Drawing of annular liquid jets at low Reynolds numbers

Asymptotic methods based on the slenderness ratio are used to obtain the leading-order equations that govern the fluid dynamics of axisymmetric, isothermal, Newtonian, annular liquid jets such as those employed in the manufacture of textile fibres, annular membranes, composite fibres and optical fibres, at low Reynolds numbers. It is shown that the leading-order equations are one-dimensional, and analytical solutions are obtained for steady flows at zero Reynolds numbers, zero gravitational pull, and inertialess jets. A linear stability analysis of the viscous flow regime indicates that the stability of annular jets is governed by the same eigenvalue equation as that for the spinning of round fibres. Numerical studies of the time-dependent equations subject to axial velocity perturbations at the nozzle exit and/or the take-up point indicate that the annular jet dynamics evolves from periodic to chaotic motions as the extension or draw ratio is increased. The power spectrum of the annular jet's radius at the take-up point broadens and the phase diagrams exhibit holes at large draw ratios. The number of holes increases as the draw ratio is increased, thus indicating the presence of strange attractors and chaotic motions.     

Spreading of an inkjet droplet on a solid surface with a controlled contact angle at low Weber and Reynolds numbers

Even though the inkjet technology has been recognized as one of the most promising technologies for electronic and bio industries, the full understanding of the dynamics of an inkjet droplet at its operating conditions is still lacking. In this study, the normal impact of water droplets on solid substrates was investigated experimentally. The size of water droplets studied here was 46 microm and was much smaller than the most of the previous studies on drop impact. The Weber number (We) and Reynolds number (Re) were 0.05-2 and 10-100, respectively, and the Ohnesorge number was fixed at 0.017. The wettability of the solid substrate was varied by adsorbing a self-assembled monolayer of octadecyltrichlorosilane followed by the exposure to UV-ozone plasma. The impact scenarios for low We impacts were found to be qualitatively different from the high to moderate We impacts. Neither the development of a thin film and lamella under the traveling sphere nor the entrapment of small bubbles was observed. The dynamics of droplet impact at the conditions studied here is found to proceed under the combined influences of inertia, surface tension, and viscosity without being dominated by one specific mechanism. The maximum spreading factor (beta), the ratio of the diameter of the wetted surface and the drop diameter before impact, was correlated well with the relationship ln beta=0.090 ln We/(fs-cos theta)+0.151 for three decades of We/(fs-cos theta), where theta is the equilibrium contact angle, and fs is the ratio between the surface areas contacting the air and the solid substrate. The result implies that the final shape of the droplet is determined by the surface phenomenon rather than fluid mechanical effects.     

Electron transfer from laser excited rydberg atoms to molecules. Absolute rate constants at low and intermediate principal quantum numbers

Using mass spectrometric detection of positive and negative ions, we have investigated ionizing reactions of Ne(ns,nd) Rydberg atoms, efficiently excited by resonant two-photon excitation of metastable Ne(3s ³ P ₂) atoms, with electron attaching moleculesBC (BC=SF₆, CCl₄, CS₂, O₂) at thermal collision energies. Absolute rate constants have been determined in the range of low and intermediate principal quantum numbersn(5≦n?30) by utilizing the photoionization signal caused by room temperature black-body radiation and the loss of Ne(3s ³ P ₂) atoms, associated with the laser excitation. Substantially differentn-dependences of the electron transfer cross section have been found for the larger molecules (BC = SF₆, CCl₄) and the smaller molecules (BC = CS₂, O₂). Simple model calculations have been performed to gain new insight into the dynamics of the electron transfer process; forBC = SF₆, our results at lown(5 ≦n ≦ 10) suggest that internal energy conversion in the Coulombic complex Ne⁺ — SF ₆ ^? is important for the formation of the detected ions.     

Determination of cadmium and lead at low levels by using preconcentration at fullerene coupled to thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A new and sensitive method for Cd and Pb determinations, based on the coupling of thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and a preconcentrator system, was developed. The procedure comprised the chelating of Cd and Pb with ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate with posterior adsorption of the chelates on a mixture (40 mg) of C₆₀ and C₇₀ at a flow rate of 2.0 ml min⁻¹. These chelates were eluted from the adsorbent by passing a continuous flow of ethanol (80% v/v) at 0.9 ml min⁻¹ to a nickel tube placed in an air/acetylene flame. After sample introduction into the tube by using a ceramic capillary (0.5 mm i.d.), the analytical signals were registered as peak height. Under these conditions, improvement factors in detectability of 675 and 200 were obtained for Cd and Pb, respectively, when compared to conventional flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Spiked samples (mineral and tap waters) and drinking water containing natural concentrations of Cd were employed for evaluating accuracy by comparing the results obtained from the proposed methodology with those using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. In addition, certified reference materials (rye grass, CRM 281 and pig kidney, CRM 186) were also adopted for the accuracy tests. Due to the good linearity ranges for Cd (0.5–5.0 μg l⁻¹) and Pb (10–250 μg l⁻¹), samples with different concentrations could be analyzed. Detection limits of 0.1 and 2.4 μg l⁻¹ were obtained for Cd and Pb, respectively, and RSD values <4.5% were observed (n=10). Finally, a sample throughput of 24 determinations per hour was possible.     

Hydrogen isotope correction for laser instrument measurement bias at low water vapor concentration using conventional isotope analyses: application to measurements from Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii

The hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of water vapor can be measured with commercially available laser spectroscopy analyzers in real time. Operation of the laser systems in relatively dry air is difficult because measurements are non-linear as a function of humidity at low water concentrations. Here we use field-based sampling coupled with traditional mass spectrometry techniques for assessing linearity and calibrating laser spectroscopy systems at low water vapor concentrations. Air samples are collected in an evacuated 2 L glass flask and the water is separated from the non-condensable gases cryogenically. Approximately 2 μL of water are reduced to H(2) gas and measured on an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. In a field experiment at the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO), we ran Picarro and Los Gatos Research (LGR) laser analyzers for a period of 25 days in addition to periodic sample collection in evacuated flasks. When the two laser systems are corrected to the flask data, they are strongly coincident over the entire 25 days. The δ(2)H values were found to change by over 200‰ over 2.5 min as the boundary layer elevation changed relative to MLO. The δ(2)H values ranged from -106 to -332‰, and the δ(18)O values (uncorrected) ranged from -12 to -50‰. Raw data from laser analyzers in environments with low water vapor concentrations can be normalized to the international V-SMOW scale by calibration to the flask data measured conventionally. Bias correction is especially critical for the accurate determination of deuterium excess in dry air.