Exploding wires in air and vacuum

An apparatus for studies of wire explosions in air at atmospheric as well as reduced pressures is described. A theoretical treatment of the discharge circuit is presented. In this treatment the external resistance and inductance as well as the wire inductance (all as functions of time) have been taken into consideration. It is then possible to calculate the wire variables — current, resistance, resistive voltage drop, effect, and energy input — as functions of time from thedI/dt waveform experimentally obtained. Wire variables of Ni- and W-wires exploded both in air and vacuum are presented as well as a discussion of these.     

Multivariate analysis of dynamical processes

The analysis of multi-dimensional biomedical systems requires analysis techniques, which are able to deal with multivariate data consisting of both time series as well as point processes. Univariate and bivariate analysis techniques in the frequency domain for time series and point processes are established and investigated, although the number of investigations is strongly biased towards time series. Actual multivariate techniques for time series or hybrids of time series and point processes are scarcely addressed. Here, we present spectral analysis techniques which are able to analyse point processes as well as time series. Thereby, univariate, bivariate as well as multivariate techniques are discussed. Applications to simulated as well as real-world data reveal the abilities of the proposed techniques.     

Simulating feedback and reversibility in substrate-enzyme reactions

We extend discrete event models (DEM) of substrate-enzyme reactions to include regulatory feedback and reversible reactions. Steady state as well as transient systems are modeled and validated against ordinary differential equation (ODE) models. The approach is exemplified in a model of the first steps of glycolysis with the most common regulatory mechanisms. We find that in glycolysis, feedback and reversibility together act as a significant damper on the stochastic variations of the intermediate products as well as for the stochastic variation of the transit times. This suggests that these feedbacks have evolved to control both the overall rate of, as well as stochastic fluctuations in, glycolysis.     

The pathogenesis of Randall's plaque: a papilla cartography of Ca compounds through an ex vivo investigation based on XANES spectroscopy

At the surface of attached kidney stones, a particular deposit termed Randall's plaque (RP) serves as a nucleus. This structural particularity as well as other major public health problems such as diabetes type‐2 may explain the dramatic increase in urolithiasis now affecting up to 20% of the population in the industrialized countries. Regarding the chemical composition, even if other phosphate phases such as whitlockite or brushite can be found as minor components (less than 5%), calcium phosphate apatite as well as amorphous carbonated calcium phosphate (ACCP) are the major components of most RPs. Through X‐ray absorption spectroscopy performed at the Ca K‐absorption edge, a technique specific to synchrotron radiation, the presence and crystallinity of the Ca phosphate phases present in RP were determined ex vivo. The sensitivity of the technique was used as well as the fact that the measurements can be performed directly on the papilla. The sample was stored in formol. Moreover, a first mapping of the chemical phase from the top of the papilla to the deep medulla is obtained. Direct structural evidence of the presence of ACCP as a major constituent is given for the first time. This set of data, coherent with previous studies, shows that this chemical phase can be considered as one precursor in the genesis of RP.     

Cosmic string in the NUT-Kerr-Newman spacetime

We study the equilibrium configurations of a cosmic string described by the Nambu action in the NUT-Kerr-Newman spacetime which includes as special cases the Kerr-Newman black hole spacetime as well as the NUT spacetime which is considered as a cosmological model. In this study it is interesting to note that one can obtain parallel results for the Kerr-Newman black hole as well as the NUT spacetime.     

Multiple pure tone noise prediction

This paper presents a fully numerical method for predicting multiple pure tones, also known as “Buzzsaw” noise. It consists of three steps that account for noise source generation, nonlinear acoustic propagation with hard as well as lined walls inside the nacelle, and linear acoustic propagation outside the engine. Noise generation is modeled by steady, part-annulus computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. A linear superposition algorithm is used to construct full-annulus shock/pressure pattern just upstream of the fan from part-annulus CFD results. Nonlinear wave propagation is carried out inside the duct using a pseudo-two-dimensional solution of Burgers? equation. Scattering from nacelle lip as well as radiation to farfield is performed using the commercial solver ACTRAN/TM. The proposed prediction process is verified by comparing against full-annulus CFD simulations as well as against static engine test data for a typical high bypass ratio aircraft engine with hardwall as well as lined inlets. Comparisons are drawn against nacelle unsteady pressure transducer measurements at two axial locations as well as against near- and far-field microphone array measurements outside the duct.     

500 kV全固态Marx发生器

500 kV全固态Marx发生器采用Z型电路结构,以28个最大工作电压达22 kV、满载最高连续重复运行频率达200 Hz的绝缘栅双极型晶体管组件作为脉冲控制开关,采用以金属化膜电容器和线绕电感构成的梯形脉冲形成网络作为储能和脉冲形成器件。目前已实现500 kV脉冲输出,在50 Hz的重复频率下实现数十个脉冲的猝发输出。该发生器的输出脉冲电压峰值与已有文献报道的最高功率固态Marx发生器技术指标相近,输出脉冲电流峰值提高1倍,达到1000 A,发生器输出脉冲功率峰值达到500 MW。在采用电容器作为储能元件时,此Marx发生器输出脉冲宽度可在3～10 s范围内连续调整。     

Continuing Studies of Plasma Erosion Switches for Power Conditioning on Multiterawatt Pulsed Power Accelerators

Recent PITHON experiments with plasma erosion switches (PES) have extended the range of operation of the switches by about 50 percent, in terms of closed time and charge passing through the switch. The quantity of charge passed through the switch has been increased to as much as 35 mC. Currents as large as 1 MA and voltages as great as 1.8 MV have been switched off to be diverted to a downstream load. The impedance of the erosion switch can be described as having three stages: 1) essentially zero impedance, 2) a transitional opening phase, and 3) an impedance which is very large (greater than 5 ?) in comparson with the subohm downstream load. Current diagnostics, consisting of Rogowski coils and segmented shunts, have been successfully developed to monitor the current which propagates to the load region. These monitors have measured rise times as short as 38 ns and slew rates as great as 1014 A/s at the load. With wire array loads, the pulse conditioning of the switch has been observed to reduce the magnitude of the current losses in the feed which are present when no switch is used. Correlations have been made between the switch closed time, voltage, current, and power with the feed inductance and the generator power injected into the magnetic insulated transmission line (MITL).     

Evidence for a role of glutamate as an efferent transmitter in taste buds

Background  

Glutamate has been proposed as a transmitter in the peripheral taste system in addition to its well-documented role as an umami taste stimulus. Evidence for a role as a transmitter includes the presence of ionotropic glutamate receptors in nerve fibers and taste cells, as well as the expression of the glutamate transporter GLAST in Type I taste cells. However, the source and targets of glutamate in lingual tissue are unclear. In the present study, we used molecular, physiological and immunohistochemical methods to investigate the origin of glutamate as well as the targeted receptors in taste buds.     

Facile fabrication of a lotus-effect composite coating via wrapping silica with polyurethane

A lotus-effect coating was fabricated by wrapping micro-silica and nano-silica with polyurethane (PU) and subsequent spraying. The coating shows the similar self-cleaning property as lotus leaves: the contact angle is as large as 168° and the sliding angle is as low as 0.5°. Surface morphology of the coating was studied with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The composite coating shows the similar structure as lotus leaves.     

Fluorescence Properties of Selected Benzo[c]phenanthridines

The fluorescence properties of selected benzo[c]phenanthridines (BPs) were examined. The effect of structure, pH and solvent on the fluorescence properties has been investigated. It was found out that the presence of charged iminium nitrogen significantly decreased the fluorescence of the compounds. The fluorescence (intensity as well as emission spectra shape) of the investigated compounds was significantly dependent on pH as well as used solvent. The utilization in epigenetic modification mechanisms studies as demethylase probe and as possible pH indicator was suggested.     

Femtosecond self mode locking of Yb:fluoride phosphate glass laser

Passive cw mode locking of an ytterbium-doped fluoride phosphate glass laser is demonstrated, for what we believe to be the first time, based solely on the Kerr effect in the active medium in a resonator with dispersion compensation. Nearly bandwidth-limited pulses as short as 160fs are generated at ~1040 nm. We obtain average output powers as high as 250mW at 170-MHz repetition rate with absorbed pump power as low as 1.2W.     

Defect structure and electrical properties of molybdenum disulphide

Electrical conductivity of molybdenum disulphide was studied in a helium-sulphur gas mixture as a function of temperature (1073-1273 K). It was found that over the whole temperature and sulphur pressure range (10-6600 Pa) studied, the material exhibits p-type conductivity. Based on literature intrinsic electronic disorder data as well as measured electrical conductivity results a defect model has been proposed. This model involves electron holes and doubly ionized interstitial sulphur ions as majority point defects as well as electrons and acceptor-type foreign ions as minority defects.     

生物质气为燃料的燃料电池理论电动势计算

在以生物质气体为燃料的固体氧化物燃料电池体系中,通过热力学平衡分析编程计算出700-1200 K时气体中各物种例如H2、CO、CO2和CH4的平衡组成,从而得到以氧化钇稳定氧化锆(YSZ)为电解质的电池理论电动势．碳沉积对电动势有显著影响．通过计算可以推测比较适宜的操作温度和增湿条件．还计算了以掺杂氧化铈为电解质的电池电动势,相比氢气为燃料时,使用生物质气体导致的电动势的下降比使用YSZ为电解质的电池要小的多．     

Hypergeometric solution of the Stark-ladder effect in crystals

The motion of electrons in a crystal subjected to a linear electric field is studied by means of the molecular orbital method. The field perturbation of the resonance integrals, as well as the Coulomb ones, results in the Schroedinger equation being expressed as a hypergeometric difference equation, whose solution gives rise to the well-known Stark-ladder picture of the tilted energy band. It is found that the part played by the resonance integral perturbation is just as important as that of the Coulomb integral perturbation and, therefore, cannot be neglected as in earlier investigations.     

Subkilohertz linewidths measured by heterodyne-detected coherent population trapping in sodium vapor

Subkilohertz spectroscopy by coherent population trapping (CPT) has been performed in Na atomic vapor. The system employs a frequency-swept acousto-optic modulator for bichromatic excitation as well as a heterodyne-lock-in detection technique that permits the direct measurement of the CPT dispersion curves at a good signal-to-noise ratio. A CPT linewidth of -400 Hz was measured as well as a steep refractive-index dispersion of as much as 3.3 x 10(-10) Hz(-1), corresponding to a group velocity of 1800 m/s.     

Stochastic resonance in a stochastic bistable system subject to additive white noise and dichotomous noise

The stochastic resonance (SR) in a stochastic stable system driven by a static force and a periodic square-wave signal as well as by additive white noise and dichotomous noise is considered from the point of view of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). It is found that the SNR exhibits SR behavior when it is plotted as a function of the noise strength of the white noise and dichotomous noise, as well as when plotted as a function of the static force. Moreover, the influence of the strength of the stochastic potential force and the correlation rate of the dichotomous noise is investigated.     

液体-液体相变与反常特性

绝大多数物质的液态密度随温度降低而增大,即常见的热胀冷缩现象.但存在一类物质,如水及第四主族的硅、锗等,其液态密度在一定温度范围内随温度的升高而增大,即密度反常现象.此外,该类物质还存在动力学反常(密度越大粒子运动越快)、热力学反常(热力学量的涨落随温度降低而升高)等其他反常特性.这类材料的化学性质千差万别,但却具有相似的物理反常特性.进一步的理论研究发现部分材料具有两种液态,即高密度液态和低密度液态,两者之间存在一级相变.因此,反常特性与液体-液体相变是否有直接关联是一个值得深入研究的课题.本文主要介绍了具有液体-液体相变的一类材料及其反常特性,包括高温高压下氢的液体-液体相变及其超临界现象,镓的反常特性及其与液体-液体相变的关联等.