Characteristics of plasma induced by interaction of a free-oscillated laser pulse with a coal target in air and combustible gas

Plasma in the air is successfully induced by a free-oscillated Nd:YAG laser pulse with a peak power of 10(2-3) W. The initial free electrons for the cascade breakdown process are from the ablated particles from the surface of a heated coal target, likewise induced by the focused laser beam. The laser field compensates the energy loss of the plasma when the corresponding temperature and the images are investigated by fitting the experimental spectra of B-2 Sigma(+) -> X-2 Sigma(+) band of CN radicals in the plasma with the simulated spectra and a 4-frame CCD camera. The electron density is estimated using a simplified Kramer formula. As this interaction occurs in a gas mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, the formation and development of the plasma are weakened or restrained due to the chaining branch reaction in which the OH radicals are accumulated and the laser energy is consumed. Moreover, this laser ignition will initiate the combustion or explosion process of combustible gas and the minimum ignition energy is measured at different initial pressures. The differences in the experimental results compared to those induced by a nanosecond Q-switched laser pulse with a peak power of 10(6-8) W are also discussed. (C) 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Origin of the double-peak structure in longitudinal momentum distributions for single ionization of an He atom in strong laser field

The single ionization of an He atom by intense linearly polarized laser field in the tunneling regime is studied by S- matrix theory. When only the first term of the expansion of the S matrix is considered and time, spatial distribution, and fluctuation of the laser pulse are taken into account, the obtained momentum distribution in the polarization direction of laser field is consistent with the semiclassical calculation, which only considers tunneling and the interaction between the free electron and external field. When the second term, which includes the interaction between the core and the free electron, is considered, the momentum distribution shows a complex multipeak structure with the central minimum and the positions of some peaks are independent of the intensity in some intensity regime, which is consistent with the recent experimental result. Based on our analysis, we found that the structures observed in the momentum distribution of an He atom are attributed to the " soft" collision of the tunneled electron with the core.

An augmented method for free boundary problems with moving contact lines

An augmented immersed interface method (IIM) is proposed for simulating one-phase moving contact line problems in which a liquid drop spreads or recoils on a solid substrate. While the present two-dimensional mathematical model is a free boundary problem, in our new numerical method, the fluid domain enclosed by the free boundary is embedded into a rectangular one so that the problem can be solved by a regular Cartesian grid method. We introduce an augmented variable along the free boundary so that the stress balancing boundary condition is satisfied. A hybrid time discretization is used in the projection method for better stability. The resultant Helmholtz/Poisson equations with interfaces then are solved by the IIM in an efficient way. Several numerical tests including an accuracy check, and the spreading and recoiling processes of a liquid drop are presented in detail. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Ru(bpy)2dppz]2+ electrochemiluminescence switch and its applications for DNA interaction study and label-free ATP aptasensor

[Ru(bpy)2dppz]2+ electrochemiluminescence (ECL) was studied, and it was used to investigate DNA interaction and develop a label-free ATP aptasensor for the first time. ECL of [Ru(bpy)2dppz]2+ is negligible in aqueous solution, and increases approximately 1000 times when [Ru(bpy)2dppz]2+ intercalates into the nucleic acid structure. The ECL switch behavior of [Ru(bpy)2dppz]2+ is ascribed to the intercalation that shields the phenazine nitrogens from the solvent and results in a luminescent excited state. The ECL switch by DNA was applied to investigate the interaction of [Ru(bpy)2dppz]2+ with herring sperm DNA. The calculated equilibrium constant (K) is 1.35 x 10(6) M(-1), and the calculated binding-site size (s) is 0.88 base pair, which is consistent with the reported values.

Trans-Scale Mechanics: Looking For The Missing Links Between Continuum And Micro/Nanoscopic Reality

Problems involving coupled multiple space and time scales offer a real challenge for conventional frameworks of either particle or continuum mechanics. In this paper, four cases studies (shear band formation in bulk metallic glasses, spallation resulting from stress wave, interaction between a probe tip and sample, the simulation of nanoindentation with molecular statistical thermodynamics) are provided to illustrate the three levels of trans-scale problems (problems due to various physical mechanisms at macro-level, problems due to micro-structural evolution at macro/micro-level, problems due to the coupling of atoms/molecules and a finite size body at micro/nano-level) and their formulations. Accordingly, non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, coupled trans-scale equations and simultaneous solutions, and trans-scale algorithms based on atomic/molecular interaction are suggested as the three possible modes of trans-scale mechanics.

Internal resonance of an L-shaped beam with a limit stop .1. Free vibration

Real-life structures often possess piecewise stiffness because of clearances or interference between subassemblies. Such an aspect can alter a system's fundamental free vibration response and leads to complex mode interaction. The free vibration behaviour of an L-shaped beam with a limit stop is analyzed by using the frequency response function and the incremental harmonic balance method. The presence of multiple internal resonances, which involve interactions among the first five modes and are extremely complex, have been discovered by including higher harmonics in the analysis. The results show that mode interaction may occur if the higher harmonics of a vibration mode are close to the natural frequency of a higher mode. The conditions for the existence of internal resonance are explored, and it is shown that a prerequisite is the presence of bifurcation points in the form of intersecting backbone curves. A method to compute such intersections by using only one harmonic in the free vibration solution is proposed. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited

The interaction of two pairs of solitary waves in a two-fluid system

This paper deals with the interaction of solitary waves in a two-fluid system which consistsof two superimposed incompressible inviscid fluids with a free surface and a horizontal rigidbottom. Under the assumption of shallow water wave, we first derive the basic equationssuitable for the model considered, a generalized form of the Boussinesq equations, then usingthe PLK method and the reductive perturbation method, obtain the second-order approximatesolution for the head-on collision between two pairs of interface and surface solitary waves,and give their maximum amplitudes during the collision and the nonuniform phase shiftsafter the collision which lead to the distortion of the wave profiles.

Investigation of Interactions between Two Monoclonal Antibodies and SARS Virus with a Label-Free Protein Array

The investigation of interactions between two kinds of monoclonal antibodies and SARS virus with a label-free protein array technique were presented in this paper. The performance consists of three parts: a surface modification for ligand immobilization/surface, a protein array fabrication with an integrated microfluidic system for patterning, packaging and liquid handling, and a protein array reader of imaging ellipsometer. This revealed the technique could be used as an immunoassay for qualitative and quantitative detection as wen as kinetic analysis of biomolecule interaction.

Temperature-dependent transport and spin accumulation in a quantum wire with Rashba spin-orbit interaction

We study the theory of temperature-dependent electron transport, spin polarization, and spin accumulation in a Rashba spin-orbit interaction (RSOI) quantum wire connected nonadiabatically to two normal conductor electrode leads. The influence of both the wire-lead connection and the RSOI on the electron transport is treated analytically by means of a scattering matrix technique and by using an effective free-electron approximation. Through analytical analysis and numerical examples, we demonstrate a simple way to design a sensitive spin-transfer switch that operates without applying any external magnetic fields or attaching ferromagnetic contacts. We also demonstrate that the antisymmetry of the spin accumulation can be destroyed slightly by the coupling between the leads and the wire. Moreover, temperature can weaken the polarization and smear out the oscillations in the spin accumulation.

Localized and free exciton spin relaxation dynamics in GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well

We have investigated the exciton spin relaxation in a GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well. The recombination from free and localized excitons is resolved on the basis of an analysis of the photoluminescence characteristics. The free exciton spin relaxation time is measured to be 192 ps at 10 K, while the localized exciton spin relaxation time is one order of magnitude longer than that of the free exciton. The dependence of the free exciton spin relaxation time on the temperature above 50 K suggests that both the D'yakonov-Perel' and the Elliot-Yafet effects dominate the spin relaxation process. The temperature independence below 50 K is considered to be due to the spin exchange interaction. The ultralong spin relaxation time of the localized excitons is explained to be due to the influence of nonradiative deep centers. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Direct Numerical Simulation of Shock/Turbulent Boundary Layer Interaction in a Supersonic Compression Ramp

A direct numerical simulation of the shock/turbulent boundary layer interaction flow in a supersonic 24-degree compression ramp is conducted with the free stream Mach number 2.9. The blow-and-suction disturbance in the upstream wall boundary is used to trigger the transition. Both the mean wall pressure and the velocity profiles agree with those of the experimental data, which validates the simulation. The turbulent kinetic energy budget in the separation region is analyzed. Results show that the turbulent production term increases fast in the separation region, while the turbulent dissipation term reaches its peak in the near-wall region. The turbulent transport term contributes to the balance of the turbulent conduction and turbulent dissipation. Based on the analysis of instantaneous pressure in the downstream region of the mean shock and that in the separation bubble, the authors suggest that the low frequency oscillation of the shock is not caused by the upstream turbulent disturbance, but rather the instability of separation bubble.

Effects of Magnetohydrodynamic Interaction-Zone Position on Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction

A third-order weighted essentially nonoscillatory and non-free-parameter difference scheme magnetohydrodynamic solver has been established to investigate the mechanisms of magnetohydrodynamics controlling separation induced by an oblique shock wave impinging on a flat plate. The effects of magnetohydrodynamic interaction-zone location on the separation point, reattachment point, separation-bubble size, and boundary-layer velocity profiles are analyzed. The results show that there exists a best location for the magnetohydrodynamic zone to be applied, where the separation point is delayed the farthest, and the separation bubble is decreased up to about 50% in size compared to the case without magnetohydrodynamic control, which demonstrated the promising of magnetohydrodynamics suppressing the separation induced by shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions.

Quantitative evaluation of the interaction between pUC19DNA and ovalbumin by capillary zone electrophoresis

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was used to study the interaction between pUC19DNA (pUC19) and ovalbumin (Ova). Samples containing pUC19 and Ova at various ratios were incubated at room temperature and were then separated by CZE with tris-acetate buffer at pH 7.2. Reduction in ultraviolet (UV) absorbance of pUC19 was due to the decrease of free pUC19 after binding to Ova. The binding constant of the interaction calculated from the Scatchard plot was (1.46+/-0.15) x 10(5) M-1. The use of polyacrylamide-coated capillary showed better effects than that of uncoated capillary. The results show that it is important to keep a constant ionic strength in the samples in order to obtain accurate quantitative data in binding assays by CZE.

Aptamer-based label-free method for hemin recognition and DNA assay by capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection

An aptamer-based label-free approach to hemin recognition and DNA assay using capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection is introduced here. Two guanine-rich DNA aptamers were used as the recognition element and target DNA, respectively. In the presence of potassium ions, the two aptamers folded into the G-quartet structures, binding hemin with high specificity and affinity. Based on the G-quartet-hemin interactions, the ligand molecule was specifically recognized with a K (d)approximate to 73 nM, and the target DNA could be detected at 0.1 mu M. In phosphate buffer of pH 11.0, hemin catalyzed the H2O2-mediated oxidation of luminol to generate strong chemiluminescence signal; thus the target molecule itself served as an indicator for the molecule-aptamer interaction, which made the labeling and/or modification of aptamers or target molecules unnecessary. This label-free method for molecular recognition and DNA detection is therefore simple, easy, and effective.