curvature, we evaluate the bending modulus of the wormlike micelle that corresponds to the total persistence length, consisting of an elastic/intrinsic and an electrostatic contribution. The total persistence length increases with pH and decreases with increasing background salt concentration. We estimate that the electrostatic persistence length l(p,e)(0) scales with respect to the Debye length kappa(-1) as l(p,e)(0) approximately kappa(-p) where p approximately 1.98 for wormlike micelles consisting of C(20)E(10)X(1) surfactants and p approximately 1.54 for wormlike micelles consisting of C(20)E(10)X(2) surfactants. The total persistence length l(p,t)(0) is a weak function of the head group length m but scales with the tail length n as l(p,t)(0) approximately n(x) where x approximately 2-2.6, depending on the corresponding head group length. Interestingly, l(p,t)(0) varies nonmonotonically with the number of charged groups k due to the opposing trends in the electrostatic and elastic bending rigidities upon variation of k.

A superlinear iteration method for calculation of finite length journal bearing's static equilibrium position.

PubMed

Zhou, Wenjie; Wei, Xuesong; Wang, Leqin; Wu, Guangkuan

2017-05-01

Solving the static equilibrium position is one of the most important parts of dynamic coefficients calculation and further coupled calculation of rotor system. The main contribution of this study is testing the superlinear iteration convergence method-twofold secant method, for the determination of the static equilibrium position of journal bearing with finite length. Essentially, the Reynolds equation for stable motion is solved by the finite difference method and the inner pressure is obtained by the successive over-relaxation iterative method reinforced by the compound Simpson quadrature formula. The accuracy and efficiency of the twofold secant method are higher in comparison with the secant method and dichotomy. The total number of iterative steps required for the twofold secant method are about one-third of the secant method and less than one-eighth of dichotomy for the same equilibrium position. The calculations for equilibrium position and pressure distribution for different bearing length, clearance and rotating speed were done. In the results, the eccentricity presents linear inverse proportional relationship to the attitude angle. The influence of the bearing length, clearance and bearing radius on the load-carrying capacity was also investigated. The results illustrate that larger bearing length, larger radius and smaller clearance are good for the load-carrying capacity of journal bearing. The application of the twofold secant method can greatly reduce the computational time for calculation of the dynamic coefficients and dynamic characteristics of rotor-bearing system with a journal bearing of finite length.

A superlinear iteration method for calculation of finite length journal bearing's static equilibrium position

PubMed Central

Zhou, Wenjie; Wei, Xuesong; Wang, Leqin

2017-01-01

Solving the static equilibrium position is one of the most important parts of dynamic coefficients calculation and further coupled calculation of rotor system. The main contribution of this study is testing the superlinear iteration convergence method—twofold secant method, for the determination of the static equilibrium position of journal bearing with finite length. Essentially, the Reynolds equation for stable motion is solved by the finite difference method and the inner pressure is obtained by the successive over-relaxation iterative method reinforced by the compound Simpson quadrature formula. The accuracy and efficiency of the twofold secant method are higher in comparison with the secant method and dichotomy. The total number of iterative steps required for the twofold secant method are about one-third of the secant method and less than one-eighth of dichotomy for the same equilibrium position. The calculations for equilibrium position and pressure distribution for different bearing length, clearance and rotating speed were done. In the results, the eccentricity presents linear inverse proportional relationship to the attitude angle. The influence of the bearing length, clearance and bearing radius on the load-carrying capacity was also investigated. The results illustrate that larger bearing length, larger radius and smaller clearance are good for the load-carrying capacity of journal bearing. The application of the twofold secant method can greatly reduce the computational time for calculation of the dynamic coefficients and dynamic characteristics of rotor-bearing system with a journal bearing of finite length. PMID:28572997

Important Variation in Vibrational Properties of LiFePO4 and FePO4 Induced by Magnetism

PubMed Central

Seifitokaldani, Ali; Gheribi, Aïmen E.; Phan, Anh Thu; Chartrand, Patrice; Dollé, Mickaël

2016-01-01

A new thermodynamically self-consistent (TSC) method, based on the quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA), is used to obtain the Debye temperatures of LiFePO4 (LFP) and FePO4 (FP) from available experimental specific heat capacities for a wide temperature range. The calculated Debye temperatures show an interesting critical and peculiar behavior so that a steep increase in the Debye temperatures is observed by increasing the temperature. This critical behavior is fitted by the critical function and the adjusted critical temperatures are very close to the magnetic phase transition temperatures in LFP and FP. Hence, the critical behavior of the Debye temperatures is correlated with the magnetic phase transitions in these compounds. Our first-principle calculations support our conjecture that the change in electronic structures, i.e. electron density of state and electron localization function, and consequently the change in thermophysical properties due to the magnetic transition may be the reason for the observation of this peculiar behavior of the Debye temperatures. PMID:27604551

Important Variation in Vibrational Properties of LiFePO4 and FePO4 Induced by Magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifitokaldani, Ali; Gheribi, Aïmen E.; Phan, Anh Thu; Chartrand, Patrice; Dollé, Mickaël

2016-09-01

A new thermodynamically self-consistent (TSC) method, based on the quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA), is used to obtain the Debye temperatures of LiFePO4 (LFP) and FePO4 (FP) from available experimental specific heat capacities for a wide temperature range. The calculated Debye temperatures show an interesting critical and peculiar behavior so that a steep increase in the Debye temperatures is observed by increasing the temperature. This critical behavior is fitted by the critical function and the adjusted critical temperatures are very close to the magnetic phase transition temperatures in LFP and FP. Hence, the critical behavior of the Debye temperatures is correlated with the magnetic phase transitions in these compounds. Our first-principle calculations support our conjecture that the change in electronic structures, i.e. electron density of state and electron localization function, and consequently the change in thermophysical properties due to the magnetic transition may be the reason for the observation of this peculiar behavior of the Debye temperatures.

Important Variation in Vibrational Properties of LiFePO4 and FePO4 Induced by Magnetism.

PubMed

Seifitokaldani, Ali; Gheribi, Aïmen E; Phan, Anh Thu; Chartrand, Patrice; Dollé, Mickaël

2016-09-08

A new thermodynamically self-consistent (TSC) method, based on the quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA), is used to obtain the Debye temperatures of LiFePO4 (LFP) and FePO4 (FP) from available experimental specific heat capacities for a wide temperature range. The calculated Debye temperatures show an interesting critical and peculiar behavior so that a steep increase in the Debye temperatures is observed by increasing the temperature. This critical behavior is fitted by the critical function and the adjusted critical temperatures are very close to the magnetic phase transition temperatures in LFP and FP. Hence, the critical behavior of the Debye temperatures is correlated with the magnetic phase transitions in these compounds. Our first-principle calculations support our conjecture that the change in electronic structures, i.e. electron density of state and electron localization function, and consequently the change in thermophysical properties due to the magnetic transition may be the reason for the observation of this peculiar behavior of the Debye temperatures.

Assessing the feasibility of low temperature XAFS experiments at Indus-2, India: First results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanan, Nitya; Rajput, Parasmani; Jha, S. N.; Lahiri, Debdutta

2015-05-01

In this work, we report installation of displex cryostat XAFS sample holder at XAFS beamline (BL-09) of Indus-2 synchrotron facility, India and make critical assessment of feasibility of low-temperature XAFS experiments in terms of data quality and reproducibility, temperature range, calibration and attainable resolution. We adopted the Debye Model-based calibration method by measuring XAFS of standard Au foil with known Debye temperature (ΘDebye)Autheory = 165 K. The data is of good quality and reproducible with international data. By fitting Debye Waller Factor (σexpt2 (T)), we deduced (ΘDebye)Auexpt = 163 K which implies calibration within 2 K. Error bars for σexpt2 (T) correspond to temperature uncertainty ΔT ≤ 5 K, which defines the temperature resolution for low temperature XAFS experiments. Thus, from both calibration and resolution points-of-view, this work demonstrates the feasibility of low temperature XAFS experiments at BL-09, Indus-2. Feasibility of extending XAFS experiments to lower temperature and unknown samples is discussed.

Temperature and pressure dependent thermodynamic behavior of 2H-CuInO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhamu, K. C.

2018-05-01

Density functional theory and quasi-harmonic Debye model has been used to study the thermodynamic properties of 2H-CuInO2. At the optimized structural parameters, pressure (0 to 80 GPa) dependent variation in the various thermodynamic properties, i.e. unit cell volume (V), bulk modulus (B), specific heat (Cv), Debye temperature (θD), Grüneisen parameter (γ) and thermal expansion coefficient (α) are calculated for various temperature values. The results predict that the pressure has significant effect on unit cell volume and bulk modulus while the temperature shows negligible effect on both parameters. With increasing temperature thermal expansion coefficient increase while with increasing pressure it decreases. The specific heat remains close to zero for ambient pressure and temperature values and it increases with increasing temperature. It is observed that the pressure has high impact on Debye temperature and Grüneisen parameter instead of temperature. Debye temperature and Grüneisen parameter both remains almost constant for the temperature range (0-300K) while Grüneisen parameter decrease with increasing pressure at constant temperature and Debye temperature increases rapidly with increasing pressure. An increase in Debye temperature with respect to pressure shows that the thermal vibration frequency changes rapidly.

A proof of the Woodward-Lawson sampling method for a finite linear array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Somers, Gary A.

1993-01-01

An extension of the continuous aperture Woodward-Lawson sampling theorem has been developed for a finite linear array of equidistant identical elements with arbitrary excitations. It is shown that by sampling the array factor at a finite number of specified points in the far field, the exact array factor over all space can be efficiently reconstructed in closed form. The specified sample points lie in real space and hence are measurable provided that the interelement spacing is greater than approximately one half of a wavelength. This paper provides insight as to why the length parameter used in the sampling formulas for discrete arrays is larger than the physical span of the lattice points in contrast with the continuous aperture case where the length parameter is precisely the physical aperture length.

Double-exponential decay of orientational correlations in semiflexible polyelectrolytes.

PubMed

Bačová, P; Košovan, P; Uhlík, F; Kuldová, J; Limpouchová, Z; Procházka, K

2012-06-01

In this paper we revisited the problem of persistence length of polyelectrolytes. We performed a series of Molecular Dynamics simulations using the Debye-Hückel approximation for electrostatics to test several equations which go beyond the classical description of Odijk, Skolnick and Fixman (OSF). The data confirm earlier observations that in the limit of large contour separations the decay of orientational correlations can be described by a single-exponential function and the decay length can be described by the OSF relation. However, at short countour separations the behaviour is more complex. Recent equations which introduce more complicated expressions and an additional length scale could describe the results very well on both the short and the long length scale. The equation of Manghi and Netz when used without adjustable parameters could capture the qualitative trend but deviated in a quantitative comparison. Better quantitative agreement within the estimated error could be obtained using three equations with one adjustable parameter: 1) the equation of Manghi and Netz; 2) the equation proposed by us in this paper; 3) the equation proposed by Cannavacciuolo and Pedersen. Two characteristic length scales can be identified in the data: the intrinsic or bare persistence length and the electrostatic persistence length. All three equations use a single parameter to describe a smooth crossover from the short-range behaviour dominated by the intrinsic stiffness of the chain to the long-range OSF-like behaviour.

SEPAC data analysis in support of the environmental interaction program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Chin S.

1990-01-01

Injections of nonrelativistic electron beams from an isolated equipotential conductor into a uniform background of plasma and neutral gas were simulated using a two dimensional electrostatic particle code. The ionization effects of spacecraft charging are examined by including interactions of electrons with neutral gas. The simulations show that the conductor charging potential decreases with increasing neutral background density due to the production of secondary electrons near the conductor surface. In the spacecraft wake, the background electrons accelerated towards the charged space craft produced an enhancement of secondary electrons and ions. Simulations run for longer times indicate that the spacecraft potential is further reduced and short wavelength beam-plasma oscillations appear. The results are applied to explain the space craft charging potential measured during the SEPAC experiments from Spacelab 1. A second paper is presented in which a two dimensional electrostatic particle code was used to study the beam radial expansion of a nonrelativistic electron beam injected from an isolated equipotential conductor into a background plasma. The simulations indicate that the beam radius is generally proportional to the beam electron gyroradius when the conductor is charged to a large potential. The simulations also suggest that the charge buildup at the beam stagnation point causes the beam radial expansion. From a survey of the simulation results, it is found that the ratio of the beam radius to the beam electron gyroradius increases with the square root of beam density and decreases inversely with beam injection velocity. This dependence is explained in terms of the ratio of the beam electron Debye length to the ambient electron Debye length. These results are most applicable to the SEPAC electron beam injection experiments from Spacelab 1, where high charging potential was observed.

Empirical scaling of the length of the longest increasing subsequences of random walks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendonça, J. Ricardo G.

2017-02-01

We provide Monte Carlo estimates of the scaling of the length L n of the longest increasing subsequences of n-step random walks for several different distributions of step lengths, short and heavy-tailed. Our simulations indicate that, barring possible logarithmic corrections, {{L}n}∼ {{n}θ} with the leading scaling exponent 0.60≲ θ ≲ 0.69 for the heavy-tailed distributions of step lengths examined, with values increasing as the distribution becomes more heavy-tailed, and θ ≃ 0.57 for distributions of finite variance, irrespective of the particular distribution. The results are consistent with existing rigorous bounds for θ, although in a somewhat surprising manner. For random walks with step lengths of finite variance, we conjecture that the correct asymptotic behavior of L n is given by \\sqrt{n}\\ln n , and also propose the form for the subleading asymptotics. The distribution of L n was found to follow a simple scaling form with scaling functions that vary with θ. Accordingly, when the step lengths are of finite variance they seem to be universal. The nature of this scaling remains unclear, since we lack a working model, microscopic or hydrodynamic, for the behavior of the length of the longest increasing subsequences of random walks.

Study on Edge Thickening Flow Forming Using the Finite Elements Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young Jin; Park, Jin Sung; Cho, Chongdu

2011-08-01

This study is to examine the forming features of flow stress property and the incremental forming method with increasing the thickness of material. Recently, the optimized forming method is widely studied through the finite element analysis to optimize forming process conditions in many different forming fields. The optimal forming method should be adopted to meet geometric requirements as the reduction in volume per unit length of material such as forging, rolling, spinning etc. However conventional studies have not dealt with issue regarding volume per unit length. For the study we use the finite element method and model a gear part of an automotive engine flywheel as the study model, which is a weld assembly of a plate and a gear with respective different thickness. In simulation of the present study, a optimized forming condition for gear machining, considering the thickness of the outer edge of flywheel is studied using the finite elements analysis for the increasing thickness of the forming method. It is concluded from the study that forming method to increase the thickness per unit length for gear machining is reasonable using the finite elements analysis and forming test.

Finite size effects on the experimental observables of the Glauber model: a theoretical and experimental investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vindigni, A.; Bogani, L.; Gatteschi, D.; Sessoli, R.; Rettori, A.; Novak, M. A.

2004-05-01

We investigate the relaxation time, τ, of a dilute Glauber kinetic Ising chain obtained by ac susceptibility and SQUID magnetometry on a Co(II)-organic radical Ising 1D ferrimagnet doped with Zn(II). Theoretically we predicted a crossover in the temperature-dependence of τ, when the average segment is of the same order of the correlation length. Comparing the experimental results with theory we conclude that in the investigted temperature range the correlation length exceeds the finite length also in the pure sample.

Improved solar models constructed with a formulation of convection for stellar structure and evolution calculations without the mixing-length theory approximations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lydon, Thomas J.; Fox, Peter A.; Sofia, Sabatino

1993-01-01

We have updated a previous attempt to incorporate within a solar model a treatment of convection based upon numerical simulations of convection rather than mixing-length theory (MLT). We have modified our formulation of convection for a better treatment of the kinetic energy flux. Our solar model has been updated to include a complete range of OPAL opacities, the Debye-Hueckel correction to the equation of state, helium diffusion due to gravitational settling, and atmospheres by Kurucz. We construct a series of models using both MLT and our revised formulation of convection and the compared results to measurements of the solar radius, the solar luminosity, and the depth of the solar convection zone as inferred from helioseismology. We find X(solar) = 0.702 +/- 0.005, Y(solar) = 0.278 +/- 0.005, and Z(solar) = 0.0193 +/- 0.0005.

Impact of hydrogen bonding on dynamics of hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane

DOE PAGES

Xing, Kunyue; Chatterjee, Sabornie; Saito, Tomonori; ...

2016-04-06

Dielectric spectroscopy, rheology, and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to study the effect of chain-end hydrogen bonding on the dynamics of hydroxylterminated polydimethylsiloxane. We demonstrate that hydrogen bonding has a strong influence on both segmental and slower dynamics in the systems with low molecular weights. In particular, the decrease in the chain length leads to an increase of the glass transition temperature, viscosity, and fragility index, at variance with the usual behavior of nonassociating polymers. The supramolecular association of hydroxylterminated chains leads to the emergence in dielectric and mechanical relaxation spectra of the so-called Debye process traditionally observed in monohydroxymore » alcohols. Our analysis suggests that the hydroxyl-terminated PDMS oligomers may associate in brush-like or chain-like structures, depending on the size of their covalent chains. Finally, the effective length of the linear-associated chains was estimated from the rheological measurements.« less

Cr-Si Schottky nano-diodes utilizing anodic aluminum oxide templates.

PubMed

Kwon, Namyong; Kim, Kyohyeok; Heo, Jinhee; Chung, Ilsub

2014-04-01

We have fabricated Cr nanodot Schottky diodes utilizing AAO templates formed on n-Si substrates. The diameters of the diodes were 75.0, 57.6, and 35.8 nm. Cr nanodot Schottky diodes with smaller diameters yield higher current densities than those with larger diameters due to an enhanced tunnel current contribution, which is attributed to a reduction in the barrier thickness. The diameters of Cr nanodots smaller than the Debye length (156 nm) play an important role in the reduction of barrier thickness. Also, we have fabricated Cr-Si nanorod Schottky diodes with three different lengths (130, 220, and 330 nm) by dry etching of n-Si substrate. Cr-Si nanorod Schottky diodes with longer nanorods yield higher reverse current than those with shorter nanorods due to the enhanced electric field, which is attributed to a high aspect ratio of Si nanorod.

A bead-spring chain as a one-dimensional polyelectrolyte gel.

PubMed

Manning, Gerald S

2018-05-23

The physical principles underlying expansion of a single-chain polyelectrolyte coil caused by Coulomb repulsions among its ionized groups, and the expansion of a cross-linked polyelectrolyte gel, are probably the same. In this paper, we analyze a "one-dimensional" version of a gel, namely, a linear chain of charged beads connected by Hooke's law springs. In the Debye-Hückel range of relatively weak Coulomb strength, where counterion condensation does not occur, the springs are realistically stretched on a nanolength scale by the repulsive interactions among the beads, if we use a spring constant normalized by the inverse square of the solvent Bjerrum length. The persistence length and radius of gyration counter-intuitively decrease when Coulomb strength is increased, if analyzed in the framework of an OSF-type theory; however, a buckling theory generates the increase that is consistent with bead-spring simulations.

Adiabatic Coupling Constant of Nitrobenzene- n-Alkane Critical Mixtures. Evidence from Ultrasonic Spectra and Thermodynamic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaev, Sirojiddin Z.; Kaatze, Udo

2016-09-01

Ultrasonic spectra of mixtures of nitrobenzene with n-alkanes, from n-hexane to n-nonane, are analyzed. They feature up to two Debye-type relaxation terms with discrete relaxation times and, near the critical point, an additional relaxation term due to the fluctuations in the local concentration. The latter can be well represented by the dynamic scaling theory. Its amplitude parameter reveals the adiabatic coupling constant of the mixtures of critical composition. The dependence of this thermodynamic parameter upon the length of the n-alkanes corresponds to that of the slope in the pressure dependence of the critical temperature and is thus taken another confirmation of the dynamic scaling model. The change in the variation of the coupling constant and of several other mixture parameters with alkane length probably reflects a structural change in the nitrobenzene- n-alkane mixtures when the number of carbon atoms per alkane exceeds eight.

Length-dependent structural stability of linear monatomic Cu wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Gurvinder; Kumar, Krishan; Singh, Baljinder; Moudgil, R. K.

2018-05-01

We present first-principle calculations based on density functional theory for the finite-length monatomic Cu atom linear wires. The structure and its stability with increasing wire length in terms of number of atoms (N) is determined. Interestingly, the bond length is found to exhibit an oscillatory structure (the so-called magic length phenomenon), with a qualitative change in oscillatory behavior as one moves from even N wire to odd N wire. The even N wires follow simple even-odd oscillations whereas odd N wires show a phase change at the half length of the wires. The stability of the wire structure, determined in terms of the wire formation energy, also contains even-odd oscillation as a function of wire length. However, the oscillations in formation energy reverse its phase after the wire length is increased beyond N=12. Our findings are seen to be qualitatively consistent with recent simulations for a similar class finite-length metal atom wires.

The Snakelike Chain Character of Unstructured RNA

PubMed Central

Jacobson, David R.; McIntosh, Dustin B.; Saleh, Omar A.

2013-01-01

In the absence of base-pairing and tertiary structure, ribonucleic acid (RNA) assumes a random-walk conformation, modulated by the electrostatic self-repulsion of the charged, flexible backbone. This behavior is often modeled as a Kratky-Porod “wormlike chain” (WLC) with a Barrat-Joanny scale-dependent persistence length. In this study we report measurements of the end-to-end extension of poly(U) RNA under 0.1 to 10 pN applied force and observe two distinct elastic-response regimes: a low-force, power-law regime characteristic of a chain of swollen blobs on long length scales and a high-force, salt-valence-dependent regime consistent with ion-stabilized crumpling on short length scales. This short-scale structure is additionally supported by force- and salt-dependent quantification of the RNA ion atmosphere composition, which shows that ions are liberated under stretching; the number of ions liberated increases with increasing bulk salt concentration. Both this result and the observation of two elastic-response regimes directly contradict the WLC model, which predicts a single elastic regime across all forces and, when accounting for scale-dependent persistence length, the opposite trend in ion release with salt concentration. We conclude that RNA is better described as a “snakelike chain,” characterized by smooth bending on long length scales and ion-stabilized crumpling on short length scales. In monovalent salt, these two regimes are separated by a characteristic length that scales with the Debye screening length, highlighting the determining importance of electrostatics in RNA conformation. PMID:24314087

Vibrational properties of nanocrystals from the Debye Scattering Equation

DOE PAGES

Scardi, P.; Gelisio, L.

2016-02-26

One hundred years after the original formulation by Petrus J.W. Debije (aka Peter Debye), the Debye Scattering Equation (DSE) is still the most accurate expression to model the diffraction pattern from nanoparticle systems. A major limitation in the original form of the DSE is that it refers to a static domain, so that including thermal disorder usually requires rescaling the equation by a Debye-Waller thermal factor. The last is taken from the traditional diffraction theory developed in Reciprocal Space (RS), which is opposed to the atomistic paradigm of the DSE, usually referred to as Direct Space (DS) approach. Besides beingmore » a hybrid of DS and RS expressions, rescaling the DSE by the Debye-Waller factor is an approximation which completely misses the contribution of Temperature Diffuse Scattering (TDS). The present work proposes a solution to include thermal effects coherently with the atomistic approach of the DSE. Here, a deeper insight into the vibrational dynamics of nanostructured materials can be obtained with few changes with respect to the standard formulation of the DSE, providing information on the correlated displacement of vibrating atoms.« less

Thermodynamic properties of α-uranium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Zhiyong; Wu, Jun; Ma, Rong; Hu, Guichao; Luo, Chao

2016-11-01

The lattice constants and equilibrium atomic volume of α-uranium were calculated by Density Functional Theory (DFT). The first principles calculation results of the lattice for α-uranium are in agreement with the experimental results well. The thermodynamic properties of α-uranium from 0 to 900 K and 0-100 GPa were calculated with the quasi-harmonic Debye model. Volume, bulk modulus, entropy, Debye temperature, thermal expansion coefficient and the heat capacity of α-uranium were calculated. The calculated results show that the bulk modulus and Debye temperature increase with the increasing pressure at a given temperature while decreasing with the increasing temperature at a given pressure. Volume, entropy, thermal expansion coefficient and the heat capacity decrease with the increasing pressure while increasing with the increasing temperature. The theoretical results of entropy, Debye temperature, thermal expansion coefficient and the heat capacity show good agreement with the general trends of the experimental values. The constant-volume heat capacity shows typical Debye T3 power-law behavior at low temperature limit and approaches to the classical asymptotic Dulong-Petit limit at high temperature limit.

The Leaky Dielectric Model as a Weak Electrolyte Limit of an Electrodiffusion Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Yoichiro; Young, Yuan-Nan

2017-11-01

The Taylor-Melcher (TM) model is the standard model for the electrohydrodynamics of poorly conducting leaky dielectric fluids under an electric field. The TM model treats the fluid as an ohmic conductor, without modeling ion dynamics. On the other hand, electrodiffusion models, which have been successful in describing electokinetic phenomena, incorporates ionic concentration dynamics. Mathematical reconciliation between electrodiffusion and the TM models has been a major issue for electrohydrodynamic theory. Here, we derive the TM model from an electrodiffusion model where we explicitly model the electrochemistry of ion dissociation. We introduce salt dissociation reaction in the bulk and take the limit of weak salt dissociation (corresponding to poor conductors in the TM model.) Assuming small Debye length we derive the TM model with or without the surface charge advection term depending upon the scaling of relevant dimensionless parameters. Our analysis also gives a description of the ionic concentration distribution within the Debye layer, which hints at possible scenarios for electrohydrodynamic singularity formation. In our analysis we also allow for a jump in voltage across the liquid interface which causes a drifting velocity for a liquid drop under an electric field. YM is partially supported by NSF-DMS-1516978 and NSF-DMS-1620316. YNY is partially supported by NSF-DMS-1412789 and NSF-DMS-1614863.

Electro-osmotic flow of couple stress fluids in a micro-channel propagated by peristalsis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Dharmendra; Yadav, Ashu; Anwar Bég, O.

2017-04-01

A mathematical model is developed for electro-osmotic peristaltic pumping of a non-Newtonian liquid in a deformable micro-channel. Stokes' couple stress fluid model is employed to represent realistic working liquids. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation for electric potential distribution is implemented owing to the presence of an electrical double layer (EDL) in the micro-channel. Using long wavelength, lubrication theory and Debye-Huckel approximations, the linearized transformed dimensionless boundary value problem is solved analytically. The influence of electro-osmotic parameter (inversely proportional to Debye length), maximum electro-osmotic velocity (a function of external applied electrical field) and couple stress parameter on axial velocity, volumetric flow rate, pressure gradient, local wall shear stress and stream function distributions is evaluated in detail with the aid of graphs. The Newtonian fluid case is retrieved as a special case with vanishing couple stress effects. With increasing the couple stress parameter there is a significant increase in the axial pressure gradient whereas the core axial velocity is reduced. An increase in the electro-osmotic parameter both induces flow acceleration in the core region (around the channel centreline) and it also enhances the axial pressure gradient substantially. The study is relevant in the simulation of novel smart bio-inspired space pumps, chromatography and medical micro-scale devices.

Energy deposition of heavy ions in the regime of strong beam-plasma correlations.

PubMed

Gericke, D O; Schlanges, M

2003-03-01

The energy loss of highly charged ions in dense plasmas is investigated. The applied model includes strong beam-plasma correlation via a quantum T-matrix treatment of the cross sections. Dynamic screening effects are modeled by using a Debye-like potential with a velocity dependent screening length that guarantees the known low and high beam velocity limits. It is shown that this phenomenological model is in good agreement with simulation data up to very high beam-plasma coupling. An analysis of the stopping process shows considerably longer ranges and a less localized energy deposition if strong coupling is treated properly.

General kinetic solution for the Biermann battery with an associated pressure anisotropy generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoeffler, K. M.; Silva, L. O.

2018-01-01

Fully kinetic analytic calculations of an initially Maxwellian distribution with arbitrary density and temperature gradients exhibit the development of temperature anisotropies and magnetic field growth associated with the Biermann battery. The calculation, performed by taking a small order expansion of the ratio of the Debye length to the gradient scale, predicts anisotropies and magnetic fields as a function of space given an arbitrary temperature and density profile. These predictions are shown to qualitatively match the values measured from particle-in-cell simulations, where the development of the Weibel instability occurs at the same location and with a wavenumber aligned with the predicted temperature anisotropy.

Label-free electrical detection using carbon nanotube-based biosensors.

PubMed

Maehashi, Kenzo; Matsumoto, Kazuhiko

2009-01-01

Label-free detections of biomolecules have attracted great attention in a lot of life science fields such as genomics, clinical diagnosis and practical pharmacy. In this article, we reviewed amperometric and potentiometric biosensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In amperometric detections, CNT-modified electrodes were used as working electrodes to significantly enhance electroactive surface area. In contrast, the potentiometric biosensors were based on aptamer-modified CNT field-effect transistors (CNTFETs). Since aptamers are artificial oligonucleotides and thus are smaller than the Debye length, proteins can be detected with high sensitivity. In this review, we discussed on the technology, characteristics and developments for commercialization in label-free CNT-based biosensors.

Self-propulsion and interactions of catalytic particles in a chemically active medium.

PubMed

Banigan, Edward J; Marko, John F

2016-01-01

Enzymatic "machines," such as catalytic rods or colloids, can self-propel and interact by generating gradients of their substrates. We theoretically investigate the behaviors of such machines in a chemically active environment where their catalytic substrates are continuously synthesized and destroyed, as occurs in living cells. We show how the kinetic properties of the medium modulate self-propulsion and pairwise interactions between machines, with the latter controlled by a tunable characteristic interaction range analogous to the Debye screening length in an electrolytic solution. Finally, we discuss the effective force arising between interacting machines and possible biological applications, such as partitioning of bacterial plasmids.

A numerical simulation of finite-length Taylor-Couette flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streett, C. L.; Hussaini, M. Y.

1988-01-01

Results from numerical simulations of finite-length Taylor-Couette flow are presented. Included are time-accurate and steady-state studies of the change in the nature of the symmetric two-cell/asymmetric one-cell bifurcation with varying aspect ratio and of the Reynolds number/aspect ratio locus of the two-cell/four-cell bifurcation. Preliminary results from wavy-vortex simulations at low aspect ratios are also presented.

Magnetic Field Due to a Finite Length Current-Carrying Wire Using the Concept of Displacement Current

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buschauer, Robert

2014-01-01

In undergraduate E&M courses the magnetic field due to a finite length, current-carrying wire can be calculated using the Biot-Savart law. However, to the author's knowledge, no textbook presents the calculation of this field using the Ampere-Maxwell law: ?B [multiplied by] dl = µ[subscript 0] (I + e[subscript 0] dF/dt) [multiplied by] 1

Benchmark study of the length dependent thermal conductivity of individual suspended, pristine SWCNTs.

PubMed

Liu, Jinhui; Li, Tianyi; Hu, Yudong; Zhang, Xing

2017-01-26

The thermal conductivity of individual suspended single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) has been theoretically predicated to increase with length but this has never been verified experimentally. This then leads to the question of whether the thermal conductivity saturates to a finite constant value in ultra-long SWCNTs. This paper reports on experimental measurements of the thermal conductivity of individual suspended SWCNTs as a function of the characteristic thermal transport length using the same individual suspended SWCNT sample. Interestingly, at around 360 K, the thermal conductivity first increases with increasing characteristic length and then saturates to a finite constant value at a characteristic length of ∼10 μm. These experimental results provide a fundamental understanding of the phonon transport characteristics in suspended, pristine SWCNTs.

Predictive Rate-Distortion for Infinite-Order Markov Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzen, Sarah E.; Crutchfield, James P.

2016-06-01

Predictive rate-distortion analysis suffers from the curse of dimensionality: clustering arbitrarily long pasts to retain information about arbitrarily long futures requires resources that typically grow exponentially with length. The challenge is compounded for infinite-order Markov processes, since conditioning on finite sequences cannot capture all of their past dependencies. Spectral arguments confirm a popular intuition: algorithms that cluster finite-length sequences fail dramatically when the underlying process has long-range temporal correlations and can fail even for processes generated by finite-memory hidden Markov models. We circumvent the curse of dimensionality in rate-distortion analysis of finite- and infinite-order processes by casting predictive rate-distortion objective functions in terms of the forward- and reverse-time causal states of computational mechanics. Examples demonstrate that the resulting algorithms yield substantial improvements.

Bond length variation in Zn substituted NiO studied from extended X-ray absorption fine structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, S. D.; Poswal, A. K.; Kamal, C.; Rajput, Parasmani; Chakrabarti, Aparna; Jha, S. N.; Ganguli, Tapas

2017-06-01

Bond length behavior for Zn substituted NiO is determined through extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements performed at ambient conditions. We report bond length value of 2.11±0.01 Å for Zn-O of rock salt (RS) symmetry, when Zn is doped in RS NiO. Bond length for Zn substituted NiO RS ternary solid solutions shows relaxed behavior for Zn-O bond, while it shows un-relaxed behavior for Ni-O bond. These observations are further supported by first-principles calculations. It is also inferred that Zn sublattice remains nearly unchanged with increase in lattice parameter. On the other hand, Ni sublattice dilates for Zn compositions up to 20% to accommodate increase in the lattice parameter. However, for Zn compositions more than 20%, it does not further dilate. It has been attributed to the large disorder that is incorporated in the system at and beyond 20% of Zn incorporation in the cubic RS lattice of ternary solid solutions. For these large percentages of Zn incorporation, the Ni and the Zn atoms re-arrange themselves microscopically about the same nominal bond length rather than systematically increase in magnitude to minimize the energy of the system. This results in an increase in the Debye-Waller factor with increase in the Zn concentration rather than a systematic increase in the bond lengths.

Debye-Waller Factor in Neutron Scattering by Ferromagnetic Metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paradezhenko, G. V.; Melnikov, N. B.; Reser, B. I.

2018-04-01

We obtain an expression for the neutron scattering cross section in the case of an arbitrary interaction of the neutron with the crystal. We give a concise, simple derivation of the Debye-Waller factor as a function of the scattering vector and the temperature. For ferromagnetic metals above the Curie temperature, we estimate the Debye-Waller factor in the range of scattering vectors characteristic of polarized magnetic neutron scattering experiments. In the example of iron, we compare the results of harmonic and anharmonic approximations.

Relativistic effects on magnetic circular dichroism studied by GUHF/SECI method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honda, Y.; Hada, M.; Ehara, M.; Nakatsuji, H.; Downing, J.; Michl, J.

2002-04-01

Quasi-relativistic formulation of the Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) Faraday terms are presented using the generalized unrestricted Hartree-Fock (GUHF)/single excitation configuration interaction (SECI) method combined with the finite perturbation method and applied to the MCD of the three n-σ ∗ states ( 3Q1, 3Q0, 1Q1) of CH 3I. The Faraday B term for the 1Q1 state was 0.1976( Debye) 2( Bohr magneton )/(10 3 cm-1) in the non-relativistic theory, but was dramatically improved by the relativistic effect and became 0.0184 in agreement with the experimental values, 0.014 and 0.0257. This change was mainly due to the one-electron spin-orbit (SO1) term rather than the spin-free relativistic (SFR) and the two-electron spin-orbit (SO2) terms.

Majorana bound states in the finite-length chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zvyagin, A. A.

2015-08-01

Recent experiments investigating edge states in ferromagnetic atomic chains on superconducting substrate are analyzed. In particular, finite size effects are considered. It is shown how the energy of the Majorana bound state depends on the length of the chain, as well as on the parameters of the model. Oscillations of the energy of the bound edge state in the chain as a function of the length of the chain, and as a function of the applied voltage (or the chemical potential) are studied. In particular, it has been shown that oscillations can exist only for some values of the effective potential.

The pitch-heave dynamics of transportation vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sweet, L. M.; Richardson, H. H.

1975-01-01

The analysis and design of suspensions for vehicles of finite length using pitch-heave models is presented. Dynamic models for the finite length vehicle include the spatial distribution of the guideway input disturbance over the vehicle length, as well as both pitch and heave degrees-of-freedom. Analytical results relate the vehicle front and rear accelerations to the pitch and heave natural frequencies, which are functions of vehicle suspension geometry and mass distribution. The effects of vehicle asymmetry and suspension contact area are evaluated. Design guidelines are presented for the modification of vehicle and suspension parameters to meet alternative ride quality criteria.

The Rainbow Spectrum of RNA Secondary Structures.

PubMed

Li, Thomas J X; Reidys, Christian M

2018-06-01

In this paper, we analyze the length spectrum of rainbows in RNA secondary structures. A rainbow in a secondary structure is a maximal arc with respect to the partial order induced by nesting. We show that there is a significant gap in this length spectrum. We shall prove that there asymptotically almost surely exists a unique longest rainbow of length at least [Formula: see text] and that with high probability any other rainbow has finite length. We show that the distribution of the length of the longest rainbow converges to a discrete limit law and that, for finite k, the distribution of rainbows of length k becomes for large n a negative binomial distribution. We then put the results of this paper into context, comparing the analytical results with those observed in RNA minimum free energy structures, biological RNA structures and relate our findings to the sparsification of folding algorithms.

Infinite coherence time of edge spins in finite-length chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maceira, Ivo A.; Mila, Frédéric

2018-02-01

Motivated by the recent observation that exponentially long coherence times can be achieved for edge spins in models with strong zero modes, we study the impact of level crossings in finite-length spin chains on the dynamics of the edge spins. Focusing on the X Y spin-1 /2 chain with a transverse or longitudinal magnetic field, two models relevant to understanding recent experimental results on cobalt adatoms, we show that the edge spins can remain coherent for an infinite time even for a finite-length chain if the magnetic field is tuned to a value at which there is a level crossing. Furthermore, we show that the edge spins remain coherent for any initial state for the integrable case of a transverse field because all states have level crossings at the same value of the field, while the coherence time is increasingly large for lower temperatures in the case of a longitudinal field, which is nonintegrable.

A numerical method for electro-kinetic flow with deformable fluid interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booty, Michael; Ma, Manman; Siegel, Michael

2013-11-01

We consider two-phase flow of ionic fluids whose motion is driven by an imposed electric field. At a fluid interface, a screening cloud of ions develops and forms an electro-chemical double layer or Debye layer. The imposed field acts on this induced charge distribution, resulting in a strong slip flow near the interface. We formulate a ``hybrid'' or multiscale numerical method in the thin Debye layer limit that incorporates an asymptotic analysis of the electrostatic potential and fluid dynamics in the Debye layer into a boundary integral solution of the full moving boundary problem. Results of the method are presented that show time-dependent deformation and steady state drop interface shapes when the timescale for charge-up of the Debye layer is either much less than or comparable to the timescale of the flow.

Diffuse charge dynamics in ionic thermoelectrochemical systems.

PubMed

Stout, Robert F; Khair, Aditya S

2017-08-01

Thermoelectrics are increasingly being studied as promising electrical generators in the ongoing search for alternative energy sources. In particular, recent experimental work has examined thermoelectric materials containing ionic charge carriers; however, the majority of mathematical modeling has been focused on their steady-state behavior. Here, we determine the time scales over which the diffuse charge dynamics in ionic thermoelectrochemical systems occur by analyzing the simplest model thermoelectric cell: a binary electrolyte between two parallel, blocking electrodes. We consider the application of a temperature gradient across the device while the electrodes remain electrically isolated from each other. This results in a net voltage, called the thermovoltage, via the Seebeck effect. At the same time, the Soret effect results in migration of the ions toward the cold electrode. The charge dynamics are described mathematically by the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations for dilute solutions, in which the ion flux is driven by electromigration, Brownian diffusion, and thermal diffusion under a temperature gradient. The temperature evolves according to the heat equation. This nonlinear set of equations is linearized in the (experimentally relevant) limit of a "weak" temperature gradient. From this, we show that the time scale on which the thermovoltage develops is the Debye time, 1/Dκ^{2}, where D is the Brownian diffusion coefficient of both ion species, and κ^{-1} is the Debye length. However, the concentration gradient due to the Soret effect develops on the bulk diffusion time, L^{2}/D, where L is the distance between the electrodes. For thin diffuse layers, which is the condition under which most real devices operate, the Debye time is orders of magnitude less than the diffusion time. Therefore, rather surprisingly, the majority of ion motion occurs after the steady thermovoltage has developed. Moreover, the dynamics are independent of the thermal diffusion coefficients, which simply set the magnitude of the steady-state thermovoltage.

Electrostatic Inflation of Membrane Space Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stiles, Laura A.

Membrane space structures provide a lightweight and cost effective alternative to traditional mechanical systems. The low-mass and high deployed-to-stored volume ratios allow for larger structures to be launched, expanding on-orbit science and technology capabilities. This research explores a novel method for deployment of membrane space structures using electrostatic pressure as the inflation mechanism. Applying electric charge to a layered gossamer structure provides an inflationary pressure due to the repulsive electrostatic forces between the charged layers. The electrostatic inflation of membrane structures (EIMS) concept is particularly applicable to non-precision structures such as sunshields or drag de-orbiting devices. This research addresses three fundamental topics: necessary conditions for EIMS in a vacuum, necessary conditions for EIMS in a plasma, and charging methods. Vacuum demonstrations show that less than 10 kiloVolts are required for electrostatic inflation of membrane structures in 1-g. On-orbit perturbation forces can be much smaller, suggesting feasible voltage requirements. Numerical simulation enables a relationship between required inflation pressure (to offset disturbances) and voltage. 100's of Volts are required for inflation in geosynchronous orbits (GEO) and a few kiloVolts in low Earth orbit (LEO). While GEO plasma has a small impact on the EIMS performance, Debye shielding at LEO reduces the electrostatic pressure. The classic Debye shielding prediction is far worse than actual shielding, raising the `effective' Debye length to the meter scale in LEO, suggesting feasibility for EIMS in LEO. Charged particle emission and remote charging methods are explored as inflation mechanisms. Secondary electron emission characteristics of EIMS materials were determined experimentally. Nonlinear fits to the Sternglass curve determined a maximum yield of 1.83 at 433 eV for Aluminized Kapton and a maximum yield of 1.78 at 511 eV for Aluminized Mylar. Remote charging was demonstrated to -500 V with a 5 keV electron beam. Charge emission power levels are below 1 Watt in GEO and from 10's of Watt to a kiloWatt in LEO.

Probing Interactions at the Nanoscale by Ion Current through Nanopores and Nanovoids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamble, Trevor Patrick

Polymer nanopores offer themselves as excellent test beds for study of phenomena that occur on the nano-scale, such as Debye layer formation, surface charge modulation, current saturation, and rectification. Studying ions interactions within the Debye layer, for example, is not possible on the micro-scale, where the pore diameter can be 100 times the size of the zone where interactions of interest occur. However, in our nanopores with an opening diameter less than 10 nm, a slight change of the Debye length can lead to drastic changes of the recorded ion current. Here we present our nanopores' use as a tool to study geometrical and electrochemical properties of porous manganese oxide. There is great value in studying nano-scale properties of this material because of its importance in lithium ion batteries and newly developed nano-architectures within supercapacitors. We electrodeposited manganese oxide wires into our cylindrical nanopores, filling them completely. In this use, nanopores became a template to probe properties of the embedded material such as surface charge, ion selectivity, and porosity. This information was then reported to the Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) collaboration, so that other groups can incorporate these recently discovered characteristics into future their nano-architecture design. Additionally, we constructed conical nanopores to study interactions between the surface charges found on the walls and alkali metal ions. In particular we looked at lithium, as it is the electrochemically active ion during charge cycling in EFRC energy storage devices. We attempted to reveal lithium ion's affinity to bind to surface charges. We found this binding led to lowering of the effective surface charge of the pore walls, while also decreasing lithium's ability to move through channels or voids that have charged walls. In connection to manganese oxide, a porous, charged material with voids, information on lithium's interaction with these charges is paramount.

Diffuse charge dynamics in ionic thermoelectrochemical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stout, Robert F.; Khair, Aditya S.

2017-08-01

Thermoelectrics are increasingly being studied as promising electrical generators in the ongoing search for alternative energy sources. In particular, recent experimental work has examined thermoelectric materials containing ionic charge carriers; however, the majority of mathematical modeling has been focused on their steady-state behavior. Here, we determine the time scales over which the diffuse charge dynamics in ionic thermoelectrochemical systems occur by analyzing the simplest model thermoelectric cell: a binary electrolyte between two parallel, blocking electrodes. We consider the application of a temperature gradient across the device while the electrodes remain electrically isolated from each other. This results in a net voltage, called the thermovoltage, via the Seebeck effect. At the same time, the Soret effect results in migration of the ions toward the cold electrode. The charge dynamics are described mathematically by the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations for dilute solutions, in which the ion flux is driven by electromigration, Brownian diffusion, and thermal diffusion under a temperature gradient. The temperature evolves according to the heat equation. This nonlinear set of equations is linearized in the (experimentally relevant) limit of a "weak" temperature gradient. From this, we show that the time scale on which the thermovoltage develops is the Debye time, 1 /D κ2 , where D is the Brownian diffusion coefficient of both ion species, and κ-1 is the Debye length. However, the concentration gradient due to the Soret effect develops on the bulk diffusion time, L2/D , where L is the distance between the electrodes. For thin diffuse layers, which is the condition under which most real devices operate, the Debye time is orders of magnitude less than the diffusion time. Therefore, rather surprisingly, the majority of ion motion occurs after the steady thermovoltage has developed. Moreover, the dynamics are independent of the thermal diffusion coefficients, which simply set the magnitude of the steady-state thermovoltage.

The surface stability of Cr 2O 3 (0 0 0 1)

DOE PAGES

Cao, Shi; Wu, Ning; Echtenkamp, William; ...

2015-05-28

The surface of chromia (Cr 2O 3) has a surface electronic structure distinct from the bulk and a packing density distinct from the bulk. More than a demarcation between the solid and the vacuum, the surface differs from the bulk of chromia, not just because of a partial occupancy of chromium sites, but also because of an increased number of unoccupied surface oxygen sites (vacancy sites), evident in angle-resolved core level photoemission. In spite of the structural differences that exist at the surface, there is, as yet, no evidence that these complications affect the surface Debye temperature beyond the mostmore » simple of assumptions regarding the lower coordination of the surface. Using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), the effective surface Debye temperature (similar to 490 K) is found to be lower than the bulk (similar to 645 K) Debye temperature of Cr 2O 3(0 0 0 1). This surface effective Debye temperature, indicative of vibrations along the surface normal, uncorrected for anharmonic effects, has a value reduced from the effective bulk Debye temperature yet close to the value root 2 expected from a simple mean field argument.« less

Debye mass in de Sitter space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, Fedor K.

2018-06-01

We calculate the one-loop contributions to the polarization operator for scalar quantum electrodynamics in different external electromagnetic and gravitational fields. In the case of gravity, de Sitter space and its different patches were considered. It is shown that the Debye mass appears only in the case of alpha-vacuum in the Expanding Poincare Patch. It can be shown either by direct computations or by using analytical and causal properties of the de Sitter space. Also, the case of constant electric field is considered and the Debye mass is calculated.

Assessing the contributions of surface waves and complex rays to far-field Mie scattering by use of the Debye series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hovenac, Edward A.; Lock, James A.

1991-01-01

The contributions of complex rays and the secondary radiation shed by surface waves to scattering by a dielectric sphere are calculated in the context of the Debye series expansion of the Mie scattering amplitudes. Also, the contributions of geometrical rays are reviewed and compared with the Debye series. Interference effects between surface waves, complex waves, and geometrical waves are calculated, and the possibility of observing these interference effects is discussed. Experimental data supporting the observation of a surface wave-geometrical pattern is presented.

Determination of Debye temperatures and Lamb-Mössbauer factors for LnFeO3 orthoferrite perovskites (Ln  =  La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scrimshire, A.; Lobera, A.; Bell, A. M. T.; Jones, A. H.; Sterianou, I.; Forder, S. D.; Bingham, P. A.

2018-03-01

Lanthanide orthoferrites have wide-ranging industrial uses including solar, catalytic and electronic applications. Here a series of lanthanide orthoferrite perovskites, LnFeO3 (Ln  =  La Nd; Sm; Eu; Gd), prepared through a standard stoichiometric wet ball milling route using oxide precursors, has been studied. Characterisation through x-ray diffraction and x-ray fluorescence confirmed the synthesis of phase-pure or near-pure LnFeO3 compounds. 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was performed over a temperature range of 10 K-293 K to observe hyperfine structure and to enable calculation of the recoil-free fraction and Debye temperature (θ D) of each orthoferrite. Debye temperatures (Ln  =  La 474 K Nd 459 K Sm 457 K Eu 452 K Gd 473 K) and recoil-free fractions (Ln  =  La 0.827; Nd 0.817; Sm 0.816; Eu 0.812; Gd 0.826) were approximated through minimising the difference in the temperature dependent experimental centre shift and theoretical isomer shift, by allowing the Debye temperature and isomer shift values to vary. This method of minimising the difference between theoretical and actual values yields Debye temperatures consistent with results from other studies determined through thermal analysis methods. This displays the ability of variable-temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy to approximate Debye temperatures and recoil-free fractions, whilst observing temperature induced transitions over the temperature range observed. X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement show an inverse relationship between FeO6 octahedral volume and approximated Debye temperatures. Raman spectroscopy show an increase in the band positions attributed to soft modes of Ag symmetry, Ag(3) and Ag(5) from La to GdFeO3 corresponding to octahedral rotations and tilts in the [0 1 0] and [1 0 1] planes respectively.

First principles electronic and thermal properties of some AlRE intermetallics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Vipul; Sanyal, Sankar P.; Rajagopalan, M.

2008-10-01

A study on structural and electronic properties of non-magnetic cubic B 2-type AlRE (RE=Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr and Lu) intermetallics has been done theoretically. The self-consistent tight binding linear muffin tin orbital method is used to describe the electronic properties of these intermetallics at ambient and at high pressure. These compounds show metallic behavior under ambient conditions. The variation of density of states under compression indicates some possibility of structural phase transformation in AlLa, AlCe and AlPr. Thermal properties like Debye temperature and Grüneisen constant are calculated at T=0 K and at ambient pressure within the Debye-Grüneisen model and compared with the others’ theoretical results. Our results are in good agreement. We have also performed a pressure-induced variation of Debye temperature and have found a decrease in Debye temperature around 40 kbar in AlRE (RE=La, Ce, Pr) intermetallics.

Finite-size polyelectrolyte bundles at thermodynamic equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayar, M.; Holm, C.

2007-01-01

We present the results of extensive computer simulations performed on solutions of monodisperse charged rod-like polyelectrolytes in the presence of trivalent counterions. To overcome energy barriers we used a combination of parallel tempering and hybrid Monte Carlo techniques. Our results show that for small values of the electrostatic interaction the solution mostly consists of dispersed single rods. The potential of mean force between the polyelectrolyte monomers yields an attractive interaction at short distances. For a range of larger values of the Bjerrum length, we find finite-size polyelectrolyte bundles at thermodynamic equilibrium. Further increase of the Bjerrum length eventually leads to phase separation and precipitation. We discuss the origin of the observed thermodynamic stability of the finite-size aggregates.

The snakelike chain character of unstructured RNA.

PubMed

Jacobson, David R; McIntosh, Dustin B; Saleh, Omar A

2013-12-03

In the absence of base-pairing and tertiary structure, ribonucleic acid (RNA) assumes a random-walk conformation, modulated by the electrostatic self-repulsion of the charged, flexible backbone. This behavior is often modeled as a Kratky-Porod "wormlike chain" (WLC) with a Barrat-Joanny scale-dependent persistence length. In this study we report measurements of the end-to-end extension of poly(U) RNA under 0.1 to 10 pN applied force and observe two distinct elastic-response regimes: a low-force, power-law regime characteristic of a chain of swollen blobs on long length scales and a high-force, salt-valence-dependent regime consistent with ion-stabilized crumpling on short length scales. This short-scale structure is additionally supported by force- and salt-dependent quantification of the RNA ion atmosphere composition, which shows that ions are liberated under stretching; the number of ions liberated increases with increasing bulk salt concentration. Both this result and the observation of two elastic-response regimes directly contradict the WLC model, which predicts a single elastic regime across all forces and, when accounting for scale-dependent persistence length, the opposite trend in ion release with salt concentration. We conclude that RNA is better described as a "snakelike chain," characterized by smooth bending on long length scales and ion-stabilized crumpling on short length scales. In monovalent salt, these two regimes are separated by a characteristic length that scales with the Debye screening length, highlighting the determining importance of electrostatics in RNA conformation. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of Phonon and Carrier Thermal Conductivities for Bulk Thermoelectric Materials Using Transport Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otsuka, Mioko; Homma, Ryoei; Hasegawa, Yasuhiro

2017-05-01

The phonon and carrier thermal conductivities of thermoelectric materials were calculated using the Wiedemann-Franz law, Boltzmann equation, and a method we propose in this study called the Debye specific heat method. We prepared polycrystalline n-type doped bismuth telluride (BiTe) and bismuth antimony (BiSb) bulk alloy samples and measured six parameters (Seebeck coefficient, resistivity, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, magneto-resistivity, and Hall coefficient). The carrier density and mobility were estimated for calculating the carrier thermal conductivity by using the Boltzmann equation. In the Debye specific heat method, the phonon thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity were calculated from the temperature dependence of the effective specific heat by using not only the measured thermal conductivity and Debye model, but also the measured thermal diffusivity. The carrier thermal conductivity was also evaluated from the phonon thermal conductivity by using the specific heat. The ratio of carrier thermal conductivity to thermal conductivity was evaluated for the BiTe and BiSb samples, and the values obtained using the Debye specific heat method at 300 K were 52% for BiTe and <5.5% for BiSb. These values are either considerably larger or smaller than those obtained using other methods. The Dulong-Petit law was applied to validate the Debye specific heat method at 300 K, which is significantly greater than the Debye temperature of the BiTe and BiSb samples, and it was confirmed that the phonon specific heat at 300 K has been accurately reproduced using our proposed method.

Fluctuation conductivity of oxygen underdoped YBa2Cu3O7-δ single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vovk, R. V.; Khadzhai, G. Ya.; Goulatis, I. L.; Chroneos, A.

2014-03-01

The electrical resistance in the range of ТC-300 K in the layer planes of YВа2Сu3О7-δ single crystals with a range of oxygen deficiency (providing a range of TC from 78 to 92 K) was investigated. The experimental data is approximated by an expression that accounts for the scattering of electrons on phonons, as well as on defects and the fluctuation conductivity in a 3-D model of the Aslamazov-Larkin theory. According to this approximation, depending upon the oxygen deficiency, the Debye temperature varies from 245 to 400 K, coherence length ξС(0)≈0.5 Å.

Experimental investigation of plasma sheaths in magnetic mirror and cusp configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Zhengqi; Wei, Zi-an; Ma, J. X.

2017-11-01

Sheath structures near a metal plate in a magnetized plasma were experimentally investigated in magnetic mirror and cusp configurations. Plasma parameters and the sheath potential distributions were probed by a planar and an emissive probe, respectively. The measured sheath profiles in the mirror configuration show that the sheath thickness first decreases and then increases when the magnetic strength is raised. A magnetic flux-tube model was used to explain this result. In the cusp configuration, the measured sheath thickness decreases with the increase of the coil current creating the magnetic cusp. However, when normalized by the electron Debye length, the dependence of the sheath thickness on the coil current is reversed.

The Influence of Particle Charge on Heterogeneous Reaction Rate Coefficients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aikin, A. C.; Pesnell, W. D.

2000-01-01

The effects of particle charge on heterogeneous reaction rates are presented. Many atmospheric particles, whether liquid or solid are charged. This surface charge causes a redistribution of charge within a liquid particle and as a consequence a perturbation in the gaseous uptake coefficient. The amount of perturbation is proportional to the external potential and the square of the ratio of debye length in the liquid to the particle radius. Previous modeling has shown how surface charge affects the uptake coefficient of charged aerosols. This effect is now included in the heterogeneous reaction rate of an aerosol ensemble. Extension of this analysis to ice particles will be discussed and examples presented.

Differential photoelectric charging of nonconducting surfaces in space. [on sunlit strip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelizzari, M. A.; Criswell, D. R.

1978-01-01

The photoelectric charging caused by an infinitely long strip of sunlight across a nonconducting plane is studied by use of a model which contains an electrical cutoff radius, and the results of numerical calculations are presented. The model simulates charging of a sunlit area with dimensions equal to the strip's width, exposed to a plasma with a comparatively large Debye length. Uniform potential is quickly established on a uniformly sunlit strip as a result of charge redistribution by low-energy photoelectrons. The results are in accord with a theoretical surface conductivity derived for photoelectron sheaths above highly charged sunlit areas. The surface potential, which drops sharply across the sunlight-shadow boundary, is discussed.

Effect of double layers on magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lysak, Robert L.; Hudson, Mary K.

1987-01-01

The dynamic aspects of auroral current structures are reviewed with emphasis on consequences for models of microscopic turbulence (MT). A number of models of MT are introduced into a large-scale model of Alfven wave propagation to determine the effect of various models on the overall structure of auroral currents. The effect of a double layer (DL) electric field which scales with the plasma temperature and the Debye length is compared with the effect of anomalous resistivity due to electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence in which the electric field scales with the magnetic field strength. It is shown that the DL model is less diffusive than the resistive model, indicating the possibility of narrow intense current structures.

Additional extensions to the NASCAP computer code, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandell, M. J.; Katz, I.; Stannard, P. R.

1981-01-01

Extensions and revisions to a computer code that comprehensively analyzes problems of spacecraft charging (NASCAP) are documented. Using a fully three dimensional approach, it can accurately predict spacecraft potentials under a variety of conditions. Among the extensions are a multiple electron/ion gun test tank capability, and the ability to model anisotropic and time dependent space environments. Also documented are a greatly extended MATCHG program and the preliminary version of NASCAP/LEO. The interactive MATCHG code was developed into an extremely powerful tool for the study of material-environment interactions. The NASCAP/LEO, a three dimensional code to study current collection under conditions of high voltages and short Debye lengths, was distributed for preliminary testing.

Critical role of electron heat flux on Bohm criterion

DOE PAGES

Tang, Xianzhu; Guo, Zehua

2016-12-05

Bohm criterion, originally derived for an isothermal-electron and cold-ion plasma, is often used as a rule of thumb for more general plasmas. Here, we establish a more precise determination of the Bohm criterion that are quantitatively useful for understanding and modeling collisional plasmas that still have collisional mean-free-path much greater than plasma Debye length. Specifically, it is shown that electron heat flux, rather than the isothermal electron assumption, is what sets the Bohm speed to bemore » $$\\sqrt{k_B(T_e||+3T_i||)/m_i}$$ with T e,i∥ the electron and ion parallel temperature at the sheath entrance and m i the ion mass.« less

Nano sized La2Co2O6 double perovskite synthesized by sol gel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solanki, Neha; Lodhi, Pavitra Devi; Choudhary, K. K.; Kaurav, Netram

2018-05-01

We report here the synthesis of double perovskite La2Co2O6 (LCO) compound by a sol gel route method. The double perovskite structure of LCO system was confirmed via X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Further, the lattice parameter, unit cell volume and bond length were refined by means of rietveld analysis using the full proof software. Debye Scherer formula was used to determine the particle size. The compound crystallized in triclinic structure with space group P-1 in ambient condition. We also obtained Raman modes from XRD spectra of poly-crystalline LCO sample. These results were interpreted for the observation of phonon excitations in this compound.

Periodical plasma structures controlled by external magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweigert, I. V.; Keidar, M.

2017-11-01

The plasma of Hall thruster type in external magnetic field is studied in 2D3V kinetic simulations using PIC MCC method. The periodical structure with maxima of electron and ion densities is formed and becomes more pronounced with increase of magnetic field incidence angle in the plasma. These ridges of electron and ion densities are aligned with the magnetic field vector and shifted relative each other. This leads to formation of two-dimensional double-layers structure in cylindrical plasma chamber. Depending on Larmor radius and Debye length up to nineteen potential steps appear across the oblique magnetic field. The electrical current gathered on the wall is associated with the electron and ion density ridges.

Critical role of electron heat flux on Bohm criterion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xian-Zhu; Guo, Zehua

2016-12-01

Bohm criterion, originally derived for an isothermal-electron and cold-ion plasma, is often used as a rule of thumb for more general plasmas. Here, we establish a more precise determination of the Bohm criterion that are quantitatively useful for understanding and modeling collisional plasmas that still have collisional mean-free-path much greater than plasma Debye length. Specifically, it is shown that electron heat flux, rather than the isothermal electron assumption, is what sets the Bohm speed to be √{ k B ( T e ∥ + 3 T i ∥ ) / m i } with T e , i ∥ the electron and ion parallel temperature at the sheath entrance and mi the ion mass.

Theory of waves incoherently scattered

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, P.

1974-01-01

Electromagnetic waves impinging upon a plasma at frequencies larger than the plasma frequency, suffer weak scattering. The scattering arises from the existence of electron density fluctuations. The received signal corresponds to a particular spatial Fourier component of the fluctuations, the wave vector of which is a function of the wavelength of the radiowave. Wavelengths short with respect to the Debye length of the medium relate to fluctuations due to non-interacting Maxwellian electrons, while larger wavelengths relate to fluctuations due to collective Coulomb interactions. In the latter case, the scattered signal exhibits a spectral distribution which is characteristic of the main properties of the electron and ion gases and, therefore, provides a powerful diagnosis of the state of the ionosphere.

Dusty plasma in the region of the lunar terminator

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

Popel, S. I., E-mail: popel@iki.rssi.ru; Zelenyi, L. M.; Atamaniuk, B.

2016-05-15

Dusty plasma in the region of the lunar terminator is considered. It is shown that, in this region, a structure resembling a plasma sheath forms near the lunar surface. This sheath creates a potential barrier, due to which electrons over the illuminated part of the Moon are confined by electrostatic forces. The width of the sheath-like structure is on the order of the ion Debye length. In this structure, significant (about several hundred V/m) electric fields arise, which lift charged micron-size dust grains to heights of several tens of centimeters. The suggested effect may be used to explain the glowmore » observed by the Surveyor spacecraft over the lunar terminator.« less

Attenuation process of the longitudinal phonon mode in a TeO2 crystal in the 20-GHz range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohno, S.; Sonehara, T.; Tatsu, E.; Koreeda, A.; Saikan, S.

2017-06-01

We experimentally investigated the hypersonic attenuation process of a longitudinal mode (L-mode) sound wave in TeO2 from room temperature to a lower temperature using Brillouin scattering and impulsive stimulated thermal scattering (ISTS) measurements. For precise measurement of the Brillouin linewidth at low temperatures, whereby the mean free path of the phonon becomes longer than the sample length, it is indispensable that the phonon should propagate along the phonon-resonance direction. To figure out the suitable direction, we defined two indices characterizing a degree of phonon divergence and a purity of propagation direction. The best direction that we found from these indices is [110] direction in TeO2, and it was used to discuss the temperature and frequency dependences of Brillouin spectra. We extracted the temperature dependence of the attenuation rate of T4 from the modulated Brillouin spectra due to the phonon resonance below Debye temperature. The frequency dependence ω1 of the hypersonic attenuation was also estimated from the polarization dependence of the Brillouin linewidth. Theoretically, it predicted that the L-mode phonon attenuation at low temperatures in TeO2 is a result of Herring's process, which shows the attenuation behavior of ω2T3 . The ω1T4 dependence is not allowed in Herring's process but is allowed by the L +L →L process, which has been considered to be forbidden so far. We evaluated the thermal phonon lifetime using ISTS and established that it was finite even at 20 K, thereby allowing the L +L →L process. Therefore, we conclude that the L +L →L process dominates the attenuation of an L-mode phonon in TeO2 in the low-temperature region.

Asymmetric electroosmotic pumping across porous media sandwiched with perforated ion-exchange membranes.

PubMed

Yaroshchuk, A; Licón, E E; Zholkovskiy, E K; Bondarenko, M P; Heldal, T

2017-07-01

To have non-zero net flow in AC electroosmotic pumps, the electroosmosis (EO) has to be non-linear and asymmetric. This can be achieved due to ionic concentration polarization. This is known to occur close to micro-/nano-interfaces provided that the sizes of the nanopores are not too large compared to the Debye screening length. However, operation of the corresponding EO pumps can be quite sensitive to the solution concentration and, thus, unstable in practical applications. Concentration polarization of ion-exchange membranes is much more robust. However, the hydraulic permeability of the membrane is very low, which makes EO flows through them extremely small. This communication shows theoretically how this problem can be resolved via making scarce microscopic perforations in an ion-exchange membrane and putting it in series with an EO-active nano-porous medium. The problem of coupled flow, concentration and electrostatic-potential distributions is solved numerically by using finite-element methods. This analysis reveals that even quite scarce perforations of micron-scale diameters are sufficient to observe practically-interesting EO flows in the system. If the average distance between the perforations is smaller than the thickness of the EO-active layer, there is an effective homogenization of the electrolyte concentration and hydrostatic pressure in the lateral direction at some distance from the interface. The simulations show this distance to be somewhat lower than the half-distance between the perforations. On the other hand, when the surface fraction of perforations is sufficiently small (below a fraction of a percent) this "homogeneous" concentration is considerably reduced (or increased, depending on the current direction), which makes the EO strongly non-linear and asymmetric. This analysis provides initial guidance for the design of high-productivity and inexpensive AC electroosmotic pumps.

A self-consistent two-fluid model of a magnetized plasma-wall transition

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

Gyergyek, T.; Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, P.O. Box 100, 1000 Ljubljana; Kovačič, J.

A self-consistent one-dimensional two-fluid model of the magnetized plasma-wall transition is presented. The model includes magnetic field, elastic collisions between ions and electrons, and creation/annihilation of charged particles. Two systems of differential equations are derived. The first system describes the whole magnetized plasma-wall transition region, which consists of the pre-sheath, the magnetized pre-sheath (Chodura layer), and the sheath, which is not neutral, but contains a positive space charge. The second system of equations describes only the neutral part of the plasma-wall transition region—this means only the pre-sheath and the Chodura layer, but not also the sheath. Both systems are solvedmore » numerically. The first system of equations has two singularities. The first occurs when ion velocity in the direction perpendicularly to the wall drops below the ion thermal velocity. The second occurs when the electron velocity in the direction perpendicularly to the wall exceeds the electron thermal velocity. The second system of differential equations only has one singularity, which has also been derived analytically. For finite electron to ion mass ratio, the integration of the second system always breaks down before the Bohm criterion is fulfilled. Some properties of the first system of equations are examined. It is shown that the increased collision frequency demagnetizes the plasma. On the other hand, if the magnetic field is so strong that the ion Larmor radius and the Debye length are comparable, the electron velocity in the direction perpendicularly to the wall reaches the electron thermal velocity before the ion velocity in the direction perpendicularly to the wall reaches the ion sound velocity. In this case, the integration of the model equations breaks down before the Bohm criterion is fulfilled and the sheath is formed.« less

Optimization of block-floating-point realizations for digital controllers with finite-word-length considerations.

PubMed

Wu, Jun; Hu, Xie-he; Chen, Sheng; Chu, Jian

2003-01-01

The closed-loop stability issue of finite-precision realizations was investigated for digital controllers implemented in block-floating-point format. The controller coefficient perturbation was analyzed resulting from using finite word length (FWL) block-floating-point representation scheme. A block-floating-point FWL closed-loop stability measure was derived which considers both the dynamic range and precision. To facilitate the design of optimal finite-precision controller realizations, a computationally tractable block-floating-point FWL closed-loop stability measure was then introduced and the method of computing the value of this measure for a given controller realization was developed. The optimal controller realization is defined as the solution that maximizes the corresponding measure, and a numerical optimization approach was adopted to solve the resulting optimal realization problem. A numerical example was used to illustrate the design procedure and to compare the optimal controller realization with the initial realization.

On the performance of finite journal bearings lubricated with micropolar fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khonsari, M. M.; Brewe, D. E.

1988-01-01

A study of the performance parameters for a journal bearing of finite length lubricated with micropolar fluids is undertaken. Results indicate that a significantly higher load carrying capacity than the Newtonian fluids may result depending on the size of material characteristic length and the coupling number. It is also shown that although the frictional force associated with micropolar fluid is in general higher than that of a Newtonian fluid, the friction coefficient of micropolar fluids tends to be lower than that of the Newtonian.

On the performance of finite journal bearings lubricated with micropolar fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khonsari, M. M.; Brewe, D. E.

1989-01-01

A study of the performance parameters for a journal bearing of finite length lubricated with micropolar fluids is undertaken. Results indicate that a significantly higher load carrying capacity than the Newtonian fluids may result depending on the size of material characteristics length and the coupling number. It is also shown that although the frictional force associated with micropolar fluid is, in general, higher than that of a Newtonian fluid, the friction coefficient of micropolar fluids tends to be lower than that of the Newtonian.

Finite-Length Line Source Superposition Model (FLLSSM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-03-01

A linearized thermal conduction model was developed to economically determine media temperatures in geologic repositories for nuclear wastes. Individual canisters containing either high level waste or spent fuel assemblies were represented as finite length line sources in a continuous media. The combined effects of multiple canisters in a representative storage pattern were established at selected points of interest by superposition of the temperature rises calculated for each canister. The methodology is outlined and the computer code FLLSSM which performs required numerical integrations and superposition operations is described.

Plasma influence on the dispersion properties of finite-length, corrugated waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shkvarunets, A.; Kobayashi, S.; Weaver, J.; Carmel, Y.; Rodgers, J.; Antonsen, T. M., Jr.; Granatstein, V. L.; Destler, W. W.; Ogura, K.; Minami, K.

1996-03-01

We present an experimental study of the electromagnetic properties of transverse magnetic modes in a corrugated-wall cavity filled with a radially inhomogeneous plasma. The shifts of the resonant frequencies of a finite-length, corrugated cavity were measured as a function of the background plasma density and the dispersion diagram was reconstructed up to a peak plasma density of 1012 cm-3. Good agreement with a calculated dispersion diagram is obtained for plasma densities below 5×1011 cm-3.

Thermal expansion in dispersion-bound molecular crystals

DOE PAGES

Ko, Hsin -Yu; DiStasio, Robert A.; Santra, Biswajit; ...

2018-05-18

In this paper, we explore how anharmonicity, nuclear quantum effects (NQE), many-body dispersion interactions, and Pauli repulsion influence thermal properties of dispersion-bound molecular crystals. Accounting for anharmonicity with ab initio molecular dynamics yields cell parameters accurate to within 2% of experiment for a set of pyridinelike molecular crystals at finite temperatures and pressures. From the experimental thermal expansion curve, we find that pyridine-I has a Debye temperature just above its melting point, indicating sizable NQE across the entire crystalline range of stability. We find that NQE lead to a substantial volume increase in pyridine-I (≈ 40% more than classical thermalmore » expansion at 153 K) and attribute this to intermolecular Pauli repulsion promoted by intramolecular quantum fluctuations. Finally, when predicting delicate properties such as the thermal expansivity, we show that many-body dispersion interactions and more sophisticated density functional approximations improve the accuracy of the theoretical model.« less

Thermal expansion in dispersion-bound molecular crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Hsin-Yu; DiStasio, Robert A.; Santra, Biswajit; Car, Roberto

2018-05-01

We explore how anharmonicity, nuclear quantum effects (NQE), many-body dispersion interactions, and Pauli repulsion influence thermal properties of dispersion-bound molecular crystals. Accounting for anharmonicity with ab initio molecular dynamics yields cell parameters accurate to within 2 % of experiment for a set of pyridinelike molecular crystals at finite temperatures and pressures. From the experimental thermal expansion curve, we find that pyridine-I has a Debye temperature just above its melting point, indicating sizable NQE across the entire crystalline range of stability. We find that NQE lead to a substantial volume increase in pyridine-I (≈40 % more than classical thermal expansion at 153 K) and attribute this to intermolecular Pauli repulsion promoted by intramolecular quantum fluctuations. When predicting delicate properties such as the thermal expansivity, we show that many-body dispersion interactions and more sophisticated density functional approximations improve the accuracy of the theoretical model.

Thermal expansion in dispersion-bound molecular crystals

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

Ko, Hsin -Yu; DiStasio, Robert A.; Santra, Biswajit

In this paper, we explore how anharmonicity, nuclear quantum effects (NQE), many-body dispersion interactions, and Pauli repulsion influence thermal properties of dispersion-bound molecular crystals. Accounting for anharmonicity with ab initio molecular dynamics yields cell parameters accurate to within 2% of experiment for a set of pyridinelike molecular crystals at finite temperatures and pressures. From the experimental thermal expansion curve, we find that pyridine-I has a Debye temperature just above its melting point, indicating sizable NQE across the entire crystalline range of stability. We find that NQE lead to a substantial volume increase in pyridine-I (≈ 40% more than classical thermalmore » expansion at 153 K) and attribute this to intermolecular Pauli repulsion promoted by intramolecular quantum fluctuations. Finally, when predicting delicate properties such as the thermal expansivity, we show that many-body dispersion interactions and more sophisticated density functional approximations improve the accuracy of the theoretical model.« less

On thermal corrections to near-threshold annihilation

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

Kim, Seyong; Laine, M., E-mail: skim@sejong.ac.kr, E-mail: laine@itp.unibe.ch

2017-01-01

We consider non-relativistic ''dark'' particles interacting through gauge boson exchange. At finite temperature, gauge exchange is modified in many ways: virtual corrections lead to Debye screening; real corrections amount to frequent scatterings of the heavy particles on light plasma constituents; mixing angles change. In a certain temperature and energy range, these effects are of order unity. Taking them into account in a resummed form, we estimate the near-threshold spectrum of kinetically equilibrated annihilating TeV scale particles. Weakly bound states are shown to 'melt' below freeze-out, whereas with attractive strong interactions, relevant e.g. for gluinos, bound states boost the annihilation ratemore » by a factor 4 ... 80 with respect to the Sommerfeld estimate, thereby perhaps helping to avoid overclosure of the universe. Modestly non-degenerate dark sector masses and a way to combine the contributions of channels with different gauge and spin structures are also discussed.« less

Magnetic field tunable dielectric dispersion in successive field-induced magnetic phases of the geometrically frustrated magnet CuFeO2 up to 28 T

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamatsukuri, H.; Mitsuda, S.; Hiroura, K.; Nakajima, T.; Fujihala, M.; Yamano, M.; Toshioka, Y.; Kaneko, C.; Takehana, K.; Imanaka, Y.; Terada, N.; Kitazawa, H.

2018-06-01

We find magnetic-field-dependent dielectric dispersions specific to successive field-induced magnetic phases of a geometrically frustrated magnet CuFeO2 up to 28 T. The dielectric dispersions in the three field-induced collinear-commensurate magnetic phases are well described by the superposition of Debye-type relaxations, and the number of contributions to the Debye-type dispersions differs in these phases. In contrast, the dielectric dispersions in the noncollinear-incommensurate phase, known as a spin-driven ferroelectric phase, cannot be simply described by the Debye-type relaxations. In addition, we find that the temperature dependence of the Debye relaxation frequencies follows the Arrhenius law, and that the activation energies derived from the Arrhenius equation also depend on the magnetic field. Considering the magnetostriction effect in combination with elongation/contraction of spins resulting from the application of a magnetic field, we show that the number of Debye relaxation components is equivalent to the number of states of local Fe3O clusters determined by oxygen displacement within a triangular Fe lattice. Based on this correspondence, we propose a possible explanation that excess charges resulting from a lack of stoichiometry hop over the double-well potentials within each local Fe3O cluster, like small polarons.

Thermoreversible gelation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) in phthalates: the influence of aliphatic chain length of solvents.

PubMed

Yadav, P Jaya Prakash; Ghosh, Goutam; Maiti, Biswajit; Aswal, Vinod K; Goyal, P S; Maiti, Pralay

2008-04-17

Thermoreversible gelation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) has been studied in a new series of solvents (phthalates), for example, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and dihexyl phthalate (DHP) as a function of temperature and polymer concentration, both by test tube tilting and dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. The effect of aliphatic chain length (n) of diesters on the gelation kinetics, structure/microstructure and morphology of PVDF gels has been examined. Gelation rate was found to increase with increasing aliphatic chain length of diester. DLS results indicate that the sol-gel transformation proceeds via two-steps: first, microgel domains were formed, and then the infinite three-dimensional (3D) network is established by connecting microgels through polymer chains. The crystallites are responsible for 3D network for gelation in phthalates, and alpha-polymorph is formed during gelation producing higher amount of crystallinity with increasing aliphatic chain length of diester. Morphology of the networks of dried gels in different phthalates showed that fibril thickness and lateral dimensions decrease with higher homologues of phthalates. The scattering intensity is fitted with Debye-Bueche model in small-angle neutron scattering and suggested that both the correlation length and interlamellar spacing increases with n. A model has been proposed, based on electronic structure calculations, to explain the conformation of PVDF chain in presence of various phthalates and their complexes, which offer the cause of higher gelation rate for longer aliphatic chain length.

Electrophoresis of a polarizable charged colloid with hydrophobic surface: A numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Somnath; Majee, Partha Sarathi

2017-04-01

We consider the electrophoresis of a charged colloid for a generalized situation in which the particle is considered to be polarizable and the surface exhibits hydrophobicity. The dielectric polarization of the particle creates a nonlinear dependence of the electrophoretic velocity on the applied electric field, and the core hydrophobicity amplifies the fluid convection in the Debye layer. Thus, a linear analysis is no longer applicable for this situation. The present analysis is based on the numerical solution of the nonlinear electrokinetic equations based on the Navier-Stokes-Nernst-Planck-Poisson equations coupled with the Laplace equation for the electric field within the dielectric particle. The hydrophobicity of the particle may influence its electric polarization by enhancing the convective transport of ions. The nonlinear effects, such as double-layer polarization and relaxation, are also influenced by the hydrophobicity of the particle surface. The present results compare well for a lower range of the applied electric field and surface charge density with the existing results for a perfectly dielectric particle with a hydrophobic surface based on the first-order perturbation analysis due to Khair and Squires [Phys. Fluids 21, 042001 (2009), 10.1063/1.3116664]. Dielectric polarization creates a reduction in particle electrophoretic velocity, and its impact is strong for a moderate range of Debye length. A quantitative measure of the nonlinear effects is demonstrated by comparing the electrophoretic velocity with an existing linear model.

Novel Separation of Actinides

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

Mariella, R

The separation of actinides and other elements of interest for nuclear forensics and threat reduction is currently performed using decades-old chemistries and ion-exchange columns. We propose to determine the technical feasibility of a novel method for separating actinide ions in solution. This method is based upon isotachophoresis (ITP), which has been applied in the purification of pharmaceuticals and other biochemical applications. This technique has the potential to separate inorganic ions more effectively than existing methods, which is key to analyzing very small samples. We will perform a quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of specific isotachophoretic approaches including predicting the physicalmore » and chemical properties, such as ion mobility, of inorganic ions under specific solvent conditions using a combination of ab initio calculations and semi-empirical methods. We expect to obtain a thorough understanding of the analytical systems parameters under which ITP is most effective for the separation of inorganic samples, including the influence of the double layer surrounding actinide ions, the Debye length for different ions and ion complexes, and Debye-Hueckel limits. Inorganic separations are key to nuclear forensics for countering terrorism and nuclear proliferation. If found to be feasible and potentially superior to currently used separation approaches, ITP could provide the conceptual basis for an improved means to separate samples of nuclear explosion debris for nuclear forensic analysis, in support of the Laboratory's missions in homeland and national security.« less

Electron collection theory for a D-region subsonic blunt electrostatic probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wai-Kwong Lai, T.

1974-01-01

Blunt probe theory for subsonic flow in a weakly ionized and collisional gas is reviewed, and an electron collection theory for the relatively unexplored case, Deybye length approximately 1, which occurs in the lower ionosphere (D-region), is developed. It is found that the dimensionless Debye length is no longer an electric field screening parameter, and the space charge field effect can be negelected. For ion collection, Hoult-Sonin theory is recognized as a correct description of the thin, ion density-perturbed layer adjacent the blunt probe surface. The large volume with electron density perturbed by a positively biased probe renders the usual thin boundary layer analysis inapplicable. Theories relating free stream conditions to the electron collection rate for both stationary and moving blunt probes are obtained. A model based on experimental nonlinear electron drift velocity data is proposed. For a subsonically moving probe, it is found that the perturbed region can be divided into four regions with distinct collection mechanisms.

Comparative study of cross-field and field-aligned electron beams in active experiments. [in upper atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winglee, R. M.; Pritchett, P. L.

1988-01-01

Beam-plasma interactions associated with the cross-field and field-aligned injection of electron beams from spacecraft were investigated using a two-dimensional (three velocity component) electrostatic particle simulations. It is shown that the beam properties and plasma response can be characterized well by the ratio between the stagnation time and the plasma response time, which depends on the ratio of the ambient plasma density to the beam density, the beam width, the beam energy, and the spacecraft length. It was found that the beams injected across the field lines tend to lose their coherence after about one or two gyrations due to space-charge oscillations induced by the beam, irrespective of the spacecraft charging. These oscillations scatter the beam electrons into a hollow cylinder of a radius equal to a beam electron gyroradius and thickness of the order of two beam Debye lengths. Parallel injected beams are subjected to similar oscillations, which cause the beam to expand to fill a solid cylinder of a comparable thickness.

Ge K-Edge Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure Study of the Local Structure of Amorphous GeTe and the Crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, Yoshihito; Wakagi, Masatoshi

1991-01-01

The local structure and crystallization of amorphous GeTe (a-GeTe) were examined by means of Ge K-edge EXAFS. In a-GeTe, both Ge-Ge and Ge-Te bonds were observed to exist in nearest neighbors of Ge. The average coordination number around Ge is 3.7, which is close to the tetrahedral structure. A random covalent network (RCN) model seems to be suitable for the local Structure. After a-GeTe crystallizes at 129°C, the Ge-Ge bond disappears and the Ge-Te bond length increases considerably. As temperature rises, in a-GeTe the Debye-Waller factor of the Ge-Te bond increases greatly, while that of the Ge-Ge bond increases only slightly. At the crystallization, it is found that the fluctuation of the Ge-Te bond length plays a major role in the change of the local structure and bonding state around Ge.

THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF MC (M = V, Nb, Ta): FIRST-PRINCIPLES CALCULATIONS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Yong; Zhu, Jingchuan; Liu, Yong; Long, Zhishen

2013-07-01

Through the quasi-harmonic Debye model, the pressure and temperature dependences of linear expansion coefficient, bulk modulus, Debye temperature and heat capacity have been investigated. The calculated thermodynamic properties were compared with experimental data and satisfactory agreement is reached.

Transient electromagnetic scattering by a radially uniaxial dielectric sphere: Debye series, Mie series and ray tracing methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazdani, Mohsen

Transient electromagnetic scattering by a radially uniaxial dielectric sphere is explored using three well-known methods: Debye series, Mie series, and ray tracing theory. In the first approach, the general solutions for the impulse and step responses of a uniaxial sphere are evaluated using the inverse Laplace transformation of the generalized Mie series solution. Following high frequency scattering solution of a large uniaxial sphere, the Mie series summation is split into the high frequency (HF) and low frequency terms where the HF term is replaced by its asymptotic expression allowing a significant reduction in computation time of the numerical Bromwich integral. In the second approach, the generalized Debye series for a radially uniaxial dielectric sphere is introduced and the Mie series coefficients are replaced by their equivalent Debye series formulations. The results are then applied to examine the transient response of each individual Debye term allowing the identification of impulse returns in the transient response of the uniaxial sphere. In the third approach, the ray tracing theory in a uniaxial sphere is investigated to evaluate the propagation path as well as the arrival time of the ordinary and extraordinary returns in the transient response of the uniaxial sphere. This is achieved by extracting the reflection and transmission angles of a plane wave obliquely incident on the radially oriented air-uniaxial and uniaxial-air boundaries, and expressing the phase velocities as well as the refractive indices of the ordinary and extraordinary waves in terms of the incident angle, optic axis and propagation direction. The results indicate a satisfactory agreement between Debye series, Mie series and ray tracing methods.

Interaction of a finite-length ion beam with a background plasma - Reflected ions at the quasi-parallel bow shock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Onsager, T. G.; Winske, D.; Thomsen, M. F.

1991-01-01

The coupling of a finite-length, field-aligned, ion beam with a uniform background plasma is investigated using one-dimensional hybrid computer simulations. The finite-length beam is used to study the interaction between the incident solar wind and ions reflected from the earth's quasi-parallel bow shock, where the reflection process may vary with time. The coupling between the reflected ions and the solar wind is relevant to ion heating at the bow shock and possibly to the formation of hot, flow anomalies and re-formation of the shock itself. Consistent with linear theory, the waves which dominate the interaction are the electromagnetic right-hand polarized resonant and nonresonant modes. However, in addition to the instability growth rates, the length of time that the waves are in contact with the beam is also an important factor in determining which wave mode will dominate the interaction. It is found that interaction will result in strong coupling, where a significant fraction of the available free energy is converted into thermal energy in a short time, provided the beam is sufficiently dense or sufficiently long.

Critical Nucleation Length for Accelerating Frictional Slip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldam, Michael; Weikamp, Marc; Spatschek, Robert; Brener, Efim A.; Bouchbinder, Eran

2017-11-01

The spontaneous nucleation of accelerating slip along slowly driven frictional interfaces is central to a broad range of geophysical, physical, and engineering systems, with particularly far-reaching implications for earthquake physics. A common approach to this problem associates nucleation with an instability of an expanding creep patch upon surpassing a critical length Lc. The critical nucleation length Lc is conventionally obtained from a spring-block linear stability analysis extended to interfaces separating elastically deformable bodies using model-dependent fracture mechanics estimates. We propose an alternative approach in which the critical nucleation length is obtained from a related linear stability analysis of homogeneous sliding along interfaces separating elastically deformable bodies. For elastically identical half-spaces and rate-and-state friction, the two approaches are shown to yield Lc that features the same scaling structure, but with substantially different numerical prefactors, resulting in a significantly larger Lc in our approach. The proposed approach is also shown to be naturally applicable to finite-size systems and bimaterial interfaces, for which various analytic results are derived. To quantitatively test the proposed approach, we performed inertial Finite-Element-Method calculations for a finite-size two-dimensional elastically deformable body in rate-and-state frictional contact with a rigid body under sideway loading. We show that the theoretically predicted Lc and its finite-size dependence are in reasonably good quantitative agreement with the full numerical solutions, lending support to the proposed approach. These results offer a theoretical framework for predicting rapid slip nucleation along frictional interfaces.

The nature of the laning transition in two dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glanz, T.; Löwen, H.

2012-11-01

If a binary colloidal mixture is oppositely driven by an external field, a transition towards a laned state occurs at sufficiently large drives, where particles driven alike form elongated structures (‘lanes’) characterized by a large correlation length ξ along the drive. Here we perform extensive Brownian dynamics computer simulations on a two-dimensional equimolar binary Yukawa system driven by a constant force that acts oppositely on the two species. We systematically address finite-size effects on lane formation by exploring large systems up to 262 144 particles under various boundary conditions. It is found that the correlation length ξ along the field depends exponentially on the driving force (or Peclet number). Conversely, in a finite system, ξ reaches a fraction of the system size at a driving force which is logarithmic in the system size, implying massive finite-size corrections. For a fixed finite drive, ξ does not diverge in the thermodynamic limit. Therefore, though laning has a signature as a sharp transition in a finite system, it is a smooth crossover in the thermodynamic limit.

Adsorption of small hydrocarbon radicals on single walled carbon nanotubes of finite length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jianhua; Hagelberg, Frank

2010-04-01

Adsorption of the hydrocarbon radicals CH, CH2 , and CH3 on finite single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) of the (10,0) type is investigated by density-functional theory (DFT). Two classes of finite SWNTs are considered: truncated SWNTs, where admission is made for geometric reconstruction of the tube ends, and those capped with fullerene hemispheres. Both prototypes are characterized by ground states with nonvanishing magnetic moments, where antiferromagnetic coordination between nds is preferred over the ferromagnetic alternative. The focus of this study is on the influence exerted by the adsorbates on the magnetic structure of the system as a whole, as well as the relative impact of both, confinement due to the finite lengths of the considered SWNTs and their magnetic structure on the preferred positions of hydrocarbon adsorbates. In particular, it is shown that the confinement outweighs the magnetic effect in defining the adsorption energy variations among nonequivalent sites of attachment. The SWNT spin-density distributions turn out to affect the nature of the bonding between finite SWNT substrates and hydrocarbon radical adsorbates.

Investigation of effective impact parameters in electron-ion temperature relaxation via Particle-Particle Coulombic molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yinjian

2017-09-01

Aiming at a high simulation accuracy, a Particle-Particle (PP) Coulombic molecular dynamics model is implemented to study the electron-ion temperature relaxation. In this model, the Coulomb's law is directly applied in a bounded system with two cutoffs at both short and long length scales. By increasing the range between the two cutoffs, it is found that the relaxation rate deviates from the BPS theory and approaches the LS theory and the GMS theory. Also, the effective minimum and maximum impact parameters (bmin* and bmax*) are obtained. For the simulated plasma condition, bmin* is about 6.352 times smaller than the Landau length (bC), and bmax* is about 2 times larger than the Debye length (λD), where bC and λD are used in the LS theory. Surprisingly, the effective relaxation time obtained from the PP model is very close to the LS theory and the GMS theory, even though the effective Coulomb logarithm is two times greater than the one used in the LS theory. Besides, this work shows that the PP model (commonly known as computationally expensive) is becoming practicable via GPU parallel computing techniques.

Calculation of Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from highly stressed polycrystalline materials

DOE PAGES

MacDonald, M. J.; Vorberger, J.; Gamboa, E. J.; ...

2016-06-07

Calculations of Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from polycrystalline materials have typically been done in the limit of small deviatoric stresses. Although these methods are well suited for experiments conducted near hydrostatic conditions, more robust models are required to diagnose the large strain anisotropies present in dynamic compression experiments. A method to predict Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns for arbitrary strains has been presented in the Voigt (iso-strain) limit. Here, we present a method to calculate Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from highly stressed polycrystalline samples in the Reuss (iso-stress) limit. This analysis uses elastic constants to calculate lattice strains for all initial crystallite orientations, enablingmore » elastic anisotropy and sample texture effects to be modeled directly. Furthermore, the effects of probing geometry, deviatoric stresses, and sample texture are demonstrated and compared to Voigt limit predictions. An example of shock-compressed polycrystalline diamond is presented to illustrate how this model can be applied and demonstrates the importance of including material strength when interpreting diffraction in dynamic compression experiments.« less

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Oscillation structures in elastic and electron capture cross sections for H+-H collisions in Debye plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Y.; Wang, J. G.; Krstic, P. S.; Janev, R. K.

2010-10-01

We find that the number of vibrational states in the ground potential of a H2+ molecular ion embedded in the Debye plasma and the number of Regge oscillations in the resonant charge transfer cross section of the H+ + H collision system in the plasma are quasi-conserved when the Debye radius D is larger than 1.4a0. The elastic and resonant charge transfer processes in the H+ + H collision have been studied in the 0.1 meV-100 eV collision energy range for a wide range of Debye radii using a highly accurate calculation based on the modified ab initio multireference configuration interaction code. Remarkable plasma screening effects have been found in both the molecular structure and the collision dynamics of this system. Shape resonances, Regge and glory oscillations have been found in the integral cross sections in the considered energy range even for strong interaction screening, showing their ubiquitous nature.

Model for screened, charge-regulated electrostatics of an eye lens protein: Bovine gammaB-crystallin

PubMed Central

Wahle, Christopher W.; Martini, K. Michael; Hollenbeck, Dawn M.; Langner, Andreas; Ross, David S.; Hamilton, John F.; Thurston, George M.

2018-01-01

We model screened, site-specific charge regulation of the eye lens protein bovine gammaB-crystallin (γ B) and study the probability distributions of its proton occupancy patterns. Using a simplified dielectric model, we solve the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation to calculate a 54 × 54 work-of-charging matrix, each entry being the modeled voltage at a given titratable site, due to an elementary charge at another site. The matrix quantifies interactions within patches of sites, including γB charge pairs. We model intrinsic pK values that would occur hypothetically in the absence of other charges, with use of experimental data on the dependence of pK values on aqueous solution conditions, the dielectric model, and literature values. We use Monte Carlo simulations to calculate a model grand-canonical partition function that incorporates both the work-of-charging and the intrinsic pK values for isolated γB molecules and we calculate the probabilities of leading proton occupancy configurations, for 4 < pH < 8 and Debye screening lengths from 6 to 20 Å. We select the interior dielectric value to model γB titration data. At pH 7.1 and Debye length 6.0 Å, on a given γB molecule the predicted top occupancy pattern is present nearly 20% of the time, and 90% of the time one or another of the first 100 patterns will be present. Many of these occupancy patterns differ in net charge sign as well as in surface voltage profile. We illustrate how charge pattern probabilities deviate from the multinomial distribution that would result from use of effective pK values alone and estimate the extents to which γB charge pattern distributions broaden at lower pH and narrow as ionic strength is lowered. These results suggest that for accurate modeling of orientation-dependent γB-γB interactions, consideration of numerous pairs of proton occupancy patterns will be needed. PMID:29346981

Model for screened, charge-regulated electrostatics of an eye lens protein: Bovine gammaB-crystallin.

PubMed

Wahle, Christopher W; Martini, K Michael; Hollenbeck, Dawn M; Langner, Andreas; Ross, David S; Hamilton, John F; Thurston, George M

2017-09-01

We model screened, site-specific charge regulation of the eye lens protein bovine gammaB-crystallin (γB) and study the probability distributions of its proton occupancy patterns. Using a simplified dielectric model, we solve the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation to calculate a 54×54 work-of-charging matrix, each entry being the modeled voltage at a given titratable site, due to an elementary charge at another site. The matrix quantifies interactions within patches of sites, including γB charge pairs. We model intrinsic pK values that would occur hypothetically in the absence of other charges, with use of experimental data on the dependence of pK values on aqueous solution conditions, the dielectric model, and literature values. We use Monte Carlo simulations to calculate a model grand-canonical partition function that incorporates both the work-of-charging and the intrinsic pK values for isolated γB molecules and we calculate the probabilities of leading proton occupancy configurations, for 4

Model for screened, charge-regulated electrostatics of an eye lens protein: Bovine gammaB-crystallin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahle, Christopher W.; Martini, K. Michael; Hollenbeck, Dawn M.; Langner, Andreas; Ross, David S.; Hamilton, John F.; Thurston, George M.

2017-09-01

We model screened, site-specific charge regulation of the eye lens protein bovine gammaB-crystallin (γ B ) and study the probability distributions of its proton occupancy patterns. Using a simplified dielectric model, we solve the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation to calculate a 54 ×54 work-of-charging matrix, each entry being the modeled voltage at a given titratable site, due to an elementary charge at another site. The matrix quantifies interactions within patches of sites, including γ B charge pairs. We model intrinsic p K values that would occur hypothetically in the absence of other charges, with use of experimental data on the dependence of p K values on aqueous solution conditions, the dielectric model, and literature values. We use Monte Carlo simulations to calculate a model grand-canonical partition function that incorporates both the work-of-charging and the intrinsic p K values for isolated γ B molecules and we calculate the probabilities of leading proton occupancy configurations, for 4

The Diagnostics of the External Plasma for the Plasma Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, Gerald R.

1997-01-01

Three regions of plasma temperature/energy are being investigated to understand fully the behavior of the plasma created by the propulsion device and the operation of the RPA. Each type of plasma has a RPA associated with it; i.e. a thermal RPA, a collimated RPA, and a high temperature RPA. Through the process of developing the thermal and collimated RPAs, the proper knowledge and experience has been gained to not only design a high temperature RPA for the plasma rocket, but to understand its operation, results, and uncertainty. After completing a literature search for, reading published papers on, and discussing the operation of the RPA with electric propulsion researchers, I applied the knowledge gained to the development of a RPA for thermal plasma. A design of a thermal RPA was made which compensates for a large Debye length and low ionized plasma. From this design a thermal RPA was constructed. It consists of an outer stainless steel casing, a phenolic insulator (outgases slightly), and stainless steel mesh for the voltage screens. From the experience and knowledge gained in the development of the thermal RPA, a RPA for collimated plasma was developed. A collimated RPA has been designed and constructed. It compensate for a smaller Debye length and much higher ionization than that existing in the thermal plasma. It is 17% of the size of the thermal RPA. A stainless steel casing shields the detector from impinging electrons and ions. An insulating material, epoxy resin, was utilized which has a negligible outgassing. This material can be molded in styrofoam and machined quite nicely. It is capable of withstanding moderately high temperatures. Attached to this resin insulator are inconel screens attached by silver plated copper wire to a voltage supply. All the work on the RPAs and thermal ion source, I performed in the University of Alabama in Huntsville's (UAH) engineering machine shop.

Effects of finite hot-wire spatial resolution on turbulence statistics and velocity spectra in a round turbulent free jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, Hamed; Lavoie, Philippe; Pollard, Andrew

2018-03-01

The effect of finite hot-wire spatial resolution on turbulence statistics and velocity spectra in a round turbulent free jet is investigated. To quantify spatial resolution effects, measurements were taken using a nano-scale thermal anemometry probe (NSTAP) and compared to results from conventional hot-wires with sensing lengths of l=0.5 and 1 mm. The NSTAP has a sensing length significantly smaller than the Kolmogorov length scale η for the present experimental conditions, whereas the sensing lengths for the conventional probes are larger than η. The spatial resolution is found to have a significant impact on the dissipation both on and off the jet centreline with the NSTAP results exceeding those obtained from the conventional probes. The resolution effects along the jet centreline are adequately predicted using a Wyngaard-type spectral technique (Wyngaard in J Sci Instr 1(2):1105-1108,1968), but additional attenuation on the measured turbulence quantities are observed off the centreline. The magnitude of this attenuation is a function of both the ratio of wire length to Kolmogorov length scale and the magnitude of the shear. The effect of spatial resolution is noted to have an impact on the power-law decay parameters for the turbulent kinetic energy that is computed. The effect of spatial filtering on the streamwise dissipation energy spectra is also considered. Empirical functions are proposed to estimate the effect of finite resolution, which take into account the mean shear.

Optical Simulation of Debye-Scherrer Crystal Diffraction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logiurato, F.; Gratton, L. M.; Oss, S.

2008-01-01

In this paper we describe and discuss simple, inexpensive optical experiments used to simulate x-ray and electron diffraction according to the Debye-Scherrer theory. The experiment can be used to address, at the high school level, important subjects related to fundamental quantum and solid-state physics.

Carbon nanotube oscillator surface profiling device and method of use

DOEpatents

Popescu, Adrian [Tampa, FL; Woods, Lilia M [Tampa, FL; Bondarev, Igor V [Fuquay Varina, NC

2011-11-15

The proposed device is based on a carbon nanotube oscillator consisting of a finite length outer stationary nanotube and a finite length inner oscillating nanotube. Its main function is to measure changes in the characteristics of the motion of the carbon nanotube oscillating near a sample surface, and profile the roughness of this surface. The device operates in a non-contact mode, thus it can be virtually non-wear and non-fatigued system. It is an alternative to the existing atomic force microscope (AFM) tips used to scan surfaces to determine their roughness.

Entangled photon pair generation by spontaneous parametric down-conversion in finite-length one-dimensional photonic crystals

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

Centini, M.; Sciscione, L.; Sibilia, C.

A description of spontaneous parametric down-conversion in finite-length one-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals is developed using semiclassical and quantum approaches. It is shown that if a suitable averaging is added to the semiclassical model, its results are in very good agreement with the quantum approach. We propose two structures made with GaN/AlN that generate both degenerate and nondegenerate entangled photon pairs. Both structures are designed so as to achieve a high efficiency of the nonlinear process.

Nonlinear susceptibilities of finite conjugated organic polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beratan, David N.; Onuchic, Jose Nelson; Perry, Joseph W.

1987-01-01

Tight-binding calculations of the length dependence of the third-order molecular hyperpolarizability for polyenes and polyynes are reported. The pi-electron wave functions were determined by exploiting the limited translational symmetry of the molecules. Perturbation theory was used to calculate the longitudinal component of the electronic nonresonant hyperpolarizability. This is the first two-'band' calculation of third-order hyperpolarizabilities on finite pi-electron systems of varying length. In contrast to the results of the one-'band' models, the hyperpolarizability densities increase rapidly and then, after about 10-15 repeating units, approach an asymptotic value.

Pure axial flow of viscoelastic fluids in rectangular microchannels under combined effects of electro-osmosis and hydrodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reshadi, Milad; Saidi, Mohammad Hassan; Ebrahimi, Abbas

2018-02-01

This paper presents an analysis of the combined electro-osmotic and pressure-driven axial flows of viscoelastic fluids in a rectangular microchannel with arbitrary aspect ratios. The rheological behavior of the fluid is described by the complete form of Phan-Thien-Tanner (PTT) model with the Gordon-Schowalter convected derivative which covers the upper convected Maxwell, Johnson-Segalman and FENE-P models. Our numerical simulation is based on the computation of 2D Poisson-Boltzmann, Cauchy momentum and PTT constitutive equations. The solution of these governing nonlinear coupled set of equations is obtained by using the second-order central finite difference method in a non-uniform grid system and is verified against 1D analytical solution of the velocity profile with less than 0.06% relative error. Also, a parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of channel aspect ratio (width to height), wall zeta potential and the Debye-Hückel parameter on 2D velocity profile, volumetric flow rate and the Poiseuille number in the mixed EO/PD flows of viscoelastic fluids with different Weissenberg numbers. Our results show that, for low channel aspect ratios, the previous 1D analytical models underestimate the velocity profile at the channel half-width centerline in the case of favorable pressure gradients and overestimate it in the case of adverse pressure gradients. The results reveal that the inapplicability of the Debye-Hückel approximation at high zeta potentials is more significant for higher Weissenberg number fluids. Also, it is found that, under the specified values of electrokinetic parameters, there is a threshold for velocity scale ratio in which the Poiseuille number is approximately independent of channel aspect ratio.

The field theory of specific heat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusev, Yu. V.

2016-01-01

Finite temperature quantum field theory in the heat kernel method is used to study the heat capacity of condensed matter. The lattice heat is treated à la P. Debye as energy of the elastic (sound) waves. The dimensionless functional of free energy is re-derived with a cut-off parameter and used to obtain the specific heat of crystal lattices. The new dimensionless thermodynamical variable is formed as Planck's inverse temperature divided by the lattice constant. The dimensionless constant, universal for the class of crystal lattices, which determines the low temperature region of molar specific heat, is introduced and tested with the data for diamond lattice crystals. The low temperature asymptotics of specific heat is found to be the fourth power in temperature instead of the cubic power law of the Debye theory. Experimental data for the carbon group elements (silicon, germanium) and other materials decisively confirm the quartic law. The true low temperature regime of specific heat is defined by the surface heat, therefore, it depends on the geometrical characteristics of the body, while the absolute zero temperature limit is geometrically forbidden. The limit on the growth of specific heat at temperatures close to critical points, known as the Dulong-Petit law, appears from the lattice constant cut-off. Its value depends on the lattice type and it is the same for materials with the same crystal lattice. The Dulong-Petit values of compounds are equal to those of elements with the same crystal lattice type, if one mole of solid state matter were taken as the Avogadro number of the composing atoms. Thus, the Neumann-Kopp law is valid only in some special cases.

Debye potentials for heterogeneous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panamarev, N. S.; Donchenko, V. A.; Zemlyanov, Al. A.; Samokhvalov, I. V.; Apeksimov, D. V.; Panamaryova, A. N.; Trifonova, A. V.

2017-11-01

The paper presents the results of the Helmholtz equation solution by the method of perturbation theory in the spherical coordinate system for the Debye potentials for weakly heterogeneous media based on metal nanoparticles and the dielectric matrix. In that case, the dielectric function of a composite changes in space in the radial direction.

Micellar hexagonal phases in lyotropic liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaral, L. Q.; Gulik, A.; Itri, R.; Mariani, P.

1992-09-01

The hexagonal cell parameter a of the system sodium dodecyl lauryl sulfate and water as a function of volume concentration cv in phase Hα shows the functional behavior expected for micelles of finite length: a~c-1/3v. The interpretation of x-ray data based on finite micelles leads to an alternative description of the hexagonal phase Hα: spherocylindrical micelles of constant radius with length that may grow along the range of the Hα phase. Results are compared with recent statistical-mechanical calculations for the isotropic I-Hα transition. The absence of diffraction in the direction perpendicular to the hexagonal plane is ascribed to polydispersity of micellar length, which also is a necessary condition for the occurrence of direct I-Hα transitions.

A 640-MHz 32-megachannel real-time polyphase-FFT spectrum analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, G. A.; Garyantes, M. F.; Grimm, M. J.; Charny, B.

1991-01-01

A polyphase fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectrum analyzer being designed for NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Sky Survey at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described. By replacing the time domain multiplicative window preprocessing with polyphase filter processing, much of the processing loss of windowed FFTs can be eliminated. Polyphase coefficient memory costs are minimized by effective use of run length compression. Finite word length effects are analyzed, producing a balanced system with 8 bit inputs, 16 bit fixed point polyphase arithmetic, and 24 bit fixed point FFT arithmetic. Fixed point renormalization midway through the computation is seen to be naturally accommodated by the matrix FFT algorithm proposed. Simulation results validate the finite word length arithmetic analysis and the renormalization technique.

ANALYTICAL SOLUTION TO SATURATED FLOW IN A FINITE STRATIFIED AQUIFER

EPA Science Inventory

An analytical solution for the flow of water in a saturated-stratified aquitard-aquifer-aquitard system of finite length is presented. The analytical solution assumes one-dimensional horizontal flow in the aquifer and two-dimensional flow in the aquitards. Several examples are gi...

Complex fluids with mobile charge-regulating macro-ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovich, Tomer; Andelman, David; Podgornik, Rudi

2017-10-01

We generalize the concept of charge regulation of ionic solutions, and apply it to complex fluids with mobile macro-ions having internal non-electrostatic degrees of freedom. The suggested framework provides a convenient tool for investigating systems where mobile macro-ions can self-regulate their charge (e.g., proteins). We show that even within a simplified charge-regulation model, the charge dissociation equilibrium results in different and notable properties. Consequences of the charge regulation include a positional dependence of the effective charge of the macro-ions, a non-monotonic dependence of the effective Debye screening length on the concentration of the monovalent salt, a modification of the electric double-layer structure, and buffering by the macro-ions of the background electrolyte.

The plasma wake of mesosonic conducting bodies. II - An experimental parametric study of the mid-wake ion density peak

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, N. H.

1981-01-01

An experimental investigation of the disturbed flow field created by conducting bodies in a mesosonic, collisionless plasma stream is reported. The mid-wake region is investigated, where, for bodies of the order of a Debye length in size, the focused ion streams converge to form a significant current density peak on the wake axis. A parametric description is obtained of the behavior of the amplitude, width, and position of this peak. The results also indicate that portions of the axial ion peak are created by additional mechanisms and that body geometry affects the mid-wake structure only when the sheath is sufficiently thin to conform to the shape of the body.

Floating potential in electronegative plasmas for non-zero ion temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regodón, Guillermo Fernando; Fernández Palop, José Ignacio; Tejero-del-Caz, Antonio; Díaz-Cabrera, Juan Manuel; Carmona-Cabezas, Rafael; Ballesteros, Jerónimo

2018-02-01

The floating potential of a Langmuir probe immersed in an electronegative plasma is studied theoretically under the assumption of radial positive ion fluid movement for non-zero positive ion temperature: both cylindrical and spherical geometries are studied. The model is solvable exactly. The special characteristics of the electronegative pre-sheath are found and the influence of the stratified electronegative pre-sheath is shown to be very small in practical applications. It is suggested that the use of the floating potential in the measurement of negative ions population density is convenient, in view of the numerical results obtained. The differences between the two radial geometries, which become very important for small probe radii of the order of magnitude of the Debye length, are studied.

A GPU-based large-scale Monte Carlo simulation method for systems with long-range interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yihao; Xing, Xiangjun; Li, Yaohang

2017-06-01

In this work we present an efficient implementation of Canonical Monte Carlo simulation for Coulomb many body systems on graphics processing units (GPU). Our method takes advantage of the GPU Single Instruction, Multiple Data (SIMD) architectures, and adopts the sequential updating scheme of Metropolis algorithm. It makes no approximation in the computation of energy, and reaches a remarkable 440-fold speedup, compared with the serial implementation on CPU. We further use this method to simulate primitive model electrolytes, and measure very precisely all ion-ion pair correlation functions at high concentrations. From these data, we extract the renormalized Debye length, renormalized valences of constituent ions, and renormalized dielectric constants. These results demonstrate unequivocally physics beyond the classical Poisson-Boltzmann theory.

Direct numerical simulations of three-dimensional electrokinetic flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiam, Keng-Hwee

2006-11-01

We discuss direct numerical simulations of three-dimensional electrokinetic flows in microfluidic devices. In particular, we focus on the study of the electrokinetic instability that develops when two solutions with different electrical conductivities are coupled to an external electric field. We characterize this ``mixing'' instability as a function of the parameters of the model, namely the Reynolds number of the flow, the electric Peclet number of the electrolyte solution, and the ratio of the electroosmotic to the electroviscous time scales. Finally, we describe how this model breaks down when the length scale of the device approaches the nanoscale, where the width of the electric Debye layer is comparable to the width of the channel, and discuss solutions to overcome this.

The double layers in the plasma sheet boundary layer during magnetic reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, J.; Yu, B.

2014-11-01

We studied the evolutions of double layers which appear after the magnetic reconnection through two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation. The simulation results show that the double layers are formed in the plasma sheet boundary layer after magnetic reconnection. At first, the double layers which have unipolar structures are formed. And then the double layers turn into bipolar structures, which will couple with another new weak bipolar structure. Thus a new double layer or tripolar structure comes into being. The double layers found in our work are about several ten Debye lengths, which accords with the observation results. It is suggested that the electron beam formed during the magnetic reconnection is responsible for the production of the double layers.

Heterogeneous to homogeneous melting transition visualized with ultrafast electron diffraction

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

None

The ultrafast laser excitation of matters leads to non-equilibrium states with complex solid-liquid phase transition dynamics. We used electron diffraction at mega-electronvolt energies to visualize the ultrafast melting of gold on the atomic scale length. For energy densities approaching the irreversible melting regime, we first observed heterogeneous melting on time scales of 100 ps to 1000 ps, transitioning to homogeneous melting that occurs catastrophically within 10-20 ps at higher energy densities. We showed evidence for the heterogeneous coexistence of solid and liquid. We determined the ion and electron temperature evolution and found superheated conditions. Our results constrain the electron-ion couplingmore » rate, determine the Debye temperature and reveal the melting sensitivity to nucleation seeds.« less

Simulation of periodically focused, adiabatic thermal beams

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

Chen, C.; Akylas, T. R.; Barton, T. J.

2012-12-21

Self-consistent particle-in-cell simulations are performed to verify earlier theoretical predictions of adiabatic thermal beams in a periodic solenoidal magnetic focusing field [K.R. Samokhvalova, J. Zhou and C. Chen, Phys. Plasma 14, 103102 (2007); J. Zhou, K.R. Samokhvalova and C. Chen, Phys. Plasma 15, 023102 (2008)]. In particular, results are obtained for adiabatic thermal beams that do not rotate in the Larmor frame. For such beams, the theoretical predictions of the rms beam envelope, the conservations of the rms thermal emittances, the adiabatic equation of state, and the Debye length are verified in the simulations. Furthermore, the adiabatic thermal beam ismore » found be stable in the parameter regime where the simulations are performed.« less

Probabilistic finite elements for fracture mechanics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Besterfield, Glen

1988-01-01

The probabilistic finite element method (PFEM) is developed for probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM). A finite element which has the near crack-tip singular strain embedded in the element is used. Probabilistic distributions, such as expectation, covariance and correlation stress intensity factors, are calculated for random load, random material and random crack length. The method is computationally quite efficient and can be expected to determine the probability of fracture or reliability.

Universal entanglement spectra of gapped one-dimensional field theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Gil Young; Ludwig, Andreas W. W.; Ryu, Shinsei

2017-03-01

We discuss the entanglement spectrum of the ground state of a (1+1)-dimensional system in a gapped phase near a quantum phase transition. In particular, in proximity to a quantum phase transition described by a conformal field theory (CFT), the system is represented by a gapped Lorentz invariant field theory in the "scaling limit" (correlation length ξ much larger than microscopic "lattice" scale "a "), and can be thought of as a CFT perturbed by a relevant perturbation. We show that for such (1+1) gapped Lorentz invariant field theories in infinite space, the low-lying entanglement spectrum obtained by tracing out, say, left half-infinite space, is precisely equal to the physical spectrum of the unperturbed gapless, i.e., conformal field theory defined on a finite interval of length Lξ=ln(ξ /a ) with certain boundary conditions. In particular, the low-lying entanglement spectrum of the gapped theory is the finite-size spectrum of a boundary conformal field theory, and is always discrete and universal. Each relevant perturbation, and thus each gapped phase in proximity to the quantum phase transition, maps into a particular boundary condition. A similar property has been known to hold for Baxter's corner transfer matrices in a very special class of fine-tuned, namely, integrable off-critical lattice models, for the entire entanglement spectrum and independent of the scaling limit. In contrast, our result applies to completely general gapped Lorentz invariant theories in the scaling limit, without the requirement of integrability, for the low-lying entanglement spectrum. While the entanglement spectrum of the ground state of a gapped theory on a finite interval of length 2 R with suitable boundary conditions, bipartitioned into two equal pieces, turns out to exhibit a crossover between the finite-size spectra of the same CFT with in general different boundary conditions as the system size R crosses the correlation length from the "critical regime'' R ≪ξ to the "gapped regime'' R ≫ξ , the physical spectrum on a finite interval of length R with the same boundary conditions, on the other hand, is known to undergo a dramatic reorganization during the same crossover from being discrete to being continuous.

Measuring Crack Length in Coarse Grain Ceramics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salem, Jonathan A.; Ghosn, Louis J.

2010-01-01

Due to a coarse grain structure, crack lengths in precracked spinel specimens could not be measured optically, so the crack lengths and fracture toughness were estimated by strain gage measurements. An expression was developed via finite element analysis to correlate the measured strain with crack length in four-point flexure. The fracture toughness estimated by the strain gaged samples and another standardized method were in agreement.

A molecular Debye-Hückel approach to the reorganization energy of electron transfer reactions in an electric cell

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

Xiao, Tiejun; Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011; Song, Xueyu

2014-10-07

Electron transfer near an electrode immersed in ionic fluids is studied using the linear response approximation, namely, mean value of the vertical energy gap can be used to evaluate the reorganization energy, and hence any linear response model that can treat Coulomb interactions successfully can be used for the reorganization energy calculation. Specifically, a molecular Debye-Hückel theory is used to calculate the reorganization energy of electron transfer reactions in an electric cell. Applications to electron transfer near an electrode in molten salts show that the reorganization energies from our molecular Debye-Hückel theory agree well with the results from MD simulations.

Continuum limit of the vibrational properties of amorphous solids.

PubMed

Mizuno, Hideyuki; Shiba, Hayato; Ikeda, Atsushi

2017-11-14

The low-frequency vibrational and low-temperature thermal properties of amorphous solids are markedly different from those of crystalline solids. This situation is counterintuitive because all solid materials are expected to behave as a homogeneous elastic body in the continuum limit, in which vibrational modes are phonons that follow the Debye law. A number of phenomenological explanations for this situation have been proposed, which assume elastic heterogeneities, soft localized vibrations, and so on. Microscopic mean-field theories have recently been developed to predict the universal non-Debye scaling law. Considering these theoretical arguments, it is absolutely necessary to directly observe the nature of the low-frequency vibrations of amorphous solids and determine the laws that such vibrations obey. Herein, we perform an extremely large-scale vibrational mode analysis of a model amorphous solid. We find that the scaling law predicted by the mean-field theory is violated at low frequency, and in the continuum limit, the vibrational modes converge to a mixture of phonon modes that follow the Debye law and soft localized modes that follow another universal non-Debye scaling law.

Continuum limit of the vibrational properties of amorphous solids

PubMed Central

Mizuno, Hideyuki; Ikeda, Atsushi

2017-01-01

The low-frequency vibrational and low-temperature thermal properties of amorphous solids are markedly different from those of crystalline solids. This situation is counterintuitive because all solid materials are expected to behave as a homogeneous elastic body in the continuum limit, in which vibrational modes are phonons that follow the Debye law. A number of phenomenological explanations for this situation have been proposed, which assume elastic heterogeneities, soft localized vibrations, and so on. Microscopic mean-field theories have recently been developed to predict the universal non-Debye scaling law. Considering these theoretical arguments, it is absolutely necessary to directly observe the nature of the low-frequency vibrations of amorphous solids and determine the laws that such vibrations obey. Herein, we perform an extremely large-scale vibrational mode analysis of a model amorphous solid. We find that the scaling law predicted by the mean-field theory is violated at low frequency, and in the continuum limit, the vibrational modes converge to a mixture of phonon modes that follow the Debye law and soft localized modes that follow another universal non-Debye scaling law. PMID:29087941

Calculation of Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from highly stressed polycrystalline materials

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

MacDonald, M. J., E-mail: macdonm@umich.edu; SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025; Vorberger, J.

2016-06-07

Calculations of Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from polycrystalline materials have typically been done in the limit of small deviatoric stresses. Although these methods are well suited for experiments conducted near hydrostatic conditions, more robust models are required to diagnose the large strain anisotropies present in dynamic compression experiments. A method to predict Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns for arbitrary strains has been presented in the Voigt (iso-strain) limit [Higginbotham, J. Appl. Phys. 115, 174906 (2014)]. Here, we present a method to calculate Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from highly stressed polycrystalline samples in the Reuss (iso-stress) limit. This analysis uses elastic constants to calculate latticemore » strains for all initial crystallite orientations, enabling elastic anisotropy and sample texture effects to be modeled directly. The effects of probing geometry, deviatoric stresses, and sample texture are demonstrated and compared to Voigt limit predictions. An example of shock-compressed polycrystalline diamond is presented to illustrate how this model can be applied and demonstrates the importance of including material strength when interpreting diffraction in dynamic compression experiments.« less

On the Impact of Electrostatic Correlations on the Double-Layer Polarization of a Spherical Particle in an Alternating Current Field.

PubMed

Alidoosti, Elaheh; Zhao, Hui

2018-05-15

At concentrated electrolytes, the ion-ion electrostatic correlation effect is considered an important factor in electrokinetics. In this paper, we compute, in theory and simulation, the dipole moment for a spherical particle (charged, dielectric) under the action of an alternating electric field using the modified continuum Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) model by Bazant et al. [ Double Layer in Ionic Liquids: Overscreening Versus Crowding . Phys. Rev. Lett. 2011 , 106 , 046102 ] We investigate the dependency of the dipole moment in terms of frequency and its variation with such quantities like ζ-potential, electrostatic correlation length, and double-layer thickness. With thin electric double layers, we develop simple models through performing an asymptotic analysis of the modified PNP model. We also present numerical results for an arbitrary Debye screening length and electrostatic correlation length. From the results, we find a complicated impact of electrostatic correlations on the dipole moment. For instance, with increasing the electrostatic correlation length, the dipole moment decreases and reaches a minimum and then it goes up. This is because of initially decreasing of surface conduction and finally increasing due to the impact of ion-ion electrostatic correlations on ion's convection and migration. Also, we show that in contrast to the standard PNP model, the modified PNP model can qualitatively explain the data from the experimental results in multivalent electrolytes.

A new insight on the dynamics of sodium dodecyl sulfate aqueous micellar solutions by dielectric spectroscopy.

PubMed

Lanzi, Leandro; Carlà, Marcello; Lanzi, Leonardo; Gambi, Cecilia M C

2009-02-01

Aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar solutions were investigated by a recently developed double-differential dielectric spectroscopy technique in the frequency range 100 MHz-3 GHz at 22 degrees C, in the surfactant concentration range 29.8-524 mM, explored for the first time above 104 mM. The micellar contribution to dielectric spectra was analyzed according to three models containing, respectively, a single Debye relaxation, a Cole-Cole relaxation and a double Debye relaxation. The single Debye model is not accurate enough. Both Cole-Cole and double Debye models fit well the experimental dielectric spectra. With the double Debye model, two characteristic relaxation times were identified: the slower one, in the range 400-900 ps, is due to the motion of counterions bound to the micellar surface (lateral motion); the faster one, in the range 100-130 ps, is due to interfacial bound water. Time constants and amplitudes of both processes are in fair agreement with Grosse's theoretical model, except at the largest concentration values, where interactions between micelles increase. For each sample, the volume fraction of bulk water and the effect of bound water as well as the conductivity in the low frequency limit were computed. The bound water increases as the surfactant concentration increases, in quantitative agreement with the micellar properties. The number of water molecules per surfactant molecule was also computed. The conductivity values are in agreement with Kallay's model over the whole surfactant concentration range.

Study of pressure variation effect on structural, opto-electronic, elastic, mechanical, and thermodynamic properties of SrLiF3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erum, Nazia; Iqbal, Muhammad Azhar

2017-11-01

The structural, electronic, elastic, optical and thermodynamic properties of cubic fluoroperovskite SrLiF3 at ambient and high-pressure are investigated by using first-principles total energy calculations within the framework of Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA), combined with Quasi-harmonic Debye model in which the phonon effects are considered. The pressure effects are determined in the range of 0-50 GPa, in which cubic stability of SrLiF3 fluoroperovskite remains valid. The computed lattice parameters agree well with experimental and previous theoretical results. Decrease in lattice constant and bonds length is observed with the increase in pressure from 0 to 50 GPa. The effect of increase in pressure on electronic band structure calculations with GGA and GGA plus Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) potential reveals a predominant characteristic associated with widening of bandgap. The influence of pressure on elastic constants and their related mechanical parameters have been discussed in detail. All the calculated optical properties such as the complex dielectric function Ԑ(ω), optical conductivity σ(ω), energy loss function L(ω), absorption coefficient α(w), refractive index n (ω), reflectivity R (ω), and effective number of electrons neff, via sum rules shift towards the higher energies under the application of pressure. Moreover, important thermodynamic properties heat capacities (Cp and Cv), volume expansion coefficient (α), and Debye temperature (θD) are predicted successfully in the wide temperature and pressure ranges.

Interaction of colloidal nanoparticles with their local environment: the (ionic) nanoenvironment around nanoparticles is different from bulk and determines the physico-chemical properties of the nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Pfeiffer, Christian; Rehbock, Christoph; Hühn, Dominik; Carrillo-Carrion, Carolina; de Aberasturi, Dorleta Jimenez; Merk, Vivian; Barcikowski, Stephan; Parak, Wolfgang J.

2014-01-01

The physico-chemical properties of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) are influenced by their local environment, as, in turn, the local environment influences the physico-chemical properties of the NPs. In other words, the local environment around NPs has a profound impact on the NPs, and it is different from bulk due to interaction with the NP surface. So far, this important effect has not been addressed in a comprehensive way in the literature. The vicinity of NPs can be sensitively influenced by local ions and ligands, with effects already occurring at extremely low concentrations. NPs in the Hückel regime are more sensitive to fluctuations in the ionic environment, because of a larger Debye length. The local ion concentration hereby affects the colloidal stability of the NPs, as it is different from bulk owing to Debye Hückel screening caused by the charge of the NPs. This can have subtle effects, now caused by the environment to the performance of the NP, such as for example a buffering effect caused by surface reaction on ultrapure ligand-free nanogold, a size quenching effect in the presence of specific ions and a significant impact on fluorophore-labelled NPs acting as ion sensors. Thus, the aim of this review is to clarify and give an unifying view of the complex interplay between the NP's surface with their nanoenvironment. PMID:24759541

Superconducting Cavity Development for Free Electron Lasers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-30

effects have been modeled extensively using the code PARMELA, including finite space charge . The conflict is resolved through the use of harmonically...depends on the specifics of how the whole accelerator is run, i.e., bunch length, interpulse spacing , macrobunch length, charge per bunch, external...this indicates that the bunch length should be as long as possible. 2.4 OPTIMUM BUNCH LENGTH 20 Although wakefield, HOM excitation and space charge

Electromagnetic scattering from a layer of finite length, randomly oriented, dielectric, circular cylinders over a rough interface with application to vegetation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karam, M. A.; Fung, A. K.

1988-01-01

A scattering model for defoliated vegetation is developed by treating a layer of defoliated vegetation as a collection of randomly oriented dielectric cylinders of finite length over an irregular ground surface. Both polarized and depolarized backscattering are computed and their behavior versus the volume fraction, the incidence angle, the frequency, the angular distribution and the cylinder size are illustrated. It is found that both the angular distribution and the cylinder size have significant effects on the backscattered signal. The present theory is compared with measurements from defoliated vegetations.

An integral transform approach for a mixed boundary problem involving a flowing partially penetrating well with infinitesimal well skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chien-Chieh; Chen, Chia-Shyun

2002-06-01

A flowing partially penetrating well with infinitesimal well skin is a mixed boundary because a Cauchy condition is prescribed along the screen length and a Neumann condition of no flux is stipulated over the remaining unscreened part. An analytical approach based on the integral transform technique is developed to determine the Laplace domain solution for such a mixed boundary problem in a confined aquifer of finite thickness. First, the mixed boundary is changed into a homogeneous Neumann boundary by substituting the Cauchy condition with a Neumann condition in terms of well bore flux that varies along the screen length and is time dependent. Despite the well bore flux being unknown a priori, the modified model containing this homogeneous Neumann boundary can be solved with the Laplace and the finite Fourier cosine transforms. To determine well bore flux, screen length is discretized into a finite number of segments, to which the Cauchy condition is reinstated. This reinstatement also restores the relation between the original model and the solutions obtained. For a given time, the numerical inversion of the Laplace domain solution yields the drawdown distributions, well bore flux, and the well discharge. This analytical approach provides an alternative for dealing with the mixed boundary problems, especially when aquifer thickness is assumed to be finite.

Structural Origin of Enhanced Dynamics at the Surface of a Glassy Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Gang; Saw, Shibu; Douglass, Ian; Harrowell, Peter

2017-12-01

The enhancement of mobility at the surface of an amorphous alloy is studied using a combination of molecular dynamic simulations and normal mode analysis of the nonuniform distribution of Debye-Waller factors. The increased mobility at the surface is found to be associated with the appearance of Arrhenius temperature dependence. We show that the transverse Debye-Waller factor exhibits a peak at the surface. Over the accessible temperature range, we find that the bulk and surface diffusion coefficients obey the same empirical relationship with the respective Debye-Waller factors. Extrapolating this relationship to lower T , we argue that the observed decrease in the constraint at the surface is sufficient to account for the experimentally observed surface enhancement of mobility.

A Calculation Method for Convective Heat and Mass Transfer in Multiply-Slotted Film-Cooling Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

Transport of Heat ..... .......... 8 3. THE SOLUTION PROCEDURE ..... .. ................. 8 3.1 The Finite-Difference Grid Network ... .......... 8 3.2...The Finite-Difference Grid Network. Figure 4: The Iterative Solution Procedure used at each Streamwise Station. Figure 5: Velocity Profiles in the...the finite-difference grid in the y-direction. I is the mixing length. L is the distance in the x-direction from the injection slot entrance to the

Casimir interaction of rodlike particles in a two-dimensional critical system.

PubMed

Eisenriegler, E; Burkhardt, T W

2016-09-01

We consider the fluctuation-induced interaction of two thin, rodlike particles, or "needles," immersed in a two-dimensional critical fluid of Ising symmetry right at the critical point. Conformally mapping the plane containing the needles onto a simpler geometry in which the stress tensor is known, we analyze the force and torque between needles of arbitrary length, separation, and orientation. For infinite and semi-infinite needles we utilize the mapping of the plane bounded by the needles onto the half plane, and for two needles of finite length we use the mapping onto an annulus. For semi-infinite and infinite needles the force is expressed in terms of elementary functions, and we also obtain analytical results for the force and torque between needles of finite length with separation much greater than their length. Evaluating formulas in our approach numerically for several needle geometries and surface universality classes, we study the full crossover from small to large values of the separation to length ratio. In these two limits the numerical results agree with results for infinitely long needles and with predictions of the small-particle operator expansion, respectively.

Influence of solute charge and pyrrolidinium ionic liquid alkyl chain length on probe rotational reorientation dynamics.

PubMed

Guo, Jianchang; Mahurin, Shannon M; Baker, Gary A; Hillesheim, Patrick C; Dai, Sheng; Shaw, Robert W

2014-01-30

In recent years, the effect of molecular charge on the rotational dynamics of probe solutes in room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) has been a subject of growing interest. For the purpose of extending our understanding of charged solute behavior within RTILs, we have studied the rotational dynamics of three illustrative xanthene fluorescent probes within a series of N-alkylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Cnmpyr][Tf2N]) RTILs with different n-alkyl chain lengths (n = 3, 4, 6, 8, or 10) using time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy decay. The rotational dynamics of the neutral probe rhodamine B (RhB) dye lies between the stick and slip boundary conditions due to the influence of specific hydrogen bonding interactions. The rotation of the negatively charged sulforhodamine 640 (SR640) is slower than that of its positively charged counterpart rhodamine 6G (R6G). An analysis based upon Stokes-Einstein-Debye hydrodynamics indicates that SR640 adheres to stick boundary conditions due to specific interactions, whereas the faster rotation of R6G is attributed to weaker electrostatic interactions. No significant dependence of the rotational dynamics on the solvent alkyl chain length was observed for any of the three dyes, suggesting that the specific interactions between dyes and RTILs are relatively independent of this solvent parameter.

A preliminary study of extended magnetic field structures in the ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, James D.; Lane, Barton G.; Post, Richard S.

1987-01-01

Several plasma phenomena which are to be expected around a magnet in LEO were identified and analyzed qualitatively. The ASTROMAG cusp magnet will create an extended field whose strength drops to the ambient level over a scale length of approx. 15 m; the combined field has a complex topology with ring nulls and open and closed field lines. The entire configuration is moving through the partially ionized F-layer of the ionosphere at a speed slow compared to the local Alfven speed but fast compared to the ion sound speed. The ambient plasma crosses the extended field structure in a time short compared to the ion Larmor period yet long relative to the electron Larmor period. Thus, electrons behave as a magnetized fluid while ions move ballistically until reflected from higher fields near the cusp. Since the Debye length is short compared to the field scale length, an electrostatic shock-like structure forms to equilibrate the flows and achieve quasi-neutrality. The ambient plasma will be excluded from a cavity near the magnet. The size and nature of the strong interaction region in which the magnet significantly perturbs the ambient flow were determined by studying ion orbits numerically. Lecture viewgraphs summarizing these results are presented.

Nanoscale Roughness and Morphology Affect the IsoElectric Point of Titania Surfaces

PubMed Central

Borghi, Francesca; Vyas, Varun; Podestà, Alessandro; Milani, Paolo

2013-01-01

We report on the systematic investigation of the role of surface nanoscale roughness and morphology on the charging behaviour of nanostructured titania (TiO2) surfaces in aqueous solutions. IsoElectric Points (IEPs) of surfaces have been characterized by direct measurement of the electrostatic double layer interactions between titania surfaces and the micrometer-sized spherical silica probe of an atomic force microscope in NaCl aqueous electrolyte. The use of a colloidal probe provides well-defined interaction geometry and allows effectively probing the overall effect of nanoscale morphology. By using supersonic cluster beam deposition to fabricate nanostructured titania films, we achieved a quantitative control over the surface morphological parameters. We performed a systematical exploration of the electrical double layer properties in different interaction regimes characterized by different ratios of characteristic nanometric lengths of the system: the surface rms roughness Rq, the correlation length ξ and the Debye length λD. We observed a remarkable reduction by several pH units of IEP on rough nanostructured surfaces, with respect to flat crystalline rutile TiO2. In order to explain the observed behavior of IEP, we consider the roughness-induced self-overlap of the electrical double layers as a potential source of deviation from the trend expected for flat surfaces. PMID:23874708

Electron holes in phase space: What they are and why they matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchinson, I. H.

2017-05-01

This is a tutorial and selective review explaining the fundamental concepts and some currently open questions concerning the plasma phenomenon of the electron hole. The widespread occurrence of electron holes in numerical simulations, space-craft observations, and laboratory experiments is illustrated. The elementary underlying theory is developed of a one-dimensional electron hole as a localized potential maximum, self-consistently sustained by a deficit of trapped electron phase-space density. The spatial extent of a hole is typically a few Debye lengths; what determines the minimum and maximum possible lengths is explained, addressing the key aspects of the as yet unsettled dispute between the integral and differential approaches to hole structure. In multiple dimensions, holes tend to form less readily; they generally require a magnetic field and distribution-function anisotropy. The mechanisms by which they break up are explained, noting that this transverse instability is not fully understood. Examples are given of plasma circumstances where holes play an important role, and of recent progress on understanding their holistic kinematics and self-acceleration.

Effect of Trapped Ions on Shielding and Floating Potential of a Dust Grain in a Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lampe, Martin; Ganguli, Gurudas; Joyce, Glenn; Gavrishchaka, Valeriy

2001-10-01

The problem of electrostatic shielding around a small spherical collector immersed in plasma, and the related problem of electron and ion flow to the collector, date to the origins of plasma physics. Beginning with Mott-Smith and Langmuir (1926), calculations have typically neglected collisions, on the grounds that the mean free path is long compared to shielding length scales, i.e. the Debye length. However, investigators beginning with Bernstein and Rabinowitz (1959) have known that negative-energy trapped ions, created by occasional collisions, might be important. We present an analytic calculation of the density of trapped and untrapped ions, self-consistent with the potential. Under typical conditions for dust grains immersed in a discharge plasma, trapped ions dominate the shielding cloud in steady state, even in the limit of very long mean free path. As a result the shielded potential is different from the results of orbital motion limited theory. Collisions also greatly increase the ion current to the collector, thereby decreasing the floating potential and the grain charge by a factor as large as two to three.

Collisionless electron heating in inductively coupled discharges

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

Shaing, K.C.; Aydemir, A.Y.

1996-07-01

A kinetic theory of collisionless electron heating is developed for inductively coupled discharges with a finite height L. The novel effect associated with the finite-length system is the resonance between the bounce motion of the electrons and the wave frequency, leading to enhanced heating. The theory is in agreement with results of particle simulations.

Observation of finite-wavelength screening in high-energy-density matter

DOE PAGES

Chapman, D. A.; Vorberger, J.; Fletcher, L. B.; ...

2015-04-23

A key component for the description of charged particle systems is the screening of the Coulomb interaction between charge carriers. First investigated in the 1920s by Debye and Hückel for electrolytes, charge screening is important for determining the structural and transport properties of matter as diverse as astrophysical and laboratory plasmas, nuclear matter such as quark-gluon plasmas, electrons in solids, planetary cores and charged macromolecules. For systems with negligible dynamics, screening is still mostly described using a Debye–Hückel-type approach. Here, we report the novel observation of a significant departure from the Debye–Hückel-type model in high-energy-density matter by probing laser-driven, shock-compressedmore » plastic with high-energy X-rays. We use spectrally resolved X-ray scattering in a geometry that enables direct investigation of the screening cloud, and demonstrate that the observed elastic scattering amplitude is only well described within a more general approach.« less

Variational extension of the mean spherical approximation to arbitrary dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velázquez, Esov S.; Blum, Lesser; Frisch, Harry L.

1997-10-01

We generalize a variational principle for the mean spherical approximation for a system of charged hard spheres in 3D to arbitrary dimensions. We first construct a free energy variational trial function from the Debye-Hückel excess charging internal energy at a finite concentration and an entropy obtained at the zero-concentration limit by thermodynamic integration. In three dimensions the minimization of this expression with respect to the screening parameter leads to the mean spherical approximation, usually obtained by solution of the Ornstein-Zernike equation. This procedure, which interpolates naturally between the zero concentration/coupling limit and the high-concentration/ coupling limit, is extended to arbitrary dimensions. We conjecture that this result is also equivalent to the MSA as originally defined, although a technical proof of this point is left for the future. The Onsager limit T ΔS MSA / ΔE MSA → 0 for infinite concentration/coupling is satisfied for all d ≠ 2, while for d=2 this limit is 1.

Rectifiability of Line Defects in Liquid Crystals with Variable Degree of Orientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alper, Onur

2018-04-01

In [2], H ardt, L in and the author proved that the defect set of minimizers of the modified Ericksen energy for nematic liquid crystals consists locally of a finite union of isolated points and Hölder continuous curves with finitely many crossings. In this article, we show that each Hölder continuous curve in the defect set is of finite length. Hence, locally, the defect set is rectifiable. For the most part, the proof closely follows the work of D e L ellis et al. (Rectifiability and upper minkowski bounds for singularities of harmonic q-valued maps, arXiv:1612.01813, 2016) on harmonic Q-valued maps. The blow-up analysis in A lper et al. (Calc Var Partial Differ Equ 56(5):128, 2017) allows us to simplify the covering arguments in [11] and locally estimate the length of line defects in a geometric fashion.

Some Debye temperatures from single-crystal elastic constant data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robie, R.A.; Edwards, J.L.

1966-01-01

The mean velocity of sound has been calculated for 14 crystalline solids by using the best recent values of their single-crystal elastic stiffness constants. These mean sound velocities have been used to obtain the elastic Debye temperatures ??De for these materials. Models of the three wave velocity surfaces for calcite are illustrated. ?? 1966 The American Institute of Physics.

Analytical Debye-Huckel model for electrostatic potentials around dissolved DNA.

PubMed

Wagner, K; Keyes, E; Kephart, T W; Edwards, G

1997-07-01

We present an analytical, Green-function-based model for the electric potential of DNA in solution, treating the surrounding solvent with the Debye-Huckel approximation. The partial charge of each atom is accounted for by modeling DNA as linear distributions of atoms on concentric cylindrical surfaces. The condensed ions of the solvent are treated with the Debye-Huckel approximation. The resultant leading term of the potential is that of a continuous shielded line charge, and the higher order terms account for the helical structure. Within several angstroms of the surface there is sufficient information in the electric potential to distinguish features and symmetries of DNA. Plots of the potential and equipotential surfaces, dominated by the phosphate charges, reflect the structural differences between the A, B, and Z conformations and, to a smaller extent, the difference between base sequences. As the distances from the helices increase, the magnitudes of the potentials decrease. However, the bases and sugars account for a larger fraction of the double helix potential with increasing distance. We have found that when the solvent is treated with the Debye-Huckel approximation, the potential decays more rapidly in every direction from the surface than it did in the concentric dielectric cylinder approximation.

Dielectric relaxation of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol around the glass transition by thermally stimulated depolarization currents.

PubMed

Arrese-Igor, S; Alegría, A; Colmenero, J

2015-06-07

We explore new routes for characterizing the Debye-like and α relaxation in 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (2E1H) monoalcohol by using low frequency dielectric techniques including thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) techniques and isothermal depolarization current methods. In this way, we have improved the resolution of the overlapped processes making it possible the analysis of the data in terms of a mode composition as expected for a chain-like response. Furthermore the explored ultralow frequencies enabled to study dynamics at relatively low temperatures close to the glass transition (Tg). Results show, on the one hand, that Debye-like and α relaxation timescales dramatically approach to each other upon decreasing temperature to Tg. On the other hand, the analysis of partial polarization TSDC data confirms the single exponential character of the Debye-like relaxation in 2E1H and rules out the presence of Rouse type modes in the scenario of a chain-like response. Finally, on crossing the glass transition, the Debye-like relaxation shows non-equilibrium effects which are further emphasized by aging treatment and would presumably emerge as a result of the arrest of the structural relaxation below Tg.

Characterizing Flexible and Instrinsically Unstructured Biological Macromolecules by SAS using the Porod-Debye Law

PubMed Central

Rambo, Robert P.; Tainer, John A.

2011-01-01

Unstructured proteins, RNA or DNA components provide functionally important flexibility that is key to many macromolecular assemblies throughout cell biology. As objective, quantitative experimental measures of flexibility and disorder in solution are limited, small angle scattering (SAS), and in particular small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), provides a critical technology to assess macromolecular flexibility as well as shape and assembly. Here, we consider the Porod-Debye law as a powerful tool for detecting biopolymer flexibility in SAS experiments. We show that the Porod-Debye region fundamentally describes the nature of the scattering intensity decay, which captures information needed for distinguishing between folded and flexible particles. Particularly for comparative SAS experiments, application of the law, as described here, can distinguish between discrete conformational changes and localized flexibility relevant to molecular recognition and interaction networks. This approach aids insightful analyses of fully and partly flexible macromolecules that is more robust and conclusive than traditional Kratky analyses. Furthermore, we demonstrate for prototypic SAXS data that the ability to calculate particle density by the Porod-Debye criteria, as shown here, provides an objective quality assurance parameter that may prove of general use for SAXS modeling and validation. PMID:21509745

Anharmonic, dimensionality and size effects in phonon transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Iorwerth O.; Srivastava, G. P.

2017-12-01

We have developed and employed a numerically efficient semi- ab initio theory, based on density-functional and relaxation-time schemes, to examine anharmonic, dimensionality and size effects in phonon transport in three- and two-dimensional solids of different crystal symmetries. Our method uses third- and fourth-order terms in crystal Hamiltonian expressed in terms of a temperature-dependent Grüneisen’s constant. All input to numerical calculations are generated from phonon calculations based on the density-functional perturbation theory. It is found that four-phonon processes make important and measurable contribution to lattice thermal resistivity above the Debye temperature. From our numerical results for bulk Si, bulk Ge, bulk MoS2 and monolayer MoS2 we find that the sample length dependence of phonon conductivity is significantly stronger in low-dimensional solids.

Collisional spin-oriented Sherman function in electron-hole semiconductor plasmas: Landau damping effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Myoung-Jae; Jung, Young-Dae

2018-04-01

The influence of Landau damping on the spin-oriented collisional asymmetry is investigated in electron-hole semiconductor plasmas. The analytical expressions of the spin-singlet and the spin-triplet scattering amplitudes as well as the spin-oriented asymmetry Sherman function are obtained as functions of the scattering angle, the Landau parameter, the effective Debye length, and the collision energy. It is found that the Landau damping effect enhances the spin-singlet and spin-triplet scattering amplitudes in the forward and back scattering domains, respectively. It is also found that the Sherman function increases with an increase in the Landau parameter. In addition, the spin-singlet scattering process is found to be dominant rather than the spin-triplet scattering process in the high collision energy domain.

An analytical force balance model for dust particles with size up to several Debye lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aussems, D. U. B.; Khrapak, S. A.; Doǧan, I.; van de Sanden, M. C. M.; Morgan, T. W.

2017-11-01

In this study, we developed a revised stationary force balance model for particles in the regime a / λ D < 10 . In contrast to other analytical models, the pressure and dipole force were included too, and for anisotropic plasmas, a novel contribution to the dipole moment was derived. Moreover, the Coulomb logarithm and collection cross-section were modified. The model was applied on a case study where carbon dust is formed near the plasma sheath in the linear plasma device Pilot-PSI. The pressure force and dipole force were found to be significant. By tracing the equilibrium position, the particle radius was determined at which the particle deposits. The obtained particle radius agrees well with the experimentally obtained size and suggests better agreement as compared to the unrevised model.

Formation of the Electric Double Layer and its Effects on Moving Bodies in a Space Plasma Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, Qianli; Wu, S. T.; Stone, N. H.; Li, Xiaoquing

1996-01-01

In this paper we solve the self-consistent Vlasov and Poisson equations by a numerical method to determine the local distribution function of the ion and the electron, within a thin layer near the moving body, respectively. Using these ion and electron distributions, the number density for the ions and electrons are determined, such that, the electric potential is obtained within this thin layer (i.e., measured by Debye length). Numerical results are presented for temporal evolution of the electron and ion density and its corresponding electric potential within the layer which shows the formation of electric double layer and its structures. From these numerical results, we are able to determine the maximum conditions of the electric potential, it may create satellite anomaly.

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

Hyatt, John S.; Do, Changwoo; Hu, Xiaobo

Here, we investigate poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) microgels randomly copolymerized with large mol % of protonated acrylic acid (AAc), finding that above the lower critical solution temperature the presence of the acid strongly disrupts pNIPAM's collapse, leading to unexpected new behavior at high temperatures. We see a dramatic increase in the ratio between the radius of gyration and the hydrodynamic radius above the theoretical value for homogeneous spheres, and a corresponding increase of the network length scale, which we attribute to the presence of a heterogeneous polymer distribution that forms due to frustration of pNIPAM's coil-to-globule transition by the AAc. Finally, wemore » analyze this phenomenon using a Debye-Bueche-like scattering contribution as opposed to the Lorentzian term often used, interpreting the results in terms of mass segregation at the particle periphery.« less

Electronic Cortisol Detection Using an Antibody-Embedded Polymer Coupled to a Field-Effect Transistor.

PubMed

Jang, Hyun-June; Lee, Taein; Song, Jian; Russell, Luisa; Li, Hui; Dailey, Jennifer; Searson, Peter C; Katz, Howard E

2018-05-16

A field-effect transistor-based cortisol sensor was demonstrated in physiological conditions. An antibody-embedded polymer on the remote gate was proposed to overcome the Debye length issue (λ D ). The sensing membrane was made by linking poly(styrene- co-methacrylic acid) (PSMA) with anticortisol before coating the modified polymer on the remote gate. The embedded receptor in the polymer showed sensitivity from 10 fg/mL to 10 ng/mL for cortisol and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 pg/mL in 1× PBS where λ D is 0.2 nm. A LOD of 1 ng/mL was shown in lightly buffered artificial sweat. Finally, a sandwich ELISA confirmed the antibody binding activity of antibody-embedded PSMA.

Method and system for nanoscale plasma processing of objects

DOEpatents

Oehrlein, Gottlieb S [Clarksville, MD; Hua, Xuefeng [Hyattsville, MD; Stolz, Christian [Baden-Wuerttemberg, DE

2008-12-30

A plasma processing system includes a source of plasma, a substrate and a shutter positioned in close proximity to the substrate. The substrate/shutter relative disposition is changed for precise control of substrate/plasma interaction. This way, the substrate interacts only with a fully established, stable plasma for short times required for nanoscale processing of materials. The shutter includes an opening of a predetermined width, and preferably is patterned to form an array of slits with dimensions that are smaller than the Debye screening length. This enables control of the substrate/plasma interaction time while avoiding the ion bombardment of the substrate in an undesirable fashion. The relative disposition between the shutter and the substrate can be made either by moving the shutter or by moving the substrate.

Quantum tunneling resonant electron transfer process in Lorentzian plasmas

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

Hong, Woo-Pyo; Jung, Young-Dae, E-mail: ydjung@hanyang.ac.kr; Department of Applied Physics and Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Kyunggi-Do 426-791

The quantum tunneling resonant electron transfer process between a positive ion and a neutral atom collision is investigated in nonthermal generalized Lorentzian plasmas. The result shows that the nonthermal effect enhances the resonant electron transfer cross section in Lorentzian plasmas. It is found that the nonthermal effect on the classical resonant electron transfer cross section is more significant than that on the quantum tunneling resonant charge transfer cross section. It is shown that the nonthermal effect on the resonant electron transfer cross section decreases with an increase of the Debye length. In addition, the nonthermal effect on the quantum tunnelingmore » resonant electron transfer cross section decreases with increasing collision energy. The variation of nonthermal and plasma shielding effects on the quantum tunneling resonant electron transfer process is also discussed.« less

Bohm velocity in the presence of a hot cathode

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

Palacio Mizrahi, J. H.; Krasik, Ya. E.

2013-08-15

The spatial distribution of the plasma and beam electrons in a region whose extension from a hot cathode is larger than the Debye length, but smaller than the electron mean free path, is analyzed. In addition, the influence of electrons thermionically emitted from a hot cathode and the ratio of electron-to-ion mass on the Bohm velocity and on the ion and electron densities at the plasma-sheath boundary in a gas discharge are studied. It is shown that thermionic emission has the effect of increasing the Bohm velocity, and this effect is more pronounced for lighter ions. In addition, it ismore » shown that the Bohm velocity cannot be increased to more than 24% above its value when there is no electron emission.« less

Coherent X-ray Scattering from Liquid-Air Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shpyrko, Oleg

Advances in synchrotron x-ray scattering techniques allow studies of structure and dynamics of liquid surfaces with unprecedented resolution. I will review x-ray scattering measurements of thermally excited capillary fluctuations in liquids, thin polymer liquid films and polymer surfaces in confined geometry. X-ray Diffuse scattering profile due to Debye-Waller like roughening of the surface allows to probe the distribution of capillary fluctuations over a wide range of length scales, while using X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) one is able to directly couple to nanoscale dynamics of these surface fluctuations, over a wide range of temporal and spacial scales. I will also discuss recent XPCS measurements of lateral diffusion dynamics in Langmuir monolayers assembled at the liquid-air interface. This research was supported by NSF CAREER Grant 0956131.

Observations of electron phase-space holes driven during magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, W.; Porkolab, M.; Egedal, J.; Katz, N.; Le, A.

2012-03-01

This work presents detailed experimental observations of electron phase-space holes driven during magnetic reconnection events on the Versatile Toroidal Facility. The holes are observed to travel on the order of or faster than the electron thermal speed, and are of large size scale, with diameter of order 60 Debye lengths. In addition, they have 3D spheroidal structure with approximately unity aspect ratio. We estimate the direct anomalous resistivity due to ion interaction with the holes and find it to be too small to affect the reconnection rate; however, the holes may play a role in reining in a tail of accelerated electrons and they indicate the presence of other processes in the reconnection layer, such as electron energization and electron beam formation.

Bond between smooth prestressing wires and concrete : finite element model and transfer length analysis for pretensioned concrete crossties.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-03

Pretensioned concrete ties are increasingly employed in railroad high speed : and heavy haul applications. The bond between prestressing wires or strands and : concrete plays an important role in determining the transfer length of pretensioned : conc...

Intrinsic autocorrelation time of picoseconds for thermal noise in water.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhi; Sheng, Nan; Wan, Rongzheng; Fang, Haiping

2014-10-02

Whether thermal noise is colored or white is of fundamental importance. In conventional theory, thermal noise is usually treated as white noise so that there are no directional transportations in the asymmetrical systems without external inputs, since only the colored fluctuations with appropriate autocorrelation time length can lead to directional transportations in the asymmetrical systems. Here, on the basis of molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the autocorrelation time length of thermal noise in water is ~10 ps at room temperature, which indicates that thermal noise is not white in the molecular scale while thermal noise can be reasonably assumed as white in macro- and meso-scale systems. The autocorrelation time length of thermal noise is intrinsic, since the value is almost unchanged for different temperature coupling methods. Interestingly, the autocorrelation time of thermal noise is correlated with the lifetime of hydrogen bonds, suggesting that the finite autocorrelation time length of thermal noise mainly comes from the finite lifetime of the interactions between neighboring water molecules.

Entropy uncertainty relations and stability of phase-temporal quantum cryptography with finite-length transmitted strings

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

Molotkov, S. N., E-mail: sergei.molotkov@gmail.com

2012-12-15

Any key-generation session contains a finite number of quantum-state messages, and it is there-fore important to understand the fundamental restrictions imposed on the minimal length of a string required to obtain a secret key with a specified length. The entropy uncertainty relations for smooth min and max entropies considerably simplify and shorten the proof of security. A proof of security of quantum key distribution with phase-temporal encryption is presented. This protocol provides the maximum critical error compared to other protocols up to which secure key distribution is guaranteed. In addition, unlike other basic protocols (of the BB84 type), which aremore » vulnerable with respect to an attack by 'blinding' of avalanche photodetectors, this protocol is stable with respect to such an attack and guarantees key security.« less

Peter J. W. Debye - a whole life devoted to science.

PubMed

Dalba, Giuseppe

2016-11-01

In 1915 P. Debye, one of the most prominent scientists in the field of condensed-matter physics and physical chemistry, published an X-ray scattering equation for randomly oriented scattering sites. This formula, since then used for describing the structure of powders, liquids and gases, has become a model for material analysis at the nanoscale. This paper re-examines briefly Debye's works on the origin and evolution of the scattering equation and its first uses. The career of the great scientist and some of his other numerous and diverse contributions to science are also reviewed. Additionally the paper addresses aspects of his life as a teacher, as a science manager and as a man, including the recent controversy about his conduct during the Third Reich regime.

Calculation of Half-Metal, Debye and Curie Temperatures of Co2VAl Compound: First Principles Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arash, Boochani; Heidar, Khosravi; Jabbar, Khodadadi; Shahram, Solaymani; Masoud Majidiyan, Sarmazdeh; Rohollah Taghavi, Mendi; Sayed, Mohammad Elahi

2015-05-01

By FP-LAPW calculations, the structural, elastic, Debye and Curie temperatures, electronic and magnetic properties of Co2 VAl are investigated. The results indicate that Ferromagnetic (FM) phase is more stable than Anti-Ferromagnetic (AFM) and Non-magnetic (NM) ones. In addition, C11-C12 > 0, C44 > 0, and B > 0 so Co2VAl is an elastically stable material with high Debye temperature. Also, the B/G ratio exhibits a ductility behavior. The relatively high Curie temperature provides it as a favorable material for spintronic application. It's electronic and magnetic properties are studied by GGA+U approach leading to a 100% spin polarization at Fermi level. Supported by the simulation of Nano Physics Lab center of Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University

Electromagnetic propagation in PEC and absorbing curved S-ducts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumeister, Kenneth J.

1988-01-01

A finite-element Galerkin formulation has been developed to study transverse magnetic (TM) wave propagation in 2-D S-curved ducts with both perfectly conducting and absorbing walls. The reflection and transmission at the entrances and the exits of the curved ducts are determined by coupling the finite-element solutions in the curved ducts to the eigenfunctions of an infinite, uniform, perfectly conducting duct. Example solutions are presented for a double mitred and S-ducts of various lengths. The length of the S-duct is found to significantly effect the reflective characteristics of the duct. Also, the effect of curvature on an absorbing duct is illustrated.

Scattering models for some vegetation samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karam, M. A.; Fung, A. K.; Antar, Y. M. M.

1987-01-01

The Helmholtz integral equation is presently derived for a scatterer of arbitrary shape, and reduced in order to obtain the far zone-scattered field in terms of the field within the scatterer. Attention is given to the effect of different approaches to field estimation within the scatterer on the backscattering cross section, as illustrated numerically by the cases of a circular disk, a needle, and a finite-length cylinder. A comparison is made of the results obtained by modeling a leaf by means of a circular disk within the Shifrin approximation, and a tree branch by means of a finite-length cylinder, with measurements from a single leaf and a single branch.

Calculation of gravity and magnetic anomalies of finite-length right polygonal prisms.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cady, J.W.

1980-01-01

An equation is derived for the vertical gravity field due to a homogeneous body with polygonal cross‐section and finite strike‐length. The equation can be separated into the two‐dimensional (2-D) terms of Talwani et al. (1959) and exact terms for the contributions of the ends of the prism. Equations for the magnetic field due to a similar body were derived by Shuey and Pasquale (1973), who coined the term “two‐and‐a‐half dimensional” (2 1/2-D) to describe the geometry. Magnetic intensities are expressed as a vector sum, from which the common dot product formulation can be obtained by binomial expansion.

Precisely and Accurately Inferring Single-Molecule Rate Constants

PubMed Central

Kinz-Thompson, Colin D.; Bailey, Nevette A.; Gonzalez, Ruben L.

2017-01-01

The kinetics of biomolecular systems can be quantified by calculating the stochastic rate constants that govern the biomolecular state versus time trajectories (i.e., state trajectories) of individual biomolecules. To do so, the experimental signal versus time trajectories (i.e., signal trajectories) obtained from observing individual biomolecules are often idealized to generate state trajectories by methods such as thresholding or hidden Markov modeling. Here, we discuss approaches for idealizing signal trajectories and calculating stochastic rate constants from the resulting state trajectories. Importantly, we provide an analysis of how the finite length of signal trajectories restrict the precision of these approaches, and demonstrate how Bayesian inference-based versions of these approaches allow rigorous determination of this precision. Similarly, we provide an analysis of how the finite lengths and limited time resolutions of signal trajectories restrict the accuracy of these approaches, and describe methods that, by accounting for the effects of the finite length and limited time resolution of signal trajectories, substantially improve this accuracy. Collectively, therefore, the methods we consider here enable a rigorous assessment of the precision, and a significant enhancement of the accuracy, with which stochastic rate constants can be calculated from single-molecule signal trajectories. PMID:27793280

Studies on the solvation dynamics of coumarin 153 in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium alkylsulfate ionic liquids: dependence on alkyl chain length.

PubMed

Das, Sudhir Kumar; Sarkar, Moloy

2012-08-06

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence behavior of coumarin 153 (C153) is investigated in a series of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium alkylsulfate ([C(2)mim][C(n)OSO(3)]) ionic liquids differing only in the length of the linear alkyl chain (n = 4, 6, and 8) in the anion. The aim of the present study is to understand the role of alkyl chain length in solute rotation and solvation dynamics of C153 in these ionic liquids. The blueshift observed in the steady-state absorption and emission maxima of C153 on going from the C(4)OSO(3) to the C(8)OSO(3) system indicates increasing nonpolar character of the microenvironment of the solute with increasing length of the alkyl side chain of the anion of the ionic liquids. The average solvation time is also found to increase on changing the substituent from butyl to octyl, and this is attributed to the increase in the bulk viscosity of the ILs. A steady blueshift of the time-zero maximum of the fluorescence spectrum with increasing alkyl chain length also indicates that the probe molecule experiences a less polar environment in the early part of the dynamics. Rotational dynamics of C153 are also analyzed by using the Stokes-Einstein-Debye (SED), Gierer-Wirtz (GW), and Dote-Kivelson-Schwartz (DKS) theories. Analyses of the results seem to suggest decoupling of the rotational motion of the probe from solvent viscosity. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stress-intensity factors for small surface and corner cracks in plates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, I. S.; Atluri, S. N.; Newman, J. C., Jr.

1988-01-01

Three-dimensional finite-element and finite-alternating methods were used to obtain the stress-intensity factors for small surface and corner cracked plates subjected to remote tension and bending loads. The crack-depth-to-crack-length ratios (a/c) ranged from 0.2 to 1 and the crack-depth-to-plate-thickness ratios (a/t) ranged from 0.05 to 0.2. The performance of the finite-element alternating method was studied on these crack configurations. A study of the computational effort involved in the finite-element alternating method showed that several crack configurations could be analyzed with a single rectangular mesh idealization, whereas the conventional finite-element method requires a different mesh for each configuration. The stress-intensity factors obtained with the finite-element-alternating method agreed well (within 5 percent) with those calculated from the finite-element method with singularity elements.

Banach spaces that realize minimal fillings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednov, B. B.; Borodin, P. A.

2014-04-01

It is proved that a real Banach space realizes minimal fillings for all its finite subsets (a shortest network spanning a fixed finite subset always exists and has the minimum possible length) if and only if it is a predual of L_1. The spaces L_1 are characterized in terms of Steiner points (medians). Bibliography: 25 titles.

Diffusion of isolated DNA molecules: dependence on length and topology.

PubMed

Robertson, Rae M; Laib, Stephan; Smith, Douglas E

2006-05-09

The conformation and dynamics of circular polymers is a subject of considerable theoretical and experimental interest. DNA is an important example because it occurs naturally in different topological states, including linear, relaxed circular, and supercoiled circular forms. A fundamental question is how the diffusion coefficients of isolated polymers scale with molecular length and how they vary for different topologies. Here, diffusion coefficients D for relaxed circular, supercoiled, and linear DNA molecules of length L ranging from approximately 6 to 290 kbp were measured by tracking the Brownian motion of single molecules. A topology-independent scaling law D approximately L(-nu) was observed with nu(L) = 0.571 +/- 0.014, nu(C) = 0.589 +/- 0.018, and nu(S) = 0.571 +/- 0.057 for linear, relaxed circular, and supercoiled DNA, respectively, in good agreement with the scaling exponent of nu congruent with 0.588 predicted by renormalization group theory for polymers with significant excluded volume interactions. Our findings thus provide evidence in support of several theories that predict an effective diameter of DNA much greater than the Debye screening length. In addition, the measured ratio D(Circular)/D(Linear) = 1.32 +/- 0.014 was closer to the value of 1.45 predicted by using renormalization group theory than the value of 1.18 predicted by classical Kirkwood hydrodynamic theory and agreed well with a value of 1.31 predicted when incorporating a recently proposed expression for the radius of gyration of circular polymers into the Zimm model.

Ultrasonic Relaxation Study of 1-Alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-Based Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids: Probing the Role of Alkyl Chain Length in the Cation.

PubMed

Zorębski, Michał; Zorębski, Edward; Dzida, Marzena; Skowronek, Justyna; Jężak, Sylwia; Goodrich, Peter; Jacquemin, Johan

2016-04-14

Ultrasound absorption spectra of four 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides were determined as a function of the alkyl chain length on the cation from 1-propyl to 1-hexyl from 293.15 to 323.15 K at ambient pressure. Herein, the ultrasound absorption measurements were carried out using a standard pulse technique within a frequency range from 10 to 300 MHz. Additionally, the speed of sound, density, and viscosity have been measured. The presence of strong dissipative processes during the ultrasound wave propagation was found experimentally, i.e., relaxation processes in the megahertz range were observed for all compounds over the whole temperature range. The relaxation spectra (both relaxation amplitude and relaxation frequency) were shown to be dependent on the alkyl side chain length of the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ring. In most cases, a single-Debye model described the absorption spectra very well. However, a comparison of the determined spectra with the spectra of a few other imidazolium-based ionic liquids reported in the literature (in part recalculated in this work) shows that the complexity of the spectra increases rapidly with the elongation of the alkyl chain length on the cation. This complexity indicates that both the volume viscosity and the shear viscosity are involved in relaxation processes even in relatively low frequency ranges. As a consequence, the sound velocity dispersion is present at relatively low megahertz frequencies.

On the Debye-Hückel effect of electric screening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, L. M. B. C.; Lau, F. J. P.

2014-07-01

The paper considers non-linear self-consistent electric potential equation (Sec. I), due to a cloud made of a single species of electric charges, satisfying a Boltzmann distribution law (Sec. II). Exact solutions are obtained in a simple logarithmic form, in three cases: (Sec. III) spherical radial symmetry; (Sec. IV) plane parallel symmetry; (Sec. V) a special case of azimuthal-cylindrical symmetry. All these solutions, and their transformations (Sec. VI), involve the Debye-Hückel radius; the latter was originally defined from a solution of the linearized self-consistent potential equation. Using an exact solution of the self-consistent potential equation, the distance at which the potential vanishes differs from the Debye-Hückel radius by a factor of √2 . The preceding (Secs. II-VI) simple logarithmic exact solutions of the self-consistent potential equations involve no arbitrary constants, and thus are special or singular integrals not the general integral. The general solution of the self-consistent potential equation is obtained in the plane parallel case (Sec. VII), and it involves two arbitrary constants that can be reduced to one via a translation (Sec. VIII). The plots of dimensionless potential (Figure 1), electric field (Figure 2), charge density (Figure 3), and total charge between ζ and infinity (Figure 4), versus distance normalized to Debye-Hückel radius ζ ≡ z/a, show that (Sec. IX) there is a continuum of solutions, ranging from a charge distribution concentrated inside the Debye-Hückel radius to one spread-out beyond it. The latter case leads to the limiting case of logarithmic potential, and stronger electric field; the former case, of very concentrated charge distribution, leads to a fratricide effect and weaker electric field.

Electron Flow to a Satellite at High Positive Potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheldon, John W.

1996-01-01

The Tethered Satellite System (TSS) is designed to deploy a 1.6 m diameter spherical satellite a distance of 20 km above the space shuttle orbiter on an insulated conducting tether. Because of the passage of the conducting tether through the earth's magnetic field, an emf is generated producing a positive satellite potential of about 5000 V. Electron flow under the influence of this high positive potential is the focus of the present analysis. The ionospheric parameters at TSS orbit altitude are; thermal velocity of electrons, 1.9 x 10(exp 5) M/S, thermal velocity of the ions, 1.1 x 10(exp 3) m/s, velocity of the satellite 8 x 10(exp 3) m/s. The electrons, with a Debye length, lambda(D) = 0.49 cm, spiral about the earth's magnetic field lines (0.4 Gauss) with a radius of about 3 cm and the ions spiral with a radius of 5 m. Under these conditions, the electron thermal energy, kT is 0.17 eV. The TSS satellite radius, r(p) is 163 Debye lengths. There is an extensive literature on the interaction of satellites with the near-earth ionospheric plasma. The space charge limitation to the electron current collected by a sphere at positive electrical potential was calculated by Langmuir and Blodgett (1924). Parker and Murphy (1967) recognized the importance of the influence of the earth's magnetic field and used the guiding center approximation to calculate the electron current collected by a positive charged satellite. More recently Ma and Schunk (1989) have calculated the time dependent flow of electrons to a spherical satellite at positive potential utilizing numerical methods and Sheldon (1994) used similar methods to solve this problem for the steady state. In order to analyze some of the phenomena that occurred in the ionosphere during the TSS flights, it would be useful to have analytic expressions for these electron flows. The governing equations are very complex and an exact analytical solution is not likely. An approximate analytical solution is feasible however, and the results of one attempt are presented herein.

High correlation of double Debye model parameters in skin cancer detection.

PubMed

Truong, Bao C Q; Tuan, H D; Fitzgerald, Anthony J; Wallace, Vincent P; Nguyen, H T

2014-01-01

The double Debye model can be used to capture the dielectric response of human skin in terahertz regime due to high water content in the tissue. The increased water proportion is widely considered as a biomarker of carcinogenesis, which gives rise of using this model in skin cancer detection. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to provide a specific analysis of the double Debye parameters in terms of non-melanoma skin cancer classification. Pearson correlation is applied to investigate the sensitivity of these parameters and their combinations to the variation in tumor percentage of skin samples. The most sensitive parameters are then assessed by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plot to confirm their potential of classifying tumor from normal skin. Our positive outcomes support further steps to clinical application of terahertz imaging in skin cancer delineation.

Electronic structure, mechanical and thermodynamic properties of BaPaO3 under pressure.

PubMed

Khandy, Shakeel Ahmad; Islam, Ishtihadah; Gupta, Dinesh C; Laref, Amel

2018-05-07

Density functional theory (DFT)-based investigations have been put forward on the elastic, mechanical, and thermo-dynamical properties of BaPaO 3 . The pressure dependence of electronic band structure and other physical properties has been carefully analyzed. The increase in Bulk modulus and decrease in lattice constant is seen on going from 0 to 30 GPa. The predicted lattice constants describe this material as anisotropic and ductile in nature at ambient conditions. Post-DFT calculations using quasi-harmonic Debye model are employed to envisage the pressure-dependent thermodynamic properties like Debye temperature, specific heat capacity, Grüneisen parameter, thermal expansion, etc. Also, the computed Debye temperature and melting temperature of BaPaO 3 at 0 K are 523 K and 1764.75 K, respectively.

Mechanical and thermodynamic properties of AlX (X = N, P, As) compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lifang; Bu, Wei

2017-09-01

The Vickers hardness of various AlX (X = N, P, As) compound polymorphs were calculated with the bond resistance model. Thermodynamic properties, such as vibrational entropy, constant volume specific heat and Debye temperatures, were calculated using phonon dispersion relations and phonon density of states (DOS). The calculated values are in good agreement with the previous experimental and theoretical data. For the same structure of AlX (X = N, P, As) compounds, their hardness and Debye temperatures both decrease with the X atomic number. The wurtzite (wz) and zincblende (zb) structures of the same compounds AlX share an almost identical hardness, but have different Debye temperatures. The difference between wz and zb structures increases as the atomic number of X increases. The thermodynamic properties reveal that the constant volume specific heat approaches the Dulong-Petit rule at high temperatures.

Ab-initio study of thermodynamic properties of boron nanowire at atomic scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhuyan, Prabal D.; Gupta, Sanjeev K.; Sonvane, Y.; Gajjar, P. N.

2018-04-01

In the present work, we have optimized ribbon like zigzag structure of boron (B) nanowire (NW) and investigated vibrational and thermodynamic properties using quasi-harmonic approximations (QHA). All positive phonon in the phonon dispersive curve have confirmed dynamical stability of ribbon B-NW. The thermodynamic properties, like Debye temperature, internal energy and specific heat, are calculated as a function of temperature. The variation of specific heat is proportional to T3 Debye law at lower temperature for B-NW, while it becomes constant above room temperature at 1200K; obeys Dulong-Petit's law. The high Debye temperature of 1120K is observed at ambient temperature, which can be attributed to high thermal conductivity. Our study shows that B-NW with high thermal conductivity could be the next generation electron connector for nanoscale electronic devices.

Universality from disorder in the random-bond Blume-Capel model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fytas, N. G.; Zierenberg, J.; Theodorakis, P. E.; Weigel, M.; Janke, W.; Malakis, A.

2018-04-01

Using high-precision Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling we study the effect of quenched disorder in the exchange couplings on the Blume-Capel model on the square lattice. The first-order transition for large crystal-field coupling is softened to become continuous, with a divergent correlation length. An analysis of the scaling of the correlation length as well as the susceptibility and specific heat reveals that it belongs to the universality class of the Ising model with additional logarithmic corrections which is also observed for the Ising model itself if coupled to weak disorder. While the leading scaling behavior of the disordered system is therefore identical between the second-order and first-order segments of the phase diagram of the pure model, the finite-size scaling in the ex-first-order regime is affected by strong transient effects with a crossover length scale L*≈32 for the chosen parameters.

Dependence of exponents on text length versus finite-size scaling for word-frequency distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corral, Álvaro; Font-Clos, Francesc

2017-08-01

Some authors have recently argued that a finite-size scaling law for the text-length dependence of word-frequency distributions cannot be conceptually valid. Here we give solid quantitative evidence for the validity of this scaling law, using both careful statistical tests and analytical arguments based on the generalized central-limit theorem applied to the moments of the distribution (and obtaining a novel derivation of Heaps' law as a by-product). We also find that the picture of word-frequency distributions with power-law exponents that decrease with text length [X. Yan and P. Minnhagen, Physica A 444, 828 (2016), 10.1016/j.physa.2015.10.082] does not stand with rigorous statistical analysis. Instead, we show that the distributions are perfectly described by power-law tails with stable exponents, whose values are close to 2, in agreement with the classical Zipf's law. Some misconceptions about scaling are also clarified.

A Finite Length Cylinder Model for Mixed Oxide-Ion and Electron Conducting Cathodes Suited for Intermediate-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

DOE PAGES

Jin, Xinfang; Wang, Jie; Jiang, Long; ...

2016-03-25

A physics-based model is presented to simulate the electrochemical behavior of mixed ion and electron conducting (MIEC) cathodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Analytic solutions for both transient and impedance models based on a finite length cylinder are derived. These solutions are compared to their infinite length counterparts. The impedance solution is also compared to experimental electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data obtained from both a traditional well-established La 0.6Sr 0.4Co 0.2Fe 0.8O 3-δ (LSCF) cathode and a new SrCo 0.9Nb 0.1O 3-δ (SCN) porous cathode. Lastly, the impedance simulations agree well with the experimental values, demonstrating that the new modelsmore » can be used to extract electro-kinetic parameters of MIEC SOFC cathodes.« less

Optimization of Stability Constrained Geometrically Nonlinear Shallow Trusses Using an Arc Length Sparse Method with a Strain Energy Density Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hrinda, Glenn A.; Nguyen, Duc T.

2008-01-01

A technique for the optimization of stability constrained geometrically nonlinear shallow trusses with snap through behavior is demonstrated using the arc length method and a strain energy density approach within a discrete finite element formulation. The optimization method uses an iterative scheme that evaluates the design variables' performance and then updates them according to a recursive formula controlled by the arc length method. A minimum weight design is achieved when a uniform nonlinear strain energy density is found in all members. This minimal condition places the design load just below the critical limit load causing snap through of the structure. The optimization scheme is programmed into a nonlinear finite element algorithm to find the large strain energy at critical limit loads. Examples of highly nonlinear trusses found in literature are presented to verify the method.

Analytical Debye-Huckel model for electrostatic potentials around dissolved DNA.

PubMed Central

Wagner, K; Keyes, E; Kephart, T W; Edwards, G

1997-01-01

We present an analytical, Green-function-based model for the electric potential of DNA in solution, treating the surrounding solvent with the Debye-Huckel approximation. The partial charge of each atom is accounted for by modeling DNA as linear distributions of atoms on concentric cylindrical surfaces. The condensed ions of the solvent are treated with the Debye-Huckel approximation. The resultant leading term of the potential is that of a continuous shielded line charge, and the higher order terms account for the helical structure. Within several angstroms of the surface there is sufficient information in the electric potential to distinguish features and symmetries of DNA. Plots of the potential and equipotential surfaces, dominated by the phosphate charges, reflect the structural differences between the A, B, and Z conformations and, to a smaller extent, the difference between base sequences. As the distances from the helices increase, the magnitudes of the potentials decrease. However, the bases and sugars account for a larger fraction of the double helix potential with increasing distance. We have found that when the solvent is treated with the Debye-Huckel approximation, the potential decays more rapidly in every direction from the surface than it did in the concentric dielectric cylinder approximation. Images FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5 FIGURE 7 PMID:9199767

Variations of a global constraint factor in cracked bodies under tension and bending loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, J. C., Jr.; Crews, J. H., Jr.; Bigelow, C. A.; Dawicke, D. S.

1994-01-01

Elastic-plastic finite-element analyses were used to calculate stresses and displacements around a crack in finite-thickness plates for an elastic-perfectly plastic material. Middle- and edge-crack specimens were analyzed under tension and bending loads. Specimens were 1.25 to 20 mm thick with various widths and crack lengths. A global constraint factor alpha(sub g), an averaged normal-stress to flow-stress ratio over the plastic region, was defined to simulate three-dimensional (3D) effects in two-dimensional (2D) models. For crack lengths and uncracked ligament lengths greater than four times the thickness, the global constraint factor was found to be nearly a unique function of a normalized stress-intensity factor (related to plastic-zone size to thickness ratio) from small- to large-scale yielding conditions for various specimen types and thickness. For crack length-to-thickness ratios less than four, the global constraint factor was specimen type, crack length and thickness dependent. Using a 2D strip-yield model and the global constraint factors, plastic-zone sizes and crack-tip displacements agreed reasonably well with the 3D analyses. For a thin sheet aluminum alloy, the critical crack-tip-opening angle during stable tearing was found to be independent of specimen type and crack length for crack length-to-thickness ratios greater than 4.

A numerical simulation of finite-length Taylor-Couette flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streett, C. L.; Hussaini, M. Y.

1987-01-01

The processes leading to laminar-turbulent transition in finite-channel-length Taylor-Couette flow are investigated analytically, solving the unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations by spectral-collocation methods. A time-split algorithm, implementable in both axisymmetric and fully three-dimensional time-accurate versions, and an algorithm based on the staggered-mesh discretization of Bernardi and Maday (1986) are described in detail, and results obtained by applying the axisymmetric version of the first algorithm and a steady-state version of the second are presented graphically and compared with published experimental data. The feasibility of full three-dimensional simulations of the progression through chaotic states to turbulence under the constraints of Taylor-Couette flow is demonstrated.

Electromagnetic wave scattering from some vegetation samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karam, Mostafa A.; Fung, Adrian K.; Antar, Yahia M.

1988-01-01

For an incident plane wave, the field inside a thin scatterer (disk and needle) is estimated by the generalized Rayleigh-Gans (GRG) approximation. This leads to a scattering amplitude tensor equal to that obtained via the Rayleigh approximation (dipole term) with a modifying function. For a finite-length cylinder the inner field is estimated by the corresponding field for the same cylinder of infinite lenght. The effects of different approaches in estimating the field inside the scatterer on the backscattering cross section are illustrated numerically for a circular disk, a needle, and a finite-length cylinder as a function of the wave number and the incidence angle. Finally, the modeling predictions are compared with measurements.

Analysis of Large Quasistatic Deformations of Inelastic Solids by a New Stress Based Finite Element Method. Ph.D. Thesis Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Kenneth W.

1992-01-01

A new hybrid stress finite element algorithm suitable for analyses of large quasistatic deformation of inelastic solids is presented. Principal variables in the formulation are the nominal stress rate and spin. The finite element equations which result are discrete versions of the equations of compatibility and angular momentum balance. Consistent reformulation of the constitutive equation and accurate and stable time integration of the stress are discussed at length. Examples which bring out the feasibility and performance of the algorithm conclude the work.

Stress-intensity factor equations for cracks in three-dimensional finite bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, J. C., Jr.; Raju, I. S.

1981-01-01

Empirical stress intensity factor equations are presented for embedded elliptical cracks, semi-elliptical surface cracks, quarter-elliptical corner cracks, semi-elliptical surface cracks at a hole, and quarter-elliptical corner cracks at a hole in finite plates. The plates were subjected to remote tensile loading. Equations give stress intensity factors as a function of parametric angle, crack depth, crack length, plate thickness, and where applicable, hole radius. The stress intensity factors used to develop the equations were obtained from three dimensional finite element analyses of these crack configurations.

Convergence rates for finite element problems with singularities. Part 1: Antiplane shear. [crack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plunkett, R.

1980-01-01

The problem of a finite crack in an infinite medium under antiplane shear load is considered. It is shown that the nodal forces at the tip of the crack accurately gives the order of singularity, that n energy release methods can give the strength to better than 1 percent with element size 1/10 the crack length, and that nodal forces give a much better estimate of the stress field than do the elements themselves. The finite element formulation and the factoring of tridiagonal matrices are discussed.

Adaptive finite element method for turbulent flow near a propeller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelletier, Dominique; Ilinca, Florin; Hetu, Jean-Francois

1994-11-01

This paper presents an adaptive finite element method based on remeshing to solve incompressible turbulent free shear flow near a propeller. Solutions are obtained in primitive variables using a highly accurate finite element approximation on unstructured grids. Turbulence is modeled by a mixing length formulation. Two general purpose error estimators, which take into account swirl and the variation of the eddy viscosity, are presented and applied to the turbulent wake of a propeller. Predictions compare well with experimental measurements. The proposed adaptive scheme is robust, reliable and cost effective.

Asymmetric Outer Bow Length and Cervical Headgear Force System: 3D Analysis Using Finite Element Method.

PubMed

Geramy, Allahyar; Hassanpour, Mehdi; Emadian Razavi, Elham Sadat

2015-03-01

This study sought to assess distal and lateral forces and moments of asymmetric headgears by variable outer bow lengths. Four 3D finite element method (FEM) models of a cervical headgear attached to the maxillary first molars were designed in SolidWorks 2010 software and transferred to ANSYS Workbench ver. 11 software. Models contained the first molars, their periodontal ligament (PDL), cancellous and cortical bones, a mesiodistal slice of the maxillae and the headgear. Models were the same except for the outer bow length in headgears. The headgear was symmetric in model 1. In models 2 to 4, the headgears were asymmetric in length with differences of 5mm, 10mm and 15mm, respectively. A 2.5 N force in horizontal plane was applied and the loading manner of each side of the outer bow was calculated trigonometrically using data from a volunteer. The 15mm difference in outer bow length caused the greatest difference in lateral (=0.21 N) and distal (= 1.008 N) forces and also generated moments (5.044 N.mm). As the difference in outer bow length became greater, asymmetric effects increased. Greater distal force in the longer arm side was associated with greater lateral force towards the shorter arm side and more net yawing moment. A difference range of 1mm to 15 mm of length in cervical headgear can be considered as a safe length of outer bow shortening in clinical use.

Electrostatic charge on a dust size distribution in a plasma. [in interplanetary space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houpis, Harry L. F.; Whipple, Elden C., Jr.

1987-01-01

The capacitance of a grain immersed in a steady state plasma containing a size distribution of dust particles is studied. The grain charge is determined by assuming the equilibrium potential has been obtained by a simple balance of electron and ion collection currents. It is shown that the validity of the analytical treatment given here for the linearized Poisson equation is confined to a certain region of space. Within this region and starting at very small plasma Debye length lambda(D), the capacitance at first exhibits a monotonic increase with increasing lambda(D). The capacitance eventually reaches a maximum, followed by a monotonic decrease. The charge density of the dust in the plasma is found to be only a function of the lambda(D); there is no significant dependence on the interparticle spacing.

Numerically simulated two-dimensional auroral double layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borovsky, J. E.; Joyce, G.

1983-01-01

A magnetized 2 1/2-dimensional particle-in-cell system which is periodic in one direction and bounded by reservoirs of Maxwellian plasma in the other is used to numerically simulate electrostatic plasma double layers. For the cases of both oblique and two-dimensional double layers, the present results indicate periodic instability, Debye length rather than gyroradii scaling, and low frequency electrostatic turbulence together with electron beam-excited electrostatatic electron-cyclotron waves. Estimates are given for the thickness of auroral doule layers, as well as the separations within multiple auroral arcs. Attention is given to the temporal modulation of accelerated beams, and the possibilities for ion precipitation and ion conic production by the double layer are hypothesized. Simulations which include the atmospheric backscattering of electrons imply the action of an ionospheric sheath which accelerates ionospheric ions upward.

Observations of low-energy ions in the wake of a magnetospheric satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samir, U.; Comfort, R. H.; Chappell, C. R.; Stone, N. H.

1986-01-01

Measurements of low-energy ions made by the retarding ion mass spectrometer (RIMS) onboard the Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE 1) satellite are used to study some aspects of 'body-plasma interactions' in the terrestrial plasmasphere. Preliminary results are presented, yielding the degree of H+ and He+ ion depletion in the wake of the satellite in terms of specific and average ion Mach numbers, average ion mass, body size normalized to ionic Debye length, and body potential normalized to ion thermal energy. Some results from the RIMS measurements are compared with relevant results from the Explorer 31 and the Atmosphere Explorer C ionospheric satellites. Wake depletion is found to vary approximately linearly for small bodies (R-sub-Di less than about 12) and exponentially for large bodies (R-sub-Di greater than 50).

Landau damping in space plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thorne, Richard M.; Summers, Danny

1991-01-01

The Landau damping of electrostatic Langmuir waves and ion-acoustic waves in a hot, isotropic, nonmagnetized, generalized Lorentzian plasma is analyzed using the modified plasma dispersion function. Numerical solutions for the real and imaginary parts of the wave frequency omega sub 0 - (i)(gamma) have been obtained as a function of the normalized wave number (k)(lambda sub D), where lambda sub D is the electron Debye length. For both particle distributions the electrostatic modes are found to be strongly damped at short wavelengths. At long wavelengths, this damping becomes less severe, but the attenuation of Langmuir waves is much stronger for a generalized Lorentzian plasma than for a Maxwellian plasma. It is concluded that Landau damping of ion-acoustic waves is only slightly affected by the presence of a high energy tail, but is strongly dependent on the ion temperature.

Investigation of interaction between the Pt(II) ions and aminosilane-modified silica surface in heterogeneous system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowicki, Waldemar; Gąsowska, Anna; Kirszensztejn, Piotr

2016-05-01

UV-vis spectroscopy measurements confirmed the reaction in heterogeneous system between Pt(II) ions and ethylenediamine type ligand, n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane, immobilized at the silica surface. The formation of complexes is a consequence of interaction between the amine groups from the ligand grafted onto SiO2 and ions of platinum. A potentiometric titration technique was to determine the stability constants of complexes of Pt(II) with immobilized insoluble ligand (SG-L), on the silica gel. The results show the formation of three surface complexes of the same type (PtHSG-L, Pt(HSG-L)2, PtSG-L) with SG-L ligand, in a wide range of pH for different Debye length. The concentration distribution of the complexes in a heterogeneous system is evaluated.

Determination of the levitation limits of dust particles within the sheath in complex plasma experiments

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

Douglass, Angela; Land, Victor; Qiao Ke

2012-01-15

Experiments are performed in which dust particles are levitated at varying heights above the powered electrode in a radio frequency plasma discharge by changing the discharge power. The trajectories of particles dropped from the top of the discharge chamber are used to reconstruct the vertical electric force acting on the particles. The resulting data, together with the results from a self-consistent fluid model, are used to determine the lower levitation limit for dust particles in the discharge and the approximate height above the lower electrode where quasineutrality is attained, locating the sheath edge. These results are then compared with currentmore » sheath models. It is also shown that particles levitated within a few electron Debye lengths of the sheath edge are located outside the linearly increasing portion of the electric field.« less

Localized Oscillatory Energy Conversion in Magnetopause Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burch, J. L.; Ergun, R. E.; Cassak, P. A.; Webster, J. M.; Torbert, R. B.; Giles, B. L.; Dorelli, J. C.; Rager, A. C.; Hwang, K.-J.; Phan, T. D.; Genestreti, K. J.; Allen, R. C.; Chen, L.-J.; Wang, S.; Gershman, D.; Le Contel, O.; Russell, C. T.; Strangeway, R. J.; Wilder, F. D.; Graham, D. B.; Hesse, M.; Drake, J. F.; Swisdak, M.; Price, L. M.; Shay, M. A.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Pollock, C. J.; Denton, R. E.; Newman, D. L.

2018-02-01

Data from the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale mission are used to investigate asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the dayside boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind. High-resolution measurements of plasmas and fields are used to identify highly localized ( 15 electron Debye lengths) standing wave structures with large electric field amplitudes (up to 100 mV/m). These wave structures are associated with spatially oscillatory energy conversion, which appears as alternatingly positive and negative values of J · E. For small guide magnetic fields the wave structures occur in the electron stagnation region at the magnetosphere edge of the electron diffusion region. For larger guide fields the structures also occur near the reconnection X-line. This difference is explained in terms of channels for the out-of-plane current (agyrotropic electrons at the stagnation point and guide field-aligned electrons at the X-line).

A gyrokinetic one-dimensional scrape-off layer model of an edge-localized mode heat pulse

DOE PAGES

Shi, E. L.; Hakim, A. H.; Hammett, G. W.

2015-02-03

An electrostatic gyrokinetic-based model is applied to simulate parallel plasma transport in the scrape-off layer to a divertor plate. We focus on a test problem that has been studied previously, using parameters chosen to model a heat pulse driven by an edge-localized mode in JET. Previous work has used direct particle-in-cellequations with full dynamics, or Vlasov or fluid equations with only parallel dynamics. With the use of the gyrokinetic quasineutrality equation and logical sheathboundary conditions, spatial and temporal resolution requirements are no longer set by the electron Debye length and plasma frequency, respectively. Finally, this test problem also helps illustratemore » some of the physics contained in the Hamiltonian form of the gyrokineticequations and some of the numerical challenges in developing an edge gyrokinetic code.« less

Electrostatic and hydrodynamics effects in a sedimented magnetorheological suspension.

PubMed

Domínguez-García, P; Pastor, J M; Melle, Sonia; Rubio, Miguel A

2009-08-01

We present experimental results on the equilibrium microstructure of a sedimented magnetorheological suspension, namely, an aqueous suspension of micron-sized superparamagnetic particles. We develop a study of the electrical interactions on the suspension by processing video-microscopy images of the sedimented particles. We calculate the pair distribution function, g(r), which yields the electrostatic pair potential u(r), showing an anomalous attractive interaction for distances on the order of twice the particle diameter, with characteristic parameters whose values show a dependence with the two-dimensional concentration of particles. The repulsive body of the potential is adjusted to a DLVO expression in order to calculate the Debye screening length and the effective surface charge density. Influence of confinement and variations on the Boltzmann sedimentation profile because of the electrostatic interactions appear to be essential for the interpretation of experimental results.

Propagation of monochromatic light in a hot and dense medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masood, Samina S.

2017-12-01

Photons, as quanta of electromagnetic fields, determine the electromagnetic properties of an extremely hot and dense medium. Considering the properties of the photons in the interacting medium of charged particles, we explicitly calculate the electromagnetic properties such as the electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, refractive index and the propagation speed of electromagnetic signals in an extremely hot and dense background. Photons acquire a dynamically generated mass in such a medium. The screening mass of the photon, the Debye shielding length and the plasma frequency are calculated as functions of the statistical parameters of the medium. We study the properties of the propagating particles in astrophysical systems of distinct statistical conditions. The modifications in the properties of the medium lead to the equation of state of the system. We mainly calculate all these parameters for extremely high temperatures of the early universe.

Self-Consistent Approach to Global Charge Neutrality in Electrokinetics: A Surface Potential Trap Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Li; Xu, Shixin; Liao, Maijia; Liu, Chun; Sheng, Ping

2014-01-01

In this work, we treat the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations as the basis for a consistent framework of the electrokinetic effects. The static limit of the PNP equations is shown to be the charge-conserving Poisson-Boltzmann (CCPB) equation, with guaranteed charge neutrality within the computational domain. We propose a surface potential trap model that attributes an energy cost to the interfacial charge dissociation. In conjunction with the CCPB, the surface potential trap can cause a surface-specific adsorbed charge layer σ. By defining a chemical potential μ that arises from the charge neutrality constraint, a reformulated CCPB can be reduced to the form of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, whose prediction of the Debye screening layer profile is in excellent agreement with that of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation when the channel width is much larger than the Debye length. However, important differences emerge when the channel width is small, so the Debye screening layers from the opposite sides of the channel overlap with each other. In particular, the theory automatically yields a variation of σ that is generally known as the "charge regulation" behavior, attendant with predictions of force variation as a function of nanoscale separation between two charged surfaces that are in good agreement with the experiments, with no adjustable or additional parameters. We give a generalized definition of the ζ potential that reflects the strength of the electrokinetic effect; its variations with the concentration of surface-specific and surface-nonspecific salt ions are shown to be in good agreement with the experiments. To delineate the behavior of the electro-osmotic (EO) effect, the coupled PNP and Navier-Stokes equations are solved numerically under an applied electric field tangential to the fluid-solid interface. The EO effect is shown to exhibit an intrinsic time dependence that is noninertial in its origin. Under a step-function applied electric field, a pulse of fluid flow is followed by relaxation to a new ion distribution, owing to the diffusive counter current. We have numerically evaluated the Onsager coefficients associated with the EO effect, L21, and its reverse streaming potential effect, L12, and show that L12=L21 in accordance with the Onsager relation. We conclude by noting some of the challenges ahead.

The application of the Wigner Distribution to wave type identification in finite length beams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahl, T. J.; Bolton, J. Stuart

1994-01-01

The object of the research described in this paper was to develop a means of identifying the wave-types propagating between two points in a finite length beam. It is known that different structural wave-types possess different dispersion relations: i.e., that their group speeds and the frequency dependence of their group speeds differ. As a result of those distinct dispersion relationships, different wave-types may be associated with characteristic features when structural responses are examined in the time frequency domain. Previously, the time-frequency character of analytically generated structural responses of both single element and multi-element structures were examined by using the Wigner Distribution (WD) along with filtering techniques that were designed to detect the wave-types present in the responses. In the work to be described here, the measure time-frequency response of finite length beam is examined using the WD and filtering procedures. This paper is organized as follows. First the concept of time-frequency analysis of structural responses is explained. The WD is then introduced along with a description of the implementation of a discrete version. The time-frequency filtering techniques are then presented and explained. The results of applying the WD and the filtering techniques to the analysis of a transient response is then presented.

Analysis of crack propagation in human long bone by using finite element modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salim, Mohammad Shahril; Salleh, Ahmad Faizal; Daud, Ruslizam

2017-12-01

The aim of this research is to present a numerical modeling of crack for human long bone specifically on femur shaft bone under mode I loading condition. Two - dimensional model (2D) of long bone was developed based on past research study. The finite element analysis and construction of the model are done using Mechanical APDL (ANSYS) v14.0 software. The research was conducted mainly based on two conditions that were at different crack lengths and different loading forces for male and female. In order to evaluate the stress intensity factor (KI) of the femur shaft of long bone, this research employed finite element method to predict the brittle fracture loading by using three-point bending test. The result of numerical test found that the crack was formed when the crack length reached 0.0022 m where KI values are proportional with the crack's length. Also, various loading forces in range of 400 N to 1000 N were applied in an attempt to study their effect on stress intensity factor and it was found that the female dimension has higher KI values compared to male. It was also observed that K values found by this method have good agreement with theoretical results based on previous research.

Analysis of surface cracks in finite plates under tension or bending loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, J. C., Jr.; Raju, I. S.

1979-01-01

Stress-intensity factors calculated with a three-dimensional, finite-element analysis for shallow and deep semielliptical surface cracks in finite elastic isotropic plates subjected to tension or bending loads are presented. A wide range of configuration parameters was investigated. The ratio of crack depth to plate thickness ranged from 0.2 to 0.8 and the ratio of crack depth to crack length ranged from 0.2 to 2.0. The effects of plate width on stress-intensity variations along the crack front was also investigated. A wide-range equation for stress-intensity factors along the crack front as a function of crack depth, crack length, plate thickness, and plate width was developed for tension and bending loads. The equation was used to predict patterns of surface-crack growth under tension or bending fatigue loads. A modified form of the equation was also used to correlate surface-crack fracture data for a brittle epoxy material within + or - 10 percent for a wide range of crack shapes and crack sizes.

Stress analysis of the cracked-lap-shear specimen - An ASTM round-robin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, W. S.

1987-01-01

This ASTM Round Robin was conducted to evaluate the state of the art in stress analysis of adhesively bonded joint specimens. Specifically, the participants were asked to calculate the strain-energy-release rate for two different geometry cracked lap shear (CLS) specimens at four different debond lengths. The various analytical techniques consisted of 2- and 3-dimensional finite element analysis, beam theory, plate theory, and a combination of beam theory and finite element analysis. The results were examined in terms of the total strain-energy-release rate and the mode I to mode II ratio as a function of debond length for each specimen geometry. These results basically clustered into two groups: geometric linear or geometric nonlinear analysis. The geometric nonlinear analysis is required to properly analyze the CLS specimens. The 3-D finite element analysis gave indications of edge closure plus some mode III loading. Each participant described his analytical technique and results. Nine laboratories participated.

Stress analysis of the cracked lap shear specimens: An ASTM round robin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, W. S.

1986-01-01

This ASTM Round Robin was conducted to evaluate the state of the art in stress analysis of adhesively bonded joint specimens. Specifically, the participants were asked to calculate the strain-energy-release rate for two different geometry cracked lap shear (CLS) specimens at four different debond lengths. The various analytical techniques consisted of 2- and 3-dimensional finite element analysis, beam theory, plate theory, and a combination of beam theory and finite element analysis. The results were examined in terms of the total strain-energy-release rate and the mode I to mode II ratio as a function of debond length for each specimen geometry. These results basically clustered into two groups: geometric linear or geometric nonlinear analysis. The geometric nonlinear analysis is required to properly analyze the CLS specimens. The 3-D finite element analysis gave indications of edge closure plus some mode III loading. Each participant described his analytical technique and results. Nine laboratories participated.

The Development of Directional Decohesion Finite Elements for Multiscale Failure Analysis of Metallic Polycrystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saether, Erik; Glaessgen, Edward H.

2009-01-01

Atomistic simulations of intergranular fracture have indicated that grain-scale crack growth in polycrystalline metals can be direction dependent. At these material length scales, the atomic environment greatly influences the nature of intergranular crack propagation, through either brittle or ductile mechanisms, that are a function of adjacent grain orientation and direction of crack propagation. Methods have been developed to obtain cohesive zone models (CZM) directly from molecular dynamics simulations. These CZMs may be incorporated into decohesion finite element formulations to simulate fracture at larger length scales. A new directional decohesion element is presented that calculates the direction of Mode I opening and incorporates a material criterion for dislocation emission based on the local crystallographic environment to automatically select the CZM that best represents crack growth. The simulation of fracture in 2-D and 3-D aluminum polycrystals is used to illustrate the effect of parameterized CZMs and the effectiveness of directional decohesion finite elements.

Stress and efficiency studies in EFG

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The goals of this program were: (1) to define minimum stress configurations for silicon sheet growth at high speeds; (2) to quantify dislocation electrical activity and their limits on minority carrier diffusion length in deformed silicon; and (3) to study reasons for degradation of lifetime with increases in doping level in edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) materials. A finite element model was developed for calculating residual stress with plastic deformation. A finite element model was verified for EFG control variable relationships to temperature field of the sheet to permit prediction of profiles and stresses encountered in EFG systems. A residual stress measurement technique was developed for finite size EFG material blanks using shadow Moire interferometry. Transient creep response of silicon was investigated in the temperature range between 800 and 1400 C in strain and strain regimes of interest in stress analysis of sheet growth. Quantitative relationships were established between minority carrier diffusion length and dislocation densities using Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) measurement in FZ silicon deformed in four point bending tests.

The thermo-elastic instability model of melting of alkali halides in the Debye approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, Frank J.

2018-05-01

The Debye model of lattice vibrations of alkali halides is used to show that there is a temperature below the melting temperature where the vibrational pressure exceeds the electrostatic pressure. The onset temperature of this thermo-elastic instability scales as the melting temperature of NaCl, KCl, and KBr, suggesting its role in the melting of the alkali halides in agreement with a previous more rigorous model.

Light scattering by cylindrical nanoparticles: Limits of applicability of the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanevskii, V. I.; Rozenbaum, V. M.

2014-08-01

Applicability of the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye (RGD) approximation for describing light scattering by nanoparticles with large dielectric losses (such as carbon nanotubes) is analyzed. By a comparison of the approximate results with exact ones, it is shown that the presence of dielectric losses expands the range of applicability of the RGD approximation. This conclusion is illustrated by a differential cross-section diagram of scattering by a multiwall carbon nanotube.

The reality of artificial viscosity

DOE PAGES

Margolin, L. G.

2018-02-24

Artificial viscosity is used in the computer simulation of high Reynolds number flows and is one of the oldest numerical artifices. In this work, I will describe the origin and the interpretation of artificial viscosity as a physical phenomenon. The basis of this interpretation is the finite scale theory, which describes the evolution of integral averages of the fluid solution over finite (length) scales. I will outline the derivation of finite scale Navier–Stokes equations and highlight the particular properties of the equations that depend on the finite scales. Those properties include enslavement, inviscid dissipation, and a law concerning the partitionmore » of total flux of conserved quantities into advective and diffusive components.« less

Linear quadratic tracking problems in Hilbert space - Application to optimal active noise suppression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, H. T.; Silcox, R. J.; Keeling, S. L.; Wang, C.

1989-01-01

A unified treatment of the linear quadratic tracking (LQT) problem, in which a control system's dynamics are modeled by a linear evolution equation with a nonhomogeneous component that is linearly dependent on the control function u, is presented; the treatment proceeds from the theoretical formulation to a numerical approximation framework. Attention is given to two categories of LQT problems in an infinite time interval: the finite energy and the finite average energy. The behavior of the optimal solution for finite time-interval problems as the length of the interval tends to infinity is discussed. Also presented are the formulations and properties of LQT problems in a finite time interval.

The reality of artificial viscosity

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

Margolin, L. G.

Artificial viscosity is used in the computer simulation of high Reynolds number flows and is one of the oldest numerical artifices. In this work, I will describe the origin and the interpretation of artificial viscosity as a physical phenomenon. The basis of this interpretation is the finite scale theory, which describes the evolution of integral averages of the fluid solution over finite (length) scales. I will outline the derivation of finite scale Navier–Stokes equations and highlight the particular properties of the equations that depend on the finite scales. Those properties include enslavement, inviscid dissipation, and a law concerning the partitionmore » of total flux of conserved quantities into advective and diffusive components.« less

Free-Free Transitions in the Presence of Laser Fields and Debye Potential at Very Low Incident Electron Energies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhatia, Anand

2012-01-01

We study the free-free transition in electron-helium ion in the ground state and embedded in a Debye potential in the presence of an external laser field at very low incident electron energies. The laser field is treated classically while the collision dynamics is treated quantum mechanically. The laser field is chosen as monochromatic, linearly polarized and homogeneous. The incident electron is considered to be dressed by the laser field in a nonperturbative manner by choosing Volkov wave function for it. The scattering wave function for the incident electron on the target embedded in a Debye potential is solved numerically by taking into account the effect of electron exchange. We calculate the laser-assisted differential and total cross sections for free-free transition for absorption/emission of a single photon or no photon exchange. The results will be presented at the conference.

A molecular Debye-Hückel theory and its applications to electrolyte solutions: The size asymmetric case

DOE PAGES

Xiao, Tiejun; Song, Xueyu

2017-03-28

We developed a molecular Debye-Hückel theory for electrolyte solutions with size asymmetry, where the dielectric response of an electrolyte solution is described by a linear combination of Debye-Hückel-like response modes. Furthermore, as the size asymmetry of an electrolyte solution leads to a charge imbalanced border zone around a solute, the dielectric response to the solute is characterized by two types of charge sources, namely, a bare solute charge and a charge distribution due to size asymmetry. These two kinds of charge sources are screened by the solvent differently, our theory presents a method to calculate the mean electric potential asmore » well as the electrostatic contributions to thermodynamic properties. Finally, the theory was successfully applied to binary as well as multi-component primitive models of electrolyte solutions.« less

Water promotes the sealing of nanoscale packing defects in folding proteins.

PubMed

Fernández, Ariel

2014-05-21

A net dipole moment is shown to arise from a non-Debye component of water polarization created by nanoscale packing defects on the protein surface. Accordingly, the protein electrostatic field exerts a torque on the induced dipole, locally impeding the nucleation of ice at the protein-water interface. We evaluate the solvent orientation steering (SOS) as the reversible work needed to align the induced dipoles with the Debye electrostatic field and computed the SOS for the variable interface of a folding protein. The minimization of the SOS is shown to drive protein folding as evidenced by the entrainment of the total free energy by the SOS energy along trajectories that approach a Debye limit state where no torque arises. This result suggests that the minimization of anomalous water polarization at the interface promotes the sealing of packing defects, thereby maintaining structural integrity and committing the protein chain to fold.

First-principles investigations on structural, elastic, electronic properties and Debye temperature of orthorhombic Ni3Ta under pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pan; Zhang, Jianxin; Ma, Shiyu; Jin, Huixin; Zhang, Youjian; Zhang, Wenyang

2018-06-01

The structural, elastic, electronic properties and Debye temperature of Ni3Ta under different pressures are investigated using the first-principles method based on density functional theory. Our calculated equilibrium lattice parameters at 0 GPa well agree with the experimental and previous theoretical results. The calculated negative formation enthalpies and elastic constants both indicate that Ni3Ta is stable under different pressures. The bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, Young's modulus E and Poisson's ratio ν are calculated by the Voigt-Reuss-Hill method. The bigger ratio of B/G indicates Ni3Ta is ductile and the pressure can improve the ductility of Ni3Ta. In addition, the results of density of states and the charge density difference show that the stability of Ni3Ta is improved by the increasing pressure. The Debye temperature ΘD calculated from elastic modulus increases along with the pressure.

Exact Length Distribution of Filamentous Structures Assembled from a Finite Pool of Subunits.

PubMed

Harbage, David; Kondev, Jané

2016-07-07

Self-assembling filamentous structures made of protein subunits are ubiquitous in cell biology. These structures are often highly dynamic, with subunits in a continuous state of flux, binding to and falling off of filaments. In spite of this constant turnover of their molecular parts, many cellular structures seem to maintain a well-defined size over time, which is often required for their proper functioning. One widely discussed mechanism of size regulation involves the cell maintaining a finite pool of protein subunits available for assembly. This finite pool mechanism can control the length of a single filament by having assembly proceed until the pool of free subunits is depleted to the point when assembly and disassembly are balanced. Still, this leaves open the question of whether the same mechanism can provide size control for multiple filamentous structures that are assembled from a common pool of protein subunits, as is often the case in cells. We address this question by solving the steady-state master equation governing the stochastic assembly and disassembly of multifilament structures made from a shared finite pool of subunits. We find that, while the total number of subunits within a multifilament structure is well-defined, individual filaments within the structure have a wide, power-law distribution of lengths. We also compute the phase diagram for two multifilament structures competing for the same pool of subunits and identify conditions for coexistence when both have a well-defined size. These predictions can be tested in cell experiments in which the size of the subunit pool or the number of filament nucleators is tuned.

The influence of uncemented femoral stem length and design on its primary stability: a finite element analysis.

PubMed

Reimeringer, M; Nuño, N; Desmarais-Trépanier, C; Lavigne, M; Vendittoli, P A

2013-01-01

One of the crucial factors for short- and long-term clinical success of total hip arthroplasty cementless implants is primary stability. Indeed, motion at the bone-implant interface above 40 μm leads to partial bone ingrowth, while motion exceeding 150 μm completely inhibits bone ingrowth. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two cementless femoral stem designs with different lengths on the primary stability. A finite element model of a composite Sawbones(®) fourth generation, implanted with five lengths of the straight prosthesis design and four lengths of the curved prosthesis design, was loaded with hip joint and abductor forces representing two physiological activities: fast walking and stair climbing. We found that reducing the straight stem length from 146 to 54 mm increased the average micromotion from 17 to 52 μm during fast walking, while the peak value increased from 42 to 104 μm. With the curved stem, reducing length from 105 to 54 mm increased the average micromotion from 10 to 29 μm, while the peak value increased from 37 to 101 μm. Similar findings are obtained for stair climbing for both stems. Although the present study showed that femoral stem length as well as stem design directly influences its primary stability, for the two femoral stems tested, length could be reduced substantially without compromising the primary stability. With the aim of minimising surgical invasiveness, newer femoral stem design and currently well performing stems might be used with a reduced length without compromising primary stability and hence, long-term survivorship.

The Distributed Lambda (?) Model (DLM): A 3-D, Finite-Element Muscle Model Based on Feldman's ? Model; Assessment of Orofacial Gestures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nazari, Mohammad Ali; Perrier, Pascal; Payan, Yohan

2013-01-01

Purpose: The authors aimed to design a distributed lambda model (DLM), which is well adapted to implement three-dimensional (3-D), finite-element descriptions of muscles. Method: A muscle element model was designed. Its stress-strain relationships included the active force-length characteristics of the ? model along the muscle fibers, together…

The Magnetic Field of a Finite Solenoid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callaghan, Edmund E.; Maslen, Stephen H.

1960-01-01

The axial and radial fields at any point inside or outside a finite solenoid with infinitely thin walls are derived. Solution of the equations has been obtained in terms of tabulated complete elliptic integrals. For the axial field an accurate approximation is given in terms of elementary functions. Fields internal and external to the solenoid are presented in graphical form for a wide variety of solenoid lengths.

Flow adjustment inside large finite-size wind farms approaching the infinite wind farm regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ka Ling; Porté-Agel, Fernando

2017-04-01

Due to the increasing number and the growing size of wind farms, the distance among them continues to decrease. Thus, it is necessary to understand how these large finite-size wind farms and their wakes could interfere the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) dynamics and adjacent wind farms. Fully-developed flow inside wind farms has been extensively studied through numerical simulations of infinite wind farms. The transportation of momentum and energy is only vertical and the advection of them is neglected in these infinite wind farms. However, less attention has been paid to examine the length of wind farms required to reach such asymptotic regime and the ABL dynamics in the leading and trailing edges of the large finite-size wind farms. Large eddy simulations are performed in this study to investigate the flow adjustment inside large finite-size wind farms in conventionally-neutral boundary layer with the effect of Coriolis force and free-atmosphere stratification from 1 to 5 K/km. For the large finite-size wind farms considered in the present work, when the potential temperature lapse rate is 5 K/km, the wind farms exceed the height of the ABL by two orders of magnitude for the incoming flow inside the farms to approach the fully-developed regime. An entrance fetch of approximately 40 times of the ABL height is also required for such flow adjustment. At the fully-developed flow regime of the large finite-size wind farms, the flow characteristics match those of infinite wind farms even though they have different adjustment length scales. The role of advection at the entrance and exit regions of the large finite-size wind farms is also examined. The interaction between the internal boundary layer developed above the large finite-size wind farms and the ABL under different potential temperature lapse rates are compared. It is shown that the potential temperature lapse rate plays a role in whether the flow inside the large finite-size wind farms adjusts to the fully-developed flow regime. The flow characteristics of the wake of these large finite-size wind farms are reported to forecast the effect of large finite-size wind farms on adjacent wind farms. A power deficit as large as 8% is found at a distance of 10 km downwind from the large finite-size wind farms.

Electron holes observed in the Moon Plasma Wake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchinson, I. H.; Malaspina, D.; Zhou, C.

2017-10-01

Electrostatic instabilities are predicted in the magnetized wake of plasma flowing past a non-magnetic absorbing object such as a probe or the moon. Analysis of the data from the Artemis satellites, now orbiting the moon at distances ten moon radii and less, shows very clear evidence of fast-moving isolated solitary potential structures causing bipolar electric field excursions as they pass the satellite's probes. These structures have all the hallmarks of electron holes: BGK solitons typically a few Debye-lengths in size, self-sustaining by a deficit of phase-space density on trapped orbits. Electron holes are now observed to be widespread in space plasmas. They have been observed in PIC simulations of the moon wake to be the non-linear consequence of the predicted electron instabilities. Simulations document hole prevalence, speed, length, and depth; and theory can explain many of these features from kinetic analysis. The solar wind wake is certainly the cause of the overwhelming majority of the holes observed by Artemis, because we observe almost all holes to be in or very near to the wake. We compare theory and simulation of the hole generation, lifetime, and transport mechanisms with observations. Work partially supported by NASA Grant NNX16AG82G.

Control over position, orientation, and spacing of arrays of gold nanorods using chemically nanopatterned surfaces and tailored particle-particle-surface interactions.

PubMed

Nepal, Dhriti; Onses, M Serdar; Park, Kyoungweon; Jespersen, Michael; Thode, Christopher J; Nealey, Paul F; Vaia, Richard A

2012-06-26

The synergy of self- and directed-assembly processes and lithography provides intriguing avenues to fabricate translationally ordered nanoparticle arrangements, but currently lacks the robustness necessary to deliver complex spatial organization. Here, we demonstrate that interparticle spacing and local orientation of gold nanorods (AuNR) can be tuned by controlling the Debye length of AuNR in solution and the dimensions of a chemical contrast pattern. Electrostatic and hydrophobic selectivity for AuNR to absorb to patterned regions of poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) and polystyrene brushes and mats was demonstrated for AuNR functionalized with mercaptopropane sulfonate (MS) and poly(ethylene glycol), respectively. For P2VP patterns of stripes with widths comparable to the length of the AuNR, single- and double-column arrangements of AuNR oriented parallel and perpendicular to the P2VP line were obtained for MS-AuNR. Furthermore, the spacing of the assembled AuNR was uniform along the stripe and related to the ionic strength of the AuNR dispersion. The different AuNR arrangements are consistent with predictions based on maximization of packing of AuNR within the confined strip.

Transport Regimes Spanning Magnetization-Coupling Phase Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baalrud, Scott D.; Tiwari, Sanat; Daligault, Jerome

2017-10-01

The manner in which transport properties vary over the entire parameter-space of coupling and magnetization strength is explored. Four regimes are identified based on the relative size of the gyroradius compared to other fundamental length scales: the collision mean free path, Debye length, distance of closest approach and interparticle spacing. Molecular dynamics simulations of self-diffusion and temperature anisotropy relaxation spanning the parameter space are found to agree well with the predicted boundaries. Comparison with existing theories reveals regimes where they succeed, where they fail, and where no theory has yet been developed. The results suggest that magnetic fields may be used to assist ultracold neutral plasma experiments to reach regimes of stronger electron coupling by reducing heating of electrons in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field.. By constraining electron motion along the direction of the magnetic field, the overall electron temperature is reduced nearly by a factor of three. A large temperature anisotropy develops as a result, which can be maintained for a long time in the regime of high electron magnetization. Work supported by LDRD project 20150520ER at LANL, AFOSR FA9550-16-1-0221 and US DOE Award DE-SC00161.

Mechanical principles of effects of botulinum toxin on muscle length-force characteristics: an assessment by finite element modeling.

PubMed

Turkoglu, Ahu N; Huijing, Peter A; Yucesoy, Can A

2014-05-07

Recent experiments involving muscle force measurements over a range of muscle lengths show that effects of botulinum toxin (BTX) are complex e.g., force reduction varies as a function of muscle length. We hypothesized that altered conditions of sarcomeres within active parts of partially paralyzed muscle is responsible for this effect. Using finite element modeling, the aim was to test this hypothesis and to study principles of how partial activation as a consequence of BTX affects muscle mechanics. In order to model the paralyzing effect of BTX, only 50% of the fascicles (most proximal, or middle, or most distal) of the modeled muscle were activated. For all muscle lengths, a vast majority of sarcomeres of these BTX-cases were at higher lengths than identical sarcomeres of the BTX-free muscle. Due to such "longer sarcomere effect", activated muscle parts show an enhanced potential of active force exertion (up to 14.5%). Therefore, a muscle force reduction originating exclusively from the paralyzed muscle fiber populations, is compromised by the changes of active sarcomeres leading to a smaller net force reduction. Moreover, such "compromise to force reduction" varies as a function of muscle length and is a key determinant of muscle length dependence of force reduction caused by BTX. Due to longer sarcomere effect, muscle optimum length tends to shift to a lower muscle length. Muscle fiber-extracellular matrix interactions occurring via their mutual connections along full peripheral fiber lengths (i.e., myofascial force transmission) are central to these effects. Our results may help improving our understanding of mechanisms of how the toxin secondarily affects the muscle mechanically. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Breakdown of the Debye polarization ansatz at protein-water interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández Stigliano, Ariel

2013-06-01

The topographical and physico-chemical complexity of protein-water interfaces scales down to the sub-nanoscale range. At this level of confinement, we demonstrate that the dielectric structure of interfacial water entails a breakdown of the Debye ansatz that postulates the alignment of polarization with the protein electrostatic field. The tendencies to promote anomalous polarization are determined for each residue type and a particular kind of structural defect is shown to provide the predominant causal context.

Some calculable contributions to entanglement entropy.

PubMed

Hertzberg, Mark P; Wilczek, Frank

2011-02-04

Entanglement entropy appears as a central property of quantum systems in broad areas of physics. However, its precise value is often sensitive to unknown microphysics, rendering it incalculable. By considering parametric dependence on correlation length, we extract finite, calculable contributions to the entanglement entropy for a scalar field between the interior and exterior of a spatial domain of arbitrary shape. The leading term is proportional to the area of the dividing boundary; we also extract finite subleading contributions for a field defined in the bulk interior of a waveguide in 3+1 dimensions, including terms proportional to the waveguide's cross-sectional geometry: its area, perimeter length, and integrated curvature. We also consider related quantities at criticality and suggest a class of systems for which these contributions might be measurable.

Efimov effect for heteronuclear three-body systems at positive scattering length and finite temperature

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

Emmons, Samuel B.; Kang, Daekyoung; Acharya, Bijaya

2017-09-08

Here, we study the recombination process of three atoms scattering into an atom and diatomic molecule in heteronuclear mixtures of ultracold atomic gases with large and positive interspecies scattering length at finite temperature. We calculate the temperature dependence of the three-body recombination rates by extracting universal scaling functions that parametrize the energy dependence of the scattering matrix. We compare our results to experimental data for the 40K– 87Rb mixture and make a prediction for 6Li– 87Rb. We find that contributions from higher partial wave channels significantly impact the total rate and, in systems with particularly large mass imbalance, can evenmore » obliterate the recombination minima associated with the Efimov effect.« less

Current noise generated by spin imbalance in presence of spin relaxation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khrapai, V. S.; Nagaev, K. E.

2017-01-01

We calculate current (shot) noise in a metallic diffusive conductor generated by spin imbalance in the absence of a net electric current. This situation is modeled in an idealized three-terminal setup with two biased ferromagnetic leads (F-leads) and one normal lead (N-lead). Parallel magnetization of the F-leads gives rise to spin-imbalance and finite shot noise at the N-lead. Finite spin relaxation results in an increase in the shot noise, which depends on the ratio of the length of the conductor ( L) and the spin relaxation length ( l s). For L >> l s the shot noise increases by a factor of two and coincides with the case of the antiparallel magnetization of the F-leads.

Validation of High Displacement Piezoelectric Actuator Finite Element Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taleghani, B. K.

2000-01-01

The paper presents the results obtained by using NASTRAN(Registered Trademark) and ANSYS(Regitered Trademark) finite element codes to predict doming of the THUNDER piezoelectric actuators during the manufacturing process and subsequent straining due to an applied input voltage. To effectively use such devices in engineering applications, modeling and characterization are essential. Length, width, dome height, and thickness are important parameters for users of such devices. Therefore, finite element models were used to assess the effects of these parameters. NASTRAN(Registered Trademark) and ANSYS(Registered Trademark) used different methods for modeling piezoelectric effects. In NASTRAN(Registered Trademark), a thermal analogy was used to represent voltage at nodes as equivalent temperatures, while ANSYS(Registered Trademark) processed the voltage directly using piezoelectric finite elements. The results of finite element models were validated by using the experimental results.

Effect of Curved Radial Vane Cavity Arrangements on Predicted Inter-Turbine Burner (ITB) Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

on for only short duration and at certain points in the conditions and with flame lengths up to 50% shorter than aircraft’s mission profile to...remaining exit parameters are as finite-rate flame length , combustion heat release, and extrapolated from the interior domain. Mass flow rates ITB exit

Rotational diffusion of nonpolar and ionic solutes in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides: is solute rotation always influenced by the length of the alkyl chain on the imidazolium cation?

PubMed

Gangamallaiah, V; Dutt, G B

2012-10-25

In an attempt to find out whether the length of the alkyl chain on the imidazolium cation has a bearing on solute rotation, temperature-dependent fluorescence anisotropies of three structurally similar solutes have been measured in a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium (alkyl = methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, and hexyl) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides. Solute-solvent coupling constants obtained from the experimentally measured reorientation times with the aid of Stokes-Einstein-Debye hydrodynamic theory indicate that there is no influence of the length of the alkyl chain on the rotation of nonpolar, anionic, and cationic solutes 9-phenylanthracene (9-PA), fluorescein (FL), and rhodamine 110 (R110), respectively. It has also been noticed that the rotational diffusion of 9-PA is closer to the predictions of slip hydrodynamics, whereas the rotation of negatively charged FL and positively charged R110 is almost identical and follows stick hydrodynamics in these ionic liquids. Despite having similar shape and size, ionic solutes rotate slower by a factor of 3-4 compared to the nonpolar solute. Interplay of specific and electrostatic interactions between FL and the imidazolium cation of the ionic liquids, and between R110 and the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion, appear to be responsible for the observed behavior. These results are an indication that the length of the alkyl chain on the imidazolium cation does not alter their physical properties in a manner that has an effect on solute rotation.

Efimov states near a Feshbach resonance and the limits of van der Waals universality at finite background scattering length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langmack, Christian; Schmidt, Richard; Zwerger, Wilhelm

2018-03-01

We calculate the spectrum of three-body Efimov bound states near a Feshbach resonance within a model which accounts both for the finite range of interactions and the presence of background scattering. The latter may be due to direct interactions in an open channel or a second overlapping Feshbach resonance. It is found that background scattering gives rise to substantial changes in the trimer spectrum as a function of the detuning away from a Feshbach resonance, in particular in the regime where the background channel supports Efimov states on its own. Compared to the situation with negligible background scattering, the regime where van der Waals universality applies is shifted to larger values of the resonance strength if the background scattering length is positive. For negative background scattering lengths, in turn, van der Waals universality extends to even small values of the resonance strength parameter, consistent with experimental results on Efimov states in 39K. Within a simple model, we show that short-range three-body forces do not affect van der Waals universality significantly. Repulsive three-body forces may, however, explain the observed variation between around -8 and -10 of the ratio between the scattering length where the first Efimov trimer appears and the van der Waals length.

Moderately nonlinear diffuse-charge dynamics under an ac voltage.

PubMed

Stout, Robert F; Khair, Aditya S

2015-09-01

The response of a symmetric binary electrolyte between two parallel, blocking electrodes to a moderate amplitude ac voltage is quantified. The diffuse charge dynamics are modeled via the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations for a dilute solution of point-like ions. The solution to these equations is expressed as a Fourier series with a voltage perturbation expansion for arbitrary Debye layer thickness and ac frequency. Here, the perturbation expansion in voltage proceeds in powers of V_{o}/(k_{B}T/e), where V_{o} is the amplitude of the driving voltage and k_{B}T/e is the thermal voltage with k_{B} as Boltzmann's constant, T as the temperature, and e as the fundamental charge. We show that the response of the electrolyte remains essentially linear in voltage amplitude at frequencies greater than the RC frequency of Debye layer charging, D/λ_{D}L, where D is the ion diffusivity, λ_{D} is the Debye layer thickness, and L is half the cell width. In contrast, nonlinear response is predicted at frequencies below the RC frequency. We find that the ion densities exhibit symmetric deviations from the (uniform) equilibrium density at even orders of the voltage amplitude. This leads to the voltage dependence of the current in the external circuit arising from the odd orders of voltage. For instance, the first nonlinear contribution to the current is O(V_{o}^{3}) which contains the expected third harmonic but also a component oscillating at the applied frequency. We use this to compute a generalized impedance for moderate voltages, the first nonlinear contribution to which is quadratic in V_{o}. This contribution predicts a decrease in the imaginary part of the impedance at low frequency, which is due to the increase in Debye layer capacitance with increasing V_{o}. In contrast, the real part of the impedance increases at low frequency, due to adsorption of neutral salt from the bulk to the Debye layer.

Asymmetric Outer Bow Length and Cervical Headgear Force System: 3D Analysis Using Finite Element Method

PubMed Central

Geramy, Allahyar; Hassanpour, Mehdi; Emadian Razavi, Elham sadat

2015-01-01

Objectives: This study sought to assess distal and lateral forces and moments of asymmetric headgears by variable outer bow lengths. Materials and Methods: Four 3D finite element method (FEM) models of a cervical headgear attached to the maxillary first molars were designed in SolidWorks 2010 software and transferred to ANSYS Workbench ver. 11 software. Models contained the first molars, their periodontal ligament (PDL), cancellous and cortical bones, a mesiodistal slice of the maxillae and the headgear. Models were the same except for the outer bow length in headgears. The headgear was symmetric in model 1. In models 2 to 4, the headgears were asymmetric in length with differences of 5mm, 10mm and 15mm, respectively. A 2.5 N force in horizontal plane was applied and the loading manner of each side of the outer bow was calculated trigonometrically using data from a volunteer. Results: The 15mm difference in outer bow length caused the greatest difference in lateral (=0.21 N) and distal (= 1.008 N) forces and also generated moments (5.044 N.mm). Conclusion: As the difference in outer bow length became greater, asymmetric effects increased. Greater distal force in the longer arm side was associated with greater lateral force towards the shorter arm side and more net yawing moment. Clinical Relevance: A difference range of 1mm to 15 mm of length in cervical headgear can be considered as a safe length of outer bow shortening in clinical use. PMID:26622275