Two-pulse delayed 532-nm laser ionization of metals using collinear sub-threshold beams

Two frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers collinearly aligned were used to ionize different metals at specific interpulse delays. The beams were independently operated in order to attain full control over the energy. Each laser beam was always set at fluences below the ionization threshold and an evaluation of the effect that the interpulse delay has on the material ionization and the LIMS signal was performed. The different metallic targets studied (Cu, Si, Al, Ti, Fe, 314 AISI stainless steel) exhibit a characteristic ionization feature consisting of a clear enhancement in the ionization yield at interpulse delays around 60 ns when analyzed as pure foils. In addition, an improvement in the spectral resolution is observed at the specific interpulse delay. Our results indicate that proper control of the energy allows optimization of the different steps in the ionization process and they suggest that the effect of the first laser pulse impinging on the surface enhances the way in which the second pulse interacts with the solid.     

A rational fraction polynomials model to study vertical dynamic wheel–rail interaction

This paper presents a model designed to study vertical interactions between wheel and rail when the wheel moves over a rail welding. The model focuses on the spatial domain, and is drawn up in a simple fashion from track receptances. The paper obtains the receptances from a full track model in the frequency domain already developed by the authors, which includes deformation of the rail section and propagation of bending, elongation and torsional waves along an infinite track. Transformation between domains was secured by applying a modified rational fraction polynomials method. This obtains a track model with very few degrees of freedom, and thus with minimum time consumption for integration, with a good match to the original model over a sufficiently broad range of frequencies. Wheel–rail interaction is modelled on a non-linear Hertzian spring, and consideration is given to parametric excitation caused by the wheel moving over a sleeper, since this is a moving wheel model and not a moving irregularity model. The model is used to study the dynamic loads and displacements emerging at the wheel–rail contact passing over a welding defect at different speeds.