Vibrational relaxation of KrF* and XeCl* by rare gases

A steady-state, chemiluminescence technique has been used to measure effective rate constants for vibrational relaxation as a function of vibrational level for KrF^* in collisions with He, Ne, and Ar and XeCl^* with Ar. The effective rate constants reported include contributions to relaxation due to intersystem crossing between theB andC states, in addition to direct relaxation within theB state. The relevance of these results to the understanding of previous measurements in KrF and XeCl lasers is discussed.     

Collective effects in spin-polarized Boltzmann gases

As a result of an investigation of the real collision integral for paramagnetic atoms, we have obtained a criterion for propagation of spin waves in a spin-polarized Boltzmann gas. The main condition for propagation of weakly damped spin waves is a high anisotropy of the atomic scattering amplitude with predominance of the forward scattering. This condition is different from those suggested in earlier publications. Our results indicate that the range of paramagnetic gases where weakly damped spin waves can propagate at the room temperature is considerably wider than it was assumed previously. One example is vapors of alkali metals (Na, Cs, and Rb), where the degree of electron spin polarization can be very high. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 865–876 (March 1999)     

The Casimir-like size effects in ideal gases

The wave character of atoms can produce Casimir-like size effects in gases confined in a narrow box. Thus the pressure tensor is not isotropic anymore and size difference becomes a driving force for isothermal diffusion by a permeable wall. Such size effects give rise to “thermosize effects” similar to thermoelectric effects.     

Nonlinear effects in gases in the Couette problem

The nonlinear processes of heat and mass transfer in a rarefied gas confined between two infinite parallel plates maintained at different temperatures and moving at a relative velocity are considered. The profiles of the gas macroscopic flow velocity, density, temperature, heat fluxes, and shear stress were calculated on the basis of kinetic equations by the discrete velocity method in a wide range of Knudsen numbers at different values of temperature difference between the plates and plate velocities. It was shown that under certain conditions, the direction of gas flow near the “hot” plate can change to the opposite. It was discovered that the longitudinal and normal components of heat flux at a certain temperature difference between the plates change their orientation to the opposite in transition and nearly free molecular regimes.     

Kinetic theory of field effects in nonuniform molecular gases

Effects of magnetic and electric fields on transport phenomena in dilute polyatomic gases are reviewed within the framework of first order Enskog theory. The established technique of approximate operator inversion is used to give first order approximations of the transport coefficients. Instead of the customary expansion of polarization into orthogonal polynomials a more general treatment is chosen here so as to accomodate recent experimental observations. The polarizations produced by macroscopic fluxes are assumed to be eigenfunctions of the collision operator within the subspace of functions anisotropic in angular momentum. The formalism is extended to mixtures in a way to let the final expressions assume the same form as for pure gases. The obtained transport coefficients obey several symmetry relations and inequalities. Additional inequalities are now also derived for the matrix describing the saturated field effects.     

On the quantification of OH*, CH*, and C2* chemiluminescence in flames

Absolute concentrations of all important chemiluminescent species, OH–A, CH–A, CH–B, and C₂-d have been measured for the first time in methane-oxygen flames at low pressure. The optical detection system for chemiluminescence measurements has been calibrated with Rayleigh and Raman scattering of a cw laser, with the latter approach yielding superior results. The measured ratio between the concentration of CH–B and CH–A suggests that the electronically excited CH* is formed close to thermal equilibrium. Introduction of different rate constants for reactions leading to CH–A and CH–B were not necessary to explain the experimental results. Results are compared with a recent numerical model. Deviations in profile shape and peak positions are relatively small for stoichiometric flames, but become more pronounced in richer mixtures. Larger discrepancies are observed for the absolute concentrations, depending on the chemiluminescent species and the stoichiometry. In an attempt to find an alternative method for the quantification of chemiluminescent species, MIR-CRDS has been performed around 3.9 μm. While H₂O and OH–X could be measured, the sensitivity was not high enough to detect the low sub-ppb concentration of OH–A—in part due to the limited reflectivity of mirrors in the MIR, in part due to a significant background of hot H₂O lines.     

Nonlinear spectroscopic effects in quantum gases induced by atom-atom interactions

We consider nonlinear spectroscopic effects—interaction-enhanced double resonance and spectrum instability—that appear in ultracold quantum gases owing to collisional frequency shift of atomic transitions and, consequently, due to the dependence of the frequencies on the population of various internal states of the particles. Special emphasis is put to two simplest cases, (a) the gas of two-level atoms and (b) double resonance in a gas of three-level bosons, in which the probe transition frequency remains constant.     

Dynamic absorption effects in KrF* amplifiers

The results of transient loss measurements performed in a self-sustained discharge KrF^* amplifier are reported. Analysis of these results gives a minimum value of 20 for the effective gain to loss ratiog ₀/_eff, indicating that efficient extraction of energy in subpicosecond KrF^* amplifiers in the 1 J range should be achievable.     

Nonlinear diffraction due to the transient polarization in a thin film of atomic gases*

Nonlinear optical response of a thin layer of rarefied atomic vapor is examined by taking into account the atomic motion as well as collisions with the cell walls. Extraordinary pattern of self-diffraction spectrum due to the transient polarization is predicted. It is shown that the spectra are Doppler free and depend strongly upon the vapor thickness. A new possibility of signal enhancement is revealed and a simple device is suggested to enhance greatly the nonlinear reflection signal from a resonant vapor layer. Received: 3 July 1997/Accepted: 5 December 1997     

振动驱动颗粒气体体系的局域态本构关系的实验验证

对准二维、水平边界振动驱动的颗粒气体体系的流体力学 参量进行了局域态本构关系的实验研究. 实验观测结果与经典动力学理论预测进行了比较.由于颗粒气体空间分布的不均匀性, 颗粒体系的整体本构关系不成立, 有必要对局域态进行分析. 局域态本构关系是指颗粒系统的局域温度、局域压强和局域数密度之间的关系. 通过颗粒速度的方向变化, 可以得到颗粒的碰撞点. 因此在计算压力张量的对角线项时, 除了动力学部分之外, 我们计入了颗粒碰撞的影响, 得到了一个约为常数的压力张量迹, 即颗粒压强的空间分布, 与流体力学理论预测以及分子动力学模拟结果相符合; 但是颗粒温度和数密度的空间分布, 在振动的正反两个方向的分量出现差异, 并且温度、压强和数密度之间的局域本构关系, 无论在低密度或高密度区域, 实验与理论预测在定性上一致, 但定量上都有较大差别. 因此经典流体力学理论在描述这样的体系时需加以修正. 关键词： 颗粒气体 态方程 流体力学     

Simultaneous TR-SPIV and CH* chemiluminescence during precursor to LBO in a lean premixed swirl dump combustor

Blowout process in premixed swirl dump combustors is known to have temporary partial extinction followed by re-ignition events as precursors. This re-ignition process is investigated using high-speed CH* chemiluminescence and simultaneous TR-SPIV. It was found that during the extinction phase, the flame split into two zones, causing fresh mixture to enter the inner recirculation zone. The sudden loss of heat release causes the flow field to change such that the stagnation point moves further downstream, causing high negative velocity paths in the flow. The flame that was convected downstream, now uses these negative velocity paths to consume the fresh mixture that entered the IRZ. This is the re-ignition phase of the precursor event.     

The effects of irradiation temperature and preinjected gases on voids in aluminum

Voids in high purity aluminum irradiated to a fast (E>1 MeV) fluence of 4 × 10²⁰ n/cm² at 125 (0.43T _m) and 150°C (0.45T _m) are fewer in number but very much larger in size than those in material irradiated at 55°C (0.35T _m). Additionally, at 125 and 150°C, the voids adopt a variety of shapes including plates, ribbons, cylinders and more equiaxed polyhedra, and are frequently associated with particles of transmutation-produced silicon. At the higher temperatures voids are larger near grain boundaries than in grain interiors. Injection of hydrogen or helium prior to irradiation causes an increase in the number of voids and a corresponding decrease in size in specimens irradiated at 150°C; 3 at. ppm He is more effective than either 3 or 9 at. ppm H. The gases do not appear to influence swelling.

A commercial purity (99 per cent) aluminum subjected to the same irradiation treatments did not develop voids whether preinjected with gases or not; the visible radiation damage consisted solely of small loops on or near grown-in dislocations.     

Dead layer effects in the ultraviolet reflectance of excitons in solid rare gases

We propose an explanation of the apparent doubling of exciton peaks of solid Kr and Ar seen in reflectivity in terms of spatial dispersion and of a surface dead layer for bulk excitons. Speculative arguments as to the origin of the dead layer are presented, that include the role of surface excitons, as well as a possible thin superficial liquid film.     

Simultaneous rainbow schlieren deflectometry and OH* chemiluminescence imaging of a diesel spray flame in constant pressure flow rig

The physical and chemical phenomena that take place during fuel injection, entrainment and fuel-air mixing, cool-flame and ignition reaction, and combustion in diesel sprays still require extensive study. Global parameters such as liquid and vapor jet penetration lengths and spreading rates render useful yet still limited information. Understanding of the temporal evolution of the spray as it progresses through various steps is needed to develop advanced clean combustion modes and high-fidelity predictive models with sufficient accuracy. In this study, high-speed rainbow schlieren deflectometry (RSD) and OH* chemiluminescence are used to simultaneously image fuel-air mixing, cool-flame reactions, ignition, flame propagation and stabilization, and combustion in a transient diesel-like flame. A constant pressure flow rig (CPFR) is used to conduct multiple injections in quick succession to obtain a statistically relevant dataset. n-heptane was injected at nominal supply pressure of 1000 bar from a single-hole diesel injector into ambient at pressure of 30 bar and temperature of 800 K. About 500 injections were performed and analyzed to reveal structural features of non-reacting and reacting regions of the spray, quantify jet penetration and spreading rates, and study cool-flame behavior, ignition, flame propagation and stabilization at lift-off length, and combustion at upstream and downstream locations.     

Anaesthesia. Anaesthetic effects of inert gases in relation to the biomedium structure

Summary A new theory of anaesthesia is proposed. This theory is based on the hypothesis that the narcotic gas displaces water-structure-disordering ions from the cells, thus forbidding nerve excitation.

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Riassunto In questo lavoro si propone una teoria dell'anestesia da gas inerti basata sull'ipotesi che il gas narcotico rimuove dalla cellula, con ciò inibendo l'eccitazione nervosa, gli ioni che la struttura del biomezzo tende altrimenti ad accumulare.

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Резюме Предлагается новая теория анастезии. Эта теория основана на гипотезе, что наркотический газ вытесняет ионы воды из клетки, что приводит к запрету нервных возбуждений.