Two-phase flow patterns and size distribution of droplets in a microfluidic T-junction: Experimental observations in the squeezing regime

Generating micrometer sized droplets has been studied in a microfluidic system with T-junction geometry 250 μm in internal diameter and with PTFE capillary tubing. Several experiments were conducted by varying the flow rate of the dispersed phase from $2.78\cdot {10}^{-11}{\text{ m}}^3/\text{s}$ to $5.28\cdot {10}^{-9}{\text{ m}}^3/\text{s}$ and that of the continuous phase from $2.78\cdot {10}^{-10}{\text{ m}}^3/\text{s}$ to $1.94\cdot {10}^{-9}{\text{ m}}^3/\text{s}$. The visualization of different flow regimes (drop, plug, and annular) was carried out for three configurations (not inverted in a horizontal position, inverted in a horizontal position, and inverted in a vertical position) for low capillary numbers. The model of Gauss was also chosen for a droplet size distribution in the dispersed phase, with the flow quality x varying from 0.016 to 0.44. The evolution of the drop size distribution as a function of the flow quality in the dispersed phase shows that the variation coefficient of the droplet's diameter is inversely proportional to the flow quality.     

The Carnot efficiency enabled by complete degeneracies

Quantum-size effects unavoidably produce imperfect-regeneration heat losses in irreversible isothermal expansion/compression cycles, leading to the less efficiency of micro engines. Here, we design a smallest quantum Stirling-like heat engine using a single trapped electron as the working substance. The quantum probabilities to determine the electronic position are constructed from the incoherent mixed ensemble. When the quantum well expands isothermally to double its size and an infinite delta-function potential barrier is inserted in the middle, the complete degeneracies enable the heat engine to work reversibly and achieve the Carnot efficiency. The proposed theoretical model can open up new avenues for building practical nano-energy devices.     

粒子在拥挤环境下的亚扩散：示踪粒子与拥挤粒子的尺寸影响

The dynamics of tracers in crowded matrix is of interest in various areas of physics, such as the diffusion of proteins in living cells. By using two-dimensional (2D) Langevin dynamics simulations, we investigate the diffusive properties of a tracer of a diameter in crowded environments caused by randomly distributed crowders of a diameter. Results show that the emergence of subdiffusion of a tracer at intermediate time scales depends on the size ratio of the tracer to crowders δ. If δ falls between a lower critical size ratio and a upper one, the anomalous diffusion occurs purely due to the molecular crowding. Further analysis indicates that the physical origin of subdiffusion is the "cage effect". Moreover, the subdiffusion exponent α decreases with the increasing medium viscosity and the degree of crowding, and gets a minimum αmin=0.75 at δ=1. At long time scales, normal diffusion of a tracer is recovered. For δ≤1, the relative mobility of tracers is independent of the degree of crowding. Meanwhile, it is sensitive to the degree of crowding for δ>1. Our results are helpful in deepening the understanding of the diffusive properties of biomacromolecules that lie within crowded intracellular environments, such as proteins, DNA and ribosomes.     

影响异戊二烯大气光解形成二次有机气溶胶的环境因素研究

通过自制的烟雾腔系统研究羟基启动的异戊二烯光解形成二次有机气溶胶(SOA)过程中环境因素的影响.使用气溶胶粒径光谱仪测量了SOA的粒径分布,通过光解实验研究了光照时间、反应物浓度以及CH3ONO浓度对异戊二烯光解形成SOA的影响.结果表明,异戊二烯光解形成的SOA空气动力学直径在0.4 mm～1.4 mm之间,这些粒子的直径小于2.5μm的微细粒子很容易沉积在人体肺泡内,对人体健康产生很大危害;不管是SOA粒子的粒子数浓度还是质量数浓度都随着反应时间的增长、光照强度的增强和反应物浓度的增加而增加.该研究为大气颗粒物排放源的外场测量提供了非常有用的信息.     

Continuum modeling of size effects on the composition and stresses in nanoparticles of ionic solids with application to ceria

Owing to its broad potential applications, nanostructured ceria has been subject of intense investigation in the past few decades. Experiments have demonstrated that various material properties of the nanostructured ionic solids including ceria vary with the feature size. Here, we present a theoretical study of the size effects on the composition, defect concentrations and stresses in free-standing nanoparticles of nonstoichiometric ionic solids. To this end, a continuum model is developed which accounts for the highly nonlinear coupling between mechanical, chemical and electrical driving forces, and their effects on the thermodynamic equilibrium of the defect species. It is demonstrated that the model, once applied to the case of ceria, predicts size-dependent defect concentrations and surface stresses. It is further shown that the theoretical predictions of the size effects on the composition and lattice parameter are in good agreement with the experimental observations.     

Active stress as a local regulator of global size in morphogenesis

While a general consensus exists that the morphogenesis of living organisms has its roots in genetically encoded information, there is a big debate about the physical mechanisms that actually mediate its control. In embryo development, cells stop proliferating at homeostasis, a target state in terms of physical conditions that can represent, for instance, the shape and size of an organ. However, while control of mitosis is local, the spatial dimension of a tissue is a global information. How do single cells get aware of that at the same time? Which is their communication mechanism? While morphogen factors are demonstrated to play a key role in morphogenesis, and in particular for shape emergence, they seem unable to produce a global control on size by themselves and, conversely, many recent experiments suggest that active mechanics plays a role. Here we focus on a paradigmatic larval structure: the imaginal disc that will become the wing of the fruit fly. By a formalization of theoretical conjectures in terms of simple mathematical models, we show that inhomogeneous stress, likely dictated by morphogenetic patterns, is an admissible mechanism to convey locally the global information of organ size.     

A higher-order nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory and its applications in wave propagation

In recent years there have been many papers that considered the effects of material length scales in the study of mechanics of solids at micro- and/or nano-scales. There are a number of approaches and, among them, one set of papers deals with Eringen's differential nonlocal model and another deals with the strain gradient theories. The modified couple stress theory, which also accounts for a material length scale, is a form of a strain gradient theory. The large body of literature that has come into existence in the last several years has created significant confusion among researchers about the length scales that these various theories contain. The present paper has the objective of establishing the fact that the length scales present in nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory describe two entirely different physical characteristics of materials and structures at nanoscale. By using two principle kernel functions, the paper further presents a theory with application examples which relates the classical nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory and it results in a higher-order nonlocal strain gradient theory. In this theory, a higher-order nonlocal strain gradient elasticity system which considers higher-order stress gradients and strain gradient nonlocality is proposed. It is based on the nonlocal effects of the strain field and first gradient strain field. This theory intends to generalize the classical nonlocal elasticity theory by introducing a higher-order strain tensor with nonlocality into the stored energy function. The theory is distinctive because the classical nonlocal stress theory does not include nonlocality of higher-order stresses while the common strain gradient theory only considers local higher-order strain gradients without nonlocal effects in a global sense. By establishing the constitutive relation within the thermodynamic framework, the governing equations of equilibrium and all boundary conditions are derived via the variational approach. Two additional kinds of parameters, the higher-order nonlocal parameters and the nonlocal gradient length coefficients are introduced to account for the size-dependent characteristics of nonlocal gradient materials at nanoscale. To illustrate its application values, the theory is applied for wave propagation in a nonlocal strain gradient system and the new dispersion relations derived are presented through examples for wave propagating in Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko nanobeams. The numerical results based on the new nonlocal strain gradient theory reveal some new findings with respect to lattice dynamics and wave propagation experiment that could not be matched by both the classical nonlocal stress model and the contemporary strain gradient theory. Thus, this higher-order nonlocal strain gradient model provides an explanation to some observations in the classical and nonlocal stress theories as well as the strain gradient theory in these aspects.     

Inversion of electrical mobility measurements using bipolar or unipolar chargers for the arbitrary distribution of channels

The inversion of the particle size distribution from electrical mobility measurements is analyzed. Three different methods are adapted for a dot-matrix approach to the problem, especially for non-square or singular matrices, and applied to electrical mobility measurements from fixed or scanning voltages. Multiply charged particles, diffusion losses, arbitrary voltage steps and noise were considered, which results in non-adjoining and overlapping transfer functions. The individual contribution of the transfer functions in each size interval was geometrically estimated, which requires only its characteristic mobilities. The methodology is applied to mobility measurements from particles charged with unipolar and bipolar chargers. However, the method can be extrapolated to any charging method with a defined charge distribution, and retrieval of the singly charged particle distribution and mean charge from a tandem differential mobility analysis configuration was successfully demonstrated.     

基础实验:金纳米粒子的制备及其光学性质

围绕金纳米粒子前沿内容,设计了一个简易的本科生基础实验,利用柠檬酸钠还原氯金酸法制备分散性好的金纳米粒子溶液,讨论了其尺寸与颜色的关系,探究了不同电解质和非电解质对金纳米粒子团聚及其颜色的影响,初步了解金纳米粒子的光学特性和探针效应基本原理。     

Peculiarities of melting and crystallization of n-decane in a porous glass

Melting and crystallization of n-decane embedded into porous glass with the mean pore size of about 6.4 nm were studied using acoustic and DSC methods. Smearing of the phase transitions, decrease of melting and freezing temperatures, pronounced hysteresis between melting and crystallization were revealed by both methods. In DSC measurements for the pore filling factors 70% and higher double peaks were observed upon cooling while only single peaks were present upon heating. Also a high reduction of the corresponding phase transition heats was revealed. Melting and freezing intervals determined by acoustic and DSC methods strongly differed from each other. A model which qualitatively explains the observed anomalies is proposed. It supposes the formation of liquid layers on the surface of the pores.