DIURNAL VARIATIONS IN LUMINESCENCE IN Scenedesmus obtusiusculus (CHLOROPHYCEAE) INDUCED BY 3-(3,4-DICHLOROPHENYL)-1,1-DIMETHYLUREA

Abstract— Luminescence from synchronously cultured Scenedesmus obtusiusculus cells was measured with a high sensitivity photon counter. Recording of light emission was initiated 0.2 s after switching off actinic light. Luminescence decay was separated into two phases: one for decay to 10⁴ pulses s^-1, the other for decay from 10⁴ to 10³ pulses s^-1. Most photons are emitted during the rapid decay to 10⁴ pulses s^-l. Only small diurnal variations of the two phases could be observed in controls. Treatment with 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) decreased both the total number of photons emitted and the time required to reach the 10⁴ pulses s^-1 level. No diurnal rhythmicity was induced by DCMU in the first phase but DCMU induced a pronounced diurnal variation in decay time in the second phase of luminescence parallelled by a periodicity in the number of photons emitted. The results indicate that DCMU interferes with the participation of PS I in luminescence. The chlorophyll alb ratio was constant during the life cycle of the cells. No relation could be observed between luminescence and the diurnal rhythmicity in photosynthesis that is characteristic for synchronized unicellular algae.     

On the sensitivity of the rate of global energy dissipation due to configurational changes

The thermodynamic framework for combined configurational and deformational changes was recently discussed by [Runesson, K., Larsson, F., Steinmann, P., 2009. On energetic changes due to configurational motion of standard continua. Int. J. Solids Struct, 46, 1464–1475.]. One key ingredient in this setting is the (fixed) absolute configuration, relative to which both physical and virtual (variational) changes of the material and spatial configurations can be described. In the present paper we consider dissipative material response and emphasize the fact that it is possible to identify explicit energetic changes due to configurational changes for “frozen” spatial configuration (a classical view) and the configuration-induced material dissipation. The classical assumption (previously adopted in the literature) is to ignore this dissipation, i.e. the internal variables are considered as fixed fields in the material configuration. In this paper, however, we define configurational forces by considering the total variation of the total dissipation with respect to configurational changes. The key task is then to compute the sensitivity of the internal variable rates to such configurational changes, which results in a global tangent problem based on the balance equations (momentum and energy) for a given body. In this paper we restrict to quasistatic loading under isothermal conditions and for elastic-plastic response, and we apply the modeling to the case of a moving interface of dissimilar materials.     

On the role of material dissipation for the crack-driving force

The thermodynamic setting for the formulation of the “crack-driving force” for a singular crack in conjunction with rate-independent material response is discussed. One key ingredient is the introduction of a fixed (absolute) configuration, relative to which both physical and (virtual) configurational and spatial changes can be described. Only quasistatic and isothermal conditions are considered in this paper. A variational framework is established for the rate of global energy dissipation (integrated over the whole material domain) due to the combined action of a (discrete) crack extension and continuum inelasticity, whereby the material time derivative of internal variables and the rate of crack extension are coupled. The classical assumption (previously adopted in the literature) is that there is no coupling, i.e. the internal variables are considered as fixed (material) fields just like an inhomogeneous material property. The other (extreme) assumption is that the internal variables fields are convected with the configurational motion due to the virtual crack extension. Both cases are investigated in this paper for a simple 2D example of an edge crack in a plate in a setting of small strains and hardening plasticity. In particular, we consider convergence issues from mesh refinement.