Turbulence measurements in a resonance tube

Experimental investigations of acoustically induced turbulence in a resonance tube have been performed. Frequency (f) and sound pressure level (I_p) effects have been studied. Measurements were made at various spatial locations on loops and nodes. Sampled data were processed to estimate the characteristics of turbulence. It is found that the acoustically induced turbulence appears when I_p exceeds 160 dB under the experimental conditions of f = 680–2740 Hz and I_p = 160–166 dB. The turbulent spectrum (F) and the wave number (κ) are found to satisfy a power law F ∝ K^s with $\text{s ? ?1·6}\text{to}\text{? 2·1}$. The r.m.s. turbulent velocity ($\text{u}\text{?}$) is experimentally found to have an $\text{I}{}_{\mathrm{p}}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ dependence, yet is relatively insensitive to the variation of f. Throughout the whole measuring range of f and I_p, the rate of energy dissipation per unit mass (ε) is estimated to be in the order of 10⁶–10⁷cm²/s³.     

Elastic behaviour near polymorphic transitions: Silver iodide

Longitudinal and transverse wave velocities have been determined as functions of pressure in polycrystalline silver iodide using the pulse transmission method. The velocities decrease with increasing pressure in the low pressure phase and increase with increasing pressure in the NaCl structure phase which is stable above 4 kbar at room temperature. The calculated value of the pressure derivative of the incompressibility of the low pressure phase is exceptionally low, sufficiently so to be inconsistent with some lattice dynamics formulations. The unusual properties of the low pressure phase may be due to the effect of Frenkel defects on elastic wave propagation.     

The \bar\partial-Cauchy problem and nonexistence of Lipschitz Levi-flat hypersurfaces in \mathbb{C}P^n with n \ge 3

In this paper we study the Cauchy–Riemann equation in complex projective spaces. Specifically, we use the modified weight function method to study the $\bar\partial$ -Neumann problem on pseudoconvex domains in these spaces. The solutions are used to study function theory on pseudoconvex domains via the $\bar\partial$ -Cauchy problem. We apply our results to prove nonexistence of Lipschitz Levi-flat hypersurfaces in complex projective spaces of dimension at least three, which removes the smoothness requirement used in an earlier paper of Siu.     

Laser-induced fluorescence imaging of acetone inside evaporating and burning fuel droplets

Laser-induced fluorescence was used to visualize acetone fields inside individual droplets of pure acetone as well as droplets composed of methanol or 1-propanol initially mixed with acetone. Droplets were supported on a horizontal wire and two vaporization conditions were investigated: (1) slow evaporation in room air and (2) droplet combustion, which leads to substantially faster droplet surface regression rates. Acetone was preferentially gasified, causing its concentration in droplets to drop in time with resultant decreases in acetone fluorescence intensities. Slowly vaporizing droplets did not exhibit large spatial variations of fluorescence within droplets, indicating that these droplets were relatively well mixed. Ignition of droplets led to significant variations in fluorescence intensities within droplets, indicating that these droplets were not well mixed. Ignited droplets composed of mixtures of 1-propanol and acetone showed large time-varying changes in shapes for higher acetone concentrations, suggesting that bubble formation was occurring in these droplets.     

A neutron scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance study of the structure of GeO2-P2O5 glasses

Germanophosphate (GeO2-P2O5) glasses were studied with neutron diffraction, phosphorus, and oxygen nuclear magnetic resonance, calorimetry, viscosity measurements, and first-principles calculations. These data sets were combined to propose a structural model of GeO2-P2O5 glasses, which includes tetrahedrally coordinated phosphorus, formation of octahedrally coordinated germanium as P2O5 content increases, an absence of trigonally coordinated oxygen, and hence an absence of rutile-like GeO2 domains. The structural model was then used to propose explanations for both the observed composition dependence of the glass transition temperature and the fragility of the GeO2-P2O5 liquids.     

Spectroscopic studies on the effect of temperature on pH-induced folded states of human serum albumin

Human serum albumin (HSA) is a very important multi-domain transporter protein in the circulatory system responsible for carriage of various kinds of ligands within the physiological system. HSA is also known to undergo conformational transformation at different pH(s) and temperatures. In this report we have studied the binding interactions of a photosensitizing drug, protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) with various conformers of HSA at different temperatures using picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Also, using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy we have followed the structural transition of various conformers of HSA at different temperatures. Ensuring the intact binding of PPIX to various conformers of HSA at different temperatures as revealed through time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy decay and significant spectral overlap of emission of Trp214 residue (donor) in domain-IIA and absorption of PPIX (acceptor) bound to domain-IB of HSA, we have applied F?rster's resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique to determine the interdomain separation under various environmental conditions. The alkali-induced conformer of HSA shows almost no change in donor-acceptor distance in contrast to the native and acid-induced conformers of HSA, which show a decrease in distance with increase in temperature. Through this study the non-covalently bound PPIX is shown to be an efficient FRET probe in reporting the different temperature-induced folded states of HSA in buffer solutions of widely differing pH values.     

The investigation of industrial plant processes using radiotracer techniques

Additional plant has been commissioned at the Springfields Works of BNFL to obtain increased production of uranium tetrafluoride. A programme of investigational work was undertaken during production to improve our understanding of the process. This paper describes some of the radiometric techniques used in the project, including passive gamma and neutron measurements and experiments using radioactive tracers.     

Versatile multilayer thin film preparation using hydrophobic interactions, crystallization, and chemical modification of poly(vinyl alcohol)

Multilayer thin film coatings were prepared on silicon substrates. Poly(vinyl alcohol) was adsorbed from aqueous solution to propyldimethylsilyl-modified silicon wafers. This thin semicrystalline coating was chemically modified using acid chlorides to form thicker, hydrophobic coatings. The products of the modification reactions allowed adsorption of a subsequent layer of poly(vinyl alcohol) that could subsequently be hydrophobized. This two-step process (adsorption/chemical modification) allows layer-by-layer deposition to prepare coatings with thickness, chemical structure, and wettability control.     

21 Tesla Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer Greatly Expands Mass Spectrometry Toolbox

We provide the initial performance evaluation of a 21 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer operating at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The spectrometer constructed for the 21T system employs a commercial dual linear ion trap mass spectrometer coupled to a FTICR spectrometer designed and built in-house. Performance gains from moving to higher magnetic field strength are exemplified by the measurement of peptide isotopic fine structure, complex natural organic matter mixtures, and large proteins. Accurate determination of isotopic fine structure was demonstrated for doubly charged Substance P with minimal spectral averaging, and 8158 molecular formulas assigned to Suwannee River Fulvic Acid standard with root-mean-square (RMS) error of 10 ppb. We also demonstrated superior performance for intact proteins; namely, broadband isotopic resolution of the entire charge state distribution of apo-transferrin (78 kDa) and facile isotopic resolution of monoclonal antibody under a variety of acquisition parameters (e.g., 6 s time-domains with absorption mode processing yielded resolution of approximately 1 M at m/z?=?2700).

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