Monte Carlo analysis of the electron thermalization process in the afterglow of a microsecond dc pulsed glow discharge

A Monte Carlo model is utilized for studying the behavior of electrons in the afterglow of an analytical microsecond dc pulsed glow discharge. This model uses several quantities as input data, such as electric field and potential, ion flux at the cathode, the fast argon ion and atom impact ionization rates, slow electron density, the electrical characterization of the pulse (voltage and current profiles) and temperature profile. These quantities were obtained by earlier Monte Carlo — fluid calculations for a pulsed discharge. Our goal is to study the behavior of the so-called Monte Carlo electrons (i.e., those electrons created at the cathode or by ionization collisions in the plasma which are followed by using the Monte Carlo model) from their origin to the moment when they are absorbed at the cell walls or when they have lost their energy by collisions (being transferred to the group of slow electrons) in the afterglow of the pulsed discharge. The thermalization of the electrons is a phenomenon where the electron-electron Coulomb collisions acquire a special importance. Indeed, in the afterglow the cross sections of the other electron reactions taken into account in the model are very low, because of the very low electron energy. We study the electron energy distributions at several times during and after the pulse and at several positions in the plasma cell, focusing on the thermalization and on the behavior of the electrons in the afterglow. Also, the time evolution of the rates of the various collision processes, the average electron energy, the densities of Monte Carlo and slow electrons and the ionization degree are investigated.     

Bacterial interactions and transport in unsaturated porous media

The convection-dispersion transport model, which can well define solute transport, has been introduced to describe bacterial transport. Due to different interaction natures within the porous media, bacterial transport in the subsurface, especially in the vadose zone is a complex scenario. When transported in the vadose zone, bacteria may be captured on the media surface, at the air–water interface, or at the media–air–water three-phase interface depending upon the predominant interactions of concerned bacteria within the pore system. In this study, transport of Echerichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis in silica sand under water unsaturated conditions was investigated using column experiments. Bacterial interactions within the system were characterized based on bacterial and media surface thermodynamic properties, which were determined independently by means of contact angle measurements. These calculated interactions provided solid evidence of the bacterial retention mechanisms in the pore system, which served as the bases for suitable assumptions of bacterial transport modeling. The micro-scale interaction investigations helped eliminate uncertainties arising with bacterial transport modeling.     

Visualized attribute analysis approach for characterization and quantification of rice taste flavor using electronic tongue

This paper deals with a novel visualized attributive analysis approach for characterization and quantification of rice taste flavor attributes (softness, stickiness, sweetness and aroma) employing a multifrequency large-amplitude pulse voltammetric electronic tongue. Data preprocessing methods including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) were provided. An attribute characterization graph was represented for visualization of the interactive response in which each attribute responded by specific electrodes and frequencies. The model was trained using signal data from electronic tongue and attribute scores from artificial evaluation. The correlation coefficients for all attributes were over 0.9, resulting in good predictive ability of attributive analysis model preprocessed by FFT. This approach extracted more effective information about linear relationship between electronic tongue and taste flavor attribute. Results indicated that this approach can accurately quantify taste flavor attributes, and can be an efficient tool for data processing in a voltammetric electronic tongue system.     

临近空间高空气球地基探测能力分析

基于探测系统背景辐射特性及高空气球辐射特性,建立了探测系统辐射接收模型.考虑大气传输、光学系统成像、探测器及其采样对辐射的影响,精确计算了高空气球辐射及背景辐射在探测器焦平面阵列上产生的信号电子数,推导出用于高空气球探测的信噪比.利用Modtran软件仿真计算了自身辐射、镜背景辐射、漫背景辐射亮度,分析了复杂大气条件下的气球辐射特性,及高空气球镜反射率、漫反射率与积分时间对探测系统信噪比的影响.结果表明:采用光谱滤波技术,在晴朗无云天气下,可见光近红外(0.6~2.4)探测器适合高空气球探测;在复杂大气条件下,长波红外(8~12)探测器适合高空气球探测;在积分时间为0.25s,镜反射率为0.32,漫反射率为0.68时,或积分时间为1s,镜反射率0.43,漫反射率0.57时,探测系统对高空气球探测能力最强.     

The effects of ultrasound on micromixing

The Villermaux–Dushman reaction is a widely used technique to study micromixing efficiencies with and without sonication. This paper shows that ultrasound can interfere with this reaction by sonolysis of potassium iodide, which is excessively available in the Villermaux–Dushman solution, into triiodide ions. Some corrective actions, to minimize this interference, are proposed. Furthermore, the effect of ultrasonic frequency, power dissipation, probe tip surface area and stirring speed on micromixing were investigated. The power and frequency seem to have a significant impact on micromixing in contrast to the stirring speed and probe tip surface area. Best micromixing was observed with a 24 kHz probe and high power intensities. Experiments with different frequencies but a constant power intensity, emitter surface, stirring speed, cavitation bubble type and reactor design showed best micromixing for the highest frequency of 1135 kHz. Finally, these results were used to test the power law model of Rahimi et al. This model was not able to predict micromixing accurately and the addition of the frequency, as an additional parameter, was needed to improve the simulations.     

Review of non-reactive and reactive wetting of liquids on surfaces

Wettability is a tendency for a liquid to spread on a solid substrate and is generally measured in terms of the angle (contact angle) between the tangent drawn at the triple point between the three phases (solid, liquid and vapour) and the substrate surface. A liquid spreading on a substrate with no reaction/absorption of the liquid by substrate material is known as non-reactive or inert wetting whereas the wetting process influenced by reaction between the spreading liquid and substrate material is known as reactive wetting. Young's equation gives the equilibrium contact angle in terms of interfacial tensions existing at the three-phase interface. The derivation of Young's equation is made under the assumptions of spreading of non-reactive liquid on an ideal (physically and chemically inert, smooth, homogeneous and rigid) solid, a condition that is rarely met in practical situations. Nevertheless Young's equation is the most fundamental starting point for understanding of the complex field of wetting. Reliable and reproducible measurements of contact angle from the experiments are important in order to analyze the wetting behaviour. Various methods have been developed over the years to evaluate wettability of a solid by a liquid. Among these, sessile drop and wetting balance techniques are versatile, popular and provide reliable data. Wetting is affected by large number of factors including liquid properties, substrate properties and system conditions. The effect of these factors on wettability is discussed. Thermodynamic treatment of wetting in inert systems is simple and based on free energy minimization where as that in reactive systems is quite complex. Surface energetics has to be considered while determining the driving force for spreading. Similar is the case of spreading kinetics. Inert systems follow definite flow pattern and in most cases a single function is sufficient to describe the whole kinetics. Theoretical models successfully describe the spreading in inert systems. However, it is difficult to determine the exact mechanism that controls the kinetics since reactive wetting is affected by a number of factors like interfacial reactions, diffusion of constituents, dissolution of the substrate, etc. The quantification of the effect of these interrelated factors on wettability would be useful to build a predictive model of wetting kinetics for reactive systems.     

Detonation waves in trinitrotoluene

Fabry-Perot, ORVIS, and VISAR laser interferometry are used to obtain nanosecond time resolved particle velocity histories of the free surfaces of copper and tantalum discs accelerated by detonating trinitrotoluene (TNT) charges and of the interfaces between TNT detonation products and lithium fluoride crystals. TNT detonation reaction zone profiles are measured for self-sustaining detonation and piston supported overdriven (supracompressed) waves. The experimental records are compared to particle velocity histories calculated using very finely zoned meshes of the exact dimensions with the DYNA2D hydrodynamic code. The Ignition and Growth reactive flow model, which is based on the Zeldovich-von Neumann-D?ring (ZND) theory of detonation, yields excellent agreement with the experimental records for TNT using an unreacted von Neumann spike pressure of 25 GPa, a reaction rate law which releases 90% of the chemical energy within 80 ns and the remaining 10% over an additional 200 ns, and a reaction product equation of state fit to cylinder test data assuming a Chapman-Jouguet pressure of 19 GPa. The late time energy release is attributed to diffusion controlled solid carbon particle formation. Received 26 July 1997 / Accepted 29 December 1997     

Mathematical modeling of TE CO2 laser with SF6 as a saturable absorber

A mathematical model describing the dynamic emission of a single mode TE CO₂ laser with saturable absorber has been adapted. A six-temperature model has been used to describe the amplifying medium, while a four-coupled energy level is used to describe the selective absorbing medium. The suggested mathematical model allows the investigation of the effects of the intracavity absorber on the mode characteristics of the TE CO₂ laser and, moreover, the study of the effect of the laser input parameters on the output laser pulse. The model simulates the passive Q-switch in both low- and high-pressure cases in the absorbing medium.

In addition, numerical solutions of a non-linear rate equation system of the suggested model are quantitatively discussed. The solutions describe the photon number density, the population inversion and the energy transfer processes of amplifying and absorbing media.