Dynamical model for chemically driven running droplets

We propose coupled evolution equations for the thickness of a liquid film and the density of an adsorbate layer on a partially wetting solid substrate. Therein, running droplets are studied assuming a chemical reaction underneath the droplets that induces a wettability gradient on the substrate and provides the driving force for droplet motion. Two different regimes for moving droplets--reaction-limited and saturated regime--are described. They correspond to increasing and decreasing velocities with increasing reaction rates and droplet sizes, respectively. The existence of the two regimes offers a natural explanation of prior experimental observations.     

Electrical and pyrometric measurements of the decay of the anodetemperature after interruption of high-current vacuum arcs andcomparison with computations

Vacuum arcs of up to 20-kA peak current were investigated. The surface temperature of the anode area melted during the anode spot mode was determined by pyrometry and the evaluation of thermionic currents. The measurements confirm the computations of heating and cooling of the anode, taking into account heat conduction melting/solidification, and evaporation. Pyrometrically obtained temperatures agree well with theory. This gives confidence in the heat conduction model and also shows that the boiling temperature was reached during arcing. Another method evaluates currents of a milliampere value after arcs of several kiloamperes and postarc currents of amperes. Experimental observation (e.g., loading of the shield surrounding the contacts) and theoretical analysis of the interfering effects support the idea that the currents measured are due to thermionic emission     

A polarised SUSANS facility to study magnetic systems

Using a right-angled magnetic air prism, we have achieved a separation of ～10 arcsec between ～2 arcsec wide up and down-spin peaks of 5.4 Å neutrons. The polarised neutron option has thus been introduced into the SUSANS instrument. Strongly spindependent SUSANS spectra have been observed over ±1.3 × 10^?4 Å^?1 range for several magnetic alloy samples. Spatial pair-distribution functions for the up and down-spins as well as the nuclear and magnetic scattering length density distributions in the micrometer domain, have been deduced from these spectra.     

Unsupervised constrained radar imaging of low resolution targets

A linear spectral estimation technique, the PDFT algorithm, is used as part of a nonlinear iterative reconstruction scheme to obtain improved radar images. The iterative PDFT algorithm is used to address the limited resolution problem inherent to imaging objects buried in soil and hidden under foliage. This is achieved by subsequent application of two properties of the PDFT algorithm: the energy parameter of the PDFT algorithm is used to determine the target shape, while the shape information in turn is used to obtain super-resolved images. We describe algorithms able to exploit both properties automatically and without manual intervention. Two methods are investigated in particular, one iteratively optimizing the constraints by monitoring the energy parameter, the other method computing energy values for all points, from which a weighted prior function is determined. In addition, we discuss variants of both algorithm which provide an optimized trade-off between computation time and performance. Additional attention is given to situations, where a known target is embedded in an unknown background. Imaging results are presented for both synthetic and measured data.     

Detailed investigation of ignition by hot gas jets

Experimental and numerical investigations of the ignition of hydrogen/air mixtures by jets of hot exhaust gases are reported. An experimental realisation of such an ignition process, where a jet of hot exhaust gas impinges through a narrow nozzle into a quiescent hydrogen/air mixture, possibly initiating ignition and combustion, is studied. High-speed laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) image sequences of the hydroxyl radical (OH) and laser Schlieren methods are used to gain information about the spatial and temporal evolution of the ignition process. Recording temporally resolved pressure traces yields information about ambient conditions for the process. Numerical experiments are performed that allow linking these observables to certain characteristic states of the gas mixture. The outcome of numerical modelling and experiments indicates the important influence of the hot jet temperature and speed of mixing between the hot and cold gases on the ignition process. The results show the quenching of the flame inside the nozzle and the subsequent ignition of the mixture by the hot exhaust jet. These detailed examinations of the ignition process improve the knowledge concerning flame transmission out of electrical equipment of the type of protection flameproof enclosure.     

Threshold crack speed controls dynamical fracture of silicon single crystals

Fracture experiments of single silicon crystals reveal that after the critical fracture load is reached, the crack speed jumps from zero to approximately 2 km/sec, indicating that crack motion at lower speeds is forbidden. This contradicts classical continuum fracture theories predicting a continuously increasing crack speed with increasing load. Here we show that this threshold crack speed may be due to a localized phase transformation of the silicon lattice from 6-membered rings to a 5-7 double ring at the crack tip.     

Gold-surface binding of molecular switches studied by M?ssbauer spectroscopy

The nonanuclear coordination compound [Mo^IV{(CN)Fe^III(3-methyl-saldptn)}₈]Cl₄ exhibits multiple spin transitions (3-methyl-saldptn = N,N′-bis(3′′-methyl-2′′-hydroxy-benzyliden)-1,7-diamino-4-azaheptane). This spin crossover cluster is bound via a self-assembled monolayer onto a two dimensional array gold surface. M?ssbauer spectroscopy indicates that the thermally and optically induced spin crossover of the compound is maintained. Thereby, the foundation for its potential practical application (e.g. in the field of information storage) was laid.