A study of the freezing of water in human uterine muscle by proton magnetic resonance

Human uterine muscle and its nuclear fractions have been studied by means of nuclear magnetic resonance at temperatures from 300 degrees K to 143 degrees K. Different proton populations have been detected above and below the freezing point. On this basis it is suggested that the freezing of water in uterine muscle starts at the cell nuclei.     

A parametric study of cochlear input impedance

In this paper various aspects of the cat cochlear input impedance Zc (omega) are implemented using a transmission line model having perilymph viscosity and a varying cross-sectional scalae area. These model results are then compared to the experimental results of Lynch et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 72, 108-130 (1982)]. From the model, the following observations are made about the cochlear input impedance: (a) Scalae area variations significantly alter the model Zc (omega); (b) the use of anatomically measured area improves the fits to the experimental data; (c) improved agreement between model and experimental phase is obtained when perilymph viscosity and tapering are included in the cochlear model for frequencies below approximately 150 Hz; (d) when model scalae tapering and perilymph viscosity are chosen to match physiological conditions, the effect of the helicotrema impedance on Zc (omega) is insignificant; and (e) the cochlear map, which is defined as the position of the basilar membrane peak displacement as a function of stimulus frequency, can have an important effect on Zc (omega) for frequencies below 500 Hz. A nonphysiological cochlear map can give rise to cochlear standing waves, which result in oscillations in Zc (omega). Scalae tapering and perilymph viscosity contribute significantly to the damping of these standing waves. These observations should dispel the previous notion that Zc (omega) is determined solely by parameters of the cochlea close to the stapes, and the notion that Zc (omega) is dominated by the helicotrema at low frequencies.     

A parametric study of surface-discharge nitrogen lasers

A parametric study of sandwich-type discharge chamber nitrogen lasers has been carried out. A non-monotonic dependence of the energy emitted by the laser and the discharge chamber thickness is found. Discharge chambers with = 1 have the best electro-optical efficiency. The ratio between the electrode gap,d, and is found to be a scaling parameter. The possible influence of wall ablation in the comportment is also discussed.     

A parametric study of ignition dynamics at ECN Spray A thermochemical conditions using 2D DNS

The ignition process in diesel engines is highly complex and incompletely understood. In the present study, two-dimensional direct numerical simulations are performed to investigate the ignition dynamics and their sensitivity to thermochemical and mixing parameters. The thermochemical and mixing conditions are matched to the benchmark Spray A experiment from the Engine Combustion Network. The results reveal a complex ignition process with overlapping stages of: low-temperature ignition (cool flames), rich premixed ignition, and nonpremixed ignition, which are qualitatively consistent with prior experimental and numerical investigations, however, this is the first time that fully-resolved simulations have been reported at the actual Spray A thermochemical condition. Parametric variations are then performed for the Damköhler number Da, oxidiser temperature, oxygen concentration, and peak mixture fraction (a measure of premixedness), to study their effect on the ignition dynamics. It is observed that with both increasing oxidiser temperature and decreasing oxygen concentration, that the cool flame moves to richer mixtures, the overlap in the ignition stages decreases, and the (nondimensional) time taken to reach a fully burning state increases. With increasing Da, the cool-flame speed is decreased due to lower mean mixing rates, which causes a delayed onset of high-temperature ignition. With increasing peak mixture fraction, the onset of each stage of ignition is not affected, but the overall duration of the ignition increases leading to a longer burn duration. Overall, the results suggest that turbulence–chemistry interactions play a significant role in determining the timing and location in composition space of the entire ignition process.     

Spin freezing in MnO.Al2O3.SiO2 glass: A muon spin depolarization study

Hyperfine Interactions -     

Role of the aperture in Z-scan experiments: A parametric study

In close-aperture Z-scan experiments, a small aperture is conventionally located in the far-field thereby enabling the detection of slight changes in the laser beam profile due to the Kerr-lensing effect. In this work, by numerically solving the Fresnel–Kirchhoff diffraction integrals, the amount of transmitted power through apertures has been evaluated and a parametric study on the role of the various parameters that can influence this transmitted power has been done. In order to perform a comprehensive analysis, we have used a nonlinear phase shift optimized for nonlocal nonlinear media in our calculations. Our results show that apertures will result in the formation of symmetrical fluctuations on the wings of Z-scan transmittance curves. It is further shown that the appearance of these fluctuations can be ascribed to the natural diffraction of the Gaussian beam as it propagates up to the aperture plane. Our calculations reveal that the nonlocal parameter variations can shift the position of fluctuations along the optical axis, whereas their magnitude depends on the largeness of the induced nonlinear phase shift. It is concluded that since the mentioned fluctuations are produced by the natural diffraction of the Gaussian beam itself, one must take care not to mistakenly interpret them as noise and should not expect to eliminate them from experimental Z-scan transmittance curves by using apertures with different sizes.     

A diffractive study of optical parametric interactions in nonlinear photonic crystals

With the nonlinear diffraction concept, we present a diffractive study of optical parametric interactions in nonlinear photonic crystals. The nonlinear diffraction concept enables the design of complicated nonlinear photonic crystal structures in an intuitive way. We show that there are two basic linear sequences, the anti-stacking and the para-stacking sequences, existing in a one-dimensional structure; and we present the realization of multiple phase-matching resonances in the combination of the two basic sequences. The parameters affecting the structure factor of a two-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystal are investigated, which indicate that not only the Ewald construction but also the relative domain size determines two-dimensional nonlinear diffractions.     

A parametric study of negative feedback Nd:YAG laser

The output pulse parameters of a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser with a passive negative feedback element were studied experimentally. The pulse evolution within the train was experimentally recorded using a modified second harmonic generation autocorrelator. By comparing the laser operation with and without an acousto-optic modulator, we found that with the later there is a significant increase in the mode locking probability and the pulse acquires a temporally Gaussian symmetric pulse shape. Further with the active modulator there is a relaxation in alignment tolerances and increase in the range of permissible dye concentrations for stable mode locking. It was also observed that the pulse width of the negative feedback laser depends on the saturation intensity of the mode locking dye and reduces for a dye with higher saturation intensity. The pulse width was also found to reduce linearly as the initial transmission of the dye is reduced.     

Cryo-scanning electron microscopic study on freezing behavior of xylem ray parenchyma cells in hardwood species

Differential thermal analysis (DTA) has indicated that xylem ray parenchyma cells (XRPCs) of hardwood species adapt to freezing of apoplastic water either by deep supercooling or by extracellular freezing, depending upon the species. DTA studies indicated that moderately cold hardy hardwood species exhibiting deep supercooling in the XRPCs were limited in latitudinal distribution within the −40°C isotherm, while very hardy hardwood species exhibiting extracellular freezing could distribute in colder areas beyond the −40°C isotherm. Predictions based on the results of DTA, however, indicate that XRPCs exhibiting extracellular freezing may appear not only in very hardy woody species native to cold areas beyond the −40°C isotherm but also in less hardy hardwood species native to tropical and subtropical zones as well as in a small number of moderately hardy hardwood species native to warm temperate zones. Cryo-scanning electron microscopic (cryo-SEM) studies on the freezing behavior of XRPCs have revealed some errors in DTA. These errors are originated mainly due to the overlap between exotherms produced by freezing of water in apoplastic spaces (high temperature exotherms, HTEs) and exotherms produced by freezing of intracellular water of XRPCs by breakdown of deep supercooling (low temperature exotherms, LTEs), as well as to the shortage of LTEs produced by intracellular freezing of XRPCs. In addition, DTA results are significantly affected by cooling rates employed. Further, cryo-SEM observations, which revealed the true freezing behavior of XRPCs, changed the previous knowledge of freezing behavior of XRPCs that had been obtained by freeze-substitution and transmission electron microscopic studies. Cryo-SEM results, in association with results obtained from DTA that were reconfirmed or changed by observation using a cryo-SEM, revealed a clear tendency of the freezing behavior of XRPCs in hardwood species to change with changes in the temperature in the growing conditions, including both latitudinal and seasonal temperature changes. In latitudinal temperature changes, XRPCs in less hardy hardwood species native to tropical and subtropical zones exhibited deep supercooling to −10°C, XRPCs in moderately hardy hardwood species native to temperate zones exhibited a gradual increase in the supercooling ability to −40°C from warm toward cool temperate zones, and XRPCs in very hardy hardwood species native to boreal forests exhibited extracellular freezing via an intermediate form of freezing behavior between deep supercooling and extracellular freezing. In seasonal temperature changes, XRPCs in hardwood species native to temperate zones changed their supercooling ability from a relatively low degree in summer to a high degree in winter. XRPCs in hardwood species native to boreal forests changed their freezing behavior from deep supercooling to −10°C in summer to extracellular freezing in winter. These results indicate that the freezing behavior of XRPCs in hardwood species tends to shift gradually from supercooling of −10°C, to a gradual increase in the deep supercooling ability to −40°C or less, and finally to extracellular freezing as a result of cold acclimation in response to both latitudinal and seasonal temperature changes. It is thought that these temperature-dependent changes in the freezing behavior of XRPCs in hardwood species are mainly controlled by changes in cell wall properties, although no distinct changes were detected by electron microscopic observations in cell wall organization between hardwood species or between seasons. Evidence of temperature-dependent changes in the freezing behavior of XRPCs in hardwood species provided by the results of studies using a cryo-SEM has indicated the need for further investigation to clarify cold acclimation-induced cell wall changes at the sub-electron microscopic level in order to understand the mechanisms of freezing adaptation.     

A gas target for the study of laser-induced parametric instabilities in plasmas

A hydrogen gas target is described which has been irradiated with a high intensity CO₂ laser beam to study parametric instabilities. Such a target, with n ? n_c, provides considerable flexibility and optical access for detailed diagnostics. Preliminary measurements are reported on stimulated Brillouin (and Compton) scattering, 2-plasmon decay and second harmonic generation, in addition to interferometric and enhanced Thomson scattering measurements, which illustrate the versatility of this target for detailed investigation of parametric instabilities.     

A parametric study of the surface potential and band bending in silicon

A unified approach to band bending is described, and the macroscopic electronic potential through the silicon surface is calculated as a function of temperature in the ranges 300–500°K and 100–1600°K, externally applied electric field, for zero field and for 10³ to 10⁵ V/cm, and donor and acceptor concentrations, from 10¹² to 10¹⁸ cm^?3. The results, presented in graphical and tabular forms, are intended to serve the convenience of researchers in a wide area of surface and high temperature silicon physics such as in thermionic, field, and photoelectric emission work and in high temperature, and field modulated transport studies. The calculations are based on an essentially classical approach to the solution of the electrostatic band bending problem, using the surface state density for silicon proposed by Allen and Gobeli on the basis of their photoelectric investigations. The cases considered were limited to nondegenerate, intrinsic, and n- and p-doped silicon in which all impurity states are fully ionized.     

A parametric study of the lensing properties of dodecagonal photonic quasicrystals

We present a study of the lensing properties of two-dimensional (2-D) photonic quasicrystal (PQC) slabs made of dielectric cylinders arranged according to a 12-fold-symmetric square-triangle aperiodic tiling. Our full-wave numerical analysis confirms the results recently emerged in the technical literature and, in particular, the possibility of achieving focusing effects within several frequency regions. However, contrary to the original interpretation, such focusing effects turn out to be critically associated to local symmetry points in the PQC slab, and strongly dependent on its thickness and termination. Nevertheless, our study reveals the presence of some peculiar properties, like the ability to focus the light even for slabs with a reduced lateral width, or beaming effects, which render PQC slabs potentially interesting and worth of deeper investigation.     

A parametric study of radiative transfer with anisotropic scattering in a one-dimensional system

Radiative heat transfer in an absorbing, emitting, anistropically-scattering, one-dimensional medium is analyzed. Unlike many of the existing works, the present analysis does not require a known temperature distribution within the medium. Assuming a model of linear anistropic scattering, the transfer equation and the energy equation are solved simultaneously by utilizing a recently developed successive approximation technique. Closed-form approximate solutions and accurate higher-order results are both presented. Calculations show that the relative importance of the anistropic scattering effect generally decreases with decreasing wall emissivity and decreasing optical thickness. For radiative equilibrium without internal heat generation, it is demonstrated that the anistropic-scattering heat-transfer results can be approximated quite adequately by the isotropic-scattering result with the introduction of the concept of an effective optical thickness. For media with internal heat generation, an interesting effect of the scattering albedo is observed. It is established that, in the limit of a large scattering albedo, the temperature of the medium approaches a constant value that is independent of anistropic-scattering effects and wall emissivity. The exact limiting expressions for the temperature and apparent emissivity of an isothermal slab are found.     

Evaporation of a two-phase drop in an immiscible liquid: A parametric study

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the evaporation of a single two-phase droplet during its rise in a quiescent column of an immiscible liquid. Governing equations are derived and solved by a numerical method. Dimensionless parameters governing the phenomenon are identified and a parametric study is carried out for different non-dimensional parameters. The predicted results are compared with experimental results of previous workers.     

锶离子R—M跃迁激光和复合激光的参量研究

在9mm内径和42cm电极间距的石英放电管中，用氦气为缓冲气体，通过纵向快脉冲放电激励，对锶离子红外R—M跃迁激光和蓝色复合激光进行了系统的参量研究.分析和解释了两种谐振腔时各激光谱线输出功率与工作参量（氦压，频率和充电电源电压）的关系曲线，观察和讨论了对应的光电脉冲波形，获得了一组较好的工作参数. 关键词： 脉冲放电激励 锶离子 R—M跃迁激光 复合激光 光电脉冲波形     

Experimental study of parametric autoresonance in Faraday waves

The excitation of large amplitude nonlinear waves is achieved via parametric autoresonance of Faraday waves. We experimentally demonstrate that phase locking to low amplitude driving can generate persistent high-amplitude growth of nonlinear waves in a dissipative system. The experiments presented are in excellent agreement with theory.     

A parametric study of error in the parabolic approximation of focused axisymmetric ultrasound beams

The parabolic approximation results in a tractible model for studying ultrasound beams, but the limits of validity of the approximation are often presented only qualitatively. In this work the most common model for axisymmetric ultrasound beam propagation, the Kuznetsov-Zabolotskaya-Khokhlov equation, is directly compared with the more general Westervelt equation with regard to diffractive and absorptive effects in continuous wave beams. The parametric study compares the solutions of the two models as a function of source frequency and focusing geometry using peak focal pressure, the axial location at which that peak occurs, and the loss due to absorption as metrics.     

A theoretical and experimental study of fluctuations of the optical parametric oscillator

Twin beams generated by OPOs show quantum noise reduction. For type I crystals they reduce in the degenerate case to a single mode, which below threshold exhibits some degree of squeezing. In the nondegenerate case squeezing occurs in the spectrum of their intensity difference. After a theoretical analysis of their spectral properties in both non- and degenerate cases, measured intensity noise correlation and single beam spectra are discussed for pump powers up to 14 times the threshold value.     

A numerical study of cell behaviour in a ternary solution during the freezing process

Using a continuum model for multi-component phase change system, the freezing of cell suspension in a ternary solution, H2O-NaCl-CPA (cryoprotective agent) inside a flat bag is investigated numerically in this study. The temperature and phase change history, intracellular water loss, and the volume change of the cells at different locations inside cell suspension are calculated. Numerical results reveal that although the sample boundary is cooled at a constant rate, different locations inside the sample experienced different temperature changes and cooling rates. The highest cooling rates occur at internal locations. The cell volume change is location-dependent.