Viscosity of aluminum under shock-loading conditions

A reliable data treatment method is critical for viscosity measurements using the disturbance amplitude damping method of shock waves. In this paper the finite difference method is used to obtain the numerical solutions for the disturbance amplitude damping behaviour of the sinusoidal shock front in a flyer-impact experiment. The disturbance amplitude damping curves are used to depict the numerical solutions of viscous flow. By fitting the experimental data to the numerical solutions of different viscosities, we find that the effective shear viscosity coefficients of shocked aluminum at pressures of 42, 78 and 101 GPa are (1500±100) Pa · s, (2800±100) Pa · s and (3500±100) Pa · s respectively. It is clear that the shear viscosity of aluminum increases with an increase in shock pressure, so aluminum does not melt below a shock pressure of 101 GPa. This conclusion is consistent with the sound velocity measurement.     

Bound Energy of Water in Hard Dental Tissues

Abstract

Enamel and dentin are composed, respectively, of 3 wt% and 10 wt% of water, which exhibits different features in the tissues: loosely and tightly bound water. The objective of this study is to clarify by infrared spectroscopy, the different features of the water in heated (100–1000°C) hard dental tissues (enamel and dentin). The water band between 3800 cm^?1 and 2500 cm^?1 was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. The area dependence of the water band with temperature was compared with the Arrhenius equation in two regions (100–400°C and 700–1000°C). The activation energy was determined for these two regions, and similar values were observed for both tissues. For enamel we obtain ?4.1±0.2 kJ/mol at 100–400 °C and ?63±9 kJ/mol at 700–1000°C; for dentin ?4.1±0.2 kJ/mol at 100–400°C and ?60±11 kJ/mol at 700–1000°C. The water loss changes the color of the tissues, hydroxyapatite crystallographic parameters, and produce ESR signals. These changes were discussed and compared with the results observed in this work and after laser irradiation. We conclude that these two activation energies could be assigned to the adsorbed (loosely bound) and trapped (tightly bound) water.     

Natural convection heat transfer at reduced pressures

This paper experimentally studies the natural convection heat transfer characteristics on horizontal and vertical plates at pressures lower than atmospheric value. Eight different pressures ranging from 10Pa to 101.325kPa, and three heating loads were used in the experiments. It is found that natural convection heat transfer characteristics at reduced pressures are independent of the plate arrangements and present different behaviors in two pressure ranges, 10Pa < p < 1000Pa and p > 1000Pa. The experimental heat transfer results are correlated into a non-dimensional equation to help the thermal design of stratosphere aircrafts and airborne equipment.     

Molecular modelling investigations on the possibility of phenanthrene dimers to be the primary nuclei of soot

Pyrene dimerisation was successfully used to model the beginning of soot nucleation in some simulation models. However, the quantum mechanics (QM) calculations proved that the binding energy of a PAH dimer with three six-member rings was similar to that of a pyrene dimer. Meanwhile, the high concentration of phenanthrene at flame conditions indicated high probability of collisions among them. The small difference of the binding energy and high concentration indicated that PAHs structurally smaller than pyrene also could be involved in soot inception. Hence, binary collisions of phenanthrene were simulated to find out whether phenanthrene dimers can serve as soot primary nuclei or not by using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD). Three temperatures, six collision orientations and 155 initial translational velocities (ITVs) were considered. The results indicated that the number of dimers with lifetime over 10 ps which can serve as soot nuclei decreased from 52 at 1000 K to 17 at 1600 K, and further to 6 at 2400 K, which means that low temperature was more favourable for phenanthrene to form soot nuclei. Meanwhile, no soot nuclei were formed at the high velocity region (HVR), compared to 43 and 9 at low and middle velocity regions (LVR and MVR), respectively, when temperature was 1000 K. Also, no soot nuclei were formed at HVR when the temperature was raised to 1600 K and 2400 K. This indicated that HVR was unfavourable for phenanthrene to form soot nuclei. The results computationally further illustrated that small PAHs such as phenanthrene could serve as soot primary nuclei, since they have similar mole fractions in some flames. This may be useful for future soot simulation models.     

Temperature dependence of the quadrupole splitting of olivine and pyroxene from the Plains of Gusev Crater on Mars

In the present work, we report application of simultaneous fitting procedures to Mössbauer data acquired on the Plains of Gusev Crater by the MIMOS II spectrometer on board the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. Based on a quantitative measure of spectrum quality, the 34 best of the ～126 spectra acquired on the Plains are grouped together for a single simultaneous fit with a common least-squares criterion. Fitted values for the quadrupole splitting (QS) of olivine (Ol) from 200 K to 260 K are shown to lie between reported trend lines for Fo50 and Fo30 olivine, with a temperature gradient of (?11.2 ± 1.2) × 10^???4 mm/s/K, a nearly five-fold improvement in precision over the previously reported value, enabling extrapolation to QS(Ol) = (2.93 ± 0.01) mm/s at 295 K. QS of pyroxene fit as a single doublet exhibits a temperature gradient of (?7.3 ± 2.3) × 10^???4 mm/s/K.     

Mössbauer Effect Study of Eu0.88Fe4Sb12 Skutterudite

The partly filled skutterudites Eu_0.88Fe₄Sb₁₂ were investigated by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy in the temperature range 4.2 K ≤ T ≤ 295 K and in external fields up to 13.5 T. The results favour a statistical distribution of Eu and voids in the Fe near neighbour shell. Below 82 ± 1 K magnetic order is present. Debye temperatures Θ _D = 460 ± 20 K and 165 ± 30 K were obtained for Fe with completely occupied Eu sites and for Fe with vacancies in the R-neighbour shell, respectively. The temperature dependence of the quadrupole splitting reflects the thermal expansion of the lattice. The induced hyperfine fields at 4.2 K are negative and differ by roughly a factor of two for the two Fe surroundings.     

Investigation of the crystallization of liquid iron under pressure: Extrapolation of the melt viscosity into the megabar range

Measurements are made of the average size of the crystallites in Fe samples obtained by rapid quenching from the melt at high pressures up to 95 kbar. The data obtained make it possible to estimate the pressure dependence of the viscosity of the Fe melt. It is found that, contrary to the existing empirical models, the viscosity increases along the melting curve under compression. Extrapolation of the pressure dependences obtained to the P, T conditions corresponding to the Earth’s core gives extremely high values of the viscosity, ranging from 10² Pa·s up to 10¹¹ Pa·s in the outer core, which suggests that the inner core is in a glassy state. The possibility that the lines of vitrification and melting of substances intersect in the megabar range is discussed. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 6, 469–474 (25 September 1998)     

Heat capacity anomalies due to successive phase transitions in 1,1′-biphenyl

Precision heat capacity measurements on 1,1′-biphenyl revealed two broad anomalies at 11.0 K and 40.4 K. The excess enthalpies and entropies are 0.28 ± 0.02 J mol^?1 and 0.026 ± 0.002 J K^?1mol^?1 for the anomaly extending from 7.5 to 14.0 K, and 5.02 ± 0.08 J mol^?1 and 0.129 ± 0.003 J K^?1mol^?1 for the anomaly extending from 30.0 to 47.0 K, respectively. A possible molecular mechanism is suggested.     

Photo-physical properties of anisole: temperature, pressure, and bath gas composition dependence of fluorescence spectra and lifetimes

Anisole is a promising candidate for use as fluorescent tracer for gas-phase imaging diagnostics. Its high-fluorescence quantum yield (FQY) and its large Stokes shift lead to improved signal intensity (up to 100 times stronger) compared with the often used toluene. Fluorescence spectra and effective fluorescence lifetimes of gaseous anisole were investigated after picosecond laser excitation at 266 nm as a function of temperature (296–977 K) and bath gas composition (varying amounts of N₂ and O₂) at total pressures in the range of 1–10 bar to provide spectroscopic data and FQY for applications, e.g., in in-cylinder measurements in internal combustion engines. Fluorescence spectra of anisole extend from roughly 270–360 nm with a peak close to 290 nm at 296 K. The spectra show a red-shift with increasing temperature (0.03 nm/K) and O₂ partial pressure (5 nm from N₂ to air). In the investigated temperature range and in pure N₂ at 1 bar total pressure the effective fluorescence lifetime drops with increasing temperature from 13.3 ± 0.5 to 0.05 ± 0.01 ns. Increasing the total pressure of N₂ leads to a small decrease of the lifetime at temperatures above 400 K (e.g., at 525 K from 4.2 ± 0.2 ns at 1 bar to 2.7 ± 0.2 ns at 10 bar). At constant temperature and in the presence of O₂ the lifetimes decrease significantly (e.g., at 296 K from 13.3 ± 0.5 ns in N₂ to 0.40 ± 0.02 ns in air), with this trend diminishing with increasing temperature (e.g., at 675 K from 1.02 ± 0.08 ns in N₂ to 0.25 ± 0.05 ns in air). A phenomenological model that predicts fluorescence lifetimes, i.e., relative quantum yields as a function of temperature, pressure, and O₂ concentration is presented. The photophysics of anisole is discussed in comparison with other aromatics.     

Measurement of radionuclides and absorbed dose rates in soil samples of Peshawar,Pakistan, using gamma ray spectrometry

The analysis of gamma-emitting radionuclides in nature, i.e. ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs, has been carried out in soil samples collected from Peshawar University Campus and surrounding areas using a high purity germanium detector coupled with a computer-based high-resolution multichannel analyser. The activity concentrations in soil ranged from 30.20±0.65 to 61.90±0.95, 50.10±0.54 to 102.80±1.04, 373.60±4.56 to 1082±11.38 and 9.50±0.11 to 46.60±0.42 Bq kg^?1 for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs, with a mean value of 45±7.70, 67±12.50, 878±180 and 19±9.20 Bq kg^?1, respectively. The radium equivalent activity, internal and external hazard indices have mean values of 203.40±29.40 Bq kg^?1, 0.56 and 0.68, respectively. The mean values of outdoor and indoor absorbed dose rates in air and the annual effective dose equivalents were found to be 106.50 and 128 nGy h^?1 and 0.19 and 0.54 mSv y^?1, respectively. In the present study, ⁴⁰K was the major radionuclide present in soil samples. The presence of ¹³⁷Cs indicates that this area also received some fallout from the nuclear accident of the Chernobyl power plant in 1986. The activity concentrations of radionuclides found in soil samples during the current investigation were nominal. Therefore, they are not associated with any potential source of health hazard to the public.     

Physical and mechanical properties of C60 under high pressures and high temperatures

The physical and mechanical properties of a C₆₀ fullerene sample have been investigated under high pressure–high temperature conditions using a designer Diamond Anvil Cell. Electrical resistance measurements show evidence of C₆₀ cage collapse at 20 GPa, which leads to the formation of an insulating phase at higher pressure. Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXD) data indicated that the characteristic fcc reflections gradually decrease in intensity and eventually disappear above 28 GPa. A C₆₀ sample was laser-heated at a pressure of 35 GPa to a temperature of 1910±100 K and, subsequently, decompressed to ambient conditions. The photoluminescence spectra and the Raman spectrum of the pressure–temperature-treated sample were measured at a low temperature of 80 K. Raman peak at 1322.3 cm^?1 with full-width half-maximum of 2.9 cm^?1 was observed from the sample, which is attributed to the hexagonal diamond phase in the sample. The room temperature photoluminescence spectra showed a symmetric emission band centered in the red spectral range with a peak at 690 nm. The structural analysis of the pressure–temperature-processed C₆₀ sample using EDXD method showed strong internal structure orientation and a phase close to hexagonal diamond. Mechanical properties such as hardness and Young’s modulus were measured by nanoindentation technique and the values were found to be 90±7 and 1215±50 GPa, respectively and these values are characteristic of sp³-bonded carbon materials.     

Phase transition of ZnS at high pressures and temperatures

The high-pressure behaviour of zinc sulphide, ZnS, has been investigated, using an in situ X-ray powder diffraction technique in a diamond anvil cell, at pressures and temperatures up to 35 GPa and 1000 K, respectively. The pressure-induced phase transition from a zincblende (B3) to a rocksalt (B1) structure was observed. This transition occurred at 13.4 GPa and at room temperature, and a negative dependence on temperature for this transition was confirmed. The transition boundary was determined to be P (GPa) = 14.4 ? 0.0033 × T (K).     

Interaction Between Isoquercitrin and Bovine Serum Albumin by a Multispectroscopic Method

ABSTRACT

The interaction of isoquercitrin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by means of fluorescence spectroscopy (FS), resonance light scattering spectroscopy (RLS), and ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV). The apparent binding constants (K _a) between isoquercitrin and BSA were 5.37 × 10⁵ L mol^?1 (293.15 K) and 2.34 × 10⁵ L mol^?1 (303.15 K), and the binding site values (n) were 1.18 ± 0.03. According to the Förster theory of non-radiation energy transfer, the binding distances (r) between isoquercitrin and BSA were 1.94 and 1.95 nm at 293.15 K and 303.15 K, respectively. The experimental results showed that the isoquercitrin could be inserted into the BSA, quenching the inner fluorescence by forming the isoquercitrin–BSA complex. The addition of increasing isoquercitrin to BSA solution leads to the gradual enhancement in RLS intensity, exhibiting the formation of the aggregate in solution. It was found that both static quenching and non-radiation energy transfer were the main reasons for the fluorescence quenching. The entropy change and enthalpy change were negative, which indicated that the interaction of isoquercitrin and BSA was driven mainly by van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonds. The process of binding was a spontaneous process in which Gibbs free energy change was negative.     

Effect of viscosity on thermocapillary breakdown of a falling liquid film

Thermocapillary breakdown of a liquid film flowing due to gravity over a vertical plate with a heater of 150×150 mm is studied in a wide range of liquid properties (in particular, dynamic viscosity at the initial temperature varies from 0.91·10^-3 to 16.9·10^-3 Pa·s) and film Reynolds number (Re = 0.15-53.5). It is found that liquid viscosity has a significant effect on the threshold heat flux corresponding to film breakdown. To take into account the effect of liquid properties, the breakdown criterion traditionally used in literature was modified. This allowed successful generalization of all data obtained.     

Effect of NH4I and I2 concentration on agar gel polymer electrolyte properties for a dye-sensitized solar cell

Gel polymer electrolytes were prepared using agar polymer host, NH₄I, and I₂ salts. The sample of agar paste with 1.0 M of NH₄I and 0.2 μM of I₂ exhibits the highest conductivity and lowest viscosity values at room temperature of (2.64?±?0.19)?×?10^?3?S?cm^?1 and 1.17?±?0.29 Pa?s, respectively. All of the gel polymer electrolytes display Arrhenian behavior, and the optimum agar paste gave the lowest activation energy of 0.25 eV. It also had a good physical appearance compared with the other samples. This gel polymer electrolyte had a good potential and was applicable to a role as electrolyte in ITO-ZnO (N719 dye)/agar paste?+?1.0 M NH₄I?+?0.2 μM I₂/Au-Pd-ITO dye-sensitized solar cell.     

Hyperfine fields in erbium metal

The hyperfine Splitting of the 80.6-keVγ transition in Er¹⁶⁶ has been measured in erbium metal between 4.2 °K and 40 °K using the Mössbauer effect. There is evidence for a unique magnetic field and electric fieldgradient at all nuclei in erbium metal. The magnetic field decreases from (7.55±0.20)·10⁶ Oe at 4.2 °K to (6.10±0.40)·10⁶ Oe at 40 °K. Extrapolation to 0 °K yieldsH (0 °K)=(7.60±0.20)·10⁶ Oe. The quadrupole interaction energy for the 80.6-keV state iseQ V _Z′Z′/4=(0.95±0.20)·10^?6 eV at 4.2 °K. These results are discussed and compared with other measurements.     

Assessment of health hazard due to natural radioactivity in Kluang District,Johor, Malaysia

The radiation survey of the ambient environment was conducted using two gamma detectors, and the measurement results were used in the computation of the mean external radiation dose rate, mean-weighted dose rate and annual effective dose, which are 144 nGy h^?1, 0.891 mSv y^?1 and 178 μSv, respectively. A high-purity germanium detector was used to determine the activity concentrations of ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra and ⁴⁰K in soil samples. The results of the gamma spectrometry of the soil samples show radioactivity concentration ranges from 19±1 to 405±13 Bq kg^?1 with a mean value of 137±5 Bq kg^?1 for ²³²Th, from 21±2 to 268±9 Bq kg^?1with a mean value of 78±3 Bq kg^?1 for ²²⁶Ra and from 23±9 to 1268±58 Bq kg^?1 with a mean value of 207±13 Bq kg^?1 for ⁴⁰K. Radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq) and external hazard index (H_ex) were 290 Bq kg^?1 and 0.784, respectively, which were safe for the population. The mean lifetime dose and lifetime cancer risk for each person living in the area with average lifetime (70 y) were 12.46 mSv and 7.25×10^?4 Sv year, respectively. The results were compared with values given in United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2000.     

Direct observation of atomic diffusion in warm rubidium ensembles

We present a robust method for measuring diffusion coefficients of warm atoms in buffer gases. Using optical pumping, we manipulate the atomic spin in a thin cylinder inside the cell. Then, we observe the spatial spread of optically pumped atoms in time using a camera, which allows us to determine the diffusion coefficient. As an example, we demonstrate measurements of diffusion coefficients of rubidium in neon, krypton and xenon acting as buffer gases. We have determined the normalized (273 K, 760 Torr) diffusion coefficients to be 0.18 ± 0.03 cm²/s for neon, 0.07 ± 0.01 cm²/s for krypton and 0.052 ± 0.006 cm²/s for xenon.     

Biocompatibility selenium nanoparticles with an intrinsic oxidase-like activity

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are considered to be the new selenium supplement forms with high biological activity and low toxicity; however, the molecular mechanism by which SeNPs exert the biological function is unclear. Here, we reported that biocompatibility SeNPs possessed intrinsic oxidase-like activity. Using Na₂SeO₃ as a precursor and glutathione as a reductant, biocompatibility SeNPs were synthesized by the wet chemical reduction method in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The results of structure characterization revealed that synthesized SeNPs were amorphous red elementary selenium with spherical morphology, and ranged in size from 25 to 70 nm size with a narrow distribution (41.4 ± 6.7 nm). The oxidase-like activity of the as-synthesized SeNPs was tested with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a substrate. The results indicated that SeNPs could catalyze the oxidization of TMB by dissolved oxygen. These SeNPs showed an optimum catalytic activity at pH 4 and 30 °C, and the oxidase-like activity was higher as the concentration of SeNPs increased and the size of SeNPs decreased. The Michaelis constant (K _m) values and maximal reaction velocity (V _max) of the SeNPs for TMB oxidation were 0.0083 mol/L and 3.042 μmol/L min, respectively.     

Shock compression of preheated molybdenum

A set of shock adiabats of molybdenum is constructed at various initial temperatures. It is shown that the dependence between shock velocity and particle velocity for Mo is nonlinear at high initial temperatures in a range of particle velocities 0.2<u<0.7 km/s. In a range of particle velocities 0.2 < u < 1.4 km/s the initial heating of molybdenum to 1000 K changes its shock adiabat approximately by 4%.