Linear Stability Analysis of Convection in Two-Layer System with an Evaporating Vapor-Liquid Interface

Classical theories have successfully provided an explanation for convection in a liquid layer heated from below without evaporation. However, these theories are inadequate to account for the convective instabilities in an evaporating liquid layer, especially in the case when it is cooled from below. In the present paper, we study the onset of Marangoni convection in a liquid layer being overlain by a vapor layer.A new two-sided model is put forward instead of the one-sided model in previous studies. Marangoni-Bénard instabilities in evaporating liquid thin layers are investigated with a linear instability analysis. We define a new evaporation Biot number, which is different from that in previous studies and discuss the influences of reference evaporating velocity and evaporation Biot number on the vapor-liquid system. At the end, we explain why the instability occurs even when an evaporating liquid layer is cooled from below.

Two new species of Rotifera from China

Two new rotifera species, Brachionus huangi n. sp, and Lecane chinesensis n. sp. are described and illustrated from different localities in China. The main distinguishing taxonomic features of B. huangi are three pairs of apical spines, a pair of symmetrical caudal spines and a wide caudal projection. For L. chinesensis, the main characteristics are the two-sided small extentions of the foot pseudosegment, the long and innercurved apical spines and ventral lorica anteriorly narrower than the dorsal one.

Marangoni-Benard instability with the exchange of evaporation at liquid-vapour interface

A new two-sided model rather than the one-sided model in previous works is put forward. The linear instability analysis is performed on the Marangoni-Benard convection in the two-layer system with an evaporation interface. We define a new evaporation Biot number which is different from that in the one-sided model, and obtain the curves of critical Marangoni number versus wavenumber. The influence of evaporation velocity and Biot number on the system is discussed and a new phenomenon uninterpreted before is now explained from our numerical results.

Influence of Evaporation on Marangoni-Benard Instability

Evaporative convection and instability give rise to both scientific and technological interests. Practically, a number of the industrial applications such as thin-film evaporators, boiling technologies and heat pipes concern with the evaporation process of which through the vapor-liquid interface the heat and mass transfer occur. From a physical viewpoint, one of interesting questions is the mechanisms of convection instability in thin-liquid layers induced by the coupling of evaporation phenomenon and Marangoni effect at the mass exchanged interface. Classical theories, including Rayleigh’s and Pearson’s, have only successfully explained convection in a liquid layer heated from below without evaporation. However these theories are unable to explain the convection in an evaporating thin layer, especially liquid layer is cooled from below. In present paper, a new two-sided model is put forward rather than the one-sided model in previous works. In previous works, the vapor is treated as passive gas and dynamics of vapor has been ignored. In this case, the vapor liquid system can be described by one-sided model. In our two-sided model, the dynamics of vapor should be considered. Linear instability analysis of the Marangoni-Bénard convection in the two-layer system with an evaporation interface is performed. We define a new evaporating Biot number which is different from the Biot number in one-sided model and obtain the curves of critical Marangoni number versus wave number. In our theoretical results, the Biot number and the evaporating velocity play a major role in the stability of the vapor-liquid system.

Instabilities of a liquid film flowing down an inclined porous plane

The problem of a film flowing down an inclined porous layer is considered. The fully developed basic flow is driven by gravitation. A careful linear instability analysis is carried out. We use Darcy's law to describe the porous layer and solve the coupling equations of the fluid and the porous medium rather than the decoupled equations of the one-sided model used in previous works. The eigenvalue problem is solved by means of a Chebyshev collocation method. We compare the instability of the two-sided model with the results of the one-sided model. The result reveals a porous mode instability which is completely neglected in previous works. For a falling film on an inclined porous plane there are three instability modes, i.e., the surface mode, the shear mode, and the porous mode. We also study the influences of the depth ratio d, the Darcy number delta, and the Beavers-Joseph coefficient alpha(BJ) on the instability of the system.

The Kiloparsec-scale structure of 3C 286

We present radio images of the compact steep spectrum (CSS) quasar 3C 286 acquired with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 8.4 and 22.5 GHz. The source exhibits a two-sided core-jet structure with a bright central component and two extended components one to the east (P.A. 100degrees) and another to the southwest (P.A. -116degrees). From the compact core, an extension runs towards the southwest component up to similar to 0.7 arcsecond. The emission between the primary central component and the southwest component exhibits a knotty structure. A gradual change of the jet position angles from -135degrees to -120degrees in the inner southwest jet suggests a local bend. The position angle changes of the major eastern components E2 and E1 suggest that the eastern jet likely follows a curved trace. The bends in the jet trace may be associated with a relativistic precession or some interaction between the jet and the ambient matter. A mean spectral index of alpha(8.4)(22.5) similar to -0.76 (S-nu proportional to nu(alpha)) is estimated for the core component. Steep spectra are also obtained for the extended southwest component (2.6", P.A. -116degrees) and eastern component (0.8", P.A. 100degrees), with alpha(8.4)(22.5) similar to -0.88 and alpha(8.4)(22.5) similar to -1.79, respectively. The radio morphologies and spectral index distributions suggest that the core seen in our images is likely to be the beamed inner jet while the real nucleus is dimmed by it beaming away from us.

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of plankton communities in Lake Donghu, China, as revealed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and its relation to biotic and abiotic factors

The 16S and 18S rRNA genes of planktonic organisms derived from five stations with nutrient gradients in Lake Donghu, China, were studied by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting, and the relationships between the genetic diversity of the plankton community and biotic/abiotic factors are discussed. The concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), NH4-N and As were found to be significantly related (P < 0.05) to morphological composition of the plankton community. Both chemical and morphological analyses suggested that temporal heterogeneity was comparatively higher than spatial heterogeneity in Lake Donghu. Although the morphological composition was not identical to the DGGE fingerprints in characterizing habitat similarity, the two strongest eutrophic stations (I and II) were always initially grouped into one cluster. Canonical correspondence analysis suggested that the factors strongly correlated with the first two ordination axes were seasonally different. The concentrations of TN and TP and the densities of rotifers and crustaceans were generally the main factors related to the DGGE patterns of the plankton communities. The study suggested that genetic diversity as depicted by metagenomic techniques (such as PCR-DGGE fingerprinting) is a promising tool for ecological study of plankton communities and that such techniques are likely to play an increasingly important role in assessing the environmental conditions of aquatic habitats.

Genetic heterogeneity analysis and RAPD marker detection among four forms of Atrina pectinata Linnaeus

Pen shell (Atrina pectinata Linnaeus) can be distinguished into four forms based on the morphololgic characteristics. Genetic similarity, and heterogeneity were analyzed among the four forms by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique using 24 10-nucleotide-long primers. Of these primers, 22 pruners produced well-identifiable RAPD band patterns. Significant differences in RAPD band patterns were revealed among the four forms. A total of 198 polymorphic fragments were scored from 22 pruners. and they are specific for one form, shared by two or three forms. Several pruners, such as S451, S453 S463 S464, S470. S473 and S474, produced abundant band patterns and provided sufficient information for reliable discrimination of the four forms. The average genetic distances and phylogenetic relationships were calculated and analyzed according to the distinguishable fragments. The data indicate that pen shells of form G and form Y are similar not only among individuals within the same form, but also between individuals from the two forms, and that shells of form T and form S are highly divergent. The constructed phylogenetic free matches the average genetic distances. Three clusters were clearly distinguishable, in which two were corresponding to form S and form T respectively and one included forms G and Y. This Study will be benefit to further studies oil the taxonomy and selective breeding of Pinnid species. It is suggested that the four forms of pen shell should be categorized to at least two species taxonomically.

A comparative study of benthic nematodes in two Chinese lakes with contrasting sources of primary production

Ecological studies on benthic nematodes were conducted in two small, shallow lakes in the middle Yangtze basin, China; Lake Houhu, where the main source of primary production is phytoplankton and Lake Biandantang where it is predominantly macrophytic in origin. Monthly sampling was carried out from April 1996 to March 1997. A total of 36 species of nematodes was found in Lake Houhu and 51 species in Lake Biandantang. The dominant trophic groups of nematodes were algophages in Lake Houhu and bacteriophages associated with omniphages and phytophages in Lake Biandantang. Community analyses based on K-dominance curves, Shannon-Wiener and Simpson diversity indices, demonstrate that the benthic nematodes are more diverse in Lake Biandantang than in Lake Houhu. The results suggest that the abundance of submerged vegetation is essential for maintenance of habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity of nematodes in shallow lakes.

Molecular heterogeneity and crystal morphology in metallocene short chain branch polyethylene (SCBPE)

Metallocene, a newer generation of commercial polymerization catalysts for polyolefins, is best known for its "single sitednss", and the intermolecular structural homogeneity of metallocene polyethylene copolymer is a very interesting research issue. The molecular segregation effects on the crystallization, melting and crystal morphologies of metallocene SCBPE have been investigated with DSC and TEM. The multiple endothermic peaks were observed in the DSC thermograms during heating experiments. The heterogeneity increases as branching content increases, the lamellae becomes thinner, and lamellae distribution becomes broader. Both macroscopic segregation (between two crystal aggregates) and microscopic segreation (between two lamellae) have been observed when SCBPE crystallized from phase separated melt.

Intra-habitat heterogeneity of microbial food web structure under the regime of eutrophication and sediment resuspension in the large subtropical shallow Lake Taihu, China

Planktonic microbial community structure and classical food web were investigated in the large shallow eutrophic Lake Taihu (2338 km(2), mean depth 1.9 m) located in subtropical Southeast China. The water column of the lake was sampled biweekly at two sites located 22 km apart over a period of twelve month. Site 1 is under the regime of heavy eutrophication while Site 2 is governed by wind-driven sediment resuspension. Within-lake comparison indicates that phosphorus enrichment resulted in increased abundance of microbial components. However, the coupling between total phosphorus and abundance of microbial components was different between the two sites. Much stronger coupling was observed at Site 1 than at Site 2. The weak coupling at Site 2 was mainly caused by strong sediment resuspension, which limited growth of phytoplankton and, consequently, growth of bacterioplankton and other microbial components. High percentages of attached bacteria, which were strongly correlated with the biomass of phytoplankton, especially Microcystis spp., were found at Site 1 during summer and early autumn, but no such correlation was observed at Site 2. This potentially leads to differences in carbon flow through microbial food web at different locations. Overall, significant heterogeneity of microbial food web structure between the two sites was observed. Site-specific differences in nutrient enrichment (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment resuspension were identified as driving forces of the observed intra-habitat differences in food web structure.