Surface explosive instability for high frequency waves

High frequency three-wave nonlinear 'explosive' interaction of the surface modes of a semi-infinite beam-plasma system under no external field is investigated. The conditions that favour nonlinear instability, keep the plasma linearly stable. The beam runs parallel to the surface. If at least one of the three wave vectors of the surface modes is parallel to the beam, explosive interaction at the surface takes place after it has happened in the plasma bulk, provided the bulk waves propagate almost perpendicular to the surface and are of short wavelength. On the other hand if the bulk modes have long wavelength and propagate almost parallel to the surface, the surface modes can 'explode' first.

Microscopic modelling of adsorption and the generalised surface layer hypothesis

Two- and three-state models for the adsorption of organic compounds at the electrodelelectrolyte interface are proposed. Different size requirements, if any, for the neutral molecule and the adsorbing solvent are also considered. It is shown how the empirical, generalised surface layer (GSL) relationship (between the potential difference and the electrode charge) formulated by Damaskin et a / . can be understood at the molecular level.

An XPS study of the surface oxidation states of metals in some oxide catalysts

Calcined samples of chromia supported on Al2O3, ZnO, or SnO2 show both Cr(VI) and Cr(III) on the surface, Cr(VI) being preponderant in the case of Al2O3-supported catalysts. The proportion of Cr(VI) decreases with increase in Cr content of the calcined catalysts. Reduction of the supported chromia catalysts in H2 at 720 K for 1 hr gives rise to Cr(III) and Cr(V). On carrying out the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane on the chromia catalysts a higher proportion of Cr(V) is found than after treatment with hydrogen. Vanadia supported on Al2O3 or MoO3 shows significant proportion of V(IV) on carrying out the oxidation of toluene on the catalysts. Calcined MoO3 (10%)/Al2O3 shows only Mo(VI) on the surface at 300 K, but on heating to 670 K in vacuum shows the presence of a considerable proportion of Mo(V) which on cooling disproportionates to Mo(IV) and Mo(VI). Mo(V) is noticed on surfaces of this catalyst on reduction with hydrogen as also on carrying out dehydrogenation of cyclohexane. While Bi2MoO6 shows only Mo(VI) on the surface at 300 K, heating it to 670 K in vacuum changes it entirely to Mo(V) which then gives rise to Mo(IV) and Mo(VI) on cooling.

Material processing and surface reaction studies in free piston driven shock tube

Recently established moderate size free piston driven hypersonic shock tunnel HST3 along with its calibration is described here. The extreme thermodynamic conditions prevalent behind the reflected shock wave have been utilized to study the catalytic and non-catalytic reactions of shock heated test gases like Ar, N2 or O2 with different material like C60 carbon, zirconia and ceria substituted zirconia. The exposed test samples are investigated using different experimental methods. These studies show the formation of carbon nitride due to the non-catalytic interaction of shock heated nitrogen gas with C60 carbon film. On the other hand, the ZrO2 undergoes only phase transformation from cubic to monoclinic structure and Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 in fluorite cubic phase changes to pyrochlore (Ce2Zr2O7±δ) phase by releasing oxygen from the lattice due to heterogeneous catalytic surface reaction.

Experimental investigation of catalytic and non-catalytic surface reactions on SiO2 thin films with shock heated oxygen gas

The present study is to investigate the interaction of strong shock heated oxygen on the surface of SiO2 thin film. The thermally excited oxygen undergoes a three-body recombination reaction on the surface of silicon dioxide film. The different oxidation states of silicon species on the surface of the shock-exposed SiO2 film are discussed based on X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) results. The surface morphology of the shock wave induced damage at the cross section of SiO2 film and structure modification of these materials are analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and ion microscopy. Whether the surface reaction of oxygen on SiO2 film is catalytic or non-catalytic is discussed in this paper.

Experimental investigation of interaction of strong shock heated oxygen gas on the surface of ZrO2 - a novel method to understand re-combination heating

Interaction of shock heated test gas in the free piston driven shock tube with bulk and thin film of cubic zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) prepared by combustion method is investigated. The test samples before and after exposure to the shock wave are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The study shows transformation of metastable cubic ZrO2 to stable monoclinic ZrO2 phase after interacting with shock heated oxygen gas due to the heterogeneous catalytic recombination surface reaction.

Excellent field emission from semialigned carbon nanofibers grown on cylindrical copper surface

We report the field emission from carbon nanofibers (CNFs) grown directly on cylindrical copper by a simple pyrolysis technique. The turn-on field is 0.17 V/µm and the emission current density is 0.9 mA/cm2 at 0.35 V/µm. The emission current is stable at a field of 0.35 V/µm and 6.5×10−6 Torr. The excellent field emission behavior is attributed to the sp2 phase in CNFs and the stable emission is due to the direct growth. The direct growth on cylindrical cathode is advantageous for field emission. ©2009 American Institute of Physics.

Surface Discharge Studies with Uniform Field Electrodes at Low Pressures

An investigation of power frequency (50 Hz) surface partial discharges in dry air, using 21r/3 Rogowski profile electrodes in the low pressure range of 0.067 to 91.333 kPa, shows that for the discharges occurring symmetrically around the electrodes and just outside the uniform field region, the breakdown voltages are 20 to 30% lower than those accounted for by the usual Paschen values. Emphasis, therefore, has been given to modified values of breakdown voltages for any useful calculations. The effect of reduced pressure on inception voltage has been discussed and an attempt has been made to explain the difference between the observed and calculated values on the basis of a pressure-dependent secondary ionization coefficient. It is shown that increasing the insulation thickness in a critical pressure range (0.067 to 0.400 kPa) does not allow any significant increase in the discharge free working stress of the insulation system. At higher pressures (>0.400 kPa) the increase in inception voltage with thickness and pressure follows an equation which is expected to hold for other insulating materials as well.

A note on the analysis of the dispersion equation for surface magnetoplasmons in the Faraday configuration

The analysis of the dispersion equation for surface magnetoplasmons in the Faraday configuration for the degenerate case of decaying constants being equal is given from the point of view of understanding the non-existence of the “degenerate modes”. This analysis also shows that there exist well defined “degenerate points” on the dispersion curve with electromagnetic fields varying linearly over small distances taken away from the interface.

Nonlinear mode coupling of surface acoustic waves on an isotropic solid

The nonlinear mode coupling between two co-directional quasi-harmonic Rayleigh surface waves on an isotropic solid is analysed using the method of multiple scales. This procedure yields a system of six semi-linear hyperbolic partial differential equations with the same principal part governing the slow variations in the (complex) amplitudes of the two fundamental, the two second harmonic and the two combination frequency waves at the second stage of the perturbation expansion. A numerical solution of these equations for excitation by monochromatic signals at two arbitrary frequencies, indicates that there is a continuous transfer of energy back and forth among the fundamental, second harmonic and combination frequency waves due to mode coupling. The mode coupling tends to be more pronounced as the frequencies of the interacting waves approach each other.

Nonlinear surface acoustic waves on an isotropic solid

A systematic derivation of the approximate coupled amplitude equations governing the propagation of a quasi-monochromatic Rayleigh surface wave on an isotropic solid is presented, starting from the non-linear governing differential equations and the non-linear free-surface boundary conditions, using the method of mulitple scales. An explicit solution of these equations for a signalling problem is obtained in terms of hyperbolic functions. In the case of monochromatic excitation, it is shown that the second harmonic amplitude grows initially at the expense of the fundamental and that the amplitudes of the fundamental and second harmonic remain bounded for all time.

Degenerate surface modes in a magnetized plasma

Electromagnetic surface waves propagating along the plasma-vacuum interface parallel to an applied magnetic field are studied. New modes for which the field components are degenerate, not reported in the earlier investigation of Kotsarenko and Fedorchenko (1969), are found and discussed. These modes, which propagate up to the plasma frequency for all values of the magnetic field, start as forward waves at low frequency but smoothly change into the backward mode as the frequency increases.

Mass transfer with surface reaction in arrays of cylinders at low reynolds and high peclet numbers

Creeping flow hydrodynamics combined with diffusion boundary layer equation are solved in conjunction with free-surface cell model to obtain a solution of the problem of convective transfer with surface reaction for flow parallel to an array of cylindrical pellets at high Peclet numbers and under fast and intermediate kinetics regimes. Expressions are derived for surface concentration, boundary layer thickness, mass flux and Sherwood number in terms of Damkoehler number, Peclet number and void fraction of the array. The theoretical results are evaluated numerically.

An electron spectroscopic study of the surface oxidation of glassy and crystalline Cu-Zr alloys

Surface oxidation of three metglasses in the Cu-Zr system has been investigated by employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy with a view to comparing their oxidation behaviour with that of the corresponding crystalline states of the alloys. Surface oxidation of pure Zr metal has also been examined in detail using these techniques. Sub-oxides of Zr are formed during the initial stages of oxidation of Zr (at oxygen exposures <10L), while at higher exposures, ZrO2 is formed together with the highest possible sub-oxide which the authors designate as 'ZrO'. The relative proportion of 'ZrO' goes through a maximum in the range 25-50 L. Both the glassy and the crystalline states of the Cu-Zr alloys exhibit preferential oxidation of Zr. The glassy alloys exhibit a higher rate of oxidation at intermediate exposures compared with the crystalline states of the alloys; the extent of oxidation at higher oxygen exposures is, however, higher for crystalline alloys. Interatomic Auger transitions have been found in the Zr+O2 system as well as in Cu-Zr alloys.

Surface waves on the boundary of a magnetized plasma

Full dispersion curves including the effect of ions are presented for the electromagnetic surface waves propagating over a plasma-plasma interface in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field which is parallel to the interface. The effect of ions and finite density ratio of the two media at the boundary give rise to various new features in the dispersion characteristics of these surface waves.