Monte Carlo Study of Slot-waveguide Liquid Crystal Phase Shifters

Abstract

We present detailed Monte Carlo simulations of a simple model of a nematic liquid crystal slot waveguide shifter, investigating the effect of an applied electric external field. The simulations are based on the Lebwohl-Lasher lattice spin model with boundary conditions chosen to mimic the planar alignment as in Silicon Organic Hybrid waveguides and the homeotropic anchoring appropriate for Polydimethylsiloxane polymer walls. The external field is modeled by adding a term to the Hamiltonian which describes its coupling to the mesogenic molecules. We have investigated the effect of the external field on the optical transmission and the ordering across the cell.     

微粉化技术提高水不溶性药物溶解度

药物的微粉化可以改善颗粒的润湿性,进而提高水不溶性药物的溶解度和溶解速率。目前普遍采用的药物微粒化技术主要包括机械研磨、超临界流体过程、低温喷淋和溶剂蒸发沉积过程。本文介绍了这些微粉化制备技术的基本原理以及该类技术的应用进展。     

Phase Separation in Methylsiloxane Sol-Gel Systems in a Small Confined Space

The organo-siloxane gel with co-continuous structure derived from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) was synthesized in a confined space between parallel plates by inducing spinodal decomposition during sol-gel transition. The resultant gel morphology was 3-dimensionally observed by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The sliced LSCM photographs revealed that the confined gels have inhomogeneity perpendicular to the plate, exhibiting a layered structure. The layered structure can be divided into three regions according to their morphology; interface, near-surface layer, bulk phase. The organo-siloxane depletion layer had formed in the vicinity of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic plates, and the bulk phase had formed slight away from the plates exhibited co-continuous structure. In addition, the confined gels exhibited no shrinkage during drying process that resulted in the larger domain size compared to the monolithic gel. The attractive interaction between the plates and the resultant organo-siloxane phase accounts for the inhibition of shrinkage of confined gels.     

Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Triterpenoids from Chaga Sterile Conk of Inonotus obliquus

Triterpenoids are among the bioactive components of Chaga, the sterile conk of the medicinal fungus Inonotus obliquus. Supercritical fluid extraction of Chaga triterpenoids was carried out with supercritical CO₂, while a modified Folch method was used as a comparison. Three temperature-pressure combinations were tested varying between 314–324 K (40–50 °C) and 281–350 bars, using time- and volume-limited extractions. Six triterpenoids were identified with GC-MS and quantified with GC-FID: ergosterol, lanosterol, β-sitosterol, stigmastanol, betulin, and inotodiol. The Folch extraction resulted in recovery of trametenolic acid, which was not extracted by supercritical CO₂. Inotodiol was the major triterpenoid of all the extracts, with a yield of 87–101 mg/100 g and 139 mg/100 g, for SFEs and the Folch method, respectively. The contents of other major triterpenoids, lanosterol and ergosterol, varied in the ranges 59–63 mg/100 g and 17–18 mg/100 g by SFE, respectively. With the Folch method, the yields were 81 mg/100 g and 40 mg/100 g, respectively. The highest recovery of triterpenoids with SFE in relation to Folch was 56% and it was obtained at 324 K (50 °C) and 350 bar, regardless of extraction time or volume of CO₂. The recoveries of lanosterol and stigmastanol were unaffected by SFE conditions. Despite the lower yield, SFE showed several advantages including shorter extraction time and less impact on the environment. This work could be a starting point for further studies on green extraction methods of bioactive triterpenoids from Chaga.     

Heavy quarkonia spectra and their decays in a relativistic quark model

Using the phenomenological relativistic harmonic model (RHM) for quarks, we have obtained the masses of S wave charmonium and bottomonium states. The full Hamiltonian used in the investigation has Lorentz scalar plus vector confinement potential, along with the confined one gluon exchange potential (COGEP). A good agreement with the experimental masses for the ground and the radially excited states is obtained both for the triplet and singlet S wave mesons. The decay properties of the ground state charmonium and bottomonium are investigated.     

Application of inertia-induced excitation theory for nonlinear acoustic modes in colloidal plasma equilibrium flow

Application of inertia-induced acoustic excitation theory offers a new resonant excitation source channel of acoustic turbulence in the transonic domain of plasma flow. In bi-ion plasmas like colloidal plasma, two well-defined transonic points exist corresponding to the parent ion and the dust grain-associated acoustic modes. As usual, the modified ion acoustic mode (also known as dust ion-acoustic (DIA) wave) dynamics associated with parent ion inertia is excitable for both nanoscale-and micronscale-sized dust grains. It is found that the so-called (ion) acoustic mode (also known as dust-acoustic (DA) wave) associated with nanoscale dust grain inertia is indeed resonantly excitable through the active role of weak but finite parent ion inertia. It is interestingly conjectured that the same excitation physics, as in the case of normal plasma sound mode, operates through the active inertial role of plasma thermal species. Details of the nonlinear acoustic mode analyses of current interest in transonic domains of such impure plasmas in hydrodynamic flow are presented.      

Yield drag in a two-dimensional foam flow around a circular obstacle: Effect of liquid fraction

We study the two-dimensional flow of foams around a circular obstacle within a long channel. In experiments, we confine the foam between liquid and glass surfaces. In simulations, we use a deterministic software, the Surface Evolver, for bubble details and a stochastic one, the extended Potts model, for statistics. We adopt a coherent definition of liquid fraction for all studied systems. We vary it in both experiments and simulations, and determine the yield drag of the foam, that is, the force exerted on the obstacle by the foam flowing at very low velocity. We find that the yield drag is linear over a large range of the ratio of obstacle to bubble size, and is independent of the channel width over a large range. Decreasing the liquid fraction, however, strongly increases the yield drag; we discuss and interpret this dependence.     

Analytical and semi-analytical solutions to flows of two immiscible Maxwell fluids between moving plates

Unsteady flows of two immiscible Maxwell fluids in a rectangular channel bounded by two moving parallel plates are studied. The fluid motion is generated by a time-dependent pressure gradient and by the translational motions of the channel walls in their planes. Analytical solutions for velocity and shear stress fields have been obtained by using the Laplace transform coupled with the finite sine-Fourier transform. These analytical solutions are new in the literature and the method developed in this paper can be generalized to unsteady flows of n-layers of immiscible fluids. By using the Laplace transform and classical method for ordinary differential equations, the second form of the Laplace transforms of velocity and shear stress are determined. For the numerical Laplace inversion, two accuracy numerical algorithms, namely the Talbot algorithm and the improved Talbot algorithm are used.     

Experimental thermal performance study of natural graphite as sensible heat storage material using different heat transfer fluids

In this paper thermal performance of graphite-based sensible heat storage system with embedded helical coil in rectangular shell was studied. Plain water at four flow rates (0.25 LPM–1.0 LPM) and four inlet temperatures (60°C–90°C) was passed through the graphite bed and charging time was measured. Expanded graphite/water suspension and Al₂O₃/water nanofluid were also used to study charging behavior of graphite. Results showed that charging time of packed bed was reduced with increase in flow rate and inlet temperature of heat transfer fluid. Charging time using expanded graphite/water solution and nanofluid was 14.2% and 21.2% lesser than water.

Abbreviations: h_i: internal heat transfer coefficient (W m^?2 K^?1); HTF: Heat transfer fluid; h_o: External heat transfer coefficient (W m^?2 K^?1); LPM: liter per minute; k: thermal conductivity (W m^?1 K^?1); TSU: Thermal storage unit     

石墨烯纳米孔道内受限水介电常数影响因素的分子动力学模拟

受限水的介电特性对于石墨烯电容器的储能效率有着重大的影响.因此本文使用分子动力模方法,研究了不同石墨烯纳米孔道宽度(0.812～10 nm)下内受限水介电常数的分布及其影响因素.结果表明,在石墨烯纳米孔道内部受限水双电层结构可分为空隙层、界面层和体相层三个部分.其整体的介电常数随孔道大小的降低而线性减少.这是由内部体相层的宽度的降低而导致的.此外电极电压大小和石墨烯-水相互作用参数ε_CO的强弱也会显著改变电极表面的双电层(Electric Double Layers, EDLs)结构.其中电压的增大使得介电常数分布的震荡的程度也随之增加,最终导致了整体介电常数的减小.与之类似,亲水态的石墨烯表面(高ε_CO)下受限水分布的震荡程度也显著增加,这导致了整体介电常数的降低.