Kinetics of ion admixture in a native gas in an external harmonic electric field

We have considered the spatially homogeneous problem of the behavior of an ion admixture in a background gas after applying a harmonic electric field with arbitrary parameters for various laws of interaction of particles. The Boltzmann equation has been solved using the modified method of moments. The ion distribution function and its first moments have been analyzed. It has been shown that the universal analytic expressions for the current density and the ion energy that we derived earlier for a small field amplitude-tofrequency ratio have a considerably wider range of applications.     

On the possibility of the nucleation of magnetic vortices and antivortices in magnetic dielectrics using electric fields

The micromagnetic distribution in a dielectric nanoparticle is theoretically considered. It is shown that the presence of an inhomogeneous magnetoelectric interaction in magnetic dielectrics creates the possibility of nucleation of magnetic vortices and antivortices in them using an electric field. The estimation of the critical voltage necessary for vortex creation in particles of high-temperature multiferroic bismuth ferrite yields a value of ∼100 V.     

Kerr effect caused by an electric current in a weakly ionized gas

The anisotropy of the velocity distribution caused by an electric current in a fluid leads to a molecular alignment via the non-spherical interaction. This alignment implies a birefringence proportional to the square of the applied electric field just as the ordinary Kerr effect. The kinetic theory of this phenomenon is presented for a lorentzian mixture, viz. a gas of few light charged linear molecules and of many heavy optically isotropic particles. The current-induced contribution to the Kerr effect turns out to be much larger than the contribution which stems from the usually considered orienting influence of the electric field on anisotropic molecules.     

Interaction of a dielectric macroparticle with a point charge in plasma

The electrostatic interaction of a charged spherical dielectric macroparticle with a point charge in a plasma in the presence of an external uniform electric field is considered. The electrostatic force and the torque acting on the macroparticle have been determined, and the form of the interaction potential has been established for a nonuniform distribution of free charge on the macroparticle surface. A simple (for calculations) expression for the interaction potential that describes well the exact potential at all interparticle distances is proposed. The angular velocity of the spinning of dust particles caused by a nonuniform distribution of free charge over their surface has been estimated.     

On the three-term approximation of the solution of the Boltzmann equation for weakly ionized gases

In this paper we discuss an improvement of the current technique of solution of the Boltzmann equation for weakly ionized gases in an electric field. The method is based on the usual expansion of the velocity distribution in spherical harmonics, but three terms of the expansion are retained instead of two. In the light of the results obtained for a particular interaction law between charged and neutral particles, a procedure is established which is consistent in the orders of approximation. This procedure requires an improvement of the degree of accuracy commonly used for the terms deriving from the Boltzmann collision operator. For this reason, the general expression of the isotropic collision operator correct to second order in the ion-neutral mass ratio is calculated. Finally, a new steady-state solution of the Boltzmann equation is obtained which is valid both for electrons and light ions in heavy gases.     

An experimental study on the characterization of electric charge in electrostatic dust removal

Automatic dust removal using the electrostatic forces of electrodynamic screen (EDS) is an emerging method for mitigation of energy yield losses caused by dust accumulation on solar collectors. Both electric field distribution and dust particles' charge acquired during the removal process play pivotal roles in thorough evaluation of EDS performance. Previous studies have comprehensively analyzed the electric field distribution in EDS. In this paper we have conducted a number of experiments to examine how two EDS design parameters, electrode width and inter-electrode spacing, and two operational parameters, applied voltage and relative humidity, affect dust particles' charge. Sixteen EDS prototypes in two sets were developed and tested in a laboratory environment to study the acquired charge by dust particles via charge-to-mass ratio measurements. It has been shown that the charge-to-mass ratio is directly affected by the electric field intensity on an EDS surface. Furthermore, we have shown the detrimental impact of relative humidity on EDS performance. The results are advantageous in the evaluation of EDS design and its optimization to attain maximum dust removal efficiency.     

Kinetics of ions in a neutral gas upon abrupt application of an electric field. II: Various models of interaction

A new method for calculating the matrix elements of the collision integral in the Boltzmann equation is used for studying the behavior of an ion impurity upon an abrupt application of an electric field. For five models of interaction, the behavior of mobility is analyzed and the evolution of the distribution function for various values of the electric field is illustrated. The initial stage of runaway of ions is studied in the case of the Coulomb interaction. Two methods for improving the convergence of the polynomial expansions of the distribution function are considered.     

Time-dependent interaction across two conducting spheres in an applied electrostatic field

Charged particles exist widely in variety of technological areas as well as in nature. Even a weak charge on the particles can significantly influence their electric interaction. We investigated the phenomenon of time-dependent electric interaction between two conducting spheres in an electrostatic field. A mirror-image method was developed to analyze this system, and the fundamental role of the charges on the spheres was studied. We concluded that charges conducted to the lower sphere through the alumina tube used in our system play a main role in determining the time-dependent interaction, whereas the influence from air ions is negligible.     

Ordered dust structures in glow discharge plasmas

Ordering of dust grains suspended in glow discharge plasmas into quasi-steady liquid-or crystallike structures in an external field is considered. The self-consistent electric field generated by free electrons, ions, and dust grains is found. An estimate is obtained for the confining potential required to hold dust grains in the direction perpendicular to the discharge axis. It is shown that the potential energy of interaction between ordered dust particles has the form characteristic of ionic crystals. Critical parameters are estimated for a liquidlike dust structure. The correlation function calculated for a dusty plasma by using this approach is compared with a measured one.     

The near-field effect in a system of two-level dipole particles

We have solved a self-consistent problem on interaction of two dipole atoms located at an arbitrary distance from each other with the field of a quasiresonance light wave, whose intensity is sufficient for the system to manifest nonlinear properties. The atoms are considered as two-level systems described by means of Bloch optical equations, while the field inside of the system includes both Coulomb and retarded parts. We consider a situation where atoms are identical and the distance between them is much smaller than the length of an outer light wave. The distribution of an electric field both inside of a small object and outside of it is found numerically. It is shown that the amplitude of the electric field in a wave zone depends substantially on the frequency of the external field and interatomic distance, while the field distribution differs from the field pattern of an electric dipole. At definite values of the external field intensity an optical multistability is a feature of the system under investigation. We have elucidated the conditions under which the multistability is manifested in the present system. The results obtained are considered as the near-field effect in the optics of small objects, which makes it possible to investigate the structure of small objects by means of optical radiation. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 375–378, May–June, 2000. The present work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (grant 98-02-16035) and by a grant from the Federal Purpose-Oriented Program “Integration.”     

[Russian Text Ignored]

Some aspects of the theory of fluctuating microfield in a system of charged particles are considered. The question concerning regions of validity for Holtsmark-like and Gauss-like microfield distributions in a rarefied and a dense plasma is discussed. The influence of finite dimensions of particles (test particles as well as field particles) on the microfield distribution is investigated. Expressions for a “dynamic” (two-time) generalization of the Holtsmark distribution are obtained for limiting cases. By methods of microfield theory certain formulas for the fluctuations of the electric charges within a finite volume of an electrolyte are derived too.     

Multiple Image Method for the Two Conductor Spheres in a Uniform Electrostatic Field

A method using multiple mirror images of point charges is put forward to analyze the polarization of two identical conductor spheres in a uniform electrostatic field. By use of the method, the electric field distribution and the interaction force between two spheres can be calculated accurately even for very small gap between two spheres. Our results show that the magnitude of the product of the gap between two spheres and the local electric field in the center of the gap is approximately in the same order and the interaction between two spheres increases very fast as the two spheres are close to each other. We also show that the interaction force between two conductor spheres is almost same with that between two dielectric spheres with high permittivity.     

Numerical solutions for single passage NMR on nuclei experiencing small electric quadrupole interactions

The adiabatic rapid-passage NMR equations are numerically solved for a small additional quadrupole interaction. The full range of the ratio of rf interaction strengths to quadrupole interactions strengths is considered for any electric field gradient orientation. The results forI=1 are particularly easy to describe and are used to predict the single-passage results for different orientations of the electric field gradient with respect to the static magnetic field.     

Features of the resonant interaction of moving neutral atoms and clusters with superlattice surface

Features of the interaction of moving neutral atoms, molecules, and clusters with a superlattice field (for example, the system of linear magnetic and electric domains) are considered. It is shown that the character of the particle motion depends on the ratio of the frequency ω₂₁ of the internal electromagnetic resonance to the bounce frequency Ω _s determined by the superlattice period, the velocity of the particle motion, and the possible moments of the particle in the ground d ₁₁ and excited d ₂₂ states. The conditions for regimes of attraction and repulsion of particles by the superlattice are considered. The preconditions for formation of a one-dimensional potential well located far from the superlattice and for stable channeling of neutral and charged particles in this well are also considered. Depending on the ratio of ω₂₁ to Ω _s , particle sorting and beam separation occur during interaction of the multicomponent beam consisting of different particles with the superlattice field.     

Event-driven simulations of insulating grains in an external electric field

In this work we employ event-driven particle dynamics simulations for a system of spherical insulating grains interacting with an external electric field. This system resembles the electrostatic particle separation present on some industrial processes. Here, the particles collide inelastically with each other and with the container walls, for a constant normal and tangential restitution coefficients. During the collisions, the grains can acquire electric charge due to triboelectric contact charging, since two different species of insulating particles are mixed. Particle-particle electric interactions are not considered. Grains are also subjected to the gravitational field and rotation, and are confined in a cubic box with thermal walls in order to prevent the static equilibrium state. We calculate the mass and charge density profile, and the particle charge distribution for different values of the electric field and temperature of the walls. The particle charge distribution and the effect of particle sizes on the separation process were also investigated.     

EHD kelvin-helmholtz instability in viscous porous medium permeated with suspended particles

The electrohydrodynamic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of the plane interface between two uniform, superposed viscous and streaming dielectric fluids permeated with suspended particles through porous medium is considered under the influence of a tangential electric field. In the absence of surface tension, it is found that perturbations transverse to the direction of streaming are unaffected by the presence of both streaming and the tangential electric field, if perturbations in the direction of streaming are ignored. For perturbations in all other directions there exists instability for a certain wavenumber range. In the presence of surface tension, it is found that the instability of this system is suppressed by the presence of the tangential electric field. Both the tangential electric field and the surface tension have stabilizing effects and they are able to suppress Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for small wavelength perturbations. The medium porosity reduces the stability range given in terms of a difference in streaming velocities and the electric field effect, while the suspended particles do not affect the above results.     

Field induced radial crack patterns in drying laponite gel

We present a study of crack patterns in a layer of laponite gel allowed to dry in a static electric field. Crack patterns in natural and synthetic clays have been studied extensively with interesting results. Since clay platelets have a surface charge in aqueous solution, it is natural to expect the cracking patterns to be affected by an electric field. This is the first report of such an observation in a radial electric field. The nano-sized disc-like laponite particles carry a quadrupole moment due to their charge distribution. The interaction of the quadrupole moment with the field gradient in a non-uniform field of radial symmetry is probably responsible for the characteristic pattern observed. The cracks start radially from the positive electrode. The same geometry with no field does not produce the characteristic pattern, neither does a uniform field with rectangular geometry.     

迁移率对单层有机发光器件中电场与载流子分布的影响

有机发光器件的宏观特性与有机层中的电场和载流子浓度分布密切相关。建立的有机电致发光器件模型是由两个金属电极中间夹一层有机发光薄膜材料组成的单层器件,金属与有机发光层之间为欧姆接触。模型以载流子运动的扩散-漂移理论为基础,利用数值方法研究了有机发光层中双极载流子注入时的电势、电场、载流子浓度和复合密度分布。分析结果表明:当两种载流子的迁移率相同时,电场强度、载流子浓度、复合密度的分布呈对称形式。而当电子和空穴的迁移率μn和μp相差比较大时,高迁移率的载流子不仅仅分布在注入端附近而且还有一小部分能够传输到另一端,而低迁移率的载流子只分布在其注入端附近;当μn、μp的大小相差不大时,载流子传输情况就介于两者之间。当μn/μp的比值变化时,电场强度的极大值向载流子迁移率小的注入端偏移。     

像偶极子法计算导体颗粒簇团的偶极矩

计算均匀电场中颗粒簇团的偶极矩通常是困难的,这是因为颗粒间的相互耦合较难处理.这种相互耦合使颗粒的极化依赖于簇团的结构和大小.利用像偶极子法对这种耦合加以分析.首先,分别考虑了置于纵向和横向电场中的任意间距的等径导体球对,确定了各球上的像偶极子和像电荷及其分布.之后,计算了由4个置于正方形顶点和8个置于立方体顶点的导体球构成的簇团的偶极矩,并给出紧凑表达式.与先前的结果进行了比较,获得了很好的一致性. 关键词： 偶极矩 颗粒簇团 像偶极子法 分形     

Orientational transitions in ferromagnetic liquid crystals with bistable coupling between colloidal particles and the matrix

We study the orientational response of a ferromagnetic liquid crystal that is induced by magnetic and electric fields. A modified form of the energy of the orientational interaction between magnetic impurity particles and the liquid crystal matrix that leads to bistable coupling is considered. It is shown that apart from magnetic impurity segregation, first-order orientational transitions can be due to the bistability of the potential of the orientational coupling between the director and the magnetization. The ranges of material parameters that lead to optical bistability are determined. The possibility of first-order orientational transitions is analyzed for the optical phase difference between the ordinary and extraordinary light rays transmitted through a ferronematic cell. It is shown that an electric field applied in the given geometry considerably enhances the magneto-orientational response of the ferronematic.